Game Intelligence / Decision Training

[hockeygod]

Don't worry Kai, your typing looks good and we can't tell how long it takes!!! 😉

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

[hockeygod]

The Importance of Speed of Mind in Hockey

Alan Bass, NHL Blogger, “The Psychology of Hockey”, Feb 11 2012

If you look at some of the best players in the NHL today – Sidney Crosby, Pavel Datsyuk, Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Evgeni Malkin, Steven Stamkos, and more – there is a common thread between their skill sets. Each of these players has differing techniques they use that utilize their strengths and hide their weaknesses, yet each of them manage to flaunt their talents because of their ability to make split-second decisions – “hockey sense”, as it is known in the hockey world. In fact, Wayne Gretzky will be the first to tell you that he was far from the most talented player when he was tearing up the NHL record book in the 1980s and 1990s. The reason he was successful is because he had an uncanny ability to anticipate the play and know exactly what each of the other nine players on the ice would do in any given situation. As he famously said, “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.”

Anatoli Tarasov, the famous Soviet Coach (known as the architect of the powerhouse Soviet hockey teams in the 1960s and ’70s) had a famous saying: “Speed of hand, speed of foot, speed of mind. The most important of these is speed of mind. Teach it.”

Logically, this would make sense. You could be the fastest skater in the world, have a shot that hits the back of the net nine times out of ten, and an uncanny ability to pass the puck. But if you are unaware of the flow of the game, how a situation will unfold, or even where you should be positionally at all times, those talents will be useless, just as the valedictorian of Harvard Business School needs an awareness of the business world and its trends or his 4.0 GPA will be for naught.

Tarasov’s hockey teams would train for endless hours utilizing drills that allowed players to practice their creativity and develop their decision-making. In addition, players understood that at all times, the puck has the ability to move faster than any player on the ice. This led to his famed system consisting of short, quick, accurate passes, causing opponents to be left spinning around, looking for where the puck might be next. Not only were players expected to have this ability to connect with each other on a constant basis, but they were also expected to have such quick decision-making abilities that they would know what they wanted to do with the puck before they even received a pass. Tarasov helped accomplish this desired goal by creating drills that forced players to anticipate the play before it happened.

One drill he used consistently was a three-on-three rush in which players were not allowed to hold the puck for more than two seconds. This caused them not only to pass the puck, but to predict where each player would be before he even received the initial pass. Another drill he used was a three-on-three in the offensive zone with a wild card player standing stationary at the blue line. Only the team with the puck could use that player, creating almost a 4-on-3 advantage. If there was a turnover, the defensive team had to get the puck back to the wild card in order to switch and become the offensive team. Drills such as these help to stimulate players’ minds by creating a common goal (maintain control of the puck and score) while also launching enough spontaneity into the drill to force players to think outside the box.

Teaching hockey players is much more than simply standing in front of a white board and drawing X’s and O’s. It’s about creating an environment where players have the ability to both make mistakes and succeed creatively. Why use two players in a drill when you can force more creative plays with three? Why use the full ice when you can put cones in certain areas and direct the play as such? By utilizing creativity and forcing players to develop this speed of mind, they can develop even more efficiently and have smarter, more able hockey minds.

—–

I spend LOTS of time on 1 v 1 first (Igor's study = 1 v 1 occurs 45% of the time in a game) then progress to 2 v 1 / 1 v 2 and 2 v 2. I will eventually work up to 3 v 3 once the other situational building blocks have been put in place. I rarely, if ever, get to 4 v 4 or more in the skill academy setting. I might add a joker on offense to create 4 v 3's…

I would also add that you need to create a positive environment where the players are encouraged to fall over, make mistakes, etc. and then learn from it; as that is how most people learn! Kids shouldn't get yelled at for making honest mistakes or trying something. Yes, they need to be held accountable, but in the proper way. Once the players understand you (the coach) care about them as individual people and are working with them, the trust and respect factor is established.

"They don't care about how much you know until the know how much you care."

This is a sacred element – use this relationship wisely coaches!

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

[hockeygod]

Creating Speed of Mind in a Hockey Player

Alan Bass, NHL Blogger, “The Psychology of Hockey”, Feb 18 2012

Over the last few hundred years that hockey has existed, both professionally and casually, players developed their abilities and their understanding of the game by playing shinny, pond hockey, or just playing around in the comfort of their own backyard, driveway, or basement. However, over the last couple decades, hockey has transformed into an indoor game, played only within the context of a 200’ x 85’ rink surrounded by Plexiglas and boards filled with enough ads to look like a NASCAR event.

Although it has its pros (e.g. bigger rink size, higher quality ice, much less chance of frostbite), one of the biggest problems is that it has taken away the creativity of the game that is so crucial when developing players, from mite to NHL. Last week I wrote an article about the importance of developing speed of mind (http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?blogger_id=167) in hockey players and gave examples of how Soviet hockey architect Anatoli Tarasov did so with his teams, but how else is this accomplished on the ice within the context of a team practice?

Tarasov once said: “If a training period does not offer a creative atmosphere or depth in grasping a particular topic, if it does not stimulate the player to a higher level of technique, and finally, if you can feel that the players are not ready to do battle, if they show no hustle or daring, you should not expect such a team to improve its game.”

As any coach will tell you, it is difficult to get players to both buy into a practice and work hard enough to improve. The key to doing so, however, at any level, is to create an environment that is fun, challenging, and presents opportunities for players to grow in all aspects. I’ve attended enough practices at various levels of hockey, from youth to NHL, where the drills being done are the typical, trite, “skate down the ice, shoot, get a pass, go back down the ice, shoot, get back in line.” There is almost nothing in hockey worse than this, because it is both a waste of time, and causes players to become disinterested in the game to an extent that it might affect their play when it comes time to put these skills into use.

However, there are multiple ways to get players to be creative. The way in which a coaching staff can do this is to be creative themselves – draw up drills and games that can be utilized in order to pique players’ interests, force them to pay attention, and allow them to try new moves, ideas, and techniques, while still benefitting themselves and the entire team.

One way to do this is to add multiple pucks into a drill that otherwise would have utilized just one. For example, have a defenseman start behind the net, and two forwards come out of opposite corners, each with a puck, and curl around the faceoff circles. As they come around the circles, the defenseman can come into the slot and attempt to defend both forwards (to make this easier, make sure the forwards stay between the circles when they both come in with their respective pucks). Although most defensemen and goaltenders will fail in this drill (it is quite impossible to stop two pucks at the same time), it will encourage them to be creative and use both their body and their equipment in ways that they would not have done otherwise in order to achieve the desired goal of preventing goals from being scored.

Another way this can be accomplished is by creating a man disadvantage for an offensive team. For instance, force a team to play 3-on-4 (or 3-on-5 if you’re quite precocious), both breaking out the puck and playing in the offensive zone. To keep the drill purely offensive, if they turn the puck over, have the defending team simply ice the puck down the ice and make the three players start again (rather than having them defend a penalty kill situation). Albeit frustrating, this drill will cause players to move their feet and use more creative means to both get into an open position and create scoring opportunities.

Lastly, a way to create creativity, awareness, and on-ice intelligence is to have players switch positions for typical drills. For example, have a defenseman move to right wing, or have a center move to the left side, or a winger back to defense. Not only will this enable them to pick up a different skill set, it will also create a better understanding of how opposing players in different positions think, allowing your players to make better decisions and play more effectively.

Many of these drills will raise some eyebrows with players, other coaches, and media members (or parents, if playing youth hockey), but the result will be smarter, more creative hockey players that can think the game at a level high enough to succeed in any situation.

—–

Coaches, how else do you or could you train "speed of mind"?

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

[Kai K]

hockeygod wrote:
[p
Coaches, how else do you or could you train "speed of mind"?

I've been playing around with idea that it is better to film SAGs than actual games, at least with junior/youth players.
Here's some thoughts why;

• it is good way to demonstrate 4 playing roles in action. from 1v1 to 2v2 (and 3v3)
• you can control the game by themes and rules to help you to teach specific aspects of individiual tactics and prioritys of the game.
• you have also some control over transition situations.

I think it's good alternative to game film and maybe junior players benefit more from it.

Kai

[hockeygod]

Kai,

This is a great idea! I have recorded many training sessions in my skill academies – initially to help train coaches – but I have also sometimes used them to show the players.

That is the beauty of SAG's – you can design them to meet your needs – and then record them. The individual skills, tactics, team tactics and four playing roles can be highlighted and the players can see them in action.

In a team setting, this would be invaluable.

I remember while coaching in Moose Jaw, I encouraged the head coach / GM to watch the odd practice from above – to give him a different perspective on the practice and on the players. As coaches, we rarely ever get to see our own team from above. He watched from above about four times that year and really liked the change in perspective. He thought it was time well spent.

I also watched from above occasionally and I taped it – video doesn't lie! – primarily to identify work ethic, body language, etc. to certain players (both good and bad) so they see what the coaches see during a practice. We wanted the players to learn what it takes to 'be a pro' to try to help graduate them to a higher level of play. By doing so, we would simultaneously improve our team.

Any other ideas about how to train "Speed of Mind"?

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

[hockeygod]

Coaches: Are You Using Your Defensemen Correctly?

Alan Bass • "The Psychology of Hockey" • Hockey Buzz..com, February 25, 2012

Often, a key determinant of what position a player chooses is his handedness – whether he shoots right or left. A player’s handedness also affects how a coach uses him in various situations, such as on the power play or penalty kill, at the end of a game with an extra attacker, in a four-on-four situation, or simply at even strength. Other factors can come into play as well, including what system is used (e.g. an umbrella formation on the power play results in a lot of one-timers and quick shots, forcing a coach to play many players on their off-wing, in order to maximize the accuracy of shots).

There is no definitive answer or proof as to whether or not a player should be played on his off-hand, specifically when it comes to defensemen. But a recent study by Timothy McCarthy of USA Hockey and Vikkie McCarthy of Austin Peay State University gives some evidence to the benefits of a defenseman playing on his off-hand, specifically in offensive situations. The study looks at five main scenarios that occur within the context of every hockey game: puck containment (keeping the puck in the offensive zone), D-to-D pass, and a one-timer shot within the offensive zone. In the defensive zone, the researchers looked at puck control and pass success in the context of a breakout. Each of these five scenarios were analyzed on a player’s on-hand and off-hand.

The researchers conducted their experiment with 10 hockey defensemen ages 14 to 16. They observed these ten players in the aforementioned situations six times, resulting in 540 observations.

The results, although not staggering, were intriguing, to say the least. Below is the chart they published, showing the average success percentage in each offensive scenario:

____________With On Hand___With Off Hand
Puck Containment__68%_______72%
D-to-D Pass_______82%_______90%
One-Timer Shot____58%_______90%

All of these differences were “significant” (in psychological terms, “significance” means there is a distinct difference between the groups tested, and the difference is most likely not by chance). Defensively, these are the statistics reported by the researchers:

________________With On Hand___With Off Hand
Puck Control Strong Side___78%________67%
Puck Control Weak Side___83%_________83%
Pass Success Strong Side__94%_________92%
Pass Success Weak Side___92%_________92%

These differences were not significant, so most likely they happened by chance.

What is interesting with these statistics is that in the offensive zone, the position that a defenseman was playing based on his handedness made a great difference, while in the defensive zone, it did not seem to matter. The results for the offensive zone are logical, as if you are playing on your off-hand (e.g. left-handed defenseman playing on the right side of the ice), it is much easier to perform all three of these tasks. If the puck is being cleared up the boards, you are going to use your entire body to back into and hug the boards if you are playing on your off-hand. However, if you are playing on your on-hand, you are going to use just your stick, leading to more pucks bouncing over your stick and over the blue line. If you are passing D-to-D, the distance between the two defensemen’s sticks and the angle at which the pass is occurring will be much more favorable if both players are on their off-hand. With regards to the one-timer, coaches already understand the importance of a player being on their off-hand, as it creates a much easier atmosphere to release a quick shot, both in terms of the angle of the pass being received and the positioning needed to redirect the puck toward the net.

Although psychological studies do not ever give “proof” to anything, there is clearly enough evidence in the context of this study to give a second look to each of these scenarios and how players are positioning themselves. If, by simply placing players on their off-hand, you can prevent five more pucks from exiting the zone, connect on ten more one-timers, or prevent 15 errant blue line passes from occurring during the course of a game, mistakes can easily be prevented and more goals can be scored with just a simple change in strategy.

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

[hockeygod]

The Science Behind Building an NHL Team

Alan Bass, Blogger • "The Psychology of Hockey" • Hockeybuzz.com • March 9, 2012

On every trade deadline, draft, and July 1, the hockey world explodes with fans and media members alike telling their team’s executive staff to go after that big name – whether it’s a superstar player on the block, the next supposed superstar on the draft board, or the next superstar looking for a $10 million salary via free agency. More times than not, teams will sacrifice everything necessary in order to get a hold of these players (see: Chris Pronger in Philadelphia, Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik in New York, Marian Hossa in Chicago, etc.).

However, there seems to be a massive epidemic in which organizations no longer build a team – they simply sign players and expect them to become one. How many times have we seen a team that looked like the best in the league on paper, only to plummet in the standings and burn out before the playoffs? On the contrary, how often do we see teams surprise the league and make a run that no one expected in the preseason?

The key to this team-building problem that seems to have no solution among the majority of NHL teams is to look at the social structure of putting together a team, rather than simply the statistics and the talent side of the equation. International bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell once explained a United States military problem through social structure by saying the following:

“When they realized their problem was social, they solved the problem, almost immediately. The solution wasn’t in getting smarter. The solution was in understanding that there is a critical social component to performing more effectively. More importantly, they realized that the solution was in building a better institution, and if you build the right institution, people will flourish, and if you don’t, they won’t, regardless of how smart they are. The more I read and talk to people, the more I come to the conclusion that, we get so carried away with the role and the talents of the individual, and we sorely neglect the fact that if you put people in the right context, and they can do extraordinary things. You can create the environments where people will flourish.”

Let’s take a look at a couple of the teams that have embraced this idea of creating the institution, rather than waiting for a team to come together. The Detroit Red Wings are the closest thing to a dynasty that the NHL has seen since the Edmonton Oilers of the 1980s. With four Stanley Cups from 1997 to 2008, they are the model for success with their European style of hockey, consisting of puck possession, free-flowing movements, constant circling, and high amounts of intelligence. It is based on having uncanny levels of hockey sense, mixed with a high skating ability. Take a look at some of the players the Red Wings have drafted over the past few seasons:

• Defenseman Alexei Marchenko was a seventh round pick in 2011, drafted out of CSKA of the Kontinental League. His scouting report includes strong skating ability, high levels of hockey sense, and although little offensive ability, he has strong defensive instincts and projects as a long-term shutdown defenseman with the ability to move the puck around.

• Forward Tomas Tatar was a second round pick in 2009, and is now playing in Grand Rapids of the American League. He indeed puts up points more than many other prospects waiting for their shot at the NHL, but the two biggest pieces of his game, according to scouts, is his hockey sense and his skating ability. He also has a great ability to handle and control the puck, leading to less possession time for the opposing team.

• Teemu Pulkkinen (fourth round, 111th overall in 2010): playmaking abilities and an ability to hang onto and control the puck.

• Tomas Jurco (second round, 35th overall in 2011): puckhandling abilities,hockey sense, speed/skating ability.

• Riley Sheahan (first round, 21st overall in 2010): large frame gives him the ability to control the puck and fend off opposing defensemen, high levels of hockey sense, defensive ability.

Out of these five players, perhaps one or two will make the NHL, but you can sense a consistent theme: almost every player the Red Wings draft have an ability to play in the system the team has created, and they place these players in an environment that allows the team to succeed on the ice and in the standings.

Let’s take a look at one more team. The Nashville Predators are one of the most consistent teams in the league, making the playoffs on a budget similar to the Oakland A’s of Major League Baseball. Maybe it’s coach Barry Trotz and his coaching style, maybe it is simply Nashville and the atmosphere that playing on that team brings. But the Predators’ style of hockey involves hockey sense, hard working players, and most importantly, defense-first hockey. Let’s look at a sample of players the Predators have drafted over the past few years:

• Check out this scouting report by Hockey’s Future on Miikka Salomaki (second round, 52nd overall in 2011): “Salomaki is a strong, hardworking forward. He is a high energy player, and has to potential to be a valuable role player.”

• What about Taylor Beck (third round, 70th overall in 2009)? He has a “willingness to go to the net” and is a hardworking player who can score. “After the two Nashville camps – the development camps and the training camps,” Beck told me in a 2010 interview, “Being around all the NHL players really gave me an advantage because it showed me what I need in order to get to the next level. I saw guys always on the bikes and always working out. I want to get to the NHL and I need to continue to work hard, so staying focused is something I take pride in for sure.”

• Chase Balisy (sixth round, 170th overall in 2011): Intelligent playmaker, controls the tempo of the game, puck-moving ability, skating ability, great defensively. Supports plays very well.

• Joonas Rask (seventh round, 198th overall in 2010): Technically-skilled, excellent skating ability, understands the game at a high level.

• Colin Wilson (first round, 7th overall in 2008): “He has great instincts for the game and is a big, powerful man,” Barry Trotz told me in a recent interview. “He can separate people and win battles in the corners. He is such a great thinker that I don’t think [skating] will be a problem.” Wilson is also known for his incredible work ethic and his ability to play on both ends of the ice.

The majority of players drafted do not ever play a game in the NHL. But if you look at the players drafted by Detroit and Nashville, they are players that have the highest chance of success because their style of play matches the style that each of these two organizations utilize. So often we hear that teams simply “draft the best player available.” But it is precisely these teams that seldom see Stanley Cup glory in a league where any team can win on any given night. It is the teams that recognize this social piece to the puzzle and create an environment designed for specific players’ success that ultimately taste the champagne at the end of the day.

—-

Interesting to hear the common descriptors for future players…. "hockey sense"… "hard work"… "ability to control the tempo / control the puck" … "skating ability"… etc.

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

[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

—–

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."

[Filip Petrovic]

Hi everyone,

I've been following this forum for a long time, and have just now decided to join the discussion with far more experiencd coaches than myself. First of all, my name is Filip, I coach U10 hockey team in Serbia (Europe, Balkans – unfortunately well known for majority of other things) with previous experience of coaching U12&U8. I decided to join the forum because I find it very helpfull in understanding the best possible way for developing young kids and their passion for hockey. For the first post I would not like to write too much, but just to share yesterday's practice with these young guys.

We did not have on-ice practice three days before yesterday, and will not have them until Monday, that is another 3 days. Therefore, I decided to make a fun practice that would keep the kids positive about ice hockey despite almost one-week break. I had 12 skaters and 1 goalie in 1 zone (we split ice rink in three smaller cross-ice rinks due to the number of kids), so the space does not give you much of the opportunity. This time I had my zone split in 4 smaller zones, 3 players in each zone. For the warm-up each team played no-stick dog chase ( they crawl and chase each other), than no-stick "catch me if you can" inside 1/4 of the zone and finally Tarasov bumps. After that, they played 4 SAGs: 1-1 with the goalie, 1-1 puck protection (no shooting, only puck control), 2-man passing with monkey in the middle and finally 1-1 using small goals. Each time one player rests, except for the 2-man passing drill. Teams changed zones after 3 shifts. In the end, they played cross-ice 3 vs. 3.

My question is, with huge number of players, sometimes up to 18 skaters and 2 goalies in 1 zone, what do you think is the most efficient way of keep majority of players doing exercise at once? I've been using the traditional "stand in 1 line wait for your turn" drills, but now I tend to switch to 1-1 partner drills.

We have 4 practices a week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday), 1 off-ice practice (Saturday) and usually we play tournaments on Sunday. I tend to focus on different elements each day: Monday – skating, Tuesday-puck control,SAGs (1-1,1-2,2-1 in focus), Thursday – passing and competitive drills, Friday – game-like drills + a lots of cross-ice hockey.

Suggestions, mentoring, I'm open for everything.

All the best,

Filip

P.S. It a long post afterall.

[Tom Molloy]

Filip, it is always good to read the comments of another coach and great to have another active member on this discussion board.
It sounds like you are doing a lot of really good things already when I read what you did your last practice.

It is important to avoid line-ups except for recovery from high tempo activities. Your space is limited so you have to create areas for practice stations and you have done that. There are more ways to divide the ice into three areas such as from the goal line to the far blue line with one team on each half and the third group doing having one zone at the end.

If you search Dukla on this site you can see many of the activities I did in Jihlava two summers ago. We divided the rink into 4 areas and did skill drills and SAG’s in these areas.

Play keepaway and SAG with skill rules or rules that reduce time with the puck. Also play multi-puck games or games with different kinds of balls and pucks to challenge the nervous system. i.e. a football and a puck at the same time with the rule that you can only use your feet with the football (soccer ball) and stick or feet with the puck (or a hockey ball etc.)

Try to keep everyone active as much as possible. When I had 60 students in a small gym at the same time I would make 12 teams of 5 who practiced the skill together and then we played tournaments with 6 games going on at the same time in small areas with a modified rule that used the skill we just worked on; i.e. if it was volleyball and we just worked on the forearm pass then the game only allowed forearm passes and there was a rope instead of nets the entire length of the gym and 6 small cross gym courts. https://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/downloads/ is a link that shows a few classes.

Good luck with your practices.

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

[hockeygod]

Filip,

Great to hear about hockey in Serbia!!!

Welcome and thanks for posting! As per Tom's comments, it sounds like you are doing lots of good things with your team! He also has provided some excellent advice to manage small areas and keep kids active.

My 2 cents regarding 18 skaters and 2 goalies in an area? Starting with partner activities 1 vs 1 is a good start. Can you expand that to a 2 vs 2 or 3 vs 3 so more kids are moving? Can you add jokers? Can you add nets (from 2 to 4) and play 2 separate games in the same small space – now there are four teams playing in that area so it requires more heads up play (or separate the zone into 2 spaces?) You can use open nets or shooter tutors since you only have 2 goalies. Can you task the kids who are waiting with some skill repetitions – individually or in partners? (Puck handling, passing, etc.) Challenge them to establish personal bests (PB's) with the measurable reps and task an assistant coach to keep them focused.

I look forward to hearing more comments from you in the future!

Cheers!

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

[hockeygod]

Despite recent scandals, good coaches should be praised

Scott Russell, CBC Sports, March 22, 2012

The coaching profession has taken a beating this year.

It seems like the only headlines that the mentors of sport are making are frightening testaments to the crimes that a small minority commit when they find themselves in control of what happens to their charges on the field of play.

Witness the abhorrent abuses perpetrated by former junior hockey coach Graham James. A similar story of shame was foisted on Penn State University by Jerry Sandusky, and his negligent boss, the late Joe Paterno.

The latest outrage has seen three NFL coaches banned because they were encouraging bounty hunting on star players and tampering with the health and well being of highly paid athletes.

These are dark days for anybody who is proud to call him or herself a coach.

But it shouldn't be that way.

For each of these outriders there are literally tens of thousands of great coaches out there who give tremendously of themselves and expect very little in return. The bottom line is that we, as North Americans, and Canadians in particular, undervalue those who have a leadership role as educators in our sporting system.

I'm not referring to the highly paid bench bosses in professional sport but rather to the coaches of young people in countless minor clubs and the eminently qualified trainers who are ensuring that the Canadian high performance sports system succeeds.

"Factually speaking the majority of coaches in Canada are volunteers with an enormous expectation that they will conduct themselves ethically, responsibly and competently," says Wayne Parro, the executive director of Coaches of Canada.

His organization advocates for the betterment of the coaching profession in this country. Simply said, he's tired of the majority of coaches in Canada getting little or no pay and credit for what they do.

"Athletes and coaches are the core principals of the sport system," Parro contends. "We rightfully idolize the athletes, but the coaches are always in the background."

This is the truth.

Coaches rarely mentioned

While Own the Podium has continued to succeed and Canadian athletes find themselves in the winner's circle more frequently in both winter and summer sport, the coaches who do much of the groundwork are rarely mentioned when it comes time to dole out the accolades.

And so while Devon Kershaw, Alex Harvey and Len Valjas have had breakout seasons in World Cup cross country skiing, coach Justin Wadsworth remains largely anonymous. Kershaw himself is quick to credit Wadsworth with much of the success he's enjoyed.

"Justin has developed a much more professional approach to what we do," Kershaw said from the World Cup final in Sweden. "Our program has blossomed under his guidance."

The same could be said of swim coaches Randy Bennett and Tom Johnson, who have nurtured Ryan Cochrane and Brent Hayden, respectively, into stars in one of the deepest and most competitive sports in the world.

A disturbing side effect of the indiscretions committed by coaches like Graham James, Jerry Sandusky and Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints, is that we all begin to wonder who is it that we're entrusting with our young people's well being? Are we handing them over to coaches with a hidden agenda who are unprepared to deal with them responsibly and humanely?

"Like any profession there are bad apples. I would like to believe that generally people understand this notion and while we are appalled by their actions, they are isolated cases," Parro said.

"We are starting to do a better job of promoting the value that coaches bring to society and how the majority enrich the lives of their athletes. I think if we could find a way to promote this more often, we will keep good people in coaching longer."

Amen to that.

Good coaches are about more than winning games and races. They also shoulder the responsibility of instilling good values in the athletes who are influenced by them. Like it or not, that's the way it is.

"Coaches play an enormous role in the development of youth," Parro stresses.

"There have been studies indicating that when youth are asked about the most important influences in their lives, coaches always rank high on the list regardless of the level of sport in which they participated. We believe that sport has the power to keep youth focused on positive activity and to keep them out of trouble. Coaches are the key implementers of programming that fulfills this prophecy."

If that's the case, it's up to Canadians to pay attention to what coaches do and to honestly value their successes on a daily basis.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/blogs/scottrussell/2012/03/despite-recent-scandals-good-coaches-should-be-praised.html

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

[hockeygod]

Why Competitive Practices Can Make All the Difference in Player Development

Alan Bass, Hockeybuzz Blogger, "The Psychology of Hockey", March 24, 2012

Time for a brief psychology history lesson. In 1898, an Indiana University psychologist named Norman Triplett was casually watching cyclists race when he noticed something – when they were racing by themselves, they did not seem to go as fast as when they were racing against others. He then created what eventually became known as the first ever published study in the field of both social psychology and sport psychology, in which he pitted children against each other reeling in fishing line. He found that when children were reeling in line by themselves, they were much slower than when there was a second child reeling in line next to them – even if they were not in direct competition with each other. Simply the presence of another human being increased physical performance, he realized.

This effect became widely known as “social facilitation”, in which the presence of other people enhance performance (speed and accuracy) in familiar tasks. Since Triplett’s discovery and the creation of the term, over 1,300 papers have been published on the topic, and research continues on the topic.

So how does this relate back to hockey? Interestingly enough, it has great implications for the way in which hockey teams of all ages practice. How many times do you see a drill in which a player skates the length of the ice himself, shoots the puck, then gets in line to do it again? How fast is he truly skating, and how hard is he really trying? From mites to NHLers, I can tell you honestly with 99 percent accuracy, not much. When players are pitted in drills with no opposition, there is very little motivation to work as hard as you can.

But if you were to create a practice in which all drills had some level of competition or opposition (or even teamwork), might you be able to pull out a higher level of performance from each player? After all, practice is about getting players to reach an optimal level of performance so they can continue to improve. How much is a player going to improve if he’s only playing to 50 percent of his potential?

There are a few simple ways to add competition within the context of a practice. If you want a drill in which players are skating up the ice and taking a shot on the goalie to warm up, why not put a second player with him and have the two pass the puck back and forth for 200 feet before ripping a shot on net? Or place a defender in front of the player and have a 1-on-1 situation down the ice? Another way to do this is to utilize some small area games, such as a 3-on-3 in the offensive zone (playing across the width of the ice), or a 1-on-1 battle in the corner, culminating in a shot on net.

The key to successful practices from a psychological standpoint, based on this social facilitation theory, is to create the kind of competition and presence of others to get players to reach this optimal level of performance. With 20 players performing at this level, you will not just create a higher level of competition, but with it, higher levels of development, improvement, and ability.

—–

Nice to see someone else supporting the importance of competition. If you watch your typical NHL practice (any level practice, really), I estimate there isn't much more than 30-40% of the time consisting of competitive situations. I don't consider it truly competitive to add a second man to create a 2 vs 0 like the author suggests. It HAS to be against somebody and it HAS to be a GAME-LIKE SITUATION.

I don't count the rote warmup-type drills where you dump it in and breakout 5 vs 0, then attack 3 vs. 1 or 2… most times, the D man only applies token resistance and the goalie doesn't always seem to care if he stops the shot; must less play the rebound – and the play is over after the shot… it doesn't continue 3 vs. 1 or 2 until more support arrives like it would in a game. (This gets my blood boiling but I will save my "Stupid Typical Warmup Rant' for another day!)

ONLY about 5% (or less) of the time, do the results MATTER. What I mean here by MATTER is that the score is only kept 5% of the time (at best!) and even then, is it followed with accountability? Rarely ever.

That's why I consider the NHL coaches (actually, any level of coaches who do this) to be DETRAINING their teams!

Instead of the traditional 'game day skate' where players go through the pre-programmed, patterned motions, (including the robotic warmup drills just before the game), why don't coaches actually design something different that PREPARES the ATHLETES for the GAME? COMPETE!!! This is the very essence of what John and I do in our GAME INTELLIGENCE TRAINING… and we get exceptional results (and positive feedback from players and parents) from doing it!

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

[Tom Molloy]

Dean in pro hockey you play so many games that the only time you really practice is in training camp. You can't tire players out in game day skates; so too many competitive drills and games would be counter productive. When you have a few days off you can add competition but most of the time you want to make sure everyone understands their role in team play.

College or AA-AAA, high school is a different animal and you should have a lot of competition because you only play a few games a week. Major junior is the same as the NHL with 3-4 games a week and you can't ask too much in practice because 48 hours is needed to recover from a really hard work out.

So it is important to have a lot of competition in skill academies like you and John run because the competition gives meaning to the activities that you are doing but the more league games the players have each week the more you have to tone down high intensity practice. You need energy for the league games.

Most players now are done for the season and the summer programs should have the kind of competition you are talking about to increase intensity and teach the players to do things at game speed.

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

[hockeygod]

Tom,

I sat down with an NHL coach this summer and we plotted the Oilers schedule, for the 2011-2012 year 'for fun'. I will dig it out – if I can find it – to present how many days were 'good' practice days; how many 'game day skates'; how many 'days off'; how many off-ice days; how many travel days. As you said, there were very few 'good practice' days total! If I had my way I would reduce the number of games to 60 or so and schedule two breaks to allow for rest and recovery – pro- rating salaries – but I digress… The NHL isn't that smart!

While I do agree that there are very few days after training camp to run 'quality' practices, I would make them count and try to incorporate far more competitive situations. This includes keeping track of shots on net per drill – as an example. Pit two teams against each other and the same for the goalies (who makes more saves?) – make sure you hold the losers accountable – that is key.

Without purpose, score keeping and accountability, practice becomes 'just another typical drill to fill the time – busy work' and it wastes the opportunity to make players the best they can be! This adds meaning to even the most mundane and boring drills – such as the horseshoe! More mental engagement and intensity – which is what Alan Bass is trying to articulate in his article above.

I would keep practices short and intense, using the principles of periodization. Rest and recovery would be in the forefront of the practice design because I recognize you can't go 'all out' every practice, every day. But you can certainly practice a lot smarter than what is done now.

I can't list any NHL teams that use and stick to a periodized plan. They are all dictated by the schedule and then in large part, by uneducated coaches / GM's that have no clue about exercise physiology, rest or recovery. The strength coaches take orders from the head coach / assistant coaches. If they try to push their knowledgeable decisions too hard against the people in charge, they will be looking for a new address as everybody wants to be working in the sexy NHL! So fear holds them back; as it cripples a lot of people.

When I went to Moose Jaw as an A/C, we implemented my periodized plan and the guys trained harder than they ever had – on and off ice – but they also had more rest and recovery built in. Some practices / training sessions were designed for recovery; but we could still train with a purpose. We set a record that year for the best Warrior season ever – to that date. The head coach / GM gave me a big opportunity to 'run the show' so far as the planning around the existing schedule and travel limitations, and he still raves about the results that year – almost 16 years later!

I would also look to do more off-ice dryland training to give them a break from the ice. They would still improve their Game Intelligence, athleticism and fitness. Perhaps maybe even do the game day stuff in a gymnasium / outside if weather permits. There are exceptions – such as the goalies might like to get a few shots in the morning (use those who aren't playing as shooters and if someone else wants to go – fine.)

But I think we too easily dismiss the idea of boosting the element of competition in practices and subscribe to the idea that players 'can't' handle competitive practices because they would be too tired to play the games. I remember that people used to think hockey players had a limited amount of energy for the entire season… They had to put their feet up whenever possible to conserve this limited energy so it would last the whole season… Then they would take the summer 'off' to work (make money) to come back to get in shape at training camp.

I think the hockey world is frozen in time and paralyzed by fear. They need to apply today's concepts (science) to their planning. Why doesn't someone try it and see what happens? I know the stakes are high in the pro game, but come on… don't you think these athletes can handle it?

The existing uneducated culture that runs the individual teams might think you are mad – but unless someone (an educated GM / head coach and a supportive staff) tries it to see, and either fails or succeeds, we won't really know if it will work or it won't. I bet it will – call me anti-current-traditional-hockey-establishment (crazy) because in my books, that's a compliment… and that is how people inspire change – most times, it's met with resistance and knashing of teeth and kicking and screaming. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. The NHL continually demonstrates it's insane but I am starting to hear and see a few things changing for the better… be still my beating heart!

I remain firm in my conviction that competitive, purposeful, measureable, accountable practices would be far superior to the typical, wasteful practices I see now. I don't go to the Flames practices anymore because they are outright brutal. And I have seen almost every NHL team practice and I can count on one hand how many 'good' practices I have seen… my brain feels 'detrained' every time I go to the Saddledome to watch!

John and I are working on a long-term project involving HRM's and soccer athletes doing our off-ice training and comparing / contrasting their results to game play. (We hope to add a hockey cohort to our tests in the future.)

Early indications are we train harder than the games (still mindful of recovery) and yet the athletes are greatly benefiting from our training structure – they are performing very well and the teams we train are winning the majority of their matches. According to parents, the teams are overachieving, learning lots of new sport and life skills… while having the most fun they ever had! Isn't that what it is all about?

This is the Spartan Mentality – train harder and smarter – than you play.

I realize it isn't the NHL and the number of games / travel are not the same, but until someone proves me wrong… I remain firm in my beliefs! I have seen it work at the WHL level with my own eyes!

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

[Author]

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