Cory Whitaker has helped cultivate a winning environment and built a strong program at Culver Academy. Here's a sit down interview between Whitaker and Stan Fischler.
Cory Whitaker has helped cultivate a winning environment and built a strong program at Culver Academy. Here's a sit down interview between Whitaker and Stan Fischler.
They said it couldn't be done but women's hockey has gone big-time professional. Capacity crowds have filled arenas, critics have given a thumbs up and the future is brighter than bright.
But for the pro game to succeed -- not to mention women's collegiate hockey and even on the high school level -- players are needed and fortunately the talent bank is there and constantly being filled with aspiring stars.
More young women on all levels are turning to ice hockey as their sport of choice . To achieve their goals, proper coaching is essential. One leader in this field is Culver Academy's Girl's Hockey Programming Manager and Head Coach, U-19 Prep Girl's Hockey team, Cory Whitaker. His insights into all aspects of leadership and teaching of the sport inspired him to sit down for this interview.
WHEN DID YOU START COACHING?
I started in 2007 at my alma mater Grand Valley State University. The Competitive Sports Athletic Director told me that he needed a coach. He said, "I know that you've been in coaching and I need somebody I can trust. We're trying to start a women's hockey program here at Grand Valley. I want to see if you're interested." I told him that I'd do it for a year but I wasn't interested in it long-term.
HOW WAS IT AT THE START?
Although the hockey bug had bitten me, I have to admit that -- at first -- the team was terrible. If I recall, we went something like one and twenty-three. The funny thing is that we won our last game and earned a playoff spot. For me it was awesome to see how the girls grew over the course of the season. One day I got the girls together and said, straight out, "What do you want out of this thing? Do you want me to spread the word about Grand Valley and how we're going; moving up in our hockey world?" Their answer was right to the point: "We want to build something great!"
WHAT WAS YOUR RESPONSE?
I went out and did some recruiting. I brought in some kids and, guess what? The next year
we actually went to the ACHA National "Tournament." Right there -- at that point -- the coaching bug
took a big bite out of me and it was largely because of the reaction I got from everyone on the team The girls were dedicated and I especially loved how responsive they were to my coaching.
Or, to put it another way, they all just wanted to get better.
DEFINE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE HOCKEY?
With the boys, you can just yell at them and just point and they'll do whatever you say. By contrast, the girls are more curious. They want to know the "why" of it; they are very analytical while very much enjoying the learning part. They ask questions such as "Why are we doing this or why does this happen?" For example, if I show them my (lesson) board and point an arrow or two showing two points on the blue line, that's exactly where they'll go when we actually do the drill on the ice.
DO YOU WANT THEM TO BE SO RIGID IN FOLLOWING YOUR DIRECTION?
No, although I know that they'll do it because that's what I told them to do. But I insist on some creativity. I tell them that the guidelines are one thing but, on the other hand, I'm trusting them
as athletes to make the right decision when they get to a particular play that we discussed. One of my cautionary points is simply this: "Just because the line is drawn here, it doesn't mean that that's the only place you can go."
HOW HAS COACHING FEMALES HELPED YOU IN YOUR WORK?
For starters, let me point out that coaching women's hockey is amazing. Period! It actually has helped me become a better husband for the pure and simple reason that I have to focus on my communication. Frankly, that was one area which I lacked as a young person and even as a
young coach. Working with the women's teams, I'd have to say that it forced me to change my style and focus for the better. I grew and enjoyed it and it really helped me going forward.
WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO CULVER?
In 2011 -- at the World University Games -- I was asked to coach for Team USA. After that, I got a call from the coach at Lindenwood (in St. Louis). That school was making a transition from club to Division I hockey. He and I hit it off and eventually he offered me the coaching job
when they went Division I. I was there from 2012 until 2019. After seven years, I became
unhappy about coaching changes there so I decided to move on. At that time one of my mentors
had been coaching at Culver and told me that he was planning on leaving. He said that I would be great for Culver and, in 2019 I began coaching there and have been at the academy ever since.
IN TERMS OF PLAYERS, WHAT QUALITIES ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU?
The top quality is character. Obviously, they have to be able to skate and have a basic skill set.
But character trumps everything because if a girl has true character and believes in what she is doing, then I know that she'll put the work in that's necessary to be a complete hockey player.
She will accept the honest coaching and know that I believe in her and that I care for them.
The trust factor is very important. That's a huge one for us because Culver is hard in many
respects. Too many times, young people shy away from the "hard."
EXPLAIN THE 'TRUST FACTOR' A BIT MORE IN TERMS OF THE PLAYERS:
Once there's true trust, you can push the kids harder because, then they know that you believe in them and they know that you are doing this to make them better. That goes back to what I mentioned earlier about character being so important in the player's development
HOW DO YOU CORRECT A PLAYER WHO IS NOT FOLLOWING YOUR INSTRUCTIONS?
For this age you have to keep certain elements in mind. For starters, it's important to
understand that they're not pros. Kids from the ages of 14 through 19 struggle with the failure
aspect. Also, there are different stages to be aware of with each player. My hope would be an immediate correction in a mistake and hope that the player got the information well. But, if the mistake is made again, we usually go to video and show them the right way. I make sure that the player sees the mistake.
WHAT OTHER POINT TO YOU MAKE IN TERMS OF CORRECTION?
We also emphasize that even though this is youth hockey we are in a competitive environment and it does come down to execution. Therefore, if a player is unable to execute the way the
coaches are asking then that player's ice time -- or even game time -- is going to be
affected.
HOW DO YOU REBUILD CONFIDENCE IN A PLAYER WHO HAS LOST IT?
That's a challenge. First of all confidence comes from being adequately prepared. When we can show them that they are prepared; that they have put in the time and they understand and why they are doing it, then it comes right down to execution. Then we come down to reshaping their mindset and explaining that execution and confidence are two different things. I use Alex
Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals as an example all the time. That guy misses 93 percent of the shots that he takes but his confidence doesn't go anywhere. When the puck comes to him
he's shooting it as hard as humanly possible.
WHAT OTHER POINTS CAN YOU MAKE ABOUT CONFIDENCE?
A loss of confidence usually comes from being unprepared and putting too much on the
execution piece. You have also to understand that you have five players on the other team who
don't want you to be successful. Plus, you have a goaltender who's doing everything in his or her ability to not make you successful. It's important to look at the process and not just the result because, otherwise you just get wrapped up in the result and get beaten down by failure more than you're going to get lifted by the successes.
THE APPEARANCE OF PUCK HOGS IS INEVITABLE; HOW DO YOU CURE ONE?
Start with video which doesn't lie. It's not a perception. It's a case of this is what it looks like to us, the coaches. A puck hog looks selfish or stupid and neither one of these faults are what coaches are looking for.
WHO DO YOU SUGGEST FOR ROLE MODELS?
With the development of women's hockey -- and the new pro league -- there are a lot of
fantastic role models on the girl's side to emulate. You have Megan Keller, Kendall Coyne, and Hilary Knight.
There are lots of phenomenal female players for young, aspiring ones to say, "I want to be
like her."
WHO WAS YOUR FAVORITE NHL PLAYER?
Among forwards, Steve Yzerman was right up there and for goaltending, Chris Osgood and Curtis Joseph. Those two goalies reminded me of me in the net because they weren't so massive as the goalkeepers are today. I could see myself in them and how athletic they played. I had the good fortune to meet some of the NHL players when they came down to Grand Rapids. I learned a lot from these interactions.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THE BIG-LEAGUERS?
For one thing it was how special hockey players are as upright individuals. I learned how to
treat people no matter where you come from.
WHY DO YOU THINK THE PRO WOMEN'S GAME WILL SUCCEED?
I can tell from reactions of fans who have seen women's hockey either in person or on television. I hear a lot of people say, "Holy Cow, I went to a women's game and it was amazing.
I had no idea that they were that fast. I had no idea how well they could play." The skill and the intensity is a big lure. And it's a fun game to watch. Granted, it's not as physical as the men's game but it tends to be more cerebral and sometimes like a chess match on ice; and I mean that in the most positive way. I love the new rules that the PWHL has implemented.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE PHYSICAL ASPECT OF WOMEN'S HOCKEY?
There's plenty of contact along the wall and plenty of contact in front of the net. They can be very physical but there's just not the open ice hitting that there is on the guy's side simply because the game is so fast. We should think before we make any changes that would make our game too physical for its own good.