Reaching out to offer help


By
April 12, 2018

Well, the coach selection process is done at the AAA hockey level in Sault Ste. Marie. And with that, I am sure there is a lot of anxiety, excitement, disappointment and some nervous people.

I am talking about all involved and that includes players, coaches, managers and parents.

The coach selection committee did what they thought was the best for the young people in Sault Ste Marie. Their job was tough and probably thankless at times, I am sure.

There will be some who question the choices, it happens every year and all over Canada. The thing we should do though, is allow people to do their jobs. Support and taking a positive outlook should be taken.

The first thing that people, who have some knowledge on a subject, is to do that.

On the flip side, the negative outlook usually comes from someone who lacks some knowledge but wants to make it sound like they are knowledgeable.

I am not saying every coach is going win championships — we want our coaches to develop young people and get them to love the game.

That is one of the goals of the coach mentor-ship program. I will try to help these men out and offer my support through my knowledge and experiences.

I would also like to reach out to parents and offer them to come see and listen to what my message will be to the coaches in the Soo. I believe I can help — I will do this for parents to see what the principles that are important to me and I believe in.

It would be fun to answer some coaching questions from you. I was in your seats too, I was a hockey dad just as my wife was a hockey mom.

Maybe I can take some anxiety out of our culture in the Soo. I hope I can, anyway.

So, I will reach out to Soo Pee Wee Hockey League and Sault Major Hockey Association to help set up a night that we can meet.

I look forward to trying to help. If I can help, I will!

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part of an ongoing series of columns written for Hockey News North by retired National Hockey League player and coach Craig Hartsburg. Hartsburg retired from the game in 2016 after an eventful 27-year coaching career that included 19 seasons in the NHL and successful stints in the Ontario Hockey League and Western Hockey League. As a player, Hartsburg had a world-class career as an all-star defenseman with both the Soo Greyhounds of the OHL and the erstwhile Minnesota North Stars of the NHL. He was captain of the Greyhounds for two of his three OHL seasons and was captain of the North Stars for seven of his 10 NHL seasons.


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