Here are a couple of thought to consider as you progress through the season.
1) Thou shalt not gripe about any of the players on your team besides your own. Unless you didn't realize...that IS someone's son/daughter; show some respect and consider others feelings. How would you like it if that was YOUR son/daughter and you had to hear that complaining? If you can't restrain yourself, go upstairs behind the glass, or go along the boards, or to an area where you will not be heard.
2) Thou shalt not gripe about the goalie. The alternative is that your son/daughter, might be asked to play in goal the next game. A lot of errors occur by forwards and defensemen before a goal is scored.
3) Thou shalt not assume that anyone wants to hear who you son/daughter's coach was last year or how things were done. Let the current coach run the program and place your son/daughter in a position to best help the team. Coaches often spread the talent out so the better players will lead by example and the weaker ones will push themselves to keep up...leadership and work ethic skills are attained that way. Every coach is different and there are many ways to be successful and many versions of "Success".
4) Thou shalt get your son/daughter to practices and games on time. Coaches can restrict ice time based on previously established team rules.
5) Thou shalt call and let the coach know when you will not be able to make the game (for lineups) or practice (for practice plans).
6) Thou shalt have all player’s equipment with them at practice/games.
7) Thou shalt understand that players will not make progress unless they do attend practice regularly and that they try hard to do what the coaches are telling them to do in said practices.
8) Thou shalt accept that the amount of ice time the other team gives to certain players is THEIR concern not ours. Let their parents voice their displeasure with their coach. We can not control what the other coaches do. We can control how hard we play. If we posses the puck and dictate the play and play in their end it doesn't matter who they play or what they do.
9) Thou shalt realize that this is HOUSE and not TRAVEL hockey and this is recreational and the score DOES NOT MATTER. I have yet to meet a kid who gave a rip about the score five minutes after he left the arena unless his parents griped about it in the car on the way home or placed a premium on winning as they walked into the arena.
10) Thou shalt realize this is supposed to be fun. Cheer loud and cheer positive and demand and encourage maximum effort...the rest is all fluff.
