Off-Season Blends Into Pre-Season

The summer seems to be flying by and before we know it, we will be into the pre-season phase of our program. Hence the title of this post. I am trying some new stuff this season and trying to put more of an onus on my players to be responsible. The first step is the on-line development site I am in the midst of creating and populating.

Within the next month, we have to cover off a lot of material for my own team along with the various other things that seem to crop up in the meantime. I hate the fact that my regular job interferes with my hockey. That just seems so unfair.

Things are shaping up nicely for the camp in August and I should be able to launch the program and get the players executing it in the next two weeks or so. There will be a learning curve for some but, I noticed one thing in this generation of players, they are much quicker to pick up on new concepts than in previous years.

The busy personal path I have chosen to follow this summer will be one that hopefully leads me to the next phase in my coaching. There (as usual) is a lot of work that needs to be done up front and the rewards for unpaid efforts are not always what we think they should be.

I blame that on Capitalism and the fall of Communism.

Not that it really has anything to do with my point but, it just rolled off the tip of my fingers so easily, I can't bring myself to delete it.

We do live in a society that places value on material things but, it seems that too many volunteers are often thought less of than someone who demands to be compensated for their time. That is what is wrong with the basic framework of this sport and possibly all sports in general, if you are paid you are automatically deemed superior. I can present several instances that would plainly show that this is not always the case. I will probably expand on this idea when I am more angry.

Too late to make a long story short but, who cares? This is my forum to say pretty much whatever I want - however I want to say it. If it ends up sometimes being a bunch of thoughts and personal feelings that have nothing to do with one another - so be it.

Get your own blog and complain about people like me.

If it already exists and you find it - let me know, I'd like to add a comment or two.

Be kind to one another - the feelings you save will be worth more than this comment.

A couple of last thoughts:

• The Leafs are still pathetic. That won't change anytime soon.
• I'm thinking of changing my license plate to read - CUP NVR.
• I don't think Jeff Finger is the answer. Unless it's the middle one...
• We may be entering a decade like the 80's - get the paper bags out of storage.
• Funny - I haven't heard - Hot enough for you? - this year. Wet enough would be right.
• To all birds - please indicate to me just exactly WHERE the bulls eye on my car is.
• Jokes that take longer than 45 seconds to tell are not jokes - they are just frustrating.
• Who told you that you were funny to begin with?
• You are always thinner than what your minds eye says you are.
• Eat some chips... I'll gain the weight. It's a scientifically proven fact.
• George Carlin - you will be missed.

Later - Jeff

On another note - I surf to find any web pages on the Storm quite regularly and this one popped up one day and it's only now that I've had the chance to place it in a page.

Still one of my favourite teams I have ever had the privilege to coach. I smile when I think about these girls and how hard they worked.