BC HOCKEY AWARDS: ERNIE GARE COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD – CHRIS BURNS
By MARIO ANNICCHIARICO
In coaching, it’s not always about winning and losing, but more about the environment created for young hockey players.
Chris Burns is the perfect example.
Not having won a single regular-season game, the South Coast Riptide U15 girls’ head coach was named BC Hockey’s Ernie Gare Award winner as Coach of the Year.
The award is presented to BC Hockey’s top coach who shows leadership to players, demonstrates skill development and has a sound philosophy. Winning is a consideration. but not the only one and not the most important one. This Award is given in memory of the late Ernie Gare of Nelson, who demonstrated what BC Hockey feels are the ideal elements of a coach.
“That phone call caught me off guard. I was surprised, I guess you could say. We had a great season,” said Burns, who is originally from Kamloops and now resides in Delta, and has coached for 15 years. “We didn't actually win a game all regular season. But it was awesome in terms of development and focus to the end goal, which was getting better.
“Obviously, the parent group saw what we were trying to do and submitted nominations, and some acknowledgement letters.”
Which means the world to him and assistant coach Nicole Matheson.
“It means that we did our jobs. I needed a place where the players wanted to come to and for them to get better, and that's the end goal as a coach. I think what's wrapped in coaches, a hidden title of mentor. Our job is to not only make sure that the player still loves the game when they leave, but also feel that they're a better player and maybe a better person. So, I take this award, acknowledging that I did my job.”
Many nominations specifically mentioned that players finished the season loving the game more than ever and were emotional about the season ending because of the impact coach Burns had on them.
It was very much a family-type setting for the group.
“One hundred per cent,” said Burns. “And it's a great way to look at it. They were awesome. They came in every game or every practice ready to learn and get better and that makes it fun.”
He and Matheson focussed on helping players grow as people as much as hockey players.
“And that's huge,” Burns said of building confidence, resilience and teamwork. “That all comes with creating a connection with the players and understanding who they are and understanding how to push them.
“You need the players to come to the stage or come to the practices being ready and being excited and as soon as they're doing that, then you need to engage them as a coach. You need to make sure they're ready and ask, ‘how do I get them to the next step?’”
Coaching is very much a passion for Burns, no matter the wins and losses.
“I really enjoy it. I talked to my assistant coach [Matheson] and she played a huge part in it, and we both agreed that this year was the best year that we've had, in terms of team or family,” he said. “This team set the standards of wanting to get better. I've never had a whole team all on the same page, of just trying to get better.”
They did taste some victory in tournament play and grew from travelling to events.
“We did some big tournaments in Toronto, in which we played the top tier team. We played really well against those top teams. They were Top 3, if I remember correctly, in the country, and we lost 1-0,” recalled Burns.
“Our families actually cheered as the girls came off the ice and when I walked into a room with them right afterwards, they were all excited, and they got it. It's not about the W or the L. It's about the effort that the team put out on the ice,” added Burns.