Travel Hockey For Beginners

Congratulations to the Adirondack Black Bears Bantam B squad (including my son, John)! Our team just returned from the Can-AmTournament in Lake Placid this past weekend with second place medals. I coached many of these guys for the better part of six years and, as such, I still feel a very powerful connection to all of them even now that I've become a spectator and a driver. I stopped coaching due partially to a lack of time but also because I am wise enough to know my own limits. I felt that the kids needed to be coached by those who are better at the sport. I have had kids ask why I left and some miss me but I know that I did the right thing as they are all progressing tremendously.

I loved my years spent coaching and I would trade them for nothing. I have fond memories, the kind you can't fully articulate because they are simply too numerous. I am very proud of the way our boys did this past weekend. They have had an unbelievable season thus far, undefeated in 11 games with one tie and a goal differential of about 5 1/2 points per game.

The tournament this weekend included an excellent A team from Bradford, Ontario that simply took every other team apart. We had been asked to step up to the A level because we are a really solid team and we did so. If we hadn't, we would likely have totally dominated the B bracket. The Bradford team played almost perfect games of hockey. They were faster and larger than we are and they were in position all of the time. Amazingly, there was only one goal scored against them in all five games they played and it was an early fluke of a breakaway.


While it was certainly disapointing to see us lose (7-0 in our first game against them and 10-0 in our final, it was also a great learning opportunity. No good coach wants his kids to steamroller through the competition. It has little potential to teach the kids anything about the sport and is not much fun for anyone. That said, whenever my teams were up against a ringer, I would tell them to watch the other team as they played and learn from them. If they are constantly going up the middle, you can see that that's where your defensive weakness lies. Is your center not getting back fast enough? Was your right D too far into their zone? If they are constantly drawing multiple players behind the net to open up the crease or if they are frequently passing back to their defense, you can learn from that, too. You're not necessarily going to be able to apply any of the answers in that game but you can certainly remember and use these new thoughts in practice. You can then try them out against another team that is closer to your level to see how it works for you.

I wanted our team to have a chance in the final game but at 5 minutes in it was already4-0 and we had no shots on goal. It was pretty obvious to all but the deluded that we didn't stand a chance of winning. I settled back to appreciate the learning experience and watch our team to see who had heart and who gave up and who did not. I also settled in to watch the other team and admire their work.

I was interrupted from my internal hockey reverie several times by a few of our team's parents, arguing with each other or yelling at the officials or the other team's parents. I heard second-
hand that some of the parents were disappointed with some of the coaches' line decisions and strategies. I knew that we had lost several of our best players to the high school team (including our Captain) and that the coaches had no choice but to set up alternate lines. Our chemistry was all screwed up and passing simply wasn't automatic any more as it usually is for this squad. I really couldn't believe that anybody would be critical given the circumstances.

I am always amazed at how stupid and rude and inconsiderate people can be ... even people I respect and know to be good people. Just put 'em in a hockey arena and next thing you know, they've lost their minds.

When our kids started checking several years back, I knew that it would be a difficult transition for some parents seeing their kids buffeted about or hit hard. I know that it was hard for me, both as a coach and a parent. That said, it is a part of this very physical game and, ultimately, if it is not something the kid wants or can tolerate, they will quit. Perhaps the "Monday Morning Coaches" should consider leave the sport as well if they can't leave the coaching to those who are qualified to do the work.