Getting Your Team Connected

By Eric Slivoskey, Former Coach Seinajoki Crocodiles (Finland)   How connected are you to your players? Do you merely make contact with team  members to ensure that they are staying out of trouble and not reflecting poorly on the program, or do you strive to know something personal about each person on the squad. In a world that seems to be changing faster than any of us could have ever imagined, it has become increasingly important to stay plugged in to the lives of each and every member of the team. On the surface, there appears to be more ways than ever before to reach out and communicate with those around us. In truth, the majority of communication that takes place nowadays can best be described as superficial, and it rarely penetrates beyond the surface of the individual. The analogy that comes to mind for me is the idea that an iceberg looks grand when seen from the