The Other Side of Coaching

Former Phoenix Coyotes assistant coach and current Tampa Bay Lightning head coach John Tortorella is described as a gruff, high demanding, bombastic, in-your-face, type of individual. He runs a system developed on high expectations and expects results.

If the players do not rise to the occasion, of if those players choose to bail, he doesn't waste his time expressing his opinion.

He can take on the coaches, the former ownership, and the media with his blunt assessment of the issues within his team and within the NHL.

Tortorella takes on the media.

What people don't see is the other side of John Tortorella and he prefers it that way. In fact, it took reporters forever for Tortorella to grant them permission to highlight the charity work he does in the Tampa Bay area as he would rather highlight those who are struggling to fight life's battles than call attention to himself.

As sports fans, we analyze stats, offer our assessments of players and games, and sometimes get wrapped up in the minutia of the finer points of our passions. However, life is larger than what sports offer and sometimes even I need the reminder.

Original post by PB

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