Subject: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

THE ART OF COACHING

Tom,

As per your Oct 26, 2010 posting under Diary of a Season and encouraging good practice habits (on behalf of the players), I appreciate your approach! I submit that we as coaches need to ensure we take the lead role to design the environment to develop good habits...

One of my biggest disappointments is that our coach certification (in Canada) seems to gloss over or ignore ‘the art of coaching.' Most, if not all of the topics presented at the clinics focus on team tactics and systems. Very little is provided in the realm of pedagogy - perhaps a cursory look at communication, practice planning, etc. I am not alone in this concern as I remember an article written my Mike Hartman on the old site last year (see below) – similarly lamenting the time spent on teaching coaches how to teach at coaching clinics.

This is something I started to champion several years ago during my 15+ years on various coaching committees with Hockey Alberta and Hockey Canada. Unfortunately, while lip service is paid to this, it seems that this area often gets excluded in order to focus more on additional tactics or systems. Perhaps coaches feel systems are sexier? I feel we need to teach the coaches 'how to teach’ instead of inundating them with 'patterned drills' and systems (too often, coaches are incapable of teaching the building blocks that MUST come before the tactics / systems.) Like yourself, I agree with the Hockey ABC’s approach – I hope to try to get people to understand that the game is the best teacher! I will keep on trying to be an agent of change.

I will continue to post my thoughts, along with a few articles I have found that are pertinent to this topic.

Although I have never attended a USA Hockey coaching clinic, I have read a lot of material from the various levels and spoken with several presenters and attendees. (I have viewed the new American Development Model material surrounding the Long Term Athlete Development. It is the same information developed by Istvan Balyi and Steve Norris for Hockey Canada and is now being exported to various sports and agencies throughout the world. I think HOW USA Hockey has presented it online to their coaches is much better than anything Canada has done to date.)

If anybody else has similar feelings; (or wishes to contradict me!) or questions, etc., please do so. I am hoping to generate some intelligent discussion on this forum.

Thanks!

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Coaches are not being taught how to teach

Fellow Coaches,

In a recent post I read a reply from a coach that caught my attention. Why? Because the statement he made reflects a stance and belief that I have held for quite some time, and oddly enough in 25 years of coaching, instructing or teaching the game I have never heard another coach express this concern.

So now that I hopefully have you intrigued here is what this coach said...and I am paraphrasing here…

The coach claimed that it had been his experience that coaches are not being taught how to teach. They go to clinics, symposiums, and seminars where they are taught drills, systems, tactics, strategy, etc but they are not taught "how to teach" this stuff.
I agree 100%. But I can only speak from a perspective of being a coach that has certified through Hockey Canada. I have the added benefit of being a school teacher. I have a degree in Physical Education and have been a Physical Education teacher for quite some time.

So it is easy for me to say with accuracy that coaching certification clinics and seminars that I have taken through Hockey Canada, and I have taken them all but one, do not, in my professional opinion, provide any insight into "how to teach" skills, tactics, game play, etc. They provide vast amounts of info on what to teach, various ways to teach it through varying setups and designs but nothing on the methodology of teaching: Nothing covering the different learning styles, teaching methodologies and philosophies, how to teach cognitively vs. physically, motor learning concepts etc.

So my reason for this post was to hopefully hear from coaches from all over the globe with their take on this issue.

Are we dropping the ball on fully empowering our coaches with the full slate of teaching tools they need to be better coaches?

Should our governing bodies that are responsible for the training and certification of coaches be more prudent in the delivery of material to ensure that it includes more information on the "how" to teach not just "what" to teach?

After all a coach can find the "what" to teach in a myriad of books, manuals and online sites. But if they don't know "how" to teach it, what good is it?

The key to coaching is not just knowing what to teach. It’s as much about (I believe more) being able to teach it effectively so that all your players are learning. Lets face it...we call ourselves coaches but in reality we are teachers. And maybe that is where the problem lies.

Mike Hartman

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Hockey Calgary Statistics.

• 1 in 84,615 kids who play Hockey in Calgary will make it to the NHL. Therefore every six (6) years one (1) former Hockey Calgary participant will make it to the NHL. (Source: Hockey Calgary February Newsletter.)

<So parents... take a pill! Odds are against your kid paying off your mortgage! Keep it in perspective!>



Practice by the Numbers - Statistics supplied by: Calgary Hockey Development.

The following facts and figures relate to a 60 minute practice session:

• 1 efficient practice will give a player more skill development than 11 games collectively.

• Each player should have a puck on their stick for 8 - 12 minutes.

• Each player should have a minimum of 30 shots on goal.

• Players will miss the net over 30% of the time in a minor hockey practice.

• Coaches should try to run 4 - 5 different drills / games / activities each practice. More is not better; execution of what you do is development.

• No more than 5 minutes should be spent in front of a teaching board each practice.

• If you have 10 players on the ice, strive to keep 4 - 5 players moving at all times.

• If you have 15 players on the ice, strive to keep 9 - 10 players moving at all times.

• If you have 20 players on the ice, strive to keep 14 - 15 players moving at all times.



A Game by the Numbers - The following statistics were recorded during a 60 minute Pee Wee level hockey game in Calgary:

• Players will have the puck on their stick for an average of 8 seconds per game.

• Players will take an average of 1 - 2 shots per game.

• 95% of passes made backwards are successful.

• Players will take an average of 18 shifts per game.

• 99% of the feedback coaches give players is when they have the puck. Ironically, players only have the puck on their stick for 0.2% of the game.

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Most people have two well-developed learning styles. Studies estimate:

• 60% are visual learners

• 25% are audio learners

• 15% are kinesthetic / tactical learners



Interesting Facts about Learning and Memory:

1. People will remember most effectively what is taught at the beginning and end of each session.

2. The longer a presentation – the less impact more information has.

3. Breaks or relaxing moments allow the brain to structure and organize information making it easier to recall later.

4. Repetition, analogies and linking to other parts of a presentation will increase memory.

5. Recall of information declines rapidly if not reviewed.

6. Active participation and visual aids enhance recall.

How does this affect the way a coach teaches concepts? What methods can I use to maximize learning?

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

The Hockey Canada National Coach Mentorship Program specialty clinics were designed to with the following messages in mind:

Keep Them Moving

Whether its practice, clinic, or camp, ice sessions should be designed to engage every participant consistently. Kids don’t attend practice to watch others play. Kids enjoy practices when they have fun and they experience an improvement in their overall skills. When kids have to stand in line, encourage them to handle a puck!

Emphasize the Fundamentals

Build a foundation that will never crack by properly teaching the basics. Learning the fundamentals and perfecting the same basics at every level of play is essential to having any chance of success. If one player does not execute the fundamentals (skating, puck control, passing and receiving, checking) correctly, the most sophisticated drill or play in the world will not work. It is unfair and not fun to focus on running plays that will fail 9 out of 10 times. Kids’ practices that focus on Team Play over executing fundamentals are cheating every participant out of the chance to learn the game properly. Do not attempt to replicate plays you see in NHL and Junior games! Every scheme that is attempted in a junior or NHL game is supported by years of training in the fundamentals of the game.

Incorporate a Progression of Skill Development for Every Participant

Regardless of a player’s skill level, it is your responsibility as a coach to teach every kid on your team (Make them capable!) It is no secret that if kids experience improvement in their skills, no matter what their athletic ability may be; they will continue to participate and return to learn more. Teach the skills in the proper order so you can continue to improve and build on each training session.

Considerations for Development

Following are some general observations of youth sports as stated in the Long Term Athlete Development Plan.
• Young athletes under-train, over-compete; Low training to competition ratios in early years
• Training in early years focuses on outcomes (winning) rather than processes (optimal training)
• Poor training between 6-16 years of age cannot be fully corrected (athletes will never reach genetic potential)
• The best coaches are encouraged to work at elite level; basically it takes 10,000 hours or 10,000 repetitions to master a skill.

With the ages of 9 – 12 being the most important for skill acquisition it is during this time period that the skills included in the specialty clinics need to be repeated consistently. To that end, the skills were chosen so that a coaching staff can work on these specific skills until a reasonable level of mastery is achieved and then move onto more advanced skills. Ultimately, if you as a coach can master teaching these skills and players can become proficient at performing these skills then success will be the outcome. The goal is to concentrate on teaching these limited quantities of skills and move on only once the players can reasonably master them.

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

The Philosophy of Skill Development:

In Canada, the four players without the puck depend on the puck carrier, in Russia the puck carrier depends on the four players without the puck. (Tarasov’s Comparison.)



The Importance of Skill Development:

1. Thoughts from the Pro’s

"Very few Jean Beliveau’s or Paul Coffey’s come through the ranks now because we're taught so many systems and so much discipline at a young age that we've taken away a lot of creativity.“
Wayne Gretzky

“There is no use teaching team play, until the kids have reasonable mastery of skating, passing and puck control“
Dr. Murray Smith – Sports Psychologist

“You need to practice to become a better player. You see some kids playing 60 – 70 games, that’s almost too much for a 15 or 16 old. When you are 6 to 10 or 6 to 12, you’ve got to be practicing all of the time.“
Paul Kariya

“When they have too many games when they are young, they are going out trying to fulfill a role and trying to not make mistakes, and as a result they get very little skill improvement.“
Dr. Murray Smith

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Practice Tips (Courtesy of Calgary Hockey Development)

THERE ARE 10 KEY INGREDIENTS A COACH SHOULD MIX INTO EACH PRACTICE. COLLECTIVELY THESE LEAD TO ENJOYMENT AND LEARNING FOR BOTH PLAYERS AND COACHES.

1. Coaches should have a minimum of 50 pucks available for practice (typical roster of 20 players).

2. Players must be on time, all the time. Coaches set the standard and lead by example. Parents must be encouraged to buy in.

3. Don’t waste ice time stretching. Stretching should be performed in the dressing room before & after the ice time.

4. The use of stations in practices leads to a dynamic practice. Stations keep participants active enabling them to achieve high levels of repetitions. Have players spend 3 - 8 minutes per station before switching. Two or three stations are recommended. (Must be a coach at each station).

5. Basic Skill Development (skating, puck control, passing, shooting) should comprise 90% of your practice time. Remember you can work skills in game-like drills. Skill development should not be considered boring. It should be considered the building block to greatness!

6. Positive and Specific Feedback are imperative! “Good work” doesn’t convey enough information. Consider the Head Coach who always stands at center ice and runs drills. How often during the practice is this coach able to effectively teach? Teaching is done in the trenches (corners, lines).

7. Routines in practice are dangerous. Players will pace themselves and become bored very quickly. Routine practices develop great practice players. Strive to change things up, create an element of surprise, utilize variety, and generate enthusiasm. Creating competition (keep score – winners get a reward; losers get a punishment) raises intensity and most realistically prepares players for games. Players also enjoy “creative, constructive” time on their own. Five minutes per practice should be sufficient – at the beginning and / or end. This enables players to be creative and try new things; or work on areas of weakness. As coach, you have to make them understand this isn’t “screw around time” to prevent injuries and wasting the time!

8. “TELL ME AND I’LL FORGET, SHOW ME AND I MIGHT REMEMBER, INVOLVE ME AND I’LL UNDERSTAND”

9. Practice Execution by coaches is of principle importance. Great drills that aren’t executed properly by coaches are useless. Execution involves using all staff on the ice, having pucks spotted in the proper areas, informing players of the whistle sequence (1st whistle begin, 2nd whistle stop, 3rd whistle begins next group) and providing appropriate feedback. To assist in practice execution, name your drills i.e. “Killer Bees”.

10. Relate what you do in practices to games and vice versa. “Players, we are doing this drill because in our last game we were unable to finish around the net.” or “This drill will assist you in keeping your stick and body away from the checker and in an effective scoring position.”

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

SKILL DEVELOPMENT IS EQUAL PARTS OFFENCE AND CREATIVITY (Courtesy Hockey Calgary)

1. OFFENCE

• Read and react is the most important skill – do it quickly, it’ll make an average player a great player.

• Support the puck carrier by moving to open ice.

• Create an attack triangle – support the puck carrier on two sides.

• Communicate to your teammates.

• Protect the puck with your body; shield it away from your opponents.

• Keep control of the puck, don’t just give it away.

• Use the boards to pass to yourself and to your teammates.



KEYS TO OFFENCE

• Slow down to a speed where you can think (create).

• Don’t limit yourself.

• Have the courage to make mistakes.

• Let the puck do the work.

• Support.

• Move to open ice.

• Have desire and passion for playing instead of winning.



OFFENSIVE TEAM PRINCIPLES

• Play for possession.

• Use everybody on the attack.

• Use lateral and circular skating patterns versus linear.

• Be in constant motion and vary your speed.

• Move with purpose (support position).

• Be an option more than once.

• Be at the right place at the right time.

• Always think one pass ahead.

• Be deceptive and creative, not predictable.



TIPS FOR AN OFFENSIVE PRACTICE

• Increase the number of passes in each drill.

• Play “keep-away“ style games with purpose.

• Have segments in practice where players just play, no instruction, only positive feedback.

• Work on puck control skills every practice, to increase their confidence (Drills out of their comfort zone).

• Have give away rules, so the players get used to playing with possession.

• Praise the offensive play, when a goal is scored – not the defensive mistake.

• Have at least one flow drill in each practice, emphasizing timing, passing and support.



2. CREATIVITY

• Practice being creative during practices and free time – i.e. puck handling, 1 on 1’s, 2 on 1’s, 2 on 2’s, 3 on 2’s etc.

• You never know if something works until you try it.

• Have the players challenge themselves – if it doesn’t work the first time, keep trying; don’t quit!

• Use the whole ice surface to your advantage – boards, back of net.

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Teaching the Game - By Tony DiCicco

Coaches spend an awful lot of time teaching tactics, often telling players, for instance, that they need to stay in their positions. But what's sometimes lost is the fact that soccer is a free-flowing expression of how you want to see the game unfold.

As a coach, clearly you need to keep helping players understand positioning and spatial awareness. But the last thing you want to do is lock players into specific and rigid roles by saying, "You stay here and you stay there." That's not the way the game ought to be played.

For instance, one thing I hate to see in training is a long line of girls waiting for their turn to go through a maze to practice dribbling. This methodology is totally unnecessary because players can do all the dribbling they need through free movement, where everybody's learning to be aware of space by being creative and improvising. That's how the actual game of soccer is played.

There are, however, specific activities I'd suggest as teaching tools. You can teach passing, for instance, by having the kids stand and pass the ball back and forth, but it's going to get pretty boring for them rather quickly. Instead, you can say, "OK, here's the game. We're going to see how many passes you can get back and forth between you and your teammate in 30 seconds. You're going to keep your own score. I expect everybody to be honest with the score and if the ball goes wild, you've got to go get it together and continue playing from your new location."

What you've done is set up a little competition and it becomes fun. There's also a little bit of intensity and urgency to their play. It's not just a boring drill, it's now a competition. And to spice it up a little, don't always make it a matter of the girls competing against each other. Sometimes you can have them compete against the previous high score, the coach, or even the scores of their parents.

STRATEGY. With young children, strategy and the tactics of the game will come later rather than sooner. My youngest son, who's 10 years old, is playing 11v11 soccer now, and his coaches asked me to have a chalk talk with them.

As we talked about what systems of play I might share with the team, I said, "At this age group, you're really teaching technique rather than strategy. It may cost you some games in terms of wins and losses, but right now it's better to teach the techniques of the game much more often than putting them out on the field and telling them where to run and when to run there. Anyone can teach tactics. But you can't learn technique overnight."

(Excerpted from "Catch Them Being Good: Everything You need to Know to Successfully Coach Girls" by Tony DiCicco, Colleen Hacker & Charles Salzberg courtesy of Penquin Books.)

Tony DiCicco coached the U.S. women's national team to the 1996 Olympic Gold Medal and the 1999 Women's World Cup title. DiCicco, founder and director of SoccerPlus Camps , will be the Boston Breakers head coach when the club begins play in April of 2009 in the new women's professional soccer league. He is currently coach of the U.S. U-20 women's national team.

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

I spoke to Tom this afternoon and we hope to meet for a beer after the Flames / Colorado game tonight. Craig Conroy is celebrating his 1000th NHL game. Pretty good for a late round draft choice, then attending college, then starting in the minors. He said he was hoping to just make one game in the league... then 400 games (to be NHLPA Pension-eligible)... and now 1000! Congrats to a classy guy!

So... as per the conversation I had with Tom today - he wants to refrain from commenting on this thread because he believes that people see that he was the last one to post, and they might read it, then leave without adding a comment. (I said to go ahead as I plan on posting more myself!)

Tom is hoping (as am I!) that other people will chime in here. I know I have been guilty of reading and leaving in the past without contributing, but I want to help keep this site going and hear from some other people. I can't always take the time to get onto this sit... and even post, but I am going to try to get on here at least once a week now.

There must be some people reading because Tom said he had over 100,000 or 1 M hits or something... A few guys who I have read on here before (Pops Ryan, Kai, etc.) - where are you guys? Hello? Please come back and post up!

So please people - comment on this thread or start another!

Let's do it!

Thanks in advance!

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

I'm guilty if not posting as much anymore since the site changed. Not sure why though. I still read all the posts. Either way, I will try to chime in a little more as well to help generate more discussion as the site has been such a great crutch for me since I first visited it eight years ago.


On the topic of teaching habits, I had developed a theory with other coaching friends after similar discussions that coaches/former players, despite age and deteriorating skills, could still hang with the youngsters in alumni games, shinny, etc. My feeling was that when I play now(which is rare), I see the game much differently then when I played. I felt I was in the right position more often, followed the skills I had been teaching, but never really practicing. So, our hypothesis was if we had the players teach a skill, it might sink in easier.

Anyways... This lead to an idea that was tested in practice where we coaches would bring three or four of the players (Junior age) down to one end of the rink while the rest played a cross ice game. These players we demonstrated a specific skill. In this case, (A couple years ago) we showed how we would like the players to pin the opposition in the corner. Stick position, feet position, extra arm (this was all legal at the time but it feels strange to talk about now), etc. were all explained. After three or four minutes of explaining, demonstrating, and having them show us to assure that they had it right, those players then had to teach four more players, then those four had to teach for more, etc. until all players had taken a turn learning from one of their teammates and also teaching one of their teammates. At the end, all the players gathered while the final four guys explained it to us coaches again. If they explained it correctly, they were rewarded. If not, a short team skate ensued.

It went well and was a great way with older players to get them to interact early and help in determining leadership. Downside was that it would consume a fair amount of practice time to get everyone through.

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Just wanted to say this site is great and very informative. Thank you Tom for all of the information that you share. I included an article in Minnesota's popular hockey newspaper Lets Play Hockey.


X’s & O’s: How much is enough?


By Jack Blatherwick

Let’s Play Hockey Columnist



I overheard some PeeWees talking enthusiastically about their greatest ambition in hockey. One said, “I want to be just like Sidney Crosby.” For another it was Ovechkin. Names like Datsyuk, Phaneuf, Kane and Chara also came up. And then the shocker … one of them said, “I want to be an X, or maybe an O. I haven’t decided yet.”

Huh? Then I woke up. It was a bad dream, and of course, we’ll never hear that from a young player. But they hear it from us all the time. We draw X’s and O’s on the board so often it might seem that the mission for each game is, “Be a good X.”

I’m no expert, by any means, when it comes to teaching hockey to kids who are smaller than their equipment bags. In fact, I wonder why they have so darn much equipment they need fathers or wheels to get the bag from the car to the rink. But that’s another topic.

Should beginners be taught how to line up for a faceoff before they know what to do after the puck drops? Should there be right wings and left? Defensemen and forwards? Should we teach breakout systems before kids can receive passes? Power plays before deception, creativity and interdependence?

What about a 2-1-2 forecheck before they can skate the length of the ice to get to the offensive zone? Heck, what about an inflexible forecheck system at any age?

I’ve watched these X’s and O’s forever, and then I see smart players do what seems to be a pretty smart thing — go where the puck will be next. Try teaching that with X’s and O’s.

I make no argument against teaching good, sound defensive systems at certain ages. The important question is: at what age do we teach various systems?

Craig Johnson, from Hill-Murray and the U of M, eventually played NHL, Olympic and European professional hockey. He now coaches 8-year-olds in Los Angeles and sends Christmas greetings to old friends in Minnesota. He also had to let us know they do play hockey in places where coaches head to the golf course after skating instead of heading home to shovel the sidewalk.

Having just coached against a team of 10-year-olds that used the neutral zone trap, Craig, and all players who have competed at elite levels, would like youth coaches to realize that this over-emphasis on systems at young ages is a sure way to stunt the development of their players.

“It’s a shame,” he said. “Defensemen not allowed to join the rush — forwards taught to dump it deep and forecheck only one (X) — chipping the puck out of the defensive zone without trying to make a pass.”

Johnson relays a story from a Swedish coach who has been instrumental in shaping the direction of their youth program. A few years ago, another European country (we will not name) wanted desperately to “pass up the Swedes” in developing great players. So they had their youth coaches teach systems more than ever, in order to gain a “winning spirit.” Sure enough, their young teams beat the Swedes. But there was no panic, as the Swedes went about teaching skills, athleticism, creativity and synergy in their small-sided scrimmage drills. For a picture of what this looks like, watch any NHL game, and you’ll see Swedes demonstrate how to play hockey. Better yet, replay the last Olympic gold medal game.

Of course, as these same players (from the un-named country) got older, they started to lose to the Swedes, and eventually were not able to compete with them at all. Swedish development is not about winning games at young ages. In the U.S. our emphasis on winning deprives children of the oppportunity to learn by trial and error. It also encourages coaches to teach systems before developing competitive skills.

Adults have an unhealthy need to win in youth sports, making it difficult to accept the mistakes and failures of their children. Johnson points out that getting beat — personally and as a team — then bouncing back is as much a part of the development process as having success.

“For every highlight goal by a forward, there is a defenseman getting beat, and given time to develop, that defenseman might become a Scott Niedermeyer,” Johnson said.

There is a proposal brewing to limit the number of games, but a rule about two or three games per week is missing the point. It’s not the number of games, but the way they are conducted that is destructive. There should be no games where adult egos are more important than youth development and fun.

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Hi

I haven't coached for several years but am now back.

I love an active forum with lots of contributors and free exchange of ideas.

I'll do my best to check in every few days. Really enjoyed reading this thread.

I think the a big part of the art of coaching is realizing that there is always more to learn.

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Eric, Pioneer and Anon...

Thanks for posting! I couldn't believe three people posted after my last appeal! Awesome! Keep it coming!

Eric - I love the idea you shared about peer teaching. It provides a great leadership opportunity, greater understanding of the subject matter for all involved and then accountability at the end (to help reinforce listening, learning and doing!) After all, one should try to engage the players to 'think' the game based upon a deeper understanding than "go over here and do this!"

Pioneer - I too am going to post a few of Jack's articles that pertain to the art of coaching. Thanks for sharing this one!

Anon - I agree; learning is a continuous process and it is amazing just how much 'more' info is out there... Just when we think we are fairly competent - BLAMMO - we find even more info!

Looking forward to more posts from you three and hopefully others!

I went for diet cokes tonight with a Colombian, a Peruvian, a German, a Finn, and a guy from the Netherlands. Quite the coaching discussion. (Tom you were missed but another time...!) Soccer, hockey, floorball, coaching in general and a discussion of politics made for an interesting evening... as did the schooners of beer! The Colombian and I are now looking at Finland in the summer of 2011 to perhaps run a week long hockey / soccer / Smart Transitional Games / coaching clinic.

Looking forward to Coaching Day in Southern Alberta Saturday! Flames, Capitals and Hitmen are presenting (via Hockey Canada and Hockey Alberta.)

Peer Coaching

Eric, great idea about Peer Coaching. I have a development group 2 mornings a week. Half were there last year and are good players and the other half just started and are a year or two younger, some with ok skills and a few beginners. Once last week and yesterday I paired the more advanced with the beginners and the advanced with the younger ok players and they gave them one on one instruction on puck handling and passing.

I reviewed what I wanted stressed before and let them work together about ten minutes. I think they probably listen to players they look up to more than to an adult.

It is a great way to review skills because the one instructing has to focus on good technique and the less skilled player gets some one on one time which is hard for a coach with 15-20 players on the ice.

Dean, great to see you got some discussion going on this site.

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Great Post Dean-

My season just started so I haven't had a lot of time to jump in here, but here are a few thoughts / observations.

I had the opportunity to go to a coaching clinic put on by some high level division 1 college coaches this summer and came to the conclusion that good habits are what separate an average team / player / coach from an above average one. Simple little things like calling for the pass, stopping in front of the net, and shooting in stride make very big differences. One phrase that was repeated over and over again was "it's that simple," and I'm starting to believe it is.

This season I've been trying to stick to Tom's ABC model....break down / teach a skill, drill the skill, make it a little more game-like,then apply it in small games. I'm amazed at how often kids can perform a skill in a drill but can't apply it in a game-like situation.....we have developed a bunch of drill players rather than game players. Just like in classroom teaching, if they can't apply it on their own they haven't really learned it.

So the question for you all is: What are your top 3 player habits in your opinion, and what do you do to ingrain them?

Thanks again for the post.

Dave

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

DMan,

Good question. I think that the habits will be different with each age group it I'll give it a whirl.

I have 16-20 year olds. It's pretty hard to narrow it down to three things but these are the most common that we repeat on a regular basis.

Forwards:
1. Keeping their feet moving on the forecheck... especially the last 15 feet before making contact.
2. Eliminate looking down at the puck before shooting.
3. Communicating.

Defense:
1. Keeping puck off backhand and not stickhandling.
2. Shoulder check while retrieving dumped pucks.
3. Stick on puck in D-zone coverage.


We get a lot of practice time but we remind players on a regular basis before every drill when their trying to accomplish. Finding a different way to say the same thing is one of the biggest challenges we face. We read books, watch tv shows and movies on coaching, etc.

We talk about competing hard and battling all over the ice in every meeting, every on-ice discussion, before every drill so that it becomes part of them. We even started "priming" this year, which is a psychological term for trying to get a specific message across subconsciously through sensory images, sounds, and/or smells.

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Thanks for the posts, Coachy and DMan! I told Tom I would try to get things moving on the site (when I have time!) I am busy teaching skill academies in the mornings, doing some coach development and evaluation stuff for Hockey Canada / Hockey Alberta, private coach mentoring, plus working on writing a book about Smart Transitional Games... plus playing dad to two young 'uns!

DMan, After designing purposeful, game-like practices, attention to detail and holding people accountable (to help develop and reinforce positive practice habits) are probably the most critical action steps a coach can take - once he or she understands the game at a high level (and also understands, that he or she never "knows it all" - and is always seeking new experiences and knowledge!) This attention to detail includes teaching life skills and doing what you say you are going to do. I will relate a story below...

I remember I coached a Midget AAA team back in the mid-1990's. WHL scouts told me we didn't have much in the way of returning talent or incoming players. A pre-season poll picked us to finish out of the playoffs (top 4 made playoffs) in 7th place (out of 8 teams in the south division.) Fortunately, I had learned the importance of good practice habits and how to manage players in this regard based on working with Tom Renney and Mike Johnston for a year with Canada's National Men's team. They got a lot of mileage out of predominantly minor league players - some would say the team overachieved. But that is what great coaches do!

I presented my expectations to the kids trying out and told them they would all receive a fair tryout; detailed the process, etc. I didn't have any preconceived knowledge (other than what I found out from talking to the kids previous coaches) or history with any of the kids and their parents (baggage). In the first week, I cut two of my seven returning veterans - a 17 year old D and G. The D was voted the top D-man in the league the year previous as a 16 year-old and the G had put up excellent numbers. However, they didn't work hard, rested on their laurels, and tried to take shortcuts! I talked to them individually the first time I had issues with them (Strike 1); told them that wasn't the standard of performance I expected; and told them specifically how they needed to demonstrate better behaviour. I also told them that if the shortcutting happened again, or if they did anything to further harm my trust in them, that they would be released.

They both tried to shortcut the team run two days later. They hid in the bushes while all the other kids ran out to the turn around point and back. The two vets then rejoined the kids. Of course, all the other kids saw this... but so did the coaching staff as we always had someone at the turnaround point to watch... or we ran with them... or we watched from other vantage points. (Amazing how dumb the kids thought we were!) I met with both kids separately right after the run, asked them if they completed the entire run (which they both said yes), then told them they were lying as we had seen them cheat. Not only did they shortcut, they lied. Both kids cried and beg for another chance, but in my books, they had burned their bridge with me. Not only was it important to do what I said I would do, this sent a powerful message to the other kids trying out. They were waiting... wondering if I would 'see' the short-cutting and if I did, if I had the guts to follow up on my promises.

I did. It was easy. I didn't have to make a decision... I just had to uphold my word. When one clearly understands one's coaching philosophy and can articulate it, things fall into place.

This action made a huge impact on the other kids. They were pretty observant; following up on my words with action helped me be seen as someone who could be respected and trusted. The other kids toed the line all year, knowing I was a man of my word and I wouldn't put up with any guff. It wasn't all roses; we had our minor discipline issues like all teams do. But the kids knew I was punishing the behaviour - it was never personal - and it was for the betterment of the individual and team. Plus I had spelled things out in advance and followed through.

Ten years later, one of the kids that made that team, told me that my words and actions - to cut two significant vets - really set the table for the success that we had that season. He said the other kids were mad at the two short-cutters, and were extremely glad that they had been cut. Lonnie said that by doing this, the kids admired us and worked even harder to show that they believed in our message. He said it cemented out team chemistry and they were prepared to go into battle with me - and to give that little extra! He told me he still demands that his players do the same things that I asked Lonnie to do way back then - stop at the net to look for rebounds; come off skating - not coasting - on line changes; play your same puck in practice (don't pick up one that's closer or easier); finish your play... play until the whistle. (The funny thing was, Lonnie bought in SO well that a few times during the early part of the season, he caught himself skating past the net in a game - you could see the realization by his body language - and he stopped like he was going to get down on the ice and do 10 pushups right there and then! "Lonnie, get your ass back into the play!" I yelled, as the play was continuing up the ice towards our end, and once he came off, he would sheepishly apologize to me and the team for "doing a fly-by" and do the pushups on the bench!)

Lonnie went on to coach this same Midget AAA team, as well as a number of other minor hockey teams in the association, and even assisted me later with a university team for a year. He came full circle from player to coach to mentor and it was very gratifying to see him evolve - and what he told me about the team ten years previous really helped reinforce my understanding of the significant impact a coach can have.

We finished 4th in the south division that year (made the playoffs) but got swept in the first round by the team that would represent the west at the Air Canada Cup. Their coach, Dan MacDonald, is a former WHL, Junior A and college coach. He is also a teacher of 25 + years (who specialized in teaching the kids who were tossed out of the regular school system.) A great coach and someone who I have become friends with over the years. Dan is still teaching and coaching minor hockey. Lucky kids!

Two of our kids were listed by WHL teams. One just missed winning a Memorial Cup (got drafted by Florida) but has gone on to play several years in the AHL, a few seasons in the NHL and is making a good career for himself in Europe in the DEL. I still run into Mike every once in a while, and he has a similar story to tell about those two short-cutters - and how I helped him realize that he could play at a higher level if he worked hard (make him capable and confident!) He said that by holding him accountable to the little things, (which including me benching him for taking needless and unsportsmanlike penalties) that helped develop his consistency, which led to him wearing a letter in the WHL and beyond.

Several other kids went on to play Junior A and a few garnered scholarships or went to college as walk-on's. The best part was seeing that for the most part, they had a positive experience (I know not all of them liked me) and learned life skills. Sadly, a couple of them went a little sideways with drugs and booze later on after their junior careers. I still wonder and worry about one kid in particular as I hear he is struggling. (Our kids primarily came from a low SES district / tough neigbourhoods - lots of challenges, to put it mildly. But overall, they were great kids. I didn't dislike one kid.)

Finally... whatever happened to the two kids I cut? The all-star D made the top Alberta Junior A team that year right after I released him, but was eventually cut a month later - allegedly due to his poor work ethic. He ended up playing Midget AA as a 17 year-old... made the first all-star team (he was a phenomenal skater and had the hardest slapshot in the league in Midget AAA!) then went to play Junior A / Junior B as an 18 year-old. I don't know if he played after that - I heard he gained a ton of weight and was working in the oil patch. Sadly, the other kid played Junior B and was dealing drugs. I heard he allegedly died of an overdose a few years later - before he was 22.

Long story, but it is one that I will never forget as I learned a lot about the power coaches have... I hope you learn from it too!

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

A continuation from DMan's post...

]"...we have developed a bunch of drill players rather than game players. Just like in classroom teaching, if they can't apply it on their own they haven't really learned it.

So the question for you all is: What are your top 3 player habits in your opinion, and what do you do to ingrain them?

Thanks again for the post.

Dave"

I agree 100% with your comment that we are creating drill players (robots who can't think - just do as we tell them - take orders - it might work for the military, but hockey is a fluid game that requires split-second decisions) - that is why it is so important to get the players to understand the reasons behind "why" we do something! Educate them in Hockey 101... like what Eric said above - watch games, read books, have discussions with a purpose. Playing games (rather than drills) help players improve their read and react skills as well as developing Game Sense!

Practice is for the coach. Questioning and feedback on behalf of the coach should occur more here. Games are for the players. Coaches should learn to shut up (myself included) and observe. Let the players play... and make mistakes. If they have a question, they will ask you. sometimes you may need to ask a player what they say out there... have them take responsibility to determine what worked, what didn't and perhaps what they would do differently next time in the same or similar situation. The coach stays calm, composed and zen-master-like... making mental notes for questions to ask during the intermission... and to help apply towards future practice designs. This ain't football where the plays are clearly defined; with predictable stoppages; players wearing speakers in the helmet; time to look for signals from the bench, etc.

From coaching University women for three years and a U18 provincial team, the girls 'forced' me to be more prepared so far as being able to justify everything I said / did. They always wanted to know the purpose. They held me accountable if I didn't know, or gave them a crappy answer. They forced me to get better and I carry that over to when I coach boys / men.

Now when I mentor, I teach coaches to plan purposeful practices ("drills" - how I HATE that word! And "games" - how I LOVE that word) which involve healthy competition. I keep score and rewards / consequences are always on the line. This improves focus when listening to the Rules of Engagement (parameters), increases intensity during the execution phase, is FUN for the players (if they didn't love to compete, they would be somewhere else... and we wouldn't have a scoreboard!) with the added bonus of increasing fitness levels.

State the reason why you are doing the drill / game, explain or demo it, ask for questions, let them do it, and then when you bring the group back together afterward, ask the players how it went ... draw out the goods and bads on both sides of the puck (D and O) then try to bring closure to that drill (ie: relate it to a game situation and again - the "why" you did it) before you move onto the next one.

As for three player habits (there could be lots I could type here!)... but once you decide on these, you need to design your practices to allow for them to be practiced often (obviously!) and then ensure that you and your A/C's monitor them diligently and consistently.

(1) Play your puck with your head up, at speed (ie: in practice - chase your puck down and and finish your play! Don't shortcut by playing a different puck. The game is only played with one puck! If there is a bad pass, go back, become an option a second time; if it is off-side, go back and regroup... make the drill work. I am sure you can think of other situations to make this apply to your standards!) These habits encourage work ethic, determination, perseverance and taking pride in one's performance.

(2) Drive the net hard, stick down, be prepared to stop to play a rebound QUICKLY (you might only get 1 crack at a rebound in a game situation) or respond to the loose puck. This works on determination, quick hands / quick feet and the ability to make a quick play at speed and under pressure.

(3) Passes are to be hard, flat and on the tape. Stress direct passes on and to the forehand as much as possible. However, you will practice backhands, area, bank, aerial, saucer and rim passes as the game dictates which technique you can use. This works on passing, receiving and timing skills. (Passing and receiving start with the equipment- look at the stick length, lie, curve, thickness (junior, intermediate, adult), flex and material (wood - YAY! vs. Crap-om-po-site - this discussion is for another day!) Is it right for the individual?) This expectation eliminates fancy crap when it's not needed and teaches the kids to try to "play like a professional". It helps them with consistency. It bugs me when kids have all the time in the world, and they needlessly try to do a saucer pass... when hard and flat would be a much superior option!

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Regarding habits - I am a firm believer in the Spartan Way.

According to history, the Spartans practiced warfare realistically and with an incredible discipline. From being old enough to hold a weapon, they trained harder than they would ever experience in war. (They had to start young with the 10,000 hours principle as the infant mortality rates were much higher and overall life expectancies were shorter...) Their enemies feared facing them as the Spartan's had a well-deserved reputation as the most skilled, fiercest fighters in the world. They competed to the death! So when they went to war, relatively speaking, the conditions were much better - food, water, treatment, etc. - they looked forward to the 'break' from their high levels of training and the actual fighting seemed like an afterthought.

I am not trying to minimize the people who have served in the military; rather using an analogy here to make my point. Sport does have it's roots in ancient times as a means for one country to compete against another - as a slightly more peaceful way of settling disputes.

Here is how I see the Spartan Way when put into sport terms:

A. Develop the basic skills (skating, puck control (passing, receiving, dribbling), shooting, checking). Repetition is king!

B. Refine the skills - ensuring the head is UP - and while moving.

C. Increase the speed or pace at which the skills can be executed (no other pressure.)

D. Now add increasing amounts / forms of pressure - time, space, obstacles, conditions, etc. (You are working towards making the situation HARDER than what is experienced in a game!)

E. Now expect the skills can be carried out successfully AT SPEED, UNDER PRESSURE, ON DEMAND!

Your practices should be more mentally and physically taxing than games... so when it comes time to play, it seems like a vacation in comparison. Your players will thank you for it. Winning will take care of itself. Personal bests, exceptional individual and team performance are what the players should be striving for! After all, people can only control themselves... (performance) - not the scoreboard (outcome.)

And that is the Spartan Way!

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Constructive Approach Determines Improvement

By Jack Blatherwick

The improvement a team and individual players make over a season is almost completely determined by how constructively each event is handled — by players, coaches, and parents. The operant word is “constructive,” not necessarily “positive” or “negative.” For example, I’m not suggesting that a positive spin should be attached to every bad performance — or that negative language by a coach is always counterproductive (just most the time).

The realistic objective for every player and every team is improvement — and it is the ultimate measure of a coach. Given the level of talent and competitiveness at the start of a season, not every team can win — and some can’t help but win. Therefore, a coach’s job is to find ways to improve, whether it is made more difficult by disappointing losses or by too many “easy” wins.

Of course, another important coaching objective is teaching young athletes to be good people — to accept and deal appropriately with strengths and weaknesses of team-mates, opponents, officials, and of one’s self. This is certainly not an easy job, given the level of competitiveness we encourage in our athletes. However, that responsibility is a different topic.

Today’s question is this: how much difference does it really make to use constructive language, to search for constructive solutions to each problem?

If it is universally agreed that a coach’s job is to find ways to improve, it follows that he/she should always be searching for a constructive solution — no matter what happens. In the heat of the battle, this is difficult, of course — probably impossible — but it is the direction toward which we must strive. If our reaction to a bad mistake or a poor effort is to yell at players, simply because we’re mad — because we personally can’t handle the embarrassment, then we are failing, not the players.

In this, every coach will certainly fail many times, because the standard is so high and the trials so difficult. I’ve failed hundreds of times — as a head coach and as an assistant, but if we start the season, knowing that our mission is improvement, then we must also dedicate ourselves to the difficult task of finding constructive solutions.

Maybe we have to bite our tongue — count to five — close our eyes and visualize the end result. I don’t have the answers — only the challenge, because every time I acted out of rage, I was sorry at a later, rational moment. Sarcasm, rage, and even calm, consistent negative feedback will destroy a season. In fact, this kind of language is likely to overcome the greatest physical efforts, even in off-ice training.

Consider — as a single example of the entire athletic experience — the effects of sarcasm in the weight room. A skinny, weak athlete obviously needs strength training more than anyone, but it can be very intimidating to try hard when best efforts are substandard and targeted for ridicule by friends. This is similar to the experience of weaker players on a hockey team; but on the ice it is one step worse, because substandard performances might cause the team to lose.

Of all places where it should be obvious that ability level means nothing and improvement is everything, the weight room should be free from language that is counterproductive. Every athlete, male or female, weak or strong, is in the weight room to get better.
In a dream world it would be totally irrelevant what others think or do, but the reality is that it matters a great deal to a teen-ager what his peers think. And it matters on the ice as well.

The beginner needs encouragement, not sarcasm, to start his strength program. If the environment is intimidating, the natural reaction is to force a public laugh at our own weakness, then make a conservative effort, rather than go all out for improvement. There are few athletes willing to make a maximum effort, knowing their performance will ultimately be substandard.

On the ice, a team that uses sarcasm will not improve as fast as one that creates a constructive, learning atmosphere: highlighting effort, creativity, improvement, or successful performance of ‘small’ responsibilities.

I’ve worked on teams that find fault whenever things go wrong. After each opposition goal the coach points the finger, sometimes in an abusive or sarcastic tone, sometimes in a calm, analytical manner. The result is predictable: the disease spreads rapidly, and pretty soon players are doing the same, ultimately becoming less willing to acknowledge their own weaknesses.
If we looked rationally — not allowing the rage of a bad moment guide our next move — we would conclude that our job, when athletes fail, is no different than that of a classroom teacher or a track coach. When a track athlete trips on a hurdle in competition, the coach doesn’t act out of rage. His actions are predictable: there is a constructive, logical plan to get better. What is it about team sports that makes, or allows us to act differently?
There will be no improvement if present weaknesses are perceived as failure — if lesser-skilled players are targeted for sarcasm — if the coach hollers or makes a gesture publicly, so everyone in the arena knows this mistake was not the coach’s fault.

Consider how devastating sarcasm or negativity can be to a team that emphasizes practicing and playing above the present comfort zone. By definition, this type of practice is meant to expose weaknesses, attempting to execute all skills at an uncomfortable pace, so that sometime later — perhaps in the playoffs — we’ll be comfortable at this tempo.

But if sarcastic peer pressure causes us to practice or play in a shell, to withdraw a little and be conservative, we will not make progress. If we’re afraid to fall in practice attempting a corner at high tempo, we won’t push our comfort zone to new limits. If our stick skills are weak when we attempt them while skating fast, and if our coach acts like this is a failure, we’ll just step back and practice slowly.

It takes a rare athlete to attempt uncomfortable skills or lift heavier weights if there’s a good chance that failure will lead to disparagement from peers or coaches.

Remember, sarcasm is never a meaningless, funny comment. It always contains an element of truth. We don’t make a sarcastic remark about someone’s skinny (or fat) body if they look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. We don’t make fun of someone’s skating ability if they skate like Troy Riddle.

Sarcasm hurts. Improvement stops dead when a team acquires a tone of negativity; therefore, player self-esteem is the top priority for every coach.

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Thanks Dean & Eric,

I like the story of letting the talented players go because of poor work ethics. We did a similar thing this year and I notice a much different attitude among the players; they are starting to realize that it's not about popularity, seniority or innate talent, it's about having your head in the game and competing each day. Those that do get rewarded, and are hopefully encourage to do more. Those that don't see the negative result in the form of action instead of words, and I think it allows the coach to focus more on the positive. It reminds me that I went through a few ups and downs as a player, and the coaches that never let me get too comfortable helped me develop the most. One or two "wake-up calls" in high school and college stand out as defining moments where I had to make a personal decision on whether or not I was ready & willing to give/exert more. I wanted to kick those coaches skates out from under them at the time, but they were really doing me a favor and elevating my game in the process.

I get the sense the habits discussion could go on forever, and I appreciate the ideas. Dean, I'm ready for the wood vs composite debate right now! I'll start the thread....please chime in if you have an opinion.

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Dave,

+1 to your comments on releasing lazy players and to sharing your own experiences.

I did respond to your post on the sticks... now I need to calm down and enjoy a beer... a 10% beer! (We brew 'em right up here in Canada!)

Please indulge me on my passion for the art of coaching. I have more stuff to post and will most likely continue this thread. I appreciate all your input!

PS I attended "Coaching Day in Southern Alberta" today. I have lots of video from the Flames, Capitals and Calgary Hitmen practices (plus some from a Flames practice Tuesday before playing the Oilers.) I will try to get the footage to Tom in the next week or two so he can weave his editing magic and pull some clips, post some practice jpegs and text descriptions. Gotta keep him busy and help provide content for his Daily Drill thread.



CRAP - Ovie scored twice in a row a few seconds apart... 3-2 Crapitals in period 2 @ 3:55

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Coaches win by the way they conduct practice

By Jack Blatherwick Let's Play Hockey Columnist

One of the most important jobs of a coach — at any level — is to ensure that each practice is challenging and constructive. There is no better reward for motivated athletes.

However, at the youth level, many kids are not yet highly motivated, and most have not experienced firsthand the connection between hard work and improvement – the sheer joy of learning.

It would seem to this novice – having never coached at a level where players need help tying their skates – that one of the primary lessons must be to make this connection obvious. Practices must always be about improvement – not necessarily entertainment. Kids should know – and coaches should remind them a hundred times – how much better they've gotten at a certain skill.

I'm advocating constructive practices, not necessarily entertaining ones, because there is a growing trend toward making youth hockey as entertaining as a TV show, increasing the glitz at games, passing out trophies to consolation losers in weekend tournaments, singling out individuals as if they did it themselves, making practices "fun" by adding games that don't resemble hockey — all in an effort to entertain.

As if hockey should be in competition with TV.

Please don't misunderstand; I'm not saying entertainment is bad. I've seen great coaches at every level, and no two of them do it the same way. Some are entertainers; some are not. Some believe in a lot of variety – day-to-day or minute-to-minute; some might stick with the same drill for 45 minutes, boring a casual observer to tears. Some yell; others talk quietly; some say very little.

Some believe that players should laugh in practice; others are dead serious and their players wouldn't think of laughing – at least when the coach is looking.

However, one of the common denominators is that every great hockey coach is absolutely passionate about practice – passionate enough to plan for hours – and excited to get on the ice and orchestrate improvement. This is where a great coach makes a difference. Kids are pretty darn good at having fun on their own – at finding entertainment – at laughing.

But even the most motivated players are not often capable of practicing constructively without coaches. As they get older, some might practice very hard – even to the point of overtraining, but it is simply not in the nature of most players to practice skills uncomfortably – the way those skills are likely to be tested in a game.

This is what the old Soviet coaches like Anatoli Tarasov did better than most. They constantly pushed players out of their comfort zone – not just in practicing at a faster pace, but elevating the comfort zone of every skill. When players could shoot, then they were pushed to shoot in awkward situations — the way it would be in the most intense games. Multi-tasking: stickhandling while skating and looking for other players to cross paths.

Consider how often in practice a player is forced to shoot before he/she is completely comfortable – before dribbling and coasting to get ready. Stop to think about the drills we design where the shooter is skating straight at the net from the neutral zone. In a game, practically no shot will be made under these comfortable conditions. Instead, the shot will have to be released instantly after making a quick cut to the side to gain some space from the D.

If players are left to their own practice habits, they will choose to shoot within their comfort zone. It's much more fun to impress friends with a wicked hard shot when you're skating straight toward the net. If players made the choice, shooting practice would be dropping a bucket of pucks 20 feet out, winding up, transferring body weight and leaning into the shot.

While learning, of course, there must be thousands of shots under these comfortable conditions, just like skating skills must be practiced slowly and perfectly before picking up the pace. There must also be simplified stickhandling drills before doing it while skating at top speed.

However, all skill learning is sequential, and eventually the coach must elevate the comfort zone, or players would rarely be able to get shots off in games. Tarasov said in each of his books, "Players did not like this (pushing them out of their comfort zone). They complained to the coaches, but we told them this is the way it would be. We are not here to entertain you."

Then the coaches made practices even more uncomfortable — sometimes tripping players as they skated past them — sometimes dulling the edges of skate blades — but always pushing them into more stressful situations in practice. Then the games would be comfortable for the Soviets and stressful for their opponents.

We are not here to entertain you. I don't think that line will make it into HOCKEY MOM'S publication.

Constructive … that's the operative word; not entertaining. The critical coaching step is thorough planning. If coaches have a clear picture before practice exactly where the improvement should come, players will feel the difference by the end of the hour. This is the first step in learning the simple equation: Fun = Improvement.



Jack Blatherwick, Ph.D., is a physiologist for the Washington Capitals.

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Don't be a spectator coach

By Jack Blatherwick Let's Play Hockey Columnist

After coaching his team to three national championships at the University of Minnesota — after winning the Olympic Gold Medal at Lake Placid in 1980 — after coaching four NHL teams — Herb Brooks would quietly visit practices of youth and high school teams to learn.

He would invariably find a practice drill he thought would be constructive for his own team, perhaps in modified form. But when he saw a coach who simply diagrammed the drill, then leaned on the wall and let the team take the drill wherever they chose, he'd say, "Now there's a spectator coach. Those kids would be better off just scrimmaging."

"You must have a purpose — a reason to include the drill," he'd say. "Your job is just starting when you explain the drill. A good coach is constantly evaluating the progress toward that purpose. Get involved. Teach on the fly. Push. Prod. Be a coach, not a spectator."

Recently, I watched a bantam practice in Maryland, with Coach Brooks' advice in mind. The two coaches had excellent drills, but the missing ingredient was a well-defined purpose.

This became obvious toward the end of each drill. If it was a skating, passing, shooting drill, the shot — like thousands of shots taken in most practices — was an after-thought to the players. Think of it. The most important part of the drill was done with the least amount of intensity and focus.

At this critical, bottom-line point, the Russian coaches set the standard much higher, and teach young players to get shots off in realistic situations. Perhaps there is a fake, followed by a sharp cut and quick release before the shooter feels comfortable. Then each forward drives to the net for a rebound.

In a brain-dead practice, every shot is taken while the shooter is comfortable — while he coasts or skates straight toward the goal. This is a shot that rarely comes up in competition. So naturally, the goalie just sits on his angle; the shooter practices something that never happens; and the coach falls asleep.

The highlight of this bantam practice was a cool-looking, complicated drill at the start — some passing, a shot from the point, and then a full-ice 1-on-1 to the other end. The coaches started the drill by passing to a forward, so things went fairly well on this end of the ice. However, as the 1-on-1 moved toward the other end, things devolved into chaos.

If the forward became frustrated after losing the puck — from his own failures or because the D poked it off his stick — he just quit. If the D got faked out slightly by the forward — he also quit. In other words, the unintended message was … when competition gets a little frustrating, just quit.

The coaches hadn't identified what they were trying to teach in the 1-on-1 drill. If they had, one coach would have followed closely behind the forward, encouraging — demanding a second and third effort, especially when things didn't go smoothly. After all, when skills break down in a game, quitting isn't an option.

A defenseman coach should have insisted that the D never stop competing — not only because this is absolutely the most important quality a defenseman can have. But the defenseman might just learn he can really make a difference — perhaps even catch the forward after falling for a fake.

The finish to any drill can never be left to the players. A competitive drill must teach second and third effort, and it doesn't end until the coach is satisfied the lesson has been learned. A shooting drill ends when the forward has become a better goal-scorer — not when he tosses a meaningless shot in the direction of the goalkeeper.

Even a skating drill must finish with greater effort than at the start, because players will find they are capable of greater effort when they are slightly fatigued than they might have thought. They should definitely not learn that when they get a little tired, they can just slow down and coast.

If a coach becomes a spectator during drills, bad habits are inadvertently taught. It is much better to scrimmage — every day for the entire hour — then to teach anti-competitive habits from brain-dead drills.

We seem to be victims of our own coaching clinics, and believe that a good practice must have a bunch of creative, cool-looking drills.

Good drills play an important role in the learning process, of course. "Good drills" … as in drills that are well-coached. But drills in which the coach allows brain-dead repetitions are counterproductive.

In a scrimmage or game-like setting, players are unlikely to quit, and when they arrive at the bottom line — the point where they might score or a defender might prevent a goal — there will be a higher level of intensity than at any other point of the practice.

If you have no lesson to teach in a given drill — if there is no well-defined purpose — forget it. Close the drill book and scrimmage in any number of creative ways. The game of hockey will produce a million opportunities for an active coach to be a constructive teacher.



Jack Blatherwick, Ph.D., is a physiologist for the Washington Capitals.

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Dean,

You sure know how to guilt a guy into posting.......

Thanks to all for the input. I have a group that's pretty rough around the edges this year, so here's what we've been focusing on for good habits....I welcome any feedback.

1) Skating low (helps everything)
2) Stick on the puck (defense)
3) Calling for the pass and exaggerating the target (offense)
4) Offensive triangle on attack
4) Carry the puck on the forehand & in power (Tom calls it "triple threat") position whenever you can.

I've been keeping it real simple and trying to minimize extra puck-handling, passes and touches wherever possible. Using small games a lot in practice, starting to integrate transition games too.

On another note I really like Kai's video of team Finland a little while back.....never thought of the advantages of having the puck in the center of the ice through the neutral zone....hope to work on that next. Also never heard the term "the big ice" before reading Tom's books, and the videos sure help (though my Finish needs help desperately). I'd love to see more video from those Pro practices if you can put it together.....I get so much from those.

First games this weekend. Time to work on special teams before leaving town. Thanks again for the info...have an Old Style Pilsner for me, eh?

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Quote by: DMan

Dean,

On another note I really like Kai's video of team Finland a little while back.....never thought of the advantages of having the puck in the center of the ice through the neutral zone....hope to work on that next. Also never heard the term "the big ice" before reading Tom's books, and the videos sure help (though my Finish needs help desperately). I'd love to see more video from those Pro practices if you can put it together.....I get so much from those.

Here's the video, and the attachment is the video's "manuscript" translated in to English.
It's great this forum is comming to life. I'll too try post more often.

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Thanks Kai,

The translated slide show helps a lot......my Finnish is way worse than I thought! Great video, great points of emphasis. Thanks for sharing.

Dave

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Quote by: DMan

Dean,

You sure know how to guilt a guy into posting.......

Thanks to all for the input. I have a group that's pretty rough around the edges this year, so here's what we've been focusing on for good habits....I welcome any feedback.

1) Skating low (helps everything)
2) Stick on the puck (defense)
3) Calling for the pass and exaggerating the target (offense)
4) Offensive triangle on attack
4) Carry the puck on the forehand & in power (Tom calls it "triple threat") position whenever you can.

I've been keeping it real simple and trying to minimize extra puck-handling, passes and touches wherever possible. Using small games a lot in practice, starting to integrate transition games too.

On another note I really like Kai's video of team Finland a little while back.....never thought of the advantages of having the puck in the center of the ice through the neutral zone....hope to work on that next. Also never heard the term "the big ice" before reading Tom's books, and the videos sure help (though my Finish needs help desperately). I'd love to see more video from those Pro practices if you can put it together.....I get so much from those.

First games this weekend. Time to work on special teams before leaving town. Thanks again for the info...have an Old Style Pilsner for me, eh?

Kai,

Thanks for the .ppt and video. Erkka occupied a Coaching Chair position at Hockey Canada in the early 1990's when I was working there in Video Production. He was indeed a very smart student of the game and it is good to see he is still contributing. I enjoyed his booklet (1994) that was produced in conjunction with Hockey Canada - "Transition:From Game to Practice". Slava Lener previously occupied a Coaching Chair position (1992) and produced another book - "Transition: Defense to Offense".


Dave,

Please clarify - (1) what do you mean by skating low?

(3) For calling for the pass, I would also emphasize that we as coaches should continually emphasize playing "heads up" hockey... scan the ice, be aware of your surroundings and ultimately, eye contact and body language are the best ways to communicate. Calling for the pass alerts the defenders (takes away much of the element of surprise) and allows them to adjust their coverage accordingly.

My suggestion is to try playing drills and games with the "silence" rule - no talking / banging of sticks, etc - otherwise STOP! Now EVERYONE (offending team, non-offending team, goalies) does pushups, etc. Try not to use whistles to start / stop the drills / games (or at least minimize it). Teach the players they need to watch to know when to go and when to stop. It is beautiful. This forces the kids to use their eyes and ears and "sense" the game! As coaches, we should try to foster the independence of the individual athletes - rather than further enable their reliance on the coach. Trust me... I didn't believe it either - I always wanted kids to talk - now I have changed my mind. (Obviously, there is the odd time talking is beneficial...)

When I say this, I realize it is like the old saying... "if you want to sail the seas to discover new worlds, you need to to lose sight of the land." You need to get out of your comfort zone, (as do your players) and stay the course. You will feel like you are taking a huge risk, but once you 'break through' your comfort level, you will be rewarded!

When you say you are "trying to minimize extra puck-handling, passes and touches wherever possible" - I am presuming you are trying to reinforce one-touch passes (no dust!), push the puck ahead instead of over-handling it while carrying it, and quick release shots, etc?

I try to maximize puck touches in practice (pass and receive) to help develop skills. Again, I presume this is different than your meaning of "puck touches?"

I have given Tom my video camera with 4-5 pro practices on it and a major junior practice. He needs a Firewire cable to download it but is working on it... stay tuned.

Dave, I have selected a "Blue Monk Barley Wine" at 9.9% as my drink of choice for this evening's coaching roundtable discussion. Tom is invited, plus my new friend from Finland, Olli, "my Colombian" (John) and Danny from Peru is also on the docket. We should be able to solve some of the world's problems tonight.....!!!

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Dean,

Thanks for the feedback. A few points for clarification.

Skating low: We have a relatively unskilled group for their age, and they tend to play the game very straight-legged. By skating low I'm referring to deep knee bend / low center of gravity. I think this improves every aspect of a players game, but it's a hard thing to change. We spent a good deal of time in the weight room in the off-season trying to improve leg strength. It still needs a lot of attention and work though.

Calling for the pass: I like your idea of silent hockey. Unfortunately we already play silent hockey, but it's a different quality. I agree that calling tips off the defenders, but we are not at that level yet. For us communication speeds up our puck movement, which is a primary challenge.

Minimizing puck handling: We tend to overhandle the puck in game situations instead of driving / transitioning with the puck already in passing / shooting position. As a result we are very predictable to other teams because we have to pull the puck into position before passing or shooting. Again, we're dealing with much lower talent level than you do though.

Thanks again.....looking forward to that video. Sure wish you could attach one of those beers to your post....they sound awfully good.

ps. I played some pick-up yesterday with that wood stick I picked up and what a difference! I was able to spend way more time looking up at the play (what a concept) instead of playing catch-up with the puck. I'm inspired to convert some players. Thanks again.

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

I recently came across a copy of the Lener "Transition: Defense to Offense" and have found it to be a great resource. I'm not sure on copyright rules but if it is legal or if someone who knows him gets permission, I could scan and post it. But I would feel most comfortable with his permission.

I am constantly looking for handouts from coaching clinics, seminars, etc to add to my collection. If anyone has any or has a good website, (other then this one of course!) with some on it, I would love to get in touch and swap.

This site has several well thought out outlines and handouts for free.

http://www.omha.net/flash.asp?page_id=291

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Quote by: Eric

I recently came across a copy of the Lener "Transition: Defense to Offense" and have found it to be a great resource. I'm not sure on copyright rules but if it is legal or if someone who knows him gets permission, I could scan and post it. But I would feel most comfortable with his permission.

I am constantly looking for handouts from coaching clinics, seminars, etc to add to my collection. If anyone has any or has a good website, (other then this one of course!) with some on it, I would love to get in touch and swap.

This site has several well thought out outlines and handouts for free.

http://www.omha.net/flash.asp?page_id=291

Eric,

Slava's and Erkka's books are copyrighted. As a former employee of Hockey Canada (now a contractor) and as an acquaintance of both gentlemen, you shouldn't post them up here. For those who want to see if they still have some in stock, please contact Hockey Canada - The Breakaway Store: Orders 1-800-667-2242 Customer Service 1-800-667-2242

Don't forget Tom Renney and Mike Johnston also published "40 of the Best" in the same pamphlet form...

Check http://breakaway.hockeycanada.ca/ for manuals, videos, etc.

Thanks for sharing the OMHA site!

Regards,

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Quote by: DMan

Dean,

Thanks for the feedback. A few points for clarification.

Skating low: We have a relatively unskilled group for their age, and they tend to play the game very straight-legged. By skating low I'm referring to deep knee bend / low center of gravity. I think this improves every aspect of a players game, but it's a hard thing to change. We spent a good deal of time in the weight room in the off-season trying to improve leg strength. It still needs a lot of attention and work though.

Calling for the pass: I like your idea of silent hockey. Unfortunately we already play silent hockey, but it's a different quality. I agree that calling tips off the defenders, but we are not at that level yet. For us communication speeds up our puck movement, which is a primary challenge.

Minimizing puck handling: We tend to overhandle the puck in game situations instead of driving / transitioning with the puck already in passing / shooting position. As a result we are very predictable to other teams because we have to pull the puck into position before passing or shooting. Again, we're dealing with much lower talent level than you do though.

Thanks again.....looking forward to that video. Sure wish you could attach one of those beers to your post....they sound awfully good.

ps. I played some pick-up yesterday with that wood stick I picked up and what a difference! I was able to spend way more time looking up at the play (what a concept) instead of playing catch-up with the puck. I'm inspired to convert some players. Thanks again.

Dave,

Thanks for the clarification. What level / age are you coaching?

A deep knee bend / low centre of gravity is great! Hopefully they have strong "weapons platform" (core) so they can effectively transfer their gains in the weight room to the ice!

To speed up puck movement, encourage "heads up hockey." I.E.: perform the skills with the head up! This will allow the players to see the play and help them analyze the situations. It will also allow them to make eye contact, read body language, etc.

Puck control - if they are proficient with stationary and moving passing and receiving, then work on "one-touch" or "no-dust" passes. This means no stickhandling ... you get the puck and it's gone! Or... you carry it / protect it as you drive around a defender / go to the net... set a wall / position your body between the defender and your puck... like Tom says, the "triple threat position" is the best approach once you enter the offensive zone! Practice, practice, practice!

Tom has downloaded some of my videos of the Flames / Caps / Detroit / Hitmen practice. I presume he will start posting them when he gets time. I know he burned them to a DVD as I didn't have the proper AV out to Firewire cable for him. He left me a voicemail this weekend, so I am going to try to pick one up... been busy evaluating coaches this weekend!

I hope you continue to be a disciple of "the woody!"

I will do my best to attach a beer to a future post... they were (are?) DEEE-LISHHH-USSSSS!

Cheers!

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Fun Could Go A Long Way In Saving Hockey

By Ed Shamy- Burlington Free Press
Published: Thursday, October 18, 2007

Many Vermont parents dread the moment when their 6-year-old announces he or she would like to play ice hockey.

A youth hockey player poses the immediate threat of wrenching apart the tightest knit of clans, what with the bizarre hours of available ice time, the long road trips in hazardous winter weather and considerable expense of a heavily padded sport played on cold ice in enclosed rinks far from home.

And then of course there is the dividend: The privilege of watching 12 children under the age of 8 spread out on a full-size hockey rink, some barely moving for entire periods.

"It can be pretty painful," cedes Fritz Langrock, a hockey parent.

Parents and their children have reacted in recent years by steering clear of hockey in Vermont. The number of participants has slumped. Some towns have struggled to field teams because youth ice hockey developed such a reputation as an expensive hassle.

Langrock is president of the Vermont State Amateur Hockey Association, the group that oversees the youth leagues that are now beginning practices.

The members of the hockey association, peering into a Vermont future in which hockey -- traditionally a cornerstone of the athletic kingdom -- could become marginalized, have this year instituted changes to reverse the trend.

The youngest group of competitive hockey players, the mites, will play "half-ice" games with three players on each side rather than six. Goals will be half as far apart as they were a year ago, and with fewer players the hope is that the players will be able to get more involved. To skate more and to actually handle the puck.

This must come as a relief to some hockey players. After all, to be 45 inches tall and to be strapped into skates, gloves, sweaters, helmets, pads and high socks and to stare 200 feet down the ice must feel the same way Columbus felt peering through his glass searching for land on the far side of the ocean. Now it will be 85 feet or so, a much more do-able distance.

Langrock said the association hopes players will be lured back by the increased activity of the game. Full-size rinks could be used for two or even three games at once, he said, so tournaments could be held in less time, which could translate into less travel. And costs could drop.

Some basic rules, such as icing and offsides won't be strictly enforced. There will be no more state tournament for mites. And teams will be encouraged to bring practice jerseys with them so that if one town's team seems too dominant, coaches from the two teams can mix players to get the best competitive balance.

That, Langrock said, could defuse some of the more rabid fans by encouraging them to root for whichever team their child is playing for regardless of the mix, rather than for one program over another.

"Once the parents see it, once the kids see it, it's going to be a blast," he predicted.

But, too, he acknowledged that not everyone goes into this new world order as thrilled as he is.

Some see it as blasphemy, tinkering with the rules and diluting the competitive spirit. And besides, how will young puck handlers learn the basic rules of the game if they're just skating willy-nilly on a short rink?

Hockey has a bad habit of periodically shooting itself in the foot, whether through college hazing scandals or professional work stoppages.

The new rules of mite hockey are a breath of fresh air for a sport that too often seems so adept at withering.

If a 7-year-old doesn't learn to love playing hockey, it doesn't much matter that by age 9 he or she won't know all the rules. Won't be playing anyhow.

Get the kid hooked on the sport, then teach them the rules, goes the new philosophy. Kids learn easily.

With luck, we can teach some of the old hockey parents a new trick, too. The game is supposed to be fun.

Remember? That's why we "play" hockey.

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Here is an article about values... too often, we adults forget just how influential (positive or negative) we can be on the kids...

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

When smiles leave the game

By Tim Wendel, USA TODAY, Aug 22, 2005


Growing up, Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana pitched perfect games in Little League baseball and was so adept at high school basketball that North Carolina State offered him a scholarship.

Baseball slugger Mark McGwire quit baseball temporarily his sophomore year in high school to play golf. If he hadn't become caught up in the ongoing steroids controversy, he would be playing in more pro-ams and maybe eventually on the senior PGA Tour. He was almost as good with a golf club in his hands as he was with a baseball bat.

Deion Sanders was such a well-rounded athlete as a kid he became the only athlete to ever play in both a World Series and a Super Bowl. "Parents need to make the major decisions that affect their kids' lives," Sanders says. "But when it comes to play, they shouldn't discourage a broad approach. When a child wants to color, do you tell him to use just one black crayon?"

That's precisely what we're doing with our budding sports stars. Because of the influence of travel teams and the tantalizing hope of a college sports scholarship, the days when kids marked the seasons by the sport — football in fall, basketball and hockey in winter, and track, lacrosse and baseball in spring — are over. One wonders what would have happened to Montana, McGwire or Sanders if they were young sports stars in this day and age.

"We have reached the point of saturation — a vicious revolving door of never-ending seasons," says Fred Engh, founder of the National Alliance for Youth Sports and author of Why Johnny Hates Sports. "Children can't even take a couple of months' hiatus from a sport for fear of falling behind their peers and being excluded from teams the following seasons. Those elite teams, all those trophies — that's what the parents want."

'Dream for parents'

Summer hockey, fall baseball, indoor winter soccer, elite year-round teams that travel far from their neighborhoods — these are all part of a new kidcentric culture in which specialization supposedly breeds success.

Says sports psychologist Rick Wolff, author of Coaching Kids for Dummies: "Excelling in sports has become as much a part of the American dream for parents as getting their kids into the best school and living in the best neighborhoods."

But here's the dirty little secret: According to the NCAA, in men's college basketball, 2.9% of athletes make the jump from high school to the collegiate level. Only 3.1% of players make it in women's basketball, 5.8% in football and 5.6% in baseball. For most sports, the odds of a college athlete playing professionally are less than two in 100.

"Parents are using their kids as a lottery ticket," Sanders says. "Before all this money came along, moms and dads didn't go crazy at games. They didn't curse their kids and get on them to play better. It was just fun. Now, there's a Yellow Brick Road, and parents think it's their ticket."

In making youth sports so specialized, so adult, we're killing our children's joy for the games.

More than 70% of those who begin playing sports in elementary school will have quit by high school, according to the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at Michigan State University. "Starting out, most kids just want to play. It's the parents who keep score," says Christopher Andersonn, author of Will You Still Love Me If I Don't Win. "They can kill the love a kid has for a sport. Once that's gone, it's very hard to recapture it."

The American Academy of Pediatrics cautions about overuse injuries (tendonitis, stress fractures) in children who were specializing or training year-round in sports.

As my two kids have grown up, I've coached them in soccer, basketball, baseball, lacrosse and ice hockey. I've told the stories about Montana, McGwire and Sanders to the parents who have children on my teams. Afterward they smile, as if I'm teasing them, and then the puzzlement creeps across their face as they realize I'm dead serious. Most of the best athletes of our time played just about every sport growing up — usually in the back yard, in the street.

That's not to say my family hasn't been affected by our society's single-sport obsession. In almost every sport my kids have played, high-powered coaches and commissioners have tried to steer us away from local leagues to more elite, even travel teams. They've often urged my children to play their particular sport year-round and attend intensive sports camps.

Sometimes, we've said no. But other times we've been caught up in the sports hype, occasionally with disastrous results. My son, who is a pretty good swimmer, recently announced he had had enough. Swimming just wasn't fun anymore.

What stays with players

At such times I vow to do a better job as a parent, and I remember something Montana said years ago, when he was as All-Pro quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. It was after another game in which Montana had rallied his team for a last-minute victory.

When reporters asked Montana about one of the pivotal plays, when he evaded a blitzing defender coming from his blindside, he smiled that Cheshire Cat grin of his and said, "Didn't you guys recognize that move?"

Puzzled looks all around. Nobody knew what he was talking about.

"It's an old basketball move," Montana explained. "Spin away from your man, remember?"

"You guys forget I was a pretty good basketball player. They offered me a college scholarship in that, too."

Tim Wendel is a member of USA TODAY's board of contributors. His books include Castro's Curveball and The New Face of Baseball.

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Dean,

I have a group of high school players in a community where hockey is relatively new. Our rink is 7 years old, so our oldest kids (18 years) didn't start playing until they were 11. The younger kids coming in are better skilled on the whole (14 year old-s who started at age 7) but they are smaller and not quite ready for the physical aspects of the game.

My biggest challenge is: How much time do I spend on strategy and game play concepts, and how much do I spend on individual skills. Our skill deficiencies always seem to get in the way of execution, both offensive & defensive.

Thanks for leading the charge on the discussion board.

Dave

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Quote by: DMan

Dean,

I have a group of high school players in a community where hockey is relatively new. Our rink is 7 years old, so our oldest kids (18 years) didn't start playing until they were 11. The younger kids coming in are better skilled on the whole (14 year old-s who started at age 7) but they are smaller and not quite ready for the physical aspects of the game.

My biggest challenge is: How much time do I spend on strategy and game play concepts, and how much do I spend on individual skills. Our skill deficiencies always seem to get in the way of execution, both offensive & defensive.

Thanks for leading the charge on the discussion board.

Dave

Dave,

If you can't execute the basic skills, you are wasting time on strategy and team play concepts and increasing everyone's frustration levels... they won't be capable of executing them consistently (on-ice.) Why don't you rent a gym, or go to a parking lot, and do all of your team tactics using floor hockey sticks (unihockey / floorball) and or just using a walk through with a ball as they can all walk, right??!! You can also use European Handball to teach principles of play... I run an entire sequence of games off-ice that I can also use on-ice. I have done these with soccer and hockey and it can also apply to basketball as it is very similar (continuous team play.)

My suggestion is to judge your time accordingly. So more time, especially early (now) on skills. Stationary (but with heads up), then once they become competent, get them moving. Then once they get competent, try to get them to execute the same skills more quickly (heads up.) When they get better, put pressure on them... like keep score (accountability) - how many shots hit the net, passes can they make on the tape out of 10, use time limits to put pressure on, etc. Be creative!

Not knowing exactly your skill level, it is tough to say. But I would spend 10-15 minutes doing a skill warmup (skills in combination - individual skills progressing to individual tactics - skating, puck control, shooting); then some team tactics (2 or more players involved) for another 10-15 minutes; then I would spend the rest of the time on Smart Transitional Games. These improve intensity, competition (keep score and losers have to do something - winners get a break / water), fitness and require the individuals to perform skills and tactics in a real-life setting (under pressure / on demand) so the game becomes the teacher! Plus they are fun!

Remember... SKILLS first with heads up. Then increase the speed / pace expectations with heads up. (Try the silence rule.) Then increase the pressure while they perform the skill with heads up at speed. Then they should be able to perform these under demand.

Just my 2 cents...

PS If you haven't bought Tom's book, you should! He has a ton of good stuff in there and it is presented in a logical, progressive manner!

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Thanks Dean,

I have both of Tom's books, and they have helped me a lot over the last two years. It's easy to fall into a rut though, and to keep repeating the same activities so I'll go back and look at book 2. In terms of our skill I'd say we just meet level 4 criteria by Tom's book standards.

We have 90 minute practices so there's lots of time for skill development. I have been following a routine pretty close to what you outlined, shooting for a minimum of 30 minutes of games & scrimmage per session. Today I tried using 2 v 2 cross-ice games as a warm-up and it was great.....the kids loved it, the intensity was high, and I think it made for a better practice on the whole.

I appreciate the feedback on the development issues. The hard thing is we can usually hang in games, but always get clobbered on special teams. It's pretty hard to run a powerplay effectively when you don't spend much time on it.

Dave

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Ha its hard to take you serious when your avatar is you with a huge beer.

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Aberdeen, if you have coached for as long as I have, you would understand the need for a big beer!

Actually, I have a hard time taking my beer seriously when it is so... small. I am always searching for a bigger beer mug!

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Enclosed are two articles from my friend Igor Andrejkovic; (Department of Games, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia) The first paper is his PhD Thesis while the second is a further scientific paper he published.

Article 1 - RELATION IN SOLVING A 1 ON 1 GAME SITUATION DURING MATCHES AND WITHIN TRAINING SESSIONS IN ICE-HOCKEY JUNIOR U 18 CATEGORY

Article 2 - RELATION OF SOLVING 2 ON 2 GAME SITUATION DURING MATCHES AND WITHIN TRAINING SESSIONS IN ICE-HOCKEY U 18 CATEGORY

Original scientific paper
Sport Science 2 (2009) 2: 20&#8208;26

Pay particular attention to the conclusions; particularly in Article 1, where Igor discusses the proportion of time spent in practices on 1 vs. 1 / 2 vs. 1 / 1 vs. 2!

In rationalization of the training process:

• Dominant attention in the offensive game phase should be paid to solving a typical 1 on 1
game situation. From the point of view of results of championship matches, it is a critical
game situation. A successfully solved 1 on 1 game situation in the offensive game phase
means outnumbering, winning space, better position of players towards opponents’ goal
cage and many times an individual penetration.

• Proportionality of particular typical game situations within training sessions should be
derived from the frequency of occurrence of these game situations in championship
matches. For the junior category we basically recommend 1 on 1 game situations (45
percent), 2 on 1 game situations (35 percent) and 1 on 2 game situations (10 percent).

• While improving offensive game activities of individuals in typical 1 on 1 game situations,
game exercises and preparation games should be applied under conditions similar to
matches.

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

I hate the way academics write. Sounds like useful information, if only I understood it

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Try reading it after a BIG beer!

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

This submission is based on Kai’s question (Nov 11, 2011) under the “17-1 loss” thread.

“What is your opinion, should the practice after the game reflect the game you had?

I really would like to have some other views on this. Because we followed our weekly plan quite to the letter.
our week looked like this: (this was U18 team)

Thursday: off-ice + on-ice (team play)
Friday: off- ice + on-ice (pre game team play)
Saturday: Game
Sunday: Game
Monday: off-ice (aerobic/recovery) + on-ice (skills / low tempo)
Tuesday: off-ice + on-ice (individual tactics/ sag etc)
Wednesday: no practice

We would do some adjustments depending on the games but the Monday was always low tempo skills.

So any thoughts on Monday sessions or how do you see the whole week program?”
-----

I like how Kai outlined his weekly template. I wondered what he thought of it?

His question, “What is your opinion, should the practice after the game reflect the game you had?" I see this as a “what comes first – the chicken or the egg" big picture question - i.e.: what comes first. I certainly think that there is a great inter-relationship between performance in games and what you do in practice (both before and after the games.)

Good practice habits and a high level of work ethic are non-negotiables in my world. I have to communicate my expectations, then reinforce them. It doesn't happen over night. But let's assume these are now in place. How you practice is how you will play. If you tolerate sloppy passes in practice; if you allow kids to play a puck OTHER than the one that glanced off their stick and went down the ice, etc., you are setting yourself up for problems.

Now you keep working on skills and tactics following my mantra of SKILLS with HEADS UP; increase the PACE of EXECUTION; add PRESSURE; and then the players must be able to PRODUCE SKILLS WITH HEAD UP, AT SPEED, ON DEMAND (consistency.) Based on what went well and what didn't in the game, these are areas you should address within future practices.

Games are like final exams; practices are preparation for the exams. Games provide feedback on how practice went. So if your PP was brutal during the game, ask yourself why. Look at the individual skills, tactics, team tactics and systems you have - do you have the personnel to execute your systems - where are their skill sets and hockey sense? Are the ‘right’ guys playing at the ‘right times?’ Do you construct practice to force your PP to play under pressure - hopefully in a similar style to your opponent? What did the opposition do that shut you down? Can you adapt your system / personnel to overcome their play? Were you flat and didn't execute (mental issues?) Or did you perform well, but the other team flat out was better than you on that day (it can happen!)

It has been that my experience, even with an Annual Plan (or Yearly Training Plan), the coach still needs to be constantly aware of the ebb and flow of his team and the individuals... it could be personal issues (family, girlfriend, school, work, etc.) or team issues, fatigue levels, lack of hydration / bad nutrition, injuries and rehab, etc. There is an inter-relationship between the YTP, the game and practice. The coach needs to be making ongoing evaluations of his individuals / team and comparing / contrasting this awareness to his YTP. How you performed in a practice and / or a game might cause you to (1) stick to the YTP, feeling this is a blip on the radar or you are plateauing and just need to work through it; (2) you might have to move away from your YTP for the short-term (or even the long-term if you under or over-estimated where you would be at a given time.)

I see the YTP as an overall guide. You need to see where your team / individuals fit into it and then the "dance" between practice and game begins... and continues throughout the year. It is something that you gain experience with over time. The ability of a coach to "take the temperature of the team" as Tom Renney used to tell me, is critical. Then you must apply it (the "art of coaching" ) to your YTP.

This is how I operate: I take notes during the game; between periods, I use a notebook or whiteboard and get the input of the coaching staff for the good and the bad; then summarize it at the end of the game. Then I look at my YTP and my practice / game schedule, and refine the areas I think we need to work on that week (practice by practice.)

Again, as Tom replied above, a coaching situation where you play 1 or 2 games per week and have a structured practice time (in our case at the university / college level, it is the same opponent for both games) helps make it 'easier' to adapt.

For the eight years that I coached at the university level, we typically played Friday and Saturday nights. Sunday's were off (travel home / school work.) Monday was a very tough, competitive practice where we choose two teams and kept score for every rep of every practice (Red / White Day.) Losers were held accountable (pick up pucks, undo winner's skates, buy and serve winner's a Gatorade, etc.) The kids loved it. Then Tuesday we worked on individual offensive skills and tactics (and used games focusing on those.) Wednesday's we focused on defensive skills, tactics (and used games focusing on those.) Thursday's we "played" two teams against other, even strength (paying attention to systems) plus PP vs PK. We finished with some battle drills.

Being removed from coaching university for a few years, but gaining additional wisdom through exposure to my mentors, my work with skill academies, mentoring other teams / coaches and my research, I would alter this template to try something in line with the recent research. I would be interested in seeing how it turns out. (Please see the document(s) my friend Igor provided as it is his Ph.D thesis and another scientific article. His overall conclusions are at the end of this post.)

Initially I would spend 5% of my time on pure individual skills / skills in combination (repetition / quality touches) as a warm up; then 45% of my time would be spent on 1 vs. 1's; then 35% spent on 2 vs. 1; 10% spent on 1 vs. 2. The last 5% would be spent on principles, systems / face-offs... stuff from my YTP that needs to be addressed on-ice. (I will have covered all of the systems off-ice in chalk-talk sessions and then walk-through's in the gym / parking lot.

As the year goes on and I see improvements in my team, I would cut down my 1 vs. 1 by 5%; my 2 vs. 1 by 5% and my 1 vs. 2 by 5% to put towards 3 vs. 3 / 4 vs. 4, 5 vs.5, special teams, systems and face-offs.

When I told one of my mentors, John, who is a National level soccer coach, about this research, he laughed and said that this is the approximate proportion breakdown he uses to train his players – to much success and critical acclaim from the players, parents, and other National level soccer coaches! He consistently develops kids (from U7 up) and many of these kids have gone on to play pro in Europe, National Team level, CIS and NCAA. I have worked with John for several years and have become a believer myself. It was an evolution though – just like finally accepting Joan Vicker’s research and increasing the proportion of time to Smart Transitional Games that Tom and John promote.

So coaches, don’t be afraid of taking a risk. Start embracing these ideas a bit at a time, play with them, adjust them, see how they work! (Skill academies are an excellent laboratory to try these, modify them and try again!) I found that the more I followed these guidelines (proportion of time / use of Smart Transitional Games), the more the players enjoyed practice, and they also seemed to make big gains in understanding the game (hockey sense) – one of the elusive qualities that all coaches gravitate toward when it comes time for player selection!

Check out Igor's 'bottom line' in his thesis in an earlier post (above). Like I said, my personal experience since 2004 (anecdotal) is congruent with Igor's findings.

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

I like how Kai outlined his weekly template. I wondered what he thought of it?

His question, “What is your opinion, should the practice after the game reflect the game you had?" I see this as a “what comes first – the chicken or the egg" big picture question - i.e.: what comes first. I certainly think that there is a great inter-relationship between performance in games and what you do in practice (both before and after the games.)

Dean

The main principles in our YTP and week schedule are:

Long term player development. we want to give to our players good set of tools to future (especially off-ice). With U18 players who have sensitive period on strength, endurance and elasticity. So we really want to set up good base for future training. With skills you work with details and perfect the skill base that players have. So it’s heavy physically template. On ice we work with game sense

Diverse off and on ice training. on off-ice we want to keep it diverse (play basketball, soccer, ultimate etc.) and train the skills off- ice (agility, coordination, elasticity). We try to keep the endurance training diverse and fun.

Themed and focused practices on ice and off -ice. In our training 80%-90% is focused on offensive skills and playing. The YTP is chopped in five week periods each week has its own theme or focus.

How did work? Well I believe the Monday's recovery / skill training served three needs: recovery from the weekend games, work on aerobic endurance, and train individual skills. Players liked it too.
It’s a big challenge to fit the things you need to do in one week. That's why good planning and themes and focuses help. So that you your not trying to do everything every time. According to Harri Hakkarainen with youth players you should have two speed trainings and two strength trainings in week template.

I don't know if this post gives any answers or does it make any sense to anyone (I'm trying to wacth the Jets game at the same time)

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Kai,

1) I appreciated your detailed answer. Excellent to find a coach with a purpose behind their plan. Me likey!

2) Your avatar is truly awesome! But you need to find a bigger glass if you want to run with the big dogs...!

3) Your reference to Monty Python was hysterical! I just about purchased their entire DVD collection yesterday - ALL of the episodes ever produced!

All three reasons mean we will have to meet up for a good beer-fueled discussion in person some day! You will have to let me know where to find you in Finland. I have been threatening to return for some time... preferably in the spring or summer as it was too bloody cold in the winter when I was last there (as a player in 1982 ish?) I prefer dark beers greater than 9.8%!

I have Olli Riihimäki visiting from Jyväskylä. He is a principal there. He and his wife are on an exchange until Dec 1. He is a former semi-pro soccer goalie and a floorball player from the late 1980's. He has been out for beer with me a couple of times (and Tom joined us last week.)

Cheers!

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Kai- Good reminder on the focused practice. One of our assistants is a soccer coach in a successful program and they use themed practices. (ex. "Today we're going to focus on defensive side positioning") It's really tempting to throw offensive ideas in there too, but the trick is to keep the message really clear and focused on one thing. I think this helps the players greatly.

Dean: What template are you talking about?
Tom: How do I get one of those beer pics by my name? I've tried signing up several times but I never get a confirmation email.

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Dman,

Soccer coaches have taught me SO much... I want to hang out with some basketball coaches too since it is so similar to hockey! My friend Dan went to watch University of Florida (Urban Meyer) run their spring camp a few years ago. They got an inner look at what happens (highly organized, positive and no swearing) and it sounded AMAZING! I heard there is a similar 2011 spring camp (Easter weekend?) being hosted in Oregon. Once I get the info, I will post. I don't know much about football, but am willing to learn about the art of coaching from some top NCAA coaches. Just need to find out the exact dates / times / costs and see if I can swing it!

The "template" to which I am referring to Kai's "weekly plan" or template that he detailed above - Monday is x, Tuesday is x, etc.

We need more beer avatars so I hope Tom can help you... tonight, with the first winter storm upon us, I chose a lovely Australian port for consumption as a change up to my 9.9% Blue Monk Barley Wine. For a mere $20 bottle (my next door neighbour owns a specialty wine / beer store and home delivers whatever I need at a discounted rate!), it was quite delightful. Tawny in colour with sweet fruit on the palate, and a pleasing dry finish. Of course, like any experienced hockey coach, I only drink ice-cold port - exactly how I like my beer... Mmmmmmmm....

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

DMan,

I used have bad habit of trying to fit erything in one practice. Planing has helped me to correct my tendensies. I'm learning to coach players comprehensively one focus at a time. And I had also a great mentor.


Dean,
I live in Vaasa. Meet up with few beers sounds great!

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Kai,

When I was younger, I have also been guilty of trying to jam too much into practice ! A YTP helps me see the big picture and then I adjust daily / weekly. Themes / areas of focus are indeed helpful and I try to keep some time at the start and / or end of practice for individual skill development; sometimes, I will have to cut a drill or two short (or cut them out all together) just so I don't go right up to the last possible second.

I have found it is better to allow players to have at least 5 minutes at the end to work on their own stuff. Then the coaches and I circulate around to provide help / feedback, etc. if needed. It has to be constructive stuff; not just fooling around or playing 'rebound!' This 'Management By Walking Around' (MBWA) is a good way to connect individually and personally with your players and keeps the lines of communication open.

"Athletes don't care how much you know until they know how much you care!" You need to build this relationship with each individual. Then by working WITH them, them to achieve their goals that they have identified - you are showing them how to become a better player. This builds trust and rapport.

Speaking with soccer Coach John today (one of my mentors!), he told me of a story of a group of U14 girls he is coaching this year. One girl has an amazing amount of skill but is a bit cheeky / doesn't work as hard as the others. This is a skill academy setting, so John can't take away playing time, etc. So he told her he expects each girl to juggle at least 250 times stationary, with each foot, by the end of March 2011. If this individual can't do it, John will no longer "pay attention" to her at practice. John will focus his individual attention to those girls who demonstrate a positive attitude and a strong work ethic. He told her this (and to her parents) and they are in full support. John isn't being mean; but he is communication expectations clearly; establishing measurable goals and a timeline for the player. He isn't yelling at her. He is saying, "I will work with you as long as you work with me. If you choose not to work hard on your own, then I will not give any more of my individual time to you. It is up to you to make this work." I thought it was a great way to address the issue.

So Kai, mentors are very important. I speak with John almost daily. I also act as a mentor to several other people - so I can try to give back to the game / to the profession. Mentoring is a two-way street - when I offer my time to other coaches, I learn new things and it is a form of professional development for me, too! Leadership, listening skills, problem-solving, etc. all come into play...

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

What else can Renney do?
Oiler coach running out of options
By ROBERT TYCHKOWSKI, QMI Agency
November 25, 2010

EDMONTON - He’s benched the fourth line, the rookies, some veterans and he’s called the team out publicly, after lighting into them privately.

And we’re not even into December.

Tom Renney is working his way through the Grab Their Attention checklist and still hasn’t managed to grab the Oilers attention, or at least keep it for more than one game a week.

Like vanquished coaches Craig MacTavish and Pat Quinn before him, Renney is running out of ways to inject some passion and focus into a group that’s lost by four or more goals five times (5-0, 7-1, 8-2, 6-2 and 5-0) in the last eight starts and has been out-shot to the tune of 19-4, 16-4, 11-5, 20-4 in the last four opening periods.

You have to go back six games to even find a night when Edmonton even had more than five shots in a first period.

So the coach scans his checklist, choosing to run battle drills Wednesday instead of giving them the day off they expected.

“Nobody’s happy with that type of a performance and how we mismanaged our game,” Renney said of the 5-0 loss Tuesday in Phoenix. “At the end of the day there are some tools that you have to look at as a coach that can help you put the proper premium on how they have to play.

“I think I’ve shown a few examples of how that can work. And I’ve got more bullets in the chamber.”

He’s not bluffing and he doesn’t play favourites, not that there’s anybody left in the room who thinks otherwise after Renney benched the captain and the first pick overall in a span of two weeks.

“Tom can be hard on us, he has been in the past,” said Shawn Horcoff, adding what we see publicly is pretty tame compared with the stuff behind closed doors. “He holds guys accountable. It’s definitely a point he’s got across to everyone and he’ll continue to do that until we get it right.”

Renney carved them after the Phoenix loss, the first time he’s come out and questioned their commitment and pride. The only surprise is that it took this long.

“Tom’s been very patient with us, very positive,” said Colin Fraser. “And that’s what we want to have, a positive attitude in here. But when you give up six, seven, five goals as often as we have been lately it’s tough to stay positive. Guy’s don’t want to accept that.”

They seem to be accepting of defeat sometimes, which is most concerning. You honestly have to wonder about a team that plays the way Edmonton did on Tuesday. If they play that way in front of their dads, who exactly are they saving the inspired efforts for?

“With his coaching and the game plan we have there’s no excuses for the efforts we put out some nights,” said Andrew Cogliano. “We have skill in here, we have guys who want to play hard, but some nights the compete level just isn’t there.”

So Renney, like Quinn and MacTavish, will continue to dig. But there are delicate balances between accepting growing pains and accepting losing, between laying down the law and losing the room.

“If I’m in there so often doing those things then it become redundant and they’ll turn me off,” said Renney. “So you have to be creative and inventive as a coach in terms of how you get those messages across and by what mechanism. That’s the art of coaching.

“We’re still nurturing, we’re still supportive, we’re still demanding. And when we need to, we draw a hard line. That’s what this year is going to be all about.

“I thought we played pretty good in Anaheim and I thought we played pretty good at home against Phoenix, as much as we let them come back and tie us.

“I thought we might have been able to kind of round the corner there but this appears to be a pretty big corner.”

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

http://www.istadia.com/article/jspano/198

Creating Good Habits
Category: Sports Performance | Specialism: Sports Psychology

Just about everything we do in sports is a habit

Just about everything we do in sports is a habit. Our preparation is based on habit, our practice is based on habit, our technique is based on habit, and even strategy can be somewhat habitual. The key point is habits encompass every part of athletic performance. Yet one of the major areas of poor performance is bad habits. To correct bad habits and maximize the power of good habits there are some questions that must be answered first. How do we create habits? What makes a good habit different than a bad habit? And what characteristics are needed to create good habits?

Habits are created by repeating an action every time a particular situation occurs. This ranges from how you brush your teeth to your warm-up routine to your sport specific technique. Practice, practice, and more practice create habits. Whether the habits are good or bad is dependent on other areas.

Good habits are basic things in everyday life that can make things easier, more efficient, and better for everyone involved not just the lone athlete. They do not necessarily need to be used every second of my day but if they can employ them as often as possible there can significant improvements. (The opposite is true of bad habits, the more they are used the more likely one will experience poor performance).

When it comes to creating/changing habits the individual should be proactive, manage the use of time, be confidence, and focus attention towards the changing habit. Being proactive is simply taking the initiative and not waiting for others to act first. It is acting not reacting, which many people do. It is also about being responsible for those actions that you chose to make. For example, why are you warming-up that way? How do you know it gets you ready? Is there something else you could be doing?

Habits, even if they are automatic take time and in sports sometimes there is not enough time to do every little think that feels "comfortable". So without stepping completely out of your comfort zone, put the most important things first. To accomplish this try to organize your habits and routines with goals in mind. What are the most important actions? How can you be flexible in different situations?

Being confident and paying attention are critical to breaking bad habits or creating good habits. You need to believe you can change and also pay attention to what is being changed. There should be careful attention to detail. Every second and every inch can make a difference in sports so use care when creating habits. Be involved in your performance, pay attention to what is going on around you as well as your own actions. Changing habits is not impossible but it does take hard work, persistence, time, confidence, and an attention to detail.

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

http://www.istadia.com/article/jspano

Posted Fri Apr 3 2009 11:51 AM posted by jspano

Rethinking Anger: Anger Doesn’t Equal Intensity

Getting pumped up, excited, intense, or focused are all great qualities for an athlete. Being angry isn’t one. Often athletes (and coaches) equate anger and aggressiveness with intensity. Intensity is a positive attribute, anger is a negative attribute. Intensity is based on being focused and in control; anger comes from frustration and losing control. Anger almost always has negative effect on performance. Anger causes a shift in attention, the focus becomes on what you’re angry about and not what is happening in the moment. This break in concentration causes your performance to suffer. This experience is similar to the effects of stress.

For example, if a basketball player thinks he/she got fouled but doesn’t get a call from the referee the focus may be on the non-call. Their focus becomes the non-call and not the current situation causing performance levels to drop. The use of concentration techniques would be helpful in breaking the cycle of anger and poor performance.

The most effective ways to do this are:

• Cue Words or Phrases (Self-talk)
Cue words/phrases can be used to trigger a particular competitive response. They help athletes narrow their focus when necessary. Cue words/phrases can be either instructional (i.e.; follow-through, relax, watch the ball) or motivational (explode, do it now, strong) to help focus on the task at hand.

• Take a personal time out
As soon as you can take a few seconds and remove yourself from the situation. Take a second to take a deep breath and think objectively about the situation that just occurred. Once that is over take another deep breath and think about what you need to do next.

• Use Performance Routines
Use pre-competition or pre-situation routines help you get focused and prepared for what is about to happen. Using routines when concentration breaks will help athletes refocus and performance will improve.

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

More articles like the two above (this is the index): www DOT istadia.com/browse-sports-articles.php


Specific to sports coaching articles: www DOT istadia.com/articles/specialism/6/Sports-Coaching

(This system thought I was posting Spam, so I substitute for my DOT in the address...)

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

7 Keys to Building Good Work Habits in Young Baseball Players

By Nick Dixon

http://ezinearticles.com/?7-Keys-to-Building-Good-Work-Habits-in-Young-Baseball-Players&id=1980393


Today the four letter word for baseball coaches is W-O-R-K: Working and learning to work are one of the vital elements required in the building of a successful baseball team and program. In baseball coaching work and baseball playing involves a lot of things. Work is practice. Work is hustle. Work is execution. Work is commitment. Work is being focused. Work and knowing the value of work may be the most important thing that you will teach your players. A player can have all the talent in the world, but if that player is not willing to work hard to develop that talent, the player is destined to be an underachiever.

Work is what allows a player, a team, and a coach to reach their maximum potential in the game. Every player has the potential to be great at something in the game! Hard work is the key element that will determine a the level of success a player will have later in life. Learning to work hard is a life skill that every youth player can benefit from. We all know of players that we played with or that we coached that had great God-given abilities but terrible work habits. They refused to push themselves to greatness. They would always spend more time looking for a way to get out of work, than actually working. They were simply lazy. They did not have the drive. It made no difference what the coach did, what the parent did, or what their peers said, they simply did not have the focus and commitment to work hard. These underachievers always come to their senses but it is always too late. When they look back to the good old day, they always say that wish they would have worked harder. A common saying of underachieves is that if they only had known then what I know now, they would have pushed themselves harder and made themselves work harder.

Players and coaches must understand the value of hard work. Anything worth having is worth working for. You must work hard. The assistant coaches must work hard. The players must work hard.

What are the keys to teaching players to work? Here are 7 keys to building good work habits in young players:

1. Praise
Praise the player when work is done. Instant positive feedback can serve to motivate players to work harder and harder. You should always correct a player when he does something incorrect. But when you do verbally get on a player, always find a reason to pat that kid on the back later. Keeping a balance between corrective criticism and praise is a valuable skill every coach must learn. Always try to send the players home on a positive note with a positive frame of mind.

2. Fun
The kids must enjoy practicing, playing and spending time together. If going to the baseball field feels like going to the dentist, they are going to lose interest and drive. When they lose interest and drive, they will stop working. Plan your practices with a variety of drills and activities to prevent boredom from setting in. Always include a couple of competitive games or drills to make the practice as fun as possible. I am not saying make your practice all fun game and play-time. I am just suggesting that you plan and organize your practices to include as many fun and motivating activities as is practical.

3. Discipline
Team discipline and player self discipline are two crucial elements for having a successful season. Players should be expected to have a high level of self control and follow all team rules. One important team rule is always showing respect to coaches and adults on and off the field. You can be firm and still keep a fun and comfortable atmosphere.

4. Role Model
The players must see their coach work. Kids can sense when a coach practices what he preaches. Do not expect a kid to work for you if you do not work for him.

5. Short-term Goals
Setting a goal for a drill or workout activity will often motivate players to put forth more effort. Have the goal be something simple and have the reward instant.

6. Long-term Goals Setting team goals for the season is an important tool to improve player mental focus and to add value to the work done at practice.

7. Individual Goals
If you have a gifted player that is more advanced and skilled that most of the other players on the team, you may want to have each player set 3 individual goals for the season. Have players set a target batting average goal, a goal of stolen bases, a goal of a number of base hits or such. Such individual goals often can motivate players to work harder than ever.

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Fearless Basketball Training
By Hugh Houchin, eHow Contributor
updated: March 27, 2010


Read more: Fearless Basketball Training | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_6128885_fearless-basketball-training.html#ixzz177My5UZ8


"Fearless basketball" is that sport's highest degree of competitiveness, which means mental toughness and knowing how you're going to perform. Those who have absolute confidence in their offensive and defensive abilities have an edge on their opponents. They weren't born with mental toughness, though; it's developed through training. To understand mental toughness, one must first understand its antithesis.

Stress

1. Fear of failure is the antithesis of mental toughness. Basketball is an exact game, which can be stressful. If a player doubts he can perform, he is subject to fear of failure. If he is afraid of missing a shot, he probably will; if he's afraid he can't guard he opponent, he undoubtedly won't; and if he's afraid of losing, chances are he will. Fear of failure elicits stress, followed by loss of confidence.

Conquering Stress

2. A tough mental attitude is dependent upon conquering stress, and stress is conquered through discipline. To overcome stress, a player should not allow any negative feelings and should remain positive no matter what. There are steps one can take to learn discipline.

Improving Discipline

3. A step-by-step process to train oneself to be disciplined, in game circumstances, is needed to learn the mental toughness of fearless basketball.

The first step is to develop good eating and sleeping habits. If rested and eating right, a player will be mentally and physically ready to learn. Cultivate the habits of being at practice on time, even early, and listening to the coach. Always be excited and ready to go, no matter what he asks. If it's unpleasant, do it anyway, and be enthusiastic about it.

Push yourself to your limit, both physically and mentally. When worn out, don't slump but throw you shoulders back and walk in an erect manner, not complaining. No matter the degree of difficulty, never be negative. Leave it all on the court and be passionate about becoming a fearless basketball player.

Right Frame of Mind

4. To be fearless is a mind game, and success doesn't come to those who play it safe. Always play to win and stay aggressive; losing is never a thought. Playing to lose means the thought of losing has entered your mind, which erodes confidence.

With a fearless mindset, one can deal with missing a shot or defensive assignment and not let it affect his confidence.

Summary

5. To maintain a fearless playing attitude requires constant affirmation, and the way to maintain it is through practice. The improved confidence and instincts lead to the ability to determine when your opponent is susceptible to attack and when immediate action is needed.

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Nachbaur puts main jolt in surprising Chiefs

John Blanchette The Spokesman-Review

January 30, 2011

Just in case they don’t meet in the playoffs, the Western Hockey League schedule has arranged the next best thing: Eight of the Spokane Chiefs’ last 23 games are against the Tri-City Americans.

And if they do meet in the playoffs, well, so much the better.

The first of those eight came Saturday night at the Spokane Arena, a heart-breaking 5-4 Spokane loss, the 11th game for the Chiefs in 18 days. Seems excessive in the context of teenage hockey, and yet it’s not all that uncommon in the WHL even if it corrupts the notion of teams being prepared and dialed in every night out.

But it reminded Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz of a point to be made about his coach, Don Nachbaur.

When the Chiefs and Ams last met in the playoffs, it was 2008. Spokane would win the Memorial Cup that season; there’s every reason to think Tri-City would have had the Ams been the ones to prevail in Game 7 of their series. At the time, of course, Nachbaur coached the other guys.

“I remember beating them here, 2-0,” Speltz said, “to go up 2-1 in the series. I thought, ‘OK, we’ve got them right where we want them.’ I mean, he had (defensemen) leaving that night – I wasn’t sure they’d come back to the rink they were hit so hard and we were on them so bad.

“Right. They beat us the next night and we had to go back to their building 2-2. He’s simply as focused on having his team prepared as any coach we’ve had.”

And maybe at catching everyone unprepared.

To find Spokane hungrily poking around near the top of the U.S. Division standings this season is a little like discovering a Ferrari under your Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

In its first two decades of existence, never had this franchise put together back-to-back 90-point seasons. Coming off three in a row, then, and given the loss of 82 goals from a pair of all-star forwards, quantum slippage seemed inevitable – to the point that even early in the fall, the most anticipated date was the January trade deadline and what it might bring for the future.

That was before the Chiefs won 18 of 24 games during the second third of the season.

“And so we didn’t feel it would be fair to this year’s group,” said Speltz, “with the success they’d had, to say, ‘We have to look to the future.’&#8201;”

Nor to the new coach who has more or less willed this bit of astonishment.

This is not to discount the remarkable jumps made by any number of youngsters of previously negligible accomplishment, or the MVP year Tyler Johnson has in the making or the leadership and consistency of nearly all the Chiefs veterans.

But this has the feeling of alchemy and, as such, needs an alchemist.

That the Chiefs had the opportunity to hire Nachbaur after his one-year toe-dip coaching in the American Hockey League was a gift; that they finally recognized the changing face of the WHL and took the leap away from “developing” a relative newbie was a whiff of hard reality.

“There are ex-NHL guys all over the Western Conference,” Speltz said. “Our guy has 450 wins in this league. That level of accomplishment is becoming the norm.”

If that means instant credibility, fine – but he’s not looking to sell his players on his credibility. His approach couldn’t be more basic.

“Earn it,” he said. “That’s always been my motto. I was given nothing in hockey. I had to earn my way through the ranks. And I think it’s a missing link in society today. I think our guys understand, now, that they earn the right to stay on the ice every night. They can earn their way off it, too.”

The message has not only been heard, but embraced. The Chiefs were the first WHL team to 200 goals, with 10 skaters in double figures. But they’re also among the league leaders in fewest goals allowed – though now their starting goaltender is out indefinitely.

“Don doesn’t accept ‘sometimes’ or ‘maybe,’&#8201;” Speltz said. “By the same token, we’ve never had a coach who agonizes over the players who have to sit out. Somebody has to every night, but it drives him crazy.”

The question with all overachievers – and for the sake of argument, let’s call the Chiefs that – is whether they can sustain the pace.

“You weigh what’s important – being fresh and ready for that first round of the playoffs or whipping the pony to the end to hang a banner and get that home-ice advantage,” Nachbaur said. “I’ve been on both sides, and I think our kids like being in striking position.

“We’re in the hunt. That’s where you want to be.”

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

Neat article about Red Berenson and his values at Michigan... I really like how players don't get their rings until they graduate.

The talent factory

by Nathan Sandals

March 9, 2011



Mike Knuble, shown here as a Stanley Cup-winning Red Wing in 1998, is one of 23 former U-M players in the NHL, the most by far of any university. (Photo: Mark Hicks.)

There are no National Hockey League teams that wear winged helmets. But it seems that everywhere you look in professional hockey's top league these days, there is a touch of maize and blue complementing each team's colors.

In the 2009-2010 season, 23 former Michigan hockey players laced up for an NHL team at least once, making Michigan the most represented college in the league.

"It's almost like a guy on every team has spent time in Ann Arbor," said Mike Knuble, who played at Michigan from 1991 to 1995 and is currently playing his 15th NHL season as an alternate captain on the Washington Capitals.

When it comes to former players in the NHL, no other college team comes close really. The Wisconsin Badgers ranked second with 17 former players in the NHL last year.

Consider Michigan's ubiquity in a different context: if the NHL reorganized and started with a draft of every current player, a franchise could fill its entire roster with former Wolverines and not need any other players.

Of course, the Michigan hockey program has been among college hockey's elite for over two decades. But the question remains: why is Michigan producing so many more NHL players than even the other top college programs?

The answer probably lies at the top, with head coach Red Berenson. A veteran coach who has been there and done that, Berenson knows what it takes to jump from the college game to the NHL and in fact blazed the trail as the first player to make that step in 1962, playing in his first NHL game the day after his final college game.

"I think you come in and you see Red's 17 years in the NHL and that speaks to a lot of kids," Knuble said. "He knows what it takes to get there. He's pretty honest with you at times, he's probably pretty blunt at times about your situation, about what you're actually getting accomplished and what you're doing, whether it's on the ice or off the ice."

Knuble is among the elder statesmen of former Michigan players in the NHL. One of the newest is Boston Bruins defenseman Steve Kampfer, who completed his Michigan career last year and has risen quickly to contribute significant minutes on the blue line each night.

Although Knuble and Kampfer were separated at Michigan by more than a decade, they share similar views on the value of Berenson's teachings in shaping them to be NHL players.

"There's a lot of little things that they always taught me," Kampfer said. "Red saying that you've got to play big in big games. Or I can always hear (assistant coach) Billy Powers telling me, 'Stop taking loops, tighten up your gap, you're drifting.' It's those little things, where you hear them over and over and over again while you're at Michigan and it's something that sticks in your head."

Most of all, both players said, it was the high standard of excellence Berenson imparted that they carried with them into the NHL.

Berenson agrees that the work ethic and balanced approach he instills are important values that contribute to success in the NHL.

"I think that's a big part of it, is the citizenship and the work ethic and the dedication and the sacrifice," Berenson said. "You can't come and just be a big party person and expect to stay on the ice and night after night be an effective player. They've got to learn to make good decisions. They've got to learn to make a serious commitment to their career and that starts here at Michigan."

More important to Berenson than success on the ice is a commitment to education and earning a Michigan degree. The coach holds two Michigan degrees, including a Masters in Business Administration earned during his NHL career.

The emphasis on education comes with a bit of enticement. Berenson refuses to give a departing player his Michigan ring until he has completed his degree. Knuble says that incentive played a role in his determination to return to Ann Arbor and earn his degree.

"That was a big thing, to get your ring," Knuble said. "He would hold that ring hostage in his desk until you could come and get it, until you earned it."

Berenson says it is harder to convince players to complete their four years of college today than it was in the past.

In recent years, some Michigan players have left for the NHL before they graduated. Some were pressured by NHL teams to join the pro ranks, even though it would mean playing in the minor leagues rather than the NHL.

"I think there is so much emphasis on this pro hockey career and maybe the money and so on that they forget about the value of the education and then they realize when hockey is over that, 'Jeez, I wish I would have finished school,'" Berenson said.

Berenson cites Jack Johnson, a stalwart defenseman who left Michigan after his sophomore year to join the NHL's Los Angeles Kings in 2007, as an example of a player who was ready to leave for the NHL, but has remained committed to obtaining his degree. Johnson has returned to Ann Arbor each summer since, taking classes to achieve that goal.

Seeing Berenson's success in developing NHL players and watching former Michigan stars such as Johnson, Kampfer and Knuble in the NHL impact current and future Wolverines.

"Knowing that all of those guys are there [in the NHL], it's obviously been working, so we just try to follow coach's lead," senior captain Carl Hagelin said.

Each August, Hagelin and his teammates have the chance to connect with the Wolverines that preceded them, when Berenson hosts an alumni weekend including games, golf and other activities. For many former players it is a highlight of the year.

Berenson understands.

"I came back (to Ann Arbor) every summer," Berenson said. "Even when no one else was coming back, I came back to visit my coach and friends on campus and spent some time here. It was the best four years of my life and it's nice to see that that hasn't changed much."

Re: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

VIGNEAULT STOPS CANUCKS' PRACTICE AFTER LACKLUSTRE EFFORT

TSN Staff April 4, 2011


A season that has already netted the Canucks the top seed in the NHL and the Presidents' Trophy wasn't enough for Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault to accept the effort he was getting from his players at practice Monday.

Following a rare home defeat to the NHL's worst team Saturday night and unimpressed with the lacklustre start of practice, the coach pulled the players aside for a brief message before starting up practice again.

"It wasn't a huge message. It was just basically a 'what are you guys doing out here? Let's wake up and play the way we want to play.' We've been professionals all season long and these last three games are still part of the regular season. So it's up to us to stay focused," said defenceman Kevin Bieksa.

"The start of practice wasn't good enough and we realized that too. After that it was fine. I think after last game we needed to sharpen up," said captain Henrik Sedin.

With nothing left to play for - save for individual accolades - the Canucks find themselves in a position of waiting for the playoffs to begin, but needing to keep that level of play that vaulted them to a franchise-best season.

"To stay sharp you've got to execute and you've got to work hard every day. If we do that we'll be fine," said goaltender Roberto Luongo. "If we lay off the gas and go through the motions the next week, then we might have a little bit of trouble getting going next week."

Vigneault didn't seem overly concerned with stopping practice.

"If a coach only has to stop practice one time during the year because he's not happy with execution or total involvement, it's been a pretty good year," he said.

The Canucks finish their regular season with games in Edmonton on Tuesday, their home finale Thursday against the Wild, and they end their regular season in Calgary Saturday night. The players are eager to finish the campaign off strong, regardless of result.

"If a team comes in and just plays better than us we'll accept that," Bieksa said. "But when we're not putting our best game out and putting an effort out like that last game, that's unacceptable. We're looking to build good habits in the last three."

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