To be sure I am probably to piss a lot of people off today. I care not. But before I start, I have been told that about six people have complain about my writing style or punctuation in my writing. They do this mainly through social media or the email that has no name on it.
For those that do not know, English is my third language. I am certainly no expert. I do get help in using of the words sometime. Sometime I do not. My publisher tell me not to worry about the punctuation but to only worry about the message. He say if people think about the message that the grammar makes no difference. So, if you don’t like it, don’t read it, I care not.
Now, on to the message.
Lately, and more often than in years past, we hear about good coaches and bad coaches. Coaching, is a responsibility. It is to lead and develop young people on and off the ice. It is to set the example by actions and not simple words. Anyone can talk about thing they read in the book. It take a special person to lead by example, that is what a coach do.
Too often now I see team fighting and uncontrollable on the ice and off the ice. When I really look though, more time than not, the coach is just as uncontrollable on and off the ice.
This is embarrassing to the game. Discipline is what we preach all day. How do we expect player to have discipline when coach do not lead with his own discipline?
If coach yell and throw thing, chances are player will too. If coach do not communicate well, chances are player will not. If coach do not have the clue on how to coach system, then player will not understand system.
When the coach fail to lead by the example, many player fail to succeed. Player pick up bad habit of the coach, and those bad habit become harder for next coach to break.
Too many time now the coach who once was player is given the free pass to be the head coach because “he was there”. The news I have for you is that because you “were there” as a player, do not mean you have any idea how to coach a player to get “there”.
No one care that you play the Major Junior, or NCAA, or Minor Pro, or even NHL. Play is one thing, to coach is another thing.
Coaching is the responsibility and it not only take knowledge of the game, but the knowledge of how to manage a number of personality. It take the skill to know when to be strict, and when to be relaxed. Coaching is about structure, but with all structure come forgiveness for mistake.
It is the shame when I hear coach who flip out on player, scream at player for little thing, physically confront other player or coach. It is a lack of self control.
Team who hire these people hire the person who will fail to lead. If you fail to lead as an organization, you are being lead to failure.
Coach
