A loooong day for a win

Down to the island, MV. Left my apt at 9 AM, got home at 9:15 PM. That's a long day.

But what a wonderful day it was.
Missing 6 of my older girls due to impending semester exams this week, I was down to just 11 skaters (exactly what I had normally two years ago), most of them middle schoolers.

The game itself was physical, cheap at times, but a great showing for my girls. One of my new girls scored on the power-play in the 3rd period. My best defensive defenseman who never gets the spotlight managed to put one in from the point. And some nice passing and smart playing led to two other goals.
We had a shut-out until MV finally scored with a minute-and-a-half left in the game.

We'd never won down there. (Lost 3-2 two years ago, tied 0-0 last year)

I got to see a number different girls really step up when I needed them to.

Heck, myself and the parents noticed that they ran the break-outs the way I have been drilling them and it worked wonderfully! From being under pressure behind our own net, we'd turn it around with smart passing and skating to be carrying it into the other end just 5-6 seconds later.

The defensemen played wonderfully. After giving up 6 or 7 goals in each of our first three games, we've given up 3 and 1 goal in our last two games. They all seem to understand that I'd rather try to win a game 2-1 than 9-7.


The parents were so happy yesterday with how the team is coming along.

My AD is smiling ear-to-ear and seems really psyched.

I'm so happy with the huge changes I've seen in the past month.

Thank you ocean

I also got the quiet moment on the ferry on the way back. $#&* cold as heck, but I got it.

Four years ago, the coaching had not been going as well. As our program was growing from a club team to varsity/JV set of teams with a combined 12 games, into the full-fledged program it now has become, a split was occurring. JM was taking the varsity. I was taking the JV. I was still helping with the varsity, but JM and I have never seen eye-to-eye on coaching, respect for refs, handling parents, discipline (what we will correct and what we will not tolerate), and the benefits of players just sitting on the bench of the varsity vs playing on the JV level. He knows his hockey. He knows it better than I do. He is a great coach of top-level girls. I do not feel he is as good with the younger ones. But either way, after we both helped start the program up in 1999, it was becoming apparent that he did not want me with him on varsity anymore. He had another assistant (who strangely also left after that year) who he was close with, and the varsity was not "my" team. The JV was becoming my team, I just didn't realize it yet.

Four years ago, the JV team did not go. It was me, the varsity, and the other two coaches. It was a long, lonely two-day trip. I stood out there on the front of the boat, looked at the water at night, the lights... and thought.


For the past two years, MV was the last game of the season. I've made that trip back also in the dark, always contemplating, looking back on the season. My head always filled with thoughts. Each season got more successful, yet we never came back on that boat winners. Last year, after our most successful season as a JV team yet, our first winning team, a 15 game schedule... we had not been on the ice due for 2 1/2 weeks, and looked discombobilated. It had been a little frustrating and disapointing.

Last night, riding back on that ferry, I got to look out on the water for one frigid minute... and thank the ocean. I got to feel that I am indeed a different coach than I once was. I am now looked at very differently than I once was. I feel like I am a success.


I got to feel happy.