Giving Thanks

We now have two scrimmages under our belts and I think the rookies and veterans have gained a lot of experience in a short time. Thankfully we have had limited injuries and have played everyone a fair amount. But as I told the players after Friday's scrimmage the auditions are over and it is time for the real show to begin on the road.

The kids have certainly worked hard these first three weeks and I am sure they will appreciate our short break before the regular season begins. At this time of the year I believe it is appropriate to give a big THANKS to all the parents, volunteers, officials, and staff that make it possible to have high school hockey in Gaylord. The players and coaches appreciate everything you do for the program and we will continue to represent the highschool and community in a honorable light. I hope you all enjoy the Thanksgiving Holiday and I am looking forward to seeing everyone on the ice again, healthy, rested, and READY TO START a great regular season!

God's Peace to you and your families.

'Play Hard and Play Smart' - Coach

First Scrimmage.......First Thoughts

Well we got our first scrimmage under our belt. For a lot of players it was their first taste of high school hockey. And I hope they enjoyed every minute. I was very impressed with the effort and willingness to try different things. It was obvious from our execution there were a lot of nervous players. As we get more time to practice together and work through some of the systems we will see a better execution. Needless penalties were a concern and we addressed those as a team after the game. As a fan it should be interesting to watch this group grow. We have good leaders in the locker room and some skill in our underclassman. As our group gains experience I see us surprising a lot of teams this season.

However our conditioning must improve which will be addressed this week. Overall a good effort that we can build on as a TEAM.

Play Hard and Play Smart ~ Coach

Less than a Month Away

With the start the of the NHL season and the weather turning colder outside it feels like we should be gathering at the rink, listening to bad music, and preparing for practice. It has been a long summer and I know everyone is eager to get back on the ice and begin the 2009-10 season. I know my wife is already tired of me breaking down film and working on our systems for the upcoming season.

I am really looking forward to working with everyone again on what we built on and off the ice last year, and introducing some new ideas for us to implement as the year progresses. We will have a lot of work to do so please come prepared to work really hard, have a lot of fun, and win a lot of games. See you in 30 days.

'Play Hard and Play Smart'-Coach

Are YOU ready for Hockey?

The summer is over and school is ready to begin and that means the hockey season is right around the corner. I am excited to get back on the ice and to start working with this group of fine young men. It should be a very competitive team with a lot of new faces competing for ice time. I am looking forward to building on the momentum created from a great second half of the 2008-09 season. To meet this challenge of advancing the program forward we need everyone to be motivated. Motivation is the force needed if individuals are going to successfully meet any challenge. Two elements of motivation are known as intrinsic or extrinsic. Simply put, intrinsic motivation comes from within each player because they feel hockey and competition are fun and bring enjoyment. Extrinsic motivation can be characterized as playing hockey because of the reward and recognition associated with success. Coaches can influence a player's intrinsic motivation with their coaching style and instruction. Parents can influence player's intrinsic motivation with positive reinforcement and support at home. But at the end of the day it is up to the individual to motivate himself to reach his highest potential, moving outside his comfort zone to meet the challenges that hockey presents. Whether that is competing for a spot on the team, or competing for a starting role, or competing against a formidable opponent you must be motivated to excel. It will be up to you to prepare yourself and demonstrate to the coaches that you have the right skills, the right attitude, and the right work ethic to be a Blue Devil. I want you to begin to think and define what success means to you for this season, as an individual and as member of the Blue Devil Hockey team. Take some time and think about what you want for this program and for yourself, write these goals down on paper, then be prepared to explain how you are going to accomplish these goals with specific tactics for success. As I have always said, this is your ship, your team, and as players you will determine its course. I am really excited to see where this journey will take us and hope you are too.

'Play Hard and Play Smart' - Coach

Time to start thinking hockey

Now that summer is winding down and school is approaching quicker than anticipated, once again it is time to start thinking hockey. Although the thermometer may read 75 degrees outside, the real action is happening in the rink getting our team ready for next season.

Last weekend a smaller, restructured version of the Gaylord Blue Devils traveled north to Sault Ste. Marie to play in an annual preseason tournament held by the Soo Blue Devils. With only days until the tournament we were still shorthanded due to work schedules, family commitments, etc. so I called on a couple of friends from conference rival Cadillac to aid us for the weekend. They turned out to be a great asset to our team, putting more skaters on the ice and a couple more pucks in the net.

We started off the weekend against the hosting Blue Devils, and perennial Great North powerhouse. After we got rid of some of the first period jitters we skated to an easy 5-3 victory. Saturday presented little more of a challenge for our squad; we defeated an undermanned Big Rapids squad by double digits in what turned out to be a very chippy and physical game, and we downed Traverse City West by a much slimmer margin later in the day.

Sunday, however, showed us a bit more of a challenge. In the finals we faced off against Marquette, an always overpowering unit from the GNC. In the first two periods the Redmen got the best of us, but in the third we fought back hard and tied the game. Since it was the final game overtime ensued and we ended up falling by a goal in the sudden death period. Nothing was hurt, however. We realized that we did much better than originally expected and lost to a very good team. I was proud of the way we competed throughout the weekend.

I have to say that the physicality and pace of play was a great measuring stick for some of the new freshman and sophomores. Even though some of them got hit pretty hard, they all bounced right back up and showed good character and enthusiasm.

I remember the preseason games and tournaments really acclimatizing me to high school hockey during the summer and fall of my freshman year. They were the stepping stones that I needed to be ready to succeed at the varsity level as a younger player. That is why I am pushing to do more of these tournaments because each time you step on the ice the younger guys seem to look better and better.

It is definitely a scary feeling as a 14 year old who has never played with older kids or in front of a crowd to jump right into high school hockey. Knowing that there are hundreds of fans in the bleachers that have paid to watch you play can get you all riled up as it is, realizing that there are kids the are four years older on the opposite team can downright scare you to death.

On a separate note, there have been many doubters throughout the last couple of months that have been degrading the Gaylord varsity hockey program. People have asked me countless times if we are even going to be able to put a team together for the 2009-10 season. The answer is an absolute yes. With our rate of improvement we could most definitely surprise our opponents and critics. I believe that this year’s team will be willing to do whatever is necessary to succeed. As the countdown begins and the anticipation builds… we will be ready.

By Jim Ryan - GHS Junior

Hockey Camp Wrap Up

With the conclusion of camp last night I just wanted to say again how pleased I was with the level of effort and attitude all week. It was evident that you listened to the instructors and tried to apply the principles and skills that were being taught. Even though everyone was not always successful at the implementation of these skills no one ever quit trying, which for a coach was awesome to see.

It was very evident that some of you have been training hard in preparation of the upcoming season and some not so much. We need everyone to be on the same page and be in top condition when next season rolls around. So please keep up the momentum we started last week (on and off the ice) through August and our fall season.

Thanks again for your time and effort last week I hope you truly had a fun time and learned a lot. I would also like to say a special Thank You to Bill Wilkinson for his on ice instruction, Jason Clement for his on ice instruction and for his help behind the scenes with organizing this week, Dave Samalik who did the screen printing on the jersey at the last second, and to Bill Michaels for his help with ordering jerseys, booking ice, and taking registrations. If you see these guys please thank them for their efforts.

Just remember that HARD WORK WILL ALWAYS BEAT TALENT, WHEN TALENT DOES NOT WORK HARD!

'Play Hard and Play Smart' - Coach

Summer Camp

I hope everyone is enjoying the summer and taking time to have fun. I just returned from five days in Canada where we saw many relatives, ate too much, and talked a lot of hockey. I am really excited about the upcoming camp. We have a great plan on paper for the week and I have been watching past film for more ideas.

I am also looking forward to seeing a lot of familiar faces and getting to know the new players. Building on our success last year will result from developing and improving our team chemistry with our new and returning players. I hope you are all remembering your chosen core values for success: RESPECT, TRUST, LEADERSHIP, DISCIPLINE, PERSEVERANCE, and yes .....PREPARATION.

In terms of preparation it will be important that you are coming into camp in shape. You have had a plan in place for some time now so it will be evident who is working at improving their conditioning and who is faking it. I hope we do not have anyone faking it this year. So remember to bring a good pair of running shoes and a water bottle on Monday night.

'Play Hard and Play Smart' - Coach.