Hartley Miller's Slap-Shots September 14th

By Hartley Miller

Recently, the Prince George Minor Hockey Association made a bold and controversial move by deciding to pay its’ Boys Midget Triple A Hockey coach $1000 a month for seven months.

Initially, PGMHA President, Jane Newman admitted she was “against it”, but later agreed. “This is a trial period for one year only. It is not policy. It is not set in stone”, said Newman.

Under this new plan, the PGMHA will cover the head coach’s expenses, and will pay him an additional $7000 honorarium. The head coach (Trevor Sprague this season) then can divide the money, as he chooses, with his coaching and managerial staff.  However, if a father assumes the role of head coach then he would NOT be entitled to the fee.

In the past, PG Minor Hockey experienced problems in attracting coaches at this age level. “We have had trouble traditionally getting coaches in the midget division,” stated Newman.  In fact, Newman believes that a $7000 “carrot” may assist in luring an experienced coach, who otherwise may not apply for the position.

So, where will the funds come from?  Half of the coach’s payment will come directly from the boys’ parents (approximately $200 each) and the other half will be taken from the PGMHA’s special events account.

Although PG Minor Hockey has agreed on this pilot project, Newman does not agree with paying other rep coaches in younger divisions. “I would be totally against it at the other levels. We still have lots of qualified dads at those levels.”

The idea of paying a coach has sparked debate.  Many coaches in Prince George volunteer their time and skills, and wouldn’t request monetary rewards. It is their way of giving back to the sport and/or community. While coaches often get expenses, it still doesn’t cover gas to practices, and other odds and ends.

Alternatively, some coaches have endured significant expenses upgrading their skills, so an honorarium such as this will reward them for their education and perseverance.

Subsequently, when or who does an organization choose to pay?  Is having a son or daughter on the team enough incentive to coach?  In Minor Hockey's case, for example, why wouldn’t the individual teams ask the parents to pay (i.e. bantam or peewee rep coach), especially if the volunteer isn’t a dad, and has credentials better than anyone else that might seek the position?

There isn’t a right, or a wrong answer on this debate. Having been involved in the Prince George sports scene for 28 years I do understand the importance of coaching. Times are changing, and the quicker we accept the new era of thinking, the easier it will be to make the transition.

If my son or daughter participated at the rep level (in any sport) and I was faced with a choice of a volunteer coach, who lacked in education and knowledge, or a coach with much more credentials, with a $200 a month price tag, I would choose the latter, in a “Hartley-beat”. Of course, I would rather have a qualified coach for nothing, but sometimes it comes down to “you get what you pay for”.

From the quote rack:

“NFL player Travis Henry has fathered 9 children with 9 different women thus earning him the title...."Player of the Year" "USC without a Trojan"  Contributor Derek Wilken of Calgary (http://smacksport.blogspot.com/)

“This guy may never win a Super Bowl, but he has a great shot at the Breeders' Cup."  NBC's Jay Leno, on Denver Broncos running back Travis Henry.

“Travis Henry on 'All My Children.' " Dan Daly of the Washington Times, making a prediction for TV's sweeps week.

“Bet the (New England) Pats wish they would have been playing and videotaping the NY Giants. Then the tapes would have been tossed for lack of evidence.” Comedy writer Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California

“Shaquille O'Neal has filed for divorce. It'll be his second and first since the one from Kobe Bryant."Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California

“She remains resolute, despite bogeying the first two classes." Greg Cote of the Miami Herald, on teenage LPGA golfer Michelle Wie after she enrolled
at Stanford University.

And in case you missed it:

From the sportscurmudgeon.com, on how insignificant pre-season football is. “Thomas Clayton (San Francisco 49ers) was the NFL’s leading rusher in the exhibition season. The 49ers cut him to get down to the 53-man roster.”

And how was your week?

Hartley Miller is the sports director for radio stations 94X and the Wolf@97fm. He also writes for the PG Free Press. Send along a quote, note or anecdote to hmiller@94xfm.com

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