Jimmy Speaks ... But is anybody listening?
Why is it that some coaches continue year after year doing the same thing that they have always done in the past regardless of their results? It seems as if they are apprehensive or simply too afraid to try to think outside of the box. The game of hockey evolves year to year and every decade seems to introduce major whole-scale innovation. As coaches, we constantly ask our players to adapt and be creative while training them with tactics and methods that are clearly out-dated and not in sync with the skill sets required to play the game today. This reminds me so much of a story about ham that has stayed with me for years. For obvious reasons I call it Jimmy’s Ham Story. It goes something like this . . .Jim is watching his wife Heidi prepare a ham for dinner. Before she puts the ham into the pan she cuts it in half as she has done the entire time they have been married. Finally after witnessing this ritual for the past eight years he decides to ask his wife why she cuts the ham in half before putting it in the pan. Heidi responds that she isn’t sure why she does it, but her mother had always done the same while she was growing up. At this point, Jim is determined to get to the bottom of this. He calls his mother-in-law. When Esther answers the phone, he gets right to the point and immediately explains why he is calling. His frustration begins to show and he pleads for an answer as to why she used to cut the ham in half before putting it into the pan all these years. For the life of her, Esther cannot recall exactly why, except for the fact that her mother had always cut the meat in half before cooking it. Jim is now extremely determined to get to the bottom of this. He calls his wife’s grandmother to pose the same question. As soon as Anna answers, Jim gets right to the chase and blurts out his question about the ham. Without missing a beat, Grandma Anna calmly states that she used to cut the ham in half because it was simply too big for the pan. There are a number of morals to the story here: The first one is, “Just because things have always been done a certain way doesn’t mean that they have to continue to be done that way.” The second one is, “Things change.”The third one is, “Don’t be afraid to ask ‘Why?’”, which brings us full circle back to the title of this book – “Hockey! Here’s Why!”And that ‘Why’ should be enough inspiration to push us as coaches to be open-minded, to ask questions and to find answers that create an environment for innovation on the ice that can eventually make the game of hockey as an enjoyable an experience as possible for everyone involved. A little bit about Mike Bolotenko … I experienced the opportunity of teaching with the Canadian military in Brunssum, Netherlands from 2001 to 2006. It was an
interesting five years. When 911 occurred, my family lived through the immediate, overnight militarisation of a region that had
actually been basking in the afterglow of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
We also experienced camaraderie and established new friendships across the entire globe that we cling to this very day.
In Europe, distances are short and history is long. We drank in everything that we could. My children visited Hungary, the land of my wife’s origins and validated the language that had been spoken to them from birth by their mother. We walked the soil of Auschwitz, Rome, Paris, London, Stonehenge and voyaged on the Queen Mary 2.They say that all things happen for a reason. The only thing that we have to do is to reflect as to ‘Why?’ those things happen. Upon reflection, I feel that the reason for our family work and travel experience was to afford us an education on so many different personal levels. Each of the four of us experienced more than one ‘Ah-hah! Now I get it!’ moment. And every one of those ‘Ah-hah! Now I get it!’ moments has led us to a greater understanding of not only others but also of ourselves.The education that we absorbed over those five years has helped each of us to empower ourselves in many aspects of whatever we choose to involve ourselves.I have been involved in the education profession for over 30 years now. My personal philosophy of teaching is not to merely transmit information. My students can find all the facts that they need by simply accessing the Internet. Rather, my aim is to open their minds to the possibilities of what they can do with whatever information they have at hand. My goal is to empower them so that when they step out into the big world that surrounds them, they are armed with not only adequate knowledge to get started, but also the best means possible to implement that knowledge in order to make both themselves and those around them as successful as possible.Please allow me to share one of my ‘Ah-hah! Now I get it!’ moments with you.Life is about empowering people. And when you empower others, you empower yourself.Think of any one of your personal heroes, national leaders or spiritual leaders and you will realize that these individuals are held in such high esteem because they empower you or others in any number of ways that can help you to achieve a desired goal. That is what this book is all about. Its goal is to provide you with not only objective data and statistical information but to also direct you to some personal insights as to how you might become a more empowered participant in this thing called minor hockey … and perhaps even in other facets of your life. After reading this presentation, Jim, Jens and I hope that you will have experienced at least one ‘Ah-hah! Now I get it!’ moments as a parent, coach, volunteer, player or just curious bystander. By the way, just before we left Europe, I was offered a possible job as a military translator in Afghanistan where Russian is the first second-language spoken by most of that nation’s citizens. I respectfully declined and returned to Ontario where I resumed teaching the first second-language of Canada. If I were single, I would have seriously considered that offer. Instead, you now have a book that deals with minor league hockey in Ontario. See? Things do happen for a reason. And all you have to do is ask yourself, “Why?” That is empowerment and that is also the premise of “Hockey – Here’s Why!”
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Cheers, Mike Bolotenko. Jim Mercer P.S. Have a nice day. (Die dulci fruere!)
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If you’ve ever wondered why so many of our friends say to us, “Hey Mike. Hey Jim. You’ve got perfect faces for radio!” wonder no more. Presenting our first video interview on mojomsports.ca. By the way, have a look at how the hockey pacifist in our dynamic duo holds his hands during the discussion on fighting in hockey. Who needs a ginsu knife with this guy around? And, of course, you can still continue enjoying our previous presentation.(Music courtesy of Kevin MacLeod)
Any feedback or thoughts are always welcome. Until next time. Cheers,Mike and Jim. |
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