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What Does It Take To Coach

It takes a special kind of person to be a great coach. The responsibility of coaching is much more than being one who imparts knowledge and develops the skills of his or her players. Players take away greater lessons from hockey than learning how to be a skilled player, or knowing the game inside and out. Hockey, like all sports, prepares young children and teenagers for many of the challenges they will face in the years to come.

Hockey develops leaders. Hockey creates those who can problem solve, can work as a team, can be gracious in victory and accepting in defeat. The coaches are largely responsible for helping the players become more confident and emotionally equipped to face life’s challenges.

And that’s why it is important for those who are coaching, or considering coaching, to be honest with themselves about their own character and how they personally react to competition – to winning and losing. That’s not to say that those who feel they are too emotional should not coach. Rather, they recognize their own traits and work on that behaviour, learning to use it in a positive way. All coaches are competitive and emotional; the exceptional ones learn to control their emotions – they learn to take a deep breath. To not confront the referee who has maybe missed a call – or a player who has missed a check. It is this leadership and calm under pressure that sets the wonderful example for these impressionable young minds.

All coaches are also motivators as much as they are teachers. In fact, the very essence of coaching is to inspire people to achieve a goal – be it a personal best, a team record, or a championship. And that is to set these goals for individuals and the team, and to recognize each achievement along the way. The individual players will gain confidence, have a positive feeling about their contribution, and the team will collectively improve as the season progresses.

Trust is key

Trust between a coach and player, and from the team to the coach, is crucial. And that trust is built one situation at a time. A coach builds trust by being straightforward, open and always honest with all players. It is paramount to remember what was promised to each player, and deliver on those promises. If a coach promises that a player can play centre next shift, or next game, the coach must deliver on that promise. Neither does a coach (at the house league level) who is building trust play favourites, nor go around the rules to give a 'star' player special treatment. All players are treated equally and given the same amount of attention and access to skill development.

Know and love the game

A true understanding and love of hockey – being a “student of the game” – is an inherent quality of any exceptional coach. Your players will look to you as being as thoroughly knowledgeable about the game as possible. Understanding the rules, tactics and history means you’ll always have something to offer a player to help them continue to improve. And if they see you as an expert, once again that will help earn their trust.

Keep it fun

No matter what level you are at, remember that as a coach, you have to keep it fun. While stretches of many practices involve some rigorous and physically challenging drills, be sure to include some fun drills that kids love. Perhaps plan those drills towards the end of practice, and let the team know that the fun is about to come. That gives the kids something to look forward to and allows you to end the practice on a fun note. Of course, the team scrimmage is always a team favourite. The kids come off the ice happy and relaxed – remembering that this is a game and it should be fun!