Head Coach and Manager - The Most Important Union in Minor Hockey

I remember a mathematical equation for goaltending in the NHL that somehow remained embedded in my subconscious:

If you have amazing goaltending, it accounts for 70% of your success. Everyone else is 30%.

If you have brutal goaltending, it accounts for 100% of your success.

I can assure you, the same math applies to having a strong team manager.

The problem in minor hockey (and minor sports in general) is that only the coach, the manager, and the spouse of said manager, really know how much time, effort, sacrifice, and time (not a typo) go into being a successful manager. Furthermore, like referees, the only time you notice the manager is if they are not good at their job.

Ever notice that when someone asks you how your son or daughter is enjoying hockey, they always ask who their coach is, but never the manager?

A team that is organized, social, fitted with apparel, and scheduled properly is only that way because of the manager. Hotels, team meals, rosters, name bars, jerseys, parties, gifts, track suits, and tournament logistics are only made possible because of your manager.

This is why the manager sets deadlines and asks for information ASAP. They have way too many responsibilities and the last thing they want to do is chase parents for information. They are volunteering a lot of time and energy - the least parents can do is reply quickly.

Like last week’s blog, I have provided some volunteer math for you to peruse.

Personally, I can’t say enough about our manager from this past season. Our season was 6 months long and I can count on 2 hands how many days we went WITHOUT communicating in some way about our team. If we didn’t hear from each other for more than 2 days, one of us would text the other wondering if we were in a fight.

At Christmas, all of our players and coaches threw in some money and we got her flowers and her favourite bottle of gin. I had 3 of my players present her with the gifts and we gave her a thunderous applause. I can still see the look on her face and how proud my players were for making her smile.

Thank you to all of those great managers out there toiling behind these scenes who make minor hockey the pastime that it is.

By Coach Waldo1947