New Fox Lane Hockey Coach Reignites Ice

When it finally came time for the Fox Lane Foxes to take to the ice against the Byram Hills Bobcats, you could feel the energy seeping through the bleachers.

The crowd let out wild hoots and chants as Head Coach Charles Berger stood rinkside, bringing each player onto the ice in a wild frenzy. 

For the Foxes' new head coach, these are the moments he lives for and the reason he and Assistant Coach John Mclaughlin have pushed their players so hard. For the team, this intensity is all part of their new plan, one Berger brought with him when he signed on over the summer.

"We need to come out with a high tempo," Berger said. "We need to play with the same intensity, that high tempo intensity, throughout the whole game.  I want to come out, set the tempo and keep it there."

As one of the youngest coaches in his section—he is 27—Berger has helped the Foxes get back onto their feet after a couple of tough seasons.  A former head coach for the Eastchester/Tuckahoe/Bronxville modified hockey team and assistant coach for the varsity team; Berger wasn't hired because of his age.

"I don't believe Coach Berger's age has anything to do with the success the team is experiencing so far," said Fox Lane Athletic Director Beth Staropoli. "I think it's him, and his passion for coaching and ice hockey. He brings that to our kids on and off the ice."

His passion comes from years of playing hockey himself, as a kid and through college, playing on club teams at Manhattan College and SUNY New Paltz. 

When it comes to coaching, Berger said he owes a lot about what he knows to the year he spent as an assistant coach for the Varsity Football team at Rye Neck.

"As much as the hockey experience was good, the one year at Rye Neck was the most amazing coaching experience," said Berger. "I learned so much coaching from them."

Berger attributes the team's early success to hard work. With a five-week clinic spent with Erik Nates Euro Hockey, learning stick skills and a September start for preseason practice, the players have had plenty of time to get to know their new head coach.

"I demand a lot out of my players," said Berger. "No one works harder than my kids. They came into the season ready to work hard and you could see it. They want to turn the ship around just as much as I do."

So far the Foxes' added intensity has been working with early wins, including a season-opening 4-1 victory against ETB and a 6-3 win over Pearl River.

Looking back on the Pearl River game, Berger recalled one of his most memorable moments.

"It's 3-3 going into the third; I told the guys in the locker room, 'Guys we're not losing this game.' And they screamed back, 'We're not losing this game!'  We came out like a bat out of hell and there was no way, going into that third period that we were going to lose." The Foxes went on to score three more goals in the third period.

Staropli said a lot of Berger's coaching skills stem from his career off the ice. "He's an educator by trait, and that's a good quality to have," she said regarding his job as a physical education teacher at Hawthorne Country Day School.

A big example, said Staropoli, is his use of game film as a teaching tool. "The players get to watch themselves after each game and learn from it," she said.

Berger said film plays a big part for the team. "We film everything, scrimmages, games, opponents. We watch film, we see what we're doing wrong and we correct it."

New, creative ways to prepare for games like watching film has kept the players motivated, but a lot of it comes down to Berger's attitude.

"He's so enthusiastic," said Donnie Castaldo, assistant captain. "He pumps us up in the locker room, and out on the ice, when he tells us to do something, we do it." 

Berger said he can't take all the credit for coaching the team and that he's fortunate to have an assistant coach like John Mclaughlin. "I can't say enough about John. He's a great guy; it's really a blessing having him there. He's got drills, he does a great job and the kids love him. He and I are a team."

With a few wins under his belt and a smooth transition into a new coaching position, Berger said the season is still young. "We'll take it game by game. Everything has gone great so far but as much fun as it's been, I think the best has yet to come."