Watch this video from a recent training workshop I ran for our coaches:
"Something for Everyone; If you're not Learning, you're getting left Behind. Jeremy Makes Sure you're Learning, and Staying ahead of the Pack!"
- Coach Terry Corbin
My Experience in Minnesota
In 2009 I attended a high-end coaching clinic in Minnesota. I won't get into details on which clinic it was, but let me describe the experience...
My dad called me up one day and said... "Hey, I'm thinking about attending the ******* coaching clinic in Minnesota, wanna come with me?"
I said "I'd love to... but I don't have the money right now." (our oldest was 2 years old at the time, and Julie was expecting our second baby... I knew it'd be pricy, and didn't think it'd be a smart thing to do at that point in time)
My dad said "Don't worry, I'll cover all the costs..." So we booked it, and headed off to Minnesota.
I was super pumped about the clinic. There were some big names from the NHL, NCAA, and the National Programs. I was ready to be fed with hockey wisdom for an entire weekend... It was gonna be AWESOME!
The Disappointment...
However, the experience as a whole ended up being somewhat of a disappointment.
To make a long story short, the speaking line-up was great, but most of the presenters were more interested in ENTERTAINING than INSTRUCTING. They told old "war stories" which were funny, and entertaining, but didn't give me much ACTIONABLE stuff to apply in my own coaching.
A few coaches gave great presentations. In fact one of my favorite ones was from a pro goalie coach. He showed us a bunch of training clips from the goalies he worked with. Afterward I asked if I could get a copy of his clips to review them again on my own time. I was told they'd be made available later to all the participants... they never were.
For many coaches, including some of the presenters, the "social hours" seemed to take priority over coaching improvement. In fact, many of the participants were late to the morning sessions because they slept through them.
The Costs
Although I pulled a few decent nuggets from the clinic in Minnesota, I ultimately left feeling like it was a lot of hype, and not much action.
And by the time you factor in the cost of the clinic itself, plus airfare, hotel and rental car, and food for the weekend... It literally cost thousands of dollars for each of us (which thankfully my dad covered) and we didn't come away with all that much ACTIONABLE material. And we didn't get access to any of the recorded presentations or video clips the presenters used.
Building a Better Symposium
Ultimately, the thought crossed my mind that I could build a better symposium... I could:
+ Invite top hockey coaches to participate,
+ Make it a home-study format that coaches could watch and re-watch as often as needed,
+ Give access to the raw clips used in the presentations, so coaches could use them in their OWN coaching,
+ Have more interaction,
+ AND KEEP THE COSTS WAY LOWER
So I got to work. It took me a few years to find the right platform, build the infrastructure, and put together the plan. But it all came together, and the International Coaching Symposium had its birth!