The following is a Q&A with Chris Jones, coach of the Bantam U14 Elite New England Stars.
Q: How is the team doing in the standings?
A: Currently in the Winter Bantam League, we are sitting in third place with 4 games to go. If we win the majority of these games we may have a good shot at making playoffs. The beginning of the year was tough and we started out 0-14. After this rough start moral was down and we weren't in a good place. However, the kids stuck it out and we've made a decent turn around. We are very competitive in almost all of our games and the scores are relatively close.
Q: What are the team's strengths and weaknesses?
A: We are weakest through the neutral zone. We are very strong and good at cycling pucks low and then getting shots from the point. We play a pretty heavy game and can take the body very well. Most games we see a lot of hits and contact that works in our favor.
Q: What is one of your favorite in-game memories?
A: One of my favorite memories so far during this year had to be when one of my players, Josh Kinghorn, was struggling mightily drinking out of a water bottle. All of this was due to him holding it upside down the entire time. I've never seen anything so funny and so candid on the bench during a game in all my years in hockey, both as a coach and a player. It was to the point where I was almost crying laughing on the bench and if there's one thing I'm good at on the bench, its staying composed and I couldn't keep it together one bit.
As far as off ice goes, my favorite moment would have to be when we were doing a dry-land session, one of my players, James Giblin, was struggling with push-ups. Well after a few sessions, "Gibby" was strong enough to not only do a proper push-up, he tied for the most done in one set. It was great to see him finally accomplish this. All in all, I have a decent group of kids this year and it has made it an enjoyable, entertaining season to say the least.
