Last Updated on Thursday, 29 January 2015 11:02
By Kevin Hartzell
Let’s Play Hockey Columnist
This past week I went to see “American Sniper.” I recommend you go see it. It is the first time I have cried at a movie in a long time. On so many levels this movie affected me. The story of Chris Kyle, so well produced by Clint Eastwood, made me feel small, humble and unimportant … much in the same way a good church sermon does to me. Later in the week, Let’s Play Hockey published my questions to USA Hockey regarding the merits of the National Team Development Program (NTDP) (LPH, Jan. 22). Wow … the responses, and from far and wide. E-mails, texts, phone calls and the LPH office has reported to me the same level of response. The column and questions struck a nerve with many.
First let me share with you it has been easily 10:1 favorable, positive and supportive responses to the questions asked. The supportive responses have been such as, “thank you for asking these questions,” “these are fair and great questions” and “I am looking forward to USA Hockey’s response.” And there have been a good number of “high-ranking” hockey folks weighing in with supportive comments as well.
There have also been a couple of “why are you trying to beat on USA Hockey?” comments/feedback. While in a vast minority, these folks didn’t feel as kindly towards my questions. I was told I had an obvious “ax to grind.” I was also told I had better be personally concerned as this kind of BS writing will affect my coaching career going forward, and not in a good way. Any time one hears something of a threatening nature, it usually gets your attention. It got mine.
In spite of all the opinions pro and con, all I think I did after all was simply ask some questions. A large part of me doesn’t understand all the fuss. But what I found most interesting were some of the adjectives that have been used in the comments shared with me by those that I would call “supportive.” Some of these supportive folks used the word “courageous” or other such words describing my effort. “Thank you for having the courage to write these questions,” would be an example of that basic theme. After watching American Sniper just a couple days earlier, I certainly didn’t feel like I did anything that deserves such adjectives be used to describe the effort in what I thought was simply a pointed Q-and-A. But it all got me thinking.
I am less than a perfect person and I certainly don’t have any feeling of being courageous. I have never thought of myself as a good writer, but I do try and share some thoughts now and then. I believe I try my best to argue and advocate for the game and the coaches, but more than anything else for the young people who play the game. I have no ax to grind. At times, I have been accused of being pro-junior hockey and anti-Minnesota (high school) when I advocate for players having options outside of their high school experience. I don’t think that is true either. I just think I am pro-kid and for healthy competition. Sharing my thoughts are an effort to stir debate and this time it did.
In the case of the NTDP, I admit I am not inclined to support the basic concept, but that is just my personal bias which I admit to in my previous column. All I wanted in this whole ordeal was to simply ask and have answered the many questions that many in our hockey community have regarding the program. The result I am hoping for is that all of us better understand the mission of the program and develop an educated opinion on whether or not the over $3 million being spent on the NTDP (whether a direct expenditure or granted monies), is being best utilized by our governing body as we all try and provide the best American hockey experience for our players playing the game.
Asking questions seems to me to be a pretty straightforward part of the world we live in. We teach our young school children that questions are good and there are no stupid questions. We encourage them to challenge and question authority. Husbands and wives in healthy, loving relationships challenge each other daily. One wants the vacation or the new widget, the other asks if the budget can be better served by saving the money or spent on something other.
I had an excellent coaching partner in Andy Jones. In part what made him excellent was that he was often challenging my thoughts, assumptions and stated directions. Like the husband and the wife, Andy challenged me from a place of love for the betterment of the team. However, I never thought of him, at least in this regard, as courageous.
But it hit me when I again heard the adjective “courageous” used by those supporting the column and its questions. I mean, why are good people and hockey supporters using this adjective? And of course the other call came too, the one that said, “This will likely affect your coaching career going forward.” Whether true or not, that is what people believe; that speaking up or asking questions of the authority can be detrimental to one’s personal career, so you need to have courage to do so.
A good friend said to me, “You for sure now won’t ever be coaching in the World Junior Tournament!” He firmly believes that and not because he doesn’t think I am capable! To that I say and want to believe, that if the powers that be think I am good enough, they will present the opportunity someday. If they do not, they will not. That’s how it should be anyway.
It is obvious to me that many people have harbored thoughts and questions on the subject of the NTDP. Maybe they don’t feel they have the platform to raise their questions and that is the reason for the large number of supportive responses. Nevertheless, accountability has to come in many shapes and sizes; it travels many directions and it needs to be participated in by all. We need more people to speak up more often.
To USA Hockey, I would say you can always work harder to make people feel comfortable in disagreeing with you, maybe not even liking you, whatever it is. That’s what leaders and leadership does. They welcome dissent. They welcome criticism to their thoughts. Leaders welcome disagreement because it is in debate that we often forge a better way forward. The ability and freedom to disagree and even challenge authority, it’s as American as apple pie. But the reality is that it doesn’t come like it should when there are real or perceived repercussions.
In grade school, we were taught to ask questions and challenge authority as that is how societies progress together. That is how hockey communities progress together … and we will continue to progress together. The game has never been better and USA Hockey has had a good hand in that with various coaching and player development programs. But as always, there are challenges ahead. Is the NTDP part of this continued positive move forward, or a program that should be reconsidered? I don’t know the answers. I only expressed some questions; questions that I know are shared by many.
Postscript: I am pleased that Jim Johannson, a good hockey man, was the person who responded to our questions. I like Jim. As I stated previously, I think he cares deeply about the game and the players who play the game. I appreciate the time and thought he put into his responses.
I think it is important that USA Hockey heard these questions (and responded) in a public forum because I believe that the questions asked are shared by many good and passionate hockey people. Actually, from the extent of the feedback I received, I feel assured that this is true. The value and merits of the NTDP is an issue that continues to spark debate and to that extent. I want to believe that this was a good exercise. The value of the program will continue to be debated.
Click here for USA Hockey’s response
Kevin Hartzell was most recently the head coach of Lillehammer in Norway’s GET-Ligaen. A St. Paul native and forward for the University of Minnesota from 1978-82, Hartzell coached in the USHL from 1983-89 with the St. Paul Vulcans and from 2005-12 with the Sioux Falls Stampede. His columns have appeared in Let’s Play Hockey since the late 1980s. His new book “Leading From the Ice” is now available at amazon.com.
Photo: USA Hockey
