I
wanted to write an article about the importance of every
single player on a team. A small percentage of every
team from youth hockey all the way to the NHL is made up
of star players. Typically eighty percent of a team
is made up what I am going to call the “non
star players”. I want parents who are standing
in the cold bleachers to know that even if your child is
not on the first line scoring the goals, or racking up
the assists or on the first defensive line, power play
or penalty kill, that your son or daughter is an integral
part of the hockey team. There are many cogs in the
wheel that are necessary to make the wheel spin. I
am constantly explaining this to my campers, and teams. Parents
should not feel bad standing next to the star players parents
because their children are responsible for helping the
star player child be that flashy goal scorer. I have
friends that had long and successful NHL careers playing
on the third and fourth line.
I have to apologize to my campers and parents around the country as I feel
I am always referring to the Bruins, Red Sox and Patriots as I am a Boston
guy but here I go again. I have been anxious as a former Boston Bruin
and current fan watching the three star players go down, Savard and Lucic
have fallen to injury and star player Phil Kessel got recently traded. Low
and behold the Bruins are holding strong because the 3rd and 4th lines are
stepping up and contributing offensively. Right now a fourth liner,
Begin is the second leading scorer of the team.
Here are some tips for the “non star
players”:
- Be vocal on the bench and the ice. Cheer
your teammates on when they finish their shift. Start
a bench pat and send it down the line periodically through
the game. Don’t be afraid to talk on the
ice. Let a teammate know you are behind him or
her, ready, or congratulate a nice play or pass by just
saying “Nice!” This also can psyche
the opposing team out. It is hard to beat a team
that is unified and gels. Please try to take pride
in yourself -- just as important on the team as the star
player because you are.
- Leadership. The goal scorers
or stars are not always or actually usually not the team
leaders. They may be gifted with natural ability,
but not necessarily have the charisma or gift of gab
of others. Non-star players are often the leaders
of a team. There is nothing better than a team
full of leaders and charisma and respect for all players. That
is the team that will go all the way.
- Be the first on the ice and the last off the
ice. Work ethic is important for both
the star players and the non-star players. When
doing a drill, don’t look to see if the coach
or parents are watching. Be focused on the drill and
yes your efforts will be noticed. Be the best practice
player and you will be a star player.
- Push your teammates to do better. Push
each other including the last person in a drill. Say, “Nice
effort, keep it up!”
- Take pride in your role or your child’s
role. Notice the little things that
happen in a game that YES contribute to a win or a
great effort. I believe the assist to the assists
or goals should count for points even though they do
not count on the stat sheet. The shot blocked
should count for a point. Taking the hit to save
the play should count for a point. Winning the
battle for the puck should count for a point. Winning
the face off should count. Winning the race to
the puck and battling for the puck and coming up with
the puck, or battling so hard that a teammate can grab
the puck should count for a point.
- Making all teammates smile or feel good about
his or her game or the win. Every single
player is responsible for the win!
- Most importantly rally around your goalie ESPECIALLY
when he or she is in a losing streak.
- It is a long season. Make a
joke in the locker room, have a team joke that is an
inside joke only to your teammates. Make each other
laugh and become friends. You need different personalities
for a winning team. A happy-go-lucky joker as well
as the serious down to business player!
Tip for the star players:
Be fortunate that you are the star player,
but realize that every player on the team is just as important
and helps assist you to get those goals. Be humble
and cheer on the non-star players and become a tight knit
group and care for each other - that is how to win.
Have heart!
Non-star players can become the star players
and vise versa:
Don’t
think that you are pigeon-holed the “non-star”player
or “star player”. Things change quickly
in hockey. You can become the star player of a particular
game, or season, or following season. The key is
to keep working hard and don’t feel bad about an
off game or a bad shift. Pick yourself up and go for it
the next game or next shift. Remember that hockey
is a game of mistakes. Recover and learn from the
mistakes and move on... no big deal, guys and gals. The
star players of the NHL make mistakes too. Don’t
forget to take pride in yourself whatever role you have
on the team. Remember, you made that team and everybody
is an important member and integral on helping the team
to victory. Hockey is funny, different players step
up at different times. And in my eyes (which are trained
eyes of the game) the steady “non-star”players
are also stars.
Sincerely,
Jeff
Copyright, October, 2009
PA WARRIOR
BRUINS
