Maintaing Motivation

[shooter27 116]

I've always believed in the theory that teams win games in the first 1/3 of the season based on off-season conditioning, the middle 1/3 based on talent, and the last 1/3 based on determination and desire.

Looking at it through that light, what do you guys think about a college program with a long standing coach that has a history of starting fast and then fading severely down the stretch? I will say that part of it is scheduling, 4 of their toughest games are traditionally scheduled in that last 1/3. But over the last several seasons they have run off a closing 10 game stretch of 1-9, 2-7-1, 2-6-2, 3-7, etc., etc.

Where does the blame lie for this. Seeing as the players cycle through every 4 years, its not the same group of guys. Is it the coach for not motivating enough? Are the players not mentally tough enough? Is it possible that the coach lets the reins out in practice too much later in the season and they lose focus? This is my alma matter and it was never like this when I was there so I'm really trying to figure out what is going on.

Thanks

[BigDipper 0]

I agree with the division of the season broken down like you did as most teams do generally fly out of the gate. However, I feel sometimes that isn't the case. I think coaching has a lot to do with it for sure, also the stretch of exams tend to have a bearing on players too. The additional stress can definitely take away from one's focus on hockey. It does raise good questions with your team in particular. Four years of bagging it near the end? Coincidence? I think not. There is a pattern there. For sure.

[Chadd 916]

Coaches can burn out players if they work them too hard over the course of the season. You can have all the desire and determination in the world but if the legs aren't there, it isn't going to matter. A college team fading late for four years in a row might be more of an indictment of the coach than the players. Doubly so when you consider how few of the players have been there for all four years.

That said I never blame a coach for failing to motivate a team. If you want to win, you don't need someone else pulling you along. You want to pin it on burning the guys out, not improving the team over the course of the season or bad tactical decisions on his part, go right ahead. Not motivating players is a cop out.

[shooter27 116]

Big Dipper, I hear you about exams, but at this particular school exams actually take place over the first 1/3 and middle 1/3 of the season so they have no effect in the last 1/3.

Chadd, this is certainly not an issue of the coach burning players out through the season. If anything, its an issue of lightening up too much after training camp.

This trend has now spanned 5 or 6 recruiting classes and I'm just not sure what is going on there. I just know something odd is happening.

[BigDipper 0]

You know that can also run the down the line. Example. Say seven years ago...coach let up...the players got used to it..next year returning players followed the same pattern and it carried through with the veteran players. Unfortunately, with any sport, a coach is always the first to blame..but its a two way street, the players on the ice and especially at that level should know what it take both physically and mentally to carry out a full schedule. Obviously there is different elements lacking in that program. Coaching, definitely could be one, but I also think that the maturity level of the players is another, as well as leadership amongst the team. All important things. What college and level is this?

[shooter27 116]

Don't really want to expose the school as I'm not really interested in directly calling out the coach. But it is top-end NCAA D3, a program that regularly is ranked nationally at some point during the season.

[BigDipper 0]

I didn't want the coaches name...just league and level....sorry if you took it the wrong way....

[shooter27 116]

No worries, I didn't think you meant anything by it, like I said I just didn't want to directly say his name. It's an NCAA D3 school, NESCAC/ECAC-East conference.

[BigDipper 0]

Always chokes me to see good programs slide like that. I've been a part of it before and seen it all too often.

[shooter27 116]

Yup, it really gets to me considering its my alma matter and when I played there we made the NCAA's two of my four years, and went deep in the conference tourney the other years.

[Chadd 916]

Where does the blame lie for this.

Chadd, this is certainly not an issue of the coach burning players out through the season. If anything, its an issue of lightening up too much after training camp.

Sounds like you already decided who is at fault.

[shooter27 116]

Where does the blame lie for this.

Chadd, this is certainly not an issue of the coach burning players out through the season. If anything, its an issue of lightening up too much after training camp.

Sounds like you already decided who is at fault.

That wasn't what I meant. My point was that the coach has never been a "taskmaster" and dos not go overboard in terms of burning out the players in practice. It could be the coaching, it could be the players, it could be the mental makeup of the kids he's recruiting, it could just be that a bad culture has developed over the last several years and they are stuck in a state of inertia. I'm really not sure.