Meet Coach Kim

My name is Kim McCullough, and I’m the Director & Founder of Total Female Hockey.

Empowering female hockey players & coaches so they take their game to the next level is my true passion in life.

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I’m so fortunate that I get to work with players, coaches & teams who have the drive, desire and determination needed to succeed on and off the ice.  Over the past 20 years, I’ve worked with over 8000 players, 1000 coaches and 150 teams, from novice to National teams, on how to take their on-ice performance to the next level through on and off-ice player development. I’m passionate about every aspect of player development and love teaching on-ice skills, working on strength & speed off the ice, teaching players & parents about the scholarship process, and helping players with their mental game.

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All of our Total Female Hockey instructors are former players & students of mine who have played at the highest levels of women’s hockey – all the way from the Provincial Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), Canadian University (USports), NCAA, Provincial and National team level.

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COACH KIM’S BIO

COACHING EXPERIENCE:

  • Head Coach, Team Iceland, 2024 IIHF Women’s World Hockey Championships Under 18, Silver Medalists
  • Director & Founder, Total Female Hockey, since 2008
  • Inducted into the Leaside Sports Hall of Fame, November 2019
  • 20+ years experience as an on-ice instructor & off-ice strength and conditioning coach
  • Head Coach, Toronto-Leaside PWHL, 2014-2021 (won Coach of the Year for 15-16 season)
  • Head of Hockey Operations, Toronto-Leaside Wildcats Association, since 2020
  • Assistant Coach, Ryerson University Women’s Hockey, 2013-2017
  • Founder & Director, PEAC Girls Hockey Academy Program, 2009-2014
  • Head Coach, Team Ontario Blue, Under 18 National Championship Silver Medalists, 2013
  • Assistant Coach, Team Ontario Red, Under 18 National Championship Bronze Medalists, 2012
  • Coach at Under 16 Ontario Winter Games, 2010 & 2012
  • Head Coach, Toronto-Leaside Midget AA, 2012-2014, 2018-2020
  • Head Coach, Toronto-Leaside Bantam AA, 2011-2012
  • Certified High Performance 2 Coach with Hockey Canada
  • Hockey Canada Certified Skills Coach
  • Hockey Canada Coach Evaluator, High Performance & Development Programs

PLAYING EXPERIENCE:

  • Played 6 seasons of professional hockey in the NWHL/CWHL as both a forward & defenseman
  • Attended tryouts for Team Canada
  • Captain & Leading Scorer at Dartmouth College (NCAA Division 1) 1998 to 2002
  • 2 time Ivy League Champions, 2 time ECAC Champions and 2 National Championship Appearances with at Dartmouth
  • Named a Strength & Conditioning All-American at Dartmouth and 2 time All-Ivy League & All-ECAC selection
  • Played all minor hockey for the Toronto-Leaside Wildcats organization
  • Started playing at 13 years old – had 10+ scholarship offers by the age of 18



COACH KIM’S STORY
I started Total Female Hockey back in 2008 to help other aspiring female players avoid making the same mistakes I made. I spent most of my hockey career injured, tired and frustrated because I didn’t have the access to the instruction, information and inspiration I needed to get to the next level properly.  I learned everything the hard way – on my own, with no help, and no guidance from any female players who had played at the elite level.  That’s why I work with players, parents, coaches and associations all over the world – because I believe every female player deserves the opportunity to take their game to the next level under the guidance of a coach who has been there and genuinely wants to help them succeed.

KIM’S “HOCKEY” EDUCATION – ON AND OFF THE ICE 

I played my minor hockey for the Toronto-Leaside organization – starting in house league at the age of 13 and progressing quickly to the AA level the following season. I eventually went on to play at Dartmouth College in NCAA Division 1 (Ivy League), where I was the team captain and graduated with a degree in both molecular biology and moral philosophy (I’m a nerd). After returning to Canada, I played in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League for 6 years while completing my Master’s Degree from York University in Neuroscience & Kinesiology, where I studied motor control and learning in elite hockey players. In addition to working with players on the ice since I was 18, I became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach and Youth Training Specialist so that I could help players become better athletes off the ice, which makes them better players on the ice.  Over my 15 year playing career, I had the opportunity to play with Olympians, learn from the world’s best on-ice coaches, and work with elite strength and conditioning coaches. My first-hand knowledge of playing and training at the elite level definitely gives me a unique understanding of what it takes to get to and compete at that level.

KIM’S COACHING EXPERIENCE

After having played at the highest levels of women’s hockey in the world for over 10 years, I “retired” to focus on helping other players achieve their goals. In addition to running skills clinics and camps year-round with Total Female Hockey since 2008, I was also the Founder & Director of the Girls Hockey Program at the PEAC School For Elite Athletes in Toronto for 5 years, where I got to work with a select group of driven players every day on and off the ice from September to June. I have been training aspiring female hockey players on and off the ice exclusively for over 15 years.

From 2014-2021, I was the Head Coach for the Toronto-Leaside Jr Wildcats in the Provincial Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), widely considered the most competitive developmental league for aspiring female hockey players in the world.  In 2016, I was named the PWHL Coach of the Year after guiding our team to a 20 point jump in the standings.  I also coached with the Ryerson Women’s Hockey team as an assistant coach for 4 seasons, in addition to running my camps and clinics with Total Female Hockey.  Prior to coaching the PWHL team, I coached the Toronto-Leaside Midget AA and Bantam AA teams for a number of years, as well as with the Toronto Aeros and Markham organizations. I was inducted into the Leaside Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.

I’ve coached with both the National and Provincial Under-18 programs and was selected as a coach for Team Ontario for the 2012 & 2013 Under-18 National Championships – winning a silver as the Head Coach of Team Ontario Blue and a bronze as an assistant with Team Ontario Red. I was also a coach for both the 2010 & 2012 Ontario Winter Games. I’ve also completed my Hockey Canada High Performance 2 Coaching Level, which will allow me to coach at the international level in the future.

I have also completed my Hockey Canada Skills Instructor Certification which is an invite-only intensive program for elite skills instructors from across Canada.

KIM’S COACH DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE

I have been an instructor for the Hockey Canada High Performance 1 Coach Development program for over 10 years. I teach coaches about off-ice player development and also serve as a group leader for coaches as they work through the HP1 certification process. I have also run coach development seminars for associations across Canada since 2008 – focusing on complete player & team development (on-ice skills, off-ice training, mental performance, team building and nutrition). As of fall 2020, I am the Head of Hockey Operations for the Toronto Leaside Girls Hockey Association where my 3 main focus areas are on coach, player and culture development across all levels of the association.

I love coaching and player/coach development, as much as I loved playing, and my work with players & coaches constantly inspires me to be a better coach, leader, mentor and person every day.

List of Associations Total Female Hockey has worked with since 2008:

Toronto Leaside * OWHA * Oakville * Toronto Aeros *Mississauga * Barrie * Scarborough * Whitby * Etobicoke * Mississauga * Burlington * Durham West * Kingston * Napanee * Belleville * Clearview * Cambridge * Central York * Markham-Stouffville * Clarington * Oshawa * Lindsay * North Halton * Peterborough * North York * Wilmot * London * Brantford * Willowdale * Ohio Flames * St. Alberts (Edmonton) * Duluth (Minnesota) * Calgary Girls’ Hockey * Thunder Bay * Sault Ste Marie * Fairbanks (Alaska) * North Bay * Montana *  Richmond (British Columbia) * Okotoks (Alberta) * Kelowna (British Columbia)

If you are interested in learning more about how Total Female Hockey can help you achieve all your goals for the season, please contact me directly at kim@totalfemalehockey.com and soon you will be on your way to taking your game to the next level.

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