Everyone has of course heard the stories of how bad kids are today. How they have no respect, no appreciation for others, no view of the world other than me me me!
At the request of Lyn for her blog (after I told her this story she wanted to post it) I want to bring a little bright into a sometimes rather dark and dreary story line.
As you may know I coach youth hockey (how well is debatable!). Both Josh’s Mite team (kids from 6-8) and Dima’s Squirt Team (ages 9-10) so I get to see a lot of the ‘leaders of tomorrow’ every week.
Last weekend Dima’s Blue Lion team was playing a rather close game. As the game went on the lead swayed back and forth. At one point the head coach of the Blue Lions and I noticed some rather ‘seedy’ play by the other team. Without getting technical with coaching jargon, the kids started to play both more physical and a more selfish style of play. As we coached our boys to be mindful of this one of the opponents kids (recall 9 and 10) skated by our bench and made some very derogatory comments. In addition as the physical play by the opponent escalated (we are NON check) a steady stream of their players began to take seats in the penalty box. At one point one of the parents manning their box gave the thumbs up to one of their players after a dangerous check of a Blue Lion into the boards. Nice huh. Ironically as the other team played their ‘new style’ the Blue Lions took control of the game. We beat them at every facet of the game. Even our ‘second’ line got in on the scoring. We played nearly the entire 3rd period in their zone. Suffice to say the post-game speech by the Blue Lions coaches was not directed at the win, but solely at the poise and sportsmanship that the Blue Lions had during that game. They all knew the other team was playing dirty, they did NOT stoop to that level of play. We beat them on the ice, the way winners play the game. Winners regardless of the actual score!
Fast forward one week. Blue Lions are facing a new team in West Chester. It becomes apparent after 1 period that we may be the better team…by quite a bit. 4-1 I think the score was. Coaches start talking more and more about thinking pass first before shooting etc. End of 2 and the score is now something like 6-1. Blue Lions coaches pull our best players back from offense and have them play D. All D are now instructed to dump pucks into the corner rather than shoot. With 5 minutes left in the game even this is not working. The score board reads 7-1 but it is more than that. We now instruct the kids to fire all pucks into the corners when possible. All the Blue Lions players begin to play this unselfish style of play. I’ll focus on Dima here because he is my son and someone I always have an eye on (for obvious reasons), even though he plays wing and I coach the D.
Anyone that knows Dima knows he is not the best player out there. He does not get many goals, chances now and then yes, goals no. But he tries EVERY game and EVERY shift. He has improved greatly this season and THAT is all I ask for as a father and a coach. So here we are, about 3 minutes left in the game, Dima is only a few feet front of the net, puck comes to his stick not once, not twice, but 3 times. Each time rather than shoot he fires the puck into the corners. Here is a kid that scores infrequently and yet, when he has a chance for a goal, fires the puck into the corner 3 times! I, as a father and coach of the Blue Lions, could not be more proud of Dima and the Entire Blue Lion team. Winners both on and OFF the ice!
Now tell me there are no good kids in the world!!!
Chris
Assistant Coach
Berks Blue Lions
No comments:
Post a Comment