In response to my last column, where I listed 25 maxims for coaches about “playing time,” several parents wrote to me with stories of coaches who handle playing time very well, or very poorly. This made me realize it might be helpful to share some examples of thoughtful, well-executed playing-time … [Read more...]
Playing Time: 25 essential maxims for hockey coaches
Playing time. Without a doubt, these are the two most charged words in youth sports, generating more positive and negative emotions among athletes, their parents and coaches than even the words “winning” and “losing.” After 11 years of watching my five children play for about 50 different head … [Read more...]
Making the cut: The harsh realities of tryouts
The end of the hockey season also means the beginning of the next one, as club team tryouts are held the week after the final games. This spring, two of my children (child No. 2 and child No. 4) went through the hockey tryout process, commemorating the 10th anniversary of my oldest son’s first … [Read more...]
‘Hockey is a great metaphor for personal improvement’
My 16-year-old son, Ben, started playing hockey at age 9. This past year, he played on his high school’s JV hockey team, as well as on a local Midget team. Ben is a boy who approaches all of his activities — from academics and athletics to acting and writing — with a joyful sense of purpose and high … [Read more...]
Hot Shots: A different way of developing youth players
Imagine looking forward to hockey practices and games with the same enthusiasm normally reserved for Christmas morning. Imagine standing along the boards, stick in hand, impatiently watching the Zamboni creep along the ice for what seems like an hour, then bursting onto the rink with a feeling of … [Read more...]
A sports childhood worth reflecting on
My 18 year-old son, Robert, caught the "sports bug" in 2004, when he was 5 years old. Since then, he has played sports non-stop — with friends in the yard, on countless organized youth teams, and at his high school, where this year he is captaining the varsity cross-country and baseball teams. This … [Read more...]
