Snider Hockey League (SHL) Coach
JOB TITLE: Snider Hockey League (SHL) Coach
DEPARTMENT: Program Delivery
REPORTS TO: Program Coordinator/Neighborhood Leader
FLSA STATUS: Part-Time; Hourly; Non-Exempt
EEO STATUS: Professional
LAST MODIFIED DATE: September 9, 2025
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GENERAL SUMMARY:
The mission of Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education is to create opportunity for under-resourced youth of the Greater Philadelphia Region to prosper in life. The intended impact is that participating youth will become Snider student-athletes with age-appropriate social-emotional strengths and skills to succeed and contribute as students, employees, and community members.
Snider Hockey League (SHL) Coaches at Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education are tasked with providing on and off-ice support to students that participate in the SHL. The SHL is an in-house league that is comprised of youth hockey teams from Snider’s five main programming locations: Class of 1923 Arena, Laura Sims Skate House, Scanlon Recreation Center, Simons Recreation Center, and Tarken Recreation Center. Teams compete at the 6U level, 8U level, 10U level, 12U level, 14U level, and 18U level divisions.
Coaches for SHL teams are responsible for ensuring that all players are provided with a safe and fun environment to further develop their hockey skills while being part of a hockey team for the first time. As students are being introduced to formal competition, SHL Coaches must emphasize hockey rules, game concepts, and sportsmanship. SHL Coaches must have a desire to make a difference in the lives of young people while embracing Snider’s six core values: Integrity, Accountability, Inclusiveness, Teamwork, Opportunity, and Excellence. Finally, all SHL are expected to communicate on a weekly basis with parents, guardians, and students to maximize attendance at all team activities and events.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Act as an ambassador for Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education by fostering a supportive, fun, and engaging learning environment for all team members while ensuring the safety of all participants on and off the ice.
- Plan and lead organized team practices (minimum 1 per week during the SHL season) and lead coaching responsibilities for weekend games (1-2 per weekend during the SHL hockey season). All games will be played at our 5 locations in Philadelphia.
- Explore additional scheduling opportunities outside of your team’s regular season schedule.
- Track attendance for all team activities.
- Use communication tools such as phone calls, emails, text messages, and TeamSnap app to communicate schedule details and important updates to parents, guardians, and students.
- Assist in the sizing, provision, and distribution of equipment and apparel; confirm that all players are wearing properly fitting equipment, jerseys, and socks for practices and games.
- Provide a high-quality experience for team members by working closely with the appropriate age-based Coordinator to deliver impactful academic and life skills programs from Snider’s age-based curriculums.
- Promote various educational opportunities including scholarships, postsecondary guidance, and career development efforts for students on 14U teams and above.
QUALIFICATIONS
- A minimum of 3-5 years of competitive ice hockey experience is required with prior coaching experience being preferred.
- Must exhibit maturity and professionalism while serving as a teacher and role model for Snider students both on and off the ice.
- Must be positive, enthusiastic, motivational, and engaging with students.
- Must be reliable and possess a general willingness to assume any and all tasks related to coaching and team management.
- Attention to detail and both strong verbal and written communication skills are critical.
- Must be able to commit to a minimum of 1 one-hour weekday evening practices each week during the SHL season and games taking place throughout Philadelphia during the weekends.
- Ability to work efficiently and compassionately with students from all ages, genders, races, ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, disabilities, and socioeconomic statuses.
- Hiring is conditional on the successful completion of a criminal background check; individuals must also either possess or be able to attain required background clearances and USA Hockey coaching certification.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:
The intellectual, social, and physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be navigated by the Ice Hockey Coach to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.¯
INTELLECTUAL AND SOCIAL DEMANDS:
While performing the essential functions of this job, the employee is continuously asked to multi-task under time limits and maintain emotional control under stress. The position requires constant attention to precise details and specified standards including; following simple to complex (more than three steps) instructions, and concentration which frequently extends beyond 30 minutes at a time.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
While performing the essential functions of the job, the employee is frequently required to walk, stand, skate, stick handle, balance, stoop, kneel, bend and use repetitive motions. Occasionally moves about inside storage areas to access equipment, cabinets, and office machinery. Occasional pushing, pulling, lifting, and/or moving up to 50 pounds.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The essential responsibilities of this position are performed indoors, mainly at ice hockey rinks but including occasional visits to the office and special event sites (indoor/outdoor in the weather conditions prevalent at the time).The noise level in the work environments can range from moderate to loud during events/programs, and is minimal during non-event/program times.
SCHEDULE:
Much of the work is completed during the afternoon/evening hours on weekdays and various weekend hours during the SHL season. Regular travel across the Greater Philadelphia area is required.
The statements listed above are intended to describe the general nature of the work being performed. This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the position.