Minor Bantam, 2013-2014, Select (Cambridge Minor Hockey)

Here is a link to our schedule for the Alliance Championships in Fort Erie. http://alliancechampionships.com/Tournaments/1166/Divisions/1198/ Friday - 5:10pm vs Waterloo Saturday - 12:20pm vs Kitchener Saturday - 6:40pm vs Burlington Sunday - 2nd place vs 3rd place 10:30am Sunday - Finals 5:10pm

It's funny how the events of today can trigger memories of days long past.  Recently my neighbours and I constructed an outdoor rink in a nearby park.   And the other day I was standing outside watching a few of our Select kids as they played an old fashioned game of shinny... Two nets... one puck... no goalies... No rest.

In a few weeks the Mens Olympic hockey team will head to Sochi in hopes of capturing another Gold medal.  There is no assurance that they will, but there is the expectation that anything less than a Gold Medal, will be a let down.   Silver in the Canadian hockey universe is often seen as a disappointment.  Today though, nothing could be further from the truth for our Minor Bantam Select team.  As previously noted this has been a tough year.  Our competition has been very high, and winning has been elusive.   This past weekend our team entered into the Amesbury Winter Classic and 3 ...

"SHOW ME SOMEONE WHO HAS DONE SOMETHING WORTHWHILE, AND I'LL SHOW YOU SOMEONE WHO HAS OVERCOME ADVERSITY." Lou Holtz As 2014 rolled in I wondered if the long layoff between games and practices would affect the development of the team.  Despite the losses we as a coaching staff believed the building blocks were being laid, and better days were ahead. Well if the first 3 games are any indication then the layoff served our team well.  Despite a 1-2 record it was clear we outplayed each and every team.  Our commitment to team defence was clearly evident.

Well as 2013 ends and 2014 rolls in we all have the opportunity to look back and reflect. The 2013 portion of our season wrapped up a few weeks back and despite not posting any wins, we have a lot to build off of.  As a coaching staff we now have a much better understanding of each boys capabilities.  We're better able to assess what each boy needs to improve their games.   Much of our competition has been of a high quality.  Hopefully this will lift our game in the long run.