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It seems like there are very few parents and players happy with their High School coach. What is the general opinion-should they coach next year?

What a stupid question your kid must have not gotten enough playing time this year. Live your own life not through your kid.

hockey21 wrote:What a stupid question your kid must have not gotten enough playing time this year. Live your own life not through your kid.

Actually, quite the opposite of what you are assuming. Most people I speak with seem to be displeased with their coaches and was just wondering if it is a pervasive feeling. But thanks for your ignorant comment anyway.

jackdaw wrote:

hockey21 wrote:What a stupid question your kid must have not gotten enough playing time this year. Live your own life not through your kid.

Actually, quit the opposite of what you are assuming. Most people I speak with seem to be displeased with their coaches and was just wondering if it is a pervasive feeling. But thanks for your ignorant comment anyway.

I find that 90% of players and parents are satisfied with the coaching they are receiving or their child is getting. But, the 10% that are constantly trying to upset the apple cart and complaining are a very vocal group, thus it feels like there are more that are not satisfied.

The reality is, some people will NEVER be satisfied with who the coach is.

I knew an old teacher who was an awesome coach in the 70's and won several championships. When I asked him to join our coaching staff in the early 2000's he said "no". I kept pressing him because he was retired, loved kids, was well respected and still loved the game. He finally told me why he wouldn't coach again. He said "in the 70's the parents would drop their kids off at practice and tell me 'if the kid gives you any problems let me know'. Now, the parents drop their kids off at practice and say, 'If the coach gives you any problems, let me know." That is why I don't coach anymore." Enough said.

jackdaw,

A couple of things. There isn't a long line of coaches lined up to take the position. And, if you think he could be doing a better job you, along with the booster club, should help him.

My criteria for a good coach are,

1. Get's along with the kids and is a team builder so they all pull on the rope together and support one another. Mutual respect. They have to care for each other or the team will not be successful. It makes it fun and they can strive for constant improvement, together.

2. Drillmeister. Brings good practice plans every day that evolve and stay fresh throughout the year.

observer wrote:jackdaw,

A couple of things. There isn't a long line of coaches lined up to take the position. And, if you think he could be doing a better job you, along with the booster club, should help him.

My criteria for a good coach are,

1. Get's along with the kids and is a team builder so they all pull on the rope together and support one another. Mutual respect. They have to care for each other or the team will not be successful. It makes it fun and they can strive for constant improvement, together.

2. Drillmeister. Brings good practice plans every day that evolve and stay fresh throughout the year.

Win, its hard to argue with winning.

After going 6-44-2 after two years, YES we need a new coach! The kids that were here for the past two years are worse than they were two years ago. No progress is being made and kids are quiting due to poor coaching.

Maybe your kids "just aren't good enough"? How is the youth program? Are they competing at regions and state? Otherwise it is "tough to make oak out of pine". Too often we blame coaches rather then the fact that maybe your kids just isn't that athletic. If we put this much focus on education we would be sending people to the moon (oh wait we already did that ).

JohnnyBuck wrote:Maybe your kids "just aren't good enough"? How is the youth program? Are they competing at regions and state? Otherwise it is "tough to make oak out of pine". Too often we blame coaches rather then the fact that maybe your kids just isn't that athletic. If we put this much focus on education we would be sending people to the moon (oh wait we already did that ).

Yep, and we haven't been back in 41 years...

I'll take the hook. When coaches ignore the team to satisfy a few....something will give. We had that happen this year. We had a team that did not enjoy coming to the rink because our head coach allowed a few to do what they wanted, when they wanted, and would never properly confront the issue. This created at least 75% of our team to not look forward to practices and at times games. Plus, they lacked the proper experience to be coaching at this level. I'm sure we weren't the only ones that had a poor experience this year. (Please note, I didn't talk about our win/loss record.) Minimum expectations should provide the team with proper knowledge and a team focus. I don't think that's too much to ask any coach in any sport.

Can't get him off the bench fast enough!

Many of the parents/fans measuring the coaching skills aren't qualified to do so.

In addition, when you have something to gain or lose dependant on coaching, you shouldn't be involved in judging their effort.

That should be done by the school or association, as long as that group of people are qualified..

jackdaw wrote:It seems like there are very few parents and players happy with their High School coach. What is the general opinion-should they coach next year?

What an asinine statement.

Lets do easy math. Assuming there are 100 varsity teams (I know there are more) and each team fields a varsity roster of 20 players, and assuming each varsity team has a JV team fielding 10 players that comes out to a rough 3000 girls playing high school hockey last year. How many of them have you polled?

Don't be a jackass

hockeyfan21 wrote:Don't be a jackass

That's a little harsh. I'm sure the unsatisfied players and parents are a much more vocal group than the happy ones.

It's also likely that a good portion of the girls coaches out there aren't that good. However, neither are most of the teams.

I would say this to the parents that want their coach gone. Be careful what you wish for, I bet there aren't too many great coaches breaking down your AD's door to get that coveted girls high school hockey coaching job. Especially if your team is in the 90% that struggle to put together a competitive program while their best talent transfers to private schools, SSP or Warroad. If you have a coach that dedicates their time and energy to the team for little pay and less reward, you have more than a lot of teams.

Odds are the new coach is going to see the same deficiencies in your daughters play that the current coach sees, and she still isn't going to play.

MN_Bowhunter wrote:

hockeyfan21 wrote:Don't be a jackass

That's a little harsh.

I wont disagree that its harsh, but this type of thread is ridiculous. If you are unhappy with your coach, don't go to an online thread and look for support from people that don't know your situation. Dont try and make it look like there is an epidemic of unethical or bad coaches. It's a baiting question.

If you are dissatisfied, Go talk to him/her.

The vast majority of coaches in any sport are people who are trying to do the best they can for the program/situation they are in. The vast majority have to make the tough decisions that you as a parent don't. Coaches have to think about and care about all the athletes; and whats best for all may be whats worst for your kid. That doesn't mean they are a jerk. That doesn't mean they hate your kid. That sure as heck doesn't mean that they are wrong. It means that someone has to be in a position to evaluate talent, hard work, chemistry. They have to draw a line and someone will always be the last person on the outside looking in. Cutting kids and reducing playing time is one of the worst parts about the job, and the vast majority of coaches take those decisions to heart.

Now, are some coaches not doing these things. Sure. Just like some accountants cheat, some dentists are lazy and some restaurant workers are spitting in your food.

As another poster stated. If you can do better, apply for the job. Especially where it matters, at the mite/U8 levels. Then run for the hockey board and learn the administrative issues. Then coach JV/Varsity. Building a program is an incredibly rewarding and thankless task all at the same time.

Until you've done that you just have opinions. You have a right to them. Doesn't give them value.

Again, thanks for another ignorant comment this time from hockeyfan21 about the original posted question (not a "statement", since statements do not end in question marks).

To assume I was unhappy with the coach is incorrect and actually the opposite. My kid received more than her fair share of playing time. I have coached mites and up. I was on our board for six years. I am not complaining. I am asking a question. What puzzled me was the amount of unhappy parents of both teams with winning and losing records and therefore the original question. This seems be a forum for questions and comments isn't it? (For hockeyfan21 that is a rhetorical question, no need to answer.)

jackdaw wrote: This seems be a forum for questions and comments isn't it? (For hockeyfan21 that is a rhetorical question, no need to answer.)

No need to answer maybe, but I will anyway.

jackdaw wrote:about the original posted question (not a "statement", since statements do not end in question marks)

You used a premise as the basis for your question. That premise (in the form of a statement) is what I was attacking. Thanks for the grammar lesson...

jackdaw wrote:It seems like there are very few parents and players happy with their High School coach

You throw that statement out there without anything besides anecdotal evidence.

Again I ask, how can you say there are very few parents and players happy? What research have you done? How many associations have you visited? How many of the thousands of kids playing have you talked to?

More importantly, what good purpose could this thread serve? All it does is invite unhappy parents or players to attack their program or coach.

hockeyfan21 wrote:

jackdaw wrote: This seems be a forum for questions and comments isn't it? (For hockeyfan21 that is a rhetorical question, no need to answer.)

No need to answer maybe, but I will anyway.

jackdaw wrote:about the original posted question (not a "statement", since statements do not end in question marks)

You used a premise as the basis for your question. That premise (in the form of a statement) is what I was attacking. Thanks for the grammar lesson...

jackdaw wrote:It seems like there are very few parents and players happy with their High School coach

You throw that statement out there without anything besides anecdotal evidence.

Again I ask, how can you say there are very few parents and players happy? What research have you done? How many associations have you visited? How many of the thousands of kids playing have you talked to?

More importantly, what good purpose could this thread serve? All it does is invite unhappy parents or players to attack their program or coach.

So far it has invited 16 happy parents and eight unhappy ones. Seems like there are twice as many happy parents of which I am one. Seems like a positive thread so far, which I am happy to see.