New Interview With Des Moines Buccaneers Coach Regg Simon

Coach Simon,

Thank you for taking the time give some insight to all the coaches and players reading the articles at Boston Hockey Education.

Please give the readers a little background information on yourself.

Born & raised in Elk River, Minnesota. Grew up playing there. Played high school hockey there. Played two years in the USHL for Des Moines after high school. Got a scholarship to University of Alaska Anchorage out of Des Moines. Finished playing in 2001 for UAA. Got into coaching in 2002-03 in the USHL with the Tri-City Storm. Worked ½ year there as assistant coach and ½ year as interim head coach. Came to Des Moines as assistant coach in 2003-04 and held that position until 2005. Took over as Head Coach & General Manager until 2008. Left for two years to go back to UAA as assistant coach. Came back to Des Moines this past August as Head Coach & GM again.

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

Hockey sense, skill and competitiveness.

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

Character, desire and manners.

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?

The USHL has a draft in May – so we scout players throughout the season and build a draft list from that. During the season we actively look for free agents (players not on USHL lists) and if we think they are good enough we’ll bring them on to our club.

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

Stay out of trouble off the ice. Do well in school. Play hard every night because they never know who is in the stands. Be the best at what you are: You don’t have to have 50 points as a defenseman to get to junior or pro hockey. If you are a great defensive defenseman – be the best at it. If you’re a great 3^rd line checking wing and penalty killer – be the best at it. You don’t have to get 100 points to get to higher levels of hockey. There’s just as many “role” spots on a team as there is “skill” spots when you build a team.

Do you try to coach the mental aspect of hockey? If so, what are some tips in doing so?

Yes. We try to teach the players how to properly prepare for games and to do visualization to picture themselves having success.

What did you do during your playing days to set you apart from the competition?

I competed very hard, was a good penalty killer and leader.

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

You have to be passionate about it and if you are with a woman or partner they better know what they’re getting into as well. Most people that work in hockey are under-paid and over-worked – but we all have fun doing it. That’s why you need to be passionate about it.

What made you want to be a coach?

I always understood the game and was a smart player even though I wasn’t the most talented player. I felt I’d be able to take the lessons I learned as a player and teach them to young men and help them grow and mature as a person and player.

How does a coach improve their skills?

By talking a lot of hockey with other coaches, watching games and how other teams play. There are no original ideas in hockey. We all steal from each other and make it our own.

Who was your most influential coach? Why?

Bob Ferguson who is now an assistant GM with the Anaheim Ducks. He was a hard-nosed coach but you knew he cared about you as well – which made all of his players want to go through a brick wall for him and the team.

What are 3 things you look for when hiring an asst coach?

Loyalty. Character. Personality.

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

Skill development built into each drill. Players are getting the proper work-to-rest ration so conditioning is built into each drill. Be prepared and have a basic plan as to what you want your team to achieve that day (defensive concepts, offensive zone play, transition game, ect.).

What are some major mistakes you see coaches making?

Not enough skill development built into practices and practicing systems too much. Players do need to learn systems – but if a kid can’t skate or handle a puck – how is he going to make a play within that system to help you win a game? Youth coaches especially try to win too much – and they get pressure from parents to do that. I’d rather see a youth coach skill his team to death and be a .500 hundred team than a 60-10 team that plays great systems with players that have no creativity. What’s more gratifying – sending 10 guys to the USHL 5 years from now because you developed their skills or winning 60 games as a peewee or bantam but none of your kids play at a higher level because they lacked skill development at a crucial point in their careers? Youth coaches – and parents – need to recognize and see the big picture with this. It’s not how good little Johnny is at 12 years old – it’s should be about how good can we get little Johnny to be when he’s 22 years old. You can’t jump across the whole creek. You need to hop from stone to stone to get the other side. Unfortunately, too many times players, parents and coaches think they can get to the other side without going through the logical process.

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

www.bucshockey.com and www.ushl.com

Thanks Coach.