Our Team

Mike is entering his 8th year as Director of Hockey Operations at Victus Academy. Mike is also the founder and owner of HockeyDetail. Mike played professionally and coached in Europe for over 15 years winning National championships as a player and coach in both in Great Britain and Italy.
Mike Ellis currently works as an NHL development consultant and also works directly with Hockey Canada Women’s Team National Development Program. He has worked with the New York Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Nashville Predators as a Development Consultant and Skating Coach. He works daily with top players and coaches in the world both male and female and our qualified on-ice staff to build our ever evolving development techniques.
Mike believes that learning is all in the detail.

BA, TSCC – Level Gold
Scott is entering his 3rd year at Victus Academy. Scott grew up playing many sports including hockey, baseball, lacrosse, and soccer. Scott gravitated to and excelled at hockey as this led to being drafted to North Bay in the Ontario Hockey League. After a 6 years hockey career, Scott decided to retire and attended Wilfrid Laurier University graduating in 2001. Upon graduation Scott opened his first Strength & Conditioning Facility and became the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Kitchener Rangers (OHL) for 6 seasons.
Scott has a passion for education and is an international presenter and presented in countries all over the world such as the USA, England, Korea. Scott has had the honour of working with Elite Athletes throughout the world as he was the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Ingolstadt Panthers (DEL) and the Augsburg Panthers (DEL).
He is also the Director of Sports Performance for Twist Performance and, through Twist, has worked in setting up programming for hockey academies for over 16 years. This knowledge and experience with training student-athletes 4 days a week, 10 months of the year is invaluable.

Mark Ellis is entering his 8th year at Victus Academy. He has instructed, coached and administered all levels of minor and junior hockey for the past 20 years. After Mark’s professional playing career, he started with the OMHA coordinating development camps alongside Hockey Canada before moving to Junior Hockey where he was the Executive Director for the OHA as well the GOJHL first Commissioner helping the league establish themselves as development leader at the Junior B level across North America.
Mark has worked at NHL, Hockey Agency Development Camps and trains professional, elite Junior and Minor players. His focus is building better movement and function for each individual player to help them best succeed inside their game while establishing better practice and game habits to increase opportunity in all areas of play.

Rob is in his 5th year at Victus Academy after 20 plus years operating and building athletic/hockey programs at private schools in the USA and Canada. Robert has coached and managed teams at the AAA and Junior level and has provided individual and group training to all levels. His history working in the USA and with private schools and teams across North America also has provided him many positive networking opportunities in the game of hockey, which he has engaged to assist his players and students to advance their opportunities. He is a coach, teacher and an advocate for his students and players. And is excited to be part of our school programming.

Paul is entering his 8th year at Victus Academy and is the current Goaltending Coach for the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack, the 2019 USports National Champion Guelph Gryphons women’s hockey program, and goaltender consultant for the Hockey Canada National Women’s Team. Paul owns and operates a goaltender development company, Goalie Detail, in which he works with goaltenders of all ages. As a goaltender, Paul played both NCAA division 1 and USports hockey.
Paul stresses reading the play and understanding the game along with goalie specific pushes and skating. As goaltenders advance to higher levels if they cannot read the play and get to where they need to be efficiently, goaltenders will be “chasing the play” and therefore setting themselves up for failure. Paul expects his goaltenders to compete. He is a firm believer that the goaltenders should be the hardest working players on the ice. According to Paul, this shows silent leadership and forces all players on the ice to compete harder, in turn creating a competitive development

Todd is entering his 7th year as Director of Student-Athlete Development at Victus. He played his minor hockey in Kitchener and went on to play in the OHL and CIS.  He has been coaching and providing direction to elite athletes over the past 30 years.  He is passionate about coaching and the last 12 years he has enjoyed leading at the junior level. The highlight of his coaching career was leading the Waterloo Siskins this past year to bring the Sutherland Cup back to our Community after a 25 year absence.
Todd is currently the Director of the Edge Hockey Spring program which offers opportunity for local area hockey players to extend their winter season and receive top training to improve skills and participate in tournaments as a team.
A consistent focus over the years in coaching and leading the spring program has been on developing good character in his players while strengthening their hockey skills.  It is very rewarding to guide these young athletes as they strive to achieve the goal of moving their game to the next level.
Todd and his wife Debb enjoy living in Baden and spending time with their three boys Tyler, Mike and Shaun.

Jackson Slauenwhite is entering his 3rd year at Victus Academy. He is a mental performance coach who helps elite athletes and teams consistently perform at their best and unlock their full potential. Jackson works with hockey players in the NHL, AHL, CHL and younger ranks as well as teams like the Charlottetown Islanders of the QMJHL and Canada’s National Development and U18 women’s teams. With over 18 years of experience studying and implementing applied sport psychology practices, Jackson finds the most rewarding moments in helping clients turn their dreams into reality and performing better than even they thought possible.

Rebecca enters her 1st year at Victus Academy as a Skating Consultant. Based out of the Kitchener-Waterloo region, she is the Skating Coach for the Detroit Red Wings with over 20 years of experience working with athletes of all skill levels.

B.Sc (Hons.) – University of Waterloo
M.Sc – University of Waterloo
Ph.D. – University of Waterloo
In addition to co-founder and President of Victus Academy, Dr. Matthew Schmidt is a Kitchener native, a Vanier scholar, and PhD Graduate in Chemistry from the University of Waterloo. He has coached rep minor hockey in the region, spring hockey, and varsity high school hockey and has worked with the Jr. B Kitchener Dutchmen as an Advance Scout. Both balance and excellence in academics and athletics, specifically hockey, has been extremely important to him throughout his life and he founded this program to provide the best opportunity for dedicated student-athletes to achieve their goals.

Rob is in his 5th year at Victus Academy after 20 plus years operating and building athletic/hockey programs at private schools in the USA and Canada. Robert has coached and managed teams at the AAA and Junior level and has provided individual and group training to all levels. His history working in the USA and with private schools and teams across North America also has provided him many positive networking opportunities in the game of hockey, which he has engaged to assist his players and students to advance their opportunities. He is a coach, teacher and an advocate for his students and players. And is excited to be part of our school programming.

BA – Wilfrid Laurier University
Vanessa is in her 1st year at Victus Academy. She is a passionate and dedicated community leader who believes in the power of creativity, connection, and inclusive leadership. With a strong focus on youth development, sport, event coordination, and cultural engagement, she brings energy, organization, and heart to every project she leads. Known for her positive energy and strong communication skills, Vanessa excels at bringing people together and creating programs that empower others, celebrate culture, and leave a lasting impact.
Previously, Vanessa served as the Youth Action Coordinator at the Cambridge Food Bank, where she supported youth by leading school and community programs centered on cooking, food literacy, and youth leadership. With a strong background in dance, she brings creativity, discipline, and performance-based leadership to her work, shaping inclusive and engaging environments where individuals can grow and thrive. With multiple years of experience as a Recreation Coordinator, Vanessa has successfully led summer camps that emphasize fun, inclusion, and personal growth. Her leadership ensured well-organized programs, strong staff teams, and memorable experiences for youth and families. Vanessa studied Arts at Wilfrid Laurier University, where she developed strong communication, creativity, and critical-thinking skills, and later completed Recreation and Leisure Studies at Conestoga College, leading her toward a career in Social Work rooted in community connection and youth support. Her academic and professional experiences work together to reflect her passion for building meaningful, people-centered experiences.

BKin – University of Toronto
MSc Sports Management – Loughborough University

Samantha is in her 1st year at Victus Academy. Before joining the Victus team, Sam completed her Master’s Dissertation with the Kitchener Rangers (OHL) and worked with FIFA 2026 World Cup as a Starting Line-up Volunteer. At Victus, Sam brings her own experience in high performance sport, playing field hockey for Team Canada, USports, and England Premier League. She grew up playing minor hockey for the Kitchener Lady Rangers and is an alumnus of Victus Academy, graduating in 2018.

Rose returns for her 10th year at Victus Academy. In addition to her role at Victus, she also manages the office administration at Schmidt Law Group. Having moved to Toronto in order to allow her son to play hockey at a sports school, she recognizes the need for a hockey academy in this Region and she is excited to be part of this initiative.

B. A. (Hons) University of Waterloo
B. Ed. Brock University
Certified Principal (Waterloo Catholic District School Board)

Mr. Jodie Schnarr is in his 1st year at Victus Academy and comes to us from the WCDSB after more than 30 years. He was an Administrator throughout Waterloo Region for more than 20 years. Jodie also brings a passion for sports through being a Coach Facilitator for Softball Canada while continuing to play fastball throughout North America. In his roles in academics or in a sports setting, he is able to model and support the importance of learning and developing skills essential for sports and life. Jodie is very passionate about education and athletics and continues to support student-athletes realize their potential and work towards achieving their goals.

B.Sc.(Hons.) – University of Western Ontario
B.Ed. – McGill University

Ken returns for his 6th year at Victus Academy. He has been a Science and Math teacher for over 30 years within the Waterloo Catholic District School Board at St. Mary’s High School in Kitchener where he was Science Department Head and previously at Monsignor Doyle Catholic Secondary School in Cambridge.
Mr. Bisch strives to develop and promote student interest and confidence in Science and Math. He likes to employ a variety of learning strategies, including collaborative group activities, self and peer assessment, and one-on-one teacher and student instruction and conferencing whenever possible. He particularly enjoys hands-on lab activities involving items such as dissections, chemical reactions and their analysis, and electric circuit analysis.
Mr. Bisch grew up in the Kitchener – Waterloo area, attending St. Jerome’s High School. He resides in Waterloo with his wife and two daughters. Mr. Bisch is a Habs Fan, and plays hockey in the local KW Oldtimers League. He also likes to cycle, camp, hike, and do some medium distance running.

B. A. – Wilfrid Laurier University
B. Ed. – Nipissing University

Zach is entering his 3rd year at Victus Academy. Before joining the Victus team, Zach had spent 2 years working for the Wellington Catholic District School Board. Zach had played hockey as a child, but grew up playing football for the Guelph Bears Organization and high school level rugby. Outside of school, Zach enjoys golf and quality time with friends and family. A few goals that Zach has for his students is to push the boundaries of what they are able to do and be the best that they can be. As a student-athlete, it is important to him that they maintain a balance between academics and athletics so they can be successful in school and later in life.

BA- University of Waterloo
MA- University of New South Wales
B. Ed- University of Toronto

This is Nicola’s 3rd year at Victus Academy. Ms. Macdonald has recently returned to the KW/Cambridge area after 7 years living in the Caribbean where she both taught and independently ran her own small consultancy business. Passionate about travel, Nicola has lived, worked, and studied in England, China, Australia, and the Cayman Islands. These experiences have contributed greatly to an appreciation of diversity, inclusion, and cultural celebration- ideals she strives to champion in the classroom. Nicola is dedicated to social justice and activism in the classroom and believes that education is the most effective tool for change.
Outside of school, Nicola spends time with her husband and two young children enjoying all the new activities and adventures the area has to offer.

B.A. (Honours History, Political Science) – York University
B.Ed. – York University

Mr. David Moore returns, after a brief hiatus, for his 5th year at Victus Academy. David is a nationally acknowledged teacher of History. He has lectured internationally on Canadian History including the White House, the Smithsonian, various Universities and the Canadian Forces Staff College. Mr. Moore has conducted several tours of the battlefields of France and Belgium with the Canadian Armed Forces. He is a Captain in the reserves having served over 30 years with the Forces. For over 20 year he taught history at Appleby College in Oakville, eventually becoming the head of the History Department. He is Chairman of the Board of his local church and is a long time political activist. He includes among his hobbies sailing, painting, and scale modelling.

B.A. – Wilfrid Laurier University
B.Ed. – Nipissing University

Ben returns for his 5th year at Victus Academy. Prior to joining Victus, Mr. Poort had spent his teaching career with the Upper Grand District School Board. He has played hockey his entire life, playing for a number of hockey associations including KMHA, WMHA, and then HMHA and going on to play Junior Hockey with both the Cambridge Winterhawks and the Ayr Centennials. Outside of hockey and school, his biggest hobbies are traveling and golfing. At Victus, Mr. Poort hopes to help guide students as they navigate their academics and athletics.

B.Sc. – Canisius College
B.Ed. – Canisius College

Dylan returns for his 3rd year at Victus Academy. His goal is to have students develop skills in order to think and problem-solve independently, to prepare them for any decisions they may have to make, whether it be in the classroom, on-ice or in life. In the end he wants his students to be pushed so they can see what they are able to achieve and be proud of everything they accomplish while feeling confident in everything they do. He really enjoys being at Victus as it allows him to bring his vast sports background into the classroom and share his knowledge and experience with the students.