COVID-19 Close up: Wes Wolfe
COVID-19 CLOSEUP
Subject: Wes Wolfe, assistant coach, Erie Otters.
What would you be doing at work now if the pandemic hadn’t hit? When the pandemic hit, we were only two weeks away from finishing the regular season and starting the first round of the playoffs. With all the time that has passed, we’ve already done the draft virtually and conducted our annual orientation camp via web conference. On a personal level, I have seen all kinds of events postponed or cancelled that I’d normally participate in this time of year like the OHL Coaches Conference, OHF U-15 Program of Excellence, NHL Draft and Coaches Conference and various camps and clinics.
What are you doing now? The month of May was actually still quite busy. I helped arrange and organize 11 webinars on behalf of the Niagara Hockey Coaches Seminar which I co-founded with Murray Nystrom. We had presentations done by professional coaches around North America that were free to attend for all which had a tremendous response (over 1,000 unique viewers from 17 different countries). I’ve also been doing a lot of professional development, reading and different projects for the Otters.
What is the biggest obstacle to doing your job during the pandemic? I think the scary part for everyone is the uncertainty of what return to play looks like. We’ve learned to adapt with our communication via Zoom and other uses of technology, but ultimately I think everyone is eager to get back onto the ice. Once we have a better understanding of the measures that need to be taken to open the rinks and get back on the ice, it will be more reassuring — but until then, the job of hockey coach with no games or practices is much different!
What do you miss the most about the pre-pandemic world of the Ontario Hockey League? I always go through hockey withdrawal when the season ends. For me, it’s the daily routine; the excitement of going to the rink, being a part of a team, the players and people you work with — and finally, the competitive environment.
What do you miss the least about the pre-pandemic world of the Ontario Hockey League? Easily, playing three games in under three days. We usually have seven or eight instances in a season where we are playing three days in a row — often road games — which is almost always tops in the league. That can be a grind, both emotionally and physically. For the players, it’s a challenge to prepare and recover physically for that much competition in a short time, but for the coaches, there is a lot of preparation and work to be done before and after games. Trying to be diligent, do the work and still find time to sleep (usually on long bus rides) can definitely start to take a toll.
What is the biggest thing wrong with junior hockey that you can reveal without getting fired or demoted for your honesty? I think that the game has grown immensely in the last few years with regard to diversity and inclusion, but there is still so much to learn and better understand. We are learning on the world stage right now that a great deal still needs to be done — and hockey is no exception. There is a lot of introspection and tough conversations that have to happen before we truly see the necessary changes — but one thing I am confident in is that most of us are prepared to listen and become better leaders in our communities.
Is there an easy way to fix the problem? It is way past the point of being an easy fix. I think anyone looking for it to be easy probably doesn’t understand how serious and deeply-rooted the issues we have are. They are systemic issues and require taking a long, hard look in the mirror.
Is there a hard way to fix the problem? The hard way is the only way. It means listening, asking questions and making a concerted effort to effect real change. I think it’s fantastic that league initiatives like OHL Onside exist, but surface level programs aren’t enough. It starts with accepting there are still problems and moving forward to education. Only then can we all start to see a difference. As a cisgendered, straight, white man from the middle class, I recognize that I need to check my privilege and my unconscious biases and be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem.
What would be one suggestion to make junior hockey better? As I mentioned, league initiatives are a great start, but further education for players and coaches is still needed. Something else that we have tried very hard to do with the Otters is promote social responsibility and a sense of community. Being active members and volunteers at inner-city schools and with other social programs go a long way in helping build our communities up.
Has the pandemic changed how you will approach your work? Absolutely. Ironically, I think we’ve all been learning how to use technological advancements to improve our communication — and what we’re also learning is that nothing can ever replace personal, face-to-face human interaction. I think there’s a balance to not being too over-reliant on technology while still evolving with new resources that can be found.
What is the first thing you are going to do when life returns to normal? I think it has to be going for a beer or a coffee with as many friends as possible to catch up on life.
What daily activity do you miss the most? I love going into a coffee shop, bringing a book or my laptop and taking it all in. It’s the best when you’re sitting there and different people that you know come and go and stop for a quick chat.
What guilty pleasure do you miss the most? Karaoke. I love performing Semi-Charmed Life by Third Eye Blind, but my friends will tell you that nothing compares to when I sing Save A Horse Ride A Cowboy by Big and Rich.
What is your favourite outfit to wear around the house if you are working from home? Most people might assume it is one of my flashy suits, but it depends on the temperature. I only had time to pack a couple of duffle bags from Erie when I came back to Erie, so I’m limited mostly to Otters work out apparel. But never socks.
What do you do to replace the time spent working with the kids? We’ve actually started doing weekly calls with our players. I’ve also been extremely busy as I mentioned with various forms of professional development. To be honest, I’m a little Zoom-ed out.
Are you mostly likely to be a hunk, chunk, drunk or Sasquatch when the pandemic ends? My lack of a haircut is definitely making me lean towards the Sasquatch end of things but I’ve also been doing a lot of running, so I think I might be in the best shape of my life (believe it or not).
What is the worst habit you have picked up during the pandemic? I do my best to be productive in some way, every day, but somehow watching Family Feud, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy every night have made their way in to my daily routine. Definitely not proud of that.
What is the best habit you have picked up during the pandemic? I just finished off a run challenge in May that saw me run more than 300 kilometres over the course of the month (including five half-marathons in 10 days), so I am pretty proud of that!
What is something good about yourself you have discovered during the pandemic? I’d like to think I’ve become a pretty good chef, but my Instagram followers are probably tired of seeing my creations on my feed.
What is something bad about yourself you have discovered during the pandemic? That self-imposed limitations have held me back from being the best version of myself. Sometimes you need to get out of your own way!
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