Reply To: Game Intelligence / Decision Training

[KevinC]

Since we're not at Christmas just yet and I wanted to weigh in on the philosophy question, I'd like to share something I put together for my coaching portfolio.

Some background first, I only coached as an assistant for one season for a first-year ACHA program, but have been around the game and sports most of my life first playing them growing up and now as a sportswriter covering pro and college sports although I really want to get back to coaching.. I like to say "The game doesn't need me, but I need the game." Going to the rink or the ballpark everyday is nice and all, but I still feel so removed from the emotions of being a part of the team and making a difference to the players. Even with college kids it was great seeing the confidence and development from September to the end of the season.

So without further adieu…

My coaching philosophy begins with people. Marc Crawford once said that a coach coaches in one of two ways: The way that he was coached, or the way that he wanted to be coached. I’ve played and worked with enough coaches to realize that my style is based on a little bit of both.

I want to create a “family” atmosphere within the team. In creating this atmosphere it gives the players and staff a stake in the success. It is through communication and empowerment that everyone feels like a part of the team. By “keeping them out of the loop” they start to feel alienated and stop seeking to achieve the goals of the team.

This also creates trust within in the team. The players trust the coach; the coach trusts the players; the players trust each other. This to me is the fundamental part of bringing a team together. So much so, that I believe the term team building is a bit of a misnomer, I prefer the term trust building.

I also believe that a coach is nothing more than a teacher. At this level, it is a matter of teaching players how to be successful both in hockey and in life.

On the ice

I believe in a disciplined aggressiveness. Defensively we challenge the opponent all the way up the ice. Make the other team make a mistake in its defensive end so we can capitalize on the offensive end. Offensively, a lot depends on the talent. With a big strong team, the goal should be to get the puck down low and use size to advantage. With a smaller, quicker team, use that to our advantage by using speed and skill to quickly bring the puck up the ice to generate offense. I will go into further detail in Section 3: Systems.

Off the ice
I’m a big believer in communication. Today’s athlete doesn’t do something just because a coach or manager says so. It is important to get the point across on why something must happen, not just that it must. I create an open environment for the players to talk about anything and everything whether it involves hockey or not.

In addition, I believe in extensive use of video however not to the point of overkill. At the professional and college level with practice time limited by the volume of games as well as the travel, I feel that video is one of the best teaching methods available if used judiciously with the players. I also use the video to grade each player after every game.

I break the season up into smaller game segments after which I meet with every player to discuss his play over this stretch. With the grading system and video, it is easy to point to a game or games and point out what was working or not with a particular player or line. If an issue needs to be addressed immediately, it will be whether or not it is the end of a segment.

Also, I maintain an open door policy for the players with myself and the staff. I know some may be reluctant to discuss things with the head coach, which is why it is important for the assistant coach/coaches to also be available to the players. I also subscribe to the theory of having a “leadership group” and try to meet with them at least every other week to go over any concerns they may have and get their input.

It would be foolhardy to think that all players must be treated the same way. But what I have developed is the TEAM=GOAL concept. TEAM=GOAL stands for Trust, Execution, Accountability and Motivation equals a Greater Overall Achievement Level. If the players can put out the four variables it will lead to achieving the goals of the team. It essentially is getting the players to commit to a total team effort.