VB Hockey: Life Lessons in Defeat

 

There is no denying that St. Andrew’s College plays with a high-octane offence. This has been their calling card throughout their years of success and something that we knew we would have to try and interrupt. In the lead-up to the first game, I used the analogy of a dancer who loves to dance and the best way to try to get them to stop is simply to press pause. It was our goal to try and figure out a way within our system to take SAC off their rhythm and make them play our brand of hockey, find a way to hit the pause button.

 

In the end we were able to accomplish this at times, but not enough of the time, resulting in two losses 5-2(EN) on Saturday and 8-7 on Sunday. Scores are scores, a win’s a win and a loss is a loss, but we as coaches need to be able to look beyond those results and find the story of the game and use that to better us for the next game. Throughout a season, you will play good games and lose and play bad games and win. I guess this is the law of averages, so finding the teachable moments in those situations is what can best prepare you for your next set of games, which for us this week will see us swing through New England for games against Tilton School (Wednesday), Cushing Academy (Saturday) and Dexter School (Sunday).

 

As teachers, coaches and parents we are all ideally working together and focusing on the process. We have to be proud of the work that we put in first and foremost and know that we prepared well and worked hard on our tests, assignments or in this case games. At times the result, which becomes the focus point, especially for teenagers, doesn’t tell the full story and doesn’t show all the process work. I think both games this weekend speak to this.

 

In the first game on Saturday we fell behind 2-0 but dug in, and, with only 12 seconds left in the second period, a short-handed breakaway saw SAC take a 3-2 lead. We continued to play hard, we continued to do our best to limit high-end chances and find some for ourselves, but in the end our initial comeback fell short. We nonetheless left the rink knowing we played a strong game, showed resilience in making a comeback and gave ourselves a chance to have a period to win a hockey game.

 

Sunday at noon when the puck dropped for the second game in the set, we started off the game a little shell shocked. St. Andrew’s showed great skill, but moments where we lacked that extra level of compete really slowed us down and put us in a position of being down 5-1 after the first period, a situation no one wants to be in, but also a situation that cries out for a teachable moment. Without giving away our locker room secrets, the message was simple; we had two options: roll over and accept that it wasn’t our day or fight, cut the lead and find a way to give ourselves a chance in the third period. The goal was to find a way to come out of the period down 5-3. Lofty, yes but we needed a united goal. For much of the first we played well and simply missed small responsibilities. If we corrected those, I had belief in what we could do. Within a short period of the second, with energized legs and a good focus level, the score was 5-3. SAC would score quickly after but we would then respond with 2 more and enter the room ahead of our goal, now being down 6-5. The third period saw us playing on our front foot and jumping out with 2 goals to take a 7-6 lead, a long way from a 5-1 deficit. Sadly as the period rolled on, SAC was able to find 2 goals of their own and take the win.

 

This is a lot of words dedicated to a weekend that saw us go 0-2, but both games saw us show a level of compete and determination whose value is more important for our athletes as people. Determination and working through moments of adversity as a team will help all of our players transfer this same skill to life, and hence why sports truly are wonderful teachable moments.

 

We go into every game wanting to win. When that doesn’t happen there is natural disappointment. We have high standards and therefore expect positive results. In these cases, the positives don’t show on the scoreboard, but for anyone playing or watching those two games they know we didn’t stop when we faced challenges, instead we accepted our position and worked harder to improve it. We coaches, you as fans, parents, teachers, advisors, alums and so on should all be proud of this effort.

- Coach T