Look em in the eye

Look em in the eye!
I learned a long time ago that you need to talk to your players during practice as well as during games. When I say talk, I mean you need to accomplish two things effectively; explain and support. That's part of coaching. You need to convey what it is you want them to do and why. This might be after the fact to correct a mis-step, or before players hit the ice for the next shift. Never talk down to your players. I see that too often, and I don't like it. I know coaches who think telling a team they “s**k” is an effective way of shaming a team into playing better, but what it really means is that the coach is an idiot. Players deserve respect, even the ones who don't always show it. Players also deserve the very best a coach can do for them and the team. Coaches have to give a 100% too. You have to work at it if you expect your team to work hard on and of the ice. I learn something new every game and every practice. Not all teams are the same, and not all players are either. Expect your players to make mistakes, encourage them to expand their game without fear of making mistakes. You can't learn or improve if you don't try anything difficult because your worried that you'll mess up. What you might learn though is that you can do something you might not have been confident to try before. Teams deserve the very best you can give them, and this doesn't mean a lecture, it means coaching. Hockey is a great sport, and every minute you are on the ice should be something special whether your winning, losing, or just skating around in circles. When a player gets ready for a face off tell them to look the other players in the eye. Let the other team know that your team came to play HOCKEY. When you call your team to the bench look everyone of those kids right in the eye and let them know that you're gonna do everything you can for every single player. That's hockey, that's what it's all about!