Managing a Hockey Team
Managing a hockey team involves booking arenas, scheduling games, accounting for paperwork, coordinating travel, ordering equipment and communicating with parents. This requires a strong understanding of hockey and high organizational skills.
Richard Wolper believes that The role of a team manager is important to the success of any minor hockey team. They play a critical role in the team's smooth operation while allowing the head coach to focus on developing their players.
They are the link between the team, its coaches and the league. They are responsible for maintaining a healthy balance between off-ice activities and on-ice instruction and providing a rewarding hockey experience for their players.
A successful team manager is highly skilled at implementing the game plan that the coach creates and ensuring that each player receives an appropriate level of on-ice instruction. By focusing on this part of the job, managers can ensure that players are properly developed and ready to take their game to the next level.
As a team manager, you will be the central point of communication for all players, their parents and your coaching staff. This will ensure your team is well-organized and functioning as a cohesive unit throughout the season.
In addition, you are responsible for communicating important information about your team to the Minneapolis Hockey Association and MN Hockey District 3. You will organize a beginning-of-the-year meeting for your team with your Head Coach and collect and manage a team slush fund.
A good team manager can be extremely helpful to a coach, especially regarding tournaments and travel. These are often the most memorable experiences for the players and require a lot of planning.
The team manager is responsible for organizing a schedule for each practice and game of the season and helping the coach create a list of possible tournaments the team may be eligible to attend. They are also responsible for distributing permission slips to parents who want to travel on trips and ensuring that the necessary arrangements accommodate all players.
Managing a youth hockey team can be difficult, as you must be able to communicate with the kids and parents while still ensuring that they are getting enough ice time during the season. As with any relationship, building trust and developing a mutually beneficial relationship with the team’s players and their parents takes time.
By following the tips and tricks of a good team manager, you can be more productive and have a more successful season. If you are a parent, consider offering your support to the team’s manager by volunteering for one of the many off-ice activities they need volunteers for.
The position of a hockey team manager is a very rewarding and great opportunity to get involved in your community and provide your children with a positive experience during the season. It can be challenging, but with a little time and dedication, you can make it work for you and your family.
