SEPTEMBER 2019 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM
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THE KALAMAZOO OPTIMIST
HOCKEY ASSOCIATION is kick-
ing off its 55th season by teaming
up with The Sport Institute of
Finland - Vierumäki, the coun-
try's leading sports training cen-
ter and home to
IIHF development
camps, to provide
an internship
opportunity for
a young Finnish
coach to work in Michigan during
the 2019-20 season.
Kalle Virtanen will spend the
season in Kalamazoo where he
will share his experience as one
of the top up-and-coming devel-
opmental coaches in Finland,
while also learning from coaches
and administrators in one of USA
Hockey's model clubs.
"Creating the intern position
is just one more way that KOHA
continues to push the envelope in
providing great development to
players and coaches alike," said
Bob Mancini, a regional manager
with USA Hockey's American
Development Model.
"This continues to be an
exciting time to be a player in
the Kalamazoo Optimist Hockey
Association as their administra-
tion continues
to find ways to
be a leader in
youth sport."
Virtanen fol-
lows in the foot-
steps of Kalle Väliaho, the youth
hockey manager with the Finnish
Ice Hockey Association, who
spent the 2016-17 season work-
ing with Aspen (Colo.) Junior
Hockey. It's part of a long tradi-
tion of international cooperation
between the two hockey-playing
countries that predates the
implementation of the American
Development Model.
"Learning new cultures is vital
for young coaches, because it
helps you to understand how and
why things are done differently in
life and in coaching," Väliaho said.
KOHA Adds
International Flair To
Its Upcoming Season
ADM
Finnish coach,
Kalle Virtanen
