Page 9 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 27

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He Shoots, He Scores! – A look into Creating and Coaching

Professional Hockey Players from a Coach’s Perspective

By: Molly Kett

even-year-old Colby Hercia runs
Saround his living room, mini stick
in hand, taking consecutive shots on
his net and screaming at the top of his
lungs: “He shoots, he scores!”

This is the average day for this
teammate of the Oshawa Minor
Generals six-year-old Tyke Select
Development Team, who dreams of
someday becoming a professional
athlete, playing in the NHL.
Behind every professional athlete,
whether they are beginning their
journey or finally achieving their

goal of going pro, there is a coaching

staff influencing them every step of
the way.
Between choosing the right players
for the team, organizing practices,
and trying to better the skills of each
teammate, the life of a coach is non-
stop. Many coaches often have strong
backgrounds in the sport they have
decided to coach.

Phil Brown, coach of the Oshawa
Minor Generals six-year-old Tyke
Select Development Team, has a rich
hockey background.
Brown, originally from Cornwall,
grew up playing hockey. He played on
Cornwall Bantam and Midget teams
when he was younger. He continued
to play hockey throughout his life,
for both Brockville and Michigan.

“I come from a real hockey family,”
says Brown. “There are four boys and
two girls in our family. Two of my
brothers were drafted to the NHL. All
three of us played NCAA (National
Collegiate Athletic Association)
hockey. I played Junior A hockey in
Brockville for the Brockville Braves
and I had a scholarship playing NCAA Cornwall Native Phil Brown enjoys coaching tyke hockey Photo Supplied
at Northern Michigan University. I
call our family the biggest hockey pick of the New York Islanders. His when you’re able to develop them they’re just balls of energy,” says
family nobody’s heard about.” Brown. “Sometimes it’s hard to get
sister’s son, Matt Duchene, currently and see them grow.”
Phil has also been an assistant plays for the Colorado Avalanche. Taking the first steps towards them to listen and you’ve got to get

coach for the Junior A Massena creative. Sometimes we’re going to
While Brown has a clear passion for coaching and shaping competitive
Americans and coached the Char- hockey, there’s always the question or professional athletes who are push the envelope and we’re going
Lan Rebels, a Junior B team. His as to why decide to coach. just six years old can often be a to try things out and see if they work
brother, Newell Brown, played for with six-year-old kids. Sometimes

the Cornwall Royals, played NCAA “I think the reason myself and difficulty for coaches. In terms of they do, and sometimes you really
coaching hockey, it begins with
at Michigan State and was drafted to people in my family are interested in building a good foundation with the push and you think they’re never
the NHL by the Vancouver Canucks. coaching is because it’s the next best basic fundamentals and skills such as going to do it and they surprise you
His other brother, Allister Brown, thing to playing,” Brown says. “And skating, and then expanding them. and they do.”
played NCAA at New Hampshire now of course, coaching six-year-old Brown takes overall skill level,
University and was an NHL draft boys, you get a sense of fulfi llment “They’re six-year-old boys and Continued on page 11