Lucky Pucker

3 hours ago, MTH said:

Dumb things I learned coaching.

• USA Hockey has a ton of coaching resources available. They have practice plans for whole ice, half ice, 1/4, etc. You'd be amazed at some of the drills they have.
• Run practices on a schedule. Plan ahead with what drills, times, who's doing what, etc. Ice time is limited, don't waste it explaining. Tell the assistants too before so they are already up to speed and don't slow the practice down.
• Practice plan / schedule I would make on paper with a sharpie and tape to the glass and in the locker room every practice. 
• I've explained new drills off ice before practice. Rather than gathering around on the ice while I draw. Do it ahead if possible.
• Run only one new drill a practice. Run familiar drills the rest of the time. Kids will get more done. Work that new drill a few times too before adding another.
• I gave all my drills names. So when we change to them, I just said the name of the drill. Stupider the name, the more the kids remember what it is. Candy names, cereal names, pokemon guy, whatever.
• Practice at game speed. Practice slow and the kids will play slow in the game. Go fast and push the tempo. Get the kids used to being rushed. Make uncomfortable comfortable. That's how it is in the games. Eliminate the ability to make whole ice passes in practice. This works on drills with fewer skaters - but in a game it won't.
• Work on checking off ice. Use the other side of the boards before practice and have the kids get used to banging around. Again, ice time is limited. I had them in full pads and all doing the checking drills before we got on the ice. We did on ice checking too - but they had some practice already. Did that once a week.
• My rink and myself love having the kids do dryland every practice. I would schedule every practice as 1 1/2 hours and have one hour on the ice. 10 mins to change. and 20 mins of sprints and all after (or before depending on how late our slot was). Parents complain and have excuses why they have to leave. Be ready. Why I just made every practice an hour and half on Team Snap so that there was no surprise we were still going. The running was not optional. Kids hated running, but when we'd out score the other team in the third because we still had legs - I'd remind them that this is because you run so hard after practice. It works.
• Rules. Practice is mandatory. Miss a practice, miss a period. No excuses. Saved me from having to judge reasons why kid wasn't there and deeming it worth of missing time or not. Easier and fairer to just say it's a period for a practice no matter what. Sorry. Then you have to stick to your rule. Funeral? I'm sorry that happened but you know the rule. Was playing xBox all night instead, you know the rule. I never heard reasons after a week or two anymore. So refreshing! It's also fair to the kids (and parents) who make it every practice. 
• I've done many goalie drills off ice with the kids. On foot. Just to get them used to the footwork positioning for pushing off and all. 
• Goalies skate with the team at times. They need to learn how to sprint and stop too. Bark at them too to move faster.

There's a million more...

Lots of good stuff here, most of which I recognize as part of my own coaching. A few quick rips for ya:

- Widely whispered in the halls of Canadian hockey arenas, and openly avowed by a few of the guys I’ve coached with over the last few years: USA hockey is a better resource for coaches than what we get from Hockey Canada.

- Agree regarding practices, but we in our House League association are not allowed to withhold opportunities or otherwise “punish” tardiness, delinquency, or absenteeism. I don’t expect that it will be a problem with my team this year, but the only recourse I would have is to hope that my words alone would elicit a change. 

- Agree about goalies skating - and  givin ‘er, too. Just like you can’t bullshit a bullshitter, you can’t half ass your goalie skating when your coach is also a goalie. Had a kid on my U11 team half-assing it in team laps, so I went up to him and said “if you catch one of these dime-a-dozen skaters and finish the lap ahead of them, I’ll give you five bucks.” Guess who was reaching for their wallet after practice? LOL!

56 minutes ago, coopaloop1234 said:

Pretty sure I can make out some letters. 

So was this a weird save, or one of those that imprints itself on the unprotected part of your leg, on its way into the net behind you…?

Thanks for that @Fullright. I have a ton of thoughts on coaching, and lots to say (more to learn!). The bottom line though, for me, is getting to be with my kid, teaching (and learning) the sport we love, together.

There’s a ton of shit that goes along with it, but sometimes you have a connection with a player who “gets it,” and those players (my son is one of them), make it all worthwhile.

Quick anecdote about your comment in warmups: the dads of the 2 goalies didn’t know me, as we are in a trial merger season (and they are from another club) They were thrilled when they heard me ream a kid out for headhunting in warm ups during a scrimmage. Then they found out I’m a goalie, and certified goalie coach (just a few introductory courses with Hockey Canada), will protect the goalies and emphasize that all players do the same… and after that, we all fell in love - LOL!

39 minutes ago, MTH said:

Some great cards.

I’ve got a couple of those in my collection. The gum, however, is long gone. Probably for the best.

Things like this are very cool though; the parent who will be doing pics and videos caught this shot at our season opener (a 6-2 loss) They have a great eye. Love this pic!

Half ice for most practices is a huge challenge. It is worse for me this year, as we have 18 kids (2 goalies, 16 skaters). With my avowed goalie bias, I want my goalie coach to have the time and space to work with our goalies, but it’s extremely hard to have 16 skaters doing anything worthwhile when restricted to the space between the ringette line and centre ice.

…and that’s just challenge #372 in a series of about 1,000…

This has been a long time coming, but I’ve been busy (mostly with coaching-related activities).

This would not be about coaching goalies exclusively; I envision this as a place for those of us that have coached/are coaching/will one day coach to share approaches, anecdotes, and tips etc. Non-coaches are also welcome to share views and insights!

It was a short check/in chat with @johncho that finally pushed me to start this thread, so I hope this helps at least the two of us - lol! Thanks John!

On 9/28/2023 at 1:25 PM, chakal said:

Jake Allen in a full Brian's set this year.

 

Had meant to post this - but you beat me to it!

Needless to say, this pleases me greatly: as a Habs fan, as an Allan fan, and as a Brian’s fan.

22 hours ago, MTH said:

Richter looks like he's in 8th grade here.

Way smarter than an eighth grader, if the reputation he enjoys is to be believed 

4 minutes ago, coopaloop1234 said:

I remember one time, I was about 16 or so, when Halo 2 released. 

Me and three buddies played that game in my tv room for almost an entire weekend. My mom at one point came in, told us to give her our shirts so she could wash them, and doused us with febreeze before walking out. 

Good times. 

A bottle of febreeze? That’s cute. I’m doing online searches for exorcists (and hoping it will be covered by the team fees - but would be willing to go out of pocket for this)

12 minutes ago, coopaloop1234 said:

Clearly you haven't experienced my flavour.  

Right now, I’m dealing with what could be described as “a cat that died in a pool of its own piss and vomit, in the July sun for two weeks”

I’m coaching U13. Again. I’m getting punched in the face with funk every ice time - for “free” - so imma go Hard Pass on your bottled offerings.

But hey - GLWS

So the $250 USD… how much was for the glove itself, and how much was for the Coop stank of victory…?

On 9/25/2023 at 1:07 PM, MTH said:

I haven't even tried to wear it yet on the ice. Just in the house with another teammate inside with me.

Never get tired of seeing this one!

…but I bet you Richter and Beezer are like “can’t believe they made me do that. If I never see that fucking picture again, it will be too soon!”

2 minutes ago, seagoal said:

LOL, I know.  Don't feel bad.  I was playing into the joke.

4 minutes ago, seagoal said:

OMG.

I love this one.

It would go in the bloopers/greatest hits wing of the collection.

Aw, sheeeeeet. Now I feel bad. This puck does not actually exist (that I know of). I just took a picture of the ubiquitous Crappy Tire puck, and edited the photo on my phone. 
Flattered that you liked my design though - lol!

11 minutes ago, seagoal said:

Yep.  It'd feel so cheap and easy to just order them online. 

I’ve got you, brother! You just get to Ottawa, and this beauty is all yours (very rare, super “last-resort-after-Beiber-has-run-out-of-ideas alternate logo… probably not official - despite the accuracy in the wording)

Oh, and on the goalie pant shells - thanks @seagoal and @MTH. In aggregating your responses, I’m getting a very strong “don’t bother” vibe. I will therefore not bother. None of the pretty boy skaters are doing shells anyway; I was just looking at ways to colour match since the “new pads and mitts” ship has sailed

Update on my new league: they had a “draft night” at the bar near the arena last night. It was really just a great bunch of guys drinking beer, eating pizza, chirping each other and laughing. Then there may have been some karaoke…

The 6 team captains had  met earlier in the week , and sorted out the teams by committee, to ensure balance. So last night was really just the Captains going up and naming their rosters. I have ended up with the Whalers, which I’m super stoked about! As a Habs fan, I always admired our Adams-division rivals from Conec… Coneti… HARTFORD, and their sweaters have always been among my favourites. Here is our league’s spin in the classic.

Was hoping that I could leverage this into new gear to match the sweater, but my lawyer wife saw right through my bullshit arguments, and I had to settle with new vinyl for my mask. I might sneak a roll of green tape into the house if I can find the right shade…

On 9/19/2023 at 7:13 PM, Snowman30 said:

Ranta  switched to Bauer

Me learning that Raanta has likely left Brian’s:

Ah, the Goalie Network: I come (cum?) for the gear porn - but I STAY (cum again?) for the FOOD porn

Just now, ThatCarGuy said:

It may or may not be past midnight. We have late practices and games usually so my sleep schedule has adjusted as such. I'm usually up playing games or talking with friends back home until roughly 1am if not later

Lol! It’s just the old man in me thinking “fuck, it’s past 9:00 pm?!?!”

It’s all really amazing for you, dude; thrilled for ya! I think I read somewhere else that it’s going well for you, yeah? 

30 minutes ago, ThatCarGuy said:

Stolen from @erik19 who got the thick shin option vs standard shin thickness

Ok, so not a pronounced difference to the naked eye, but enough for you to notice. 
BTW - what time is it over there…? Shouldn’t you be getting some shut-eye? It’s like 6:40 pm where I am, and I think I’m about to fall asleep in my supper! LOL!

What do you mean by the “thick shin” option? Having trouble picturing how this would help with the coverage.

For context, I’ve ordered pads exactly once, and didn’t go off script for anything… lol!

19 minutes ago, Fullright said:

The last time I wrote, I addressed the nonsense with an overreaching coach who skates in the skate in which I played. That all got resolved favorably but suffice it to say he and I wont be exchanging dinner invitations any time soon.

All that BS aside, I had a fall on 9/6/23 on the public train I take back and forth to the office. When I fell, I had on the work uniform of leather soled dress shoes together with a suit and tie. My right foot went out from underneath me in the aisle on either side of which are seats. As I fell back, my left leg came up and my left knee cap crashed into the metal tube seat frame on the left side of the aisle. The impact dislocated my left knee cap. I am seeing the orthopedic doctor who I trust with my life and just had an MRI today on the knee today. 

Bottom line is I've been confined to the house since 9/6 with a brace and crutches, a knee the size of a basketball, and a hematoma from mid shin to mid thigh. We'll see where things go from here but any of you who have blown a joint know how this works: once the joint get disrupted, big risk of recurrence. Dr says, being 60 yrs old, the earliest I can get back possibly is in the spring of 24. 

I think I might be done. It kills me to say that. My left knee was the only sound and uninjured major joint left till this humiliating fall. I am hoping to avoid surgery and will do the work to get my knee functional for ordinary stuff such as walking. My life as a hockey goalie, however, might be finished. If so, I suppose I should hold onto the blessing of having played since age 8 to age 60 even though there were intervals where I didnt play after age 34. I just never thought it would end this way. Falling on a effing train? This is the first time in my existence where I took an injury outside of hockey. Embarrassed and heart broken but we'll see where things go.

Heartbroken to read this, @Fullright. Dealt a shit hand on this, no doubt; but recognizing the privilege of having played for that lengthy period is great to read (even if it was hard to write.)

Hang in there. Maybe the hockey gods will look kindly on you! Just in case, maybe make an offering…