Mind and Health

Being a hockey coach has quite a few challenges.  Here are a few tips that can make it easier.  First of all try to deal mostly with the kids.  The parents are ussually the ones that make it the most difficult so be up front and honest with your kids and let them know that you will be honest with them.  If they have questions, they can come see you, but please leave their parents out of it.

Ice hockey drills can get repetitive for players if not enough variety is incorporated into practices.  There are some great websites that post new drills all the time.  It is also a great idea to keep a log of all the drills you have ever done, you will be suprised at how many you do over the years.  Talk to other coaches too to find out what types of drills they do and see if they can offer up any variations. 

Travelling with the team can be quite a headache, so organization is key!  Know where the ice arenas are before even getting in the team van.  It is a good idea to find the maps of ice arenas online and print them out.  As a player there is nothing worse than arriving late and being rushed to get out on the ice.  Ice arena maps can be found online very easily.

One last tip is to keep your attitude consistent.  Players will absorb the attitude of their coach. If they always know what to expect then your team will tend to be more consistent.