Coach Kirkup succeeds, earns honours in first season

Karissa Kirkup, daughter of Kary and Suzanne Kirkup guided the primary Brandon feminine AAA squad in that age group to a 16-9-3 document. The squad received the U15 AAA Rural Provincial Championship.

“Throughout the 2021-2022 hockey season, I actually loved working with the nice group of women we have been lucky sufficient to have on our group,” Kirkup mentioned. “Each one of many individuals concerned on the teaching workers, volunteer checklist, in addition to all the gamers have been extraordinarily onerous working and devoted to make the inaugural U15 AAA Brandon Wheat Kings feminine hockey group successful.”

The pinnacle coach mentioned the group confronted some adversity “as any program would of their inaugural season.”

“After all, there was some uncertainty coming from the skin regarding the inaugural season,” Kirkup mentioned. “I’m happy with how properly our group caught collectively as a gaggle from day one, confirmed as much as apply day by day and put their heads all the way down to work onerous, all the time with a constructive perspective.”

Amy Doerksen served because the group’s program coordinator. She mentioned she felt what made this system profitable was the management from Kirkup and assistant coaches Amanda Coey and Sheridan Oswald. They every introduced expertise from enjoying at greater ranges and complemented one another.

“As the pinnacle coach, Karissa constructed a very robust program,” Doerksen mentioned. “She thought-about the holistic growth of the gamers. She launched them to ideas of wellness as aggressive athletes. … Ensuring that the gamers felt engaged and totally supported is vital. Karissa, alongside the opposite coaches, did this. Karissa related with sports activities psychologists and nutritionists. She launched gamers to those people and began these vital conversations.”

As properly, Doerksen praised Kirkup for making a enjoyable studying surroundings.

“She included components in each apply that allowed gamers to only benefit from the sport, which I believe is crucial half. Once we benefit from the course of, we are inclined to get pleasure from nice success from the expertise.”

Hockey Brandon acknowledged Kirkup for what she achieved this previous season. She acquired the Precision Toyota Coach of the 12 months award for the group’s rep groups. It’s offered to “a coach who finest exemplifies good qualities as a coach.” As properly, she was a nominee for the Leech Printing Award, which acknowledges a person “who has demonstrated dedication, dedication and sportsmanship in feminine hockey.” Kirkup mentioned she was honoured to obtain one award and to be nominated for the opposite.

“There are quite a few nice coaches and volunteers inside Hockey Brandon,” she mentioned. “I used to be lucky sufficient to have been surrounded by nice gamers, volunteers and coaches this 12 months. We had a ton of enjoyable and the ladies competed onerous.”

Kikrup has been named as an assistant coach to the workers of the U18 Feminine Crew Manitoba, which can compete on the 2023 Canada Winter Video games, Feb. 26-March 5 in Prince Edward Island. She is a member of the primary all feminine teaching workers of a Manitoba Feminine Program of Excellence group. Ashley van Aggelen will function the pinnacle coach and Maggie Litchfield-Medd will likely be an assistant coach. In 2012, van Aggelen led a group that included Kirkup to the silver medals on the Nationwide Girls’s Beneath-18 Championship. It was Manitoba’s finest end.

“Maggie, Ashley and I all performed for the College of Manitoba Bisons, and it’s actually a terrific alternative to have the ability to work with them, in addition to all the help workers and gamers,” Kirkup mentioned. “It actually has come full circle and I’m excited to work with and watch these gamers compete at one of many highest ranges of U18 hockey.”