The really good coaches are leaving. They have had enough of the bull shit. 

Over the years I have had a number of great coaches privately message me discussing what they are confronted with at the rink on a regular basis. In years gone by, they had grown accustomed to dealing with the “one offs” during the season, but more and more issues are arising. Let’s face it, coaching is tough as hell in this day and age, it’s always been tough as hell, but it just seems there are more and more issues now than ever before.

You can have all the “24 hour” rules and protocols in place, but hockey parents don’t give a rat’s ass about those guidelines, when they’re ready to unleash their diatribe, nothing can stop them.

It wouldn’t matter what the coaches or anyone does for that matter, you are never going to please everyone, but why do some hockey parents feel so angry, brazen and empowered to first approach/corner and berate coaches?

Where does that anger and frustration come from?

Well, you could probably write a series of books on that one. Nevertheless, the game is losing amazing coaches because of it. Great coaches are tired, they aren’t tired of the kids or the game, they still love that aspect, they’re tired and completely exhausted trying to navigate through all of the bull shit.

Obviously, they were all wired to handle and cope with it, based on their experiences in the game, but their willingness to give back to the game they love is being inundated with constant criticism and back-channel gossip and ridicule. From line combinations to specialty teams, to “in-game” decisions, you name it minor hockey coaches get it from every conceivable angle.

Distraught hockey parents more than likely feel compelled to confront coaches on a whim because of past “injustices” or experiences not realizing that the new coach is nothing like the one they had in the past.

Lack of knowledge and understanding for the game is clearly another root cause of the constant bull shit coaches must face when it comes to the entitled frustrated hockey parents. Perhaps the worst of all is the “all knowing hockey parent” that possesses limited knowledge and understanding for the game, but yet feels compelled to criticize every single aspect of team systems and the coach.

I’ve written in the past that some hockey parents just want to be heard, there’s a massive difference between wanting to be heard versus constantly confronting and berating the coach. It’s ridiculous to think that great coaches who are volunteers wanting to give back are being treated like this nonstop across all levels of minor hockey.

The best up and coming hockey coaches are tired of the bull shit, they’re tired of dealing with entitled hockey crazed parents. The really good ones are leaving, and they aren’t going to come back. You don’t know what you have until you lose it.

Hockey parents are quick to point out “supposed” subpar coaching, but they are the first to bitch and complain that there aren’t enough “qualified” coaches in the game. I wish I could share some of the messages and conversations I’ve had over the past several years from great coaches that are on the edge of leaving, thinking about leaving or have already left the game, it would blow your mind.

I wish there would be a way or an avenue to save or convince some of these amazing coaches from making the decision to leave the game. The game now more than ever needs great coaches to inspire, empower and develop the next generation of young athletes. 

Sadly a lot of the really good coaches are leaving, and who could blame them after what they have experienced.