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| The smile that lights up the rink--the man, the myth, the Legend, our very own, Coach Joe! |
Coach Joe in the Box
Before we start playing, let's get to know Coach Joe Francis, on and off the ice. We’ll start with the hockey stuff, and end with the off-ice side of the man who pulls the strings for the Pasadena Maple Leafs Bantam B team.
You have sent out a goal sheet, stressing some measurable goals for the team to achieve to be successful. Outside of the typical wins and losses, how do you measure improvement and success for a young team like this?
As a team I look at execution on the ice, player reaction to situations on the ice and how they react. We taught the basics last year in terms of positioning, breaking out the puck and penalty killing. This year we’re going to take it up a notch where there is more involvement by our defensemen in the offensive zone and by our forwards in the defensive zone. I’m looking for 20% of our scoring to come from the defensemen.
In club hockey, there is A and B and Tier level hockey. Is the game pretty much the same at all levels, but an increase in skill and speed from B to A and A to Tier?
No there’s a big difference in each level, not only in speed and skill levels, but in strategy and systems. More emphasis on moving the puck as team, you don’t see the individual play at the Tier levels as you do in the “A” and “B” levels. Also the game is less physical at the Tier level, the hitting is smarter with a purpose and not a head hunting that can occur at the “A” and “B” level.
What attributes make for a solid B level hockey player as a 12 year old? Give me four or five traits you think are vital.
A “B” level player is a developmental player and all our players will be playing “A” next year they are learning and their individual skills are improving. They made great strides over the spring in terms of maturity and skill development. At any sport the athletes that want to excel have to;
· Listen and follow instructions.
· Learn the game and your position, watch the pros and see what they do on the ice.
· Practice at home on your weak areas.
· Get in shape, not only for hockey, but just to create a fitness lifestyle to live a long health life.
· Learn to read the ice to identify situations and opportunities.
· Learn to utilize your teammates.
· Be an unselfish player.
How long have you been coaching? Tell us of your experience in youth hockey.
I started coaching in 1995 when my son brought home a roller hockey flyer from the YMCA. After one session of watching coaches not teaching I decided to coach. In 2000 I switched to ice, I hadn’t skated in 26 years on the ice when I put the blades back on.
I have four memorable experiences, the first in 2001 playing at the Riverside Squirt “A” tournament at President's weekend. We took players from the South Coast Sabers and Costa Mesa Comets that were having a bad year and formed a tournament team called the Panthers for this tournament. We beat the Phoenix Firebirds for the championship game 5-3 and a dad from one of the Sabers players came out of the stands with tears in his eyes and hugged me after we came off the ice. It made this season during a disappointing SCAHA season.
The second was playing the San Diego Stars at the San Diego Ice Arena. Our Panthers were tied 4-4 with the Stars with six seconds left and the face off in their end on the left circle. We pulled the goalie and my son Joe won the face off sending the puck to our forward in front of the net that one-time the puck past the goalie for the win.
Third was watching my son Joe’s highlight in Edmonton at the Canadian “AAA” Challenge on the Canadian National News sport report. He took a shot, followed it to catch the rebound taking it around the net and wrapping it around drawing the goalie and then passing the puck to his line mate for the goal. I have the copy of the tape and a picture of him at that tournament in my office.
The fourth was 2005 after taking a 18-0 beating by the Northern Alberta All-Stars in the round-robin play in Edmonton, we took them to the mat in the semi-final game of the tournament before losing 9-6. We went on to win the bronze medal in a twelve team field.
You are not a native California guy--tell us where you grew up, and maybe an early hockey memory or a favorite player you might have followed growing up. How did you get to California?
I stayed in California after my tour with the Marine Corps ended. No jobs back in Detroit. I was a football and baseball player, hockey was too expensive so I could only play recreation on the outside rink, and got my gear hand-me-down from my older cousins who played for the Jr. Red Wings. I played goalie because I had a good glove hand and could bat the puck like a baseball with my twig.
I quit playing hockey in 1974 when I was nineteen. Gordie Howe and all the old Wings from the late 50’s and early 60’s were my heroes. In those days professional athletes stayed with their teams unless they were traded, as there was no free agency, so you got to know the players.
Are you partial to very tall players? Especially those with overly involved fathers??
(Interestingly..he forgot to answer this one! Perhaps in a post-game interview I can catch him off-guard with it!)
Coffee or Tea? Tea
Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate
Last book you read 10 Big Lies About America
Last Movie you saw?? Despicable Me in 3D
Sunday afternoon, in the off season, nothing on the the gotta-do-list. How does Joe Frances like to spend his time away from the rink? Working with my middle son who is disabled and hanging out with my family.
What do you do for a living? I work in the Port of Los Angeles and am the Director of Labor and Project Development for my company, which is a stevedore and terminal operating company.
We unload and load all the stuff you buy from Wal-Mart, Target, K-Mart, Kohl’s, Lowe’s, Home Depot from the ships, and load other stuff for Asia and other places around the world.
Tell us something about you likely none of us know! Do you want to be the next Food Network Star? Do you yearn for a career in acting when you are done coaching? Contemplating learning ballroom dancing? Come on--let your hair down, tell us something....
(Yep, he skipped this one as well! He's crafty I tell ya!)
Thanks for taking the time...your time in the box is done, so back out on the ice Coach Joe!
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