Preface
It has been said that great coaches are great teachers and vice versa. Quite often these terms are treated as separate entities that live in completely different worlds. The truth of the matter is that these terms are often interchangeable and frequently coexist in every interaction a teacher/coach has with his/her student/athletes. Without being hyperbolic, it is these interactions that make the teaching/coaching process extremely valuable for the student athlete. In many instances, they have the power to change lives.
This book was written with you and your contemporaries in mind. The hallmark of a great coach is the lessons they impart to their athletes. Thus the title reflects its primary focus. It is a book that will take the reader on a voyage as seen through the
eyes of a high school hockey coach. Each chapter will present a different set of issues that impact not only the student athlete, but the team as a whole. At the conclusion of each chapter, you will have the opportunity to reflect on the coach's interactions with his players and explore how you would have handled these situations.
Therefore, what is to follow is a culmination of years of experience as a player, coach and official in the sport of hockey. It is my hope that that you find your own journey as fulfilling and rewarding as I have found mine.
"A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are."
--Ara Parasheghian
Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher --
Japanese Proverb
I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think. -- Socrates
