Joe Garry
When selecting a youth hockey team, there are some questions you must ask about the coach and the team to make a good decision.
1. What do you know about the Coach? Do you know the coach’s personality? Have you seen one of his practices? Have you observed him coaching games? It is not helpful just to know someone’s background, like where they skated, who they played with. For example, “Hey, he played in the NHL.” Who cares? Just because he played in the NHL does not mean he has the ability or temperament to teach and coach children.
2. What is the Coach’s philosophy? Does he ascribe to the mentality to win at all costs or play everyone equally? Does this extend even down to the wire when the game is on the line? Knowing this will save you a lot of stress and frustration as the season progresses.
3. What are the coach’s on ice practices like? Are they skill oriented? Does he give kids individual suggestions? Is the coach just a good guy?
4. Is he more systems oriented over skills oriented? 5.How far and how often does the team travel for games? The higher the level (A vs. AAA) the further the teams in your league are based. This will determine much of your scheduling and potentially the location and number of tournaments you will play. This translates into more dollars outside of the base tuition you have already paid and more time spent away from home. It is helpful to know this so you are not surprised down the road. It is not uncommon for a 10 year old playing at the AAA level to fly several times a year for tournaments (airfare, hotel, car rental, food, entertainment). Hey, my son just made the AAA Little Cougars. “ Wow-that’s great. $3500 to join and another $5000 in travel expenses
6. Do kids really gain skill when they join teams? Teams can be great for socialization, building teamwork, self-esteem, and learning the fundamentals of the game. Unless there is a specific practice, training, or time devoted to it, skills are usually not a huge focus. It may appear that they are focusing on skills, but without correction and repetition on the skills your child needs, it is mostly just a waste of time and energy. Team practices focus on mostly that, the team and player’s roles in game scenarios. Honestly, anyone can get a little better just through figuring things out by spending time on the ice on your own.