Airmen coach Great Falls youth hockey, make impact

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Katrina Heikkinen
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Six-year-olds scatter across the Great Falls Community Ice Plex. A firm, but a calm voice tells them to pay attention.

"Stand up," said Lt. Col. Matthew Guenther, 490th Missile Squadron commander.

"You can do this," the coach says with a big grin.

It is now 5:30 p.m., and for most, the duty day is over. But for four members of Team Malmstrom, the duty day isn't over quite yet. Guenther, Capt. Ella Kassha, ICBM codes controller with the 341st Operations Support Squadron; 1st Lt. Joshua Frider, deputy missile combat crew commander instructor with the 341st OSS; and Senior Airman Gregory McDonald, contract specialist with the 341st Contracting Squadron, devote more than two evenings a week to coaching hockey to young children from age 6, to teenagers as old as 18.

The discipline and expertise these four individuals bring has helped spread the knowledge and popularity of an ever-growing hockey community in Great Falls.

"We get a lot of great personnel from Malmstrom that help our programs," said Tenlee Atchison, general manager of the Great Falls Community Ice Plex. "It's a real asset to our community as a whole. They encourage our youth programs and help-whether or not they have children in the programs- and their expertise is extremely valued."


Due to his expertise, Frider, who was an NCAA Division 1 student-athlete hockey player for the U.S. Air Force Academy, is known by parents and players at the rink as 'Air Force One.' Frider was recently awarded a military outstanding volunteer service medal for dedicating more than 170 hours to developing the skills of children, parents and coaches. The modest Frider values spending time with the players and enjoys the progression they make over the season.

A native of Moorhead, Minn., Frider hopes to give the youth of Great Falls the opportunities he was given.

"It's pretty humbling to receive this award," Frider added. "I grew up in Minnesota and the community was very hockey oriented. This isn't where I grew up, but it certainly feels good to give back and try to make Great Falls a little more hockey conscious and to try to help grow the sport here."

Frider worked with McDonald, Guenther and Kassha to help coach a preseason hockey camp. Frider is the assistant coach to the Great Falls Americans high school team. He also spends time with Guenther and McDonald, who help coach first timers- the "Squirts."

A Milwaukee native and a hockey player since the age of 4, for Guenther, he coaches the Squirts simply because he is passionate about the game.

"I love hockey- it's what gets me through the winter," Guenther said with a smile. "As a squadron commander, it can be difficult to make time to coach, but, when I can make it out here, it's a great release for me. I have a passion for the game and I try to instill that in all the kids here."

For McDonald, he didn't have the opportunity to play hockey as often as Guenther and Frider, but this Charlotte, N.C., native echoes Guenther's and Frider's love for hockey.

"When I come up here, it's all worth it," McDonald said. "I've been coaching and volunteering at the 'Learn to Play' level and, as a coach, it's really important to remember that they look up to you. Oftentimes it's their first time on the ice and I just want to make their first experience a positive one."