Minor Hockey Talks - Hockey Forum

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Aug 17, 2024 3:36 pm I coach (going to coach) U10 and quite frankly find it a bit frustrating with the Brick BS going on. It seems like Parents loyalty is not necessarily with our team but with these potential Brick Teams. It is causing a bit of have's and have nots with the kids and dissention with the Parents as our Top kids starting to miss some of our upcoming skates. I am thinking of banning all reference to the Brick once the season starts .. once we get to full ice games/tournaments, priority needs to be with our team over any Brick team. Game suspension for missing a practice/game for a Brick skate. Can't stand this Brick talk and we have had only one 'fun' skate.

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Aug 17, 2024 3:36 pm I coach (going to coach) U10 and quite frankly find it a bit frustrating with the Brick BS going on. It seems like Parents loyalty is not necessarily with our team but with these potential Brick Teams. It is causing a bit of have's and have nots with the kids and dissention with the Parents as our Top kids starting to miss some of our upcoming skates. I am thinking of banning all reference to the Brick once the season starts .. once we get to full ice games/tournaments, priority needs to be with our team over any Brick team. Game suspension for missing a practice/game for a Brick skate. Can't stand this Brick talk and we have had only one 'fun' skate.

Guest wrote: ↑Sun Aug 18, 2024 8:26 am

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Aug 17, 2024 3:36 pm I coach (going to coach) U10 and quite frankly find it a bit frustrating with the Brick BS going on. It seems like Parents loyalty is not necessarily with our team but with these potential Brick Teams. It is causing a bit of have's and have nots with the kids and dissention with the Parents as our Top kids starting to miss some of our upcoming skates. I am thinking of banning all reference to the Brick once the season starts .. once we get to full ice games/tournaments, priority needs to be with our team over any Brick team. Game suspension for missing a practice/game for a Brick skate. Can't stand this Brick talk and we have had only one 'fun' skate.

It isn’t just the Brick. My son’s Klevr team parent group was a disaster when Spring tryouts were going on. Can’t stop kids from trying out but maybe not a bad idea to keep those discussions away from the rink.

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Aug 17, 2024 3:36 pm I coach (going to coach) U10 and quite frankly find it a bit frustrating with the Brick BS going on. It seems like Parents loyalty is not necessarily with our team but with these potential Brick Teams. It is causing a bit of have's and have nots with the kids and dissention with the Parents as our Top kids starting to miss some of our upcoming skates. I am thinking of banning all reference to the Brick once the season starts .. once we get to full ice games/tournaments, priority needs to be with our team over any Brick team. Game suspension for missing a practice/game for a Brick skate. Can't stand this Brick talk and we have had only one 'fun' skate.

Guest wrote: ↑Sun Aug 18, 2024 8:23 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Aug 17, 2024 3:36 pm I coach (going to coach) U10 and quite frankly find it a bit frustrating with the Brick BS going on. It seems like Parents loyalty is not necessarily with our team but with these potential Brick Teams. It is causing a bit of have's and have nots with the kids and dissention with the Parents as our Top kids starting to miss some of our upcoming skates. I am thinking of banning all reference to the Brick once the season starts .. once we get to full ice games/tournaments, priority needs to be with our team over any Brick team. Game suspension for missing a practice/game for a Brick skate. Can't stand this Brick talk and we have had only one 'fun' skate.

Set the tone out of the gate. The fact people would miss their league skates to attend any spring programming is wrong. The expectations need to be set immediately

Guest wrote: ↑Sun Aug 18, 2024 9:36 am

Guest wrote: ↑Sun Aug 18, 2024 8:26 am

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Aug 17, 2024 3:36 pm I coach (going to coach) U10 and quite frankly find it a bit frustrating with the Brick BS going on. It seems like Parents loyalty is not necessarily with our team but with these potential Brick Teams. It is causing a bit of have's and have nots with the kids and dissention with the Parents as our Top kids starting to miss some of our upcoming skates. I am thinking of banning all reference to the Brick once the season starts .. once we get to full ice games/tournaments, priority needs to be with our team over any Brick team. Game suspension for missing a practice/game for a Brick skate. Can't stand this Brick talk and we have had only one 'fun' skate.

It isn’t just the Brick. My son’s Klevr team parent group was a disaster when Spring tryouts were going on. Can’t stop kids from trying out but maybe not a bad idea to keep those discussions away from the rink.

Perhaps what's needed is to ask yourself why this is happening. Players/parents are looking at spring hockey as being their "preferred" hockey format. Why? There are a couple of reasons.

-they can to a certain degree chose the team they want to be part of
-spring teams work hard to attract the best players to their team-coaches are highly motivated to provide the best possible product
-spring teams highlight tournaments and focus on the "exposure" (whether it's actually true or not) that players will get through tournaments
-spring teams do a better job at the FUN, and promote the "social" aspect a ton-in some ways it's less serious
-spring teams will also promote their "development" and incorporate a local private development co. into their short season

So what can the winter team coach do? They need to address what spring teams are deemed to be better at and highlight what the winter season is better at.

-other than the GTHL, most teams are closed centres-highlight loyalty to the team, establish a team identity, and create a "Long term" development plan and share it with parents
-perhaps more at the "association" level, create an identified feeder system from lower levels to the tier 1 level. Incorporate lower level players into higher level with meaningful and planned participation with higher level team. This gives lower level players "hope" and fuels their motivation to keep working hard to EARN a chance at moving up! Contrary to what many believe, player development is long term, and LOTS of player movement up and down can occur, and should be encouraged-competition within breeds higher caliber players
-despite "exposure" being redundant until U15, work to boost the image of the winter season-it has dwindled over the past 20 years
-winter teams tend to be run by the staff-volunteer or not-as if they're already in Major Jr. There's little fun, people are stressed, the environment lacks fun for players and parents. They've turned the approach to the game from "playing" the game, to work. They're kids-they're here for fun. Don't forget the parents, as much as they can be a pain, they pay the bills, make the sacrifices, do the driving, adopt a hockey life style and without them there's no players. Drive them away, and they'll guide their kid into soccer, basketball, etc.
-Team coaches focus on winning FAR too much, do FAR too much work on systems and team play too young, and give-if any at all-lip service to skills/skating development

Winter coaches can't ignore the above, and also have to provide value for the money and time expected. Frankly winter coaches are losing ground year after year, and unless they turn it around it's going to keep going one way-the wrong way for them.