COACHING STAFFS | Matmen Wrestling

MEET THE TEAM

Over the past years the Matmen Wrestling Club has been led by people that believe deeply in the development and growth of its athletes – both on the mat and off. There’s a reason our athletes are known for their grit, tenacity, reliability, discipline, and loyalty…It’s been modeled everyday by their coaches.

This transformative program has been able to enhance hundreds of wrestlers’ lives through consistent, passionate work, and rigorous training. We are terribly-particular with the type of people we recruit to our team and onto our staff, ensuring we have the right personnel to make the greatest impact on our athletes and program as a whole.

KITCHENER COACHES

Jamie Lopes

Coaching Evaluator

As a troubled teenager, Jamie attended St. Jerome’s High School in Kitchener, channelling his aggression into wrestling. During his four years competing with the Lions, he excelled in local competitions and played a crucial support role at Provincials, Nationals, and OFSAA for the team. Currently, Jamie serves as the president of the Waterloo Region Matmen Wrestling Club, where he manages the daily operations behind the scenes to ensure a robust and enriching program for our athletes. Additionally, as a coaching evaluator for Wrestling Canada, Jamie oversees the development of new coaches, ensuring they possess a solid understanding of the sport and the skills needed to run effective practices.

Education:

Jamie attended St. Jerome’s High School in Kitchener

Certifications:

president of the Waterloo Region|coaching evaluator for Wrestling Canada

Jane Lanteigne (Jagas)

Spectator.

Jane was introduced to the sport of wrestling as a spectator, watching her brothers compete in tournaments and develop their skills at practice beginning when she was just 6 years old. It didn’t take long for her to step on the mat and begin competing. Jane competed for a total of 12 years representing Matmen Wrestling Club and St. David’s Catholic Secondary School. She earned three OFSAA medals including a silver in her last year along with numerous provincial and national medals as well. She went on to the University of Waterloo to complete her bachelor’s degree and the Catholic University of America in Washington DC to complete her master’s degree. Jane has been coaching in the community with St. David’s for just under 4 years. She is passionate about women’s wrestling and looks forward to returning to Matmen as the women’s program coach head.

Education:

St. David’s Catholic Secondary School

Certifications:

Bachelor’s degree in University of Waterloo

Tim Backshaw

Coaching Evaluator

Tim has been involved with wrestling since the age of 11, as a wrestler and now as a coach. As a high school athlete, Tim represented Waterloo Oxford twice at OFSAA. Tim then continued his wrestling career at the University of Manitoba where he competed at Canada West and CIAU’s. Tim has successfully coached the Jacob Hespeler Hawks wrestling team for the last 17 years, with his athletes advancing to OFSAA consistently. Tim joined the Matmen wrestling club 3 years ago because he believes in the importance of imparting discipline and dedication to the sport of wrestling to younger generations. Tim says the best part of coaching is celebrating the success of the athletes while enjoying the camaraderie and mentorship from the other coaches.

Education:

Waterloo Oxford high school|University of Manitoba

Certifications:

coaching evaluator for Jacob Hespeler Hawks wrestling team

Maddison Braga

Coach

Coach Maddison Braga is a former alumnus of Matmen Wrestling Club. As a former athlete who worked in a room full of male athletes, being coached by men, Maddison and her former practice partner Jane (Coach Jane Jagas) have developed a women’s wrestling program designed to promote female wrestling techniques, women’s health, and a safe space for young girls in the community. Maddison was raised in Cambridge, Ontario and competed at St. Benedict's Catholic Secondary School. In Maddison's first year of wrestling, she did not win a single match, nor score a single point. Despite this, she worked her way to many WCSSAA and CWOSSA wrestling titles, along with an OFSAA silver medal in 2015. Additionally, Maddison has previously earned both provincial and national medals when competing for Matmen Wrestling Club. Following high school, Maddison competed on the University of Guelph Varsity Wrestling Team where she graduated with honors in her Bachelor of Applied Science program with a focus in Human Development. Maddison attended Purdue University to complete a Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis to support her career in behaviour analysis designed to address socially significant behaviour and increase quality of life. Maddison uses the tools in her studies by applying sports psychology to promote athletic mindfulness with each and every individual she coaches.