The Importance of Regular Team Meetings
Youth coaches sometimes joke that the ideal youth team is a team of orphans. Though this approach is one solution to problem parents, there are other more practical solutions that can work equally well. The following article reminds us why it is crucial to have team meetings on a regular basis. Read more
3 Simple Ways to Improve Your Team’s Results
Goal setting is an important practice in any stage of life. It helps us move forward and makes us realize there is always room to improve. For young hockey players, goal setting can help motivate them to move their game to the next level. Read more
Q&A: How Do I Deal With Out of Control Hockey Parents?
One of the important elements of team sports are the relationships that form between the parents. Often times the camaraderie of parents in the bleachers is just as strong as that of the players. However, sometimes a few unruly parents can make it difficult for the rest. In this article, Former NHL player and founder of SweetHockey and OnlineStickhandling.com, Lance Pitlick, offers advice on how to control the out of control parent. Read more
How to Ensure Your Child Has a Great Coach
The following article was posted as a reader comment in response to our recent Q&A article titled “How Do We Get Better Coaching in Youth Sports?” It offered such great advice, we thought it would be beneficial for our entire readership. As a thank you for sharing his advice, HockeyShot.com is giving Tom a gift certificate to HockeyShot.com. If you have advice for how to improve the youth hockey experience, please click here. If your idea is selected, we will reward you with a free prize. Read more
Q&A: How to Deal With Problem Parents
A travel hockey team is not only made up of coaching staff and players, but also parents. Often times the team and parents become quite close during the season, however, sometimes parents can over step their boundaries and create a difficult situation. In the following article, author of the Hockey Made Easy Instruction Manual and President of an Ontario junior ‘B’ hockey league, John Shorey, addresses a reader submitted question on the precarious situation of dealing with problem parents. Read more
Q&A: How to Deal With Cliques During Hockey Tryouts
Breaking into hockey at the travel level can be very difficult. Add to this the problem of favoritism and cliques and you have the recipe for a less than positive experience. Former NHL player Lance Pitlick and founder of SweetHockey and OnlineStickhandling.com offers the following advice regarding how to avoid this unfortunate scenario. Read more
Q&A – How Do We Get Better Coaching in Youth Sports?
Good coaches can be the difference between a positive youth sports experience and one that leaves a child wanting to give up. In the following article, Founder and Director of flexxCoach, Jim Johnson, provides valuable input on how to select outstanding coaches. Read more
Q&A: How Do I Motivate Parents to Volunteer?
The saying “it takes a village” is not just true in parenting, it also applies to youth sports. Keeping a team running smoothly is not just the responsibility of the coach. Rather, it requires help at all levels. Jim Johnson, founder and director of flexxCoach, offers the following advice on the age old issue of getting parents to volunteer. Read more
How To Better Manage Emotions in Youth Sports
Youth sports can be an emotional experience. The physical activity of the kids can often spill onto the sidelines and into the stands and create strong reactions among both coaches and parents. The following article provides tips for dealing with these concerns in youth sports. Read more
How to Improve Player and Coach Relationships
It is not uncommon for an athlete to “bump heads” with at least one coach throughout their playing career. However, this can be avoided with understanding from both the coach and athlete. This article by Steve Sanders gives solid advice for connecting better with your coach. It also provides suggestions for situations in which an athlete finds they are not getting along well with a coach. Read more
