Reply To: Game Intelligence / Decision Training

[hockeygod]

Empower your creative instincts this summer

Jack Blatherwick, Let’s Play Hockey, March 22 2012

“Empower your players. They have to make instantaneous decisions on the field. We coaches can’t make those decisions for them in games … and we shouldn’t. We must let them make mistakes and learn. Brain scientists tell us that the more we correct players and tell them what NOT to do, the more we lose creativity. Development depends on how well they learn to read the game. Make suggestions later. Encourage players to try new attacks, but don’t tell them what NOT to do.”
— Jürgen Klinsmann, U.S. Soccer Coach on developing ‘field sense.’

Rink sense, vision, read-react decisions, creativity, confidence, poise: These are the highest priorities for success in hockey – more than skating, shooting, stickhandling, passing, receiving, strength, speed or acceleration. Of course the secondary list is important, but training for instantaneous mental skills is under-coached – and negatively impacted by over-emphasis on systems featuring mistake-free, rigid, defense-minded game plans.

Why do I bring this up at the end of the season rather than at the beginning? Because I have no confidence that advice from the leading soccer coach in the world will change youth coaches in hockey or soccer. Winning each game has become too important to employ a fun, relaxed, trial-and-error approach to development in the U.S. Therefore, we are not promoting enough offensive geniuses for the large number of participants and world-class facilities in our country. After all, in a recent poll by The Hockey News, American NHL players believed only six Americans rank in the top 50.

Expert TV commentators in playoff games will not point you in the right direction as you plan for summer development. They sound like broken records, “Hit. Hit. Hit. Hit. Team A has to be more physical this period. They must establish a physical presence. Finish checks. Take the body. Count the hits (not the creative passes). Don’t get too cute. Don’t make turnovers. Don’t over-pass. Dump it in deep. Don’t get fancy.”

Of course, playing the body is important, and by playoff time, you must avoid mistakes, play solid defense and finish checks in the D-zone. But we’re talking about summer programs to develop offensive playmaking abilities. So, model your summer training after brilliant playmakers like Wayne Gretzky or the Sedin twins.

Unfortunately, they aren’t doing commentary on TV, but you can bet they wouldn’t advise you to hit more than you pass this summer? Real experts – those who have done a lot of research on learning – recommend unstructured scrimmage games to develop rink sense, vision, read-react decisions and poise. This is hockey without a scoreboard, without constant warnings from coaches about mistakes – hockey with thousands of quick decisions, trial-and-error, relaxed fun and plenty of mistakes.

Don’t pay for structure this summer. You get too much of that in the winter. Shoot pucks on your own; stickhandle; work on skating off the ice; play other active sports. Keep it simple, fun, and constructive.

Save money and improve your game. Minimally-structured, fast-paced scrimmages are hard to beat. Volunteers can run these. Get two different colored jerseys so there is lots of passing. Two goalies are important. Leave the scoreboard off and compete for pride and prestige.

Herb Brooks would say, “The only mistakes that matter are mistakes of omission.”

Try anything. Pavel Datsyuk would

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For the last two weeks with my Grade 8 class, we had them 'draft' 5 equal teams and we 'scrimmage' 6 vs 6 (or 6 vs 5 or whatever if kids are missing that day) full ice. We have different coloured pinnies to keep things organized. As a 'shinny' session, we put out minimal rules. We don't have goalies and don't use shooter tutors. All the teams get on ONE bench and move up accordingly as others come off. We play for 30+ minutes in a 55 minute session. Lots of creativity and problem solving and accountability. We have kids at all levels – Bantam AAA, Bantam AA, Tier 1-5 bantam / midget, 3 female Bantam AAA, 2 ringette girls, and a few kid who this is their first or second year of skating / hockey. The kids LOVE IT – including those with less skill – as they feel like they are a part of a 'team' and are involved in the games.

The basic Rules of Engagement (ROE):

1) No offsides. Play it like a game – otherwise the offending team gives up the puck to the other team. If a goal is scored on an offside, it doesn't count and is a turnover.

2) You can score from anywhere in the offensive zone. (You can add other discriminators if you want… add two open nets in each end; can only score on the backhand; must be a 'clean' goal – only hit mesh – not posts, crossbar or not be along the ice – has to be in the air, etc.)

3) It is a transition game so when you score, you dig the puck out and attack the opposite net QUICKLY!

4) Team that is scored on, SPRINTS to the one bench (no gliding or STOP! Everybody out to do 10/10 then 20/20 pushups/situps! Every time it happens, we stop them. After 3 times, they bust their asses to the bench!)

5) New team jumps on IMMEDIATELY when a goal is scored – no waiting for the other team to come off.

6) Kids are responsible to keep track of how many goals they score. Captains on each team are responsible to gather the totals and bring it to the coach at the end. Coach keeps track too… if there are any discrepancies, 10/10, etc! Coach is ALWAYS right. Deal with it. Just like an official, no arguments, no discussion, no negotiation. Zip it and do the pushups / situps!

7) Integrity Rule: We watch kids at random perform their 10/10, etc. If we count less than the required amount, everyone does 20/20 again… and we will keep doing it if we catch 'cheaters'. The kids have learned to add 2-3 extra on both the pushup / situp side… just to make sure! (The teacher did a piece on Integrity and what it means in class that I forwarded to him as well. It is amazing to see the difference in these kids since this was introduced two weeks ago!)

Unlike Jack, I believe in keeping score and holding kids accountable as 'life' tends to keep score itself and I believe we are here to help kids prepare for that inevitability (kids keep track of the score anyways – humans are naturally!) That said, I would love to see 'less structure' and see opportunities presented to kids where they can just 'play' without adults controlling things. However, as an instructor I don't get paid to 'do nuttin' in school' (!!!!) but I remember how great those days were on the outdoor rink… with 40 kids playing… all ages and skills… you learned to keep your head up and compete or you wouldn't ever get the puck! This is as close as it will get in a school program!

"The Game is the best teacher of The Game!"

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