Act Like You've Been There Before

In Today's Post--Paul Lubanski Cogently Reminds ALL YOUNG PLAYERS and COACHES

Celebrating A Goal With Restraint and CLASS IS THE CORRECT WAY TO PLAY THE GAME!

By Paul Lubanski

If it were up to me, I would make it a delay-of-game penalty for the ridiculous en-masse team celebrations post each and every goal scored nowadays. More specifically, the excruciatingly irritating one that has all five players streaming along the bench area slapping high-fives with players, coaches, trainers and managers.

It is unnecessary and energy wasting. And it tends to infuriate and rile the opposition, most especially when the scoring club has to stream directly in front of the opposition's bench to initiate their mini-party.

In case you haven't noticed, at the higher levels, a linesman has to rush over and stand guard in front of the scored-upon team to try and keep peace.

How inane.


To me, showing up the opposing group of players in the aforementioned fashion is unsportsmanlike and wrong. Furthermore, allowing our youngsters to continue this type of provoking and outright perceptibly negative behavior is wrong, plain wrong.

Whatever happened to the adhering to the old adages:

Act like you’ve been there before and are about to do it again?

You see, in days gone by – through the mid 70's – it was not acceptable and truly would have been considered showboating to dance and prance and essentially go crazy over one measly marker in a league or playoff contest.

That was when there were rules – albeit unwritten rules – for those competing at all levels. Those rules essentially said that modesty is the best policy if the goal is to not incite, anger or inspire the competition.

Quite frankly, we need to harken back to those good old days. Because while the game has evolved and improved as a whole on so many levels, the antics I reference above certainly don’t represent one.

Bottom line: Score a goal, celebrate briefly ­– as Gordie Howe did so wonderfully 801 times in his career – then line up and get back to work.

Adopting, teaching and mandating that Howe approach, my friends, is the only acceptable and right way to go forward.

Anyone care to differ? I am all ears. Please comment below and we can debate in a future column.

Best of luck.

Coach Lubanski


BONUS TIP

There was an infamous example of the nefarious shenanigans that these bench-surfing high-five celebrations can foster a few years back during the World Junior Tournament. A Team USA player gestured in a sort-of shushing or “I can't hear you now” kind of manner in front of the Canadian team’s bench after an early goal, and guess what happened? Yes, Team Canada stormed back and won the match predicated largely upon the motivation acquired by that very ill-timed and illogical mistake by the Team USA player. Never should have happened. And wouldn't have if it were up to me … and Gordie.



Lubanski’s company ­– Wilderness Xtreme Sports – invents bold new takes on traditional sporting competition. See Paul star on YouTube in  “WILD GOLF: The Making of Wilderness Golf “  or visit www.wxsports.net.

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