Game Intelligence / Decision Training

[hockeygod]

Tom,

Isn't it crazy how quickly technology advances! There is something called "Moore's Law" which is a rule of thumb in the history of computing hardware whereby the number of transistors that can be placed inexpensively on an integrated circuit doubles approximately every two years. Some say it happens as quickly as 18 months!

You are a poster boy for incorporating technology into your life! I think it is because you are innately curious.

I find it tough to keep up on this stuff myself; let alone be 'fluent' in much of it! I just got a cell phone two months ago after an eleven year hiatus. Still don't really use it much. Moreso to look stuff up on the internet when I am away from Wi-Fi.

My grandpa passed away in 2008 – he was 93. He emigrated to the High River AB area from the USA on a wagon train from eastern Montana. It took them several months. Two wagons, a few cows and several older family members on horseback – I think he said they had more than 10 kids in the family! All of their possessions (and young kids) were in the wagons. They faced lots of adversity – weather, marauders, uncertain terrain, and some unfriendly Indians – along the way. No GPS, cell phones, grocery stores, etc. Wow! How did they cope?

They coped because that's all they knew at the time. Just like us today – we know what we know (mind you, with technology advancing so quickly, I think we speculate more now and think, "in the future, there will be an app for that!")

Coaching / teaching is similar. A bad cliche: "It is what it is" (thank you Sutter family!) Most people just do their job and don't think, "How could I do my job better?" Far fewer think, "How can I change the currently accepted system for the better?"

We should look at ourselves as Agents of Change. Challenge the system to make it (and us) better!

You are right – it is a big challenge. It takes lots of emotional energy, confidence and an inner passion. That's why blogs like this one, mine and others exist. Hopefully something inspires others to challenge the system and become Agents of Change too!

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

[hockeygod]

I attended the Hockey Canada Skills Academy training seminar this past week. Almost 100 coaches from across Canada came to Calgary to attend lectures and to take part in ice and dryland sessions.

The best session was a Czech coach (now living in Toronto) who teaches skills. He made many good comments about how 'coaches should do their job and make players better through their understanding of the game, prioritizing what is important (skills and games), and GROW PLAYERS… don't just recruit players'!

I will post his name once I go through my notes.

He did a great off-ice talk and on-ice demo with all the coaches.

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

[Tom Molloy]

Dean I would ha e been interested to go to those sessions. Anything else worthwhile?

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

[hockeygod]

Tom,

I will post a few things. Aside from Dusan's stuff, there were two (out of three) interesting dryland physical training demos on a dynamic warmup and some stability exercises. (The classroom sessions about these were fairly boring, above the heads of the average HCSA coach, and could have been skipped in my opinion.) The other off ice classroom session and demo was essentially an infomercial for Nike and was football-based (and biased – not appropriate / valid for hockey).

The two other on ice demos were irrelevant (a checking clinic where there was 15 minutes of motion and 45 minutes of standing around) and a biomechanical shooting demo with expensive high-speed cameras and software that cost $4000+ (plus even more standing around.)

So like many conferences, you have to filter lots of chaff to get to the grain!

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

[hockeygod]

See attached presentations.

The first one Dusan gave at the IIHF symposium in 2011 and was identical to what he presented at the HCSA clinic. Sorry, no video.

The second one is from Damian Farrow. I am re-reading one of his books right now and it is a great one! "Developing Sport Expertise – Researchers and Coaches put Theory into Practice" – 2008 His presentation also comes from the 2011 IIHF clinic.

I disagree with one of Farrow's last slides regarding the use of video training / watching.

In my mind, without hearing his presentation, if he is referring to USA Hockey's 'new' video training system or something similar (watching the play as a third person and having to make 'decisions' as the third person), I see little value in that; we have had that discussion on this site a year ago and those who responded agreed with me… it would be better to watch video with a coach / mentor to try to detect examples of good and bad decision making and if bad, ask the player what could have been done differently. But at the end of the day, third person video is not first person video! And if it isn't the person who 'lived; the video footage who is watching the video, there is even less connection / motivation to the video… meaning that it has more impact if it is personal footage!

Attachments

• IIHF_2011._Dusan_Kralik_ENG_youth.pdf (1 MB)
• Farrow_Youth_IIHF_2012.pdf (563 KB)

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

[Tom Molloy]

To get the kind of training plus more a player would have to attend our camp in Jasper starting July 22..

I am serious.I learned these things from Juhani Wahlsten in1985. He implemted them in his club TPS which has produced players like the Koivu's, Salo, Kipprosoff, Virta and many others. They still haven't advanced to his level of thinking or his friend Horst Wein who reformed Spanish Football-soccer and Spain now is dominate in the world.

Instead of reinventing the wheel they should study these two advanced thinkers and use their ideas as the base and tweak them to fit cultures and facilities.

6-10 players from Turkey will be at our Jasper camp because Juuso is known there for coaching them to their first imternatioal win. I use his methodson the ice and they want the young players to learn hockey this way.

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

[hockeygod]

As prospects convene, Flames aim to fill holes
Ward interested in hockey IQ in players at development camp

George Johnson, Calgary Herald July 9, 2012

Naturally, the nearly unblinking gaze down at WinSport Athletic and Ice Complex at Canada Olympic Park starting today at 3:30 p.m. will be squarely on that so-much-depends-on Next Generation of the Calgary Flames.

On Sven Baertschi, so tantalizing in that memorable five-game NHL audition last season. On 2012 top-pick high-schooler Mark Jankowski. On Max Reinhart and John Ramage, sons of notable ex-Flames. On Swedish star Markus Granlund.

For Abbotsford Heat boss Troy Ward, though, every bit as vital in this edition of the annual 40-prospect summer development camp is what’s closer at hand. The AHLers required to fill gaps, plug holes, to come up and provide the required depth to help pull this organization out of a three-year playoff abyss.

“I’m really interested in what we’ll see from guys from the our club that are going to be there,’’ Ward said Sunday, awaiting a flight from the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to whisk him into town. “Guys like (Chris) Breen, James Martin, Carter Bancks, Gaelan Patterson. What has to stand out for me is to make their presence felt in this camp.

“They have to be among the best players.

“There has to be a statement from them. Otherwise you have to look at your own program … how you’re going about things. You always hold the knowledge and thought process that you have players at lower levels, who are younger, that will end up being better than the players from past drafts.

“But you want to see, it’s imperative that you see, a maturation level of your players in Abbotsford. Where are they at? Do you notice that on a daily basis?

“You’ve got to be able to at least walk away from this thing and say: We’ve got help on the way, good players, good people, in our organization. You’ve got to see a noticeable gap, in my opinion.’’

Ward, a serious candidate for the vacant Flames’ head coaching job that eventually went to Bob Hartley, is overseeing this week’s activities at COP, fresh from a yearly father-son camp he stages in Mankato, Minn.

And while a look-see at the undeniable skill level of the newbies is of immense interest, of more immediate concern is upgrading the development of players in the 22-to-26-year-old group, an age bracket that’s a major concern for the Flames.

“There are some of the younger guys out there, the (John) Gaudreaus, for example, whose spatial awareness on the ice and skill level is ahead of some of the guys that have been in Abbotsford,’’ says Ward.

“That’s the nature of the beast. But at the same time, we have to be able to say as an organization: We can get some minutes out of some of these other guys, the guys available to us now, because of the level they’ve developed to.

“The kids that everyone seems to be talking about are down the road. We have to close the gap in the other area. We have to make headway with guys that might’ve emerged in the organization. They need to make significant steps.

“That’s a really important part of this camp.’’

So, adds Ward, is the measuring of hockey intelligence.

“The one thing I do want to understand is how well these guys can think. We are definitely putting them in a position this week to see how well they think the game, and at what level.’’

—–

I am pretty sure I will see more of the same static, non-thinking 'drills' prevalent in hockey when I attend. If I see anything different, I will post here… so don't hold your breath!

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

[Tom Molloy]

Dean, did you see anything worth noting at the on ice session. Maybe they will surprise you and have something besides some drills and full ice scrimmage.

I stopped at COP on my way home from British Columbia and met my assistant coach Sean there to give him some of the cherries I picked. I thought of going and watching but I had just driven 9 hours and the parking lot was packed. I will go tomorrow morning to take a look.

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

[hockeygod]

Tom,

I didn't go this afternoon. I might go Tuesday morning – depends on the weather as I have the kids this summer. If it is nice, we will go do something outside.

I listened to the Asst. GM today on the Fan 960. He said they planned to do more 1 puck 'drills' this camp and play 4 vs. 4. Time will tell!

Might see you there tomorrow.

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

[hockeygod]

I will continue commenting on the Flames Development Camp on the thread that Tom started.

NHL Team finally practicing hockey at practice

https://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/forums/topic/nhl-team-finally-practicing-hockey-at-practice/

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

[hockeygod]

My friend, Rob Cookson, agreed to go to coach Zurich Lions with Marc Crawford. They have asked to meet with me to help gain a better understanding of my unique Sport IQ / Game Intelligence teaching methodology and philosophy. Rob has become sold on my concepts given my past several years of challenging him and any other NHL coaches with how and why they practice. Rob told me that after spending 11 years in the NHL, he had regressed into a dumber coach – the league is run the same way with a bunch of copycats and very little original thinking. He is looking forward to working in Europe to gain different insights. They want to import my ideas in their planning for this season, so it will be interesting to see how open-minded they are. This might be an opportunity for me to help out a bit over there.

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

[SMAC]

Good for you . Nice to see Old school thinking outside the box

[hockeygod]

Time for some 'new school thinking'!

I am supposed to discuss this with them sometime next week.

Fingers crossed that I will have an impact on Marc… Rob has started to convert!

————-
Dean that would be interesting for you. I really enjoyed my season with the Red Bulls and saw a lot more games in practice than I see here. I did the camp in Jihlava, Czech Republic two summers ago and they wanted me to assist Petr Svoboda with the U20 team and mentor all the coaches ( he was the only english speaking coach as he played for Toronto for a few year and I had to do all of the training through him). The city didn't grant the team the money to bring me there. (city pays wages for all the coaches below pro level there) It was quite a compliment as the GM Bedrich Sherban was voted the best Czech player in the world in 91. (I stayed at his house when I was there)

The Czechs and the Finnis associations are now working closely together. Czech, Swedish, Russian and Finnish coaches had a week of cooperation together in Prague last month. Kalle Kaskinen from Turku was there and said it was great.

Willy liked working with Crawford in Dallas. He said he was allowed to contributs a lot so it looks like Rob is going into a good situation. Not all assistant coaches are utilized well and it can be frustrating if your only job is to move pucks around during practice.
Tom

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

[hockeygod]

Mighty Mite Gaudreau gaining believers: Flames will be patient with prospect despite mounting NCAA accolades

Scott Cruickshank, Calgary Herald July 10, 2012

The topic is a sensitive one. At least, it used to be.

But not now. Not anymore.

John Weisbrod, smiling, relays a story. How, before games at the Saddledome, Craig Conroy glances at the minor-hockey youngster lining up with the Calgary Flames for the national anthem and routinely cracks: “Johnny Gaudreau! I didn’t know we signed him. He’s here!”

Weisbrod, the Flames’ assistant general manager, chuckles.

“So even we joke about it,” he says of Gaudreau’s dimensions. “But the guy can play the game. At the end of the day, that’s what matters.”

Yes, at a smidge under five foot nine, at 154 pounds, Gaudreau can certainly play, to the degree that stature has (nearly) ceased to matter.

Generally speaking, that’s the trend in the National Hockey League.

“I remember the snickering when Nathan Gerbe was drafted by Buffalo,” Weisbrod says of the five-foot-five winger taken in the fifth round in 2005. “People were, like, laughing to themselves. (Lack of size) certainly notches people down. There are people that are afraid of it. That’s why John was drafted (in the fourth round) — because it certainly wasn’t his hands or his head.

“You can’t have a whole team of guys that size. But if you have a few and they have some special attributes . . . .”

Which the New Jersey native possesses, as the past two winters have clearly illustrated.

In 2010-11 on behalf of the Dubuque Fighting Saints, Gaudreau roars through the U.S. Hockey League, garnering top-rookie honours.

In 2011-12 on behalf of the Boston College Eagles, he becomes the most productive freshman in the land.

Both clubs ended up capturing their respective crowns.

Gaudreau appears mystified by that development, because his teams back home never did squat.

“It’s funny,” the left-winger says. “Growing up I didn’t really win many championships, besides little tournaments and stuff like that. Just to win those two championships back to back, it’s an awesome feeling.”

Gaudreau, in a couple of weeks, will audition for the American squad headed for the world junior championship in Russia. Who would bet against him making it this time?

“It’s one of the reasons we put so much value on hockey sense — that hockey IQ,” says Weisbrod. “Because here’s a guy (about whom) people have a tendency to say, ‘He’s too small. He’s not strong enough.’ But you can make those jumps because when you can think the game at a high level, you can play at a high level.”

But even the Flames were caught off-guard by Gaudreau’s handiwork.

A true freshman (in terms of age) joining a top-flight NCAA program, he nevertheless dominated.

“Originally, he was committed to Northeastern (University), which is a good Division 1 school, but he would’ve been the big fish in a smaller pond,” says Weisbrod. “So, if he’d gone to Northeastern, you would have expected him to be the mail-carrier. When he switched to BC, I knew he’d be a good player, I knew he’d be fine at that level, but they have a lot of good players there and you didn’t know how he’d fit into the hierarchy of their own team.

“So for him to go to the top of their depth chart? That was surprising that he was able to do that so quickly. They have a lot of high-pedigree players . . . so to go into that environment and just take it over and be the big dog right off the hop? Pretty impressive.”

And Weisbrod isn’t over-stating the case.

Gaudreau — after registering 44 points, and a plus-20 rating, in 44 contests — was named Hockey East’s most valuable player (edging teammate Chris Kreider, a first-round pick of the New York Rangers).

So he is good.

Next question: is he ready for pro?

Gaudreau, who turns 19 next month, plans to return to school for his sophomore season. That much is known.

But after that?

Well, he would like to skate alongside his kid brother Matthew. (“He’s about my size, but about 25, 30 pounds lighter,” says Gaudreau.) The youngest boy of the clan, also a left-winger, is bound for the Eagles in 2013-14.

“That’s a big part of why we both committed to going to Boston College,” says Gaudreau. “But if the opportunity is hopefully there for me to play with the Flames . . . I might just have to take it and go with it.”

General manager Jay Feaster and Conroy visited Gaudreau and his family after the season. “Jointly,” according to Weisbrod, they decided that Gaudreau would remain in college.

Apparently, there’s no pressure.

“He’s got a pretty good head on his shoulders, he’s a balanced kid,” says Weisbrod. “The important thing is making sure you’re ready when you come out (of school). Better to come out a little later and have it be right than to rush out and not succeed. He’s in a great place. He’s getting his education. He’s playing a top calibre of hockey. So we’re taking it one year at a time.”

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

[hockeygod]

Gaudreau didn't stand out during the EVIL DRILLS today (BIG step backward Flames coaching staff… what happened to the one puck drills?)… smart players need to play in GAMES to stand out. Patterned, boring, mindless line rushes with no scoring and no accountability don't cut it (but they sure make you fit in with 99.9999% of all other teams 'drills'!)

Why don't we use more games as a training tool?

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

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