One Play

COACHES AND PARENTS: You Must Internalize The Notion That ONE PLAY Within Any Game Is Not The Sole Reason For A Win Or A Loss!


By Paul Lubanski

I have never met Mike Babcock but after hearing the Red Wings coach being interviewed recently, just prior to the home opener against Ottawa, I know that we agree 100% on one critically important coaching axiom: Within the course of a game, ONE PLAY--whether good or bad for us (defensive or offensive oriented)--DOES NOT win or lose a hockey contest.

Yes, Babcock, who was speaking with WJR'-Detroit radio's Frank Beckman, made it abundantly clear that his team's 2011-2012 potential hinged on a "collective team effort" and later went on to postulate that never does he consider one play--i.e. missing an open cage with 5 seconds left in regulation--the absolute difference-maker in any one particular game.

Wow.


What a terrific message to agree with and internalize for youth coaches at all levels in ANY sport. But especially so in hockey, where the financial commitment to participate pressures coaches to adopt and maintain a win-at-all-costs philosophy.

And  sadly, I have personally articulated a position similar to Babcock's on a number of occasions while inter-acting with coaches in various youth sports and they actually disagree.

Are you kidding me?

You mean you can take one play near the very end of a hard-fought youth hockey game and blame a youngster for a loss?

What about the opening shift, when 15 seconds in we missed a certain tap-in goal on the doorstep?

Or when our best-d-man got his feet tangled up early in the second period and the other guy's scored on a 2 on 0 rush to tie the game 1-1?

Or the lazy tripping penalty our top forward  took early in the third and the other team scored on the PP?

Furthermore, and probably most poignantly, maybe it was you coach--who had the wrong disposition of players on the ice--and the opposing team was able to capitalize on the poor player match-ups throughout the second half of that third period. It could have been something as simple as you coach, continuing to allow one of centers to lose face-offs and hence--possession of the biscuit.

You see coach--there can always be much individual blame to find and focus on when a TEAM fails.

Aha!  TEAM FAILS are the two magically "operative" words here.

It  ALWAYS was and ALWAYS will be the compilation of plays from both the defensive and offensive perspective, as well as the coaching or potentially perceived "lack-there-of," that ultimately determines a positive or negative outcome.

COACHES/PARENTS: Take that afore-mentioned doctrine from Coach Babcock to heart--and carry it with you throughout your coaching and parenting "careers."

And for what it may be worth--please take it from me as well.

Best of luck.


BONUS TIP

You have heard me state the following on a multitude of occasions, but in my opinion, it most definitively deserves repeating here:

The very best youth coaches are always willing to give 100% of the credit to their youngsters when the team succeeds, And conversely, are mature and intelligent enough to accept ALL of the perceived blame when his/her team fails.

You should NOT be coaching youth sports--hockey in particular--if you cannot accept that mantra.

Paul Lubanski









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