Dave Schlitt – Head Coach, Huron Perth Lakers Minor Midget (1998)
What are your expectations for attendance, arrival times and dress codes for games and practices?
Playing any level of AAA hockey is a significant commitment on the part of players and their families. The upcoming Minor Midget season holds added excitement and expectations for players and the coaching staff and a committed player group is essential.
This hockey team needs to be the player’s first (only) sports priority during the hockey season. Attendance at all games, practices and other team events is expected and mandatory. Exceptional family and school circumstances are the only acceptable reasons for player absences and should be communicated to the coaching staff in advance. Illness and weather related travel issues may arise on occasion that impact attendance at practice and games.
Time management is an important life skill for the players to learn and develop as they pursue their educational and sport goals. Players should be aware of their schooling workload and their hockey schedule and manage their time accordingly to meet all commitments to the best of their abilities.
Players will be expected to arrive 75-90 minutes before game times and 30-40 minutes before practices.
Players are expected to be outstanding representatives of the Laker organization both on and off the ice. Dress code for all games will be dress shoes, dress pants, dress shirt and tie and Lakers softshell jacket. Laker toques will be allowed to be worn during the winter months. Players will be issued team apparel for pre-game stretching and preparation. We will look and act like a team at all times.
How do you plan to distribute ice time?
Successful hockey teams at any level have exceptional depth in their line up with all players making contributions to the success of the team. Players will be selected to the Minor Midget Lakers based on their work ethic, skill level and hockey intangibles and the coaching staff’s vision of their development within the team framework.
All players will have a fair opportunity to practice in and prove themselves in various game situations, including special teams. As the season progresses, the coaching staff will determine roles for players based on their skill set and development that will best allow them to be successful. Playing on special teams is a privilege that has to be consistently earned through work ethic, performance and coachability.
Decisions involving ice-time are based on the coaching staff’s best judgement depending on the stage of the season and game situations. Concerns with player performance and its impact on ice time will be communicated to the players in a timely and professional manner.
Do you intend to add off-ice sessions of any kind?
The off-season will be a key time for players to prepare for the demands of the upcoming season by focusing on their individual strength and conditioning programs, using personal programs and other training resources available to them. Players will be expected to maintain their fitness development programs throughout the season as our game and practice schedule allows. Fitness testing will occur periodically through the season to measure players’ progress in these areas.
The coaching staff will conduct other information sessions, including nutrition and sports psychology, to aid in the overall development of the players and the team. We will also bring in representatives from OHL teams to discuss the league, their respective organizations and their expectations of players as they prepare for junior hockey.
What are your tournament plans?
We plan on entering four tournaments - Hamilton (October), Brantford or International Silver Stick (November), Waterloo (December) and the Toronto Marlies tournament (Christmas Break).
We are also planning a week-end visit to an NCAA university to introduce our players to US college hockey and the potential opportunities for student-athletes.
How will you balance individual development, team development and emphasis on winning?
The Minor Midget season is an exciting one in a player’s career development but individual goals cannot overshadow the development of the team. All players will be expected to adopt a team-first approach and put the success of the team ahead of personal accomplishments (“leave your egos at the door”).
Successful teams have three key components: outstanding work ethic, strong team structure and system and individual skill. We will look to develop our team using a similar blueprint. We don’t just want to be a hard team for opponents to play against – we want to be a miserable team to play against because of our outstanding work ethic.
Practices will be planned to further develop individual skills and tactics and to implement and continuously improve team tactics and systems. As the season progresses and playoffs approach, practices will focus primarily on team systems and strategies.
The ultimate goal of our season is to participate in the OHL Cup Showcase Tournament in March 2014 featuring the best Minor Midget teams in the province. In order to be successful, we will focus on the things that we can control – our individual skill development, our preparedness to play, our work ethic, our discipline level and our commitment to our team systems. It will be a six month marathon to reach our goal, rather than a sprint.
What is your approach to team and individual discipline?
Players will be expected to handle themselves in a professional manner at all times - in home and out-town arenas, in hotels, restaurants and in the community. The coaching staff has developed a team handbook that will be presented to the players that outlines our expectations for them for the upcoming season.
Failure to meet our standards will result in progressive consequences, such as missing regular ice time and escalating from there. Unacceptable on and off-ice behaviour situations and resulting consequences will be discussed in meetings involving the coaching staff and the player involved.
What initiatives, objectives and goals do you have for your team?
As previously stated, the ultimate goal of our season is to participate in the OHL Cup in March 2014. To reach our goal, we will need to focus on continuous improvement and success in regular season, tournaments and playoffs.
Our coaching staff’s objective will be to develop a strong team identity focusing on the three factors: Play Hard (work ethic and attention to detail), Play Smart (preparation, discipline and commitment to systems) and Play as a Team.
As a coaching staff, we will be professional, committed, organized and prepared in all tasks related to the hockey team. It will be our responsibility to eliminate all excuses and prepare the players to perform their best, both individually and as team, every time we hit the ice wearing a Laker logo on our sweater.