Toomuchtoosoon wrote:However, when you continue to use these teams as examples of what you can achieve if you continue to participate, and those teams disband because many (not all) are sick of the tactics, then you should (as good business people do) review why many on these people left. Most every kid benefitted from their time at MM skillwise, but something drove them away. It is a burn-out business model, but they will continue to do well since there are many young skaters families that will pay the money for their program. Most of these kids still love the game, they just choose to continue elsewhere.
Just the facts, no hating here.
Well, some of the facts anyways ...
First off, I don't know that anybody is hoisting these teams (or any other youth hockey team) as an example of
what you can achieve - indeed, at 12, 13 and 14 years old they have achieved very little - but are simply involved in the journey.
The win-loss record of any of the Minnesota Made AAA programs has very little, if anything, to do with the success of Minnesota Made. The success of the Made is evident by quantity of people who seek out it's programming - made possible only by the quality of the programming itself - which ranks up there with the best available anywhere. Quality programming, in turn, created by quality people.
I live in a ritzy suburb but I drive an old clunker. Recently the shocks and a few other things went on my car and the garage that services my vehicle quoted me 1400.00 to fix it. I was going to take it to them but on the way there I stopped at a rival station. Just for kicks I popped in for a quote - and what do you know - they said they would do it for 1200.00. I called my regular garage and gave them an opportunity to match the price. They declined. I left the vehicle with them and set out to walk home.
On the way home I stopped at our local grocery store.
Inside, there was a lady at the checkout who had her adult daughter and grandaughter with her. She went to write a check for the groceries but the clerk told her they did not accept checks. The lady got quite irate and screamed for the manager. She made quite a scene. The Manager tried to explain the store policies and why they were in place and offered some alternatives. She would have none of it though and gave the clerk and manager an ultimatum - they would either do it her way and take the check or they would not get her business, now or ever.
Long story short, she left the store in a huff, daughter and granddaughter in tow ... vowing never to return. The daughter did pop back into the store a few minutes later and apologized for the scene. Since then I have seen the daughter in the store shopping but I will likely never see the older woman in there again.
Anyways, it got me thinking. What could this business have done to retain the old woman as a customer? In her own words, it would have to be done her way - NOT the stores way. That she was the customer and the customer is always right. In this instance that would have meant that the store would have had to abandon it's policy of not accepting checks and made a an exception for this woman.
I don't know the reasons behind the store check policy, but I give the store the benefit of the doubt and accept there is a reason behind it. Obviously a reason or reasons they feel are so compelling that making an exception for this woman was not an option. Whetever the reason. It's probably not a big deal. She will get her groceries elswhere and the store is not going out of business without her. Moreover - her daughter and grandaughter (who also left the store that day) will be repeat customers.
My garage would have had to cut their price by 200.00 for me to take my old clunker in for the particular work required. I don't know why they wouldn't give me the discount. It's a little strange that two garages a few blocks apart could be so far apart an an issue as commonplace as price. I don't know their costs. I don't know their philosophy. Maybe it's a mater of price. Maybe a matter of principal. Whatever the reason, it's no big deal. I got my car fixed. My regular garage will not go bankrupt because I went elsewhere on that issue. Moreover, I will go back to either garage in future when I have an issue, to whomever suits my needs best on the issue.
It's not uncommon for customers to spread their business between different suppliers or to switch suppliers when their needs can be begtter met elsewhere. It's not necesarily a negative reflection of the business nor is it neccesarily a negative reflection of the customer.
I imagine Minnesota Made, like any business, also runs into an unsatisfied customer from time to time. Most instances I imagine, don't recieve a lot of attention. However, the moving of a couple of Machine Teams to Velocity and the departure of the '95 Team have recieved a great deal of attention. This attention doesn't come from the disputes themselves, which are relatively minor. The negative attention is a result of detractors/competitors of Minnesota Made who see an opportunity to validate their negative feelings. (By the way, when you hear these issues spoken of in a negative manner it should reveals more about the messenger than the message.)
I'll give you an example of how these things have really been taken out of context and blown out of proportion. You might be surprised to hear the reality is a lot different than what you read on here.
A good friend of mine has a child on one of the teams which departed. The issue was between the owner of Minnesota Made and one of the team coaches. They had some philosophical differences and the coach made clear he was going to take the team elsewhere if things weren't done his way. It was explained to him that teams at Minnesota Made were expected to operate a certain way and that
his way was inconsistent with the Minnesota Made way.
Like the lady in the grocery store - Irreconcilable differences and company parted.
This put the parent in a difficult position. What to do with his child, who LOVES playing for the Machine. The child and parent have no battle here but are caught in the cross fire between the ego of their coach and the policies of their team. What do they do now?
Sort of like the daughter of the grumpy old woman. They have no issue with Minnesota Made but are caught in the cross-fire.
Here's what many people do not know, or at least is not spoken about, about the departure of these teams. And this speaks highly of the character of the Minnesota Made owner/management. After much discussion between parents who largely
wanted to stay at Minnesota Made and Minnesota Made management that the best course of action was to keep the kids together, even if that meant taking all of the kids elswhere. That the group of kids -
the team - needed to be kept intact. That was more important than the jersey they wore or any negative press. The teams that left did so with the full blessing and endorsement of Minnesota Made.
This is really startling, as reading this forum, one might be led to believe that Bernie McBain is some kind of ego-maniac, obsessed with his bottom line, who would insist that players remain loyal to him or face some sort of rebuke.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The man truly cares about the kids he is charged with and despite the fact that he knew how bad it would look on him personally, on his Machine franchise and on Minnesota Made, his first and foremost concern was in the interest of those kids - those teams - even if it meant a departure from Minnesota Made. I give the man a ton of credit for this, as I know many people who's ego would get in the way and his concern was first and foremost for the well being of the players.
The fact that several teams left or disbanded is not a weakness or failing of Minnesota Made. On the outside looking in, it's unfortunate that some agreement couldn't be reached. I don't know the reasons Minnesota Made has the policies it does, but they stand by them -
and that's a great strength - showing an uncompromising commitment to the core values that serve as the foundation of Minnesota Made. Lesser programs might cave to the whims of individual coaches. What's most impressive is what happened after the rifs - that Minnesota made put the interests of the players at the forefront. An unselfish position. Lesser programs might have been petty or punitive.
My friend's child has gone on to play with the team that departed. By all accounts things are going fine and the child is having fun. My friend has another child who still plays for another Machine team. In fact, he has 3 children in total - who all go to the Minnesota Made breakfast clubs and other Minnesota Made clinics.
In short, he is still a big Minnesota Made customer. He is getting great value and enjoying great programming to the benefit of all 3 of his children. One of whom still wears the orange while another former Machine player wears a different game jersey.
They are treated in exactly the same manner now as they were before the one team left. They still do a good deal of business at Minnesota Made but they also switched one aspect, the departed team, to best suit the needs and interests of the child.
In other words, and you wouldn't get this from these forums - It's not a big deal. Minnesota Made will continue on. This childs particular team will continue on. There are no apparent hard feelings and no reason for hard feelings.
Each of the teams that left/disbanded for it's own reasons (all stemming from coaching or policy disputes). Not a big deal.
Certainly, the fact that several teams disbanded or departed hasn't kept the players and parents from those teams from being robust and repeat visitors/customers at Minnesota Made. Just because a particular program doesn't suit them doesn't mean there aren't a dozen more Minnesota Made programs that do.
Minnesota Made is far from a
burn-out business. In fact, quite the opposite. It thrives on the forefront of the hockey development industry (and make no mistake - it is an industry), constantly pushing and promoting new and exciting ways to learn and play the game.
Kids who once spent a good chunk of time at Minnesota Made and are now practicing their passion elsewhere doesn't neccesarily point to a "choice" to do so. Many times, as in the case of my friend's child, they would be at Minnesota Made given a choice, but a better fit for their situation and in the interests of the child (all things considered) are elsewhere at this time.
What's lost is the thing that has "driven these kids away" is a disagreement between adults in authority. The coaches operating the team and the program setting the policies. It has nothing to do with the kids who are just showing up where they are told and little to do with parents who are just doing their best to make the right choices for the individual situations of their individual children.
Nobody is being driven out. There is no burn-out. There is no water-boarding or other questionable "tactics". It is neither a negative reflection of Minnesota Made or a negative reflection of the parents, coaches or players involved. It's just an everyday occurance where people make different choices based on different needs and philosophies. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Of course, as with any business, there are people who absolutely hate it. For whatever reason, they despise the business model, disagree with the philosophy, don't like the color scheme, are aghast at the prices or maybe Bernie just won't take their check ...
