It is hard to believe we are less than 2 weeks into the new season. As a club, we’ve already played 17 games, had 5 practices, and participated in 2 run club events. We know this is a packed 10-week schedule and recognize not everyone can make it to every event, but we’re blown away by the number of families that do. The dedication of not just the kids, but the parents, siblings, grandparents… that show up night after night is amazing.
We have been so proud to unveil the new jerseys this season. They were an absolute labor of love that went through many iterations to get right. All of the new logos are available on all of our Alberta Sportswear apparel.
Some of you may have seen that we’ve added MVP awards for every game now. Some of our teams had done this on their own in the past, and we’ve always loved the idea. The extra smiles that kids get when awarded these are wonderful. Please keep your eyes out for kids wearing them and offer them an extra congratulations as they’ve worked really hard to get it.
Junior coaching continues to be something we’re highly passionate about. It’s a great way to see games from a different perspective. Watching the clock, the play, and getting kids on/off the floor is not as simple as it looks. Things on the floor move very quickly! If you misread the play or lose track of time, it’s easy to leave a line out too long or miscount/mistime a change on the fly. It’s also where people management skills come in. You’re the first to cheer and encourage players as they come on the bench or potentially see pain, mental or physical, that needs to be addressed. Whether it’s at games or practices, what we’ve found most beneficial is that the younger kids tend to look up to the older ones and are much more receptive to suggestions to help them improve. We love our junior coaches and encourage anyone serious about growing their game to consider talking to their parents, as it’s an extra time commitment, and then talking to their coach about teams they may be able to help with.
One of the other things that spring brings us is a new ref clinic. It’s a time for returning refs to refresh and for new refs to learn the ropes. We’re super proud that 3 of our AllStars kids have passed the exam this spring and are suiting up. I encourage everyone to cheer them on too. It’s a tough and stressful job. Knowing that there are supporters in the crowd goes a long way.
On top of everything else, our two Bar Down Beasts and Running Club coaches somehow found the time to win their B div championship. If you’ve never had the chance to go out and watch a WBHE Storm game, I highly recommend you do. They are a lot of fun to watch, and there is a lot to learn by doing it. Congratulations ladies!
Now to enjoy a few days off to recover and to start planning for the BHE1 Invitational 5v5 tournament on May long weekend (May 16-19)