Interview with Tri-City Storm Asst Coach Eric Fink

Please give the readers a little background information on yourself.

My name is Eric Fink and I am an Assistant Coach for the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League (USHL).  This is my ninth year as a hockey coach and second year in Tri-City and the USHL.  Prior to Tri-City, I was an Assistant in the North American Hockey League in Owatonna, MN with the Owatonna Express.  I also spent one year at Augsburg College (NCAA Division III) and four years with the Twin Cities Northern Lights (Junior B, Minnesota Junior Hockey League).

What are the 3 biggest things you look for in a player (on ice) when recruiting for your junior team?

There are a lot of factors that come into play when you are evaluating a player and each team is a little different depending upon the style of there play.  In Tri-City, we put an emphasis on these three things. 

1.  Competitiveness - There are many skilled players, but many lack the competitiveness and drive to compete night after night and bring the same intensity level.  Blocking shots, finishing your checks, refusing to lose, are qualities that fit into this category.  We aren't looking for guys who are willing to do these things, we are looking for guys who are eager to do these things.  This is the most important aspect that we look for and the players that we have that are the most successful are our most competitive.

2.  Skill - A lot of times players don't understand the guys at higher levels don't always do something that they can't, they just do everything a little better.  Our guys skate a little faster, shoot a little harder and more accurately, handle the puck a little better, and compete a little harder then guys at lower levels.  It's rarely a big secret, you need to do the ordinary things better then everyone else.

3.  Character - Being and elite level athlete takes a sacrifice that not all people can commit to.  The very best players practice with a purpose every day, eat right, work out hard  when the coaching staff isn't around.  You can include school, being a good person and teammate, and making smart life decisions in this category as well. 

What are the 3 biggest things you look for in a player off of the ice?

1.  Academics - Given our demanding schedule, we need guys who are self-motivated academically.  Not only do they need to perform well but also be able to manage their time well enough to make up class work that they might miss in a timely fashion.

2.  Persistence -  You can tell a lot about an athlete by how persistent they are towards finding solutions.  If a person takes short cuts or quits easy, this usually translates to the ice in some form.

3.  Good People - Plain and simple.  Some guys are always looking for loop holes to team rules then arguing that there wasn't a rule for it.  Good people make decisions based off of their values.  These players are always the coaches favorites.  

Can you give us some insight into the recruiting process for your junior team? Is it simply holding tryouts or do you actively seek out players?

We have a head scout who is in charge of our scouting.  He has a staff that is spread out throughout North American.  They attend games and input all the information into a software program called Rink Net.  This information is then visible to our Head Coach/General Manger.  He checks it daily for reports on players and then we speak with people in that area that we might know to gather more information on the athlete.  The USHL holds two league drafts in May which are available online for all to view live; a Futures draft (younger players) and the Entry draft (both older and younger players).  After the draft, teams are allowed to contact players that were not drafted to attend their tryout camp.  The vetrans, drafted players, and undrafted players then gather for the camp.  The team is selected at this tryout.

What should high school/midget players do to help get noticed by junior teams?

Be a good player.  Practice hard and perform well every time you step on the ice.  If you are inconsistent, your odds of playing at a higher level decrease.  Every scout dreams of finding that hidden player that nobody else knows about so everyone is always trying to make that happen. And then, if you find that you have not received the attention that you deserve as a player, then ask your coach to help you.  With information so easy to access with the internet and email, it's very easy to contact a mass amount of people with just a few clicks. 

What is your biggest advice for someone who loves hockey and is looking to dive in and make their living in hockey?

If you work hard, are a good person, and worry less about moving yourself up and more about helping others move up.   Generally, things will go your way.  I'm sure you'll have your share of tough times, but if you learn from them, you're setting yourself up for the future.

What made you want to be a coach?

I had great coaches growing up and I got that image of myself doing that at a young age.  I started drawing plays and evaluating things when I was very young to make up for a lack of skill.  When not having skill caught up to me, I was fortunate to get an opportunity to give coaching a try and I was addicted immediately.

How does a coach improve their skills?

I guess I'm not sure how others do it but we try to learn as much as we can from other teams.  Whether we see something in the USHL that other teams are doing, the NCAA, Midget, NHL, etc.  It doesn't matter, we gather as much information as we can and we use it if possible.  If not, we store it away for when it might be a better fit.

I like to read a lot.  There are lots of great books that have great ideas to get you thinking about things in a different way.  They don't have to be just hockey either.  I've stolen drills from a soccer book before and I've heard of others using basketball set plays on the Power Play as well.  You'd be surprised. I highly recommend "The Talent Code" by Daniel Coyle.  If you have a book recommendation...please email me.  I am always looking. 

Lastly, we just talk to others and ask.  If we see something we like, we try to get in touch with someone that knows how to do it and we ask.  More often then not, they are very willing to share the concepts behind it.   

What are the 3 most important things to do to ensure you're running effective practices?

Be organized - Communicate clearly - Correct mistakes right away - Make it fun

Have a plan.  Know how much time you have on the ice, how many pucks you'll have, have water ready, etc.  Make sure all your assistants are aware of the plan so that no time is wasted.  Communicate with the players so that they understand exactly what is expected of them.  Everyone learns differently, so try to take that into account as you are communicating.  Correct mistakes that you see players making right away.  Its frustrating to see a youth team on the ice doing a drill then four coaches in the corner talking about something or watching.  Players need immediate feedback.  Lastly, make it fun.

Is there anything you want to promote, plug, or have our readers take a look at? (Website link, facebook, etc...)

The United States Hockey League website is www.ushl.com and it has great information on our league and what it can offer you as a student-athlete.  Our team website is www.stormhockey.com and they do a fantastic job keeping it updated with video, interviews, articles, etc.  Lastly, if anyone has any handouts, coaching articles, articles that our players would learn from, or books that I should read.  Please email me eric@stormhockey.com