One of my fondest moments in hockey occurred after I had quit coaching. We had always stressed to the players that you have taken from hockey; you should give back. Many of them did, as coaches, board members, or financially. My son Dan was no different, out of college and working for a living he was coaching a non-travel bantam team, 13- and 14-year-olds.
One afternoon I am at work, and I receive a call from my son. They have a little problem at work, and he is going to be unable to run his team’s practice. At first i was reluctant, but thought what the heck, it might be fun. So, I agreed, and when I got home sat down and worked out an hour’s practice on paper.
Then I get my skates, gloves, stick, whistle, and cup. You don’t go around kids with hockey sticks without wearing a cup. I get in my car and drive down to Riverview Icehouse. I go in the referee’s locker room to put my skates on and wait for starting time. The horn goes off ad I go out onto the ice to meet the most undisciplined group I have ever seen.
It takes me ten minutes to corral them. I take my lesson plan, wad it up and stick it in my pocket. There are drills and practices that can teach and punish at the same time. I employ these. Finally, the horn goes off and one of them says their time is up. No, I inform them the time is up when I say so. Then I ran them a lightning drill until they were totally shot. Then I announce to the team that if my son ever insinuates, they tried to pull on him what they tried tonight, I will be back, now get the hell out of here.
I chuckled all the way home. My son arrived and asked how practice went, I told him OK. He said really?
A week goes by, and Dan comes home from running his weekly practice. He wants to know what I did to his team. I ask why. He says they respond to his whistle and listen when he talks to them. I say to him, now I want to talk to you. Do you know how much ice time cost? I ever hear you went on the ice without a plan for practice I’m going to be all over you.
His team did very well that year.
