Jared Frayne- Head Coach, Huron-Perth Lakers Major PeeWee (2001)
What are your expectations for attendance, arrival times and dress code for games and practices?
Expected arrival time for games is one hour prior. Players are expected to prepare and dress themselves. Parents should not be anywhere near the change room. For practices, players are to arrive thirty minutes prior. On occasion players may be asked to be at the rink earlier for dry land training and video review. Players are expected to give a full 100% at every practice.
Dress code for games will consist of a Laker coat, tie and shirt. Hats are not permitted. Poor weather, school (not school sports), family emergencies and/or illness are the only reasons a player would miss a game or practice. Playing AAA hockey requires a strong commitment from every player and family. Family vacations should be planned around the hockey schedule.
How do you plan to distribute ice times?
Ice time will be fair but not equal. In certain game situations (i.e. speciality teams, key face-offs etc.), players may receive additional ice time. This will be determined at the sole discretion of the coaches and based on the play of the player in that particular game. Situations may arise where the coaches have to reduce a player’s ice time. The coaches will communicate with players the reason for reduced ice-time. Some examples where players may miss shifts include retaliation penalties and unsportsmanlike penalties etc.
Goalies will be played on a rotating basis. In tournaments and playoffs, the goalie who seems to be performing the best will get the start. After the first game it will be on a rotating basis throughout the tournament or playoffs. Goalies will be pulled if the situation arises.
Do you intend to add off-ice sessions of any kind?
The only intention for off-ice sessions is dry-land training. Dry-land training is going to be a major portion of our practices.
What are your tournament plans?
The team will be enter three to four tournaments. Tournaments will be planned mainly through October to December. There will be no tournaments planned over the Christmas holidays.
How will you balance individual development, team development and emphasis on winning?
All players will be closely monitored at both practices and games to see what each player's individual abilities are and to see where improvements (if needed), can be worked on. All players will go through the same drills at practices, but additional drills will be conducted for each player's position that will benefit their abilities, skills and performance during a game.
The main focus will be on positioning, speed, fore-checking, back-checking, quick shifts and aggressiveness.
Most games will be videotaped and will be reviewed by the team prior to the next practices. I look at this as a very important tool. Players will be able to see what they or the team did, good or bad. This tool helps immensely with positioning.
Winning is great and I don't expect to win every game, but what I expect from each player is to give 100% at practices and games. I want to see every player's face with a smile leaving the dressing room. We win as a team and lose as a team. Players will make mistakes on the ice that lead to goals against and mistakes are to be learned from, but each player has a supporting cast out there with then when a mistake happens, to back him up if the team plays as a cohesive unit.
What is your approach to team and individual discipline?
Players will show respect for all involved in the game. The players not only represent themselves, but the coaching staff, their fellow players and parents, as well the Laker organization.
What initiatives, objectives and goals do you have for your team?
It is my goal to create a fun and exciting hockey season for the players and their parents. I expect nothing but their best effort both at games and practice. I will develop skills within a team environment without intimidation and show players that effort is more important than production and team play is more important than the individual.