Montclair ice hockey coach Bruce
Parker, who led the Essex County school to two state championships, was
released of that duty last week in a decision made by the high school
administration.
Montclair athletic director John Porcelli, while admitting the decision
was a difficult one, felt the ice hockey program needed a fresh start.
``In general, the administration wanted to go in a different
direction,’’ Porcelli said. ``I have a great deal of respect for Bruce
but over the last two seasons, we've noticed fewer students trying out
for the team. We hope to change this trend.
``Coaches of today are faced with huge challenges,’’ Porcelli continued.
``There are parental and club influences and, on top of that, personal
issues that the students and coaches must work at. Coaches really need
to be connected on and off the playing field.’’
Parker’s career mark at Montclair is 208-110-20 in 14 seasons, including
back-to-back state championships in 1987 and ’88. While
disappointed with the decision, Parker admits his standards of coaching
weren’t going to change despite a lack of support from a few.
``My standards for playing or coaching have never changed, nor will
they,’’ said Parker. ``I expect hard work and unselfishness.’’
Parker coached at Montclair from 1983 through 1989. He then coached in
Massachusetts at Bourne High School and Framingham before returning for
a second term at Montclair in 1999-2000. He was also head coach at
Merrimack College in Massachusetts from 1978 through 1983, where he
mentored current Christian Brothers Academy coach Mike Reynolds and
Randolph coach Rich McLaughlin.
Parker feels the poor turnout and lack of capable varsity participants
in recent years is a direct result of the Montclair Hockey Club’s change
in philosophy in grooming local talent.
``In my first tenure at Montclair, the MHC only accepted players from
Montclair to play at Clary Anderson Arena,’’ Parker said. ``But that
began to change in the late 80s, as the club began taking non residents
and, eventually, moving to Floyd Hall Arena. There was a time when I had
18-to-20 freshmen (early 80s) playing for the club team and not having
any issues playing for the high school as well. The number of kids
coming out for the high school has dwindled in recent years because the
MHC left Clary Anderson Arena for Floyd Hall Arena while also accepting
non residents. I feel this was done to win at the youth hockey level,
but it also meant there would be fewer players from Montclair entering
high school with hockey experience.’’
Incidentally, Peter Herms, the current head coach at Seton Hall Prep,
led Montclair to the 1994-95 public schools title. The team returned to
the public final in 1997-98, under the guidance of Darren Groh, and
dropped a 2-1 decision to Brick. The club will enter the 2007-08 season
in the Northern Conference-White Division. It will mark the first season
that the club is not within an elite division of the New Jersey
Interscholastic Hockey League. While Parker hasn't coached an All-State
calibre player since his initial tenure at Montclair, his teams were
always well-prepared and disciplined.
There was a time, Parker admits, when 75 students were trying out for
the program.
``In addition to varsity, we had a Junior Varsity A and Junior Varsity B
team,’’ Parker said. ``At that time, we were winning and annually
competing for a state championship and Gordon Cup title. And you never
heard a peep about playing on the outside because kids wanted to be a
part of the high school program.’’
Parker felt that there was no need for players to be playing outside
high school since his program enabled athletes to skate six days per
week (four practices; two games) during his second tenure at Montclair.
That philosophy apparently angered some parents and fueled Parker’s
eventual demise.
``We had a unique situation here at Montclair where we were on the ice
for six days during the week. That should be sufficient enough to grow
as a hockey player,’’ Parker said.
``I’ve had some players who played club in the off-season and they have
never given me a single problem during the winter campaign,’’ Parker
said. ``Those players understood where I was coming from. Shouldn’t
general health and academics play a part in this as well?’’
Parker, always steadfast and confident in his style, admitted three
reasons he disapproved playing club hockey while participating on his
varsity high school team.
``First, I don’t necessarily coach the same way as the other guy, so one
style that might work for one, doesn’t always work for the other.
Second, I would hate for a player to become injured in a club game and
then have to miss his high school game as a result. That is selfishness
in my eyes and I didn’t want to play with selfish players; nor do I want
to coach selfish players. If our program only had two practices and two
games per week, I would probably have an entirely different approach to
playing outside hockey, but there’s no sense when we are trying to run a
week-long program.
``Third, I don’t want a kid choosing one over the other. And, if he was
able to make both, which would he perform at 80 percent and which at 20
percent? I expect 100 percent each and every day and while I know that
is impossible on some days, at least I’ll know he made the effort.’’
Parker admitted that 98 percent of the players he coached in his first
tenure at Montclair also played club hockey out of Clary Anderson Arena.
In recent years, he was lucky to have two or three freshmen capable of
playing varsity hockey.
``If people want to adopt new standards for creating a successful
program, then that’s there business,’’ Parker said.
``We live in a society where winning has become very important and, so,
in a sense, you have altered the attitudes and decisions of some
athletes. There’s only one way you can honestly evaluate as a coach, and
that’s to be true to yourself and your philosophy. You have to stand
strong and believe that what you are doing will make a difference. I am
not willing to modify my standards or alter my philosophy. I guess I dug
my own hole when I returned for a second tenure.’’
Parker was honored as The Essex County Coach of the Year by The Star
Ledger in 2001-02 when he guided his team to a 21-6-2 campaign. The same
rules the coach applies now were applied then.
``He’s just so analytical with the game and basically taught me
everything,’’ CBA coach Mike Reynolds said. ``There’s nothing wrong with
trying to have kids dedicated to the high school program, but keeping
everyone satisfied is nearly impossible in today’s day and age.’’
On a personal note,
I've known Parker since his second term at Montclair beginning the
1999-2000 season. He is a gentleman in every sense; a true class act.
Whether or not his team succeeded that season, he would take the time to
discuss the sport and players with me, at length, at the end of every
scholastic season. I was always grateful.
Parker always had
fantastic ideas about improving the game he loves. In fact, when a
decision is finally made in September regarding the pending changes to
the NJSIAA public schools tournament, I'll share some of those ideas
right here. I do hope Parker is eventually offered another coaching
position; he has a lot to offer to any aspiring scholastic ice hockey
player. He is a coach and, most importantly, an educator. A person who
makes a difference in our society.
We are in a period
of time when coaches are sometimes coerced into changing their agendas
in order to save their jobs or satisfy the incredulous parent. Bruce
Parker isn't one of them.
