Each year the coaches are asked if we are interested in coaching a BB or A team - the answer is always no. You see many coaches/players in North Metro feel it is important to coach/play at as high of a level as possible. There is a shared belief that improvement is best achieved by advancing each year. This partly explains why Midget Tier 1 has 38 teams and Tier 4 has only 13 teams.
The coaches on this team take a slightly different approach. We believe it is a much bigger thrill to coach/play each year in the Provincial Championships then struggle through a season in Tier 1 or 2. We would rather be playing until mid-April than end the season in February.
But it is more than just extending the season. We believe that players improve more in a competitive environment. Just look around and see how much each player has improved on this team. And these intense playoff games contribute considerably to a player's development.
Each year we find players who share our philosophy. There likely isn't a player on this team that couldn't have found a BB or A team to play for this season yet they chose to play on this team. And many players choose to stick with this team for 3 seasons and don't even go to other tryouts.
Bruce and I are taking a team to the Provincial Championships for a 6th straight year. Our overall record is 7-11-3 with one Championship and 2 semi-final placings. These games are all tough but they are also really exciting. We hope everyone else enjoys the experience as much as we do.
Good luck to everyone!
12 years ago
