Feb 01, 2019 | Mark Holmes | 801 views
Give thanks when you can
There are a lot of things that happen behind the scenes to make the season go as smoothly as possible. As this week proceeded, it reminded me to say "thank you."
Firstly, thank you to all our parents and families who support our young hockey players, committing to your prospective teams and ensuring your child experiences growth both on and off the ice. Continue to cheer on your players and our teams.
Secondly, thank you to our coaches, trainers and managers. Just by volunteering, you are putting yourself in the spotlight, undoubtedly evaluated frequently over the majority of the season. But, rest assured what you are doing is essential, is valued, and is very much appreciated by the majority of those involved in our programs. Be sure to thank your coaching staff.
Thirdly, Marg Smith continues to run our front door. She is friendly yet stern. She is organized and reliable, and she is very patient with the AMHA ice scheduler.
Fourth, Dave King has organized our referees and time keepers for as long as I can remember. He is always double checking our schedule to ensure we are supplied with those who help keep our games run safely. This week, Dave was on vacation down south and he continued to communicate with me to ensure our teams were covered. In fact, right up until today, Dave was searching for referees for our Bantam LL game tomorrow. Thank you Dave for your commitment and follow through. He could have easily said "figure it out" but he understood our urgency to get these games in with blackouts through Feb and March.
Fifth, personally I would like to thank Danielle Broer at the complex for being patient, understanding and accommodating over the past three seasons. You should all give her a big thank you for helping find ice times, switching ice times when needed, and having patience when doing so. We thank her for her ongoing assistance.
Lastly, and hopefully I am not forgetting anyone, thank you to fellow board members for working hard to make it easier for our teams and participants to simply practice, play and grow. I believe our board members are keen on giving our participants a positive experience, providing opportunities for our young kids to grow, and finding new opportunities to help our participants enjoy the game of hockey.
As a coach, I am often found reflecting on what I can do better for my players. As a competitive coach, I find myself giving feedback 100 percent of the time. But what I find I need to do more, is simply give praise. So thank you to my players, and thank you my committed parents, and thank you to all that make hockey positive.
Thanks