Volume 5, Issue 1 - March,2005 

 "From behind the bench…"

Different suit, same effort!        

For a printer friendly version - click here

 www.DanBylsma.com  

This month's issue contains:

 DAN'S TIP OF THE MONTH   THIS MONTH'S QUESTION   TRUST FUND AUCTION   TIPS FROM HOCKEY CAMP 

 DAN'S HONOR ROLL  COACH'S TIP   THE SAYING OF THE MONTH   DAN TRIP IN THE NHL   DAN & JAY'S BOOKS 

  A WAY TO SUBSCRIBE

This has been a hectic time.  The move from Anaheim to Cincinnati left me without access to a computer on which I could do the Newsletter and my father has his hands full with a new consulting job, so we haven't had the ability to generate my newsletter on a timely basis.  I'm hoping we've corrected that and we can be back on a monthly basis.

There were some hard and fast rules for success that I held on to as a player.  It is nice to find out those same rules hold true once you get on a different side of the bench.  At my hockey school, we've preached and lived the basic fundamentals of hockey, working hard, and truly enjoying yourself as you make the most out of playing this great game.

As often as I could, I've steered coaches at the amateur level away from coaching strict systems and from programming their kids' position on the ice. I've encouraged them to focus their coaching attention on the fundamentals of the game (skating, passing, puck handling, and shooting) and to develop the pure enjoyment of the game and of competition in their players (creating a passion for the game).

Now, already more than half way through my first year as a coach, the two stumbling blocks I see for players - even at this level - is the lack of fundamentals for their own games (and the team's lack of fundamentals, for that matter) and the lack of willingness to work hard and compete hard. It was never more evident than at the end of a dismal November.  We finished the month with only 2 wins and 11 losses and had an embarrassing loss in Manitoba with Anaheim's GM in the stands.  In a meeting with him after the game, he said to Brad Shaw, the head coach and myself, "All I'm looking for in a prospect is hard work and heart, and then if he has a little talent, that's great."

What are the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim looking for in a player?  Their GM didn't want a left wing locker, he didn't ask for the best trapper, he didn't even ask for the fastest skater or the most talented (although that would be nice).  What he really wanted to see and be able to call up to Anaheim was a guy who would work hard and loved to compete.

We started the year with a full roster.  We had high expectations for each player and hopes that each player would reach their projected potential.  Scouts, GM's and the Big Team coaches all have certain ideas about how certain players could help Anaheim if they have a break through year or take another step.  Athough I have very limited experience on this end of the bench, it has been fascinating watching each player find his way (or get lost). 

Zenon Konopka is a player who is not really finding his way as much as he is MAKING his way.  Zenon is in his 3rd year pro having spent one and a half seasons in the ECHL, a half year with Utah of the AHL, and this year with Cincinnati.  Zenon was signed to be a fourth line center, an energy guy and a fill-in player if an injury sidelined a top guy.  Although that's the way we saw Zenon, that was not vision of himself.  With the help of some injuries early on to some key players, Zenon stepped right in to the top line as centerman and the man in front of the net on the power play.  Not because of a re-evaluation of his skill.  To the contrary, he did it with his relentless work ethic and shear determination. 

In order to make the NHL, a player has to possess at least one NHL skill.  It could be skating.  It could be passing.  It could be his physical size or a combination of a bit of each of these characteristics, but he must have one NHL skill.  The only two NHL skills Zenon has are his work ethic and determination.  As the Anaheim Mighty Ducks look to Cincinnati to fill the holes they have in their roster, Zenon Konopka has climbed up the the depth chart and has become a serious candidate to get called up if we can ever figure out the NHL issue. 

My father will justifably take pleasure that I close with one of his sayings and now as a coach, it rings as true as ever it did.  "It takes three things to make it: talent, hard work, and perseverance.  And the greatest of these is not talent."         

THIS MONTH'S BEST QUESTION ON THE WEB SITE…

Dan: What are the top five things I can to do catch a coach's eye during a tryout for a team I would like to make?  Young Hopeful

1. Be respectful.  This means getting to the tryout on time, being circumspect in the locker room, having your gear in good order, paying attention when the coach speaks including eye contact, and doing what is asked of you.

2.  Play within yourself.  That means do the things you can do well instead of trying to do things you cannot do and failing at it.  If you cannot dangle, don't try it.  If you don't have a good slap shot, shoot your best wrist shot.  Going to the tryouts in good physical condition would also be important. Puking on the ice because you are out of shape will catch the coach's attention but not the attention you need.

3. Demonstrate that you have a great work ethic.  That means doing each and every drill to the best of your ability.  Don't wait until the scrimmage to show what you can do.  When you do a drill, there's a 99% chance he'll be watching.  During the scrimmage he'll be watching 10 kids and you only have a 1 in 10 chance to be noticed.

4. Don't try out for a team for which you know you are not qualified.  Go for a team that will appreciate your abilities and what you can bring to the team.

5. If you get cut, respectfully go to the coach privately.  Tell him you understand he needed to make difficult choices, you are sorry you didn't make his team but you respect his judgment.  Then.... here's the important part.  Ask him what you need to do to make the team the next time.  And this is more important.... work on that.

I hope this helps.

Go to TOP  DAN'S TIP  THIS MONTH'S QUESTION  HONOR ROLL  COACH'S TIP  SAYING  DAN in the NHL  BOOKS  SUBSCRIBE

The auction this month is not for the Dan Bylsma Charitable Foundation.  It is for the Jeffrey Hayden Foundation.  Jeff died from brain cancer and his foundation raises money and consciousness for children with this terrible disease.  You can learn more about Jeff and the foundation at www.jthf.org.

  What is up for auction is a Joffrey Lupul autographed game stick.  Joffrey had 34 points in his rookie NHL season with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, the second highest rookie point total as a Mighty Duck behind Paul Kariya.  Joffrey has the potential to be a big star in the NHL.  The bidding starts at $25 with $5 increments.  Winning bid pays for shipping from Cincinnati.   

There is a second auction as well.  This is a kids auction for a complete set of autographed Cincinnati Mighty Duck Hockey Cards.  Rumor has it that Dan Bylsma's Rookie Coaching card is in this deck.  The bidding starts at $5 and has 1$ increments.  Proceeds to to the Jeffrey Hayden Foundation.  Remember this is for kids only and you should have your parents permission to bid. 

To go to the auctions, click here.

My father informs me that with the exception of someone or two spots for goalies, both weeks of the Day Camp are booked solid.  By now those of you who signed up should have received a confirmation letter in the mail. Check over that information to be sure we have your sizes and payments correct.  There remains some spots in the Travel Skills section and we will have an adult camp this year.

 Every year your response to the camp is very gratifying and as long as there is the demand, we'll keep doing it.  It is a way for us professionals to give something back to the sport that has been so good to us.  And it gives us a chance to interact in a positive way with kids, bolstering the messages they get from their parents about the importance of good citizenship, being diligent in their responsibilities, doing their best in school, playing to have fun, etc.  And perhaps we can pass on a bit of hockey knowledge or skating technique along the way.  And secretly, I do it because it's as much fun for me as it is for the kids.

Once again we will have a reception for out-of-town skaters on Sunday early evening the day before camp.  This is to allow kids who are unfamiliar with the rink to tour the facilities
(the facilities are the best), meet myself and some of the counselors, and get registered before the rest of the skaters descend on us on Monday morning.  A formal letter of invitation will come your way as the time approaches, but you might include the reception in your travel plans.

NAME

AGE

GPA

 SCHOOL

 TEAM

STATE

Mylee Murphy

Adam Van Opstall

There's lot's of room for you here

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A WORD TO COACHES AND PARENTS from Jay...  

It has been very interesting as a father to watch Dan's transition from player, to player coach at the end of last season, to coaching full time this season.  I've often confessed I never dreamed he would play in the NHL, but I did think he had the personality skills to coach at some level - college or professional.  And I've also often said that he would make a bigger mark on the game as a coach than as a player. 

The transition from player began to happen long before his knee condition forced him to retire from playing.  He's been preparing to coach for a very long time; partly, I think, because he was uncertain how long his NHL career would last.  He's kept a note book of drills, strategies, and player rating systems.  And when he became considered for an assistant coaching job in the NHL and for the assistant coaching position in Cincinnati, the work began in earnest.  He has thrown the same intense energy into coaching that he played the game with.

Except now it's not "...how do I put the puck in the net, or block that shot."  Now it's, "... how do I motivate someone else to put the puck in the net, or block that shot."

It's been fun working with him.  Together we wrote a software program to track Cincy's player's stats.  Did you know that a scoring chance from a turnover in the neutral zone (or a SCNZTO) was something worth keeping track of by player?  By period?

But the most interesting thing that has come out of our interchanges are two things that he writes about in this newsletter that bears a second emphasis.  They are this: that a player's progress has more to do with work ethic and attitude than talent, and, the importance of the fundamentals of the game, i.e. skating, passing, and shooting.

Why is this important for coaches and parents at the minor hockey level?  Because you can't parent or coach talent.  But you can instill a work ethic, you can coach attitude, and you can teach the fundamentals of the game or insist they be taught to your child.

It is almost meaningless to understand the intricacies of the left wing lock but not be able to execute it because you can't skate fast enough or make or take a pass. 

It's remarkable to me to hear Dan say that at the level of the AHL, players are limited because of their lack of skating and/or passing skills.  Skating and passing is something that players need to work on at every level.

The lesson for you players is - practice is essential if you want to progress in the game.

The lesson for coaches is - teach the fundamentals.   They are so much more important than teaching the left wing lock.  If you don't know how to teach skating, for example, bring someone in who can.

The lesson for parents is - as exciting as it is to watch games, and as boring as it is to watch practices, if kids are going to advance in the game, practice time is as, if not more, important than game time.

Jay M. Byslma

THIS MONTH'S SAYING IS TO PUT IN YOUR LOCKER...

“We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”   - Aristotle

ONE KID'S TRIP TO THE NHL AND PAST- current installment...

The biggest difference between coaching and playing is how quick time travels.  As a player you often look at the clock during a long practice.  More often you find yourself looking at the schedule thinking, "That was game number 34, only 46 more to go."  Now the the clock is only a reminder that I have a lot yet to do today; and I look at the schedule only to know who we have to start focusing on for our up-coming games.  We are now looking at games 52 and 53 this weekend and I wonder where the time went?

My point being, I would have loved (and have had it on my list of things to do many times) to keep the newsletter going, but only now am I forcing myself to sit down and put fingers to keyboard, starting with a new name - "From the Right Wing" to "From Behind the Bench". 

Wow! What an adventure I'm beginning.  I have been very fortunate to have been able to start at the AHL level and with Brad Shaw, the head coach here in Cincinnati.  My plan has been to accumulate as much experience in as many different aspects of coaching as I can.  Here with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks, I have been given the opportunity to participate at all different levels and am continuing to learn the ropes through Brad's excellent tutelage and trial by fire.

Daily practice plans, player plans, player evaluations, post-and pre-game analysis, penalty kill strategies, defensemen personnel changes, and last minute plays are some of the responsibilities that I have had the opportunity be involved with, to learn, and develop this year.  As a player, although you are a part of the team, you are largely responsible only for yourself and your career.  But as a coach you have an active interest not only in the team, but even more importantly, you have an active participation in each one of your player's careers. 

As a player, you went home at night knowing you worked hard on the ice at practice, did some extra skating drills to improve your foot speed, and worked out after practice. Your pillow was soft if you did all you could.  But as a coach you only get to spell it out, encourage, prod, evaluate, and demand - wondering the whole evening whether you said the right thing (or the wrong thing), whether you were clear in your expectations or instructions, or whether you were too hard (or not hard enough). 

You would think that Mary Beth could find some softer pillows; maybe we can't afford them now on an assistant coach's salary.  Speaking of her, she has had to adjust to a different climate and longer hours from her man. She has been a trouper.  And Bryan has said on more than one occasion that I should go back to playing, but he is getting used to his dad coaching. 

What are some of the adjustments?  Time.  I am never done or caught up and there are no days off as a coach. The game.  As a player it was time to perform.  As a coach, the game is a time to step back and see where the team is.  You get to release no energy or frustration. You can't make it right with your next shift.  As a coach, you build up frustration and every play (mistake) is a taken as a reflection of your ability as a coach. Wins and loses are not what you feel most.  You are more interested in the progress of your team and each player.  When we had a 2-11 record in November, we were focused on the next practice and the last game. You can almost reverse the records for Jan. and now I am focus on last practice and next game. Much like the last chapter of So Your Son Wants to Play in the NHL success is not an end point (a win or a loss), but a continuum, a process.

That is our team's mantra: Each day, get better as a player and as a team.

If you are a player, you would do well to adopt that motto for yourself as well.  
 

So Your Son Wants to Play In The NHL Published in 1998 by Sleeping Bear Press in the US and McClelland & Stewart in Canada. HC $24.95. The story of Dan’s journey from the ice rink in our back yard to the NHL. is "...the best hockey advice since ‘Don’t rile Gordie Howe’”. "This is more than a hockey book. It's a book about life and how to use simple lessons and values for success. …a refreshing straight-ahead approach that makes you feel that you've learned something." LA Times.  Autographed and personalized copies available at www.DanBylsma.com.  

So You Want to Play In The NHL Published in November, 2000, by NTC/ Contemporary/McGraw-Hill. Trade paperback—$14.95. Thirty-five questions that aspiring young athletes have and Dan’s and Jay’s alternating answers. Forward by Luc Robitaille. This book won’t help you play the game better, but we think it will help you live the game better. “I am making this book required reading for my team because it confirms everything I have ever said in the locker room and to parents.” Coach John M. You can read a chapter by clicking here.  Autographed and personalized copies available at www.DanBylsma.com. Now it its second printing.