Play Golf with your Children

My son has been bitten by the golf bug and I am so glad.  I enjoy watching him play sports and coached hockey, baseball, and lacrosse teams, but golfing together is a much more rewarding experience.  Let me tell you why.

1. We get to talk to each other: lives have become so hectic; conversations and life lesson time seems to disappear.  I am fortunate to eat dinner with my family each night, however with three children, it is tough to get equal billing.  While I teach the game of golf, we also discuss the game of Life.
2. Gatorade not suds: playing with my friends is about the great courses we play as well as the conversation, but let's face it, who doesn't enjoy a few adult beverages too.
3. Honesty: You don't tell the scorekeeper you shot a 5 when you swung the club 8 times.  Your children notice how you play; teach them the right way (a true life lesson here).
4. Temper, temper: As much as I enjoy playing, golf can be a very frustrating game.  Show your son or daughter that you are a gentleman or lady and can win with grace or lose with honor.
5. Dress for Success: No matter a public or private course, I wear a collared and a nice pair of shorts or pants.  If your child wants to play, he will be willing to dress the part.  
6. Shake Hands: After the last member of the group sinks the final put, everyone looks each other in the eye and shakes hands.
7. You will eventually see your child do something like this and be torn between pride and jealousy.

Get out there and have some fun!

I look forward to your comments.

Best,

Toby

DO NOT change your shirt!

My beloved Boston Bruins came one step closer to the Stanley Cup last night with a 2-1, second overtime win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  It is clear from watching the game the Bruins are playing with heart and fire, but that is not the secret to their success.  Then how are they winning you ask?  The secret is my shirt:

From the first drop of the puck in this series and the three victories that have followed, this shirt has been on my back then carefully put away for the next game.  Life and especially sports are surrounded with routine and superstition. 

No matter if you are enjoying a game or preparing for a significant life event, embrace superstition and keep your lucky shirt at the ready.

Cheers,
Toby

Sports, Sportsmanship, and the Scoreboad

I am gearing up for a new hockey season.  While getting together rosters, putting together drills, and thinking about tournaments I started thinking about the big picture.
The scoreboard shows "Home" and "Guest" not the names of who scored the goal and who made the assist. The scoreboard reflects the performance of the team, not the achievements of its individual members.
The score sheet does not tell the entire story either. It shows who scored, who assisted, and the saves made by the goalie - so much is missing.
When watching your next game look for these things: the back check, clearing the puck out of the defensive zone, the hug or highfive of encouragement, the hustle of the weaker player who never gives up.
Herb Brooks said it best: "When you pull on that jersey, you remember one thing, the name on the front it a hell of a lot more important than the one on the back."

Thank you parents for all the support; it means the world to the coaches as well as your sons and daughters.

Please share this with other coaches and those who love the game.

Cheers,

Toby

Why I Coach Hockey

Coaching hockey is something I deeply love: I not only have great times with my own children, I take great pleasure teaching a skill and watching a child "get it." No matter what sport or activity you choose, take some time and make a difference. Coaches DO make a difference.

Had a great conversation with one of the kids in my Skills clinic today:
"Did you have fun @ the game today?"
"I didn't score a goal."
"If you could only pick one, would you rather score goals or have fun?"
A big smile... "Have fun."
...I guess I am doing something right

Why do you do what you do?

Hockey season has come to a close in Natick. I help run our town’s Skills Development program and for those unfamiliar, Skills is a clinic that prepares children (and their parents) for hockey. Skating, passing, shooting, edgework, everything but theory.
As we untied our skates for the last time, many parents approached me to thank me and all seemed to ask the same question: "why, and how, do you devote so much time to hockey?" The story is simple and the same for all who asked.
I grew up in a small town in Central NY where hockey was the key to a social life for parents and children alike; certainly a way of life. I was coached by a slew of wonderful, caring, and passionate fathers from all walks of life who were all volunteers. Thanks to the dedication of these men, I was able to learn about, play, and develop my love for hockey. If it were not for them, I would not be here today shaking your hand.
This post is a dedication to all those men who tied their skates for children who wanted to play hockey.

Why Children Need Sports

Greetings all,
This is a piece I wrote some time ago, but with hockey in full swing, I thought I would repost.
For those who have not seen the movie "Miracle," get it TODAY! My favorite scene is when Herb Brooks skates his boys to their knees and says this famous line: "When you pull on that jersey, remember the name on the front is a hell of a lot more important than the one on the back!" This is the lesson children, and their parents, will learn through sports. It does not matter your nationality, color, political party, or last name; to be a member of a team, one must be able to play and get along with those on the team. Children learn how to deal with winning and losing - lessons that seem to be vanishing to today's "I'm entitled" culture. Get your kids involved, you don't have to be the dad that coaches the team, but go to backyard, go to practice, go to the games. Sports do not only keep your kids healthy, sports develop their character. Cheers, Toby