Game On Magazine 2017 Nov Game On low res | Page 81

THE COACHES
Hockey
sHould be
Fun
B Y S C O T T TAY L O R
Photos by Laurie Anderson
MANITOBA GREY OWLS HEAD COACH JAYNE HEGGIE has a very
simple coaching philosophy. It is precise, well thought
out and quite pertinent in today’s hockey environment.
“Oh, there are a lot of coaching philosophies,”
said Heggie with a laugh. “Mine is simple. The
girls have to have fun. If they’re not having fun,
there is really no sense playing the game.”
Heggie gets it. You don’t work hockey. You play
hockey. And that philosophy is particularly important
at the Manitoba Women’s Junior Hockey League level.
This is the pinnacle. Some of these young women
might move up to play college hockey as MWJHL
players Vanessa Klimpke and Renee Stevenson did
last season, but for the most part, when their junior
careers are over, these women will go to work, have
families and leave the joy of playing hockey behind.
So for the only female head coach in the MWJHL,
making sure her players enjoy every moment of their
junior hockey careers, is of utmost importance.
“The first thing I think about is making sure the
players are having fun because if they’re not, the whole
team will fall apart,” she said. “I’m kind of fortunate.
I’m 27 so I’m a young head coach and I get along well
with the players. I’m a little older, but not much, so
I’ve been through all the things they’ve been through
and it wasn’t that long ago that I’ve been through
all that stuff. Like, ‘I can’t make practice because I
have to work.’ Yep, work sucks. I understand.”
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