Michel Ichiy coaches out of St. John and was the head coach for Team NB’s table tennis team at the 2023 Canada Winter Games in P.E.I. Originally from Brazil, Michel was able to attend his first Canada Games this past Winter with the help of Table Tennis Canada and Coach NB. After coaching his first Canada Games, Michel has gained valuable experience which he hopes to use towards elevating the level of table tennis in New Brunswick. Michel currently has his sights set on once again coaching at the Canada Games in 2027, and hopefully bringing home some medals.

Michel began coaching to share his passion with the newer generation of athletes in New Brunswick. When describing his coaching philosophy, he emphasized how table tennis as an individual sport can be tough on athletes; everything is on you. You’re responsible for your performance, win or lose. This is a part of table tennis that Michel appreciates and he tries to use his sport as a way of teaching his athletes how to deal with hard, stressful and high-stakes situations. This feeds into Michel’s overarching goal as a coach, which is to help his athletes become the best versions of themselves, both in sport and throughout the rest of their lives.