Bio

As a former figure skater and Gold Medalist in Figures, Free Style, Dance and Free Dance, Diana Schaefering has spent years learning and analyzing the mechanics of body movement on the ice. While teaching a fall Creve Coeur Comets Hockey program to prepare players for the upcoming season, she realized the need for those mechanics to be applied to hockey players. This was reinforced when Brian Burke (VP of NHL Operations, GM of Hartford Whalers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames as well as a former player and agent) approached Diana and spoke about her style of teaching to the players, and how it focused on the basic mechanics. He also introduced Diana to Blake Dunlop (Blues Alumnus) who had her begin to be a part of his summer hockey program.

From that point forward, Diana began to help players of all abilities and ages to elevate their game through skating, thus developing their skill set and gaining confidence on the ice. She has taken this system of teaching and training and translated it into a system that takes those body mechanics and breaks them down completely so every hockey player understands how, and why, each individual movement is crucial to the complete skill. Her commitment to fine detail and unwillingness to compromise the quality of a skill has earned Diana a reputation across the country as being not just a teacher, but a technician of hockey skating skills.

Diana's list of clients range from players in the NHL, AHL, KHL, ECHL, OHL, USHL, NAHL and Collegiate levels plus officials in the NHL, USHL and the NAHL. The St. Louis Blues, Phoenix Coyotes and Hartford Whalers have hired Diana as their power skating instructor for their summer youth camps. Additionally, Diana worked for 12 years as the lead skating instructor for the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Pointe Summer Hockey Camps, and their collegiate Division 3 team. She has also been a skating coach for Hockey Ministries International for 18 years and has been contracted by collegiate, high school and youth teams all over the US to bring her expertise to their programs. She is currently working with three player agencies to develop players in their system.

Through all of this, Diana was invited by the legendary Bob O'Conner, USA Hockey National Coach in Chief and US Olympic Team Assistant Coach, to be an instructor for his hockey camp in Edina, MN. Since the first Schaefering Power Play Hockey School at the Affton Ice Arena in 1992, Diana has instructed thousands of players and is known for her "no nonsense" approach to teaching. You must practice the way you want to play...pay attention and listen, stay focused on what you are doing and that which is around you and give each lesson and drill your maximum effort each time you take the ice. This approach to the game and training, along with the ability to make the ice time fun, has proven results for Diana's students at all levels of the game. Her DVD series has taken this formula and applied it in a way for others to learn and benefit by setting ground rules and developing a hard work ethic. It shows how building confidence through discipline will assist players of any level to reach their potential as a player and an individual.

With a USA Hockey Level 4 Certification and as a USA Hockey Presenter and Instructor, Diana believes that continuing to help educate coaches in identifying issues their players may have in their skating skills and knowing how to correct them is important to the growth of the hockey community.

As one of the founding board members for the Chesterfield Falcon Hockey Club in Chesterfield, MO, Diana spent five years helping to establish, develop and grow their hockey program. She started the Learn to Play Hockey Program at the US Ice Sports Complex and still works at the grass roots level with the Learn to Play Hockey Program with the St Peters Spirit Organization.

Diana is especially proud of being one of the original coaches in breaking new ground with the St Louis Blues Special Hockey (formerly known as the Gateway Locomotives Hockey Team) in the Special Hockey International League. The players and coaches competing in the first international tournament are all honored to have their names listed on a plaque in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Most importantly, Diana is proud of her wonderful family. She and her husband, John, who will be celebrating their 40th Anniversary this year, live in Wildwood, MO and have three sons. Each of the boys have trained and worked for Schaefering Power Play Hockey. Blake lives in Oslo, Norway with his wife Yvonne and daughter Lumen and continues his modeling career while being a sports performance trainer. Drew lives in Brooklyn, NY and travels extensively as a performance artist, educator and trainer with L'Oreal International while heading up other business ventures in the industry. Tyler, along with his wife Jennifer, lives in St. Louis, and works as a pharmaceutical rep, while training young hockey players privately and in groups for Schaefering Power Play Hockey. Away from the rink, Diana is an advocate for animal adoption and an avid gardener.