The noose is back!

I'd like to give a HUGE shout-out to the BC Rollers. After almost exactly a year and eight months, I finally pulled out the coaching whistle as an honest-to-goodness coach again.

It's been entirely too long since I sat down and pondered the needs of a team and its skaters from an outside perspective. Creating the day's practice plan is a journey that I love to take- meandering through skills and drills in my mind, deciding which twists and turns to follow as the plan slowly shape like a map laid out before me. There are favorite sites along every route that simply must not be missed and other sites that can only be visited once or twice before they're old news. Finding the balance between taking time to enjoy the local culture and moving quickly through on our way to bigger, better things is always a challenge.

Some days everyone is on the bus and ready to rumble like a well-oiled machine, complete with a punctual departure and plenty of on-board entertainment. Other days, the bus breaks down and everyone has to pitch in to get to the team's destination. That can mean tough choices and sometimes includes unpleasant compromises. It can also result in some awesome stories as obstacles are overcome. Knowing the lay of the land and the resources that you've brought along with you is vital to being able to respond smoothly to any changes along the route.

Last night's practice was a trip through mostly familiar stomping grounds for this tour guide. We took a few side trips to visit both old and new areas, letting new travelers take in the sights and sounds around them as their more traveled companions got a chance to see things with fresh perspective. More than once the group was let loose to explore a new concept thoroughly in their own way and at their own pace; many bringing new insights back with them.

The night's destination was ultimately and simply; Communication. The BBC Rollers are scheduled to bout against Albany's B-Team in a little more than two weeks and has no shortage of team spirit. Taking that existing team spirit and pushing it to the next level with the use of effective communication will hopefully help the league hold its collective head up proudly on Dec 3rd; no matter which way the ruling for Rule 2.2.2 falls.

So as last evening's tour guide for the BCC Rollers, I hope everyone enjoyed the trip and that I'll see you again soon! (And for those whose bus I wasn't traveling on- I'm excited to find out where your evening's route took you!)