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line change ADVICE FOR PARENTS, REFS AND COACHES When Laura Wold launched a girls' hockey team in Lewiston and Moscow, Idaho, she expected to see about eight youngsters sign up. Instead she sparked enough interest in the program to enlist 45 local girls, thanks in part to a grant from Dick's Sporting Goods that made it possible to waive registration fees. This year the amount of interest allowed Wold to create the Inland Northwest Polar Bears Girls Hockey Association, where she serves as the coaching director in addition to leading the 14 & Under girls' team. "It's really fun to see the kids find something that they like," the Sandpoint, Idaho, native said. "A lot of girls tend to drop out of sports, so there's a need for it and it's filling a hole." Seeing so much interest from local girls is a source of pride for Wold, who didn't get to play hockey as a young girl. She didn't take up the game until she joined the club team at the University of Montana, where she proved to be a fast learner while having a lot of fun. Looking to help girls get an earlier start than she did, Wold turned to coaching. "Seeing how the kids progress a skill is fun," said Wold, who recently received her Level 5 coaching certification. "It's kind of neat to see them get their first goals ever." ILLUSTRATION BY Darren Gygi; PHOTO COURTESY OF Laura Wold DECEMBER. 2015 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM 12 One of the hardest lessons to teach our kids is how to deal with the stresses in life. That could be because most of us adults haven't even figured it out. We all have our tricks for low- ering our stress levels—hitting the gym, compulsively shopping, enjoying a glass of red wine. Country singer Zac Brown likes to put his toes in the water, sit back in the sand and enjoy a cold one. But sometimes the beach can seem light years away, especially when you're dealing with another tough season. You know, those emotionally draining campaigns where you've lost track of how many goals your team has sur- rendered and how many games have been chalked up in the loss column. It doesn't take long before players have lost their confidence, coaches are at a loss for answers and parents are losing their patience. How many more months until baseball season? Such was the case last season for Karen Mills Taylor's 9-year- old son. "Through all this, our son learned that you might not get along with everyone you come across, but you still need to respect them and treat them as you wish to be treated," says the hockey mom from Gonic, N.H. These tough times not only test a person's character, they also present us with the opportunity to learn some valuable lessons. "I guide [my son] into discus- sions about personal and team improvements," says Syracuse, N . Y. , h o c k e y m o m Tr a c i McLaughlin. "I also remind him that improving is more important than winning." Michigan hockey blogger Mark Gilman says handling a tough season can be summed up in one word—"perspective." "I've had three boys go through hockey, with the youngest now 15. They have no memory of wins and losses when they were 8, 9, 12 or even 16 or 17," Gilman says. "One of my sons was on a team that won the first game of the year and the last. I'm the only one who remembers this." It's true, kids don't like to lose. But inevitably, it can be even hard- er on the parents, who really need to chill. What if the losing season floods the locker room with negativity? It might be time to talk to the coach and arrange a meeting with players and parents to discuss how every- one should handle the situation. "Coaches at whatever level— whether they want to or not— are the beginning and end to the locker room environment. It's their responsibility to set the tone," Gilman says. J o e W i l s o n , a C o l g a t e University grad currently playing with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL, says don't let your frustrations start to fester. Confront them head on, and it's better to do so quickly. "The worst thing you can do is to dwell on it," he says. "The best thing you can do is have that person or 'thing' that can get your mind off the negative." For Joe, listening to some Zac Brown Band usually does the trick. And suddenly that beach doesn't seem so far away. Syracuse, N.Y., hockey mom Christie Casciano Burns is the author of The Puck Hog & Haunted Hockey i n L a k e P l a c i d , a va i l a b l e a t TotalHockey.com. COACH OF THE MONTH Laura Wold Moscow, Idaho HOCKEY MOM COLUMN Valuable Lessons Can Be Learned During A Losing Season BY CHRISTIE CASCIANO BURNS It's true—kids don't like to lose. But inevitably, it can be even harder on the parents, who really need to chill.