Dear Hockey Fans (in Nashville + beyond),

Coach Bo here, writing to share a bit of context for this new venutre and why I believe in it.

When I was a kid, I only let one guy at one shop sharpen my skates. It was that important to me. The proper sharpening gave me confidence. The shop was not at any of the rinks I played in, and it required a special trip a few times a month to get it done. During busy months when I couldn’t squeeze in a trip in the after-school before-bed hours, my dad would take them in during his lunch break. It was unconditional, I wouldn’t skate on anything else.

But then I went away to play in prep school and college. I had no choice but to entrust my steel to someone new, and turns out, I survived. HAH! I came to realize though that I was missing my old routine and the camaraderie of the shop just as much as the skill of the guy behind the wheel. Familiarity is a wonderful thing --it instills a sense of confidence.

Fast forward fifteen years or so. I’m behind the bench in Dallas for a weekend of games with the 16U AAA Jr Preds. Before our first game starts, the refs skate over for the customary pre-game salutations. I shake hands with one who gives me a “where do I know you from?” look. I give the same look back, but we leave it at that. He wishes us luck and skates away to drop the puck. 

Halfway through the first period, he's standing near our bench on the blue line. With his back turned to me, he says mid-play: “hey coach, 7/16ths!” …and skates off to follow the play, looking over his shoulder with a smile as he goes. 

IT WAS THE GUY! We chatted after the game. To my surprise, he seemed to know a lot about where I had been, and he asked me how my dad was doing. He joked that he remembered my cut because it was dumb for a kid my size and level to use that hollow, but he respected me for sticking to it. There we were in an arena lobby, fifteen years older than the last time we saw each other…when I was just a kid. So much life had happened in between, but we had both found ways to stay close to a game we loved.  The hockey world is small and unique, and it’s a privilege to be a part of it. 

When I told my dad about my plans for this shop, he was initially skeptical of the investment. “Won’t people just get them sharpened at the rink,” he asked? To which I responded: “did we?” 

After a pause, he told me that when I went away to school, he’d occasionally stop by the hockey store during lunch…just to chat with Jason, the guy who sharpened my skates. It was one of his ways of staying connected to the game —and to me— after I left home when I was 15 years old to pursue a dream. He had never shared that with me before.

I’ve had the privilege of coaching hundreds of kids in Nashville over the last eight years, and my hope is that by offering an affordable service that everyone needs, I’ll be able to stay connected with the players and families I’ve come to admire —even after you move on to bigger and better things. I want you (and your kids!) to come in for a sharpening and tell me about your last tournament or the ebbs and flows of the season. I want to offer a neutral perspective and coach’s insight whenever I can to as many folks as possible. I want y'all to vent to me about the BS, so I can assure you that none of it matters, so long as a passion for the game still exists and growth and learning is still happening.

I’ve ended every season I‘ve coached by telling my teams --the players and their parents-- that they have me for as long as they need me; the end of the season doesn’t have to be the end of the relationship. Here’s to a new way of keeping in touch and staying involved. Hopefully we’ll be out of my garage sooner rather than later! 

See you soon. 

Cheers,
Coach Bo