The Coaches Site held their annual conference, TCS Live, in Ann Arbor Michigan this June and I was fortunate to be part of it after five season watching from the sidelines. I used to work here before leaving to coach junior hockey, but I've always kept a membership to watch the TCS Live videos as they're dripped out over the course of the season to come. 

But it's not the same. 

When the season starts I'm a lot more purposeful and selective in the content I use because have to be efficient. 

Trouble breaking out over the weekend? Let's find a breakout presentation. 

Brutal power play? There's lots of content to help. 

The list goes on and on. I've always been able to find some knowledge or expertise to support a theory of mine or answer a question, but for the past five years I've had to ask the question and then search it out on the site. When you're there in person, the lessons come rapid fire with both barrels and depending on where you're at in your offseason preparation, some of it strikes a specific nerve that, for me, will end up being the foundation of the upcoming season. 

This is a list that shouldn't be read as though I'm trying not to include all the content on display, but more a personal reckoning of moments or insight that struck that nerve. In other words, I don't need to write any of this down, it's going to stick. 

Ok now to write this all down. 

1. Gardiner MacDougall: The First Meeting

I've seen Gardiner MacDougall speak before, in Toronto in 2019, and the presentation had the same title: JGS (Just Get Started), but other than all the crowd interaction, the content was nothing like I remember. Gardiner preached the importance of your first meeting with your team at training camp or once tryouts are done, and I can't stop thinking about. I'm coaching a new team in a new league in a new province next season, and I believe Coach Gardiner when he talks about setting the tone for everything that will follow. In the past I've delivered plenty of systems and culture and strategy at the first meeting, and that's all well and good, but this year I'm going to take it to another level. Not sure how yet, but Gardiner's enthusiasm was infectious for everybody in attendance, and my personality matches the same vibe. I'll report back!

2. Larissa Mills: Social Media Is Ruining Everything

A few months ago I deleted most of the social media off my phone. Imagine my surpise then as I was watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs this spring scrolling through nonsense on my phone while Connor Brown scored a goal for the Edmonton Oilers. Outrageous behaviour. Larissa Mills spoke about the temporary dopamine hit we receive from social media and how it's obliterating the attention spans of hockey players and all youth athletes. I haven't re-watched her presentation yet, but I know she cited specific numbers that illustrated the average amount of time athletes spend on social media platforms instead of practicing their craft. The numbers are bonkers, and I think it directly applies to coaches as well. My social media apps are gone from my phone once again. 

3. Mitch Love & Ben Sexton: Stick on Puck

Two National Hockey League assistant coaches spoke about the importance of stick-checks during their presentations, though each held strong opinions on how the technique ought to be deployed. Love stresses that a defending player's stick blade should always be on the ice before it pokes at the puck, while the shaft is still upright, while Sexton believes in the value of putting the entire length of the stick on the ice like a goalie paddle. Both coaches showed examples of their preferred method in the heat of the action. So if neither coach is wrong, how can both be right? It's a fascinating discussion piece, but I believe it speaks mostly to the unique make-up of any given hockey team and how much of an impact the coach has on the details. Whatever method you believe in, back it up with evidence and do it to the best of your (or your players') abilities. Own the details, own your style, and own the play. 

4. Kim Weiss: Wall Play

Part of my role at this year's conference was working with the on-ice presenters at the University of Michigan's historic Yost Arena. Besides relief from the Humidity Wars being fought outside between Lakes Eerie, Huron, and Michigan, I was fortunate to have a front row seat to six actionable perfomances from Paul Vincent, Tim Turk, Peter Bohunicky, Brian Slugocki, Tyler Dittmer, and Kim Weiss. I'll be using insight from all of them, but I was focused on wall play before I saw any of the presentations, so Kim's really hit home. The majority of the game is played near the boards, so it was helpful to see simple but powerful tactics that progressed from individual play to escapes to small area games that ended with a goal - but only after the puck was won during wall play. 

5. Good People. Good Culture.

As you might imagine, it takes equal parts organization, determination, and patience to pull off an event three time zones away in a different country that involves nearly 500 spectators and a small army of participants. I interacted with a lot of people both on our team and from other organizations and teams, and the undeniable and widespread vibe was one of culture, communityand shared interest. That last one is obvious, but like any hockey team, it's impossible to pursure a shared interest for long without an understanding of the work it takes to get there. I saw polite manners, warm handshakes (really warm), people holding doors for strangers, and happy faces from the time Gardiner kicked things off on day one until the crowd to filtered into the night to enjoy an adult beverage or two inside a few of Ann Arbor's many nightlife options. Sometimes it's the networking at events like these that people care about more than anything, but I was geninely impressed that every moment of the day seemed to be embraced by the crowd on both sides of the stage.

So if were there, thank you so much for sharing such a special point in the season with us. I returned home late last night after two flights, a couple ubers, a train, a bus, and a ferry, and I'm already looking forward to next year!

But mostly because it's next year and not tomorrow. In the meantime, it's time to put these takeaways to work while waiting for the rest of the presentations to arrive.