Northeast Wisconsin Jr. Gamblers AAA Hockey

• Wisconsin Scout for USHL Central Scouting
• 15 Years as a Coach in the MidWestern Junior B Leage and the Ontario Provincial A League
• 6 Seasons as General Manager for the Orangeville Crushers Junior B Hockey Team

Playing Experience:

Coaching Experience:

Education:

     Coach Flesch is the V.P. of Progressive Warehousing and Bakers Supply Co. His wife's name is Karen and he has 2 children Haley and Cooper.

     Coach Flesch has been involved in hockey for 36 years. He has played since he was 4 years old through High School in the Fox Valley area. He played for the Wisconsin select team in 1984.He then played 9 years in the GLHL. He has coached for 11 years at various youth and High School levels.

      I have coached youth hockey for the past 20+ years in Massachusetts and Wisconsin. Most of my coaching experience has been at the Pee Wee and Bantam levels. I had the opportunity to coach at the high school level for one season as an interim coach. During that season the high school team won its first conference championship and had an 18-5 record. Over the past 6 years the teams that I have coached at the youth level have all made it to the state tournament winning 3 state championships, 2 consolation championships and one third place and generating a .823 winning percentage.

      Growing up in Madison Wisconsin I had the privilege to play with and coached by some of the most talented hockey people in the state. My youth experience was with the Madison West Flyers Association where we had won 2 state championships. In high school, I was part of a team that won 54 straight games, 2 state high school championships and one runner up state championship and achieved a number one ranking in the United States by hockey magazine. I played one year of division 3 hockey when injury ended my playing time.

     My coaching philosophy is grounded in team work, hard work and discipline.

• Grew up in Appleton playing in the Fox Valley Youth Hockey Association
• Attended Premontre High school in Green Bay as a Junior to pursue hockey
• Played Junior A for the Madison Capitols as a senior in high school under Scott Owens (current Colorado College head coach) and Bob Suter (1980 Olympic Team)
• Selected to Team Wisconsin as a Junior and Senior
• Played 4 years of Division 1 college hockey at Yale University under US Olympic/National Team coach Tim Taylor
• Elected Captain of the Yale team as a senior in 1991
• Coached in several youth programs including New Haven, CT; Dallas, TX, Seattle, WA and Appleton, WI
• Spent the past 3 years coaching in the Jr. Gambler Organization at the Squirt and Peewee levels, most recently as the head coach of the 96 team

• A native of Trenton, Michigan, Kirt played youth and Jr. A hockey in the greater Detroit area.
• A four-time hockey monogram winner at the University of Notre Dame, Kirt earned First Team All-America honors in 1983 and ranks as the school’s 12th all-time leading scorer.
• Participated in 3 U.S. Olympic Festivals including the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials.
• Played with the AHL’s Adirondack Red Wings following a season with H.C. Alleghe in the European Elite League during which he was the League’s MVP and leading scorer.

• Kirt spent the past 2 seasons as Head Coach of the University School of Milwaukee’s Girls Varsity Team and Assistant Coach of the Milwaukee Jr. Admirals AAA ‘96’s.
• Kirt spent the 10 previous years coaching at several youth levels in the Milwaukee Winter Club organization.

Kirt and his wife, Trish, have four children: Brinya (18), Keali (15), Anders (12) and Brady (9).

     Eric Smith grew up in Green Bay and played his youth hockey for DePere. He concluded his youth career with a Bantam State Championship and was chosen to play for the Wisconsin Selects at the Minnesota Hockey Festival. During his Bantam year he also played High School hockey for DePere. Eric was selected to play for the N.E.W. Roadrunner Midget Major AAA team that competed in the Michigan National Hockey League. During his second and final season he was chosen as Captain of the Roadrunner team which advanced to the Midget Major National Tournament. After the season was completed Eric was chosen to the Chicago Selects team, which represented North America for a two week tour of exhibition games over in Sweden.

     Eric was then drafted by the Great Falls Americans Junior A hockey club of the America West Hockey League, now a part of the NAHL. Of the three years he was there, the Americans won two league championships and one playoff championship. His final year concluded with a playoff championship and a trip to the Junior A National Championship.

     While out in Montana, Eric helped set up and run learn to skate programs that taught basic balance and stride techniques to children from the ages four to ten. Eric finished his hockey career at St. Norbert College where the Green Knights won a league title and made it into the NCAA Playoffs.

     Eric is returning to the organization for his second season. He is looking to build off of a successful season with the Bantam Major team, which ended with a loss in the state championship game. Eric envisions a season of expanding his player’s knowledge of the game through strategic drills and off ice homework. Having played under coaches that have received such honors of Division III Coach of the Year and Assistant Coach of Sweden’s Under 20 Team, Eric looks to his past coaches to help formulate his coaching and teaching style. The Jr. Gamblers are proud to have him as a coach.

     My family consists of my wife (Jill), two sons (Zach and Jett) and one daughter (Niah). I am presently employed by Executive Air and have been General Manager for past 11 years.

    My hockey playing background consists of youth and high school hockey at De Pere; Division One hockey for Northern Arizona University; and two years with the De Pere Deacons. Prior coaching experience includes: assistant coach De Pere Varsity, head coach De Pere Mites and De Pere Squirt A’s. Also helped with the initiation program for a few years. My son Zach went through Jr. Gambler program, played for the El Paso Rhinos, and is currently at St. Norbert’s. My son Jett will be entering his first year with the Jr. Gambler program.

     I have very strong leadership skills, and great communication abilities for teaching young kids. I try to establish a positive attitude for all coaches and players, and stress strong team work tactics.