Coach the way you’d like to be coached
In the United States hockey coaches have had a good sense of what their new team will look like since the spring. Without catchment area restrictions in USA Hockey, many associations host their tryouts in the spring in order to better plan for their upcoming season. Leaving tryouts until the fall can create an exodus of players from one association to another. Here in Canada most associations are in the heart of their evaluation process. It can be a tense time for selection committees, volunteer board of directors, coaches, parents, and most certainly young players.
For the first time in many years I am not head coaching a team this winter, but rather focusing on player development initiatives and our online ventures. It has given me a chance to sit back and observe the process, not so much in rinks, but in speaking with coaches as they await their new phase 1 rosters and attempt to determine what their final rosters will look like. This 1000ft abstract view of the youth hockey landscape is also giving me a chance to articulate my own thoughts about what it takes to get off on the right foot as a coach. Furthermore, by putting in writing an action plan to create a positive hockey coach – player – team connection, I think it will make me a better coach too. By stepping away from head coaching a team, I can more objectively articulate what works and what doesn’t.
3 Simple Ways a Hockey Coach Can Set the Team in the Right Direction:
- Smile when you say hi to players.
- Catch players off guard and ask them about their lives.
- Be demanding. Be Strong. Let players know what you expect of them, and be stern if you need to. But here’s the kicker: follow it up with a joke or a funny comment to the exact player you came down on.
1. Smile when you say hi to players.
They are just kids!
It’s amazing how we as coaches sometimes put on the game face because we think we should. And we keep it on, for way too long. Picture yourself coaching a novice or atom/squirt game at 7am on a Saturday morning. You have your plan in place and you are ready to set the tone you feel a competitive coach/team should have. It’s a league game after all. Your body is still stiff from the early morning wake up, the rink is cold, and you feel a surprising bit of pressure to perform. As you walk towards the dressing room you see parents milling about, waiting to tie skates, or perhaps waiting to speak with you about how important it is for you as the coach to pump those kids up for the game. As you walk into the dressing room, you see half the team putting on their gear over top of Spiderman pajamas. That’s right. They are 9, they can’t wait to play the game, and more importantly, they can’t wait to get back home to finish building the fort they started late last night. It’s a game, and they are 9. Their PJ’s are covered in webs, and they are pumped to see you. Enjoy the moment! Say hello, make them laugh, do whatever you can to let them know that you are there for them, that you want them to play well, have fun, and get a little better that day. See the game through a 9 year old’s eyes, but with the wisdom of your grandfather. I dare you to try. You’ll love it, and you’ll smile when you say hello, I guarantee it.
2. Catch players off guard and ask them about their lives
Let’s jump ahead a few years to Midget. Now your practice time is 8pm, and the team has had a full day of waking up early against their will, school, an afternoon nap, homework, too long on Facebook, an moderately enjoyable family dinner, a relationship tiff, and know they finally get to the rink for practice. The first time they see their coach, he leans his head in the door and yells, “Be on the ice in 15, and don’t even think about being late!” I’ve done it, lots. But I ask myself now, “is that the best way to earn the confidence of 15-17 year old men? Are they really excited about getting out there so they can listen to me some more?!” I’ve watched some of the greatest coaches in the game treat every player, rink attendant, trainer, and parent with the utmost respect. Andy Murray was just recently inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame. In 2009 he was the Jack Adams NHL Coach of the Year Finalist. Last year at his University of Western Michigan team December holiday banquet, he requested that every staff member from the arena to the dressing room be in attendance. That’s the Zamboni driver, the pop corn maker, and the seating attendants. He knows them all by name, where they are from, and how many kids they have. The LEAST we can do to earn the trust of a midget hockey player is get to know them, learn their interests, and if your lucky, they’ll look up to you and look to you for guidance. Draw the line between coach and team, but let them know you are human, and check it they are too.
3. If you need to come down on a player early in the season, follow it up with a light hearted connection.
Help keep hockey fun
Glen Williamson is the Head Coach of the U20, U18, and U16 Hungarian National Teams. He’s also from Souris, Manitoba, childhood friends with the above mentioned Andy, and has been a coach and scout in the NHL. He’s been held up at gun point in South East Asia, and has a Masters Degree of Education from Sydney Australia. I tell you this, because I’m telling you this: the guy can talk to anyone, in a language he does not understand, and laugh the whole time. Connecting with players is very important in the beginning of the season, but you can’t let them think for 1 second they can take advantage of you. I’ve seen Glen tell a joke, explain a drill, rip into a player for not paying attention, then make the same kid laugh 15 seconds later. He’s not saying, “Hey kid I don’t like you, now do whatever I say.” He has a knack of telling kids, “Hockey is great, we are going to compete like heck, make mistakes, and have success. And hey you, this is the way it’s gonna be, no debating. You are in? Ok, let’s rock n’ roll boys!” I don’t think he’s ever really said it like that, but he draws the line in the sand, very deep in fact, but encourages his players to go as hard as they can on their side of the line. Cross the line and you’ll be sorry. Stay on your side and you’ll have a great time. Draw the line, just make sure that their side of the line is a lot of fun where they can learn, grow, make mistakes, have success, and challenge themselves and their teammates.
Enjoy the season.
