Diary of a Season 2011-2012: The Plan

[Kai K]

I'm really interested to hear and learn how other coaches plan their next year / season. So maybe this topic could be a place where you can share your approach to season planning.

On season 2011-2012 I'll be head coach of a U15-team (born 1997). This group is quite challenging for a few reasons.
1. Biological age, majority of boys seems to be -4 years from the average. But on the positive side it gives us more time to work with their skills
2. Athletism, generally amount of training is low. Do we have adequate skills base.
3. Lack of playing games. (And I mean any games soccer, basketball and hockey etc.)

Our focus is on games and learning by games on-ice and off-ice. We want to find ways to do blend our skills training into games.
Off-ice training is focused by physical development periods. At age of 12 to 15 years kids have great response to speed, elasticity and speed strength training. Also aerobic condition development period starts and last to age 20 years. Also we want to develop their flexibility. Goal is long-term development.

There is some background to my season planning. I'll try to update my progression here if you are interested. It would be great to hear some your ideas and approaches

Kai

[hockeygod]

Good new topic Kai! I will add to this post in the future… might be on what I did in the past with different levels as I am not coaching a team per se – then readers can extrapolate some themes for their own use.

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

[zhuyifan]

more spam to eliminate

[Petri Vaisanen]

Good topic Kai! I'll be looking for your plan and hopefully be able to add to this post in the future. Not yet 100 percent sure but seems I could be coaching the U15 also next season.

[DaveM]

I agree, great topic!

I thought about asking you guys how you plan out your seasons a little while ago, but I know all of you have shared this info before to some extent. I'll give it a shot this year and welcome any feedback. More to come later this week….

[hockeygod]

Koutsi97

Is it my aging eyes, or is the lion in your avatar drinking a tiny beer?

Hmmmm… maybe NOT. Hmmmph. I suggest you ask Kai for some photoshop help to rectify that situation… or get a picture of you drinking a BIG BEER!!!

OK now that I set you straight, let's get back to planning the 2011-2012 season. Please include the pertinent details at the start – the age / level / number of athletes (by position) / number of on vs off-ice practices per week / how many staff members will you have / etc.

Looking forward to it gents!

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

[Petri Vaisanen]

hockeygod wrote:
Hmmmm… maybe NOT. Hmmmph. I suggest you ask Kai for some photoshop help to rectify that situation… or get a picture of you drinking a BIG BEER!!!

I'm working on that picture but there usually nobody to take pictures when I drink my beer (I like this Finnish Karhu olut – Bear Beer).

Next season:
Age: U15 (97 borns)
Level: Travel/AAA (hard to say, there are no that kind of levels here, or is there Kai?)
Goalies: 2-3, Defense: 8-9, Offense: 12-13
Off-ice: 2-4 (not planned yet)
On-ice: 3-4 (not planned yet)
Coach: 2-3 (2 for skaters, one for goalies)

Last series game tonight and then some sort of "playoffs" – "final four" in couple weeks, after one months we will have a tournament near Praha (Chech). Then tryouts and new season starts…

[hockeygod]

Koutsi97,

If you drink alone, that is a sign of alcoholism…. 😉

If you are like Tom and myself, I am sure you have some fellow coaches who like to have a pint of beer to discuss some tactical points, seasonal planning, no?!!!

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

[Petri Vaisanen]

hockeygod wrote:
Koutsi97,
If you drink alone, that is a sign of alcoholism…. 😉
If you are like Tom and myself, I am sure you have some fellow coaches who like to have a pint of beer to discuss some tactical points, seasonal planning, no?!!!

I think I'm quite far from that, I don't have the time to become one 🙂. I understand your point but I think it is not habit here to take picture while drinking, it's not even habit of having a discussion while having some beers 😉. We actually talked about next season and the plan for it after the last night's game but you don't drink at the rink, no, no…

We are building our coaching team still, I'm not even sure if I'm needed there, so details to come later…

[Kai K]

(quick update)

Starting to get ready with the "big picture".

I really want us to play and learn to play smart. All out the year we want to keep the focus in the game. Surely we need to learn skills and get strenght etc. but make these exercises in the game as much as we can.

I have divided the season (year) in 10 periods. 8 periods 5 weeks long and 2 periods 6 weeks long. Each period has it's own focus in 5 categories; skills elements (e.g. balance, sense of rhythm, mobility etc.), hockey skills, physique, tactics, and mental qualities.

Maybe if i have time i'll try to translate the period plan sheet to english.

Kai

[hockeygod]

I should have more time to contribute to this topic later next week… If you have time to translate some of the big picture Kai, that would be interesting to see!

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

[Tom Molloy]

I will throw in my 2 cents worth here.

I am reading a book called "The Checklist Manfesto-How to Get Things Right" by Atul Gwande. He is a surgeon but gives examples how checklists are used in contruction and by pilots to get things right.

It has to be very specific and step by step when building something like an office tower that needs supporting structures before the floor is put in etc. In rushed situations like before a game a short To Do list is best.

A season plan is more like putting up a building but because it is working with people it is not so linear. Game understanding needs to compliment the skills. So what and how is only going to give you robotic players. Why, when and where need to be part of the plan.

George Kingston who was Dean of PE at the U of Calgary and head hockey coach, has been all over the world and a long time NHL asst. coach is a very inductive person. In his hockey coaching course he had a checklist of all the skills needed by a player. These were skating, puck handling, shooting etc. but not game understanding skills.

The list was down the sheet with check boxes on the right and the date worked on at the top. Each practice George would check off the skills worked on and the list became an easy way to keep track of the things you have done and the things that need to get done.

Maybe we could expand on this idea here by listing the skating skills, checking skills, puck handling skills etc. but also the team play concepts, good playing habits and game understanding needed.

So what are the physical and intellectual skills needed. After this what tools can the coach use to practice these skills. So drills for individual and team offensive and defensive play, SAG's, transition games etc.

What are the age appropriate building blocks?

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

[hockeygod]

Tom,

Thanks for the book title. What do you think of the book? Is it worthwhile?

I remember George's checklists. I still have them in a binder. Great idea to add physical / intellectual / thinking skills, etc. to them – and by age.

Coincidentally, but I created a document for the NWCAA in the late 1980's that I called a "Skills Consistency Program." I used George's checklist model and broke it down by age (Pee Wee, Bantam, Midget, Junior), showing progressions – but at that time, I didn't include the mental or physical components – it was all individual skills / Individual tactics / team tactics / systems based. After far too many hours of research and design, I presented it to the NW, they were to hand it out to the coaches at the respective age levels the following year, and then follow up with them (mentor the coaches) and then … nothing! The Board members moved on or did not get re-elected, so the impetus for change died. I don't know if they even handed them out to the coaches. It was pretty long – 20 + pages – and I remember I did it on a typewriter! I think I have a hard copy somewhere in my files; but I will let someone else take a run at this one!

I will be interested in seeing what people come up with!
——————————-
Dean I finished the book this morning and really enjoyed it. Lots of thought provoking ideas. Even if we made short check lists of what to cover before a game, what to have on hand for practicing and the roles of everyone involved. Start with the obvious (like did I leave the scissors in the patients stomach) and make it more specific in longer range plans.

Even the Old Timer tournament in St. Albert last month. The defibruator was gone for repairs. You have divisions over 70 and there is no defib machine. Someone should have used a check list. The goalie who died probably would have appreciated it.

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

[hockeygod]

Here's a Junior hockey perspective on planning. They are operating on a 3-4 year 'cycle' where in minor hockey, it is year to year or a 2-year cycle, at best.

Soetaert admits it's time to rebuild Silvertips
After a lackluster 2010-11 campaign, the Tips' GM says it's time to get back to basics and build for the long term.

By Nick Patterson, Herald writer Published: Sunday, April 3, 2011

EVERETT — The term "rebuilding" has been taboo in these parts since the Everett Silvertips began play in 2003. From Day 1 Everett announced its intention to be as competitive as possible each and every year, with making the playoffs the minimum requirement.

It's an indication of Everett's situation that Tips general manager Doug Soetaert is finally willing to utter the "R" word.

Coming off a disappointing 2010-11, the Tips are admitting the 2011-12 season will be a rebuilding one in Everett.

"We've been reloading and reloading and reloading every year because we wanted to make the playoffs," said Soetaert, who acknowledged over-projecting this season's team. "But at some point in time it was going to catch up to us, and honestly it's caught up to us. So the new word is 'rebuilding,' not 'reloading.'

"We're all on the same page. The owners, Craig (Hartsburg, Everett's coach), myself, we're all on the same page with what has to be done here."

The Tips are coming off a disappointing season in which they went 28-33-7-4, finished eighth in the Western Conference and were swept by Portland in the first round of the playoffs.

With the limited resources at the team's disposal for next season, the Tips are gearing up for the long term rather than the short term.

"We're going to have to battle next year to make the playoffs," Soetaert said. "But there's a light at the end of the tunnel. I like what we've got with our young guys who were here this year. We'll be hard working. That's what we want, a team that shows that consistent work ethic."

With the rebuild comes a different philosophy in how to assemble a roster. This season's team included several core players who were acquired via trade within the past 18 months, including its captain (Landon Ferraro) and all three overagers (Clayton Cumiskey, Chad Suer, Parker Stanfield). Going forward the Tips are committed to building from within and re-establishing their own brand.

"We can't continue to bring other people's players in to win a championship every year," Soetaert said. "It catches up to you. You have to get back to creating your identity and bringing your players through your system."

Everett has two tremendous pieces to begin the building process in defenseman Ryan Murray and goaltender Kent Simpson. Murray, who will be an 18-year-old, is already being talked about as a top-10 pick in the 2012 NHL draft. Simpson, who will be 19, should be a rock in net in his second season as the outright No. 1, especially after weathering the adjustment to full-time duties and emerging stronger.

But where will the goals come from? Everett finished dead last in the Western Conference in goals this season with 171. Winger Tyler Maxwell, Everett's lone consistent source of offense this season with 41 goals, should be back as an overager. But there isn't a whole lot beyond that, and the Tips don't have the kind of can't-miss offensive prospects one can expect to make an immediate impact upon arriving in the WHL.

The Tips are hoping an attitude adjustment can help compensate.

"We just have to come together as a group and really be determined as a group to want to win," Simpson said. "Not that we didn't want to win this year, but I think sometimes we had lapses in our dedication to wanting to be an outstanding team, and bringing that every day. I think next year we're going to be expected to work every day we're at the rink. The coaches made it clear that next year is going to be an improvement from this year, and that will be something to look forward to."

Soetaert said all of Everett's returning players, beyond a select few, will be auditioning to retain roster spots.

Everett has six returning players eligible for the three overage roster spots. Soetaert said Maxwell and defenseman Brennan Yadlowski would likely occupy two of those. Ferraro and defenseman Rasmus Rissanen both are strong candidates to play professionally next season, but could be returned. Forwards Josh Birkholz and Scott MacDonald are the others in contention.

As for newcomers, the status of Everett's highest-profile prospect is still up in the air. Defenseman Seth Jones, a first-round bantam pick in 2009 and the son of former NBA player Popeye Jones, is currently playing for the U.S. National Team Development Program. He has yet to commit either to the Tips or an NCAA school.

Everett has a large number of other 1994-born prospects — 17-year-olds next season — in its system who will be among the candidates for the rebuild. Forwards Kohl Bauml and Jordyn Boyd, defenseman Darian Henry and goaltender Andy Desautels have already signed education contracts with the Tips, with Boyd and Desautels each making their WHL debuts this season during call-ups. Others in the mix include wingers Carson Samoridny and Trent Lofthouse.

Among Everett's 1995-born prospects, center Ryan Chynoweth, the team's top bantam pick from 2010 who's also signed, is the most-likely player to make the team as a 16-year-old.

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

[Robert Mattson]

We already have tryouts coming up for my Tier II mite team. I would prefer the luxury of picking the team in September, but that is the nature of our organization. As for picking a team, one thing I noticed last season is that, among the kids who had already been playing for at least two years, the best skaters improved the most during the season and the weakest skaters improved the least (everyone improved a great deal, though, thanks to the ABCs method of running practices). This surprised me, but most of the experienced coaches on this board, even at the elite levels, appear to put a priority on skating. So, I will be picking a team primarily based on skating ability and on their performance in small area games. As for the season, I intend to keep a heavy emphasis on skating and increase the emphasis on stickhandling with the head up.

Any luck on finding those checklists, Dean?

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