Hit The Net! Hit The Net!

As I watched the second intermission show of the Flyers at Toronto Maple Leafs game, TSN commentator Ray Ferraro commented on a point that we have all heard so many times—hit the net! The Leafs had already missed the net 13 times in the first two periods. They were doing a fine job of not giving their team a chance to win on this point alone.

Ferraro also said something to the effect that “The net has been in the same place for over 200 years” and he was marveling on how an entire team could be so inept at getting the puck on the net.

Coaches always stress shooting the puck—and hitting the net. Starting with warming up your goalies at the beginning of a practice, there is little value in shots that miss the net. Coaches do things like making players do pushups or do extra skating when players miss the net during drills. This sometimes helps.

Consistently hitting the net is more of a mental thing than a reflection of physical ability. Having the mindset to get the puck on the net is where a player needs to be. Coaches can help with consistently demanding this in practices. Players who like to score make it a habit to get the puck on the net consistently. Top power plays try to get the puck to the net every time they have the man advantage.

“A shot on goal is never a bad thing.” We all heard that line before.

Oh, by the way, the Leafs continued to miss the net in the third period. They lost 4-1.

Mixing Pleasure With Business–Social Networking With A Purpose

I had an interesting experience this week. A player I am working with sent me a message on facebook. He wanted me to help him contact a team on his behalf. It was an easy request. After a quick response, I decided to take a moment to check out his page. Wow. What world is this guy living in?

It looked like my guy had quite the summer and it appeared that he has the party lifestyle going—at least that was the story the picks were telling. Lots of beach pics with lots of adult beverages and babes. Not that we are against such things, but if you want to be taken seriously, this is definitely not the impression you want to be presenting to the world.

What to do… How about a few pictures of the guys working out at the gym? Throw in some action shots from past seasons and this year, and try to keep your pictures as current as possible. You could also feature a couple of your team mates and even a couple shots of other players you consider role models. Listing websites that feature your team and league would be a good thing too.

If I am taking a look at your facebook page, or twitter, or any other social network you may use, then who else is? Let all of us get a positive impression of you and your world.