Tony Ford has spent a lot of time working with kids, especially those with special needs, in schools around where he grew up. For him, there is no greater joy than seeing the smile of a child when they learn to skate for the first time, or indeed score a goal, so he spent a lot of his earlier years coaching those younger than him, which is one of many reasons he is tipped for a role in management in the future. This also instilled in him such a love of the game which caused him to pursue it at an older age, one of many reasons he has come so far. When he retires, he says, he looks forward to going back to coaching young players and showing the SHL players of tomorrow some of the skill that they will require to reach the pinnacle of this great sport.