Wes Bolin

Wes Bolin has been the driving force behind building Woodbury into a boys hockey power in the state of Minnesota. Since first stepping behind the Royals bench in 2004, the team has seen unparalleled success, culminating in Woodbury's first-ever State berth in 2007 — an achievement that earned Bolin Coach of the Year honors and a return to the Class AA tourney in 2008, where the Royals won the consolation title. VYPE: What drew you back to Minnesota after coaching for two decades in Wisconsin? WB: I was looking for a new challenge in hockey, and as a Minneapolis guy, I had always been interested in returning to coach in the state where I grew up. I had been teaching and coaching for 18 years at the same school (Fond du Lac), and felt very satisfied with the accomplishments of the hockey program during that time. I also wanted to reinvigorate my teaching career, so it seemed like the right time, and Woodbury felt like the right place for my family. VYPE: What do you see as the differences in coaching high school hockey in Minnesota versus Wisconsin? WB: The competitiveness. There is such a small gap between the talent level of the players in Minnesota. This makes team selection, practices and games more competitive. Wisconsin hockey has improved tremendously and many teams today could compete with most Minnesota teams. And Wisconsin definitely has its share of elite players, but they are spread out among more teams; whereas, Minnesota has more players of an elite level on a given team, and the gap between all players on any team is much closer than that on most teams in Wisconsin, therefore the competitiveness increases. That's due to the natural hockey culture of Minnesota that does not exist in Wisconsin. VYPE: Who are your coaching influences? WB: The biggest coaching influence in my life was my high school hockey coach at Minneapolis West, Mr. Jim Baxter, who coached high school hockey for 50 years until his death in 2007. Mr. Baxter taught faith, family, school, and hockey... in that order. He taught love for the game and respect for the more important things. I can only hope to have half the positive influence on my players that he had on his. There are others who have been great mentors in my coaching career, such as Chuck Grillo (Minnesota Hockey Camps) and Troy Ward (Houston Aeros), but when you are a high school coach you always go back to your original role model. VYPE: Can you name some of your favorite coaching moments? WB: On ice, the moment David Eddy scored the overtime goal against Cretin in 2007 to win the section championship and Woodbury's first trip to the state tournament. Off ice, too numerous to mention. I most enjoy watching a player (or student) grow in a positive way and if I feel that his relationship with me through hockey (or teaching) may have had some positive effect. I think I've had a lot of "wins" in this area. VYPE: What makes for a successful season in your eyes? WB: I want my players to have a great overall experience. I want them to learn the balance between work and fun. I want them to become better people. I want the team to be competitive on the ice and for the players to be good role models off the ice. And if we can play above our potential, to achieve more than what one might normally expect, then we must have done something special as a group, that is particularly satisfying. VYPE: How is the sport different today than when you played? When you first started coaching? WB: The main difference in high school hockey (and all of athletics) is the demand on the players to train year-round. The emphasis on weight-training, speed training, and specialization has become a natural part of high school hockey that is top-driven by that goal of reaching the National Hockey League. I know I am part of the culture that has created this, but I try to emphasize the importance of the multi-sport athlete, and we run our summer program only 3-4 weeks in July rather than the entire time allotted by the Minnesota State High School League. We try to emphasize quality training over quantity.