Best Practices PresentationBest Practices PresentationBest Practices PresentationBest Practices Presentation

ADAM HAYDUK, Executive DirectorVancouver Thunderbirds MHA

execdirector@vancouvertbirds.ca604.839.6731

Entering 5th year as Vancouver Thunderbird MHA Executive Director

Over last 5 years, VTMHA has grown from:Over last 5 years, VTMHA has grown from:* 890 players on 57 teams in 2007/08 TO* 1032 players on 67 teams in 2010/11

� Focus on recruitment/retention of coaches Focus on recruitment/retention of coaches Focus on recruitment/retention of coaches Focus on recruitment/retention of coaches and development first, players will follow.and development first, players will follow.and development first, players will follow.and development first, players will follow.

� Increased the amount of skill development ice times for our players◦ Skill sessions run in house by our paid, fulltime Director of Hockey Operations

◦ Initiation skills ice time was increased from 1.5 ◦ Initiation skills ice time was increased from 1.5 hours per week to 3.25 hours per week

◦ Atom and Pee Wee House skills sessions

� Don’t ignore the players that registered for minor hockey for the first time in H3 or H4 – some of them are future rep players

Weekly goalie sessions provided free of charge: 1.5 hours/week

� For this coming season, our development is increasing again to:◦ Over 4 hours per week of initiation skill development time

◦ All pre-novice teams (H1/H2) are on the ice twice a week with their teams plus weekly skill development sessions

◦ All novice teams (H3/H4) are on the ice three times a week ◦ All novice teams (H3/H4) are on the ice three times a week with their teams plus weekly skills sessions

◦ Atom, pee wee, and bantam house skill sessions continue

◦ Goalie development program continues

◦ Rep skill development program is being introduced

◦ Referee development program revamped

� With the exception of the rep skills programs, all extra skill development programs are

FREE OF CHARGEto our players and families

FREE OF CHARGEto our players and families

� This is partly possible to slightly higher registration fees than most associations but also due to over $170,000 of fundraising and grants over the course of a year

Media was used to distribute message that we “pay our coaches”.

2008/09 Coach Recruitment Also Began2008/09 Coach Recruitment Also Began

� VTMHA successfully recruited coaches (and still do) because word is out we treat our coaches well

� Word “paid” has been scaled back to “Treat coaches well and generously cover expenses”coaches well and generously cover expenses”◦ Parents began to assume that “paid” means they can hold coaches to the standard, pressure, and expectation that of NHL coaches coaching in a hockey-crazed market

� Vancouver Thunderbird MHA does the following for our coaches◦ Provides a generous honorarium

◦ Covers all costs associated with coach certifications, criminal record check, and other Hockey Canada or BC Hockey required certifications

◦ Actively seeks out opportunities for our coaches to participate in ◦ Actively seeks out opportunities for our coaches to participate in Coaching Day in BC events, Canucks’ First Strides Program, BC Hockey High Performance events and programs

◦ Cover the registration and hotel costs to attend the Kamloops Professional Coaches’ conference

◦ Coaches always feel they can immediately get a hold of someone for help: Director of Hockey, Executive Director, Vice President, or Administrator

◦ Foster camaraderie among our coaches and provide in-house coach development

We thought that “paying” our coaches is what would what would help us attract and keep them.

We were wrong

For the purpose of this presentation, I surveyedseveral Vancouver Thunderbird coaches andother coaches from outside our associationabout what’s important to them.about what’s important to them.

Here are the results

� #1 SUPPORT◦ Help with parents

� “Effective communication channels to support coaches when dealing with disciplinary issues”

◦ Coach development + mentorship

◦ Clinics◦ Clinics

◦ Constructive post-season feedback

◦ Strong effort to foster culture of respect, commitment, and accountability in the association

◦ Patience from the association

◦ Scheduling to accommodate around the coaches’ work commitments

� #2 STRONG PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

◦ Coaches want to see that players are being developed from a young age and that the development is carried through into house and repdevelopment is carried through into house and rep

◦ Association policies that foster commitment and respect

◦ Coaches want to coach strong teams and skilled players

� #3 ADVANCEMENT & OPPORTUNITIES

◦ Coaches wantwantwantwant to commit to a program long term as long as they see a chance of moving up through the ranks and are provided opportunities for ranks and are provided opportunities for development (i.e. Kamloops Coaches’ Conference and BC Hockey High Performance Program)

◦ “If I don’t feel I can learn anymore from an association or that my development has stalled, I can’t stay. Coaches want to learn and develop their skills as much as players do.”

� #4 NOT BE OUT OF POCKET TO COACH

◦ Many coaches work full time jobs and have bills, but volunteering cannot cost them money.

◦ Assistance with creating a season schedule ◦ Assistance with creating a season schedule (practices and games) that work around a coach’s work commitments saves them from having to take time off work and eliminate conflict with the boss.

◦ Tournament costs should be covered by the team budget

� A significant by-product of everything that has been discussed◦ Development from Hockey 1 and well past atom house and rep

◦ Put the time and resources into developing coaches

◦ Provide experiences and opportunities for your players

� Make sure players don’t miss out on BC Hockey opportunities � Make sure players don’t miss out on BC Hockey opportunities that are made available (i.e. High Performance Program, PCAHA Scholarship games, scholarships, Canucks’ First Strides, etc)

◦ Reward player accomplishments

� Van Tbirds covers the costs of any players that makes a U16 or U17 team while they are active players with the T-birds

� Deal with situations immediately when they arise ◦ Parent/player/coach conflicts are inevitable – have an association representative available to deal with it and hear the parents/players/coaches out

� Demanding parents with above-average players simply require additional time◦ Someone will need to spend time listening to their concerns and thoughts

◦ If your association takes the position that such things are annoying and can’t be bothered with, they will go where someone will listen to them.

Thank you for your time.Thank you for your time.