Former Mooseheads coach finding fulfillment in minor hockey

BEDFORD
By Philip Croucher - The Weekly News
It's 6 a.m. and former Halifax Mooseheads coach Shawn MacKenzie is beginning his day where he loves to be - the local hockey rink.
The Bedford native is up at the early hour six out of seven days each week to participate in practices as part of his job as the Hockey Development Professional for the Bedford and District Minor Hockey Association. And while helping to teach kids as young as five or six about the game of hockey certainly doesn't bring the limelight that coaching the Mooseheads did, MacKenzie finds plenty of fulfillment in what he does.
'No stress'
"There is no stress in hockey for me now - whatsoever," MacKenzie said. "It's just having fun and enjoying the kids.
"It's still demanding and I still expect the kids to give their best and to compete to the best of their abilities - so you still have the fire for that competitiveness for the players to work with - it's just I'm seeing the game through different eyes now."
MacKenzie, 46, is in his second season as HDP at BDMHA. He works closely with every team in the association - from IP-Novice through to Midget Minor AAA - to get a handle on each player through practices, watching games and interacting with coaches.
In fact, MacKenzie has access to a player file on each of the roughly 950 kids in BDMHA to track how they're applying themselves and what challenges they face.
"Basically we try to have a road map for the kids to follow through their journey in minor hockey - to give them the best opportunity for growth. And that doesn't necessarily have to do with their skill," said MacKenzie, who served as head coach of the Mooseheads for almost five seasons before being relieved of his duties midway through the 2004-05 campaign. "We try to set a curriculum to build upon as the kid goes up the minor hockey ladder."
As for his future, MacKenzie would like to one day get involved with a high-level team again, but in a supporting role. When it happens, MacKenzie believes his current position will make him a better coach - on and off the ice.
"The experiences I have had the last few years, I am a much better coach and a much better hockey person than I was coaching in junior because I think I have a better understanding of the road the kid has followed to get there," he said. "It's very valuable to know what they've been through."
pbcroucher@hotmail.com