Bob Probert still giving more than he got

Posted on September 30, 2010 by Don MacAdam

Concussions continue to be a significant health issue for athletes in so many sports. Equipment has improved and rules have been changed to try to address the problem. Now athletes are contributing to the solution. Here is a story about a player who likely gave others more concussions than he got himself.

From Fanhouse.com we have another example of a team player who continues to put others first.

“The family of the late Bob Probert has donated his brain to Boston University researchers who have studied the link between head trauma and debilitating health effects in football players and boxers,” the Detroit Free Press reported Friday.

“I believe that it was a very difficult decision,” Daniel Parkinson, whose daughter, Dani, was married to Probert, told Fanhouse.com. “I know Dani and Bob had spoken about it … I know he wanted to advance the research.”

Probert died of a heart attack in July. The former NHLer was 45.

I was an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings for three years when Bob was a key member of the team and likely the toughest guy in the NHL.

He was also a good guy. He was always a team first guy. He still is with this donation.

And, he is still giving more than he got.

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So, how is this whole tryout thing working for you this year?

Posted on September 22, 2010 by Don MacAdam

At this point you are either getting ready, in the midst of tryouts, or they are over and you are on to the next stage.

How did you prepare? Was there a well thought out program for physical training, supplemented by mental preparation that was executed over the off season? If so, tryouts were likely a pleasant experience and there was a positive outcome.

Let’s hope every tryout starts with team management being very clear about how to make the team;

…”this is the type of culture we want for our team…”

…”we want players who exhibit these overall characteristics of work ethic, discipline, …”

…”we will not tolerate any behavior that includes, disrespect of others, etc. …”

…” we need players to fill these specific roles…”

I had a chance to spend time over two days at the Dallas Stars training camp in Charlottetown, PEI. After the ice sessions I visited with head coach Marc Crawford, assistant coach Willie Desjardins, AHL head coach Glen Gulutzen, and Director of Minor League Operations Scott White.

Watching the players in the dressing room area, it was obvious all were serious about their physical preparation. Most players looked like they were in great shape as they prepared their post-practice sport drinks and snacks. Coach Crawford noted how this part of the game had come a long way since his playing days.

Also talked with Frank Hubley, a high school hockey head coach in Halifax, NS, about his tryout process. He added points like looking for more from a returning player, the need to have balance between grades 10, 11, and 12, and being clear to participants about team goals for the season.

Wally Bray is the head coach at the AAA midget level in St. John’s, NL. His coaching staff and manager Tim Power have to build a team that will be capable of hosting the Telus Cup, the national championship for this level. Players here get on the team by performance by a series of competitive scrimmage sessions. The camp was fun to watch as layers competed to make the team.

At the end of tryouts, hopefully there are some common positive results:

…players feel they had a fair opportunity to show how they can play the game

…all had a fair chance to make the team

…there was an environment where players will leave being at least a little better for the experience

…even though the tryouts were challenging, it was a fun experience

Now, let the season begin…

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John Wooden Remembered

Posted on June 6, 2010 by Don MacAdam

The Globe and Mail recently had a number of articles on the passing of John Wooden. Countless coaches would borrow from the wonderful examples of great coaching he gave all on a regular basis.

Here are some selected comments from one Globe Basketball article.

“The joy and happiness in Coach Wooden’s life came from the success and accomplishments of others. He never let us forget what he learned from his two favourite teachers, Abraham Lincoln and Mother Teresa, ”that a life not lived for others is not a life,’“ Bill Walton said in a statement released by the university.

“I thank John Wooden everyday for all his selfless gifts, his lessons, his time, his vision and especially his faith and patience. This is why our eternal love for him will never fade away. This is why we call him ‘Coach.“’

Like Wooden, who starred at Purdue, Larry Bird became an Indiana basketball legend. The Indiana Pacers president said in a statement, “John Wooden, basketball, Indiana. One doesn’t go without the others.”

Denny Crum played for Wooden from 1956-58, then served as his assistant on three NCAA title teams before leaving to coach Louisville in 1971.

“Coach never talked about winning, ever,” he said. “His theory was that you get the guys in shape, you teach ‘em the fundamentals and then you get ‘em to play together. And he did that better than anybody.

“If you asked him what he did, he’d tell you he was a teacher. That’s what he did. He was really good at that.”

Keith Erickson recalled practices in the old men’s gym were no-nonsense under Wooden.

“He’d blow that whistle and everybody would turn,” he said. “He’d say, ”Goodness gracious sakes alive,’ and everybody knew they were in trouble.“

That was Wooden’s version of an expletive. “Fourteen years together and I never heard him use a swear word once,” Cunningham said.

So many of us in the coaching and teaching professions often leaned on Coach Wooden’s words of wisdom to make us better. None of us will ever be fortunate enough to be able to reach his level of excellence in what we collectively do.

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Coach of the Year-How to Qualify

Posted on April 7, 2010 by Don MacAdam

It is that time of year where individuals get recognized for individual performances while teams are still fighting for playoff spots or go on to win championships.

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.

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My Special Olympic Hockey Experience

Posted on March 16, 2010 by Don MacAdam

The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics provided the hockey world with one of the best games in memory. Like virtually the entire hockey population of North America, and every hockey fan around the globe with access to a television, I watched the gold medal game that featured young and exceptionally skilled USA and Canada teams.

The game also brought a special experience for me. Visiting in St. John’s, Newfoundland at the time afforded me unique memories of the game.

I spent the afternoon at a local rink participating (and not really helping much) with a local hockey school run by Andy Sullivan, Russ Adam, and their staff. They ran four 1 hour sessions for local minor hockey players of different ages, as they do every Sunday all winter long. Great grass roots stuff.

Andy Sullivan and his wife Pam hosted a neighborhood party that evening with the gold medal game the featured attraction. Great hospitality, food, conversations, and a spectacular game!

Post game was another unique experience. Andy, his son Shane, daughter Claire, and seemingly everyone else on the cul-de-sac were all outside. A spontaneous street hockey game was in full swing. It started as a 5 on 5 game but quickly grew to mass participation due to the number of players on the sidelines eager to get in the game.

It would be easy to classify this as a true grass roots hockey experience.

I can’t recall the last time I played street hockey. Doesn’t matter. This was like going back to my roots in the game-with an aching body the next few days to remind me how long it really has been since the last game.

Canada got the gold medal, USA got the silver, and the rest of us in the hockey world got a special Olympic hockey experience.

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The Olympic Winner’s Circle and Life

Posted on February 27, 2010 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.

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Keeping Perspective When Setting Expectations

Posted on February 25, 2010 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.

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Want to Win—There Are No Little Things

Posted on December 2, 2009 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.

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Moving the Puck the Key to a Defenseman’s Success

Posted on December 2, 2009 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.

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A Special Team Skating Session with Graeme Townsend

Posted on March 10, 2009 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

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