Reply To: Discussion – Teaching game concepts to younger players

[hockeygod]

Don't get me going… I hate parents / coaches who yell. In Russia, parents drop the kids at the rink and are not allowed in! Shut the Hell up and let the kids PLAY, make mistakes / figure it out themselves. By yelling, (and TELLING), we stifle creativity and a kid's desire / ability to critically think and problem-solve. Don't spoon feed them – give them the "rules of engagement" and let them experiment with it. Look at Tony Wagner's book, "The Global Achievement Gap" and his seven concepts. We are still teaching and coaching under a 19th cy mentality and it is the 21st cy! We are coaching ALL WRONG for how kids learn now… we (adults) need to change!

First, do the kids understand what a breakout is / why they must do it / when they should do it / how they should do it? Sounds like a stupid question, but REALLY, do your kids have a detailed understanding? I am betting some have a superficial understanding – probably some adults couldn't show their depth of understanding to this Q either! Ask them why… don't tell them. Let them figure it out.

Second, are your kids capable of executing the basic skills and utilizing the individual and team tactics required for a break out? Do you as a coach know what those basic skills / individual / team tactics are? If so, list them all and evaluate your kids on all of the skills indiv tactics / team tactics. Break the outcome down (a successful breakout using various 'ways') in the team tactic / individual tactics / skills and practice the parts.

1. Teach the kids to execute skills… (proper technique)
2. at speed…
3. with their head up… (so they can see the play and make correct decisions)
4. under pressure… (because drills can never simulate real games!)
5. consistently!

Third, if you teach proper technique and incorporate small area games stressing moving the puck from one zone to another (make it into a game – not a static 'drill'), the game (not the drill and not the coach!) becomes the best teacher and the kids will learn all kinds of things… no doubt surprising you!

I wouldn't even worry about teaching them systems until they are 14+. If you do a good job teaching the O principles (transition, puck control, support & pressure) and the D principles (transition, stall / contain, support & pressure), you don't need systems. The kids will do it on their own – again surprising you.

I coached against Dan MacDonald in Midget AAA and he always beat me. I couldn't figure out his systems, even with video and pre-scouting, because they didn't play systems. Boy did I feel relieved when after the fact, he told me his secret… he never taught them systems! He harped on SKILL DEVELOPMENT TECHNIQUE and the individual and team tactics that went into the above O & D principles. This includes the PP and PK! He won the Alberta Midget AAA league several times and went to the national championship a few times. He was successful at other levels too.

Methinks it's time to embrace the Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) or Game Sense model. Google these terms and happy reading! (Lots of this stuff on these forums / also, buy Tom's book 2 as he has details many activities that employ skill development and decision-making!)
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Dean, I don't think that we can assume that young players have some sort of a priori knowledge of team play concepts like the breakout. I agree that most of the practice should be on acquiring the skills and using them in game situations but I also think that it is important to give them a template of how they should work together as a team. give them options on the breakout like reverse, counter etc. but also have everyone play every position and use 1-2-3-4-5 as the guideline. 1- on the puck, 2 – in front of the net 3- on the strong side boards 4 – mirror from the middle 5 – weak side support reading a. wide, middle, stretch. In other words "Guided Discovery" as opposed to "Unguided Discovery".

When you play games you have to put the players in positions for the opening faceoff and as they progress you want them in the "Home Position" that suites their talents and from there play 1-2-3-4-5 with the confidence that the players with the home position of Forward are able to understand and perform the tasks of the players with the home position of Defense and visa-versa.

So everyone learns how to play a defensive and offensive 1-1, knows how to cycle, play a box and one in their end because everyone has practiced the needed skills and not just F or D.
Tom
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Agreed!

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