Tag Archives: girls hockey

Nurturing Leadership with Letters

Posted on by
Reply

The Devil’s/my team has a big game coming up later today. Truth be told they are all big in what is a relatively short regular season.  But this one has some special meaning, at least for yours truly, because we are up against a squad with a couple of players who, for whatever reason, decided to accept and then 24 hours later reject spots on my team during tryouts back in May.  At the time they claimed they had a better opportunity, albeit an hour away, to play for a higher calibre team. However, the team did not turn out to be as advanced as they expected it would be.  Coincidentally, they find themselves on lower level team in the same division as us. In fact, we will have several opportunities to face them this season, including at a tournament we are attending next weekend.  It will be an odd situation as many of my players consider these young ladies their friends whom they have played with in previous years.  I have purposely not shared all of the details of their questionable departure with my players, but some, like the Devil are well aware of the circumstances that left me scrambling to un-cut some players to fill the holes they had left behind.  Nothing like a little added incentive to win even if it’s primarily mine.  In my pre-game talk I intend to treat this as any other game, but being honest with myself it’s one I really, reeeeally want to win.  I will do my best to not let that cloud my judgment or demeanor behind the bench this afternoon.

With the gravity of this game in mind, I thought it might be an appropriate juncture to name my team captain and assistant captains as a means to injecting a sense of leadership and importance to the competitive proceedings from this point forward.  Selecting and naming who should receive these symbolic letters is easier said than done. As I told the players during the mock coronation ceremony after what was one of our best practices two nights ago, every player has attributes and accomplishments worthy placing a leadership-based badge on their jersey. And I do truly believe this.  I am fortunate to have selected a great group of players who have all contributed in their own way so far this season. But there are only four such badges and only one C, which does carry a certain cachet with it. There is a responsibility associated with each of these letters.  I wanted to be sure I chose players who could fill the roles of “team leaders” whether in their words or their actions on and off the ice.  I do place some significance on the C in particular because I know the players do likewise.  These were not decisions to be taken lightly.  I conferred with my staff who were generally in agreement with the choices I made.  These badges would be handed to four players who would presumably be elated and subsequently not handed to 13 others each of whom may have felt they were worthy or entitled.  I did not want anyone to feel they had been slighted or overlooked.  But being human, there is always some level of politics and certainly emotion that comes into play.

All of that being said the three A’s and the C were distributed with an explanation given for each assignment. Each recipient received an enthusiastic cheer from her mates and the mood felt very positive. Later today my staff and I will hope the good mood, solid last practice and renewed focus will translate into on-ice success to buoy our charges moving forward through the season which has only just begun.  Against this team in particular it will be nice to set a tone and reaaaaly nice to come away victorious.  If I’ve made good decisions, those who have been newly anointed will play an important role in leading us there.

#imahockeydad

More on the Benefits of Coaching Kids’ Hockey

Posted on by
2

Great article from Deborah Francisco on NHL.com about the rewards that come with coaching youth hockey. I couldn’t agree more as coaching has provided me with a wealth of memories, friendships and a pride in hopefully enriching the lives of the players I’ve been given the opportunity to interact with.  However, my life has also been enriched.  My favourite part of this article is about getting to know your players and taking the time to learn from them.  Coaches need to be good students along with being good teachers; equally-invested teammates as well as leaders.  Everyone has an opportunity to grow.

Coaching youth hockey life-altering experience 

Follow Deborah Francisco on Twitter @nhlgirl

#imahockeydad

One of Everything

Posted on by
Reply

The last week of the Sharks’ exhibition season provided three quite different games along with a wealth of learning and teaching opportunities.

Game one this week, a rematch of our first game together as a team which ended in a 1-1 tie, was also the first time we would ice our entire team since having lost a few players to suspensions and injuries.  It seems the older the players get, the more likely they are to fall prey to such mishaps; that coupled with renewed vigorous attention to body, and particularly, head contact rules by the officials.  I applaud the new focus, but also understand there will be some growing pains.  If the first couple of weeks is any indication, penalties will likely be a core theme this season.  For our part, the coaching staff will prescribe aggressive, smart play.  In the rematch, we stressed the importance of setting a tone for the game early. That message seemed to ring true as we would watch the girls storm out to a 5-0 lead…in the first period.  Up to that point our previous high score for an entire game was four goals.  The other team was obviously reeling.  I actually advised one of our players to not cheer too emphatically to open the second period to which my assistant coach prophetically objected. And then it happened.  Our team suddenly and quite unfortunately came to realize we had a five-goal lead; a dangerous realization to be sure. Knowledge led to complacency. As we entered the dressing room between the second and third periods we realized the momentum had changed in a now 5-1 contest.  I exhorted the girls to pick up the pace in the third. I asked them if they were familiar with the term “put the pedal to the floor” to which their was a resounding “No!”  So much for that anecdote.  I gotta keep reminding myself to consider my audience.  Two minutes into the third our opponents netted their second marker and their confidence grew.  In another flash of the clock the lead was cut to 5-3.  We all had an uh-oh moment. Thankfully that was as close as the competition would come.  Our side woke up just in time to finish the game.  Lesson One – Don’t get complacent.

In the next two games we were back to being shorthanded as we were informed by the league’s governing body that our suspended players (whom we assumed had duly served their suspensions through our recent exhibition games) were still under suspension as they are not allowed to serve their penalties during exhibition games. The unfortunate and somewhat unjust part of the story is that they are also not allowed to play in exhibition games while they are suspended.  In my way of thinking a league sanctioned game is a league sanctioned game and a one-game suspension should not become a three or four gamer because of exhibition games, but that is a matter for another time.

Our game two opponent would be our closest rival – a team I think we all suspected we should be able to beat.  However, from the first drop of the puck the game didn’t feel right.  Our players seemed a little off – a step behind.  Of particular concern, was an inability or, more correctly, a lack of interest in passing the puck. After each shift, instructions were doled out to keep their heads up and look for the open player – basic tactics which had made them successful in other games to this point. Yet, despite our reinforcement of the facts, the passes would not come. We watched several players try to carry the black disc through or around multiple defenders, which generally doesn’t work.  Even Mr. Gretzky couldn’t win a Stanley Cup in Los Angeles all by himself.  He needed someone to pass it to.  We swallowed a bitter 3-1 loss and conveyed a stern message to the troops after the game.  Selfish play would not be tolerated and would certainly not lead us to many victories.  Lesson Two – Hockey is a team game.

Later that day we would enter game three with the hope that lesson two was still fresh in the players’ minds.  We did note a renewed vigor in their pre-game warm up – a seeming re-dedication to acting like a team on a mission. The pre-game skate was likewise brisk as was the energy off the first face-off. Right away we saw a different team from what we witnessed only a few hours earlier. Heads were up and passes were plentiful.  Everyone was looking to move the puck; a positive trend indeed.  Our first of two goals was marked by a tic-tac-toe progression from defence to forward to forward and in. Lesson Three – Learn from your previous short-comings. It’s heartening to watch lessons being learned by this team early on.

The only blemish on an otherwise solid win (and 2-0 shutout to boot) was the loss of yet one more teammate to a questionable hit-from-behind penalty, which again carries with it a one-game suspension.  We all agreed that I’m going to develop something of a reputation for producing “dirty” players. Yet, I can honestly argue that only one of the suspensions levied thus far was a clear-cut suspendable offense.  Then again, there will, without, be more of these and we will deal with them as they come.

The Sharks have a few practices in line now to prepare for the regular season, set to begin in a couple of weeks.  We’ll take what we’ve learned about our strengths and weaknesses thus far to build our team for the future; one that we hope holds on-ice success, off-ice camaraderie and fun. That’s the primary underlying lesson in all of this – enjoy playing the game for better or worse.

#imahockeydad

 

One down and many to go

Posted on by
Reply

A little over a week has passed for the Sharks and I.  We now have three practices and a game under our combined belt. Things have progressed well following our first questionable on-ice experience.  There’s lots of work to do as there always is, but early indications are quite positive.  In fact, game one was a very pleasant surprise.

You never really know what level your team is at until you face some competition against which to compare yourself. This is why we have exhibition games; as live measuring sticks if you will.  Our first game on the weekend was on the road against a town that perennially ices strong sides.  There was a little trepidation on my part with it being the “first” game,  not knowing exactly what to expect from my collection of players from different backgrounds or the likewise relatively unknown opposition.  I did wishfully note that players entering the home team’s dressing were comparably small in relation to our competitors. The opposite would have been duly and more severely noted as a harbinger of a tougher challenge.  My pre-game speech to my charges was pretty straightforward.  This is our first game. Our first opportunity to play together and familiarize ourselves with one another.  My primary request in this game as a pre-cursor to the season in general was a full and honest effort.  Mistakes would undoubtedly be made, which were expected…which were actually welcomed as a learning/teaching opportunity.  I told them everyone makes mistakes. The best teams are the one who learn from them.  So again, the key message was effort.  Set a tone for the season against a team we are likely to face several times during the regular season and beyond.  Let them know a game against the Sharks will always be a hard fought one.

I’m happy to report that my message seemed to resonate from the very first puck drop.  Our first line of forwards pushed ahead into the offensive zone and stayed there for nearly a full minute. The next line picked up where they left off, pinning our backpedalling opponents in their own end.  Much of the first period was spent there as line after line fore-checked with vigour as they’d been instructed.  Perhaps more surprising was how well the girls played together…looking for each other and making some passes. A fine tic-tac-toe passing play from defence to forward to forward at the beginning of the second period resulted in our first goal. Many more scoring opportunities would present themselves, which would in turn reveal one of the only negatives from our side of the contest as none would be converted.  There would also be a defensive zone lapse in the middle of the second period, which would be addressed at the end.   As we entered the third of three 15 minute periods we all noticed some decidedly sluggish skating; no doubt a product the Summer break.  The tenacity did not leave, just the breath behind it. As unluck would have it, the home team would pick up an equalizer with about 4 1/2 minutes left on a scramble in front of our net.  The game would end 1-1, but was a decided victory in my mind.

I told the team post-game that they set their bar pretty high in their first contest.  Now the coaching staff knows how hard they can play and will expect the same from here on in.  I also told them similar efforts would ensure the opportunity to win each and every game. Time will, of course and as always, tell the full story in that regard.

#imahockeydad

The Maiden Voyage Is Not Without Waves

Posted on by
Reply

Tonight the rookie coach (yup that’s me) took to the ice with my young group of players and a couple of assistant coaches for our first official practice. They say you are your own worst critic.  I can confidently say some criticism was deserved. Or perhaps I am particularly sensitive to the critical eye; including my own.  Being under the spotlight with expectant parents looking on and having been a parent on the other side making my own judgments on occasion didn’t help. With any misstep, I could imagine rolled eyeballs…mutterings of “what was that?”  Perhaps I entered with higher expectations than I should have.  Maybe I should cut myself a little more slack.  I certainly forgot how quickly the clock ticks when things aren’t going exactly to plan. I do understand that I have to remember and keep in perspective that we’re working with 13 and 14 year old girls with limited attention spans at best.

I believe, to my initial credit, that I spent a few minutes before practice proactively talking about expectations – those of both the players and the coaching staff.  Chief among these expectations being commitment, respect, effort and fun.  Mere moments later, I would find that I should have emphasized focus as well.

To my surprise, I felt the venture going sideways right off the hop. The seemingly basic instruction I gave my players for the warm-up skate before we all took that first fresh step onto the ice was “When you hear one whistle – accelerate, when you hear two whistles – change direction and when you hear three whistles – pivot and skate backwards”  Whether it was a lack of focus or a poorly delivered message, the first whistle had the players accelerating, but the double and triple whistle combinations caused all manner of confusion. Some players skated backwards, some went in the opposite direction and some simply looked around to see if they could figure out what everyone else was doing. One assistant coach glided by me and quipped “You didn’t think this was going to be easy did you?” To which I replied, “Ummm no, but I thought we could get through this first one.”  So I gathered the players together quickly to reiterate the signals, only to note another general state of confusion.  After the next triple whistle I watched one player back into and fall headlong over another traveling in the opposite direction – a move The Three Stooges themselves would have tipped a hat to.  In an effort to set a good cop/bad cop tone early, one of my assistants corralled the team and told them a lack of focus this early was not acceptable.  A little line skating was in order.  We will hopefully not have to employ the suicide skate tactics on too many occasions, but I’m sure there will be a few as there are with every team.

My next minor error I can attribute to a now obvious lack of on-ice help, which I will most certainly address before the next session.  As we three coaches directed forwards and defence through a basic passing drill, I was approached by one of our two goalies who rightly questioned “What should we be doing coach?”  Oh yeah, we need to make sure we don’t forget about the goalies who are not participating in a passing drill.  Kudos to them for asking the question. And again, I’m sure at least two sets of parents were looking on and asking themselves the same.  I owned up to my mistake to one of the keeper’s fathers after the practice. I was pleased when he bailed me out by saying his daughter has plenty of skating drills she can work on if she’s not been given specific instructions.  Granted, though my and our job is to provide the expected guidance.

The third and final shaky moment came in the form of an assistant coach miscue, which I will shoulder some of the burden for.  I assume I did not provide clear enough direction to my helpers who were active participants in a drill.  In what should have again been a fairly straightforward passing/skating/shooting exercise, the assistant coaches, who were responsible for delivering a pass to a skater moving by them on the opposite side of where they received a previous pass, fired pucks to other players heading in other directions.  At least a couple of players were contending with two passed pucks at once.  We successfully made a simple exercise look quite difficult. However, on this occasion a quick reset, coupled with some instruction to the pass recipients, saw the drill smooth itself out.  A practice component we will revisit in a future practice and no doubt master with all involved parties on the same page.

Fifty minutes for a practice is not a long time – time management is key. Though you can quickly lose track of said time, when plans go askew. Before I knew it the zamboni driver was frantically ushering us off the pad, while the next team waited for their fresh sheet of ice.  In thinking back to my time as an assistant coach, I am certain this happens to all coaches on a fairly frequent basis.  And yet, this flew in the face of my desired plan.

Post-practice I chatted again with the players who commented that the practice seemed to go “very quickly”, which I suppose I can take as a sign of engagement and maybe even enjoyment.  I confessed to some rookie mistakes as I’ve detailed here. I hope, nay anticipate, those will be fewer and far between as we move through this season together and become more comfortable with each other. I further hope, yet anticipate less, that the muttering from above will be abated.  I suppose I shouldn’t be concerned with the opinions of others, yet I’ve already admitted I’m my own worst critic. Still my chief concern should and will be the enjoyment of the game and the experience by my players. With an honest effort, which is likewise what I’ve asked of them, I am confident I can steer this ship in a positive direction

#imahockeydad

End of Another Season….Next

Posted on by
Reply

The Devil’s season mostly ended, or at least we had the farewell party, this past weekend.

The team was treated to an opportunity to take in the final game of the Clarkson Cup, the Canadian Women’s Hockey League’s equivalent of the Stanley Cup.  The girls, in their dark jerseys, lined the glass at one end of the rink with inflated beater bats in hand to cheer on Montreal vs. Toronto.  As Montreal took most of the play to Toronto in a lopsided 5-0 victory, our young ladies appeared to be cheering for the visiting side as they flashed up and down the ice in their familiar red, white and blue Montreal colours. The game action was impressive, despite the uneven score. There were some strong power moves, some very good saves and one beautiful top-shelf goal. The game no doubt gave our still-fresh athletes something to aspire to.

Post-game, we headed to a local rink for food, our own turn on the ice and some time to reflect on the season past.

After putting a pretty good dent in 11 pizzas, a veggie tray and a few 2L bottles of soda, the head coach took the stage to thank his many supporters and reward the kids with a medal for their efforts and a custom lithograph of the team he commissioned a local artist to produce – some lasting memories for our players who had worked hard and certainly improved throughout the year. The medals were a consolation for having narrowly missed the league finals and a spot in the provincial championships. They had certainly come as close as they could have, thus ensuring a successful season no matter the final result.  In short, medals were well deserved.

Hockey mom and I, who have a standing tradition of turning the hundreds of candid action photos we take into year-end, sound-tracked video montages, shared our latest compilation. It’s always good to hear the kids and parents alike laughing at shared memories. DVD copies for nearly the whole team have been requested and will be delivered.

With full bellies, coaches and players took to the ice for a skills competition, complete with prizes for some added incentive, and a quick game of 3-on-3.  The pressure of the last month’s games has long-since faded.  The girls just had fun. More laughing as they rushed after loose pucks or issued fake body checks along the boards. The game had about 20 penalty shots which had some girls cursing their assistant coach turned ref. I will admit I’ve never seen two penalty shots called on one infraction, but we do know it never pays to argue with a ref.

The day was capped fittingly with cupcakes and well wishes.  Some of these players will be on teams together again, while others may not.  Overall, this will be a fine season full of positive experiences for them to recall.  I believe the Devil would say the same.

The team actually still has some practice ice left over despite the end-of-the-year celebration. This season surplus will be used as tune-up ice for next season’s tryouts, which begin in a little over a month’s time.  Just enough time to take a deep breath before starting all over again.  Only this time it will all be a little different for yours truly – a hockey dad and a head coach.  Perhaps a couple of deep breaths are in order.

#imahockeydad

End of Another Season….Next

Posted on by
Reply

The Devil’s season mostly ended, or at least we had the farewell party, this past weekend.

The team was treated to an opportunity to take in the final game of the Clarkson Cup, the Canadian Women’s Hockey League’s equivalent of the Stanley Cup.  The girls, in their dark jerseys, lined the glass at one end of the rink with inflated beater bats in hand to cheer on Montreal vs. Toronto.  As Montreal took most of the play to Toronto in a lopsided 5-0 victory, our young ladies appeared to be cheering for the visiting side as they flashed up and down the ice in their familiar red, white and blue Montreal colours. The game action was impressive, despite the uneven score. There were some strong power moves, some very good saves and one beautiful top-shelf goal. The game no doubt gave our still-fresh athletes something to aspire to.

Post-game, we headed to a local rink for food, our own turn on the ice and some time to reflect on the season past.

After putting a pretty good dent in 11 pizzas, a veggie tray and a few 2L bottles of soda, the head coach took the stage to thank his many supporters and reward the kids with a medal for their efforts and a custom lithograph of the team he commissioned a local artist to produce – some lasting memories for our players who had worked hard and certainly improved throughout the year. The medals were a consolation for having narrowly missed the league finals and a spot in the provincial championships. They had certainly come as close as they could have, thus ensuring a successful season no matter the final result.  In short, medals were well deserved.

Hockey mom and I, who have a standing tradition of turning the hundreds of candid action photos we take into year-end, sound-tracked video montages, shared our latest compilation. It’s always good to hear the kids and parents alike laughing at shared memories. DVD copies for nearly the whole team have been requested and will be delivered.

With full bellies, coaches and players took to the ice for a skills competition, complete with prizes for some added incentive, and a quick game of 3-on-3.  The pressure of the last month’s games has long-since faded.  The girls just had fun. More laughing as they rushed after loose pucks or issued fake body checks along the boards. The game had about 20 penalty shots which had some girls cursing their assistant coach turned ref. I will admit I’ve never seen two penalty shots called on one infraction, but we do know it never pays to argue with a ref.

The day was capped fittingly with cupcakes and well wishes.  Some of these players will be on teams together again, while others may not.  Overall, this will be a fine season full of positive experiences for them to recall.  I believe the Devil would say the same.

The team actually still has some practice ice left over despite the end-of-the-year celebration. This season surplus will be used as tune-up ice for next season’s tryouts, which begin in a little over a month’s time.  Just enough time to take a deep breath before starting all over again.  Only this time it will all be a little different for yours truly – a hockey dad and a head coach.  Perhaps a couple of deep breaths are in order.

#imahockeydad

End of Another Season….Next

Posted on by
Reply

The Devil’s season mostly ended, or at least we had the farewell party, this past weekend.

The team was treated to an opportunity to take in the final game of the Clarkson Cup, the Canadian Women’s Hockey League’s equivalent of the Stanley Cup.  The girls, in their dark jerseys, lined the glass at one end of the rink with inflated beater bats in hand to cheer on Montreal vs. Toronto.  As Montreal took most of the play to Toronto in a lopsided 5-0 victory, our young ladies appeared to be cheering for the visiting side as they flashed up and down the ice in their familiar red, white and blue Montreal colours. The game action was impressive, despite the uneven score. There were some strong power moves, some very good saves and one beautiful top-shelf goal. The game no doubt gave our still-fresh athletes something to aspire to.

Post-game, we headed to a local rink for food, our own turn on the ice and some time to reflect on the season past.

After putting a pretty good dent in 11 pizzas, a veggie tray and a few 2L bottles of soda, the head coach took the stage to thank his many supporters and reward the kids with a medal for their efforts and a custom lithograph of the team he commissioned a local artist to produce – some lasting memories for our players who had worked hard and certainly improved throughout the year. The medals were a consolation for having narrowly missed the league finals and a spot in the provincial championships. They had certainly come as close as they could have, thus ensuring a successful season no matter the final result.  In short, medals were well deserved.

Hockey mom and I, who have a standing tradition of turning the hundreds of candid action photos we take into year-end, sound-tracked video montages, shared our latest compilation. It’s always good to hear the kids and parents alike laughing at shared memories. DVD copies for nearly the whole team have been requested and will be delivered.

With full bellies, coaches and players took to the ice for a skills competition, complete with prizes for some added incentive, and a quick game of 3-on-3.  The pressure of the last month’s games has long-since faded.  The girls just had fun. More laughing as they rushed after loose pucks or issued fake body checks along the boards. The game had about 20 penalty shots which had some girls cursing their assistant coach turned ref. I will admit I’ve never seen two penalty shots called on one infraction, but we do know it never pays to argue with a ref.

The day was capped fittingly with cupcakes and well wishes.  Some of these players will be on teams together again, while others may not.  Overall, this will be a fine season full of positive experiences for them to recall.  I believe the Devil would say the same.

The team actually still has some practice ice left over despite the end-of-the-year celebration. This season surplus will be used as tune-up ice for next season’s tryouts, which begin in a little over a month’s time.  Just enough time to take a deep breath before starting all over again.  Only this time it will all be a little different for yours truly – a hockey dad and a head coach.  Perhaps a couple of deep breaths are in order.

#imahockeydad

Posted on by
Reply

Volunteers???

The Devil took to the ice last night in some unfamiliar gear along with two of her other normally non-goalie teammates. As mentioned, her team lost its regular goalie for at least a month to a non-hockey related injury last week and now find themselves scrambling for substitutes.  This is the risk a team runs when it only carries one goalie.  The league in general has a dearth of goaltenders.  As such, the options are limited to beg, borrow or steal from other teams.  This will be the case this upcoming weekend as three potential stand-ins are either playing for their regular teams at the same time or in completely different locations making it impossible for them to lend a much needed, gloved hand.

And so, the coach put out a call for any volunteers who may want to audition for the vacancy between the pipes; whether they had prior experience or not. As they say – desperate times call for desperate measures.

Never one to back down from a challenge or a chance to try something different, the Devil threw her helmet into the ring and said she’d give it a shot.  The last time she tried goal will have been over four years ago in house league, but she threw on the pads and grabbed the over-sized stick with glee.  Once in the net, you could see that while technique was lacking, sheer determination to keep the puck out was present in spades.  I was on the ice for practice and fired a few shots at her along with the other coaches. She naturally flinched and fought the urge to turn sideways on a couple of chest-high blasts.  Shots on the ice were the toughest for her to handle, as they likewise seemed to be for the other two new trainees. We provided all three aspiring backstops with a crash course in net positioning, angles and the basic goalie stance.  The Devil did actually have a pretty good catching hand.  Post-practice we all concurred that the regular goaltender’s job would be safe upon her return. The three volunteers were commended for their efforts. Each had her strengths and weaknesses; particularly in light of a single session.  One of the three has some more recent experience; displaying the most technique, but also letting in her share of “softees” as they all did.

I think my favourite moment happened during a scrimmage at the end of practice. As players fought for a loose puck behind the net, the Devil turned completely around to get a better view of the action. When the puck emerged back out front she had to spin quick while trying to regain her bearings in the crease.  On the way home from the arena she admitted this was her biggest faux pas. She knew it was the wrong move. Instinct to chase the puck took over.  I got a chuckle out of it so it’s all good.

Time and availability will determine who may have to step into the breach and take on the role in an official capacity. The rest of the team for its part will need to likewise step up. They will have to support their fledgling tender, whoever that may be; limiting the number and difficulty of the shots she will face. The team has an opportunity to turn a potential negative into a positive as they have an excellent opportunity to get stronger as a team.  In the meantime, some anxious parents will no doubt be watching a couple of games from behind slightly splayed fingers. I admit that I kinda do and don’t hope their mine.

#imahockeydad