Hoopstrength Coaches
Hoopstrength bring countless years of basketball playing and coaching experience. Our basketball coaches have played at an elite level and been recognized with numerous awards both as athletes and coaches.
Our basketball coaches provide customized programs to individuals and teams that are guaranteed to assist them in becoming elite basketball athletes.
Cory Tanner
Cory is owner of Hoopstrength Basketball Club. He is a dedicated and enthusiastic professional with more than ten years of experience. He has coached multiple basketball teams; Centennial High School Jr girls team for 3 years, the ACAC men’s and women's programs at Ambrose University. Cory strongly believes a team’s culture is the most important factor in its success and he has a passion for developing a love for the game in young players. This can be measured by the joy every player he has coached finds on the basketball court. Cory develops high character players who will always respect the game, their opponents, and most importantly their teammates.
Cory's pride and joy are his 3 girls. His oldest Jayden plays basketball at University of Alberta. Tatum, the middle, is not a basketball player but is a happy helper at camps. Hennessy, the youngest, is an enthusiastic Hoopstrengh participant.
Nate Kravetsky
Nate has actively been coaching since 2002. He has coached all levels including college level athletes. Nate coached at High Park School in his hometown in Stony Plain, Wildwood school, Westminster as well as Terry Fox Jr High boys. He coached in club programs for the Stony Plain Rockets and The Teddies. He also coached high school boys and girls at Grand Trunk High School, Spruce Grove Composite, Ross Sheppard, Jasper Place, and Central Memorial High School. He has worked summer camps for Stony Plain Rockets and Hoopstrength. He has been working as an assistant coach of the Ambrose Men‘s basketball team who compete in the ACAC. Some highlights of Nate’s basketball career were taking his Evansburg Grand Trunk Women’s team to Provincials. He also was able to join the Ambrose Basketball team in 2019 for the second semester as an active player.
Chad Romanuk
Chad played post-secondary basketball at Rocky Mountain College in the ACAL where he received honours as the team MVP, while leading his team to a silver medal. From there Chad attended Briercrest College and during his three seasons playing for the Briercrest Clippers, he twice received an ACAC Academic Athlete and CCAA Academic All-Canadian award. After graduating with his B.A. in Sports Ministry, Romanuk got involved with coaching various basketball camps, including Briercrest camps, NBC camps in B.C, Alberta and Saskatchewan, along with the Mano Watsa camp in Ontario, and even overseas in Haiti and Ireland. In 2008, Romanuk went back to Briercrest and took on an assistant coaching role with both the men’s and women’s basketball programs. He was an assistant there for 7 seasons before taking the head coaching job for the Women’s program for 3 years. Chad is currently the assistant coach for the Men’s basketball team at Ambrose University.
Todd Mohorich
Todd is an accomplished and focused coach with years of experience between U11 and High School athletes. He is NCCP FUNdamentals and Learn to Train Certified and also taken courses through the U of C on injury prevention. Todd played his High School basketball in Calgary at Central Memorial High School, winning (2) City Championships, and learning under the guidance of Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame member and former Olympian Romel Raffin. He has been coaching community basketball since 2015. Todd works with Alberta Basketball and coached the U14 Boys Zone 3 team at the 2018 Alberta Summer Games, capturing a Silver Medal. Early in his career he was an assistant coach at Central Memorial High School, for both the Senior and Junior Boys teams, where he was part of Two (2) City Championship teams. Todd has been coaching with Hoopstrength since 2018.
Sean Brown
Sean was an assistant coach with us in 2019 and he did a marvellous job! He loves the game of basketball, where it is going, and how fast it is growing. When speaking with Sean, his knowledge and his passion for the game is quite evident. He played the game for a little more than twelve years, in his younger years he lived on the court and almost always had a ball in his hands. Sean believes that every coach’s number one focus should be making the game an absolute blast for every player they coach. This will be his fifth season coaching basketball, however he has been coaching teams in his professional life for more than 15 years. Sean is currently the Head Coach of our U11 Boys Orange Team
Alex Simon
Alex starting coaching with the Ernest Manning High School Girls program five years ago when he moved to Calgary from Nova Scotia. He has had the pleasure of coaching both the Junior and Senior teams at the school. Alex has gained valuable experience from various coaching and shooting clinics held in Calgary. Alex loves watching athletes grow over the years that he works with them and gets the greatest joy out of when they move on to give back and become coaches and mentors. Alex started coaching with HoopStrength in 2020.
Steven Fraser
Coach Fraser grew his passion for the game of basketball in his hometown of Regina, SK. Currently working as a teacher, he sees all perspectives of the game through the lens of an educator alongside his experiences in basketball; player, referee, and coach. Steven’s playing experiences include: playing on provincial teams, University of Regina high school prep team; Jr. Cougars Club, and all of high school. Some of his coaching experiences includes: lead trainer/academy coordinator/high school men’s club team head coach for basketball training academy, Xcite Athletics (located in Regina, SK), head coach of JV Basketball Div 1 teams for 3 seasons in Regina, and most recently, head coach of the Calgary Div 3 Junior Boys City Champion, Bowness Trojans. Coach Fraser has been part of HoopStrength since 2020.
Grant Sylvester
Grant is currently the assistant coach for the Ambrose University Lions. Grant has coached for 13 years at the high school level in Calgary both in the community, school, and club system. Grant played high school basketball in Toronto and was a Metro-Toronto Allstar. Grant played 4 years at the CCAA level and was twice awarded the All Canadian Award. Grant also has experience running and coaching summer basketball camps.
Michelle Wellsby
Michele grew up in Chilliwack, BC, and played basketball on numerous club and school teams. While in Chilliwack she coached spring league and skills camps for 6- to 12-year-old girls. Most recently Michele coached at the Applesauce Basketball Academy, a skill development program for 4- to 11-year-olds. Michele likes to keep active and she still plays basketball in the Calgary women’s league. Michele is passionate about working with youth and families. She completed a PhD from the University of Calgary with a focus on child development, and she currently works in the Research Department at a children’s mental health organization. She strives to foster a life-long love of basketball in those she coaches. Michele started coaching with HoopStrength in 2020.
Katie Johnson
Katie Johnston has enjoyed basketball as a player as well as a coach. After high school ball she went on to play in the ACAL league with Prairie College, where she received an All Conference award. Katie played her last season at Ambrose University and then went on to coach at Heritage Christian Academy in Calgary. She has coached 7 seasons with the girls junior high teams and 3 seasons with the girls senior high team. Katie is passionate about developing youth athletes, not only in their court skills, but also in their character and mindset. Katie is currently assistant coaching with the high school boys Jr. Lions team.
Howie McAllister
Howie’s love for basketball started in early grade school and has never left. Howie played at an elite level and eventually ended his playing career with the University of Calgary Dinos. His transition from a player to coach started over 25 years ago by first coaching summer basketball camps, weekend clinics, community basketball, school basketball to then primarily coaching club basketball for the last 5 years. Howie loves working with kids and is motivated by how a team sport like basketball can have such a far reaching positive influence on these kids. He is interested in transformed lives and feels like basketball can be an incredible tool to that end.
Dave Yang
Dave grew up in Calgary and was part of many different sports teams throughout junior high and high school. He graduate from Canadian Bible College and has worked as a pastor and now at Glenmore Christian Academy as the Pastor of Spiritual Formation. He has coached junior high boys for many years and has been an assistant coach at Ambrose University for over 7 years. David has been part of HoopStrength since 2016.
Shelley Fugel
Shelley has a background in health and fitness, she started coaching U6 and U8 soccer before switching to basketball. Coaching basketball for 5 years, Shelley has experience coaching Bantam, Midget and Juvenile Girls Basketball at the community and club level. Shelley was honoured to be chosen to participate as a coach in CMBA’s diamond league, for the top High School girls in Calgary.
Shelley has gained valuable coaches training from both NCCP Learn to train and other clinics and seminars.
Shelley loves working with female athletes; motivating and pushing them to transform the way they think and play the game while helping them grow confidence and creativity on the court. She is continually motivated and inspired by these young athletes, seeing the positive influence that she can make, by helping transform a “like” into a “love" of the game.