SNAP Sports is proud to announce former Assistant Coach Chris Schrage will become the new Head Coach of the Valencia SNAP Flyers Special Hockey Club. Schrage will replace Coach Mike Doggett who served as the team’s first Head Coach for the past six seasons.

Coach Doggett helped develop the program in its infancy, and is excited about the next generation of coaches. According to Doggett, “It was an extraordinary experience for me to help bring this unique program to life at the Ice Station Valencia. I am truly blessed to have coached this courageous group of athletes. I have worked with Coach Schrage since I coached him in youth hockey leagues, and he has the all the right ingredients to make a fantastic special needs head coach. It’s been an honor for me the past six seasons, and I think the program will flourish under Coach Schrage.”

Schrage has been a volunteer with SNAP Sports for over 5 years, serving as a member of the coaching staff as well as the SNAP Sports Advisory Board. In addition to his work with SNAP Sports, he also volunteers with a variety of non-profit organizations throughout the valley such as the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center, the Michael Hoefflin Foundation, the Valley Industrial Association and the Santa Clarita Chamber of Commerce where he was just named as a member of that organization’s Executive Board.

Schrage earned a BA in Communications Studies with an emphasis in interpersonal communications and rhetoric at California State University Long Beach. Shortly thereafter, he began a career with the Santa Clarita insurance agency, LBW where he is an Account Executive and Commercial Risk Control Specialist.

SNAP Sports Executive Director and Co-Founder Dave Chase, who currently oversees the special needs ice hockey program, appreciates all that former Coach Doggett has done for the team. “Without his involvement, this program would look vastly different than it does today. His dedication, his patience and his generosity of time and talent will be greatly missed, but we will carry on with those values learned, and those important pillars in place.” Chase added, “Coach Schrage is a natural fit for the next chapter of this program. He has all the skills and experience needed to be very successful, and we are extremely grateful for his volunteerism.” Chase will continue to manage the hockey program for the remainder of the 2018-19 season, and Coach Schrage will take over as Hockey Director and Head Coach for the 2019-20 campaign.

Founded in 2012, the Valencia SNAP Flyers have become one of California’s premier special hockey programs. They are proud members of both the American Special Hockey Association (ASHA) and USA Hockey. As the annual host of the SoCal Special Hockey Festival, SNAP Sports and the Valencia SNAP Flyers continue to shatter the notion of the limitations for athletes with special needs. For more information about SNAP Sports and the Valencia SNAP Flyers, go to www.snaphockey.org.

About SNAP Sports
SNAP Sports provides individuals with disabilities the opportunity to engage in a variety of sports-based activities. Our athletes often shatter the notion of commonly held limitations, by accepting the challenge of more complex competitive sports. Players gain confidence and poise while becoming better equipped to manage their individual disabilities. Athletes who participate regularly, routinely develop the essential physical and social skills needed to improve their everyday lives. For more information visit www.snaphockey.org. Follow us on social media at facebook.com/snaphockey, instagram.com/snapsportsinc and twitter.com/snapsportsinc.