CoachThem Association Success Story: How Campbell River Minor Hockey Saved Hours and Boosted Player Development

Since 2018, Campbell River Minor Hockey Association has been using CoachThem to drive development, enhance organization, and bring consistency across their coaching staff. Located in Campbell River, British Columbia, the association supports 10–12 teams and has seen lasting results from their continued use of the platform.

We connected with Bryce Cockburn, Player Development Coach and founder of Next Level Training, to learn how CoachThem has shaped their on-ice sessions and daily coaching routines over the years.
 

 

 

More Structure, More Reps, Better Practices

 

The shift from pen-and-paper drill sheets to digital planning allowed coaches to get on the same page faster and more efficiently. As Bryce puts it: “Easy to collaborate, share drills and ideas for all age groups. The ice sessions are much more organized and the players are benefiting from more reps and progressive drills.”

With improved communication and planning tools, the quality of practices has increased. Coaches now have more time to focus on execution, and players benefit from thoughtfully structured sessions that are easy to follow and build on.

 

 

Favorite Features: Progression, Sharing, and Efficiency

 

One of the most-used tools for Campbell River coaches is the ability to quickly create and share progressive practice plans: “Just the ease of putting together a progressive practice plan, then share it with the coaches and players. The ability to copy a drill and paste it into another sheet is also a nice feature that we use often when creating station-based plans.”

This workflow allows coaches to stay aligned, maintain consistency across teams, and avoid the need to reinvent the wheel each week.

 

Saving Time, Gaining Focus

 

Planning practices the old-fashioned way wasn’t just inefficient, it often led to inconsistent delivery across the association. CoachThem has helped eliminate that gap: “Before this we were all drawing our own drills on drill sheets (pen and paper), which added so much extra time in our planning and also made it very hard to share.”

Now, instead of spending hours sketching out ideas, coaches are focusing on what really matters - developing players. “For sure CoachThem saves our coaches hours upon hours each week. This platform has transformed our practices and improved the overall quality of our ice sessions.”
 

 

 

Advice for Other Associations

 

For organizations looking to improve collaboration and maximize their coaching time, Bryce recommends exploring all the tools CoachThem offers: “Depending on what you are looking for, CoachThem has all the options covered. If you are looking to create your own drills, their platform makes it very easy to draw drills. Or if you are looking for specific drills you can use the marketplace and search a large variety of drills that are already drawn with specific key points.”

His final word of advice?

“The accessibility and ease to create or find drills within minutes. Then create a drill bank of the drills to use and progress from in the future.”

 

Ready to See the Same Results?

 

Campbell River Minor Hockey Association’s journey shows what’s possible when an association fully embraces CoachThem—from better practice planning and collaboration to more efficient use of time on and off the ice. If your association is ready to simplify coaching, align your staff, and elevate player development, CoachThem is here to help.

Want to be our next success story? Reach out to us at support@coachthem.com or explore how CoachThem can work for your association here! 

 

BONUS - Refer your association to join CoachThem HERE! The association you refer will receive a 20% OFF coupon for their first year with us, while you earn a 20% commission on the payment.

 

 

 

Written by the CoachThem Team in collaboration with Bryce Cockburn, Player Development Coach and founder of Next Level Training 

 

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