Paton credits teamwork for consecutive OUA West Coach of the Year awards

Emily Stewart, Echo Correspondent

Woodstock’s Kelly Paton, head coach and manager of women’s hockey operations at Wilfrid Laurier University, is the Ontario University Athletics’ (OUA) West Coach of the Year again.

Paton led the Laurier Golden Hawks women’s hockey team to 21 wins during this season, a conference best for the team and the highest goals for since the 2012/2013 season. The team also had the fewest goals against in the OUA at 30 and tied for the second-highest scoring offence with 76 goals. Nationally, the Golden Hawks were ranked third at their highest and ended the season in fourth.

Throughout the interview with the Echo, Paton said that other team members at Laurier

Athletics, such as assistant coach Nik Knezic, department staff supporting conversations

on academic eligibility, part-time staff, and staff involved in physical therapy largely helped

lead her to the award.

"Coaching awards are truly shared and there's a lot of people supporting in different levels to help make sure that I can do my job to the best of my abilities so certainly appreciative of the work the staff and myself were able to do this year and I think it's certainly a reward that helps us prepare to do everything that we do prepare students athletes. Of course, we're happy for the recognition."

She added that, as coaching is a full-time job with non-traditional work hours, she’s grateful for those who support her in her career in all aspects of her life.

"There would really be a long list of people if I tried to throw names in there, but I think the people close to me know the meaning that they have in my life in setting me up for success in my career, so just a lot of gratitude towards those people.”

Paton also runs summer camps for the Woodstock Wildcats Girls Hockey program and received an outpouring of support from alumni, parents of athletes, and others part of the minor hockey association. The Woodstock Wildcats Facebook page celebrated Paton’s win in a March 12 announcement.

“That's an association that's close to my heart, knowing that a lot of my sports experiences were in the City of Woodstock. For myself, I received a lot of positive reach out from friends, family, and supporters from our program sharing their joy in this success and recognition,” she said. “I'm just really lucky to have a great group of people around me that support me in my role.”