Team Conenna gets good results

In sports, a father and a son on the same team is rare indeed.

Some notable exceptions included the Griffeys (Ken Sr. and Ken Jr.), the Bonds' (Bobby and Barry), and the Earnhardts (Dale Sr. and Dale Jr.).

The Conant/Hoffman Estates/Schaumburg (CHS) hockey squad features another father-son duo -- John and Vince Conenna.

John has been coaching CHS for several years, consistently producing a competitive team.

After losing his JV coach from the previous season, John looked no further than Vince.

"He was scrutinized for being too young," Conenna said. "But the team responded to him very well."

But this wasn't just a father trying to help out his son.

Vince was a well-known player with the Northwest Chargers, CHS, and now is playing in his second year at DePaul University where he is studying to be a gym teacher.

"He was an assistant last season," John Conenna said. "So I knew he was ready."

Before the season started, John Conenna said his son would face at least one big challenge his first year.

"I told him he would have to get the respect of his players before anything," John Conenna said. "But after the kids saw Vince's retired jersey up in the rafters, they knew he knew what he was talking about."

Vince's coaching career had a rough start as CHS lost its first four games. But they didn't fold under the pressure.

"They actually played about .500 hockey the rest of the season." Vince Conenna said.

Vince's team qualified for the JV Founder's Cup, where his dad gave him a few simple words.

"I told him if you beat a few teams and just play your game, you will come out of the Founder's," John Conenna said.

The CHS JV is 5-0 in the playoffs after beating Carmel 5-1 on Sunday, locking up the No. 1 seed in the Metro Northwest.

"I am very proud of him," John Conenna said. "It's been the highlight of the season for me."

John Conenna's team finished 1-5 in the varsity Founder's Cup, and he didn't get credit for the win.

"Vince was actually coaching that game," Conenna said.

That's because the Conennas switched places on Sunday, Feb. 10, when the CHS varsity team played Carmel and the JV team played Huntley.

"It was just a fun thing we set up," John Conenna said.

CHS entered the game 0-4 and Carmel was 3-0, but CHS prevailed 5-1 -- and John said he knew he was in trouble after that.

"He gets on me about it from time to time," John Conenna said. "Whenever we're just sitting around, he'll throw it at me."

But there was some good news for John.

"I coached the JV to a 5-1 win over Huntley," John Conenna said. "So at least I didn't ruin his perfect record."

The CHS JV team will look to finish 6-0 when it plays Hersey this weekend.

CHS will play Evanston on Sunday in its first game of the Metro Founder's Cup.

As for Vince's coaching future, John Conenna says he will use Vince as an assistant varsity coach next season -- and he believes Vince could one day coach a varsity program.

"I believe this is something he wants to do," John Conenna said. "It's great that we are both coaching at the same program right now."