2016-2017 Racers Team 1 Head Coaches Announced
The Indianapolis Racers are proud to announce our Racers 1 head coaches for the 2016-17 season
The Bantam 1 team will be led by Allen Sprunk. This will be Coach Sprunk’s 45th year as a USA Hockey head coach. After coaching in Redford Township, Novi, and Farmington Hills, MI, for 10 years, he moved to Carmel in 1980. Joining IYHA in 1981, he coached the IYHA Squirt All-Stars to the Indiana Squirt A State Championship. The following year the All-Star team became the Indianapolis Racers Squirt AA travel team. A USA Hockey Level 4 coach, Sprunky has led Racers teams to state championships at Mite, Squirt, Pee Wee and Bantam at A and AA levels. His 34 tournament championships include three International Silver Stick Tournaments and five Indianapolis Racers St. Patrick Tournaments, as well as nine Indiana State championships. He began playing hockey at Memorial Park outdoor rink in Wyandotte, Michigan, at age 10. In 1979, he was a member of the Michigan Senior Men’s State Champions and played on two teams that won the Crown Life International Tournament in Toronto. Over the years, he has seen his players go on to play Junior A, Division 1 College and professional hockey all the way to the NHL.
Gary Timpe will coach PeeWee 1. The 2016-17 season will be Gary's fifth as an IYHA coach. He has coached both the Mite and Squirt levels, and was an assistant coach for the Racers during the 2014-15 season. He was head coach of the Racers Squirt 1 team last year, leading the team to a Buckeye Travel Hockey League season championship. A USA Hockey Level 4 coach, his love (and study) of hockey began as a child when his father took him to the (WHA) Indianapolis Racers games. Gary has played the game since he was a child and is still actively playing in local adult leagues.
The Squirt team will be coached by Tony Kantzavelos. This will be Tony's first year as a Racers coach. He has coached three years with IYHA at Mini-mite, Mite and Squirt levels. Tony began playing organized hockey at 5 years old, played through high school and continues to play in a men's league at the Carmel Ice Skadium.
All of our remaining head coach candidates have players who will be trying out for the Racers. Therefore, Racers 2 coaches will be named shortly after the Racers 1 players have been selected.
Please contact us at iyhamail@iyha.com if you have any questions about our Racers programming. For information about pre-skates and tryout times and dates, visit our news page here.