In a double bit of good news, we are delighted to confirm, as announced at the End of Season Awards night, that Joe Wilson will return to MKL as Assistant Coach in a two year deal, and that he will also be one of the coaches at the EIHA’s Showcase tournament this weekend.
Joe joined MKL at the start of last season and has worked incredibly hard over the last year as assistant coach, with responsibilities for running parts of practice, team building, player management and running the bench on matchnights.
MKL Director Tom Roberts had this to say: “We couldn’t be happier with the contribution which Joe has made to the club and are very grateful for his dedication, work ethic and preparation that he puts into his role. He has a fantastic attitude, is open to learning from those around him, and is well networked across British hockey. On top of that he’s fun and easy to work with and has a great sense of humour.”
Joe said “I really enjoyed my first season at MKL, the fans are amazing to be in front of and it was heartbreaking to have nothing to show for all the hard work that everyone had put in at the end of the season.
I felt I learnt a lot last season, I really enjoyed working alongside Tim and the rest of the back room staff. It was therefore an easy decision to return.
Together with Tim we have been building a team that we are confident will bring back some silverware to MK and to the fans who deserve it more than anyone.”
This weekend, Joe will take charge of one of the U15 teams at the EIHA Showcase tournament in Sheffield. The event covers U12, U13, U14 and U15, U16 and U18 age groups with players selected from their clubs as the top talent.
There are a number of Milton Keynes Storm Junior players taking part.
A spokesperson for the tournament said: “We’re involving NIHL and Elite League personnel so that they can effectively scout all the top prospects coming through at U16 and U18 in one place. Building their excitement about and investment in young British players is the best way to develop the pathway that takes a talented 14 or 15-year-old all the way through to senior level.”
This player development is one of the key reasons Joe decided to get involved, and it’s a huge focus of his and MK Lightning’s to build our talent development pathways going forward. We’re proud of Joe for giving back to the game at all levels and helping its future development.
Welcome back Joe, and good luck to all those taking part this weekend.
