You have been out there gathering all kinds of information with the goal of finding the best development situation to be in for the 2011 season. Goals have been set, information has been gathered, and an action plan has been implemented.

A few helpful hints…

1. Write out your goal(s) and be very clear in your mind what you want.

2. Start a file on your computer and/or hard copy to keep all information in the same place.

3. Beware of ‘opportunities’ that come with promises, guarantees, and a price tag. (Some are no more than commercial ventures and fund raisers for people and groups).

4. Evaluate any need for additional exposure. (If you have played on a team with a competitive schedule against top teams, and in situations that have been heavily scouted by those at the level you aspire to, then there very likely isn’t any need for you to attend additional events. Time would be better spent training off ice than going to showcase events).

5. This is not the time to look for deals on development programs. (Find out who runs the best development programs in your area and sign up. The most expensive or biggest name doesn’t guarantee the best—make your decision based on quality).

There can be a tendency to over analyze the situation and not want to commit. And, sometimes we hope something better will come along. There will come a time when decisions have to be made. Decide on your choice based on your goals and information gathered. Things will work out just fine.

Looking for the best development situation is important.  Here are questions that need to be addressed as you look forward. I have written this to parents, but the same questions need to be asked, and answered, by the player. Parents should ask…

Questions to ask team representatives who inquire about your son…

1. What role do you project him in next season and over his career with you? (Need to be compatible with the type of player you are).

2. What will be his competition for this role? (Returning players, drafts, trades, etc.)

3. What are the education opportunities with your organization? (Get a read on how serious a team is about the importance of education).

4. What costs are covered by the team; what costs will be our responsibility? (Don’t be shy about this area. This needs to be addressed and now is a good time).

5. Can you send us your information in an email? (This should provide clarity and eliminate having to remember who said what).

6. Do you have a business card? (There are impostors out there).

7. Are you the contact person if we have additional questions? (There likely will be follow up questions. You need to deal with decision makers and not go down the road with a team rep not in a position to back up comments or promises).

Questions you need to ask yourself…

1. What are our goals here; for education–for hockey–for life? (This step is THE starting point. You have to know where you are going).

2. Am I prepared to put an action plan in place to meet these goals? (Every action going forward needs to align with your set goals).

3. Where will we have the best development environment? (Development is the focus).

You will need to do homework in a number of areas, based on the answers received to your questions. Go to sources you respect and cross reference where possible. Getting accurate information is important.  This will go a long way to creating the best opportunity for the 2011 season.

3. Have a ‘worst case scenario’ in place. (This may be as basic as returning to your present team., as long as this is an acceptable development situation)

4. Be prepared to commit to a team—and be prepared to honor your commitment. (After all questions have been answered and all the home work has been done on opportunities, you will have to make a decision).

5. Be sure to have fun and enjoy the process. The universe will unfold in due course.

Now it is time to put the action plan in place and spend the off season getting ready for a successful 2011 season.

Over two weeks ago I took over as head coach of a junior team. There were 8 games left in the regular season and the team was in last place in their division. That was the bad news. The good news was the GM had put together a talented team-something he has done consistently over his career in junior hockey.

It came down to winning the final game of the season, on the road, and against the team we needed to beat out for the final playoff stop.

The deal was simple. Win and make the playoffs—lose and the season was over.

What needed to happen? Our best players had to be our best players, we had to at least match the effort of the other team, every player had to do their part, and we had to have fun.

What actually happened? All of the above; top line scored three goals, we worked hard all game, and every player tried to fulfill their individual roles. Winning the game was a lot of fun.

And did I mention that their goaltender was great—and our guy was a little bit better!

Got to go. First playoff game tonight.

Individual awards are special, even if few who receive them ever seem to mention what it really means to them personally.

I picked two coach of the year winners to highlight here. I know both personally, have admired them professionally, and know them both to be of rock solid integrity. Both put their players and teams far ahead of anything they might achieve personally.

Want to know what it takes to be coach of the year? Gerard Gallant and Gardiner MacDougall are my best answer to the question. They win by being who they are as a person of character and integrity first.

Here is a cut and paste summary  of both coaches from the Sea Dogs and CIS sites.

Ron Lapointe Trophy as QMJHL Coach of the Year: Gerard Gallant

Saint John Sea Dogs Head Coach Gerard Gallant has been awarded the Ron Lapointe Trophy as QMJHL Coach of the Year. In his first season behind the bench in the Port City, Gallant led the Sea Dogs to a franchise-best record of 53-12-1-2, a mark which earned Saint John their first-ever Jean Rougeau Trophy as the league’s regular season champions.

Gerard Gallant was introduced as the third Head Coach in Saint John Sea Dogs history on April 24, 2009.

Gallant, 45, most recently served as an Assistant Coach with the New York Islanders (NHL) during the 2007-08 season. Prior to his tenure in Long Island, the Summerside, PEI native spent seven years on the coaching staff of the Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL), serving as the team’s Head Coach from January 1, 2004 to November 13, 2006. Gallant was behind the bench as an assistant coach with Team Canada at the 2007 IIHF World Championships in Russia, capturing Gold at the tournament.

Before joining the Blue Jackets, Gerard was an Assistant Coach with the American Hockey League’s Louisville Panthers (1999-00) and led the Summerside Capitals to Ken Cup Championship in 1997 as the MJAHL team’s Head Coach.

During a highly-successful playing career, Gallant appeared in 615 games in the NHL as a member of the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning, tallying 211G-269A-480P-1674PIM over the course of eleven seasons. Originally selected by Detroit in the sixth round (107th overall) of the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, Gallant enjoyed a standout major junior career with the Sherbrooke/St. Jean Beavers and Verdun Juniors, recording 129G-192A-321P-724PIM during his three-year run in the QMJHL. Gallant also led Sherbrooke to a President’s Cup Championship in 1982, contributing 14G-24A-38P to the Beavers’ playoff drive that year.

FATHER GEORGE KEHOE MEMORIAL AWARD (coach of the year): Gardiner MacDougall, UNB

MacDougall became the second UNB mentor to earn the Father Kehoe award. Mike Kelly was honoured in 1997-98.

In his 11th season behind the bench, MacDougall led the Varsity Reds (27-1-0) to a record campaign during which they set a CIS mark with 27 conference wins and established a new AUS standard with 54 points, which tied the all-time CIS record. His V-Reds, who were ranked No. 1 in the first 15 national media polls before falling to second place in the final voting, allowed a CIS-low 56 in 28 league duels while finishing first in the Atlantic and third in the country with 143 goals scored. UNB’s 26 straight wins to open the regular schedule were also a new CIS record.

Over the past decade, MacDougall has guided the V-Reds to five University Cup tournament appearances, four trips to the national final and two CIS titles, in 2006-07 and 2008-09. A three-time AUS coach of the year, he was twice named coach of the year in his native province of Prince Edward Island and was an assistant with the Canadian team made up of AUS all-stars that claimed gold at the 2007 Winter Universiade in Italy.

Congrats to Gerard and Gardiner—and all of you who put in coach of the year type performances this past season.

In the past I have used inexpensive ways to bring the team together and work on building the chemistry, leadership and culture of the team. Here are a few:

• Habitat for Humanity work day
• Museum visits
• NASCAR  shop visits
• Cookouts
• Snowmobile parties
• Sightseeing tours

I asked some of my coaching friends to tell us what they do.

Danny Brooks, assistant coach with the Drummondville Voltigeurs in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey league, had an extensive list of events that included rappelling 80 feet down the side of a building, working with ropes 60 feet up in trees, sport psychology sessions, and paintball. The team also uses ‘work ethic’ and ‘self esteem’ charts.

In our team building we jumped off the building, we climbed up the trees etc. Players want to know you are going to war with them. We are leaders who lead the charge not stand back and yell and give orders. If we ask our players to jump we jump first. Team building is critical in the success of the team both in short term events i.e. world juniors and in an 80 game season.

At the high school level coach Frank Hubley keeps it simple. His players already have full schedules with school and other activities.

With team building we use our off-ice sessions. We break the team into groups of 5-6 and work out in the weight room and run the stairs. We also have team meetings with the players.

At Ohio State assistant coach Jason Lammers talks about a neat team building exercise that the team just did.

We have really tried to focus on our team. Today we did a great one! We made a spider web and each of the guys had to fit through one of the holes in the web. It was great!

We are really trying to educate our leaders with articles, talks, and actions to show them how to be more effective.

Lots of coaches are using creative team building events to improve their teams and players. Most would agree that this can lead to greater individual and team success. It can be a lot of fun too!

• End of Season Physicals. Depending on the level, exit physicals may not be required. They are still a good idea. At the professional level they are typically mandatory and players and teams keep detailed records of all medical issues. Deal with all health issues now and institute a follow up system to ensure proper treatments have been completed.

• End of Season Player Meetings. The coaching staff meets individually with each player. Using notes from the same type of meeting that was held before the season began, and additional notes compiled throughout the season, the staff will review the player’s performance. This should be a meeting that covers all the important issues concerning the player. Allow a free flow of communication between all. Player feedback is an important component of the meeting. Assess the past season in an honest and constructive way. Set goals for the off season in areas like conditioning and nutrition. Look ahead to the next season and start the process of goal setting by giving each player an idea of the expectations the staff has for them. Be sure to get all necessary contact information from each player (phone numbers, email address, mailing address).

• Staff Evaluations. Follow the same format as the player meetings. This is a great time to get feedback that can help grow the team, your staff, and you personally.

• Personal Evaluation. Time for self-evaluation. This can be a tough one and it needs to be honest. If at all possible, find a mentor who would give an honest assessment of your performance. This is a great time for a second opinion. Don’t allow the team record to be your main reference point in evaluating your personal performance. Also try to build in personal evaluation questions when meeting with players and staff.

• Inventory. Before everything is packed away for the summer, take an inventory of equipment, pucks and pylons, supplies, etc. Make a hard copy that you can share with the appropriate people. Then everyone will know what needs to be replenished before the start of next season. Be sure to identify any additional needs for next year.

• Thank You Notes. This is never a bad thing. The notes might be in the form of a highlight DVD for the players. They could be an autographed stick to a sponsor or a key supporter. It can be a simple as looking into someone’s eyes as you deliver a firm ‘thank you’ handshake.

• Become a Fan Again. If teams at your level are still playing, try to watch some games. Check out other levels of competition as well and see if there are things others are doing that you could implement and benefit from. This is a great chance to pick up ideas– good and bad. Focus on learning from successful people and successful programs.

• Take a Mental Health Break. Your players have likely seen and heard enough from you for awhile. Once you use the suggestions in this post, give yourself a break from your hockey routine. Do something different like go fishing or hiking. Leave all the issues related to the past season behind for awhile. You have done your evaluations and have taken the lessons learned from last season with you.

Start to re-energize yourself.