Put me in, coach!

On October 30, Russia honors its coaches with a professional holiday. Here is a collection of tidbits that some of the sport's brightest minds have shared with me over the years.

“I want to take this opportunity to bow to all the hockey players who helped me in my difficult coaching work. One coach, be he very wise, cannot create and raise up an outstanding player. I am convinced of this, no matter who says otherwise. It is truly possible to sculpt, with only coaching hands, a middling player, a mediocre team. To create a coloss…