Too much vinegar on the fries

Living close to an outdoor rink was a benefit I didn’t really appreciate until the rink was gone. I would lose track of time and ignore the cold until it was time to head back home. Unfortunately the rink was torn down before my own boys were old enough to walk, let alone skate. As a coach I often had access to a lot of ice. My sons grew up on their skates, and spent a lot of time hanging around rinks for games and practices. Public skating was a perfect time to meet their friends down at the rink and get some skating in. I’ve been able to get them on both artificial and natural ice, here and in Canada. Street hockey and roller blades add to the mix when they weren’t playing Ice Hockey or Lacrosse. The problem is that there really isn’t a formula you can bottle up and give to players. Skating hard at practice and doing meat grinders for the majority of your limited ice time isn’t the quick fix. In fact I don’t even like them. They’re ok for a quick warm up, but you don’t want to make that the focus of your practice time. You need to mix the skating into your practices in a way that adds to the development of skill and game play. Sprints are an important part of developing speed, but who cares how fast you are if you never know where you’re going, and can’t handle the puck. Of course there’s always speed skating clubs you can join if that’s what you’re looking for. There are some pretty good drills that help build speed and strength, but remember that you need to make the most with what ice time you have. Keep your players moving, and keep them on a learning curve. Make them think and ask questions. Explain things in a way your players can relate to. Never talk over a player’s head, and never talk down to them. Never hold your players back, and never sell them short. Give each player who really wants to play and is willing to work at it a chance. If your team has heart, you will have a rewarding season, but don’t expect anything worthwhile to be easy. Hockey is a great sport, so make it great every game and every practice. Oh ya, never put too much vinegar on your fries, and don’t spill the coach’s coffee when he sets it on the bench.