Monday, March 5, 2018

Joining the Wolfpack


Five months and two weeks ago, as I sat in the locker room before a beer league hockey game, two parents were considering moving their kids to other organizations because of the lack of coaches within the Whitestown organization. I struck up a conversation with them and said I’d always thought about getting involved. The next day, I was in touch with the coaching coordinator for the organization to get more info. Later that day, I was signed up for USA hockey for the first time in more than 10 years, and enrolled in the required courses to be ready for the 2017-18 season. The rest of the ride was unbelievable. I’m not sure words will capture what it meant to me, but I’m going to try.

Ever since I graduated in 2006, I’ve thought about getting back involved in the game. My biggest regret has been not at least attempting to try out as a walk on during my time at Brockport. Between now and then I’ve played in various beer leagues, intramural teams, fundraisers, alumni games, and so on. One of my favorite things to remind the kids is that we’re privileged to be able to play the best game in the world, just enjoy every minute of it. A few times I’ve thought about officiating, a way to get involved and get paid! But, I never made the move to do it. Coaching crossed my mind of course, but without my own kid involved, how fun would it be? Turns out, it can be incredible!

This weekend we had the season ending Snowbelt Jam. A culmination of the results from the year, seeding us 8th out of 20 total teams. Against some tough competition (seeds 5-7), the boys left it all on the ice. Unfortunately we came up 2 goals short of making the Championship game. Considering we had a combined one win in six games against these same teams during the regular season, it definitely shows how far they’ve come this season. It was quite somber as we left the rink, some tears in the locker room, some stories from the season were relived, but everyone knew the season was over. The ride home with my wife, A’nna, was rough on me.

As we talked about the season, all I could say was that I wasn’t ready for it to end. The road trips, the practices, the daunted thirty second drill (which coach admitted to the players post game usually ran 50 seconds), the chit chat with the kids, just everything. Ironically, my google guides popped up just this morning and said I had spent sixty hours in the car this month, I was surprised it was that low. Over the season, we traveled a total of nearly six hours for one game on a Sunday afternoon. We sped up to Pulaski to beat the weather, only to find out the tournament might not happen at all, and that we had 2 non-refundable nights booked at the hotel (it did take place). We spent a weekend in Niagara Falls and got to unwind and spend some quality time with the parents of these kids who I’m spending all this time with. On the ice and in the locker room, I’ve learned from the kids as much as it feels like they’ve learned from me. By the end of the year, I was fielding questions every day about different scenarios that happen and what I would do. My first commitment to them, was that I’d never ask them to do something that I couldn’t. That is why every practice, I made sure to skate the sprints with them, always pushing them to be their best. I didn’t get much pushback from most of them this year, if you asked them to do it, it was done. I had to adapt to teaching as well. Learning to lose was what surprised me the most about myself. I live on competition and winning, I don’t typically lose anything well. This isn’t the way youth sports work though. With all twelve losses this year, I was able to brush them off and focus on the positives. Did a few leave a really sour taste? Of course, but when it comes down to it, none of these kids will remember our record in a few weeks. I’ve always played the game, fairly well at times, but trying to communicate and teach is a whole different animal. I’m happy with the way both sides adjusted and how we were able to work together to make both groups better. These, not the scores or results, are the memories I will take with me from this season.

I landed an awesome pair of coaches to start my journey with as well. Chris was the official head coach of the team. He put in countless hours preparing everything for the kids and the coaches for that matter. Drawing up practice plans between 11pm and 2am seems to be his specialty. Eric was in the same boat as myself, registering for courses at the last minute to get involved to help out. He was always willing to do some research to find ways to add on to existing drills, or the best way to explain new concepts to the boys. These two, and their wives and children, became our road family. I have a feeling we’ve made some long lasting friendships. Now, we would be in good shape if we could find just one good knee out of the 6 that we have combined (probably not a good sign that the artificial one is the strongest).

A’nna has been a trooper through the whole season. She told me to sign up when I first told her about coaching, I’m not sure she realized what exactly it was that she was getting into. She made all the road trips with me, attended most of the home games as well when she didn’t have to work. To her, I say thank you, and I love you! Please don’t delete all my registration emails next year when they start up just to keep me from jumping back into it. She and I were both happily accepted by the “hockey family,” I’m very grateful for this as I’m not sure she would have made it the whole season sitting by herself.

On a personal friendship level, coaching brought me back to people I never would have expected it to. On 5 different road trips, I was able to catch up with friends I hadn’t seen in a long time. Trips I probably wouldn’t have made if I wasn’t coaching. It’s funny how things come around when you’re not expecting them.

The family aspect of hockey is something I had forgotten some of. I guess 15 years out of hockey (and just being a participant, not a parent) will do that to you. One of the first comments I remember from this season was a quick quip with one of the parents in the lobby before practice. They asked why my kids were running around. I said, “I have no kids here, not my problem!” The response was, “You have 30 kids here, they’re all your problem!” We laughed at the time, but as we got further into the season I realized just how right they were. While walking around the hotel in Niagara Falls, I felt responsible for each and every Wolfpack player there (even the siblings who were at different levels). I’m proud of these kids though, I made comment to A’nna about how much more well behaved our kids were than others who were causing far more commotion and problems.

I’m still having a hard time believing that we played 37 games already. It feels like just yesterday I was rushing out to Schenectady to get my level one CEP course completed. I’m also not ready to accept that after our closing events this week, the season is over. My only regret will be not starting coaching sooner. As far as everything else this season, I would repeat every single bit in a heartbeat!  I want to thank everyone that was involved from the bottom of my heart. I hope that every season after this can live up to the standard that this one has set.
Until next year, summer skate, dry land, or backyard shooting,
Thanks again,
Coach Otto


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