Coaching Is More Than X's and O's For Joe Butkevich

For Joe Butkevich, being a head coach isn’t just about the X’s and O’s, wins and losses or the results; it’s about connecting with the players on a personal level and understanding who they are and how to best support them as individuals.

Butkevich, the head coach of the U-22 Etobicoke Dolphins, has had a passion for hockey that started at an early age.

“I grew up in small town North Bay,” Butkevich remembers, “I was a rink rat for the North Bay Centennials, now the Battalion, so I grew up in and around the rink from an early age. Hockey’s pretty much been my everything since I was put on this Earth.”

As he’s continued his coaching career, which has also included an assistant coaching role with the Chinese National team and serving as the current head coach of the Polish National team, Butkevich realized that being a head coach doesn’t mean your opinion is above all others, but that it’s a collaboration between all, including the players. This approach to his coaching philosophy has helped Etobicoke Dolphins program become dominant in the OWHA, finishing this past season with a record of 61-3-0.

“It’s about knowing your players,” Butkevich reflects. “But it’s knowing them as more than just a hockey player. Everybody comes from a different background, everybody might be going through something. You just never know, so it’s that empathy piece. I think I’ve come a long way as a coach.”

Across many different sports, there has been a shift that has begun in the culture around mental health and how, when you take the time to connect with a player and understand them as an individual, you’ll be able to get more out of them. They will feel as though they’re supported and valued, which goes a long way to having greater success, both on and off the ice.

“Reading people is a skill; reading body language,” Butkevich said, “I try to pick 2-4 players a week to just check in with and you just start getting to know them. It’s more than just hockey. It’s something that will help prepare these athletes for the real world. Life is bigger than hockey.”

It’s through being able to read people and understand their needs, being genuine, compassionate and empathetic towards players and staff, that Joe Butkevich has been able to find himself as a coach, a leader, and a family man and has been able to have an impact on the many players who are a part of, or have graduated from the Etobicoke Dolphins program.

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