Coaching questions...

[tdjb 0]

For all of you guys who currently coach, what made you want to do it? Has it been worth it so far?

I'm looking at getting into coaching because I really love hockey and want to share some of the stuff I've learned over the years but I'm honestly a bit nervous. Did most of you guys just pair up with a current coach and go from there or what?

I'm going to try and get my USA hockey level 1,2, and 3 certs taken care of this year but aside from that what would you tell a potential new coach? Is it just like playing, should I work my way up from mites to the higher levels?

[Aussie Joe 0]

Its completely different to playing. In most cases when I come home from coaching I need to sleep as I am so mentally exhausted. I think its more an indication of how much I put into the teams I coach v's how actually demanding the position is.

I have been coaching now for 7 years, I was thrown in when I was 19 and had my own group of 16 yo's to push. I was lucky that most were very reciptive. Over the years however I have noticed that some groups are very difficult to motivate or gain their attention. Its something I have had to work hard on this past season to make sure what I'm communicating is getting accross.

Getting my IIHF cert I was one of the best moves I did. The course was 4x 3hr sessions over a month. I learnt so much from the instructors and my fellow coaching students. It was also a great networking opportunity as well.

I recommend being someone's apprentice, if possible. You will be able to see how the coach works players, deals with issues and tactics etc. Don't be afraid to delegate either. I delegated allot this season and it meant that the kids learnt leadership, communication and bonding allot better then before. It also allowed me, greater time on in game issues.

If you want any advice, feel free to PM me whenever needed in the future I'm only happy to help as I have with some other guys on the board.

[Spreedizzle 1]

I have been playing hockey for 22 years, reaching my highest level as JV high school hockey, but never lost my love for the game post grad. Still play religiously in beer leagues and other tournaments. I currently do not have kids but love working with kids and teaching them about a great game. I predominantly got into coaching (and have now been coaching for 8 years) because some of the mites and bantam practices were before my beer league games and it looked like fun, and it was quite obvious that the coach was a dad first, coach 2nd. Great intentions to help, but honestly didn't understand the game or know drills to help the younger kids progress with their respective talents. Depending on your persona and your level of patience and expectations for your abilities to shape future players will help to determine which level you should be coaching.

If you simply love working with kids, and really know how to make the game fun with simple and juvenille drills and have a fair amonut of patience then I would recommend the younger kids. If you would rather work at a higher pace and really exercise all of your skills and experience with more advanced drills then I would go with the older kids. As a fair warning though the older kids require much more discipline and more of a coach/dictator to run an effective practice....depending on both yours and the teams aspirations to compete at a decent level.

[thejackal 46]

this is my full year coaching. im an assistant coach for my old HS's peewee team. i have to say its a very rewarding experience. the funny thing is when i was playing HS i never thought i'd have the patience or interest to do something like this, so when in doubt give it a try.

[shooter27 116]

I've recently lost my job so I have quite a bit of time on my hands and I've been thinking about doing some volunteering as an assistant coach in my free time. For those of you that have done something like this, how did you first get into it? Did you just call up the club and volunteer or did you approach one of the coaches directly? Also, I've never coached before and I wonder how I'll transition from being a player. At one point I was in the same position as a lot of these kids and was able to work hard and achieve quite a few of my goals when it came to my hockey career so I feel like I would really have a lot to offer. Plus, I think it would feel good to give back the way people helped me when I was that age.

[thejackal 46]

the head coach i work for used to coach me when i played

[Aussie Joe 0]

Pro-actively asked. In most cases people won't shoot you down, as anyone wanting to learn the coaching ropes is appreciated.

[legiahockey 3]

sorry dont want to hijack. but is it possible to make a creer out of coaching in the states? i know you have to get all the levels. but how do you get on a big team and make some decent money? im guessing its mainly connections at first.

[TBLfan 25]

I've recently lost my job so I have quite a bit of time on my hands and I've been thinking about doing some volunteering as an assistant coach in my free time. For those of you that have done something like this, how did you first get into it? Did you just call up the club and volunteer or did you approach one of the coaches directly? Also, I've never coached before and I wonder how I'll transition from being a player. At one point I was in the same position as a lot of these kids and was able to work hard and achieve quite a few of my goals when it came to my hockey career so I feel like I would really have a lot to offer. Plus, I think it would feel good to give back the way people helped me when I was that age.

I volunteer coach adult beginners and it's one of my favorite things to do. It's a lot of fun and I get some free icetime. I look forward to coaching more than I look forward to playing, especially their practices.

[tdjb 0]

Thanks for the responses guys. I'd ideally like to help coach some of the older kids (bantam/midget) as I really like to teach the systems portion of hockey. On the other hand, I know that some of the early years (squirt/peewee) play a part in how well a player adapts later.

Are the younger kids generally coached by parents? I know when I played that was always the case until about the peewee level.

Have any of you guys taken the USA hockey classes? Anything I should expect or be warned about?

TBLfan: how did you start coaching adults? Did they just ask you or was it through a program?

Thanks

[Trooper 8]

I've been coaching hockey or baseball since I was 18. I'm now 35. I love teaching, I love breaking things down and analyzing things and helping players improve. I love seeing my guys succeed. I love picking them up when they aren't playing well. I love helping them look at the big picture (they are college age, sometimes they get too worked up over small stuff). Most of all, I like hanging around them and just the camaraderie.

[ktang 34]

Bantam / Midget is the right time to teach systems.

For me, coaching hockey has been very rewarding in seeing the players improve and apply the techniques etc. that we teach them.

Also, the practices and games have good teaching moments for life skills such as responsibility for one's choices, reward for hard work, "how you practice is how you play" -> game and life preparation, honesty, working for the greater good of the team, supporting your team-mates, how to deal with bad breaks, how to be courteous in both victory and defeat, etc.

The downside that all coaches have to deal with, in all team sports, are some of the crazy parents. I've had some teams with none, other teams with a lot, and most teams with at least 2 pairs.

[TBLfan 25]

Thanks for the responses guys. I'd ideally like to help coach some of the older kids (bantam/midget) as I really like to teach the systems portion of hockey. On the other hand, I know that some of the early years (squirt/peewee) play a part in how well a player adapts later.

Are the younger kids generally coached by parents? I know when I played that was always the case until about the peewee level.

Have any of you guys taken the USA hockey classes? Anything I should expect or be warned about?

TBLfan: how did you start coaching adults? Did they just ask you or was it through a program?

Thanks

A friend picked up a team, just being asked. He got overruled by his girl for coaching one night and playing 3 other nights... and then there were Lightning game outings. So I inherited the team... Now I just work with the D and goalie as an assistant because I have to miss half their games/practices.

[Trooper 8]

The downside that all coaches have to deal with, in all team sports, are some of the crazy parents. I've had some teams with none, other teams with a lot, and most teams with at least 2 pairs.

This is by far the biggest benefit of coaching college age kids, no parents!

[Chadd 916]

The downside that all coaches have to deal with, in all team sports, are some of the crazy parents. I've had some teams with none, other teams with a lot, and most teams with at least 2 pairs.

This is by far the biggest benefit of coaching college age kids, no parents!

That's the reason I won't coach anymore. As much as I love teaching little bits of the game to kids, I hate parents. If I'm not playing, I won't go to the rink unless I'm getting paid. Most of the time you don't make enough as a ref to make up for the abuse you take either.

[chippa13 1844]

That is why most of the reffing that I did was men's leagues.

[Chadd 916]

That is why most of the reffing that I did was men's leagues.

I'm one of the few guys around here that prefers doing adult games.

[chippa13 1844]

I often consider getting back into it a little bit. It was some nice beer cash.

[joshy207 15]

I got into coaching at 19, when my youth "career" was over and I couldn't get into the Over-20 league. I helped my previous-season midget coach. It was a lot of fun, I could relate to the guys as I was only a year or two older than them, and for the most part, they paid attention and respected what I said. I've coached off and on since then, and I'm now in my 4th year with a '94 birth year team (Bantam AA). As I've gotten older and more experienced, I've mellowed quite a bit. Unless they really deserve it, yelling doesn't work. You have to remember, you're not much different from their school teachers. The role is very similar, only you're teaching them something they love (or at least like) to do.

Working with the younger ages is a mix of babysitting and teaching the basics--proper skating stride, stickhandling, passing, shooting, fundamental positioning. You have to keep it simple and fun or else you lose their attention. Races and games like tag are good, they will work hard without realizing it, and small-area stuff where they're handling the puck a lot is very good. It's amazing how many kids at peewee, bantam, even midget and high school, can't skate or handle the puck.

Older kids are fun in a different way. You can teach them all the tricks you've picked up along the way, fancy or dirty. You can push them harder and get on them a little more, and when they start picking things up, it's so fun to watch. Now you can teach them systems stuff--forechecking, breakouts, transition, special teams--but you have to keep incorporating the basics.

I love coaching. It's as much fun--in a different way--as playing. Seeing your kids develop as players and as young adults is very rewarding. It's not without its downs though, bad games and slumps can get frustrating, parents can be a pain in the ass, and the schedule doesn't leave much time for a social life. But if it's something you love to do, there's no substitute.

[tdjb 0]

I got into coaching at 19, when my youth "career" was over and I couldn't get into the Over-20 league. I helped my previous-season midget coach. It was a lot of fun, I could relate to the guys as I was only a year or two older than them, and for the most part, they paid attention and respected what I said. I've coached off and on since then, and I'm now in my 4th year with a '94 birth year team (Bantam AA). As I've gotten older and more experienced, I've mellowed quite a bit. Unless they really deserve it, yelling doesn't work. You have to remember, you're not much different from their school teachers. The role is very similar, only you're teaching them something they love (or at least like) to do.

Working with the younger ages is a mix of babysitting and teaching the basics--proper skating stride, stickhandling, passing, shooting, fundamental positioning. You have to keep it simple and fun or else you lose their attention. Races and games like tag are good, they will work hard without realizing it, and small-area stuff where they're handling the puck a lot is very good. It's amazing how many kids at peewee, bantam, even midget and high school, can't skate or handle the puck.

Older kids are fun in a different way. You can teach them all the tricks you've picked up along the way, fancy or dirty. You can push them harder and get on them a little more, and when they start picking things up, it's so fun to watch. Now you can teach them systems stuff--forechecking, breakouts, transition, special teams--but you have to keep incorporating the basics.

I love coaching. It's as much fun--in a different way--as playing. Seeing your kids develop as players and as young adults is very rewarding. It's not without its downs though, bad games and slumps can get frustrating, parents can be a pain in the ass, and the schedule doesn't leave much time for a social life. But if it's something you love to do, there's no substitute.

Awesome post, thanks for the info. Sounds like you really enjoy it which is cool.

[UMWhockey 0]

I took over a U18 team when I was 19 and just started college. They needed a coach and paid for all my USA Hockey levels (which all but level 4 are really a joke)

I am now in my 7th season coaching travel and have been a head coach every season. This season I have two teams, Squirts and Bantams. I really like coaching the older ages, but only when you have a talented team. That gives you the opertunity to develop systems and see them play out a lot better then say a B level team that still needs a lot of work on basic skills. My squirt team is a bunch of the same kids I had last year and they are great. That is a great age if you like teaching skill development as they are starting to get the strength to really do more advanced skills and still really want to learn. Just keep them moving all the time and you can keep their attention.

I got into coaching because they had no one else and 6 years later don't know what I would be doing with myself without the weekend or two on the road with the travel teams.

As far as parents go, If you have a very direct and open line of communication you would be suprised how respectfull parents can be of the coach. You have to be willing to explain your physolophies to the parents and be confident in anything and everything you do with the team. If you make the praents beleive that you are under control and know what you are doing it will go a long way towards having a successfull season. Also lay out ground rules at the begining of the season along with expectations and alwasy refer back to it when any situation arrises. I have a big 3+ page e-mail that goes out to my teams at the begining of the season with all sorts of rules, but also expectations of what the parents can expect from me and what I expect from them. It really helps.

[Tailboard Jockey 25]

...USA Hockey levels (which all but level 4 are really a joke)

Why is that? I just got level 3, so I'm curious.

[Chadd 916]

...USA Hockey levels (which all but level 4 are really a joke)

Why is that? I just got level 3, so I'm curious.

The first three levels are about signing a check, level four is where they actually get into things that will make you a better coach.

[Tailboard Jockey 25]

...USA Hockey levels (which all but level 4 are really a joke)

Why is that? I just got level 3, so I'm curious.

The first three levels are about signing a check, level four is where they actually get into things that will make you a better coach.

I guess the clinics I went to were different than yours. Mine were in San Jose, so we took a field trip to watch the Sharks/Stars morning skate, and had question and answer sessions with Jamie Baker (former Shark/Leaf and current radio color analyst), Todd Richards (Sharks assistant coach), and the chief amateur referee evaluator for the region. We also had a couple of hours on ice running drills, and spent some time evaluating a midget game being played at the rink that day. I learned alot and definitely feel like I got my moneys worth.

[hockeydoc 0]

...USA Hockey levels (which all but level 4 are really a joke)

Why is that? I just got level 3, so I'm curious.

The first three levels are about signing a check, level four is where they actually get into things that will make you a better coach.

I guess the clinics I went to were different than yours. Mine were in San Jose, so we took a field trip to watch the Sharks/Stars morning skate, and had question and answer sessions with Jamie Baker (former Shark/Leaf and current radio color analyst), Todd Richards (Sharks assistant coach), and the chief amateur referee evaluator for the region. We also had a couple of hours on ice running drills, and spent some time evaluating a midget game being played at the rink that day. I learned alot and definitely feel like I got my moneys worth.

That sounds like a great level III. Jamie is great. Most certs through level III are worthless if you have any experience coaching. Level IV was great.

Coaching should be completely for the love of teaching, and the love of hockey. Each team is very different, but when you have a good one there is nothing more rewarding. I am not talking about wins, but willingness to learn and responsiveness to teaching. Coaching/Teaching your own child is one of the most rewarding things I've done.