Statistics – Used for critical area’s on the ice

[RookieCoach]

Kai,

Your reply helped clarify this for me. I thought you meant if you recovered the puck at your opponent's blueline or just inside…

You mean making decisions at your own blueline area while you are in possession.

The stats show you are at risk if you turn the puck over as you break out of your own zone (35% low in your own zone and 46% high in your own zone) – this is higher than inside the far (opponent's) blueline because you are turning the puck over closer to your goal… within 3 seconds, the puck can be in your net.

My experience supports that you don't want to turn it over here; but sometimes, you must take a risk – particularly if you are losing and the time is running out (the 'risk vs reward' equation).

I have responded within your previous comments. Hope this helps!

Dean, I have drawn the diagram (rough) with the information you put in your original post. From your quote you replied to Kai with it helps make more sense. I put the stats down but wasn't sure exactly what it all meant. (higher risk zones and percentages).

I have said before I am fairly new to this site. But of all the information drills, games etc., the DT Transition games have caught my attention the most. This topic is only making it more interesting for me. I will be trying to pull all the little stats you all have posted so far for future reference.
Thanks again guys. I will sit back and let the experts post this great information. You are definitely a lot more knowledgeable than I.

RookieCoach

[hockeygod]

Kai,

"…defensive readiness when attacking" – I understand perfectly now! I agree – you want to be ready to pounce on a loose puck or forecheck (back pressure / backcheck) from a position of strength, in a perfect world!

I love your diagrams. You are way ahead of me technology-wise! Can you please email me a blank one and tell me what program did you use to draw this stuff on it? I might be able to draw the diagram with the percentages on it – then I can post it.

Thanks!

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

[hockeygod]

RookieCoach wrote:
Dean, I have drawn the diagram (rough) with the information you put in your original post. From your quote you replied to Kai with it helps make more sense. I put the stats down but wasn't sure exactly what it all meant. (higher risk zones and percentages).

I have said before I am fairly new to this site. But of all the information drills, games etc., the DT Transition games have caught my attention the most. This topic is only making it more interesting for me. I will be trying to pull all the little stats you all have posted so far for future reference.

Thanks again guys. I will sit back and let the experts post this great information. You are definitely a lot more knowledgeable than I.

RookieCoach

RookieCoach,

Email me directly if you want further clarification – we can exchange phone numbers and discuss this on the phone. I am always willing to help share ideas.

Knowledge comes from making lots of mistakes! 😉

Regards,

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

[Tom Molloy]

Rookie Coach and Dean.

I share my material such as the transition games that you refer to. I would like to read the discussion about them.

How have you used them? What adjustments have you made? How did the players adapt to them???? Do they seem to make a difference in the way your team plays in regulation games?

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

[Tom Molloy]

Let me pose a question.

Dean posted how an American Football coach uses stats to justify never kicking off or punting because to go for the first down or the short kick is better percentage ball than giving the other team the ball a few yards farther down the field.

The Finnish study on scoring chances from various zones that Kai posted shows that you get a scoring chance about 22% of the time when you forecheck hard and cause a turn over in the offensive end. The defensive team gets a scoring chance about 5% of the time attacking from the defensive zone.

When you look at these stats what kind of forecheck do you think is most effective. Do you think that 17% rish/reward factor is worth taking advantage of.?

Some examples
1-4
1-3-1 passive
1-3-1 hard trap
2-2-1
2-1-2
2-1-2 pinch on the strong side
2-1-2 pinch on a wide rim
2-1-2 left wing lock
2-3

These are some common ones and I am sure there are many more.

I would like to read some opinions.

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

[hockeygod]

TomM wrote:
Rookie Coach and Dean.

I share my material such as the transition games that you refer to. I would like to read the discussion about them.

How have you used them? What adjustments have you made? How did the players adapt to them???? Do they seem to make a difference in the way your team plays in regulation games?

Tom / coaches,

Since I coach at skill academies (therefore no team!), I can't extrapolate the impact of the transition games in a team setting. But I have my suspicions… plus some experience back from when I was coaching a team!

I think that 'teaching the game through the game' philosophy using our Game Intelligence activities and Tom's ABC games are the most effective way to teach.

In my 8th year of teaching grade 7-12 in skill academies, the players really express their desire to play our Game Intelligence Training activities! Kids love to move; to compete; to play. They hate standing around, either listening to a coach talk, or do the same boring thing ad nauseum. I haven't used Tom's ABC games as much as I would like; I feel they are ideally suited if you have groups that are similar ages and skill levels – like on an age group team. In our academies, we have a very wide spread of skills and ages and levels – from immigrants first time on the ice; to learn to skate kids; to community house level; to ringette players; to girls hockey players; to division 1-9 community; to bantam AA and AAA / minor midget AAA / midget AA / midget AAA!

One of my Cochrane academies has a fairly homogenous group of midget players (depending on the semester, we average between 12 skaters / 2 goalies to 18 skaters, 3 goalies) and I have adapted some of Tom's ABC games there in the past with much success (Tom came out as a guest coach once last year). Primarily we use GIT and compete every day, keeping score throughout the semester.

My Cochrane kids have asked me to coach their midget AA team for the past several years after experiencing the 'different' methodology and the GIT! They don't 'like' their 'regular' style of coaching as much as they like my GIT approach. The teacher and principal are always commenting, "I don't know what you are doing in Sport Performance but the kids are always talking about it and looking forward to it…" to "The kids are getting to the rink 30 minutes earlier than they need to be with the hope that you will get there early too, so they can play more of your games" to "The kids are always chirping each other on the bus on the way back – celebrating who won the game today – and who 'sucked'… they sure have fun in your class!" I think that these frequent comments from the teachers and administration, along with the kids constantly asking me to coach their team, over a several year period, that there is more than a little something going on here… no?

This can also be said of all the players (and coaches) when I have given clinics. Using the 'normal, old-school boring drills way', everyone gets antsy, starts screwing around, not paying attention and very little opportunities for inspired, deliberate practice are provided. 'Coach Whisperer's' who provide a spark / ignition, need not apply… this is a 'De-training Mission!' For example, why do we ask kids to stand still and handle a puck for 2 – 5+ minutes – similar to a 'typical' hockey school / skills session? Their focus and attention span is about 10 seconds. Even the most dedicated ones can't do this. Try doing something like this yourself. Put a timer on and stick handle (or whatever) for 5 minutes. Did you do it? Did you keep perfect form? Did your mind wander? Were you bored to tears? How much of those 5 minutes do you think could be actually classified as 'deliberate practice'? Argh!

When I introduce our Game Intelligence Training and 'the game is the best teacher' (minimal talking on behalf of the coach – maximal competitive activity on behalf of the players), the players and coaches (when they participate as players) LOVE IT! It is such a positive change! I have done "old school' and GIT on players from U5 to U18. The feedback I ALWAYS receive is: "NO!" to old-school; "YES" to GIT!

Now when coaches participate at clinics as coaches, sometimes it takes time to educate them on the 'new ways' and it can be frustrating for them; particularly if they are not open minded and / or experienced. That is why I like to run my clinics with the coaches PARTICIPATING as players – FIRST in dryland and THEN on ice – AS I help educate them on the theory. This absolutely sells the methodology and the games to them! THEN I have them coach their age group kids using the same stuff they experienced (from a participant's eyes) and mentor them.

I think I am at about a 99% success rate / buy in from the coaches if I do these things first. If I do only theory (sit and take notes / classroom session) or start trying to teach them 'how to coach' this way, my positive feedback and success rate drops significantly. It might go as low as 50% or less. "I hear, I see, I do"…

Now some comments from when I was coaching…

When I took over the U of C Dinos (girls) at the end of the year, at John's prodding, we started training in the gymnasium 5 times per week for 1.5 hours and we used our Smart Transitional Games. We saw an immediate increase in competitiveness and intensity. We did a few of these on the ice the next two years (I was still a 'drill coach' at this point – starting to evolve, thanks to John!) and I really thought they prepared the players for a 'real game'. We continued to do our Smart Transitional Games in the gym three days per week right after morning practice, for 1 hour. I wish we had video footage… truly these were magical times as the players drastically improved their understanding of the game (as did I!)

As Tom will attest, we had a pretty poorly skilled team in the first two years I was there. We had inherited some absolutely excellent people, but their skill sets did not allow us to compete at the level required… so in my last (third) year, we made wholesale changes because I recruited like crazy. The rookies had better skill sets than the vets, so I think we only kept 1 skater and 1 or 2 goalies that third year. It was one of the toughest things to have to cut some people you went to battle with for the previous two years; but in the interest of improving the program, I had to 'take the harder right'. So we were really young (avg age -18) and lacked leadership depth (our returning vet, Beth, was excellent) but our performance really picked up. We closed the goal differential (for and against), competed much harder and started winning. Larry Hofmann, another fellow I coached against for those three years said we steadily improved our skill set and by the third year; he hated playing us because we always competed so damn hard… his girls weren't used to our intensity. Just shows you what these games will do (primarily off-ice in this example because I was still more of a Neanderthal coach, but if we would have used them more often on ice, I think we would have had even better results.)

If I had to do it all again, with an average-to-good group (ie: relatively open mindset) of college players, I would really embrace these activities / style of coaching full-time on and off-ice and I believe the players would seen the benefits too! At the university / pro categories, one would need to 'take the temperature in the room', identify the leadership core and make sure they understood that this approach will make them individually better; which in turn will make the team collectively better. It is up to the coach to make sure they approach it / sell it the 'right' way.

Now that I have had several years to experiment with our Game Intelligence Training and philosophy and Tom's ABC activities in the skill academy / coaching clinic / private coach mentoring settings, etc, I see how quickly and significantly they can make a positive difference.

Aside form the philosophy and activities, the aspect that makes the biggest difference is coaching experience. From this I mean that you, Tom, are personally highly experienced as an educator and specifically, with your ABC games; thus you can tailor individual activities from the book to suit your age, skill level, number of athletes, etc. on the fly. Just because someone reads your book, doesn't mean they will be able to run your activities as successfully as you… they won't have the same gut feel, eye for detail; nor the ability to know how to fine-tune them to make them work the best. This comes with experience. Same as with our Game Intelligence Training.

But I encourage coaches to try this philosophy ("let the game teach the game") and these activities; but have patience! Keep notes and challenge yourself and your other coaches. John and I are constantly learning every day, "How can we fine-tune our games?" Once we think we have one mastered, something surprises us and we tweak it. The day you stop learning is the day you need to get out of coaching and do something else!

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

[Tom Molloy]

Good post Dean. My comment was meant to keep the discussion public so all the coaches could see it and cause them to think. It wasn't a criticism. I remember your team constantly improving the last season you coached at the U of C and you gave us a good run in the playoffs.

Erkka Westerlund is more or less the 'Father of Transition Games' and did a very good booklet and video on them in the mid 90's. HC brought him to Calgary for half a season and he prepared it here. I helped him a little with the english and he brought me to Vierumaki, Finland a couple of times to be the head instructor at the summer hockey school.

I have made a pdf of the introductory pages which gives an description of transition games with a good graphic of game transitions.

The second pdf is Erkka's presentation on Finlands preparation for the 2006 Olympics. They ended up in the finals and winning the Silver Medal. Erkka presented this at the 2007 coaching conference in Vierumaki and it is a great outline of how they played, the systems they used etc.

Attachments

• Erkka transition p 1-2.pdf (539 KB)
• Erkka_Westerlund Preparing for the 2006 Olympics.pdf (950 KB)

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

[RookieCoach]

TomM wrote:
Rookie Coach and Dean.

I share my material such as the transition games that you refer to. I would like to read the discussion about them.

How have you used them? What adjustments have you made? How did the players adapt to them???? Do they seem to make a difference in the way your team plays in regulation games?

Tom, As I mentioned earlier in this post somewhere , I'm fairly new to your site. After purchasing your book (Hockey Coaching ABC's Book 2) it has made me think about game situation roles and game phases. Your book contains a different way of looking and reading the game than the typical hockey book OR course.

I mentioned too Dean that the DT transition drills on this site caught my attention the most. I guess that's is why I asked the question about Statistics – for critical area's on the ice. Referring to turnovers and the transition part of the game. Some of these stats that have been posted here by yourself ,Dean Kai , Dave really have to make a coach look at this part of the game.

Last practice that I ran for a local team , I used D100 2/3 s ice Attack-defend- rest games. Also Dean suggested to me about card240 of your book and card 241 when I was asking about backchecking games.
The flow was great , the players picked up on these games quickly. It was an introduction for them and myself running these games. I would stress the quickness and supporting player making himself available sooner next time , but for the first time all went well. I will definitely try them again.
I have used foe a few years now a game at the end of practice. Box game with jokers at the point. 2on2 but the rule is before they can attack they must pass to their joker who now joins in for a 3on2 , 3 on 3 etc, Players for some reason love this game.

Thanks again for your input on these statistics. I don't know where Dean finds all these articles but it's great reading and learning material.
One thing I will say at times it's overwhelming trying to implement a new type of practice from the old traditional way. I seem to be the type of coach that must understand it completely before hit the or try new things. I like for the players too think I know what I'm talking about.
Thanks

RookieCoach
—————
RK, it takes a while to get used to "Looking at old things through New Eyes." I met Juhani in 85 when he was brought here to do a coaching symposium at the university. I was head coach of a college mens team at the time. I knew team play etc. but my practices were pretty standard drills centred and not very good. Juuso was only here for two weeks but in a 40 hour seminar you get a lot of info. I found that he was running hockey practices in much the same way I taught my PE classes. He also was a PE teacher and had players like the Koivu brothers and Kirprosov in his hockey class. He asked me to start writing the manual with him and I got more familiar with using games, tournament, modified rules etc. in pracitce. Erkka came here in the early 90's and much the same thing happened with transition games.

The thing that really forced me to use these ideas was I went to a new school and now had double PE classes. 48-60 students at once in a small gym for 13 years. It was become more efficient or die. The model of small teams, tournaments, modified rules made it easy to teach these large groups. There is a video of one of the classes in the files section. You can see how many kid's are in the small space.

Good luck with it! I enjoy reading the discussions you start because they stimulate me to look for workable solutions to the problems mentioned.

An aside is that I got a call from Finland this morning to inform me that one of the 93 born players I coached with the Red Bulls in Austria has just been named to the Finnish U19 team. They play a tournament in Switzerland and 2 of the D from the U19 team will join the U20 team at the World Championships here just after Christmass. So go Otso go.

[hockeygod]

TomM wrote:
Good post Dean. My comment was meant to keep the discussion public so all the coaches could see it and cause them to think. It wasn't a criticism. I remember your team constantly improving the last season you coached at the U of C and you gave us a good run in the playoffs.

Erkka Westerlund is more or less the 'Father of Transition Games' and did a very good booklet and video on them in the mid 90's. HC brought him to Calgary for half a season and he prepared it here. I helped him a little with the english and he brought me to Vierumaki, Finland a couple of times to be the head instructor at the summer hockey school.

Tom,

I just wanted to follow up with RookieCoach by phone because I get tired of typing…! He sent me an email, so hopefully we can talk… and save my fingers!

I worked at HC in the early 1990's while Erkka and Slava were here. I was quite interested in their manuals and helped with the layout and design. (I also worked directly with Tom Renney and Mike Johnston on the "40 of the Best" manual – contributing a few drills, doing the layout and design ('blueprint') with the printers and getting it produced. Rob Cookson and I created and produced the "Power Play" instructional video in the mid 1990's.)

You are lucky you got to go to Finland to do those camps. I am still waiting to go… anybody want to do a camp in Finland or Sweden???!!! (I played hockey in Finland and Sweden and would love to go back in the spring or summer 'when it is nice and sunny out!' Bloody cold during the winters… and dark!)

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

[hockeygod]

RookieCoach wrote:
Thanks again for your input on these statistics. I don't know where Dean finds all these articles but it's great reading and learning material.

One thing I will say at times it's overwhelming trying to implement a new type of practice from the old traditional way. I seem to be the type of coach that must understand it completely before hit the or try new things. I like for the players too think I know what I'm talking about.

Thanks

RookieCoach

RK,

Thanks for the email – I will be in touch in a day or two… gotta take the kids out for Hallowe'en tonight!

I read extensively and have been coaching since the early 1980's… so I have lots of binders, 'friends in high and low places… and all levels in between' so articles are not hard to find!

Nice to have some feedback that someone reads them – thank you!

I must admit, some articles that I post reflect my own biases (particularly on hazing, abuse, general stupidity because I think it is our moral obligation of coaches to put an end to it! Not only was my dad a victim of sexual abuse from a trusted boy scout leader, I was bullied and hazed as a player myself… Why? How did this make me 'part of the team?' I still get pissed thinking about it and I sure as HELL don't want this to happen to ANY kids under my watch as an educator / coach… or happen to my OWN kids if they choose to play. (Tom, I know you have some stories to tell – I will leave that up to you.)

I get depressed reading all of theses depressing stories; but I think they need to be made an issue until they go away… which I hope they will! "If we ignore our history, we are doomed to repeat our past." It is tougher to find 'good news' for the Inspirational forum, but I hope it somewhat balances all the doom and gloom.) Others I post because I think they might be of interest to the regular readers of the site. Maybe someone will find something to 'spark' their interest? I hope that whatever I post, it has a special meaning for someone out there… I like to try to inspire people; get them to think.

RK, I was overwhelmed by all these new ideas and methodologies at first, too. I would say I went through a period of time where it was a process… try one thing and then retreat back to my comfort zone… then try another; or tweak something… then I had an epiphany, then settled back into more of a process. As the YEARS go by (and with John always talking to me daily), I grow bolder and now I have firmly "crossed over" to the "Game is the best teacher" side and have no regrets. I have daily "Ah Ha" moments when I do our Game Intelligence activities. This site helps me by allowing me to express some of them; and other questions / comments by others help me / challenge me to answer them using my methodology and 'where I am right now as a coach' on the trajectory of my coaching evolution. Yes, I am cognizant of how I introduce it, but my firm belief in it being 'the right way' and my self-confidence based on much trial and error, allows me to do so. Most players / coaches, if you show them the individual benefits and how it can help their team, they will buy in. The key is to get them to participate in it. Whenever possible, as above, I start with dryland first…

This 'Coaching REVOLUTION' takes time… I had the good fortune of a daily mentor (John the Colombian) and people like Tom, and several other coaches at various levels (college, university, pro, international) who I could turn to in times of indecision or doubt. If you don't have that… your (R)evolution may take longer; or not happen at all! Everybody needs a mentor of some sort!

Keep experimenting RK. It's OK to make mistakes. That's how we advance ourselves and society.

This is why I think we need to do a GAME INTELLIGENCE / ABC's COACHING CLINIC here in Calgary (and invite people on this forum to attend)… any interest? JOhn and I just did one a month ago and are looking to do another in the spring. (I would say lets do it in Hawaii, or somewhere warmer, but in Calgary, we are well-connected: we can get facilities and access to players to 'experiment with' during the clinic.) But if some of you think we could do something in your local area, email me. If we could get a bunch of players and coaches who could pay a fee, this would help offset the costs of John, myself and Tom coming to your area…!

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

[Kai K]

Dean I used powerpoint to make these diagrams.

Not exactly, but sort of… yes, you want to minimize turnovers at any time (especially closer to your own net!), but you still need to equip your players to take on the risks to attack and play with confidence all over the ice. Sometimes you need to attack within those 3 seconds, even if outnumbered, because the element of surprise will be working for you and your team… perhaps cancelling out the shorthanded situation. Score and time of game also dictate consideration in the 'risk vs reward' paradigm!

So here are the numbers from the defensive zone.

Why not try to make these numbers better for you? It's just little different kind of transition, as transition doesn't always mean a change in the direction of the game. Transition games where you need to read the "background" that you're attacking against. Anticipation/perception -> decision -> outcome (attack – defend – loose puck)

D1 with the puck he can deal with the 1v1 but the background doesn't look too good? win space or create space?

Kai

[hockeygod]

OK Kai, this week I will see if I can import this into Powerpoint and draw those lines I was trying to describe, then re-post… thanks!

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

[RookieCoach]

Kai. Great job with the diagrams and info. above.

RookieCoach

[Eric Fink]

Great discussion guys..

Tom,

What is the title of the booklet and video and do you know where I could get it? Looks like it would be a nice addition to a lot of the games already on the site.

Great diagrams on transition stats. Hearing the numbers are always one thing but seeing them can touch another chord for some, myself included.

To answer Tom's discussion question on forechecks, I think the 2-1-2 w/pinch on a wide rim would be a great forecheck to run given the numbers on turnovers and generating offense. I think running the most aggressive 4-check is the most exciting to play. I think what makes it most difficult to use is that lack of patience coaches have at times. The longer teams stick with it the less breakdowns they would see.

"Safe is Death" Tampa Bay 2004

[RookieCoach]

TomM wrote:
Rookie Coach and Dean.

I share my material such as the transition games that you refer to. I would like to read the discussion about them.

How have you used them? What adjustments have you made? How did the players adapt to them???? Do they seem to make a difference in the way your team plays in regulation games?

Tom , Dean,
Follow up from the conversation Tom that we had earlier today. I was just contacted from coach of the team that I have been doing practice's with. He wants to continue with the Transition games that I ran last practrice as i sad before that was an introduction for them. I suggested to him about only having Two colours and put some competition into this practice , now that they have an understanding of the games. It is a first step and hopefully it will continue. He likes what he has been seeing in the games this past weekend.
I plan on putting these stats together so I can post them at practice for the players to see. Show the importance keeping turnovers to a minimum if possible , and the importance of a good backcheck as a whole unit. NO fly by's do your job and play your role.

I heard a stat once about the percentage on a turnover at or a team failing to get the puck out within 5 ft of the blueline.
Have you guys heard of a stat like this.?
I can't seem to find it. Or maybe I think that I have heard such a stats.

RookieCoach

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