Team Photos

Hi Hawks,
I know we're very late with these, but we have your photos.

My apologies. I dropped the ball on getting these out to you.

And I know longer have your email addresses or phone numbers.

Please call me or email me to arrange a time for me to get your photos to you. My email and phone number are on the right column of the blog.

I have pictures for:
Devin B
Mackenzie T
Russell F
Mitchell J
Tyler M
Jordan F
Mitchell N
Daniel K
Tyler C

Call or email please!

Hawks Comments 2

Hi this is Russell's mom. I just want to let you know I put the pictures I took on Sunday on his Facebook page. Feel free to add him as a friend -- he had a great year with you guys!

It won't let me paste the link here but if you go to facebook.com/russelldferguson you'll see them.

----

Thanks Clare!
Coach Steve

Hawks Comments

Hi Hawks,
To make your last few comments more visible on the blog, I'll post them as actual blog entries.

Here's the first, from your back stop.

on my final comment i'd just like to say thanks to the coaches and all the players on the team for making it a great season. id also like to congradulate mac on winning mvp. and as far as a party/get together goes, niece said something about a pool party at his house... maybe. anyway, hope to have all of you back on this team again next year and if not i hope you guys are ready cuz im comin back strong.
Braden

2009 SWO Ball Hockey Bantam Champions!

Go Hawks!
What a weekend! What a final!

Your coaches are so very proud of you young men. You faced repeated adversity all season, including over the past weekend, and during the final game. And yet, you pushed forward, you were relentless, you were committed. Congratulations Hawks!

I hope you can see, as we go back to our regular lives, that we didn’t just talk about ball hockey all season. In fact, in many ways, we didn’t really talk all that much about ball hockey.

Hawks, we talked about life!

We talked about the power of believing, the power of committing, and the incredible power you find in DECIDING that you WILL make your goal, your dream, whatever it may be. All of those great leaders whose quotes we’ve discussed on this blog and in the room, and even our mantra of “no space and no time”, all of that was/is not simply about ball hockey. That all applies to life!

And do you recall what we told Braden before he faced that penalty shot, and before the shoot-out in the tournament? Do you remember what we told Brad and Aaron before they took penalty shots or shoot-outs? We told them to “have fun”. Hawks, that’s so important! Have fun!

Again, that’s not about ball hockey. That’s about life gentlemen!

Hawks, it’s been a humbling experience, a learning experience, and a true honour to take the field of battle with you young men. As I mentioned when we met, this was my first coaching experience. I’ve been an assistant, but this was my first attempt at the head coaching position. You’ve made it a season to always remember!

I’d like to get us together to celebrate, but I certainly can’t orchestrate something like that on my own. We’ll need a venue and some other volunteer assistance from the parents on the team. If any of you are willing to supply either, please email me via the address noted to the right. We’ll try to get this organized as quickly as possible.

Thanks for a great season Hawks! And congratulations! YOU are ALL SWO Ball Hockey Bantam Champions!

Let’s Finish This Job!

Here we are Hawks, exactly where we wanted to be when we first took the floor together back on April 17th, the Championship Finals! Go Hawks!

Gentlemen, you’ve come so very far since that first game. You’re grown as players, and you’re REALLY grown together as a team. Your coaches are all very proud of all you accomplished thus far, proud of each and every Hawk!

But the job is not yet done. Our season is not yet complete. We have one more task before us, one more game, one more battle, one last obstacle that stands between us and OUR Championship!

This evening, when that ball drops at 6:45pm, let’s take care of business! Let’s get this job done!

Hawks, it’s no longer about teaching you systems, or coverage, or how to give our opponent no-space-and-no-time. You know all of that. You know your job. You know how to execute.

Our two teams, the Hawks and the Vultures, are evenly matched. They beat us 1-0. We beat them 1-0. They got past us yesterday. AND TODAY IS OUR DAY!

Hawks, it now comes down to one simple truth, the team that wants this game the most, will win. Please think about this truth. Please understand it. Please decide how badly you want this game, this Championship, OUR Championship!

And please read on as I remind you of some related truths that we’ve discussed all season long....

From May 4:
The teams that are still standing at the end of this season will be those that are working well together. I’ll keep repeating it, a team is far more than the sum of its individual players. Ball hockey is a game of passing, making plays, and intensity. We’re strong and getting stronger at all three of those.


From May 10:
We have a great team Hawks! And a great opportunity to go all the way this season. We’ve come a long way in a short time, and I know we can keep learning and improving.


From May 19:
Are you all living by our Hawks Hockey Nation Excellence Creed? Part of being a great hockey team is simply believing in ourselves, believing that we ARE a great hockey team. And part of believing we are a great hockey team, is living like a great hockey team, always!


From May 24:
“Until one is committed, there is always hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help that would never have otherwise occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising to one's favor all manner of unforeseen accidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” –Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


From May 30:
Remember Hawks, we all agreed last night to crank it up a notch for the playoffs. No, actually, to crank it up 1,000 notches! Your coaches will do so.


From June 2:
Please consider this quote from Henry Ford: “Whether you think you can, or whether you think you can’t, you are right.” –Henry Ford.


From June 6:
“You must believe to achieve!” –Coach Steve, 2009 Copyright!


From June 7:
Every great sports team that ever existed...
Every great individual athlete that ever succeeded...
Every incredible inventor through history...
Every great leader, philosopher, and politician....
Every great artist, singer, band, song writer, painter and sculpture...
They all had one undeniable truth in common:
They had NO idea how they were going to accomplish their individual goal or dream, but each one BELIEVED absolutely that somehow he/she/they would most definitely, eventually, accomplish and achieve their goal!


From June 8:
"Commitment to the team - there is no such thing as in-between, you are either in our out." -Pat Riley

"Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the ‘me’ for the ‘we.’" -Phil Jackson


From June 12:

Here’s another truth in life gentlemen:
“Never confuse activity with results.” -Lou Gerstner, former CEO, IBM

There is no trying Hawks. There’s only doing, or not doing! This weekend, let’s DO!


From June 16:
“Vision is not enough; it must be combined with venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps; we must step up the stairs.” –Vaclav Havel

“Some succeed because they are destined to. Most succeed because they are determined to.” –unknown

Good News!

Hi Hawks,
As we prepare for our final push this weekend, I want to share some good news.

As most of you know, one of our defencemen sustained a "lower body" injury on Saturday.

I'm happy to report that said defenceman will go back into battle with us this weekend! He still has some minor discomfort but is determined to be there for you, his team.

This is great news Hawks. We need each and every one of you this weekend! I know the schedule is uncertain. Please be there.

Go Hawks!

"Most Succeed Because They are Determined To"

Good morning Hawks!
I'm still in Toronto in meetings all day. Braden told me last night that the playoff standings have been updated on the SWO website.

Go have a look! We're in first place!

Of course, you'll quickly notice that the Vultures have two games played and two games left. We've played three games and have one left.
But here's the thing. As is generally the case in life, we control our own destiny.

The Vultures currently have 4 points in the playoffs (i.e. two wins). We currently have 5 points (i.e. two wins and a tie).

The Vultures play Friday night against the Harriers, a game they could win, lose or tie.

So coming into our Saturday game the Vultures will have 4, 5, or 6 playoff points, compared to our 5 points.

So in the worst case, the Vultures could have 6 playoff points and thus be 1 point ahead of us.

So when we beat the Vultures on Saturday, we'll finish the playoff round robin with 7 points, and we'll finish in first place!

If we should only tie the Vultures on Saturday, we'll finish with 6 playoff points and they could finish with anywhere from 5 to 7 points (depending on what happens against the Harriers Friday night).

So Hawks, the ONLY point to focus on here is that we control our own destiny. Period.

We'll go into Saturday's game needing either a win or a tie to take first place overall.

First place overall gives us a by all the way to the league final game, for the championship!

Finishing 2nd or 3rd in the standings would mean we would play an elimination game Saturday evening. The winner of this 2 vs 3 game will also play on the championship final.

It's all up to us Hawks. We decide. We determine the outcome of the playoff round robin.

Let's decide to finish first overall! Let's take care of business on Saturday!

Then maybe we can have some fun, together, as a team, without getting all sweaty and exhausted ;), on Saturday evening.

Remember Hawks:

"Vision is not enough; it must be combined with venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps; we must step up the stairs." -Vaclav Havel

"Some succeed because they are destined to. Most succeed because they are determined to." -unknown

Go Hawks!!!