All in all, itSA国际影视传媒檚 been a pretty impressive run for a team motivator.

Patrick Tagoona coached the Karetakers to victory in the SA国际影视传媒楢SA国际影视传媒� Division of the Terence Tootoo Memorial in Rankin Inlet and the Rankin Falcons to top spot in the 2024 North American First Nations Tournament of Champions A-side in Kenora, Ont.

He will go for the triple crown with the Rankin Falcons at the 2024 Fred Sasakamoose SA国际影视传媒淐hief ThunderstickSA国际影视传媒� National Hockey Championship in Saskatoon, Sask., May 16-19.

Tagoona has been involved with coaching minor hockey off and on for more than 30 years.

He said the biggest difference between coaching minor hockey and senior menSA国际影视传媒檚 is the level of maturity with the players and the aspects of the game concentrated on.

SA国际影视传媒淲hen youSA国际影视传媒檙e coaching U11 to U15, youSA国际影视传媒檙e still stressing the fundamentals of skating hard, passing and working hard,SA国际影视传媒� said Tagoona.

SA国际影视传媒淎nd, really, when you get to the senior level, itSA国际影视传媒檚 the same fundamentals the players learned in minor hockey, but now theySA国际影视传媒檙e being applied at a higher, faster level.

SA国际影视传媒淲ith senior menSA国际影视传媒檚, itSA国际影视传媒檚 much more about structure and team play.

SA国际影视传媒淚n minor hockey, you see a lot more individual play, then, as they get older, it becomes much more about structure and team play over time.SA国际影视传媒�

Tagoona said successful teams at just about every level often share two things in common: the players work hard every shift and individual accolades take a backseat to team accomplishments.

He said at the senior level, heSA国际影视传媒檚 really there more for support than anything else.

SA国际影视传媒淲hen you look at both the Karetakers and Falcons rosters, we have a lot of team leadership in players like my son, Roger (Tagoona) and Pujjuut Kusugak, among others, who really hold themselves accountable.

SA国际影视传媒淵ou see a lot of communication taking place among the players throughout the whole game.

SA国际影视传媒淎nd thereSA国际影视传媒檚 an awful lot of experience on the two teams. When you look at the levels some of these guys have played at SA国际影视传媒� one defenceman we picked up for the Kenora tournament played in the East Coast Hockey League SA国际影视传媒� including Junior A, AAA midget and minor pro, itSA国际影视传媒檚 pretty impressive. This is all incredibly competitive hockey.

SA国际影视传媒淏ut, again, at the senior level, ISA国际影视传媒檓 there for moral support rather than actively coaching them.SA国际影视传媒�

Even casual hockey fans realize things can get heated on the ice, especially during high-level tournaments.

Tagoona said there are times when a game gets intense, he will try to be a calming influence on the players.

With senior men, he said special teams like the power play and penalty-kill units are predetermined before the game, which often means emotions can play a pivotal role in a gameSA国际影视传媒檚 outcome.

SA国际影视传媒淚 managed the Nunavut team we sent to the 2023 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships in Winnipeg SA国际影视传媒� which is an U18 bantam/midget age group SA国际影视传媒� and giving players that kind of opportunity to compete at a national level is very important to their continued development.

SA国际影视传媒淢y son, Roger, Graham (Bubsy) Kusugak and Terrance McLean of Baker Lake were the coaches. ThereSA国际影视传媒檚 a lot of hockey knowledge here thatSA国际影视传媒檚 continuing to evolve over time.

SA国际影视传媒淭hereSA国际影视传媒檚 a lot more knowledge in these young coaches now than when I was growing up in Baker Lake with no arena and watching Hockey Night in Canada on TV. TheySA国际影视传媒檙e passing that knowledge on to the next generation, which is great for our hockey programs.SA国际影视传媒�