Email
Print
Norm Spitzer Named General Manager of Junior Team Canada
2015-04-24
The CBHA and its High Performance Program is pleased to announce Norm Spitzer as their selection as General Manager for Junior Team Canada.
The CBHA and its High Performance Program is pleased to announce Norm Spitzer as their selection as General Manager for Junior Team Canada.
CBHA HP Director George Gortsos states, “Norm brings experience and a track record of delivering results for the young high performance players of our nation with his solid work rate and ethics. I am very happy to work with him to make the JTC program continue on the legacy from the great leaders of the past, and meet the new HP framework of National Team programs in the days ahead”.
Norm comes from an extensive background of leadership in a number of minor sports primarily Ice Hockey (30 + years) and for the last 17 years in Ball Hockey having served at the Coach, Manager, Director, Vice-President and President levels. He has seen many former players go on to the WHL, Junior A, NCAA, CIS and NHL levels in addition to Junior Team Canada in both Ice and Ball Hockey.
Norm’s Elite Junior Ball Hockey experience began taking a team to The Western Canadian Championships in 2002 and the Canadian Junior Ball Hockey Championships in 2004 and over the years his teams have garnered 6 Gold, 3 Silver and 2 Bronze at WCC’s in addition to 1 Gold 3 Silvers, 2 Bronze and 2 “B” Gold at Junior Nationals, representing the Alberta Minor Program who have been a key part of the CBHA family.
Norm has also been a part of the Junior Team Canada family since 2007 first serving as a JTC Scout for the Inaugural U16/U18 JTC teams and served as Head Coach of the 2008 Junior Team Canada U16 team that won Gold in Zvolen; he continued on as a Scout and went on to serve as AGM for the U16/U18 teams in 2012 (Bronze/Gold) before becoming CBHA Director of Scouting up to and including the 2014 ISBHF World Junior Championships in Bratislava where he also served as General Manager of the U16 team that won the Silver Medal.
“Norm’s passion for ball hockey is evident in all he does and has done for the sport, says CBHA President Shelley Callaghan. A professional through and through, his focus is creating a great experience for the players, coaches and staff.
Norm Spitzer’s mandate as the GM will be to have the JTC program adhere to the new framework, mantra and style that the CBHA HP Program is integrating at all levels. These will be key components of the players and people who will represent our nation at the U16, U18 and U20 under his leadership. We wish new JTC GM Spitzer great success as he prepares to build the teams that will travel to the ISBHF World Junior Championships in Sheffield, England in July 2016.
Lisa Vendrasco, CBHA Minors Vice President says, “We have had great foundation built over the last few years by the JTC program. As it stands it’s one of the most successful programs of the CBHA. I look forward to seeing high performance bridges built between the junior programs and the men’s and women’s programs with the help of George and Norm. We would all like to welcome Norm Spitzer to the role of JTC GM and look forward to working with him as we go for gold in 2016.”
CBHA HP Director George Gortsos states, “Norm brings experience and a track record of delivering results for the young high performance players of our nation with his solid work rate and ethics. I am very happy to work with him to make the JTC program continue on the legacy from the great leaders of the past, and meet the new HP framework of National Team programs in the days ahead”.
Norm comes from an extensive background of leadership in a number of minor sports primarily Ice Hockey (30 + years) and for the last 17 years in Ball Hockey having served at the Coach, Manager, Director, Vice-President and President levels. He has seen many former players go on to the WHL, Junior A, NCAA, CIS and NHL levels in addition to Junior Team Canada in both Ice and Ball Hockey.
Norm’s Elite Junior Ball Hockey experience began taking a team to The Western Canadian Championships in 2002 and the Canadian Junior Ball Hockey Championships in 2004 and over the years his teams have garnered 6 Gold, 3 Silver and 2 Bronze at WCC’s in addition to 1 Gold 3 Silvers, 2 Bronze and 2 “B” Gold at Junior Nationals, representing the Alberta Minor Program who have been a key part of the CBHA family.
Norm has also been a part of the Junior Team Canada family since 2007 first serving as a JTC Scout for the Inaugural U16/U18 JTC teams and served as Head Coach of the 2008 Junior Team Canada U16 team that won Gold in Zvolen; he continued on as a Scout and went on to serve as AGM for the U16/U18 teams in 2012 (Bronze/Gold) before becoming CBHA Director of Scouting up to and including the 2014 ISBHF World Junior Championships in Bratislava where he also served as General Manager of the U16 team that won the Silver Medal.
“Norm’s passion for ball hockey is evident in all he does and has done for the sport, says CBHA President Shelley Callaghan. A professional through and through, his focus is creating a great experience for the players, coaches and staff.
Norm Spitzer’s mandate as the GM will be to have the JTC program adhere to the new framework, mantra and style that the CBHA HP Program is integrating at all levels. These will be key components of the players and people who will represent our nation at the U16, U18 and U20 under his leadership. We wish new JTC GM Spitzer great success as he prepares to build the teams that will travel to the ISBHF World Junior Championships in Sheffield, England in July 2016.
Lisa Vendrasco, CBHA Minors Vice President says, “We have had great foundation built over the last few years by the JTC program. As it stands it’s one of the most successful programs of the CBHA. I look forward to seeing high performance bridges built between the junior programs and the men’s and women’s programs with the help of George and Norm. We would all like to welcome Norm Spitzer to the role of JTC GM and look forward to working with him as we go for gold in 2016.”