I showed up at the rink at 8. And shadowed the coach running the off-ice session. Then I sat down with the coach and asked him a lot of questions related to the project. Then I got on the ice for 2 group sessions. Then the players played a full-ice scrimmage, and I gave feedback to the players after every shift.

I showed up at the rink at 8. And shadowed the coach running the off-ice session. I helped him set up the bands and cleaned up after the session. Then I sat down with the coach and asked him a lot of questions related to the project. Then I got on the ice for 2 group sessions. We focused on a different topic. Then the players played a full-ice scrimmage, and I gave feedback to the players after every shift.

Today, the hockey camp was at a smaller rink. I've learned that the coach intentionally scheduled it like this so that the players could also work on small-area games. I also arrived at the rink at 8 and shadowed the coach around while he was running the off-ice session. Then I got on the ice for group skills sessions. Each group was split into 2 groups again and worked on different skills. While one group worked on a 1:1 battle on one rink, the other group worked on fundamental skills. I paid close attention to the players, but also to how the coach controlled the practice to make the most out of the practice. Then, after the 2 group sessions, they played a 3:3 scrimmage in the small rink. I also tried to give feedback to the players after every shift.

During this senior project working time, I shadowed my hockey coach, who was running a hockey camp for young players. I arrived at the rink at 8 and shadowed my coach running an off-ice session. He and his players focused on hip mobility and core balance. The off-ice session was an hour long, and I closely watched how my coach organized and ran the session effectively. Then I had an opportunity to introduce myself to the participants of the camp. And I even got an opportunity to talk to one of the players who had some questions about his future hockey career path. He had some questions on prep schools/private hockey academies. Since I had 4 years of prep school experience, I gave him good advice based on my knowledge. Then we had a group on-ice session. The on-ice training was divided into two groups based on their skill level or age. I also got on the ice and paid close attention to the coach and even gave feedback to the players. After two on-ice sessions, we had a scrimmage session. This time, I stayed on the bench and watched the players play. I gave feedback to the players after every shift and even gave them some advice on the things that I thought would be helpful for their future. Overall, I was able to learn and see how my coach organized the camp and focused on developing the players.

12 March 2025

Phil Huynh

6611 Preston Ave D

Livermore, CA 94551 

Dear Mr. Huynh,

I hope this letter finds you well. My name is Wonjun Yun, and I am a Senior at Gilmour Academy. I am writing to introduce myself as a participant in the senior project program and to seek your guidance and mentorship for my project. Throughout my academic journey, I have been passionate about learning what the hockey coaches need to do behind the scenes and on the ice. These experiences have shaped my interest in coaching and have inspired me to pursue further studies in coaching young players and being a good mentor to them.

After careful consideration, I have decided to focus my senior project on learning about the Career Path of hockey coaches through observations. My project pathway will explore what it takes to be a good hockey coach, with a specific focus on shadowing you on the ice and off the ice. I believe that this project will not only allow me to deepen my understanding of how to be a good coach but will also equip me with the skills and knowledge necessary to achieve my future goals. My essential question for this project is: "What are the most important aspects needed to be a good hockey coach?"

In order to help answer my essential question, during my senior project experience from May 5th - May 13th, I would like to work on the following: 40 hours of shadowing on and off the ice, contributing when possible.

To fulfill my requirements at Gilmour, please note that I need mentor approval of this plan. As my mentor, your verification of my 40-hour log will also be required once the experience has been completed. If you have questions or would like to make suggestions for adjustments, my email address is wonjun.yun@gilmour.org.

We will be using a website called Glave to administer this Senior Project. If you are willing to serve as my mentor, look for an email with the subject, Welcome to Glave. Once you click on the link from that email, you'll then set a password. After that, you will be taken to a dashboard page where you can accept the invitation to serve as my mentor. As I log time during my project, you'll receive additional emails asking you to validate the time. Please let me know if you run into any problems while using Glave, and if you prefer, we can confirm hours on paper in May.

Thank you so much for your time and willingness to work with me. I value your time and expertise, and I look forward to learning from you and working with you in May.

Sincerely,

Wonjun Yun

wonjun.yun@gilmour.org