Following
a 6 to 1 loss to Woodstock on Saturday, the 1-10-0 Minor Pee Wee Black team
hosted the 12-0-1 London Jr. Knights White team at RIM yesterday. For the first
time in what seems like weeks Minor Pee Wee Black entered the game with a full
and healthy roster.
Prior to the game the coaching staff and players made some positional changes and discussed strategy. Most importantly, in preparation for the game, the coaching staff and players focused on four team goals: (1) Hard Work & Effort; (2) Teamwork; (3) Emotional Control; and (4) Getting Better Every Day, Practice and Game. By the time the game was over, London came out on top 3-0. That being said, the score board does not always tell the whole story nor is it always the best measure of victory or outcomes. The score board cannot and does not measure nor does it capture the “victories” that can only be witnessed on the bench or in the dressing room.
Our victories were many yesterday. First, our team demonstrated a strong work ethic and effort that held London to a 1-0 lead until two penalties resulted in a 5 on 3 situation and two London power play goals. Second, our players continued to embrace the battle and down three goals they continued to support each other on the bench and battled throughout the third period to put pucks on the London net. The second victory occurred on the bench as the clock wound down through the last 20 or so seconds. One of the players said to the rest of the players: “Don’t be upset guys. That’s the best team in our league and probably the province and we just played with them.” They demonstrated emotional control and an appreciation for each other and the game they had just played. They recognized that they were better than the day and game before. The final victory or shall I say victories happened in the dressing room when one of our players said: “Coach, I want to apologize for the penalty I took. It cost us a goal.” This resulted in another player also acknowledging his penalty and the impact on the team. The truth is, there will always be penalties in the game of hockey and if we take away those two goals, we still lose 1-0 on the scoreboard. The victory is that both players recognize the impact of their actions on the team and took responsibility. We are well on our way to being “we” before “me.”
The coaching staff is very proud of our player’s growth, behavior and attitudes. Victories are everywhere in minor sports, but you may miss them if you are looking for them on a scoreboard or in the standings. So for me, the answer is yes; you can declare a victory after 3-0 loss. In fact, you can declare several victories if you choose to look for them away from the scoreboard and standings!