If you followed my coaching post from yesterday, I want to now  address the solution to a few of the issues.  After all, complaining without a solution is simply whining.

I am not one to point fingers at problems.  I rather be proactive and find solutions to them so they don't become a HABIT that continually plagues a team.

As the Strength and Conditioning or "Off Ice" or "Dry land" coach for my son's Hockey team, there are a few things that I should have done prior to departure for our over night travel Tournament this past MLK weekend.   Next time I will:

1. Send out a "Do and Don't" list of suggestions for parents to adhere to.  Setting the expectations and rules is far easier to administer than Crisis Management later on.

This "Letter of Expectations" should be coordinated with the Team Manager and the Skill Coaching Staff and then submitted to the Head Coach for his/her approval!

Once that is completed it should be sent to all the parents AND athletes to be signed so you know they read the information AND understood it.  It is NOT a contract!  I'll get to that later, but you want to make sure that if you were heard and understood so that later no one could say..."I didn't get that memo".

We as a family have travelled to far away destinations from our little humble abode in California by both Automobile and Airline.

Understanding that Travel Sport is just that, "TRAVEL" you need to budget as best you can to make "GETTING THERE" as easy as possible.

I've driven 8 to 12 hours and have absolutely beaten the crap out of myself, my EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle, my wife, and my son because I thought it would be more frugal to do it that way.

Here's the thing, IF that car ride is going to be longer than FIVE hours and you CAN fly...Do IT!

Get someone to drop you and your family off at the departing Airport and pack LIGHT!  You CAN wear the same clothes more than once to cut down on the baggage.  Hell, Hockey equipment is heavy enough!  "He who travels light, travels swift"  is a TRUE statement.

When I have chosen to make the long ass drive, I tilt my head back, open my mouth and holler "Aaaaaaaaaaargh" and look just like an unsatisfied Charlie Brown who just go the football pulled out from under him!

Although having your own car and being able to bring to and back multiple items as in souvenirs and junk, Flying is far easier and a lot less stressful for the parents, AND the kid(s).

That is MY suggestion only!

Trips that are less than or equal to a 4-5 hour drive time...DRIVE!

Trips GREATER than 5 hours...FLY if you can afford it!

Today's Training:

Pull Ups: 2

Push Ups: 5

Chin ups: 2

Dips: 5

Do this in ORDER-

Bench: Work up to a heavy 2 reps

-Drop the heaviest 2 rep weight by 50% and do 5 sets of 10 reps

Concept II Rowing Ergometer: 16 minutes

Suspended Inverted Blast Strap Rows: 5x10

C/S Rear Delt Raise: 5x10

Dips: 5x10

Supine Tricep Extension: 5x10

Barbell Curls: 5x10