Last Saturday, a travel event fell through. As a coach, I couldn’t help but think, What can we do that will help the girls bond and trust each other? Work together in a way that long travel, 6 games in 4 hours, and lots of gatorade usually happens at a tournament? Practice was simply not going to cut it.
So we planned a “surprise” kayaking trip for the two younger teams. On early Saturday the girls showed up, in uniform, with their sticks, at the Potomac River. ”Wait, are we kayaking with our hockey sticks?” one player asked. No, we ended up only using paddles. Hopefully, though, they learned that playing as a team extends outside the typical playing fields. It even means moving through some rapids together.
The girls played beyond the game. They pushed their limits, overcame fears, and learned more about being a team in a three hour kayaking lesson than a coach could have done in a two hour practice.
Many thanks to the guides at Liquid Adventures Kayak School for putting up with our constant capsizing, screaming about snakes, and uncontrollable laughter.
Check out some pictures on our facebook page, and add some if you were there. 
