Reply To: Game Intelligence / Decision Training

[hockeygod]

In another thread, Tom mentioned he didn't like to do punishments for the losers of activities.

TomM wrote:
I like the intrinsic motivation of wanting to succeed or win instead of extrinsic motivation. Not a big believer in punishing the losers (sorry Dean). We sometimes have them do things like a few push ups, pick up the pucks or skate the circles; but it is more for fun. Winning is a reward in itself and losing is the pits. If I have a team that is low in self motivation I may have more external consequences but I prefer to appeal to the need to get better so they and the team can succeed.

I respect Tom's philosophy and appreciate that he knows what his philosophy is. I also like how he ties things into the Team Covenant that Bob Murdoch has presented to Tom's coaching class. This got me to thinking…

WHAT IS YOUR COACHING PHILOSOPHY?

Let's make this the new question of the week / bimonthly / whatever it is we are calling it!

I challenge all of the coaches to put pen to paper (old school!) or fingers to keyboard and do the same. What do you stand for? , (And for bonus marks – WHY? You don't have to share the justification if you don't want to. The important thing is you can tell people what your stand for; and not just copy somebody else's because "it sounds good.")

"A man who stands for nothing, will fall for anything." – Macolm X – What does this mean to you?

I will go first this time; providing some justifications of what I do under Game Intelligence Training, based on my experience as a player, coach and researcher.

I have been subjected to the full gamut of coaching styles – no / some / lots of competition and accountability (rewards and punishments) as well as consistent / inconsistent application of them. As a player, I preferred a defined structure (competition and accountability) delivered in a consistent fashion as I felt I performed better in one like this; rather than a 'do you best' scenario. The feedback I get as a coach, is that both the players and parents (and administrators) prefer and appreciate this approach too – even more so in the last ten years (perhaps as society changes to one that allows entitlement? I don't know why…)

I would LOVE it if every kid / pro demonstrated their intrinsic motivation to succeed or win consistently. If they did, I wouldn't need to apply the accountability factor! But 90-95%(?) of the people I coach don't demonstrate this in their actions consistently – kids or pros (for whatever reason). So, by fine-tuning my philosophy to bring competition and accountability (rewards and punishments) to the forefront, this does several things:

1) It increases the attention to instructions given and the execution of the activity / decreases screwing around and 'wrong' performance (it helps keep performance within accepted bandwidth levels sooner and narrower (more desired performance and outcomes));

2) It allows for revolving leadership opportunities (I select different captains and let them keep score, make decisions for the team, etc.);

3) For those in the minority 5-10%(?) who possess and demonstrate this intrinsic motivation, they immediately excel in this environment and they learn to to deliver this more consistently. Everyone talks about how they are striving for consistency (hockey, football, basketball… wait, basketball is locked out these days!) – by holding people accountable all the time in practice, this breeds better habits during game situations.

4) For those in the majority 90-95%(?) (who aren't so lucky with their level of intrinsic motivation) – well, there is no more coasting and hiding in my activities and games; especially in the 1 vs 1's that I use almost 50% of the time… they figure out they must start to apply themselves on a regular basis or else they are on the receiving end of the accountability, more often than not. I don't control that as a coach; their performance (or lack thereof) in the activity dictates that. I am merely the person helping them conform to the standards of the game. Fortunately, humans are competitive by nature, so this is a natural evolution for them. These people usually elevate their level of play – some take longer to figure it out than the others – but in the end, they will figure it out. This starts out extrinsically for them; over time, good work ethic and habits BECOME intrinsic and this becomes their 'normal' way in practice and games!

I will post more on my coaching philosophy later… my kids are calling me!

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