Hockey Teams Battling and Winning Through Thick and Thin

Momma and the Boy were set to travel a little over three hours North last weekend, where his team would compete in a qualification tournament for the Silver Stick International Tournament in the new year. The Devil and I were staying behind as she had three regular season games of her own to play (what else is new?).

When we woke up on the morning of their departure I noted he had developed a pretty nasty cough, which didn’t bode well for a weekend performance on the road. Sure enough upon arriving at their destination 10 hours later,  the cough had become a hack from an increasingly sore throat with an elevated body temperature to boot. By dinner time the Boy’s condition continued to deteriorate and a teammate was required to deliver him, a shivering lump, back to the hotel room to hopefully sleep off whatever bug he was battling in order to play two games the next day.  Momma says he didn’t sleep much at all through the night.  He would text me later saying he thought he was going to die (a little dramatic, but most women can attest to how men can be debilitated by colds and flus).  The morning arrived with the nasties solidly in tow. Having driven as far as they did, the Boy decided he would give it the old college in the first game and play it by ear after that. To complicate things, the team’s backup goalie was likewise battling pneumonia, while one other defenceman took a big hit causing a concussion in a game earlier in the week. Qualifying for the big tourney would have to be accomplished short-handed.

Momma reports the Boy struggled through the first game with a notable and pretty understandable lack of energy based on his sleep or lack thereof.  The team would take their first match, perhaps lightening the Boy’s otherwise bleak situation.  Game two, scheduled to start eight hours later would be a hit or miss proposition.  The Boy spent the entire afternoon in bed then decided on college try number two.  The team would win again, but by all accounts the Boy was a merely a warm body on the ice to spell some of his teammates (warm being the operative word).  He and Momma were hopeful another night’s sleep would help to evict his unwanted guest. Unfortunately, the second night was much like the first leaving the lad iffy for the next day’s final round-robin and hopefully semi-final games. As it turned out, he would play or at least see ice-time in the third game and one period of the semi-final before he would finally succumb to his sickness.  I’ve since been told by other parents that we should be proud of the effort he gave under the circumstances.

As is so often the case with teams and viruses, a few teammates were also starting to show symptoms similar to the Boy’s. This is generally inevitable as teammates dress in close, stanky quarters where bacteria must salivate at opportunity to feed and breed. You can almost smell and feel sickness when you enter some dressing rooms. From her behind-the-bench vantage point, Momma (the team trainer) would report via text that at least one player may have left one of his lungs on the ice after having coughed it up in the semi-final game. And yet, with all of this turmoil the team would find the strength and conviction to work its way into the Championship game. The Boy would reluctantly join his two beleaguered comrades as a cheerleader in the stands. Perhaps some of their spirit helped to propel their shortened squad to a convincing victory in the final, claiming the Championship and the desired berth in the bigger tourney down the road. However, in keeping with the health-related theme of the weekend another player joined the ranks of the sick or injured when he was charged by an opponent leaving him with a broken clavicle and damaged shoulder joint. While the first three players, including the Boy, are set to return to action this week or next, he unfortunately is facing a few weeks away from the game. Hopefully, all will be mended for the Silver Stick.  I’m pleased to report the team has already had two games since returning from the qualifier (cuz there’s no rest for the wicked) and the Boy has competed in both. Momma, on the other hand, has not been so lucky her nursemaid duties put here square in the path of the same bug that bit the Boy. She’s been incapacitated since their return. I and the Devil have thus far dodged the deadly bullet (he says, all the while knocking on whatever wood is close proximity).

Speaking of the Devil and while the other two were off on their disease-ridden adventure, I watched the Devil’s team continue their strong play, albeit not without a couple of bumps in the road and injuries of their own. Case in point bump-wise is a match against their closest geographic rival, which found them on the losing side of a 3-1 score with only three minutes left in the game.  The coach decided to pull his goalie early. This proved to be a prudent move as the girls scratched to within one goal with about 90 seconds remaining. The goalie would return to her net for the ensuing faceoff, but as soon as the puck entered the opponents end, she was yanked from her perch again. Having an extra player on the ice worked for a second time as the Devil and her mates tied the game with less than 30 ticks on the clock. The opposing side was no doubt dumbstruck by what had just happened while the good guys extended their regular season unbeaten streak to 11 games.

The Sharks next game, a couple of days later, would be against a lesser opponent, yet they would enter the third period with only a one goal lead. The coaches’ between period speeches must have been effective as the team would extend the score to 5-0 when the final buzzer sounded.

Game three in four days for the Sharks would again see them falling behind 2-1 on the scoreboard after two periods on the strength of several big saves by the other team’s goaltender. However, again they would come out in the third with all guns blazing and skate to a 3-2 victory; running their regular season record to an impressive 13-1-1. This currently puts them in first place in the standings though they’ve played a few more games than their closest rival. Their only loss to date came in the first game of the year against the same rival and they have yet to play the victor from that game a second time. The rematch is forthcoming. It will no doubt be a barometer; setting a tone for the remainder of the season.

We’ve witnessed a lot of exciting games and situations through the both the Boy’s and Devil’s seasons already. Soon it will be time for a brief holiday rest. Then we will be right back at it to close the regular year and move into league and provincial playoffs.  We’ve at least two more trips on tap as well, which always have a way of generating stories whether we like them or not.  Stay tuned hockey fans….who needs the NHL with all of this real hockey drama?

#imahockeydad

Befuddled, Bemuzed and Generally Bedeviled

This hockey coaching thing sure ain’t gettin’ any easier.  My team of 13 and 14 year old girls is struggling mightily to say the least and while I’ve not yet thrown my hands in the air, I’m certainly near the point of calling on the Hockey Gods for some divine intervention.  To be blunt, the team hasn’t seen a check mark in the W column dating back to late November. Frustrations among the players, parents and most certainly the coaching staff are mounting as the potential exhibited by this squad to start the season, including a home tournament win, has been quashed by inconsistent, undisciplined play mixed with odd flashes of brilliance.

The latest case in point came last night when our last place team played two periods of seemingly inspired hockey and a took 1-1 tie into the third frame against the top team in our league, who to date have the same grand total of losses as we have wins (ONE!)  My assistant coaches and I, having been to this dance before, implored our charges yet again to hone their focus for the final period. We commended them on their play through the first two and let them know they have the talent to win against any team they face when the put forth their best effort. I believe we could all sense small cracks in the armour as orange peels were flung gaily at a garbage can in the middle of the room.  A couple of players were noted to be brushing their hair in un-hockey-like fashion, though for some this is a necessary evil of supporting abundant locks. In previous games I’ve suggested we focus on playing one period at a time.  In this case, I demanded even smaller shift-by-shift chunks for added clarity. And yet, the first shift of the third period ended with a puck in the back of our net followed by the same result less than a minute later.  All the hard work the players had put in up to that point was a faint memory.  Body language was not good across the board as I’m certain the phrase “Here we go again” reverberated in each player’s head.  The play would turn somewhat in our favour again for fleeting moments, but the final score signaled what would otherwise look to be a lopsided 5-2 victory for the opposition to anyone just seeing the numbers.

I am convinced at this point our biggest challenge is one of a psychological nature; yup, it’s in their heads.  When we reach the third period with a slim lead or the prospects of a win, I can almost see the players grips on their sticks ratcheting up a few notches.  Pucks are handled with more trepidation.  Passes are made with more urgency and less precision.  Battles for pucks are enjoined with hesitation.  No one wants to make a mistake, but inaction and/or ultra-caution leads to the same.  Far too often these mistakes manifest themselves as penalties which only serve to exacerbate the situation.  A little over a week ago one of our defencemen took a rare delay of game penalty for covering the puck with her glove at the end of a game; an infraction which led to us giving up a game-tying goal with only 30 seconds left.  Yet another victory narrowly aborted.  We coaches will try to counteract fear and doubt with positive reinforcement, but I’m afraid for the most part it’s falling on deaf ears; deafened by our recent failures.

Some folks around our team are no doubt lobbying for a harsh response to our undisciplined play. Some have suggested I “bench” players who are exhibiting undisciplined behaviour, which is leading to some of our downfalls. I understand their intent.  However, I contend that the team tends to hit the proverbial wall en masse, which I attribute back to hitting the panic button.  I would be hard pressed to select just one player deserving of being benched when entire lines seemingly stop skating for a shift.  That being said, I am increasingly open to doling out stiffer consequences (i.e. benching) those players who are consistently taking “bad” penalties; those who aren’t learning from their mistakes.  In principle, I am against benching players as I feel in developmental hockey sitting on the bench does little to improve the player; but perhaps sending a subtle message in the form of a missed shift might be just what the sports psychologist ordered.

With only a few games left in our regular season and playoffs to follow shortly thereafter, there is still plenty of time to salvage some positives.  I recently sent an open letter to our parent-group asking for their honest feedback, to which I received several thoughtful, positive and constructive responses. I shouldn’t have been surprised to note that each looked at the situation from the perspective of their child.  I will also be holding a pre-playoff team meeting where I intend to speak with each player individually about their strengths, weaknesses and responsibilities moving forward. The learning experience for this first-year head coach and his developing, challenging, evolving, group of young athletes continues.  While challenging, I am still managing to smile and have some fun along the way.  A couple of wins down the stretch would sure help though.

#imahockeydad

Riding the Waves

The hockey dad life ebbs and flows like the ocean. We’re in a small ebb now, but a killer wave is rising in the near distance. You go from spending an inordinate amount of time in rinks watching your two kids and their teams play here, there and everywhere to having time to scrub the deck, scrape the barnacles and watch The Masters. Don’t get me wrong; the break is welcomed.  I’m sure the Boy and Devil, who put in way more physical, if not psychological, effort than we do, will concur. They no doubt become a little weary of their lengthy time at sea.

The end of the kids’ hockey seasons actually coincides nicely with the start of the NHL hockey playoffs and the Major League Baseball season.  I’m a self-admitted big sports fan.  Hell, I’ll even watch darts or billiards in a pinch. But its never quite the same as watching your own. Rooting for them. Urging them on.  Reveling in their wins. Agonizing over their losses. The legions of hockey parents who, like us, usher their kids to rinks across the nation no doubt get the same rush from participating in the game.

In a couple of weeks, I get to begin participating at yet another level as a head coach – Captain of me own ship if you will. My rooting, urging, reveling, agonizing will have to be tempered with delegating, mentoring, leading – coaching. I will have a group of players, coaches, parents looking to me for guidance – measuring my ability to affect team and individual successes – the criteria for which will differ with nearly every player and parent.

As a new coach/pirate, I will unashamedly beg, borrow and steal ideas, insights and techniques from sea-farers and salty dogs I’ve worked with in the past or those who wish to provide assistance as the season progresses. I’ve already begun compiling a library of evaluation forms, drills, season plans, preliminary schedules and budget documents – all necessary tools in running a tight ship.

Beyond the selection of the team, which deserves a full examination of its own, one of my first priorities will be identifying my support group of manager, assistant coaches, trainers and others. The emphasis will most certainly be on teamwork.  I will rely on these crew members to help steer the ship – keep it on a somewhat even keel. Opinions will be welcomed and measured. Suggestions will be applied within the context of a course we’ve charted for the season.  We will surely encounter our share of unsettled waters as all ships inevitably do.  The full measure of a crew is one who works hard through to a see journey’s successful end.

I guess this has all been a prelude to saying I’m nearly ready to set sail on my maiden voyage.  All aboard who’s comin’ aboard!

#imahockeydad

Riding the Waves

The hockey dad life ebbs and flows like the ocean. We’re in a small ebb now, but a killer wave is rising in the near distance. You go from spending an inordinate amount of time in rinks watching your two kids and their teams play here, there and everywhere to having time to scrub the deck, scrape the barnacles and watch The Masters. Don’t get me wrong; the break is welcomed.  I’m sure the Boy and Devil, who put in way more physical, if not psychological, effort than we do, will concur. They no doubt become a little weary of their lengthy time at sea.

The end of the kids’ hockey seasons actually coincides nicely with the start of the NHL hockey playoffs and the Major League Baseball season.  I’m a self-admitted big sports fan.  Hell, I’ll even watch darts or billiards in a pinch. But its never quite the same as watching your own. Rooting for them. Urging them on.  Reveling in their wins. Agonizing over their losses. The legions of hockey parents who, like us, usher their kids to rinks across the nation no doubt get the same rush from participating in the game.

In a couple of weeks, I get to begin participating at yet another level as a head coach – Captain of me own ship if you will. My rooting, urging, reveling, agonizing will have to be tempered with delegating, mentoring, leading – coaching. I will have a group of players, coaches, parents looking to me for guidance – measuring my ability to affect team and individual successes – the criteria for which will differ with nearly every player and parent.

As a new coach/pirate, I will unashamedly beg, borrow and steal ideas, insights and techniques from sea-farers and salty dogs I’ve worked with in the past or those who wish to provide assistance as the season progresses. I’ve already begun compiling a library of evaluation forms, drills, season plans, preliminary schedules and budget documents – all necessary tools in running a tight ship.

Beyond the selection of the team, which deserves a full examination of its own, one of my first priorities will be identifying my support group of manager, assistant coaches, trainers and others. The emphasis will most certainly be on teamwork.  I will rely on these crew members to help steer the ship – keep it on a somewhat even keel. Opinions will be welcomed and measured. Suggestions will be applied within the context of a course we’ve charted for the season.  We will surely encounter our share of unsettled waters as all ships inevitably do.  The full measure of a crew is one who works hard through to a see journey’s successful end.

I guess this has all been a prelude to saying I’m nearly ready to set sail on my maiden voyage.  All aboard who’s comin’ aboard!

#imahockeydad