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[hockeygod]

Checking Certification is a 7.5 hour course (Hockey Alberta is the only one I can comment on) which consists of about 5 hours of classroom time and 1.5 hours on-ice. The intent is to teach the coaches the theory and techniques of checking from contact confidence to body checking (give and receive a check.) I haven't been to one since they started doing this as I am not required to have this certification since I don't coach at peewee. (I just saw the manual last week for the first time.) I did work on several instructional videos for Hockey Canada in the early to mid 1990's and have been teaching the various levels of coach certification, so I am familiar with the terminology, etc.

I believe the head coach of each peewee team needs to attend this clinic prior to coaching their team. Hockey Canada is evolving their coaching certification to mandate regular updating of coaching certification – unlike up till now, once you achieve a certification, it doesn't expire (except for medical training / CPR, police checks, etc.) Not sure how frequently you will have to update – ongoing annually or every two or three years – and I don't know the scope of the renewals (repeat certification or take shorter update courses.)

I did watch the video link – most of these exercises were included in the Hockey Canada video back in the early 1990's. Bjorn did a generic rewrite of a few topics and then various organizations branded them with their national colours.

In an ideal world, all of the checking certification would happen before tryouts and assistant coaches (and then players) would also attend. Unfortunately, many coaches aren't named much before tryouts start in September and the local Minor Hockey Associations overwhelm Hockey Alberta with Checking Clinic requests at the last minute – then wonder why HA can't supply them with an instructor 'tomorrow'! Even though if the local MHA's name their coaches earlier, they can request a clinic at any time of the year! (Sometimes the MHA's forget to ask until tryouts are over!) Crazy!

Olympic size ice – they should have done this in the mid 1980's when everyone started building new rinks, luxury boxes, etc. Make them Olympic size, but have expanding / contracting seating to format to NHL size – like they did in Calgary when they built the Saddledome for the Olympics. They took this expandability out several years ago. Too late now because of the cost. Can't re-jig existing arenas because you would have to remove seats and this hits the owners in the pocketbook. Now with players bigger, stronger and faster than ever before, Olympic ice is an even better idea.

Soap box time:

You know what I really like… watching 4 on 4 overtime. Crazy quick transitions and more scoring chances with the ice opened up (less bodies and the players need to skate… get rid of the goons and eradicate fighting, head shots and stick work – 5 mins and a GM each infraction with escalating suspensions each occurance – if the NHL truly wanted to eliminate fighting, head shots, etc, this is all it would take!) Maybe we will end up playing 4×4 full-time on the the traditional NHL sized surface in lieu of 5×5… shrink the rosters to 16 skaters / team (NHLPA will be pissed!) … while we are at it, contract 6 teams and do a dispersal draft… Can you imagine how crazy good the hockey skills would be??!!

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