The Olympic Winner’s Circle and Life
Posted by Don MacAdam
One of the e-zines that I get is from Dr. Denis Waitley. In his February 23, 2010 edition he makes some excellent observations as he ties together winning, the Olympic Games, and life.
The Winner’s Circle by Dr. Denis Waitley
Every four years we see those five brilliant, interlocking Olympic rings on flags and in television and billboard advertising globally. The Olympic Games are where the best in the world go for the gold and the few stand, listening to their national anthem, in the coveted winner’s circle. If the five Olympic rings were attitudes of champions in every profession, these five attitudes would be prominent in the mindset of the peak performer:
Paying the Price. Everyone wants to win, but few are willing to invest the time and effort. Paying the price means focusing on developing the skills and training regimen of champions—observation, imitation, repetition and the internalization of knowledge into habits; also, learning why and how to go the extra mile and seeing success as a marathon, not a dash. Champions view failures as temporary inconveniences and learning experiences.
The Olympian Within. Winners believe in their worth in advance of their performance. Most people base their worth on their current status or achievement level, which means that until they are judged successful by society’s standards, they have little to be proud of. Champions believe in their dreams when they have only a dream to hang on to, even in the face of criticism and superior achievements by others.
Non-situational Integrity. Authentic, lasting winners have an uncompromising attitude about self-honesty. They function according to an “integrity triangle,” consisting of three basic questions: (a) Are my beliefs based upon truth? (b) Do my words and actions correspond with truth and honesty? (c) Before I speak or act, do I honestly consider the impact of my decision on other people and the environment?
The “Coachability” Factor. Champions are always open to alternatives to improve their performance. Consistent winners are not the arrogant egotists who dominate the media spotlight. The most successful individuals in the game of life are often the most approachable, most gracious, least judgmental of others and most critical of their own performances, as well as most eager to learn and improve.
Being a Team Player. A team in harmony is synergy in motion, where the whole is greater than the sum of the individual talents. When all assignments are understood, when each takes 100 percent responsibility for the outcome, a quantum leap in performance takes place. Winners learn how to become interdependent—without sacrificing individuality—and how to stand out, while fitting in.
This is good advice with a timely Olympic twist. Hope it stimulates some thought about life.
Keeping Perspective When Setting Expectations
Posted by Don MacAdam
A great as the Vancouver Olympics have been on so many levels, it seems like the Canadian athletes were set up to fail. A campaign with the slogan ‘Own the Podium’ has been blasted at the Canadian population for months now.
Here is part of an op ed in Tuesday’s Globe and Mail Published on Monday, Feb. 22, 2010.
As Jean Chrétien might say, nervous Nellies, relax. Canada’s men’s hockey team is coming together. It has talent and is playing with pride. The world is not going to end today when Canada plays Germany to qualify for the Olympic medal round. Canada will win, setting up a nail-biting quarter-final tomorrow against a fantastically talented Russian team. The world will not end at least until then. And possibly not even then.
It would be terribly ironic if the Own the Podium Olympics, the games that were supposed to mark a cultural shift emphasizing Canadian excellence, resulted in its opposite, a loss of faith in the verity that, come what may on the slopes, Canadians excel in hockey. That verity has survived the reality that, in the three Olympics since professional players were allowed in, Canada has won just one gold in men’s hockey. (It also won the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, for those who are keeping score.)
It seems to be second nature in sports, and life, to set the bar at a level that will more often bring failure. Why? Have we been conditioned to do this? Are we creating more losers than winners? You bet we are!
Why not prepare the best we can, utilize the resources and talents available as best we can, then accept the results for what they are. Overachieving is good. Surpassing expectations is a good thing too. Neither result belongs in the loss column.
Let’s keep results in perspective, enjoy the experience, and applaud the effort.
Want to Win—There Are No Little Things
Posted by Don MacAdam
Here is an article that hit home with me. Our team is at the tail end of a string of games during which we played hard, played strong, competed—we just didn’t win. There was a situation or two in every game where someone didn’t get the job done. The isolated situation could, and often is described as a little thing that led to the winning goal against.
The Simplest Detail is a December 1, 2009 post by Mike Tully on his site www.totalgameplan.com He gives us a great example for his point that ‘there are no little things’ if you want to get the job done.
Anyone who thinks that success is complicated should look at the Grey Cup final — the championship of the Canadian Football League.
Montreal won because Saskatchewan received a penalty for having 13 men on the field. Damon Duval missed a field goal that would have won the game, but got a second chance because of the penalty. Let that sink in for a moment: After weeks of training camp, a long season, and a bruising game, Saskatchewan lost a title because it could not put the right number of players on the field.
“It was a lack of communication … but it should have been recognized,” coach Ken Miller said about the critical penalty. “The disappointment of this loss is going to affect us as long as we’re on this planet. Total 100 percent disappointment.”
Saskatchewan’s pain can become your wisdom. No detail is too small. And never let yourself think that success is something magical or complicated. It’s not. As North Carolina women’s soccer coach Anson Dorrance is constantly preaching, it’s about doing things right every time.
Remember Thomas Keller, the world-class chef who said that no one step in cooking is particularly difficult?
All Saskatchewan had to do was count the number of players on the field. That doesn’t sound particularly difficult. But it didn’t get done. And the pain will linger a lifetime.
The StarPhoenix newspaper reported it this way:
“It’s not a moment thing; it’s a lifetime thing,” said Saskatchewan special-teams coach Kavis Reed, insisting that he, and not the unnamed extra player, should take the blame. “This is something I’ve got to live with for the rest of my life, and it’s something we have to live with for the rest of our lives. A mistake was made that essentially cost us the Grey Cup championship. I’ve got to shoulder that, I’ve got to live with that, I’ve got to replay that for the rest of my life.”
Never let that happen to you. There are no little things.
Most coaches will admire, and likely have feet the pain of the Saskatchewan special-teams coach. Getting things right every time may seem like an impossible task, but it should be a goal for all coaches and players.
Moving the Puck the Key to a Defenseman’s Success
Posted by Don MacAdam
Toronto’s Globe and Mail writer Matthew Sekeres posted an article on Sunday, November 29, 2009. With the buildup to the Vancouver Olympics in high gear across Canada, the main focus as always is on the men’s hockey team.
Using insight from world class defenseman Rob Blake, the writer highlights a catch phrase that virtually all coaches try to drill into their defensemen. “Move the puck!”
Chris Pronger, Adam Foote, and Rob Blake have formed the backbone of Canada’s defence through three Olympic Games.
They are the only three defencemen to play on every Canadian Olympic team since NHL players began participating in the Games in 1998, yet only one of them – Pronger – is back in contention for a fourth Olympics this February in Vancouver.
Neither Foote, nor Blake, were invited to Hockey Canada’s summer orientation camp in Calgary, and while Team Canada executive director Steve Yzerman has said that non-invitees could play their way onto the team, Blake isn’t kidding himself and said his days of manning the country’s blueline are over.
“I understand the situation,” said Blake, a San Jose Sharks defenceman who turned back the clock in 2008-09 and produced a 45-point season. “If you’re not clearly in the top six, they’re not going to bring you to the orientation camp when you’re almost 40. There’s not much place for an older guy, and it’s not like they’re going to bring you in to get you experience.”
So, given his experience and new-found objectivity, The Globe and Mail asked Blake to pick the Canadian defence for 2010.
He held to one governing principle when making his selections: “You have to have guys who are going to move the puck.”
Blake said the 2006 Olympic team, which finished seventh in Turin, sorely missed Scott Niedermayer, a one-man trap breaker who could skate the puck end-to-end. Barring similarly skilled defencemen, Blake said the next best thing was a player who could move the puck with his stick.
“I really think we missed Niedermayer a lot the last time out,” he said.
“At the Olympics, your forwards are so dominant across all four lines. Because your forwards are so dominant, you just need to get them the puck as quickly as you can. Look at Danny Boyle’s style. That’s what you need.”Boyle, Blake’s teammate in San Jose, is more noted for his offensive ability than his defensive prowess, but his older teammate said he would be perfect for the Olympic team because “he’s as good as it gets in our league in terms of getting the puck out of your zone.
“He’s a one-man breakout, but he’s not a high-risk guy,” Blake added.
“He has the puck all the time, and when it comes out of our zone, it comes out fast, and it comes out tape-to-tape.”Blake said that Canada’s management should endeavour to have a puck-moving defenceman on every Olympic pairing, and his selections also suggest that familiarity is important. Blake picked three Calgary Flames rearguards, as well as two Chicago Blackhawks and the defensive pair – Pronger and Niedermayer – who helped the Anaheim Ducks win the Stanley Cup in 2007.
Running drills in practice sessions and constant positive reinforcement quick puck movement should be a daily task for the coach. Getting the puck off your stick an on to the stick of an attacking forward should always be the immediate task of every defenseman.
As repetitive as it may be for coaches to say, and as likely annoying for defensemen to hear, “Move the puck!” will be part of our hockey vocabulary for quite some time to come.
A Special Team Skating Session with Graeme Townsend
Posted by Don MacAdam
We all like to do unique things for our players. Skating is one area where there are lots of products and people suggesting they can offer just such a thing. Well, we have a special guy for you and your team- Graeme Townsend.
I had the pleasure of coaching Graeme in the AHL. He was known as a team player and a heart and soul type; he was not known for his skating. Graeme has changed that.
He is the skating coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs and was in the same capacity with the San Jose Sharks. Graeme also played in the NHL with the Boston Bruins, New York Islanders, and Ottawa Senators.
We had Graeme, and his chief instructor Adam Nicholas, take over a team practice a couple of weeks ago. They demonstrated unique skating techniques that Graeme has perfected and uses with his NHL players.
It was a great session. Graeme and Adam had the full attention of our Quebec major junior players as they were worked through drills teaching different game specific skating techniques.
The session had a valuable motivational component as well. Graeme explained how he personally grew as a player and how these techniques he was presenting have helped others.
Our players were left with practical drills to take away from the session that they have enthusiastically incorporated into our daily practice sessions.
We are definitely having Graeme and Adam back to work with our players. We highly endorse Graeme and encourage you to do something special for yourself, or your team, and have Graeme become a part of what you do.
Go to www.thestridedoctor.com and check out the different camps that Graeme has available. This might be just the thing for you or your team. Here is more contact information:
Graeme Townsend- graeme@thestridedoctor.com or call 978.360.4244
Joe Hearn- joe@thestridedoctor.com or call 207.577.0622
Celebrating Wins and Dealing With Losses
Posted by Don MacAdam
As the regular season winds down for most of us, there are all kinds of stories about post game reactions to winning and losing. There is some great stuff happening out there along with the occasional horror story. Here are some observations from this past season.
Celebrating Wins
Most of us feel we shouldn’t get too high after a big win. But there should be a way for all to enjoy the ‘thrill of victory’ when it happens. Players typically don’t need the coach to give them a pat on the back after a game well played. That said, there should be a way for teams to recognize and enjoy success.
What we have established with our team are two presentations to recognize achievement. After identifying the overall positives from a game, the head coach turns the team over to the player who was presented with the Game Puck from the previous win. This player then briefly describes the performance of a team mate and presents him with the game puck for tonight’s game.
Next is the Hard Hat Award that goes to the player who put in that extra effort to help secure the win. It is also presented by the payer who won the award the previous win. It is an actual hard hat with a team logo that the winner displays in his stall until the next presentation.
Team celebrations can be as simple as a three cheers together as a team. Build these positive events into the fabric and culture of your team.
Handling Losses
Just like we don’t like to get too high after a win, we should guard against getting too low after a loss. One story from this season was about a team that won 19 games in a row, lost game 20 in overtime, and the coach berated the team after the game. This is not exactly a proud moment in coaching.
A loss is an opportunity to learn and grow as a team and individually. The coach can simply put the game in context for the players following the loss. Let the players leave the rink with a positive lesson to take back to the rink next time. If you can’t find something constructive to say, then say nothing until you have figured out the proper teaching points. Wait until the next practice to address the team.
Playing and coaching should be a positive and fun experience. Be sure to use the post game as a time to accent these points.
Making a Coaching Change During the Season
Posted by Don MacAdam
Few can imagine why a coaching change would be made during the season unless those in power felt compelled to do so. Regardless of the reasons, here are some points to consider by those involved-management initiating the change, and the coach coming on board.
- Do your homework.
Have all avenues to correct the existing situation been explored? Communication is the key here. If all have been explored, it is time to pull the trigger on the change.
Have the players been playing to their ability and is the team framework allowing this
to happen? If not, then a change likely is necessary.
Does the new coach know what the goals of the organization are? He had better!
Has management addressed concerns to the new coach?
Have resources been made available to allow for success?
- Watch the team play with an analytical eye.
Management should know the level the team and individual players are capable of.
The new coach should take the opportunity to watch his new team as an objective observer.
- Plan for a smooth transition.
Be sure all the right people have been contacted in advance and there are no surprises after an official announcement has been made.
Have a plan to move the old coach along in an expedient and dignified way. This can be done in a professional and classy way, with planning.
- Get up to speed quickly.
Know exactly what needs to be changed and immediately start making changes. Players will want to see things happening in a new and improved way.
- Define roles.
Meet with each player and staff member as soon as possible and have all very clear
on their role with the team.
Don’t assume that people know what you want and expect from them. You need to
clearly communicate what you want to each person individually.
Expectations need to be established and shared throughout the team.
- Build a new culture.
Start with respect for each other. Demand basic things like common courtesy to each other and saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. This might sound corny, but it works.
Lines of communication should always be clearly defined and free flow of information will follow. Lots of little meetings and informal chats work well.
I took over a team two weeks ago. There were 22 games left in a 68 game schedule. The team was not in a playoff spot and sliding in the opposite direction.
We have two wins and a tie in our first four games and we followed the plan laid out here. Hopefully it will continue to work.
Promoting Your Team in These Economic Times
Posted by Don MacAdam
In a December 18, 2008 Globe and Mail article titled Bargain-basement league, David Shoalts talks about the effect of the economy on NHL teams and how teams are slashing ticket prices and giving freebies in an attempt to draw fans.
Check out the reaction of a couple of experts on sports promotion.
With the weak economy yanking down attendance in many U.S. cities, NHL clubs are slashing prices in hopes of getting fans in the door.
At least 17 of the league’s 30 franchises are offering significant discounts and giveaways, notably in the non-traditional markets…
The thinking is that at least those buyers may spend money at the concession stands. But there may be a downside to the deep-discount strategy.
“I’m terrified of giving away product,” said Mike Veeck, who owns and promotes six minor-league baseball franchises and is the son of the first promotional genius in that sport, the late Bill Veeck.
“If people are cutting prices, then maybe something is wrong with their original pricing structure,” Veeck said. “Fans get used to paying your discount in about 12 seconds. Then that becomes the norm and you have to pay tremendously to get them back.”
Hockey clubs need to emphasize service rather than slash prices, says David Carter, the executive director of the University of Southern California’s Sports Business Institute.
“It’s like the debate of whether people should pay for content on the Internet,” Carter said. “Once you release it for free, you can’t persuade anyone to pay.
“The only way to get fans back in the building [at regular prices] is to service the dickens out of them. Make sure they have a fantastic time and walk out saying they received fantastic value for their tickets. But it’s a slippery slope because people then assume the discounted value is what the tickets are worth.”
There is no shortage of slippery slopes in the NHL. Discounts can even be found in traditionally strong markets such as Detroit and Denver, although they are not as generous as those in the Sun Belt. In Phoenix, buyers get four tickets for the price of three, and also with each ticket, a visor, autographed puck, hot dog and soft drink and priority for playoff tickets.
Ottawa is the only Canada-based team to offer discount packages.
Carter and Veeck say the club pays less than face value for the extras and, in the case of team merchandise, only a nominal amount. But that is where the giveaway should stop.
“Free parking feels like a deal,” Carter said. “So rather than drop the ticket price from $50 to $40, find a way to maintain the price at $50, but give value with it like parking or a voucher for something else.”
The only club to add the extras into the price is the Philadelphia Flyers. They have a promotion that charges $125 for two $46 seats. But fans also get a voucher for two tickets to their farm team’s games, a $10 credit on each ticket at the concession or merchandise stands, a team calendar, an autographed puck and a gift bag.
Veeck says ticket giveaways can work as a one-off promotion rather than a regular practice. The best policy, though, is to figure out the best possible price and stick to it, even in a recession.
“I don’t think selling tickets is going to be a problem, even in tough times,” Veeck said. “Bread and circuses become more important in these times. The last time there was an auto slowdown, ice-cream sales in Detroit went up.”
Winning, both Carter and Veeck agree, is the best promotion of all. Failing that, they say, service is the best tool to use.
“Add-ons of any kind work,” Veeck said. “This is a great time to utilize the players. Have ticket drives where players make calls or kids can come in and touch their heroes.
“It’s a matter of rolling up your sleeves and selling service. The underlying message is: we know it’s tough out there and here’s how we’re making it easier for you.”
In Columbus, where attendance for Blue Jackets games has been strong since they joined the NHL in 2000-01, the club is offering discounts in the face of declining sales, but only for a limited time.
“We tailor our offerings based on the current conditions,” said Marc Gregory, the vice-president of marketing. “It’s a matter of showing value in [discount] ticket packages compared to what they were worth initially.”
One of the worst things that can happen to a club is having a season-ticket holder discover that the person alongside paid much less for the seat.
“Our most important customers are our season-ticket holders,” he said. “When you look at the overall benefits they receive, it’s much greater than a discount on single-game tickets [which are customarily priced higher than season tickets].
“Our subscribers receive food and beverage and merchandise discounts. They also are invited to exclusive events like a morning skate followed by a chalk talk with coach Ken Hitchcock.”
The Case for Experience and Stability in Building a Management Team
Posted by Don MacAdam
Mike Smith has been a GM with two NHL teams and with Team USA. He is well known as one of the cerebral people in the game, having studied the game at different levels and written books on various hockey topics. Now one of his projects is a blog on www.thn.com. His post on November 23/08 deals with building a management team and he uses the Detroit Red Wings as his elite example. As an assistant coach for the Red Wings for three seasons, I saw first hand of which he speaks. Here is an excerpt…
The point is, in my opinion, nothing replaces experience when you’re a GM. The same holds true for the management staff. Every season has a similar yet different rhythm to it. When things are bleak and look even darker going forward, the vultures tend to come out. Listening to them can be deadly. Experience tells you: “Don’t listen.”
The organization that epitomizes experience at the upper management level is Detroit. The Red Wings have clearly been the dominant franchise over the last 20 years. Four Stanley Cups, in ‘97, ‘98, ‘02 and ‘08, and 18-straight playoff years reflect their success.
Mike and Marian Ilitch bought the Red Wings in June of 1982. Not only have they built a franchise that looked for and kept experienced people, they have also placed emphasis on stability. The NHL, like other major leagues, all too often makes changes prematurely, often in a panic.
Let’s look at the Red Wings’ combination of experience and stability:
- Jim Devellano was the first GM hired by the Ilitch family in 1982. Twenty-seven years later, he’s still there. This is his 42nd year in the NHL. He played a major role in the construction of the New York Islanders dynasty in the 1970s and early ‘80s.
- Ken Holland is starting his 12th season as GM and his 26th in the organization. A former American League goaltender, he began his post-playing career as an amateur scout, progressed to director of scouting, then assistant GM and, in 1998, GM.
- Jim Nill is entering his 11th season as assistant GM and 15th with the Red Wings. He has a background both as an amateur and pro scout and also served as GM of Team Canada at the 2004 world championships.
- Steve Yzerman, beginning his third season as vice-president. This is his 26th year with the club. He has twice served as GM of Team Canada at the world championships.
- Scotty Bowman, though now with the Chicago Blackhawks, joined the Red Wings in 1993 as coach. His NHL coaching career began in 1967 with the St. Louis Blues and he’s won 12 Stanley Cups in his career. He stayed on as a consultant with the Wings following his retirement from coaching in 2002.
The critical fact is all of these men had jobs in which they had to make crucial decisions.
Being a coach, a director of scouting or a GM of a national team requires decision-making. Mistakes are made. But to grow, you need to learn from the mistakes. Nothing will happen during the season this management group has not seen before. Their years of experience have brought them sound judgment.
Not all ownerships follow the Detroit path. I like the Detroit model, but the new ownerships in Tampa Bay and Vancouver have looked to player agents – Brian Lawton and Mike Gillis – to be their hockey leaders. Both have limited, if any, team management experience. This is not to say they will not be successful. After all, it is hard to criticize the job Pierre Lacroix – a former agent – did with the Colorado Avalanche.
Mike Smith is a former GM with the Blackhawks and Jets and associate GM with the Maple Leafs. He also served as GM for Team USA More from Mike Smith
Scouting a Hockey Game With Tips From the Pros
Posted by Don MacAdam
Whether we are a coach, GM, player, parent, or fan of hockey we are usually, in some way, ‘scouting’ the on ice talent as we watch a hockey game.
Want to know how the pros do it? Rory Boylen has a weekly blog called A Scout’s Life on www.THN.com on scouting. Here is how it is described on the site:
A Scout’s Life is a weekly look at the world of minor and pro scouting throughout North America. Each week we’ll talk to different scouts from all levels of the game, getting a first-hand perspective of the different aspects of talent evaluation.
Boylan talks to people in the scouting world and gets insight on the many aspects of the job. The differences between being an amateur or pro scout are pointed out. Even details like where to sit to watch games is discussed. Here is a sample from the November 11/08 blog.
“There are always guys who will jump out you weren’t expecting to. That’s a bonus, someone else to follow.” – Paul Castron, director of amateur scouting, Columbus Blue Jackets…
So how does a scout keep an eye on all these guys without missing anything? Part of it is getting a heads-up from your area scouts so you know who to watch before you set foot in the arena and another part is getting there a little early – about one to two hours beforehand – and making sure you’re prepared.
“Prior to the game I’ll check out all my reports on all the players I expect to play and the date the last time I did a report on those players,” said Mark Dobson, director of player personnel with the Atlanta Thrashers.
Once the game is over, however, a scout usually doesn’t hang around for too long…
That reminds me of the old hockey line: “What are the eight words a scout never hears at a hockey game?-Last minute of play in the third period.”
Mike MacPherson also has a scouting blog. He has great stuff as well. I know Mike and he really knows talent. Here is information on Mike and where to get his blog.
Mike MacPherson began scouting in 1999 for the Chicago Blackhawks and was responsible for the ECHL. He is currently the director of scouting for the Phoenix Roadrunners, NHL affiliate of the San Jose Sharks and also scouts the OHL for the International Scouting Service. MacPherson also coaches in the OMHA within Guelph Minor hockey. He will be blogging about his experences in scouting throughout the season on THN.com. Read his other entries HERE.
Check these blogs out. They are entertaining, informative, and will give you a view from trained eyes-and I wouldn’t be surprised you will enjoy watching hockey more than ever.
