North Stars coach preaches culture
Team culture is everything as far as Francis Balah is concerned.
The 42-year-old St. Catharines native has been coaching hockey for several years, beginning in the Garden City Kiwanis Hockey League and working his way up to the Niagara North Stars.
Balah was an assistant to Brody Kritsch on the U18 AAA squad for the last two seasons before taking on his first head coaching assignment at the AAA level with the North Stars U14 team this season.
“One of the reasons I wanted to do it was I wanted it to be a little different,” he said. “People talk about culture in hockey but a lot of work actually has to be put into that. We spend a lot of time focusing on the team culture part of it.”
That means team builders, team dinners and spending a lot of time together.
“We have a lot of fun,” Balah said. “The families — I didn’t know them going in and got to know them — they’re amazing. You hear the stories of the crazy hockey parents but I don’t have that.
“They’ve bought into the team culture, they’ve bought into the team first. They allow us to coach their kids and hold them accountable. They know we care about them, so when we’re hard on them, they’re OK with it. And the kids are fantastic. They make it easy. You fall in love with the kids and the team and then you’re hooked. Then you’re in.”
The U14 North Stars are 14-30-10 this season, but the wins and losses are not the priority.
“We’ve come a long way, we’re right there,” Balah said. “I didn’t coach with this group and where they were last year, the coaches and I decided that we weren’t going to focus on results early. We were going to focus on just building every kid up and see where we are at the end of the season. We were more worried about what we looked like at the end of the year than winning on a Tuesday right in November.
“Anyone that commits to coaching, they’re a competitive person. I am no different. I want to win. I don’t go into any game saying I don’t want to win. But I don’t think my value as a coach is decided on that.”
Balah, who is assisted by Terry O’Farrell and Steve Poirier, grew up playing hockey in St. Catharines, enjoying the camaraderie of the sport more than anything.
“I wasn’t the best hockey player, but I loved being on a team,” he said. “I thought the dressing room is like a special place when it’s the right dressing room. And I wanted to create that. I believe that the teams that go the furthest are the teams that care about each other and love each other the most and I wanted to really promote that. We spend a lot of time together away from the rink and you’ve got to get to know the kid.
“Brody and I were really like-minded when we coached U18 and we were always person before player. You coach the person first, you coach the player second. I think that’s how you get the best results. We try to do that.”
Kritsch marvels at Balah’s commitment.
“He’s so passionate. He really puts his time in to understand the way the game should be played and he was such a valued member to my staff when he was there so it’s pretty cool to see what he’s doing there,” he said. “He’s built a beautiful culture. I’ve had the opportunity to go on the bench with him and watch what he’s doing. I’m extremely proud of what he’s done with that group. It’s contagious. I jump on the bench with them because it’s so much fun and exciting to see what he’s doing.”
Balah, a graduate of Holy Cross who credits retired Raiders football coach Dave Thomson as a huge influence, gives credit to those closest to him for being able to put so much time into coaching.
“My wife Christina and my father Martin are incredibly supportive with three kids we have in hockey,” he said.
Balah, who owns a property management company, has committed to coaching the same group for at least one more season.
“The families and the kids made it an easy decision to want to come back. They are people you want to spend your time with,” he said. “We always hear the bad news in hockey, and there is. There is stuff out there that’s bad, but the culture we’ve created there, it’s a culture where everybody’s coming to be a little bit better every day. It’s a great place to be, it helps me stay in a positive mindset.”
Members of the team are:
#3 Jason Murray
#4 Hudson Heywood
#8 Nicholas Riddle
#10 Carter Berard
#11 Pierson Sotola
#12 John Russell
#14 Jacob Rogers
#16 Tomas Kantartzis
#17 Isaac Davies
#22 Beckett Vandermeer
#25 Mac Pickett
#27 Noah Habza
#29 Ben McFarlane
#31 Charlie Marshall
#44 Max Vandenbeukel
#91 Carter Audet
#97 Griffin Bristo
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