Wade Russel

Learning to skate at the age of 3, Russel has called hockey and sport a home for his whole life. As an ‘Athleader’ during his time within the Leadership and Exercise Athletics Program (LEAP) at Catholic Central High School, he began leveraging the various skills and competencies gained through sport and applying them to everyday life. He took this passion to Western University where he completed his undergraduate degree in Kinesiology with a specialization in Sport Management. Since high school, Russel has worked within the local ice-hockey community at Total Package Hockey. He recently completed his M.Sc., (’22) in Sports Coaching & Leadership at Michigan State University, studying topics such as sport pedagogy, psychosocial aspects of sport, skill acquisition, and positive youth development. He is also currently in the process of completing the Hockey Canada Certified Skills Coach (HCSC) designation through the National Coaching Certification Program. Additionally, he recently joined the Western University Men’s Ice Hockey team as an Assistant Coach, aiding athletes in both their athletic and academic pursuits.

Russel is passionate about sharing how the positive and the negative experiences in sport can be used to inform future decision-making, shaping the sporting landscape for future generations through best practices and first principles. His interests include coach and sport pedagogy, coach education, skill acquisition, talent development, understanding the development of hockey IQ, positive youth development through sport, and life skills transfer, amongst many others.