Parents of youth athletes.... get a grip! Coaches.... train for success

I have no idea what I am going to write about... there are tons of thought swirling in my head.

I keep thinking of the mother of a 4-6 year old I heard laying into a coach at 202 Recreation Center (street hockey) because her kid was playing defense and was not up front playing center - after all "he was the best player on the team". There was no doubt in that her kid was the best, all you had to do it listen. My gosh lady, these are 4-6 year old trying to lean the game of hockey! Some of us might not understand that style... the one where you just let one kid do it all and the others watch. At this level, I think teaching team work is more important that putting the ball in the net. Why do they keep score anyway?

The there was the mother at Olympia watching her Johnny play ice hockey... these kids we bantams... I guess 14 or 15 year olds. All we kept hearing was "hit em Johnny... hit em. Come on Johnny, don't take that, hit em harder... hit em Johnny" That went on and on. Well, finally someone on the other team got tired of her dear Johnny "hittin' em".... he drove Johnny into the boards... actually a good check that Johnny never saw coming. Now I know why there is glass around the rink... it is all that kept little Johnny's mother from going onto the ice. She came out of the stands and hit the boards almost as hard as Johnny did... visions of revenge in her eyes... she wanted that other kid. OMG, if you could have heard what she said to him... she wanted to rip his eyes out for hitting poor Johnny.

Then there are the coaches that are there for the ride... when my son asked a coach a question once (actually an assistant coach), rather than supporting him and "coaching him", the snide remark was "what, do you think you are going to the NHL"? Odds are his line of thought means Ryan has a long road and steep odds to make it to the NHL.... but if he ever does, I know I will personally call that coach and tell him.... well, you figure it out. I think our jobs as coaches and parents is to support and help our kids reach for the stars. If they make it, cool. If they fall short, even way short, but had a great ride trying to get there, that's OK too. Just think if everyone listened to the naysayers... we'd all be losers too.

If you have not seen the movie Goal... that's OK, get it for your youth athlete and make sure they see it, and then see it again. Let them know that whether it is sports, academics or business.... they can if they try. Then get them Miracle and and make sure they hear Herb's line when he says (likely paraphrased here) "I can't promise you we will be the best team in Lake Placid, but I will guarantee you we will be the best conditioned". For any chance of success, it will take work, and more work and then work some more. Support the kids in what ever they want to do or try.... never say they can't.