Reply To: The Winning Formula

[Tom Molloy]

Tex, Good discussion topic. A lot of questions at one time. I did a posting WHAT IS HOCKEY a while ago and Kai from Finland updated some of my stats on transitions in a game.

https://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/forums/reply/reply-to-player-development-the-10-000-hour-rule/

https://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/forums/reply/reply-to-what-happens-in-a-hockey-shift-8/

I think a team needs a template to play within. The individual offensive and defensive skills are the same no matter where you play but the team offensive and defensive patterns must be agreed upon on a particular team or everyone will be confused. i.e. If one D rotates on the pk and the other D doesn’t fill then attackers are left wide open.

Even if you play Total Hockey where all the players read if they are 1-2-3-4- or 5 the team has to agree they are pressuring or containing, how many on the forecheck, etc.

A young man who was the most promising youth player around here and was a second round NHL pick has just quit hockey. He seemed to be in a big rush and went to the NCAA as a midget player and they seemed to coach the creativity out of him and turned this highly skilled player into a checker who no longer seemed to believe in his ability. That is the danger of too much system coaching and putting a player into a defined role. Sometimes that is the new self-identity they take on.

So coaches have to strive to develop the Complete Player.

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