Diary of a Season 2011-12

[hockeygod]

Great way to document and provide the 'evidence' of how the system is working for you Tom! It is gratifying to have one's decision 'bear fruit' – particularly in the playoffs! I will have to look at your game schedule to see if I can catch a game. I watched the Edge girls play POE last Saturday and it was a terrific game… the Edge won in O/T. Great skills and pace.

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Dean, we are not sure who we play but the series will start Saturday. There was a protest launced and Alberta Hockey may reward the series to the Bruins. I don't know why. The only thing I can think would cause this is if you used an ineligible player or affiliate. Otherwise we play the first two games vs Medicine Hat in their home rink.

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

[Tom Molloy]

We had two one 75 and one 90 minute on ice practice and one off ice session with 30 minutes of spin on the bikes and 30 minutes of core and flexibility.

We really focused on skills in the on ice sessions. Lots of passing, puck handling and shooting. While the goalies worked with Natalie we played variations of keepaway with passing rules. The Luhowy passing sequence facing each other is a good neutral zone drill to get lots of passing with balance exercises like touching both knees added.

We played games like two pass in one zone with rules such as; only one second with the puck and another game was you have to make an escape move before passing.

Three man weave stressing skate to the inside and pass to the outside and the middle drive.

Transition game of 1-1 with a sequence of support, breakout, attack, defnd, rest. Two games went on at the same time at each end. A full ice transition game of 2-2 with the offense getting support at the point. The point players can't go in past the top of the circles and they can only have the puck for one second before a pass or shot. Attackers screen, tip and defenders box out and seal the sticks to the outside.

We worked on some power play options vs high pressure as well.

Pracitce one we ended with a change on the go shootout and tonight we played rebound for 6 minutes.

We play at Medicine Hat Saturday and Sunday afternoons and then two in Calgary on Friday and Saturday and if needed back to Medicine Hat Sunday.

It should be fun. Both teams skate well and work hard.
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The picture is of my team with the Turkish National Team Captain Deniz Ince

Attachments

• 

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

[Tom Molloy]

We travelled 2.5 hours for game one of the southern division best of five final. Medicine Hat won their last series 3-2 in double ovetime. They lost the first two games and won the final three. We lost our first game and won the last three.

Like last series we lost 0-3. 0-0 after one, 0-2 after two and in the third they blocked a point shot on our power play and got a breakaway and scored to win 0-3. They deserved the win and won about 60% of the loose pucks. Basically out competed us.

We bused home and go back tomorrow for game two.

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

[Tom Molloy]

We played really hard and the shot sheet says 31_24 for us in shots but we lost 4_5. We deserved better. My player who is leading in playoff scoring got smoked with three minutes to go and just sent me a text that the x ray shows a sprained and not broken ankle. That was two away games. The next two are home and the fifth on the road.

This week on ice Monday, spin and plyo Tuesday, Wed off, Thurs on ice friday, Saturday, Sundays games.

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

[Tom Molloy]

There was confusion on the date of the Spin Class and no instructor was there. The players took control and instead of going home they warmed up with a few laps around the track, did core exercises with each player leading one and then Kiera, an assistant captain took the leader bike, mike and music and led a 30 minute spin session.
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F – Spin Class on Exercise Bikes – U18 Girl’s – Player Led

Key Points:
Work the various aerobic and anaerobic energy systems and pay attention to the work/rest ratio.

Description:
Players take turns sprinting on the bikes. They are in groups and play Rock – Paper – Scissors to choose which group goes next.

https://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/videos/watch/o-spin-class-on-exercise-bikes-u18-girls-player-led/

Attachments

• F – Spin Class on Exercise Bikes – U18 Girl’s – Player Led.pdf (602 KB)

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

[ICEMAN]

You have to love leadership!!

Stay healthy and all the best towards the team's Championship.

Iceman

[Tom Molloy]

Iceman, I couldn't help it but when I read your comment a tear came to my eye.

All a coach can ask for is players who care.
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We have three games this weekend to keep going. This team was written off at the start because we have five players who played the level below last year and two who were put on waivers from last year team. We are the only Calgary team still in the playoffs. Last series we won the last three games vs. the first place team. Now we have to do the same vs. the second place team.

Playoffs are great to show character and determination.
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I was looking though some pictures and saw a document with the coaches I was with in Austria; so have attached it.

Attachments

• 

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

[Tom Molloy]

We had a one hour practice last night to prepare for the second half of our 3 of 5 series. We are behind 0-2; so must win all 3. The goal was to review everything and play at a quick pace.

March 15 Practice – one hour

A200 Balance and Edges with a Shot
http://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/mediagallery/video.php?n=20111005152108885

D4 Two Pass
With 14 skaters it was 3-3 at one end and 4-4 at the other.
https://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/videos/watch/d4-two-pass-swiss-u20/

B600 2-0 with 2 Shots
http://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/mediagallery/video.php?n=2012030911374190

B600 Double Regroup Options
1- Double regroup and attack 2-0.
2- Double regroup with the second a dump in – breakout – attack 2-0.
3. Doulbe regoup with the second a dump in – breakout – attack 2-1.
http://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/mediagallery/video.php?n=20120301090901108

TD400 Team Play Review
We used this rotation for 5-5 and specialty teams. On the 5-5 they had to dump in the puck to practice the forecheck and dzone coverage. After attacking the new defending team must come up and touch the red line and then go back.

TD400 Specialty Team Scrimmage
Key Points:
Rotation is Attack-Defend-Rest. Number the players so they know when to not defend. In even numbered situations you can require the defenders to breakout into the neutral zone before passing.
Description:
1. Power play attack vs 2 Fand 2 D.
2. Defenders ice the puck and rest.
3. Group waithing at far blue attack.
4. Original attackers now defend 1 short.
5. Goalies rotate in.
6. Create any situation by changing the number of attackers or defenders.
7. Even strength can also be practiced.
*Option is to have waiting players breakout from behind the goal line and do a pk forecheck.
TD400 Specialty Team Scrimmage.jpg
TD400 Specialty Team Scrimmage.pdf

E1 Game of Rebound
http://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/search.php?query=rebound+game&keyType=all&type=mediagallery&mode=search

Attachments

• 
• TD400 Specialty Team Scrimmage.pdf (292 KB)

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

[Tom Molloy]

Losing our top player who was leading the playoffs in scoring was too much for us and the team played hard but they just had too much talent in the end and move on to the Provincial finals vs Edmonton. The winner of that series plays the winner of British Columbia and that winner moves on to the Canadian Championships in Prince Edward Island.

It was a great group of players, coaches and parents to work with and I really enjoyed this season. We went far beyond anyones expectations by beating the first place team in the second round. We didn't have enough top end players to afford to lose our best player who may be the best one in the league.

A motion has been approved by the Calgary association to have one elite team and two development teams in the AAA league next season. They believe that we are losing a lot of top players to sports schools because the talent pool isn't deep enough to have 3 competitive AAA teams. They want on team that can do well in major tournaments and deep enough to go to the Canadian Championships.

It isn't a final decision yet.

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

[hockeygod]

Tom,

Tough luck losing your best player and the series. It sounds like your team overachieved though.

Interesting discussion surrounding the number of AAA midget teams. Since I was involved with GHC several years ago, I have thought that the current structure doesn't work. It is not a self-supporting structure. Too many flagship teams at the top and not enough teams below them to support the structure (3 AAA midget teams; only 2 AAA bantam teams; and a handful of A bantam and A midget teams).

The structure needs to built with a larger development foundation and a leaner elite top.

I don't know how many girls are enrolled in Calgary at the various levels so I don't know if they have the numbers, but perhaps a structure similar to this: 4 bantam B and 4 bantam A; 2 bantam AAA; 4 midget B and 4 midget A; 2 midget AAA teams. This would give a good number of development teams (plus house league for any levels not mentioned here) while providing a self-supporting structure.

I know Edmonton only has 1 AAA midget team (with one AAA bantam team in their city) – not sure of A and B midget teams there. What are your thoughts? You are more in touch with GHC than I.
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Dean I think we were 2 F and 2 D away from being a legitimate contender to go to the Canadian Championship.

Competition Anxiety may be the touhgest thing to coach. You get them to a high level of skill and then some players can't perform even close to their skill level because the situation paralyzes them.

It doesn't matter though. It was an honour and a privilege to work with this group of players. A coaches dream.

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

[Author]

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