Exposure, Experience and Enjoyment

My friend is a volunteer youth hockey coach and she shared this with me. I thought I would share it with you.

YOU will NOT believe what just happened! I was having my morning cup of coffee when I received the first email. Let me set the stage…

As the head coach for the Squirts (level 2) house hockey program I have asked each player to suit up as goalie at least once during the season. As coaches, exposing a player to all aspects of the game is one of the best things we can offer our young athletes, or so I thought. After a two-week break we had practice on Tuesday. I asked a young man to suit up as goalie for Saturday’s game. He responded, “I don’t want to be goalie.” To which I responded, “everybody has to play every position.”

This is the email I received from his father,

“It’s my understanding that you told my son that he has to be goalie this weekend.  When he told you he didn’t want to, you said everyone has to.  I have checked with the Board President and there is no rule saying the players have to.  They can be asked, but not told.  It’s not much fun for the kids when they are being made to do something they don’t want, and the Board President said the same on the phone. My son has no desire to ever be a goalie. 

Rather than send an email back I immediately attempted to call the parent and as expected was only able to leave a message. I followed up with the Board President and sent the following email.

“In my attempt to ensure that each player plays each position I asked #19 to play goalie. I was told early on that house does not have set positions and that exposing each player to all position was beneficial. I don’t know that your support of the parent’s concerns helps the kids have that experience. If, as the head coach I decided at the beginning of the season that each player will have a chance in net, then that was my decision to make. I see a great value in a kid playing all positions and I explained that to the players early on. Please know that #19 has also refused to play defense and only wants to be a forward. I cannot, and the association cannot cater to the demands of a 10 year old boy and his parents.

PS Please keep in mind that NO other child on my roster has refused or argued with me regarding the position that they play. To think at age 10 you have a say as to what you will not do as a player is very concerning.”

The President of the Organization responded.

“I see ‘great value in a kid playing all positions’ as well.  However, it is not mandatory.  If a kid doesn’t want to play goalie, he should not be forced to.  Forward and Defense are a different story though, all kids need to know those positions. As the Head Coach, it is your responsibility to remember that this is HOUSE hockey.  These kids are here to play the game and find the love for the game.  You know that if a kid is forced to do something they don’t want to do, they will not have the desire to continue.   This association CAN NOT afford to lose any players. By allowing a kid to not play a position(goalie), that the coach wants him to, is not catering to him or his parents.  It is doing what is best for the situation.”

Naturally the situation called for just one more email from me, and I responded to the President of the organization as follows.

“It wasn’t long ago I was being told the same kid didn’t play long enough shifts, and shortly after that I was informed I yelled too much. Catering to my needs would be to ask the kid to leave the program as he has no interest in becoming a better hockey player or being a team player, instead only to fulfill his wants and desires. His father has a warped perspective of the ability of his son and feels that contacting the board director rather than the coach is the best way to resolve issues. If a player does not appreciate the effort involved in all positions as well as the perspective of each player on the ice in that position then how can he become a well-rounded player? Since we no longer have goalies at the mite level we need to make sure that our kids are experiencing EVERY position, not wanting do so regardless of reason will affect the unit as a whole. 

I am deeply concerned that our society has watered down youth sports so much that even the youngest players feel empowered. It seems we have lost sight of team concepts, and player development and our players are motivated by their own egos rather than the experience of being on a team. After a quick search on the internet I found the following to support my position…

Fast Pitch softball for girls has adopted this rule for U10 “It is required that no player play same position 2 innings.”

Canadian Youth Hockey It is the philosophy that House Squirt League players including goaltenders should play all positions in order to develop good skating skills and a complete understanding of the game. Therefore the program does not endorse the concept of dedicated position players or goalkeepers at House League level.

USA Hockey  According to American Developmental Model created by USA Hockey, the reason we do not introduce the kids to position hockey too early (Mite level) is that it prohibits instinctual play.

UPDATE: After a phone cal to the parent, he expressed concern that we did not have a goalie helmet and that his son may get hurt. I explained that removing his son out of harms way and putting another child in that position was not going to happen under my watch. I assured him I would have a helmet for his son to wear.  Lastly I explained that we have only three kids who want to play goalie and the rest do so because they are asked. I drew a parallel to football and baseball where everyone wants to be the QB or 1st baseman but nobody wants to block or play right field. I think he finally got it!