MEET TOM LATVALA
30 YEARS BEHIND
THE BENCH.
A LIFETIME AROUND
THE GAME.
Player. Coach. Scout. Hockey parent.
Tom created SISU Hockey Advisory to give families honest guidance and an experienced perspective on what comes next.
FROM THE UPPER PENINSULA TO BEHIND THE BENCH.
A LIFETIME OF HOCKEY
Tom’s hockey journey began in Hancock-Houghton, Michigan, in the Upper Peninsula and has grown into decades spent playing, coaching, scouting, parenting, and developing players.
Over 30 years of coaching, Tom has worked with players from mites through midgets, spanning house hockey through A, AA, and AAA levels.
His coaching experience includes:
• SISU Thunderbirds Hockey Club
• Columbus Vikings
• Dayton Stealth AAA
• Queen City Steam AAA
• Columbus Capitals
• Columbus Cardinals
• CCYHA
Along the way, Tom has served as a Head Coach, Assistant Coach, President, and Director of Hockey Operations.
But ask him what he loves most about coaching and his answer is much simpler:
Being around the rink.
TOM’S COACHING PHILOSOPHY
TOUGH,
BUT FAIR.
“MAKE ME WANT TO PLAY YOU”
That belief has guided Tom throughout his coaching career.
For him, development isn't about shortcuts or instant results. It’s about competing, doing the uncomfortable work, building confidence, and continuing to show up.
That approach has allowed Tom to watch players develop far beyond a single season.
What makes him proudest is seeing former players succeed at the next level, academically, and in life and watching the confidence they built through hockey carry forward with them.
That’s the development that matters
MORE THAN A NAME.
/SEE-SOO/
There is no direct English translation.
It’s the quiet determination to keep going when everything tells you to stop. The grit to do the uncomfortable work. The resilience to stay with it when progress feels slow.
For Tom, SISU began with his Finnish roots and a love for the game passed down by his dad, Bill. A player, coach, and mentor himself, Bill’s influence lives on in the way Tom approaches hockey today.
For the athletes he works with, it’s a reminder:
Development doesn’t happen overnight. Keep showing up. Keep working. Keep moving forward.
GRIT
Develop the resilience to keep going when the game gets hard.
GROWTH
Focus on steady, meaningful development instead of chasing overnight results.
GUIDANCE
Make informed decisions with honest feedback and an experienced voice in your corner.
WHERE FAMILY + HOCKEY MEET.
BUILT IN HONOR OF BILL.
There’s another piece of the SISU story that makes the name deeply personal.
Both the SISU Thunderbirds Hockey Club, which Tom started eight years ago, and SISU Hockey Advisory were created in honor of his dad, Bill.
Bill grew up playing goalie and was part of multiple State and National Championship teams at the Peewee, Midget, and Juvenile levels in Michigan.
When his playing days were over, his impact on hockey continued. Bill became a coach and mentor to generations of players growing up in the game.
Today, that influence continues through Tom, the players he has coached, and the families SISU Hockey Advisory was created to serve.
BILL LATVALA • TOM’S FATHER • FRONT ROW, GOALIE • ROOTS OF SISU
WHY SISU HOCKEY ADVISORY?
FROM COACHING PLAYERS
TO GUIDING FAMILIES.
After 30 years behind the bench, Tom felt it was time to take his experience in a different direction.
He had experienced team accomplishments and watched players advance to new levels. But after decades as a player, coach, scout, and hockey parent, he saw another opportunity to help.
SISU Hockey Advisory was created to help players and families understand the hockey pathway, make informed decisions, and feel supported every step of the way.
And Tom will be the first to give credit where it’s due:
His wife was a big influence in convincing him to start it.
TOM • TOM’S WIFE, MELISSA • TOMS’S SON, ALEX
GRIT · GROWTH · GUIDANCE
LET’S TALK ABOUT
YOUR PLAYER.
Whether you’re trying to understand where your athlete stands today or thinking several seasons ahead, it starts with a conversation.