Mar 06, 2025 | U16 AA HC | 1546 views
The Good Bye I never wanted
Since 2021 I’ve been lucky enough to coach an awesome group of boys born in 2009.
One , I have had for 4 years .4, I have had for 2 years .3, I’ve had for one year , and 11 , I have had for 3 years.
The first year we won 9 games and none in the playoffs . We were ranked last in Ontario but the boys never gave up. That was not a great year , but it prepared us for what was to come .
The second year , I inherited a lot of the core we have now . We learned to win and won 23 games , but only 1 in the playoffs And we were eliminated in the first round. The third year the boys had learned to win and we changed the culture of the group . We had unfinished business having won only one game in the playoffs the previous year . This was the year we were ready to win . The boys all bought in and we were a wagon , winning 42 games and finishing the playoffs 13-1 going undefeated in the OMHA championships on our way to red hats .
This year we are on to the semi finals of lakeshore and 2 wins away from another OMHA championship weekend .
This will be my last year with this 09 group and I will miss them deeply . I will miss the jokes on snap chat , or being called garbear by a bunch of 16 year olds and their parents. I will miss the fist bumps and the parents calling or texting me just to make sure I’m okay . I will miss the grandmothers who I have come to care deeply for and the summers filled with all the families in the parking lot. I’ll miss telling them how ugly they are and how bad they are at hockey . I’ll miss them giving me the bird in the hallways and camping before the year starts .I’ll miss the donuts after every shut out , and the fur coat they wore for MVP. Most of all I’ll miss watching them succeed. I know these boys will continue on the path to being great men, because all their family’s have done a fantastic job , but I already miss them and will always be in their corner . I am deeply humbled and thankful you all let be part of something as special as we have . As I wipe tears from my eyes , I am reminded the year isn’t over . No matter how this goes down, I am proud of each and every player and parent on this roster . It took all of us to succeed .
Thank you , Coach