Hockey Chat:  Martian Broduer’s journey started with a small hope to stop pucks that first time he played goal in net.  Through the years it grew and grew and he inscribed his name as one of the greats to ever play in the NHL, winning the Stanley Cup three times, and minding the net for the New Jersey Devils through numerous games. 

Hockey Chat:  I’ve seen hockey players try to argue there way out of penalties saying that it was just a little hook or they just slashed at the puck not the opponent.  They try to minimize the offense.  Fact is, when they are called for penalty, it’s a penalty.  If they say they just barely hit the guy with their stick, they still are called for slashing.  If plead that they just nudged the guy head first into the boards, they still get called for boarding just as if they slammed him.  When the ref sees a penalty, regardless of the degree, he calls it.

When most sport seasons end, numbers get crunched. It’s easy for coaches to get caught up in the numbers game, especially as the media highlights our career wins, our titles, and our Coach of the Year awards. However, any true coach knows records are not the important thing; what matters is having the opportunity to work with athletes, to make a difference in their lives. Coaches, like players, make a lot of sacrifices to develop winning teams, but most will tell you those sacrifices and successes are for the athletes, for the joy of watching players mature and grow.

Hockey Chat:  We’ve seen it at every level.  From the pee-wee’s up through the professionals.  As much as skaters on the same team try to move fluently and work together, there is always some moment in some games where two guys on the same team cross paths and trip each other up.  The lack of proper communication or the way they communicated caused them to run into each other.  One misjudged the other and they both wound up in the same space and down on the ice. 

As coaches, we are supposed to teach our players about the game and about life lessons. Sometimes, the reverse happens and our players teach us a valuable lesson. The day before my first home football game of the season, my senior quarterback boldly stood up in front of the entire team and coaches and quoted the above Scripture.

As coaches, what do we expect from our athletes if we want to improve their performance? If they are going to be champions in the weight room, we expect them to be torn down. We expect them to push beyond their boundaries. When they do that, their bodies rebuild stronger than before. How do our athletes get faster? We put them on a treadmill, increase the incline, and again push them beyond their boundaries, beyond their comfort zones. Again, when their bodies recover, they are faster. Sometimes the increase is small but they are faster.

Last year, I was on the junior varsity basketball team. Our record was 23-4. It was the best record our coach had ever had. However, he was not pleased with us all of the time. He continually told us that even though we were winning games, we had not played to our full potential. He told us we had yet to play a full four quarters at our hardest. Just because we beat other teams the coach believed we were not living up to the standards he had for us on the court.

As a coach, I used to love preseason practice. (As a player I could have done without it.) I loved working with the players and coaches, the camaraderie of being part of a team, and the anticipation of opening night. Preseason was always electrifying.

Then came the first game. The scoreboard was turned on, and a new element was added—the element of stress.

Hockey Chat:  The original Stanley Cup is made of pure silver.  This precious metal for the prestigious Cup, was worked by a silversmith who makes silver in it’s purest form by first placing it over an intense flame.  This high heat melts the metal and separates the impurities from the true silver. It is considered pure when the silversmith can see his reflection in it.

Hockey Chat:  There are the guys on the team that wear the “C” on their sweater representing that they are the Captain.  They’ve given their best at putting forth the qualities of a leader.  The management of the team sees those actions and gives this prestigious reward to the top man who has earned it.  It’s an honor given to them because of what they gave to the team.

It’s interesting how we can take just about anything in life and use it for good or evil. James 3 illustrates how fire can be good or evil. It only takes a small spark to set a forest on fire and yet what is more soothing on a cold winter night than sitting before a crackling fire that radiates a comforting heat? Is fire good or evil?