Reply To: Diary of a Season 2011-12

[hockeygod]

TomM wrote:
It is very difficult to teach players how to play away from the puck. Quick support, give a target, get open, make the easy play, go from offense to defense and defense to offense, 'attack so you can defend and defend so you can attack.'

Teaching Roles One, individual offensive skills, and Role Three, individual defensive skills is much easier because a player can work on these on their own. You need game situations to learn how to read the play and react to the cues to be effective in Game Playing Role Two, the offensive players without the puck and Game Playing Role Four, the defensive players away from the puck.

You can do drills to create some situations that mimic a real game but there is no decisions making. The players know it is a 2-1 or 3-3 etc., so they don't need to read the play and communicate with teammates.

It is important to play SAG and full ice games that create situations that require the players to support on offense and on defense after they have scanned the ice and read what the situation is and then make the appropriate decision.

Last night I worked on close support, facing the puck, giving a target, looking around before you get the puck by playing three full ice games.

Game One:
Full ice game of 8 on 8 with the rule that there must be at least on pass in each zone. We played for 7 minutes and I enforced the rule. The score ended up 0-0 so both teams skated across and back because neither team won.

Game Two:
Full ice game 8 vs 8 of Baggo and the rule of that is that you get 2 touches or one second with the puck. This game requires very quick decision making. Score was 1-0 and the losing team went across and back once.

Game Three:
Full ice game of 4-4 Baggo with 45" shifts, Pass back to the your goalie when the whistle goes to end the shift. The score was 2-1 and the losing team skated one across and back.

These games automatically cause the players to get their heads up, give and go, face the puck, give a target, give close support and a lot of other positive playing habits. Other by products of the games are fitness, fun and competitiveness.

Agreed!

Good practice Tom.

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