By Greg Bates – The offseason is a time to review, refocus, set goals and get prepared for the fall season.
Those areas of emphasis don’t just apply to hockey players, but also to coaches. Now is the time for coaches — whether they just wrapped up their first season or finished off their 15th year behind the bench — to figure out how to become better at their craft.
“The art of coaching is self-improvement,” USA Hockey ADM Regional Manager Joe Bonnett said. “At any level, as soon as you stop improving or thinking or reflecting, you’re somewhat dead in the water in this profession. If you look at all the great coaches in any sport, it’s the word ‘kaizen.’ A lot of European clubs use it. It’s basically continual improvement. That is also tied in very strongly with good coaches, progressive coaches that have a growth mindset.