Reply To: Game Intelligence / Decision Training

[Tom Molloy]

I have had house guests the last two weeks so computer time is restricted.

Consequences: There should always be consequences in an effective practice but I believe the puck in your net or in the opposition net is the consequence. That tells you if what you are doing is right or wrong.

Before or after a drill or game I tell the players why they are doing a skill and why it will help them to be better individually and as a team. If players are not practicing the skill properly in either a game or a drill I will talk with them to find what they are thinking and if it is consistently wrong I will stop everyone and bring them in to explaning the point of the activity and how it will make them better.

The team makes a covenant that states what the players and team goals are and this is my template to how much input I give.

Last night I talked about individual goals and team goals and what college scouts look for. We talked about good habits and good technique. I told them that winning or losing is NOT an accident and went over the goals we gave up on the weekend and how good habits and techinque would prevent them. I used the games as examples of how shooting instead of making poor percentage passes would help us score more. We then did drills and games to practice good habits and techniques.

The consequences are:
– you lose instead of win close games.
– losing teams don't get recruited very much.
– scouts watch and see how you play in all four game playing roles. You need to be competent on both offense and defense.

Losing team last night did 5 push ups; more a way to point out the other team won.

If you want to get better to create more opportunities for yourself and for the team to succeed, then you compete hard in practice.

As Joan Vickers says in her Decision Making book; the players need to become independent thinkers and not rely on coach input all of the time.

So I say 'The Game is the Great Coach' and the consequence is losing the or winning the game. If you do the right things only to 'Avoid Punishment; how independent are you when the 'Coach' isn't around.

So that is my opinion and why I always appeal to stated individual and team goals.

During a game players constantly make reads and use acquired skills and habits that will help them to be successful. The coach has to make sure that these are covered in practice and the players have to make sure they become part of their toolbox.

'The Game is the Greatest Coach'
'Enjoy the Game'