How would you summarize up your year?

It's crazy, but teams are already planning for next year! It makes sense, though, because Tryouts are around the corner. What's great about this time is that it offers an opportunity to reflect on the past year and to prepare for an even greater year ahead.

Most people would summarise your year up by the standings. Making it to playoffs: not bad; making it to the finals: great; but not making playoffs...what a waste of time. What if, no matter what the outcome or how challenging the journey, you were to summarise your year as a success story? A story where all the experiences, no matter how good or bad, contributed to valuable lessons and skills learned and practiced?

You will always have some parents who are happy, and others who are disappointed and deeply upset. If all your parents were satisfied and content, then hold on to that team because it doesn't happen too often!

As a coach, your main focus is to help your players grow both on and off the ice. You learn from losses, ties, and wins: whether it is a come from behind win or playing with a lead win; or whether it is a getting blown out and rebounding next game or losing by one goal and hitting the post just before the buzzer to end the game. All these experiences are enriching. They make our teams stronger as players and us better as coaches.

If you were to think back on your year and rate it, what would you base it on? Here are some questions worth considering:

• Did your players improve both their skating and individual skills?
• Did your team work as a team?
• Did your team learn any valuable lessons?
• What worked really well this year? What didn't and what would make it better?
• Did everyone have an enjoyable year?
• Did the coaches enjoy it?
• Would you coach again? ;-)

The game of hockey teaches valuable lessons, so in your final address email to the team why not point these out and focus on the best parts of the game? Reminding your team of what worked, what was great, and what they have to look forward to, is a sure way to raise optimism and enthusiasm for the year ahead and for the new learning experiences and opportunities that await them.

Preparation for next year has started, make CoachThem part of your lineup and let CoachThem help you prep for Tryouts!

Looking forward to your continued success!