Coach Doman’s leads hockey team, strong coaching skills
February 18, 2017
Every successful team is created from the work of the coaches. The boys high school hockey team is a great example of this.
Matt Doman has been the head coach for ponies hockey for four years. Ever since the start, he has been working with the class of 2017 hockey boys. With 15 seniors on the roster Doman has spent a lot of time with everyone. He still works with camps that have mites and squirts in it. The players get most of the credit for their success in the season, but what most people do not notice is the amount of work someone like Doman puts in.
Because he is with all the boys so much, it is very easy for him to get through and relate to to them. Most importantly they respect him and listen to him when he points something out.
“He has a ton of energy and is good at getting the team prepared for the games. He pushes us pretty hard at practice and has little tolerance for guys slacking off,” senior Forward Micheal Kaufman said.
Doman does very well when it comes to working with younger ages. Almost everyone in the organization knows who he is and that is very important when trying to build great high school teams. It is way better to play for someone that one can trust and enjoy their time with, rather that not being on the same page.
“I couldn’t wait to play for Doman, all throughout peewee and bantams I’ve been looking forward to play for him. And now that I do I can see why so many people like him,” sophomore Forward Adam Eisle said.
Being a head coach for a high school hockey team in Minnesota is no easy task. There is a lot of hype everywhere Doman looks, and being the face of the team comes a great deal of responsibility. It is not just a seasonal job, Doman has to be doing something for the team year-round.
“I knew I wanted to be a coach after my playing career ended. Hockey isn’t something I could just let go and since I couldn’t play anymore I thought what better way to continue in this sport than to spread my knowledge of the game and help out young men and have some fun while at it,” Doman said.
Coach Doman played for a long time and because of this, the boys listen and respect him. They know he knows what he’s talking about so to see the plays he draws up work in game situations gives the boys a good deal of confidence.
“He played at a pretty high level and was an elite player, and that experience helps him know how to handle and get through difficult tasks with the team,” Kaufman said.
As a coach, there needs to be awareness on how to push the team to get the best possible effort from them so they can perform well. This means knowing the teams strengths and weaknesses and using those as motivation.
“Doman is good at getting the intensity up at every practice, he makes sure we’re going as hard as we can in everything that we do or he will condition us until we learn. Or he just conditions us no matter what to prepare for an upcoming game,” sophomore Adam Eisle said.
Linnea Phillips • Mar 27, 2017 at 9:08 pm
This article was very informative and given from the eye of someone that knows the sport and the coach well. The lead was attention grabbing and peaked your interest to learn more.
Anthony Alvarado • Mar 19, 2017 at 6:03 pm
This article was very interesting to me because the angle was from your perspective as a hockey player. Because you know Doman so well, you were able to give an accurate analysis of his coaching skills from the inside.