( 5 reviews )
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Posted: Jul 15 2008
I love hockey books and this one is tops. Don't believe the three star review, Ed Arnold is just the right voice to describe these kids and why he and his co-coaches wanted a chance to teach kids that there are always options to choose from and to encourage them to play with open eyes and respect--never afraid to create. The characters are fascinating, funny, and the author is very engaging and likable. It's a great hockey story. It's one of those that i was so happy to get back to when i got the chance. A real pleasure read. There's really no way to rate anything higher than this book. It deserves 17 stars. Thank you Ed Arnold and the community of Peterborough. The Minor Pete's rock.
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Posted: Aug 18 2003
Having sidelined several years worth of US kids' hockey games, I picked up this book with great interest. In it I found useful self-reflection for parents and coaches alike. Parents trying to out-coach the coaches and berating their kids and referees alike is a common problem that needs to be held up more often for examination and I think these issues are well-addressed in this book. Coaches with a "win-at-all-costs" attitude -- yelling at players and shortening the bench need to realize the emotional damage they are inflicting on a kid who just wants to play for fun. (And we wonder why inactivity and childhood obesity is such a growing problem?) It also helped me understand why not using a strictly enforced positional-type play is good for kids' education in the sport and fosters a truly creative player rather than an automaton.Mr. Arnold's revised attitude to coaching is emphasized rather than explicit counselling on the "options" they reviewed with each player after a failed play. Yet the anecdotes culled from hanging around a bunch of 7-9 year olds make for entertaining reading. Mr. Arnold does state that the book is based on a diary he kept during the season which accounts for the slightly disjointed format but as it is chronologically organized I did not find it difficult to read. Yes, I would heartily recommend this book to anyone who attends kids' sporting events and we would all realize that a positive compliment to a kid, coach, or referee after a game will go miles farther than criticism.
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Posted: Nov 11 2002
This book is a terrific account of how the game of hockey should be treated. It's all about fun and enjoyment. As a coach, I found myself wondering if I could make the types of change that Ed and his coaches did. They tried something different and it worked. The kids and the coaches had fun, and sometimes too many coaches lose sight of that. Read this book if you are a hockey parent, coach or player.
