Head coach Joe Curry was honoured at the 2017 Ontario Minor Hockey Association AGM this year when a player from his Norwood Hornets novice team wrote a grand prize winning essay. The topic: “My hockey coach teaches me…” Sheldon Bolton wrote, “My hockey coaches teaches me teamwork. This means we work together and support each […]
At some point in the last decade I severely overvalued how important I was to the process of building a hockey team. Sure, I was the head coach of a bantam AAA squad that had been spinning its wheels for years trying to reclaim some of the prominence it had experienced in the late 90’s, […]
“Ok, it’s time for the easiest part of any coach’s job. The cuts.” Classic Homer Simpson. But what was a hilariously simplified process in the mid-90’s for a fictional parent football coach is anything but a fifth of the way into the 21st century. These days coaches agonize over releasing kids for a variety of reasons. […]
A Simple Jedi Mind Trick to Keep Yourself Honest During Tryouts If you’ve spent any time at all coaching minor hockey then chances are you’ve had some less than positive experiences created because of tryouts. Ever been accused of being paid to take a player? Ever been threatened to keep a player by a member […]
“You can’t be common, because a common man goes nowhere. You have to be uncommon.” -Herb Brooks USA Hockey Coach 1980 Being a hockey coach can be an amazing and fulfilling experience. However, it can also be a very stressful and difficult experience. Coaches are required to lead the team strategy, work the bench during […]
Do you use your voice? I’m writing this article in direct response to a submission in The Athletic written by Matt Clune, younger brother of former National Hockey Leaguer Rich Clune. Read Recovery: The Rise, Fall, & Redemption of the Clune Brothers. But as Matt describes, the fact that his older brother played in the NHL […]
There are a few reasons why Ray Ferraro is one of the most recognized names in hockey. His playing career spanned nearly two decades, and his broadcast career now sees him analyzing some of the biggest games in the league. But what we appreciate most about Ferraro is his approach to the game. He’s spoken […]
I’m about to break a cardinal rule of blogging by introducing the conclusion of my article right now. That’s how important this particular element of team culture is. People. Sometimes I have a hard time remembering exactly how the teams I’ve coached performed over the years, but I never have trouble remembering the people. We’ve […]
Bill Belichick can make anything sound epic. Even a Barbecue place in Anapolis, Maryland. Some have called him the greatest coach of all time. Some have called him some other colourful phrases, some that can’t be repeated here in this space. For football fans and fans of sports in general, Bill Belichick is the mastermind […]
How do we define effort in sports? How do we measure accountability? How do promote and encourage and teach all the key intangibles that make sports so fascinating? We don’t. Just ask my favourite coach. He’s back and this time he’s making things easier than ever for me. For Geno Auriemma, the Head Coach of […]
