Photo Credit: Iowa Wild

For the Charlotte Rush, they build on things that work. One of the best examples of that is the legacy of winning left in the video spot by Rush alum Ray Sylvester. Hear from Trevor Kleckner on the video legacy left by Ray, who now is the person in charge of video for the AHL Iowa Wild.

“Ray was pivotal during video sessions as he was always on top of what video to show and what the coaches wanted our guys to learn. What separated him from other coaches was his ability to adapt to each coach’s style of teaching and how we could compliment that when compiling film. It was clear from the start that Ray would soon be advancing from the Rush because of how he excelled as a video coach. We wish him the best of luck this season with the Iowa Wild as we know he will do great!

Each day before practice, Tuesday-Friday, Ray would have film ready to go for both Elite and Premier. Tuesday would consist of a weekend recap, Wednesday would be professional clips (NHL, AHL, NCAA), Thursday would be special teams, and Friday is a full pre scout of our weekend opponents. It was definitely challenging for us to adapt to his schedule but after doing so we all realized how important it was to have film ready every day. We will be following his video process this season as we have seen it proves to be extremely successful in on ice performance of our players.

The video system we use is NAC Sports. Ray recommended this system to us last season after some conversations with their associates about the software. The system is very easy to navigate, making it incredibly easy to cut and organize film as well as produce videos from those clips. This makes our lives easier on the weekends and even at showcases when the turnaround is very quick and we need to make the most out of our time. We look forward to another year of using NAC.

During training camp it’s a pivotal time to hammer down systems from our defensive zone coverage through our offensive play. We compile film from all over but especially show clips from previous seasons to show how it directly translates into our style of play. Today’s generation of hockey players are visual learners so it’s crucial to have the right film ready to show what we need to work on and what we’re doing well. 

In-season like I said before we have each video session tailored to a theme for the day. Tuesday we recap the weekend, Wednesday might be a skill/habit day, Thursday is special teams, and Friday is a full pre scout. In the beginning it can be overwhelming for these guys but we expect mistakes to happen. As the season goes on we expect them to learn and grow as we start to hit our stride. These players join the Rush to experience a professional environment and that is what we provide both on and off the ice.”

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