MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — More than 60 years after he started playing and more than 30 years after he started coaching, the hockey rink is still where Doug Woog feels most comfortable. Even at 72 years old, he can’t help but stay involved.
“Thirty-some years, you just don’t want to drop off the map either,” said Woog.
Woog’s latest pet project is called Crown Hockey — an offseason program for kids age 10 to 14 that runs in the spring and the fall. It’s now entering its fifth year.
“In order for these kids to play more than one sport, which is our concept, we take off the two months in the summer,” said Woog.
That’s right — an offseason hockey program that encourages kids not to play hockey. Woog wants kids to play multiple sports. He believes multi-sport athletes make better hockey players.
“Absolutely. There’s the socialization, meeting new kids. It’s learning how to use your feet in one sport and your hands in another,” he said. “I think that’s one of the ingredients that’s missing, and it’s one of the things that we give to our participants. We give them the time.”
It’s also different than most elite programs, in that it doesn’t have open tryouts. It’s invite-only.
“We selected people we knew, parents in certain areas, coaches in certain areas in the southeast metro,” Woog said. “Give these kids a chance to be with other good kids. Not necessarily the best kids always, in terms of hockey ability, but certainly the best kids so to speak in terms of behavior, attitude and ones who would really like to learn.
“A place where kids can come practice and get good instruction with great coaches and then play a limited number of games, but so they’d still have their summers free.”
And a place where Woog can still stay involved.
“And I guess it’s the love of the game, keeps me in it,” he said.
