On The Border....At The Border

If we divide our season like a five act play it allows our players to focus on short term segments of an otherwise very long season. It also enables our coaches to set important objectives for each segment of the season, and monitor progress through identifiable performance standards.

As our team prepares to play in the Border City Cup Tournament this weekend we reach the "Border" of Act 2 in our five act season-long play, which in its entirety, consists of the following:

Act 1: Training Camp: Early August: Time to get our players in shape, improve their skills, put together our roster, and set the tone for the type of work ethic we expect from our players at practices both on and off the ice.

Act 2: Preseason: Mid-August to the MWEHL season begins: Time to test our team in real game action and make evaluations of our player personnel, our team character, and the strengths and weaknesses of each player and our team in general.

Act 3: Regular Season Phase A: From the start of the MWEHL season through December 31: Time to become battle tested and showcase our players to scouts and recruiters while playing the best possible competition we can in our league, exhibition games, and high-end tournaments. Work on making our strengths stronger and turning our weaknesses into strengths ... or at least eliminating our weaknesses.

Act 4: Regular Season Phase B: From January 1 to the end of the MWEHL Regular Season: Time to come together as one unit with all our players pulling on the same rope in the same direction. We want to constantly improve and peak as a team in terms of our execution and winning. This is the time when we develop a clear picture of what is "Belle Tire Wizards Hockey" so that each player fully understands what, and how, we must play for us to be successful.

Act 5: Playoffs: Postseason State and National Playoffs: Time to catch lightning in a bottle. Hopefully our players are injury free and have enough juice in their legs to execute "Belle Tire Wizards Hockey" at the top of our game. Goaltending becomes most key in the playoffs. If we can execute our game, outwork our opponents, play smart, play together, get great goaltending, as well as those proverbial lucky bounces, then maybe....just maybe... Belle Tire Midget Minor might repeat as Michigan State and National Champions.