Tag Archive for Hockey

| March 19, 2013
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Another Year…

In a few days, SteveBellNow will have completed its fourth year of being out there. The site has come a long ways from the initial thoughts. I wanted to take my writing of an internal blog, externally. Sharing my experiences! I wanted to share my passions for leading organizations, coaching sports and just my travels to different places. Things change… I don’t coach ice hockey anymore, but I did get an opportunity to coach my grand daughter and he 3/4 year old soccer team! I don’t have my internal company blog anymore, as I have retired. Some things remain the same… I still have a passion for sharing my experiences with leading organizations. I still write about my overall observations, but they sometimes take on a political stand (which I really don’t want to write about). Politics gives me plenty of opportunity to apply my passion for leading organizations. Unfortunately, most of the examples I get to share are more on the what not to do variety.

Some things are new…

  • Sharing my new experiences as I now work for myself. I am now using my experiences to help consult with organizations to help them. Starting up a business is definitely new…
  • I am doing plenty of volunteer work. I hope to take my experiences with being a volunteer to bigger and better highs, by helping to process engineering the volunteer life cycle and help make the overall experience better for all involved. I bet we can all share some good, bad and ugly stories around the volunteer life cycle.

I want to thank those that regularly stop by SteveBellNow! I am going to keep on writing… In advance, I hope that you will enjoy some of the new items that I will be putting up on my volunteer reprocessing thoughts and my continued efforts of sharing my experiences on leading individuals/organizations.

Thanks again! Steve

Category: Observations, Volunteering | Tags: , , , , , , , ,
| March 26, 2012
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Role of Hockey Captain

I have been getting a lot of emails and hits on my opinion of what is important for the captain’s role within my hockey teams. I wrote about the selection process that I used over my many years of coaching. I touched briefly on the role when it came to the selection process. Many have asked what I used to say to those captains and alternate captains upon selection. Here goes – it is now in writing…

Roles:

  • You must know the rules of the game! If you have not taken the level one officials program from USA Hockey, please do so. I will fund it for you… This is the best way to understand the rules and how officials do their job. Having that background will help you to understand the game better. Will help you communicate with officials better.
  • Be the hardest working player on the team. Get to the rink early. When it comes time for all team activities, demonstrate that you are not going to be outworked. Set a standard where all players need to be.
  • Be a great team mate. Spend time with all of your team mates. Listen to them when they are talking. You can easily learn what is going on. If they are feeling good, hurt or unhappy. You are the ears to the locker room. Share with them your thoughts. Be one of them…
  • Be a great sportsman. Setting the example of sportsmanship is important. When I am coaching youth sports, sportsmanship is my main priority for both players and parents. Being respectful of the game, team mates, opposing players, coaches and officials is paramount. I will not tolerate unsportsmanlike behavior, especially from the leaders of the team. When you see a player not meeting the teams expectations, say/do something.
  • Locker room  is “your” domain.  As the captain and alternate captains, the locker room is yours. Respectful behavior at all times… Make sure that players are ready. Make sure the locker room is a reflection of our team goals of sportsmanship. When we leave it is cleaner than when we came. You own it till the coaching staff comes in for pre-game and post-game discussions.

Players learn to understand that the responsibility of the captains and alternates is an extremely important job. They are the extension of the coaching staff. They are the face of the team. They should represent their team and themselves well. Not all players have worked out to be the best. It is a lot of work and effort to be a good captain. Some just don’t work out as expected. I will say, those that have worked out… I am very proud of how they are doing today, in the non-hockey world. They are well respected and successful individuals in their line of work. Hopefully, those captain expectations helped to shape them!

Category: Hockey, Leadership | Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
| February 3, 2012
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Went to the Rink – Been Quite Awhile

The other day, I was asked to attend a ice hockey practice by a parent to watch their son. They asked me to see what he could work on to get better. I used to coach ice hockey for over 20 years. I love the game.  I had not been out to the rink in over a year or so. I was excited to go to the rink. Couple of hip replacements and not being able to really skate – makes going to the rink difficult.  Off I went and sat in the stands. When I walked into the rink, there was that usual rush, smell and sights. Definitely brought back some great memories. My mind was racing for that hour or so. I watched the player and for that matter practice overall. Something jumped out at me right away…

Watching another coaches practice can be an eye opening experience. I have seen a lot of practices on all levels. When you watch another practice, you can always pick up something that you would like to use in your practice. This practice was a pretty good one. There were some very good things going on our there. Almost every player was moving at all times – my mark of a good use of ice time. Teachable moments were being applied to individual players and the team as a whole. What happened next, was the gauntlet drill. Checking in hockey is one of those items that is important to teach the proper technique. For those that don’t know the gauntlet drill is supposed to help the player with puck control while  receiving a body check. It usually is done along the boards with the player with the puck skating with the puck up the line of the other players wait to check the player into the boards.  Most coaches use the drill to get every player used to receiving a check… Getting other players to check more… This particular drill has to be well supervised. Coaches need to insure that proper checking technique is used. What typically happens is not good. Hands start to raise up towards the head. Players move in close to each other (not giving the player time to recover). Hence someone gets hurt. In this case, it was the teams best player that suffered a concussion when the biggest player used his size and improper technique to smash the players head against the glass. It was not the first check that was improper, but the drill ended when one player got hurt. There were a number of opportunities to have a teachable moment before the injury, but every player and coach was excited about the crushing checks that were being delivered.

With all of the focus on concussions in football and hockey, it is time for coaches to make sure that they are protecting their players and teaching proper technique. I used to tell the parents, “checking is a part of the game. It happens. I will do my best to teach each player the proper way to give and receive a check. Realize, the best part of my responsibility is to teach players how to play in a safe environment and have fun doing it!” If we were to use a checking drill, it was in a controlled and safe way. Never will you see my team run a gauntlet drill. We may have a one on one situation like that, but it will have a coach watching and instructing after each check.  I used to get mixed emotions from some parents on that. The gauntlet has been around a very long time (I used to have to run it). Many of the parents remember their experience. My only comment was did anyone ever get hurt? Where the checks always properly delivered? We will check, but we will do it right!

I met the parents after the practice and gave them my observations. I asked them, if they told their son that I was coming to watch him practice. They said “no.” Practice is important. Sacrifice is important. Does he shoot pucks at home? Does he do stick handling drills with a golf ball at home? How much effort do you think he is putting into hockey outside of scheduled practices? They said some, but not a much as he could. I didn’t want the parents to think that he should only be focused on hockey. He is  young and needs to experience life. He should set goals around how much time he will work on shooting, passing, fitness, stickhandling and studying the game – outside of practice. Have him record his time on what he is working on. He then can see if his work is paying off in playing time, effectiveness on the ice or just how he feels about what he is doing. I stayed till the player came out of the locker room. Asked him if he felt that he gave his all in practice? He said, not really. Stressed to him the importance for him to take advantage of the ice time given. Work hard and excel every time you take the ice. Passed along to the player the same things that I told his parents. I felt honored that I was called. I thanked them all for that honor and wished them well.

Now, I am wondering if I need to get back to being involved…

Photo Credit: Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Category: Hockey | Tags: , , , ,
| January 9, 2012
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Book Review: Patriot Hearts by John Furlong

A couple of weeks ago, a friend gave me this book Patriot Hearts by John Furlong with Gary Mason. She said, when I heard this guy speak and started reading his book, I thought of you and that you would enjoy it. Without question, I did enjoy reading this one. The general overview of the book takes an account of everything from the bid process, to winning the bid, to building and hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. When I was reading this book, I could easily related to much of what John and his team were doing. I grew up just 1 mile (straight across the St. Lawrence River) from the Canadian border. Most of my youth was spent in Canada. When he was talking about the spirit  and Canadian culture – I could easily recall all of that. Since it was about the Winter Olympics, it had plenty of sports references – another passion of mine (especially – hockey). Lastly, my wife and I were in Vancouver in October 2009, just months before the Olympics. We got to see much of the area. All making this book something to draw me in. To pull of something as large as the Olympics is not a small task. To pull of one of the best Olympic games, even tougher. I watched those games… I enjoyed those games as a fan… Even though I am not Canadian, I was still very proud of what was pulled off. I know many Canadians, I grew up very close. I attend my first outdoor rock concert in Ottawa. I watched my first professional hockey and baseball games in Montreal. I drank my first beer (a Canadian Molson’s) on a Canadian island on the St. Lawrence.  I was really pleased with how the country circled around the games as a whole. This book, let you into the stuff behind the scenes.

My key takeaways – from a leadership perceptive – are setting a very grand vision and not settling for anything less. John and the team want these games to make every Canadian proud. To show the world the Canadian spirit. To host the best possible games that they could. At every turn down that journey, there were potential to compromise or change for  political, social or financial reasons. These created opportunities for new and innovative ways to handle them. John and his team did that without losing sight of their vision. Sure, they had to make some sacrifices, but overall the vision and delivery of that did not change. Keep that vision at the forefront of your decision making!

They had their fair share of problems that they needed to deal with. Weather and the unfortunate tragedy with the luge competitor from Georgia. The team dealt with them the best that they could. The opening ceremony had that faulty arm of the cauldron. They turned that around with the closing ceremony. Turning lemons into lemonade. What they did was keep their vision in mind with everything, everyone did.

There is so much more to take from this book, that I did not write about. Examples of great leadership, motivating and problem solving techniques. Read them for yourself.

Category: Book Review | Tags: , ,
| May 24, 2011
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5 Leadership Lessons I Have Learned From Hockey Captains

We are in the middle of the National Hockey League Stanley Cup Playoffs. I am a huge hockey fan! I have not missed any of the playoff games this season. I watch the game for more than the love of the game. I do it to watch how leaders lead their teams. The leaders on the team are normally the Captains and Alternate Captains. They are the extension of the coach. I wrote about hockey captains as leaders before – here it is! I have made some mental notes from the last couple of games and the captains for the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks. They are great examples of what the five things I have learned from hockey captains.

  • Credibility is the foundation.
  • Lead by example or you don’t lead at all.
  • Challenge provides opportunities for greatness.
  • Leaders are team players.
  • Caring is at the heart of leadership.

Credibility is the foundation. Credible leaders walk the talk, practice what they preach, are consistent in word and deed, put their money where their mouth is, and follow through on promises.  Watching the playoffs, each captain has walked the talk – they have definitely been out in front of the media discussing the games and what they and the team will do in the next game. I have listened closely to each of them and watched their actions live up to those words.

Lead by example or you don’t lead at all. This is where the words turn to action or they equal the do part. You have to do what you say.. Not just say it. Wish it or hope for it. Each one of those captains have stepped onto the ice and have delivered on their words with true actions. It is hard to stay on top of every shift in every period inevery game – but they do it.

Challenges provides opportunities for greatness. What better stage for any player. You are attempting to win the oldest trophy in sports, the Stanley Cup. You have all hockey fans watching your every move. Who will step up and be the best? That person that steps up and does more than just score, play defense or stops pucks. That person is the leader of that team. He is the captain and the eyes of his team mates are on him everyday. That is what true leaders live for. Give me the stage to do what I do – everyday.

Leaders are team players. Look at the team. Watch closely during the game, how much ice time, how many times the persons name is mentioned by the announcers. Who is in the middle of everything? It is that leader, that captain – the extension of the coach and
the coaching staff. They normally are the face of the team. But, first and most important they are team players. They look to make their team mates better.

Caring is at the heart of leadership. During the playoffs, everyone cares about winning the Stanley Cup. It is every players dream to have their name put on the Stanley
Cup. When I watch the captains during the pregame, game and post game – they wear the emotions on their sleeve. Not about winning only, but it all about the team and each and every person inside the team organization.

If you are a hockey fan or not, watch a couple of games and pay close attention to the captains of each of the teams. Listen to them, watch them do what they say, rise to
greatness and care about their team mates, coaching staff and the overall organization. They are wonderful examples for any leader to follow. You can easily do these things in your leadership role. I know, I practice these all the time. Just a solid foundation…

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Category: Hockey, Leadership, New To Management | Tags: , , , , , , ,
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