Mike Serba Memorial Golf Tournament

Systemic Problems With Minor Hockey Part 1

If The Best Keep Leaving The System, Then What Are You Left With?

There are 2 more important systemic problems within our minor hockey system that will likely continue for ever. This minor hockey system we have is self-perpetuating and the way it plays out there has never been any incentive for correction and change.

This one deals with the quality of coaches that are available to the system.

It’s my opinion the coach is one of the most important factors in the development of a young hockey player. Too many people get hung up on the organization or the jersey, but the coach you get is the key.

Where Do The Coaches Come From?

If you’ve followed my hockey posts you should be aware or the criticisms of the state of coaching available to the early age levels of our minor hockey system. At this point I’m talking about the levels above the absolute most entry levels of hockey; from House League Select all the way up to Triple A.

The coaching entering the system usually comes from a parent that watches his son’s or daughter’s game and says to himself; “I can do a better job that idiot behind the bench”. From there they fall into 2 general categories; Those that take the job seriously, want to do a good job, quickly find out it’s more difficult than they thought, and then educate themselves so they can do a good job ….. and then there’s the  egomaniac (you can generally spot this one because that’s usually the guy that commands the audience of parents in the lobby and regales them with  examples of his brilliance and knowledge).

Now my preference was to stay away from the “egomaniac” type, but many of these guys actually survive and do quite well. They survive because there are enough parents around that are impressed with and buy into their B. S. As a result, these guys can do well at recruiting and therefore achieve success at winning. My experience has been that while the team will get wins; they never win it all. In the end you won’t get much development for your son or daughter and  the coaching style is such that the experience will be a season with a lot of angst.

I’ve Been Lucky To Know Some Really Good Coaches 

I’ve been lucky to have known and to have worked with some really good coaches that taught me a lot about what it takes to be a good coach. These were the guys that fell into that second category; those who took the job seriously and wanted to do a good job. Over time I’ve become certain that this was a quality that was somehow just a part of their DNA, and built into their personality and character.

Back in the days when I coached the sacrifices were pretty big. There was no compensation and they needed the type of job that provided freedom to make all practices, games and those out-of-town tournaments that begin on a Fridays.

The good coaches I worked with took the job seriously. Their self esteem became wrapped up in the process and ultimately it wasn’t just about winning. Winning, of course, was important but they had figured out that you had to develop your players in order to achieve the most success. And so everything becomes about improving your team by developing all of your players. One coach used this phrase which has always stuck in my mind; “who gets smarter faster”.

In the end, isn’t that what coaching is supposed to be all about?

In The End The Best Coaches Just Leave The System

There are a number of inherent problems that just come with the territory of coaching at the minor hockey level; particularly for those that actually give a damn.

It’s very demanding and comes with hazards that are not at all at first apparent. There’s the time, the cost (not just financial, but also personal) and much more. There are the problems that come with coaching when your son or daughter is on the team. (There are at least 3 or 4 blogs on this subject alone surely to be covered some time in the future.)

The big one is dealing with the parents. (There are at least 10 to 20 blogs on this alone to be covered some time in the future.) Towards the last few years of my coaching this became worse and from everything I’ve heard and observed since then; this is worsening.

In the end what happens is that these good coaches succumb to the same fate as 99.9% of the young hockey players; in part because their fate is tied to the success of (or in most cases lack of) the hockey playing offspring they were coaching. Since 99.9% of young hockey players never make it to the higher levels of scholarships or major junior and beyond, the vast majority of coaches pack it in as well and you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out why.

If The Best Keep Leaving The System, Then What Are You Left With?

Think About it!

There’s a lot more to come.

Note:

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