Dear Parents an Athletes,
I hope everyone had a great holiday season and were able to enjoy time with friends and family.
While I was able to take a much-needed break from weekly coaching, I jumped right back into it this week with my mid-season “speed check” camps. Those of you who attended were part of some very special camps, as I believe these were some of my best camps yet!
As you all know, this isn’t just a job to me. I truly love seeing the kids reach their goals – whether it is to play professional hockey, make high school varsity, get a college scholarship or simply excel at where they are right now. My satisfaction doesn’t come in the form of a paycheck, or in feeding my own ego (although both are necessary for survival to some extent). There is nothing that makes me happier than not only seeing the kids working hard, coming off the ice with smiles on their faces, but also hearing about the positive feedback from coaches and teammates and their improved speed and skating skills. However, helping kids gain not just the skills, but almost more importantly the confidence, is probably my biggest joy. To see that hard work pays off not just in direct results, but in contributing to their personal growth.
Speaking of personal growth, I wouldn’t be enjoying my own journey if I didn’t feel like I was still learning how to be a better coach and becoming a better person. Every time I’m on the ice, I try to be better. I am always trying new approaches to help my skaters learn the skills that are so critical to their success. When I was an IT director, we called it “Continual Service Improvement.” (Those of you in the corporate world may recognize the Kaizen concept.)
This growth reaffirms my methods and my commitment. It may surprise some of you to know that I hate curriculum. While having a set practice plan is crucial for a team of 20+ players with various skating abilities and expectations from team coaches, my small camps are where I feel the most energized and can make the most impact.
Rather than come with a list of worn-out drills, I keep an arsenal in my head and a loose plan. Usually, after the first drill or two (yes, the “Jack Kresl” drill will be done every session because it develops pure speed so quickly) that plan goes out the window when I see what challenges the kids are having. Did they have a long weekend and are fatigued? Were they off too many days and are sluggish? Is everyone pushing way too much off their toes today instead of leveraging their entire blade? To me, doing the best I can for the athletes means changing on the fly and being hyper-focused on what the kids need at that very moment. I want to leave every session knowing I provided the best opportunity for those skaters to improve. It is this challenge that I thrive on and keeps me 100% engaged in what I do.
But enough about me, because it’s the improvement in the kids that really matters. And I have always said, I will give as much to a skater as they are willing to put into their growth and effort. It doesn’t matter if you’re the top kid in your age group in the country, or if you’ve only skated for 2 years but are willing to do everything you can to make your school’s varsity team. If you’re willing to put in the effort, I’m willing to put the effort into you. That’s why you’ll see me pulling kids aside in my camp to let them know when they’re doing the right thing, or what I see improving in addition to little improvements they can make in their technique or situational skill. I know some of my skaters have learning disabilities, ADHD, and other factors that may influence their learning rate, but each of my skaters deserves the chance to improve if they want to.
I read an article recently about how innovation and learning capacity peak for individuals in their late 20s/early 30s, but that the best teachers are over 50. I am finding this to be true. I am a far better teacher than I was in my 20s. I understand so much more about adolescent psychology, family dynamics, and, thanks to my time spent in higher education and the corporate world, the way the youth hockey industry works. And I love educating and sharing my knowledge and expertise to families.
I know decisions aren’t easy. There are a myriad of development programs. There are organizational commitments and political pressure. So for those of you who have chosen to entrust me with your child’s development, I am sincerely grateful.
Here’s hoping 2026 will bring even more joy and success to you and your child, in whatever form that is.
Sincerely,
Shannon
