Despite entering his first year as a head coach in junior hockey, Steve Robinson says he’s going to take much of the same approach he took on the bench over the past six years with his Seafair Midget A1 teams.
The new Richmond Sockeyes coach wants to balance fostering young players’ skills, promoting a winning attitude and having fun.
“If the team succeeds, everyone benefits. That’s the common ground, even if the kids have different goals as to why they’re playing. I want to root the team’s culture in that basis — you’re here to have fun, but winning is fun . . . That’s the mentality I try to preach to the kids,” said Robinson.
The Sockeyes hired Robinson last month after a search to replace renowned head coach Judd Lambert, who has stepped down from the bench for personal reasons.
Lambert had coached the Sockeyes in nine of the past 10 seasons.
“His record speaks for itself,” said Robinson.
However, over the past three seasons, the Sockeyes have lost in the first round of the playoffs. Hoping to turn this trend around will be Robinson, who had a leg up in the hiring process, having spent many spring league seasons with Sockeye players, via his Warriors Hockey Club in Delta, his hometown.
“I started realizing I had a good connection with the kids and was handling them well.
“So, I got to know the Sockeyes at arms-length,” said Robinson, a minor hockey coach for the past 15 seasons.
During the past six winters, Robinson has coached Seafair midget players. He notes that during this tenure, his teams have produced more wins and graduated more players to junior hockey, major midget or academy leagues than any other midget team in the regional association (PCAHA).
Robinson, 50, a maintenance manager at a port terminal, is nevertheless mindful that winning isn’t everything and it certainly isn’t achievable if that is the sole focus of a team.
“Obviously, your record is what you’re judged by. I take the approach of balancing fair play and winning,” said Robinson.
Furthermore, “process” is important in order to win consistently.
“When they focus too much on winning and scoring goals, the process can be broken,” explained Robinson.
The Sockeyes are generally aged 16-20 and as such are at different stages in their young careers. Many move on to higher junior leagues (BCHL or WHL) and can then become NHL-draft eligible. Still, others may choose a college hockey route. Older players may be more focused on school or work and closing out their junior hockey path.
“There’s a balance between the heavy schedule and not making it too difficult. Kids need to decompress. There’s lots going on in their lives.”
Because of these divergent roads, Robinson acknowledges he’ll have to chart a path for each individual and ensure that they connect for the greater good of the team.
And because players are constantly on the move and being scouted by more senior leagues, development is key.
“There are expectations and pressures to perform and keeping the kids progressing. My job is to keep the players moving on. You build them up and show them the next door,” said Robinson.
“It can be a mixed blessing,” he added.
“But that truly is the best way to develop the team. The more kids see that players are moving on, the more they come to you and want to play.”
While Robinson hopes to fetch results on the ice, he’ll also be playing a major role in developing the next crop of players coming out of minor hockey — something he feels he has a keen eye for.
“You need to be ahead of the curve and do your homework,” he said.
Last year, the Sockeyes were led in points by Arjun Badh, while Merek Pipes backstopped the pipes.
The next season begins the week after Labour Day.
