NOHA Rick F. Albert Award - Stephen Surcon
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Every year, the NOHA recognizes the many Officials and Volunteers who contribute to the game in Northern Ontario. Traditionally, these individuals are recognized at the NOHA Annual General Meeting, however due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be acknowledging all award winners via the NOHA website and our various social media platforms from April 14 to April 23, 2020.
Rick F. Albert Memorial Award Winner – Stephen Surcon (Schumacher)
For the last fifteen years, Stephen has been instrumental in the area of coach and player development within Timmins and the surrounding Region. During this time, Stephen has been a coach or assistant coach within one of the Timmins Region’s Minor Hockey Associations, including the Timmins Majors Midget AAA. Stephen has led many teams to Championships, but none more prolific than when his teams earned back-to-back NOHA Championships at the Peewee AA Level in 2015-16 and 2016-17. The 2016-17 Season was especially special where his team captured the OHF Championship at the Peewee AA Level.
Stephen is an NOHA National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) Learning Facilitator of the Development 1, Coach 1 – Intro to Coach, Coach 2 – Coach Level, Checking Skills 1, and Instructional Stream Clinics. He has held this role since the 2014-15 Season. During this time, he has delivered almost twenty coach development clinics, and has been never reluctant to travel to deliver a clinic in a different district when asked.
Stephen has been a staple in the NOHA’s Program of Excellence over the last nine years, attending the 2011 NOHA POE Under-17 Regional Camp, and the 2012 to 2015 OHF/OHL/NOHA POE Under-15 Camps. More recently, Stephen has been an Assistant Coach with Team NOHA Under-16 in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
A High Performance 1 “Certified” coach, Stephen has never been afraid to better himself and further develop his coaching skills. He has attended various continuing education programs over the years, such as the NOHA Advanced Skills Analysis Seminar, the OHL Coaches Conference, and the Roger Neilson Coach Conference.
Stephen has shown a desire to stay current with the game as it is played today, so that he may provide quality instruction to the hockey players in the Timmins area, no matter what age group he is involved with.
About the Rick F. Albert Memorial Award
This award is to be presented to a person or association which has been instrumental in the area of development within the NOHA. The award can be given to an individual involved in Coaching, Refereeing, Training or the Initiation Programs, one who has developed a program which has been incorporated to the benefit of hockey or a person who has dedicated a great deal of time and effort to development within the NOHA. This award could also be presented to a hockey association who through its efforts during a hockey season has furthered the advancement of development within the NOHA.
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Schedule for announcements
April 14, Most Deserving Official – Deborah Topash (North Bay)
April 15, Most Improved Official – Nicholas Folz (Sault Ste. Marie)
April 16, Most Promising Official (Keith Barton Memorial Award) – Gabe Hare (M’Chigeeng)
April 17, Jim Conners Award – Corey Jackson (Sault Ste. Marie)
April 20, Rick F. Albert Memorial Award – Stephen Surcon (Schumacher)
April 21, Dr. Tom Pashby Trainer of the Year
April 22, Ken Neeb Memorial Award
April 23, Angus Campbell Merit Award