Kevin Walden
Welcome to the Home of the U11 Mariposa Lightning Rep B Team – 2025/2026 Season
Led by Head Coach Kevin Walden
We’re excited to welcome families and players to what promises to be an incredible season with the U11 Rep B Mariposa Lightning! At the helm is Head Coach Kevin Walden, a dedicated and passionate leader who has been part of the Mariposa Minor Hockey Association since 2005.
Kevin’s coaching journey has spanned every age group from U5 to U18, and his resume includes leading multiple teams to OMHA Finalist and Championship finishes. A proud Alumni of Mariposa Lightning himself, Kevin was part of the undefeated U18 team in 2005, bringing both legacy and experience to this bench.
For the 2025/2026 season, Kevin is excited to not only focus on player development, but also bring a strong emphasis to goalie development – an often overlooked but crucial aspect of the game.
Joining the coaching staff this season is Neutral Assistant & Goalie Coach Spencer Green, a former GTHL goaltender whose playing career continued through Junior hockey with the North Kawartha Knights. Since retiring from competitive play, Spencer has focused on training and mentoring young goaltenders across the GTHL and Peterborough region, helping shape the next generation of elite netminders. We are very excited to have a dedicated goalie coach on our bench this season.
As a coach, Kevin is focused on creating a fun, challenging, and team-first atmosphere where players and goalies can grow, compete, and love the game.
Let’s build character, skill, and a love for the game – the Lightning way.Kevin Waldock
Introducing Kevin Waldock as the 2025-2026 U13B coach.
Kevin is bringing over 15 years of coaching experience with this being his 6th full season coaching U13. Hard work, discipline, and structure are cornerstones of the U13 OMHA program this year with an emphasis on and off ice training our players physical and mental game. Development of your player both on and off the ice is always a key season goal and I can’t wait to get started!! Bryan Joly
I have over 20 years of coaching experience at the competitive rep and Junior C level (AA and PJHL) Additionally, with 10 years of experience working in special education at the high school level, I understand the importance of tailoring my teaching style to accommodate each team members individual learning needs.
I am also the Founder and Coaching Partner of Elevate Sports Collective; an organization that supports high performing athletes in Character Development and Personal Growth. I am very excited to implement these philosophy’s and support this team in who they are becoming as they chase their goals. Character development is an essential part of an athlete’s journey. We need to focus on character development with the same consistency that we focus on building our physical strength and skill within hockey. Statistics and psychological studies have shown that when an athlete focuses on character development, they become better performers in their sport and more unified teams are built. This shows that who you are becoming as you chase your goals is as important as reaching the goals itself. As your athlete develops in hockey, they will also:
• Build a healthy relationship with pressure, failure, and society’s scorecard
• Learn to focus on the elements of the game that they can control
• Build a healthy relationship with confidence and competition
• Develop their intrinsic motivation and empower their inner voice
It is my belief that unified teams are built when they embrace vulnerability and engage in honest conversations. When vulnerability occurs team members learn not only about each other's strengths, challenges, and perspectives, but also gain a greater insight of themselves. The self awareness and mutual bond that occurs builds both stronger unified teams, and enhances the overall performance of the individual athletes. Prior to, and during the season, players will participate in personal growth exercises that go far beyond the X’s and O’s. These athletes will have an opportunity to get to know themselves and each other better.
My coaching philosophy is a firm but fair approach. I believe in creating practices where players are actively struggling. They may even fail. The key is to create an environment where they can fail safely. I understand that people are 400% more likely to do something when it’s a want to versus a have to. So rather than talking at players and telling them what to do, I foster an environment where I ask questions, and promote self discovery in helping players and the team get where they need to be. 1st hand experience is ALWAYS better than 2nd hand knowledge. I also believe that as a coach, I need to be the physical manifestation of my expectations. My approach is, “Define, Manage and Model”.
I believe in structured systems in all 3 zones without compromising these players creativity. I believe that it’s my responsibility to help these players think and navigate the game with confidence and with a plethora of options.
I’d like to close out this profile with a story of an NCAA coach Amos Alonzo Stagg. After winning a championship, a reporter asked him,
“Coach what do you think about your team?”
Coach Stagg responded and said,
“I’ll tell you in 20 years”
Bryan Joly
U16 B Dave Wright
With over 20 years of experience as a head coach in competitive hockey, Dave Wright had the privilege of leading multiple teams to All-Ontario finalist appearances and championship seasons. His coaching philosophy is built around structured systems, accountability, and discipline — not only for the players but also for the entire bench staff.
In addition to Dave's hockey background, he brings over a decade of coaching experience in competitive softball, having guided teams to success at the provincial level and proudly representing at the Canadian National Championships.
Throughout the years, Dave has developed a comprehensive coaching program that emphasizes both on-ice and off-ice growth. He is particularly proud of the mentorship structure he has implemented, which has led to well-disciplined teams. In fact, over the past two seasons, our team has been the least penalized in the Vic Durham league, culminating in an All-Ontario Championship title last season.
Skill development and hockey IQ are at the core of his coaching. Dave believes that players must grow in both individual ability and understanding of the game to achieve their goals. His teams play a strong, structured game in all zones: offense, defense, and neutral zone transitions. Plus he places a high focus on special teams, with detailed systems for both the power play and penalty kill.
Discipline, defined roles, and clearly set team goals are cornerstones of his coaching approach. Dave is very excited to build on their recent success and look forward to another strong season as they pursue a repeat of the Red Hat All-Ontario Championship.