In early October, I was invited to serve as Head Coach for F’s U18 hockey team. It was a no-brainer for me and I leapt at the chance to say yes. I had such a fantastic experience coaching this age group last year and the opportunity to do it again was too good to pass up (even if I don’t know how I’m going to survive adding this much to my plate).
Becoming a coach was never really part of my plan. It just… happened.
Last year, I offered to help out as the team manager and Safety person. I did my “Rule of Two” certifications and training, and quickly found myself working through the Coach training because our team was short-staffed. Sometimes I felt a little out of place.
But, by the end of the season, I knew I’d be back. I decided to apply to be a Head Coach and I brushed up on my training and certifications over the summer. I downloaded and reviewed training guides.
Coaching this age group, particularly at this level, is interesting. These are players who mostly know this is the end for them. Very few will go on to play a higher level of hockey, though some are playing higher levels of other sports. Some of them have jobs. Girlfriends. They’re thinking about what their futures will hold. It’s actually really cool to get to know them, both on the ice and off.
But then there’s the nitty gritty of it all…
For starters, the ice times stink. We’re lucky if we get on the ice earlier than 8pm and we’re regularly given Fridays at 9:15pm, which is a total bummer heading into the weekend. Practices are often late in the night too (usually 9-9:30) or the occasional Sunday afternoon. This week alone, we’re on the ice four times (Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday) and it’s a lot on top of work and home obligations.
(And then there’s the fact that S is also playing hockey, Saturdays and Sundays, plus we have Thursday swimming lessons…)
So, while I love it, I occasionally sit back and look at the schedule and loudly ask myself WHY?
And sometimes, other people ask me, too.
In fact, one friend asked me flat out why I would take on a hockey team.
And answer is pretty simple: I really care about these kids and I believe two things are very true:
- The current world of hockey in Canada is problematic, and I should do what I can to change that.
- Sports help young people develop into great human beings.
A lot of people look at this age range and scoff. They’re not cute little Timbits players who can barely skate and can’t count to keep track if they’re winning or losing. They’re not earnest kids who are dreaming about making it to the NHL one day and will excitedly tell you about their favourite teams or players.
They’re big, stinky hockey players. Some of them have bad attitudes. They don’t just look at the scoreboard; they keep tabs on players and keep score when it comes to penalties, dirty plays, and chirps. Sometimes they retaliate. Sometimes they start the fight. Sometimes they mouth off, to you, to the refs, and to the other team.
Sometimes it’s embarrassing to stand on the bench and exasperating to try to deal with their moods, actions, and reactions.
But, I do it.
I do it because I care.
Last week, before a game, we had a chat about how things had gone at the last game in that building. My team took 30 minutes of penalty minutes… in a 30 minute game. I’d been travelling for work and I told them I was embarrassed from afar. But I also told them something I really thought they needed to know:
They’re better than that.
They’re better than retaliation.
They’re better than cheap shots.
They’re better than making a fool of themselves.
They’re better than letting their teammates down.
They’re better than wasting everyone’s time with bad behaviour.
With a lot of season left to go, I know a couple of things are true. I won’t make these kids better hockey players; they’re already better than I ever was. But, the coaching staff and I have the chance to make them better people. And that’s worth the lost sleep, the smelly dressing rooms, and all the rest that comes with it.
