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Achebe has a way of stressing the importance of the team aspect of the game while still caring about the feelings of the individual. "You are used to being a star and now you are bench warmer," says Achebe, who was a three-sport athlete ( basketball, volleyball, a nd lacrosse) in college. "How ca n you still be a good tea mmate? How do you learn what your new role on the team is and act on that?" Good. Better. How. Achebe alternates physical and mental activities to engage players, as well as spur team discussions when the coach is rarely present. This provides players with the confidentiality they may need to open up. She spends most of her time talking to teams as a group, but will meet with small groups to talk about a range of issues. She regards her most important aspect as a mediator. She simply works to get the team back on track after hitting a rut. One of her talks is called, "Good. Better. How." Players gather after a weekend of games before practice and talk about what was good about their performance, what they could do better and specifically share what they will have to do to get there in the future. Another session may call for an open-ended discussion where players sit in a circle and she'll say, "What is going on guys? Let's talk about it." If a team has communication issues, Achebe divides them into groups where one can't speak, another can't see and a third can't hear. The fourth group has to help direct each of these groups to complete a task like moving a ball across a room. She encourages players to do self-assessments where they write down their strengths and weaknesses on one side of paper and on the other side do an exercise to recharge their batteries by using their strong traits. "If you have an empty battery, how would you fill it up to perform to the best of your ability?" Achebe asks. "If this is your strength, this is how you fill your battery. If this is a weakness, then it will take away from your battery. What you need to do to combat your weakness is to turn it into a strength. You fill your battery and perform." Pushing The Process Achebe continues to find new ways to integrate her counseling into strength and conditioning training. She talks about the season as a process, a phrase NHL coaches often use. "When you show up to games or practices, you might not feel 100 percent," she says. "You can still feel 60 percent, as long as you give 100 percent. That is OK. Tomorrow is another day." At times, players struggle with a weightlifting techniques like power cleans. Achebe guides the players through cardio, strength and power exercises. That's when her encouragement kicks in. "Even with the strength and conditioning, I incorporate the sports psychology," says Achebe, who has a certification in Olympic weightlifting. "I say, 'OK, not every day is going to be a good day.' You have to shake it off and move onto the next exercise. Make the next exercise better.'" On The Go Just like her players, it seems that Achebe is always on the go. T h e l i c e n s e d m a s sa g e t h e r a p i st w o r k s s e ve n d ay s a w e e k a t Bulldog Athletic Training, where she sometimes sees players for appointments to treat injuries. She gets up at 4:30 a.m., to see her first clients at 6 a.m. Once her job ends at 5 p.m., she's off to the rink where she works with players across the organization's seven teams over the course of three days a week. She even travels with the teams a half dozen times to the Midwest and East Coast. "Dedication really doesn't do enough to describe what she does," Plocki says. " We're so fortunate to have someone that is really that dedicated. She's extraordinary." As much as she works to develop her players, she's looking to improve by learning new ideas and techniques. That's why Achebe attends various conferences around the country once a month and has interned with five college football programs, including some of the best teams in the country like Oregon and Navy. "There isn't a more important person in hockey development than the strength and conditioning coach," says Matt Thomas, the current hockey director for the Little Caps. "I've had the privilege of working with some of the best in the world—and Ify is in that class." P Tom Worgo is a freelance writer based in Annapolis, Md. 34 // MARCH 2020 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM "Even with the strength and conditioning, I incorporate the sports psychology, I say, 'OK, not every day is going to be a good day.' You have to shake it off and move onto the next exercise. Make the next exercise better." —Ify Achebe, Washington Little Capitals strength and conditioning coach Ify Achebe uses the power of positive energy to push her players. PHOTO BY Daniel Kucin Jr.