Kevin Strybosch joins Bulldogs as Director of Business Operations – BTC
Photo credit: Scott Stimson, Blackfalds Bulldogs
Article: Aidan Serra
The Blackfalds Bulldogs are proud and excited to welcome a new member to the Bulldogs family, Kevin Strybosch, who has recently started his position as the Director of Business Operations for the Bulldogs Training Centre (BTC). The BTC is slated to open during the spring of 2023, offering different exercise and training services for a variety of people or groups, including numerous training options for young hockey players.
Strybosch spent the last five years working for Hockey Alberta, both in the Hockey Development and Communications departments.
“I was fortunate enough to hold two roles during my time with Hockey Alberta, one in the Hockey Development department, and one with the Marketing & Communications team. With Hockey Development, I worked a lot with minor hockey coaches and clinic facilitators, which I think will be very relevant for me as we move forward with our team training programs in the BTC,” said Strybosch. “I spent most of my time with the Marketing & Communications department, where I learned a lot about working collaboratively with a team while promoting programs and events and sharing organizational news. My experience included working with many different web and social media platforms, which is something I am planning to continue with in my current role with the BTC… of course, there is the obvious parallel of working for another hockey organization, which I believe is an important experience for me to have moving forward.”
While Strybosch says he fully enjoyed his time at Hockey Alberta, he says he is more than excited about making the switch to working for a Junior “A” team, saying he is happy to be part of an organization that is striving to become something that Central Albertans can support and be proud of. Strybosch also adds that the prospect of building something like the BTC from the ground up is an alluring one.
“It’s a fun and interesting challenge for me coming in and essentially building the BTC to become whatever our organization wants it to become,” Strybosch explained. “I would like to find a solid balance between offering high-performance individual and group training, with the ability for the public to enjoy a workout during their free time. While our facility is somewhat geared towards hockey training with our skating treadmill and shooting room, I believe that the centre can also be inclusive to any individual or group, regardless of fitness level or goals.”
In his free time, Strybosch is an avid outdoorsman and loves to stay active, playing recreational golf, tennis, and slo-pitch, along with frequently bike riding, and running. Strybosch says that one of the main reasons he was so excited to take this position was the ability to mix his interest in hockey with his interest in exercise and athletics in general.
“It still allows me to work in a hockey and sporting atmosphere while allowing me to grow in the areas like physical training and exercise, which I am passionate about,” said Strybosch. “Since I was a kid, it feels like my entire life has revolved around sports. Whether I was playing or watching, I knew that I wanted to continue down that path, and once playing competitively no longer became an option, I chose to pursue a degree that would help me build a career in the industry. The positive experience I had as a kid has encouraged me to continue to be active and strive to be a positive influence for young people in sports. I feel like this position with the BTC allows me to continue working on that goal.”
Strybosch has already begun his work to start the process of readying the Bulldogs Training Centre for the public. The BTC is expected to be open during the Spring of 2023, at which time members of the public will be able to access the variety of services the BTC has to offer.
