Marci Bydlon – 3rd season with Thoroughbreds; COPD Coordinator, HNIB Coaching staff, former coach of Blaine HS Girls Varsity, regarded as one of the top girls coaches in the country
Is this true it was on the Thoroughbreds website under coaches.
Just any thoughts
Is she really thought of this highly?
Moderators: Mitch Hawker, east hockey, karl(east)
I have witnessed her coach numerous times and I would say she has a lot of passion and brains for the game of hockey. However, i would have to agree that if some of the off ice stuff that is floating around(if true) is in fact a career killer and a AAA club like the tbreds is probably the only place she could be hired....
To witness someone from afar is different then actually playing for that Coach. From my "outside looking in" perspective she has coached some high caliber players that will move on to play some excellent D1 hockey. Marci knows the game and motivates to the best of her ability although some non-hockey people won't understand her "style" or methods.gopher25 wrote:I have witnessed her coach numerous times and I would say she has a lot of passion and brains for the game of hockey. However, i would have to agree that if some of the off ice stuff that is floating around(if true) is in fact a career killer and a AAA club like the tbreds is probably the only place she could be hired....
In my humble opinion a real player knows how to play for a specific coach and their individual style. They will benefit from their knowledge and hopefully take their game to the next level. Give credit where credit is due. From my understanding some players had hoped that their school would have hired her as their HS coach becuse the benefits would definitely outweigh any negative aspects that parents might perceive to be in existence. Keep an open mind and give the person a chance to succeed and develop the players to be the best they can be.
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hshockeyfan91
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She is good in CODP
I have a daughter who has participated in the CODP program for several years. My daughter likes Marci very much, which on the surface is a little strange because she generally doesn't like people that yell. I think the difference with Marci, though, is that she's not yelling "you should have done this or that...i.e. you screwed up" or yelling out of anger. Rather she is pushing kids to get better. She does not put up with kids who are giving it 1/2 effort, whether on the ice or in dryland. You regularly hear "faster", "or "come on, you can do more...", stuff like that. I really believe that the kids do work harder for Marci than just about any coach I have seen (boys or girls programs). Marci is not mean - she apparently can be funny and friendly - but her #1 goal is to push the girls – and she’s willing to be [appropriately] hard on them if that’s what it takes to keep them working at their best.
I think kids can be unsure of what to expect when they first encounter Marci, and kids who aren't willing to work hard will NOT like her style, but kids who are willing to work hard will thrive and improve significantly. I wish all coaches expected as much.
That sounds like a pretty good coach to me.
Another coach I have seen who has a similar style to Marci’s is Bernie McBain (Minnesota Made Hockey) – another very gruff coach on the ice who expects a lot, but gets a lot out of the players.
I would much rather have my daughter working with a Marci or Bernie, then someone who doesn’t push kids hard. Nothing is more of a waste of time than to watch players going through clinics or practices at a leisurely pace – how does that prepare a player for games? Expecting high performance in EVERY session is what EVERY coach should do.
I think kids can be unsure of what to expect when they first encounter Marci, and kids who aren't willing to work hard will NOT like her style, but kids who are willing to work hard will thrive and improve significantly. I wish all coaches expected as much.
That sounds like a pretty good coach to me.
Another coach I have seen who has a similar style to Marci’s is Bernie McBain (Minnesota Made Hockey) – another very gruff coach on the ice who expects a lot, but gets a lot out of the players.
I would much rather have my daughter working with a Marci or Bernie, then someone who doesn’t push kids hard. Nothing is more of a waste of time than to watch players going through clinics or practices at a leisurely pace – how does that prepare a player for games? Expecting high performance in EVERY session is what EVERY coach should do.
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twowayplay
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I don't think anyone is saying she isn't a good hockey coach. However, as a former college athlete there is a need for coaches to be good examples on and off of the ice. While she may be the best coach ever on the ice. the issues I would have is the off ice stuff that has been proven. I don't know if I would want my daughter to be in that situation no matter how good the coach is.
I agree with the last poster, Marci has done some very questionable things outside of hockey off the ice that have been proven, and I am not sold on her as a great hockey coach. Some of her techniques to get kids to do things are not that great. I have also seen CODP go from maybe a productive program for the elite players years ago, to just a money making machine that does not care who shows up talented or not. Market COPD as a camp not an olympic develpment program if it is all about the money. I think the things that marci has done off the ice are what are holding her back from ever getting a High School coaching job again or even ever getting a college coaching job!
I have no idea about the off ice stuff. But I like the way she coaches her players to be aggressive on the puck all over the ice. Her defenders "pinch" at the offensive blue line more than any HS team that I have seen, and I like the way her defenders attack the puck carrier at the defensive blue line. She coaches the way the game is meant to be played.
I played for Marci the last 2 years and I think that she is a great coach who gets the best out of her team and will do anything for them, I have never had an issue with her off-ice i dont know about any of the off ice issues people are talking about, but from my experiences there were never any issues off the ice.
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ghshockeyfan
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...
I haven't said much on this topic, as I don't believe this is the place to bring up negative things about individuals. I will say this though...
I have had very limited contact with her, but as with any coach I think different players have different feelings about different coaches.
The difference in the T-breds setup is that the player is CHOOSING to play for that coach vs "stuck" with their HS coach. Of course, you could always choose to Open Enroll to another HS if you didn't like your HS coach, but I woudl hope that more than the coach alone (or hockey program for that matter) woudl have been taken into consideration when such a decision is made.
From what I understand, Marci is a very intense coach that really works to motivate her players to play a strong game. Some players may not like the intensity and passion that a coach may have, and so it may be that such a coach is not the favorite type of coach for some players. What I've often found though is that the most motivated players, which typically are some of the more successful players, also like to see a similar passion and drive in their coaches. For this reason, Marci may be the ideal prototype coach for the T-breds?
I have had very limited contact with her, but as with any coach I think different players have different feelings about different coaches.
The difference in the T-breds setup is that the player is CHOOSING to play for that coach vs "stuck" with their HS coach. Of course, you could always choose to Open Enroll to another HS if you didn't like your HS coach, but I woudl hope that more than the coach alone (or hockey program for that matter) woudl have been taken into consideration when such a decision is made.
From what I understand, Marci is a very intense coach that really works to motivate her players to play a strong game. Some players may not like the intensity and passion that a coach may have, and so it may be that such a coach is not the favorite type of coach for some players. What I've often found though is that the most motivated players, which typically are some of the more successful players, also like to see a similar passion and drive in their coaches. For this reason, Marci may be the ideal prototype coach for the T-breds?
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cluelessinminnesota
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Coach Bashing is an interesting topic.
I don't want to tell anyone what they should be saying or not saying on a website because sometimes anonymous information is a good thing and sometimes it’s a bad thing. That being said, I think it’s not important if Marci is "one of the best Coaches in the country" or not.
I think she provides a wonderful alternative to many high school programs. If the sport of girl’s hockey is to grow, the girls will need alternatives to many of their high school programs. On another thread I see that 22% of the coaches are new to their position this year and another 20% are only second year coaches. Essentially, almost half have minimal experience at this level and many of the rest have never coached a really competitive team. I think that Marci is a very passionate coach who is a girl’s coach 24/7. These are great attributes if your athlete wants to participate in a focused quality experience. If anyone thinks that I am saying this because my daughter plays for her, you are mistaken. My comments come from my love of this game. We need coaches like Marci very much and even though I have heard some stories about her, if I was a Division I AD, she would be one of the first 3 or 5 people I would interview for a job.
I don't want to tell anyone what they should be saying or not saying on a website because sometimes anonymous information is a good thing and sometimes it’s a bad thing. That being said, I think it’s not important if Marci is "one of the best Coaches in the country" or not.
I think she provides a wonderful alternative to many high school programs. If the sport of girl’s hockey is to grow, the girls will need alternatives to many of their high school programs. On another thread I see that 22% of the coaches are new to their position this year and another 20% are only second year coaches. Essentially, almost half have minimal experience at this level and many of the rest have never coached a really competitive team. I think that Marci is a very passionate coach who is a girl’s coach 24/7. These are great attributes if your athlete wants to participate in a focused quality experience. If anyone thinks that I am saying this because my daughter plays for her, you are mistaken. My comments come from my love of this game. We need coaches like Marci very much and even though I have heard some stories about her, if I was a Division I AD, she would be one of the first 3 or 5 people I would interview for a job.
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ghshockeyfan
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I have to laugh a bit as I suppose any of us could have our team page reflect that "we are the best coach ever," or something like that if we wanted. I tend to stick to the facts in a bio! Let the reader decide how worthy of such high praise a coach actually is... Of course, this is a matter of "opinion" - and not sure how you exactly "prove" that without taking a poll of the general female hockey population!cluelessinminnesota wrote:Coach Bashing is an interesting topic.
I don't want to tell anyone what they should be saying or not saying on a website because sometimes anonymous information is a good thing and sometimes it’s a bad thing. That being said, I think it’s not important if Marci is "one of the best Coaches in the country" or not.
I think she provides a wonderful alternative to many high school programs. If the sport of girl’s hockey is to grow, the girls will need alternatives to many of their high school programs. On another thread I see that 22% of the coaches are new to their position this year and another 20% are only second year coaches. Essentially, almost half have minimal experience at this level and many of the rest have never coached a really competitive team. I think that Marci is a very passionate coach who is a girl’s coach 24/7. These are great attributes if your athlete wants to participate in a focused quality experience. If anyone thinks that I am saying this because my daughter plays for her, you are mistaken. My comments come from my love of this game. We need coaches like Marci very much and even though I have heard some stories about her, if I was a Division I AD, she would be one of the first 3 or 5 people I would interview for a job.
Couldn't agree more in general with what clueless wrote.
I will say that anonymous information had better be factual however. Opinions are opinions and thank goodness for "free speech", but when claims are made re: impropriety, better be certain they can be substantiated via facts and not just rumors... Rights do exist for both open opinion (free speech), but also to curtail non-factual commentary (written/libel or verbal/slander - but there has to be malicious intent & sometimes knowledge that it is false - which here I don't think there is either of those...). I just hate to defame anyone. One thing to say "I think coach smith sucks" as that's your opinion (without rationale though), totally another to say "Coach smith sucks because (s)he did x, y, and z" if you don't know this to be 100% true and maybe just "heard it through the grapevine." I would just caution people on this stuff... Know your facts... and I guess I hope that we don't always in the case of minors say the "This kid sucks" stuff either (they're kids!)... I don't mean to tell anyone what to post on here, but the above is my guideline/interpretation of what's appropriate based on my experiences.
Also, thank goodness for passionate coaches who believe that ALL teams need quality coaching regardless of player or team ability/talent. I have yet to evaluate the quality of a coach based on the talent they are handed to work with, instead I think it's about what a coach does with, or RELATIVE to, that talent - no matter how strong or weak. I do however realize that "winning" on the scoreboard is the thing that most look to as a measure of success. But, it's not the only thing. This isn't the NHL, and is as much about teaching life lessons, creating model citizens, as well as teaching a great game and hopefully being competitive if not highly successful on the playing field. My feeling has always been that the goal of any quality HIGH SCHOOL/YOUTH coach should be to "create winners in the classroom, in the community, as well as on the playing field." Any piece without the others really isn't a complete "success" in my mind, but if I had to choose, I'd rather lose 500 games as a coach and create productive members of society than win 500 and have the kids missed the life lessons that will take them through the rest of their lives. I've lost games that we could have won in order to teach some life lessons as well. This concept may not be popular with the "win at all costs" crowd, but it's what's ethical in my opinion. My point is thank goodness for coaches that take on the challenges of less talented programs and do what's "right" in any program. I use these criteria as much as wins to measure impact and "success" of a coach...
As to the turnover in G HS Coaches, more needs to be done to give these people incentive/protection to stay. I've discussed this before at length, but I know that the concept of "tenure" that I raised is not popular due to the negative connotations that are associated with the terminology.
In the interim, I think the most important thing is a strong coaches assn. and a mentorship/support program through this entity. I know that this is being worked on, if not already in place. Even with this being the case, one of the first things I do (on my own) is contact new coaches that are hired and offer some advice and simple info. that I wish someone had done for me when I started. This is why I maintain the list on here of turnover & new hires, and while a simple gesture I hope the new coaches find it helpful. I know I would have at 21 and being a first time head coach fresh out of college. Some of the new coaches have a lot more experience than I did (in life & coaching) but even then it's nice to know how things work and know you have someone you can contact with a question, etc.
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Russian Rocket
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Marci, is a very good coach. She stands by her team motivates and supports her players. My daughter was priviledged to play for Marci, it was a tremndous experience that got her ready for the next level. I have spent many hours with Marci and I will stand up for her intergrity. She spends many a late night at the rink doing what she loves coaching.
I am not looking to slam anybody in this post. My dealing with this coach have never been good. With that said some people just do not do well with the way she coaches. I have also heard rumors (and maybe only rumors) of things that may or may not have happened at Blaine HS when she was the coach. I am not hear to mention anything that may or may not have happened because I do not know for sure it happened however I have heard it from a lot of people close to the Blaine program that a lot of what has been said is not false.
Great Coach
My daughter has been a part of the CODP program the past two summers. A year ago my daughter was very afraid of Marci due to her yelling and intensity but she worked her tail off to meet her expectations - she had a huge jump in strength, skill and understanding of the game and as a result become a very good HS player as an 8th grader.
We ran into Marci at the Canadian-US game and Marci immediately said Hi asked her how her season was going and gave her words of encouragement. This summer my daughter understood Marci is all about making you a better player and worked very hard and again had a big jump in development. During the festival this summer my daughter was doing her job on defense. Marci said "stop focusing on not getting beat and start trying to beat them". That mind set fundamentally changed her game again in a big way. Only a great coach like Marci knows how to develop players and continues to move them along and up a continium.
We would play for Marci in any program. She has energy, is a great teacher and misses nothing going on on the ice - the amount of 1-1 coaching she does in an hour is mind boggling. If you haven't watched her run a practice you have missed a top coach. You develop players in practice and she is the best coach I have seen working with Girls Hockey she pushes the players to be the best they can be.
I hope the people posting on this subject really know who Marci is and aren't just repeating things some one else said. Hockey needs more great coaches and people who want to help the game like Marci.
We ran into Marci at the Canadian-US game and Marci immediately said Hi asked her how her season was going and gave her words of encouragement. This summer my daughter understood Marci is all about making you a better player and worked very hard and again had a big jump in development. During the festival this summer my daughter was doing her job on defense. Marci said "stop focusing on not getting beat and start trying to beat them". That mind set fundamentally changed her game again in a big way. Only a great coach like Marci knows how to develop players and continues to move them along and up a continium.
We would play for Marci in any program. She has energy, is a great teacher and misses nothing going on on the ice - the amount of 1-1 coaching she does in an hour is mind boggling. If you haven't watched her run a practice you have missed a top coach. You develop players in practice and she is the best coach I have seen working with Girls Hockey she pushes the players to be the best they can be.
I hope the people posting on this subject really know who Marci is and aren't just repeating things some one else said. Hockey needs more great coaches and people who want to help the game like Marci.
My daughter played in CODP for the first time this summer, and she loved Marci's no-nonsense style. She would gladly play for her year-round and tells people that she learned more in CODP than in any season's worth of coaching before this. I guess I couldn't care less what a coach does away from the arena any more than I worry about the personal life of one of my kid's teachers. Not that I believe that there is anything at all to the whisperings.......
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ghshockeyfan
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FWIW - and this is not in reference to any specific person - I think that a coach should be a good role model both at and away from the rink. We can't dictate this though obvioulsy. I would say that this isn't an issue for almost all the coaches out there, but there are exceptions unfortunately that appear in the news and just shock us all.
I personally don't see how any coach could not practice what they preach and expect to be of any value as a leader under such circumstances.
I personally don't see how any coach could not practice what they preach and expect to be of any value as a leader under such circumstances.
I agree you should practice what you preach, the statement that was made I don't care what they do in their personal life as much as what there teacher does that does not make sense, again there are things that suprise you about a lot of people. If you have such a a great repore with her, Ask her why she was dismissed from her High School coaching job, they are not whispers.
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ghshockeyfan
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What I really wish is that parents cared as much about being involved in the teacher hiring process as they do about being in the coaching one. Both are very important, but I assume the parental desire to participate in one hiring process is far greater than the other - but, I could be wrong - wouldn't/won't be the first/last time.
OK, I agree that coaches can/should be role models. I don't know what happened with the Blaine situation and I don't want to know. However, knowing the politically correct atmosphere in our public schools (and elsewhere), I am always suspicious when a coach or teacher or administrator is disciplined, often due to a complaint by a disgruntled or overly-sensitive child or parent.
In CODP, Marci is an on-ice coach/instructor, and she is excellent in that regard.
In CODP, Marci is an on-ice coach/instructor, and she is excellent in that regard.
Gardez toujours votre bâton sur la glace...
GHS, you are right on about the disparity of parental interest in hiring coaches and teachers. I think if two teams of mathematics students squared off against each other, parents would probably think the winners were just better at math and would not call for the ouster of the losing math coach. But in sports, a big share of the blame seems to fall on the coach. Parents sometimes have a hard time accepting the fact that the team with the most talent usually wins. The good coaches all realize that they get more share of the credit when teams win and too much blame when their teams lose.