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[hockeygod]

Tom,

Good post regarding the age of introduction of checking. Wait till 15 (Minor Midget) but only if all the 15 year-olds play together – not with 14 year-olds or with 16 / 17 year-olds – so they are all in the same boat. But I guess you could still have some pretty big gaps in size and strength here. Waiting later (15) does introduce the "testosterone factor" where the kids want to test each others mettle physically – so they might be more prone to try to separate the body from the head instead of the puck from the man – especially since it is a novelty and they have been waiting for this! Maybe younger is better – less testosterone, smaller bodies, less mass, less acceleration, less distance to fall (lower centre of gravity), etc.

A friend I teach with asked why we don't teach checking earlier when the kids are closer in size – say in Atom (ages 9-10?) – prior to Peewee. Good point as the growth spurt usually hasn't hit yet.

What I see now is the kids and their parents (and to a lesser extent, the coaches) panicking as they graduate from Atom into Peewee (age 12 turning 13 – when the current checking age is set.) Often, the coaches haven't been selected yet; they can't get their checking certification until after tryouts and by then, the new incoming kids from Atom have already had to try out in checking conditions for which they are unprepared (and afraid.) I had a few parents try to rent ice this summer to have me teach their kids in advance.

Regardless of the age, coaches need to be selected well enough in advance such that they can complete a checking clinic prior to tryouts. The kids should be able to attend a checking skills camp prior to tryouts. This would put more people at ease – including the parents.

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."