Tackling the coaching reigns of a minor hockey team for the very first time, Espanola Coyotes Novice bench boss Jason Nodwell may well have hit the nail on the head. “Their enthusiasm for playing is what makes it fun to come out. Whether they’re winning 8-1 or losing 8-1, they’re having fun out there…and that’s all you can hope for.” 

A life-long hockey afficianado, Nodwell decided to take the next step in terms of his involvement now that his son has reached the point of playing organized hockey. Numbers being what they are in Espanola, the Coyotes represent all of the young players who signed up within this age classification, leaving just one houseleague team to represent the town’s hopes in the Novice Division of the Walden-Espanola-Rayside (WER) league. 

Realizing that the scope of talent would have made rep hockey an extremely challenging option, Nodwell and company worked with what they have. “It’s a great range – five or six kids who have never played before, three or four up from the Tykes ranks and two or three second year novices”, he explained. 

Needless to say, it was baby steps when it came to early season practice outlines. “We focused a lot on good positioning, the rules of the game and skating – some of the basics that they will need to progress”, Nodwell noted. 

And as is so often the case in the early stages of any sport, the learning curve can yield some incredible results. “Every game, there is something that they do that surprises me. The progression that they have gone through has produced immense strides forward”, acknowledged Nodwell. 

Of course, at this age, it won’t take long before you are reminded that mistakes will happen and that you had better be willing to meet them with a smile. “Every game, there is a different situation – whether it’s a kid on a breakway who falls at the last second, or a slow moving puck that trickles through the goalies legs”, Nodwell laughs. 

As is the case with most youngsters this age, winning, at least once in a while, is a nice feeling and the Espanola Coyotes have enjoyed a good mix when it comes to their competitive balance. 

“We play in an eleven team league and we are pretty much right in the middle of the pack”, says Nodwell. And when the final buzzer sounds and it’s time to address the troops, Nodwell carries with him a fairly straight-forward mantra. “You give them a positive out of each and every game.” 

The Espanola Coyotes Novice roster includes: Gavin Nodwell, Katelyn Daviau, Noah Gallant, Leah Haley, Austin Hawkins, Kolby McGregor, Madeline McGregor, Adam Paradis, Caleb Parks, Kennedy Parks, Noah Richer, Kennedy Sintal, Emily Stack, Nathan Turner, Colin Withers and Asia Zaiser.