Russian Half-sticks

Q: Sid, a hockey coach from Ontario, notes that his team’s passing skills “weren’t all that great” over the past season, and he’s asking for any sort of help I might be able to provide towards improving that skill with next year’s team.

A: I have a great video on that subject that I promise to post as soon as I can.  In the meantime…

Recalling my long ago studies in the old USSR, I’ll never forget a lunchtime break I spent outside the Spartak Sports Complex in Moscow, this with a couple of my study group buddies and a former Soviet player who was acting as our interpreter.  For, the moment I mentioned passing, Nikita’s eyes lit-up, and my views on that subject began to change forever.

In most instances, North American youth hockey parents and a lot of youth coaches view passing as purely a tactical ploy.  Oh, for sure, it is an important part of our game’s X’s and O’s — advancing the puck up-ice quickly, moving the puck to an open teammate, etc.

What lots of folks fail to really think about — and what Nikita made me overly aware of — is the great skill required to make good passes, to get open properly, and to then receive the pass.  (For a good reminder on where passing falls within our game, I highly suggest reviewing CoachChic’s Building Blocks Approach to Skills.)

Now, Sid, as it so happens I felt kids on my recent junior high school team were also struggling with their passing game.  A good many of them were new with me, so they brought with them the aforementioned problem — of seeing it less as a skill and more a matter of tactics.

Thankfully, I thought back to something I didn’t see in Moscow but did hear about.  What I understand is that some Soviet coaches had their players practice with sticks that had about half their blades missing.

I decided to try this approach with my kids, and I gave them and their parents a few weeks warning.  In other words, I asked them to be on the look-out for discarded sticks with just a portion of the blade missing, and then gave them a target date for when we’d begin using them.  I also asked parents to trim the blades — or smooth them so they posed no real safety hazard.

The following video shows one of my players working with his half-stick at a weekly off-ice practice.  Once you’ve had the chance to see the stick in use, I’ll add a few more comments below…

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What I realized in our first attempts with the half-sticks was that my kids really had to concentrate.

Thankfully, passers seemed to care more about sending good passes, perhaps because they understood how difficult it was going to be for their partners at the other end to make a catch.  From the video, you might notice how much care my young demonstrator makes in sending his passes with long, sweeping motions.

You ought to have also noticed how careful the demonstrator was about catching the pass.  I mean, he really had to soften his hands and give with each catch.  (I now sense that a full blade sometimes allows the kids to act lazily on their catches.)

By the way…  I believe the best passes — and even the best receptions — are made with the heel-to-middle area of a stick-blade (one almost always creates a wobbling pass when sending it from the toe of the blade).  So, these half-sticks had a way of forcing my players to only use that heel-to-middle area.

As far as using those sticks…  I asked my kids to carry them to every practice session.  And, I’d ask my players to switch to those sticks whenever we did a puckhandling or passing drill that didn’t require a slapshot at the end.  Interestingly, the kids seemed to like them, because I’d often have individuals ask if they could use their half-sticks at other times.

So, I suggest Sid try these next season with his team, and other coaches should likewise consider giving them a try.  Furthermore, I think older players and parents of younger players could find ways to incorporate half-stick training — in team practices or while practicing away from a team.

Screens & Deflections

Early this past season I noticed a lot of my new players didn’t have a clue about screening and deflecting out in front of the goal.  I couldn’t blame them, I guess, in that not a lot of attention is usually paid to this skill where they came from.

One of my pet peeves is to see a youngster stand off to the side of the goal with his stick-blade held out in front of the rival goaltender.  I mean, think along with me here…  The goaler obviously has clear view of a distant shot if our forward is camped-out off to the side of the net.  And, at levels beyond about Mites or Atoms, the goalie dares enough to come-out towards the shot to smother anything that’s deflected off a stick as I’ve just described.

That said, here are a couple of important keys to more effectively screening the opposing goaltender, and possibly deflecting the puck past him or her…

• A forward should position with his/her butt towards the rival goaler. Stationed at mid-net and in front of the goalie, our forward has a chance to reach any shot that isn’t too far beyond either net-post.
• The forward should then point all three blades — both skates and the stick-blade — directly at the location of the puck.  (Hey, we’ll take a goal if it nicks either of those three blades!)  The forward often has to re-position (for example, as the puck is passed from one point to the other, again always pointing the three blades towards wherever the puck might be).
• With the stick-blade pointed directly in-line with the incoming shot, the forward only wants to nick the puck slightly with a side of the stick, thusly only redirecting its course very slightly.  (A lot of young players will allow the puck to hit flat on their blade, which usually kills the force of the puck and prevents it from continuing towards the goal.)

Now, after you see this brief video of some NEHI junior high school kids working at these skills, I’ll have a few more comments…

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You may have noticed that there were a few sample drills where we had only one forward working out in front of the net.  That’s the way I initially designed the drill.  However, what I discovered was that during such a set-up our goaltenders were coming far out and smothering the deflections.

In a way, I think that’s a slightly unrealistic move for a goalie during real game action (there are usually other things going on that prevent him from coming out THAT far).  At the same time, I didn’t want to just order my goaltenders to remain back in the net.  So, what I ultimately did was to have the player who just completed the screen & deflect to go to a backdoor position, thereby at least keeping our goalies a little more honest.

By the way…  It think scoring goals on screens and deflections is matter of both skill and luck.  At the same time, I believe the more a player practices and fine tunes these skills, the luckier he or she gets.

Put REAL Muscle in Your Hockey Shot!

When I was a kid my dad turned me on to the old strength guru, Charles Atlas.  And, as I recall, Atlas’ routines mostly used body-weight exercises or ones performed with commonly available items.  So, when I was trying to think of a way to REALLY develop great hand and forearm strength in my hockey players, I recalled something I’d seen Atlas do.

Picture this, if you will…  The famous strongman grasped a kitchen-type chair by one leg (and far down on the leg), and he proceeded to lift the chair off the floor and then wiggle it a bit.  Now, any of us can easily lift such a chair; the weight isn’t all that much.  However, with most of the chair’s weight cantilevered out away from Atlas’ hand, this method of lifting poses quite a challenge.  In other words, the further away the weight is from the hand, the heavier it feels.

Anyway, I thought for awhile about combining Atlas’ idea with a hockey player’s specific needs for strength in the hands and forearms, and I soon arrived at something I dubbed the StickWag.

So, take a look at my grandson performing a few “wags”, and I’ll return below the video to provide a few ideas on making and using your own StickWag device…

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If you can picture that cantilever concept — whereby the weight is a greater and greater challenge the farther it is from the hands, you should then be able to appreciate how the 10-ish pounds of weight represents quite a chore for Anthony Chic to wiggle around.  In fact, what I’ll ask my Lab students to do is to try to isolate their forearm muscles and really make them pop and burn.

Notice also that the movements he is making — wiggling and wagging that weight — are a lot like the forceful movements he has to make in his sweep, backhand and snap shots.

Better yet, while standing still and practicing shooting might be okay for technique work, a real goal-scorer is able to pull the trigger in all sorts of unbalanced positions, or even with a defender draped all over him or her.  Come to think of it, Anthony has scored numerous goals while needing to shoot with only one hand (either the left or the right), and I attribute most of those to his work with the StickWag and another device I’ll show you at a later date.

Now, the gadgets I ultimately made for The MOTION Lab are adjustable, so that a weight can be moved either closer in (for ease of lifting) or further away (for a real challenge).  But my initial models were simpler, and easy enough for you to make and use at home.

- For the earliest StickWags, I took a stick-shaft, put nails through the end of it, and then I sunk that end — with the nails — into a large juice can filled with concrete.  Of course, you might want to adjust the weight (or size of the can) according to the intended user’s strength.  And the user could move his or her hands up and down the shaft to make the wagging exercises easier or harder (but always aiming to move the weight further and further away).

- I later made another — adjustable — model.  For this one, I again used an old stick, and I drilled holes along the shaft to accommodate pegs.  I next found a barbell weight with a hole large enough so that it could fit on and slide up and down the shaft. With that, I could set the weight at a certain distance, and then hold it in place with a peg inserted just above and just below.

When doing explosive type movements, it’s a good idea to work at maximum intensity for only a brief time (maybe 10- to 12-seconds of wagging).  Hockey players might rest twice as long (maybe 30-seconds) before performing another set.

Oh, and one final point — and something you should ultimately come to appreciate about me…  I happen to believe that a kzillion dollar device doesn’t make a player better; what does make him or her better is the use of whatever means are available.  So, whether wiggling and wagging a chair or an old shaft and juice can, it’s the doing that’s going to put REAL muscle into a hockey player’s shot!

Checking — The Physical Side of Hockey

To this point we’ve covered a lot of theory.  Now, for a little more on the thinking side, along with the physical skills required to play solid defensive hockey.

Oh, apologies in advance…  This video was produced just before the sweeping new changes came into effect involving physical contact.  So, please take what you can from that area, and trust that I’ll create an updated version in time for you’re next season.

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Incredible Stickhandling — Skills 7 – 9

I can’t emphasize enough the need for a player to truly master the various steps as they’ve been presented to this point.  In a way, each is a prerequisite to the more advanced skills that will come soon enough.  Be patient, and think about how awesome you can be next fall…

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FYI…  As I was just putting together the next drils, I thought to myself, “I sure hope my members are working to perfect the earlier skills, because things are going to get pretty challenging from here onward!”

Introduction to Off-season Strength Training for Hockey

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”

– Theodore Roosevelt

Introduction to Off-season Strength Training for Hockey

by Scott Umberger

The articles that I write will follow a progression similar to the program planning that a hockey
player should undergo in preparation for the upcoming hockey season (yes, I just said next season
while some of you may still be in the playoffs).

So the season has ended after playing for the past 7+ months, and if you made it through without
an injury — congratulations! Now that the season is over your body needs to return to center due
to the unnatural motion of skating and the sheer volume of stress that you have placed your body
under with games, practice, and training. Skating through the length of your season causes the
quadriceps to become more dominant over the hamstring. This needs correcting. Here’s one that
will blow your mind: Almost all of my hockey guys have one leg that is large than the other, and at
times 2.5 inches larger! (FYI, that leg is typically the back leg on your shot.)

The following topics will be covered over the coming months in regards to the training that you should be doing. I’m going to be up front with my methodology right now. I am strong. My methodology is derived from the Russian/Easter Bloc training principles that have consistently produced the most highly skilled players in the world.

I’m not a skill guy. Though I do work with mental preparation and mental imagery, I’m not the
expert there either. If I make an athlete stronger and more balanced they will be better suited to
perform and express the sport specific skill taught by the sport specific coach. So in regards to
sport specificity, that doesn’t exist in 95% of the athletes in this country in regards to weight
training. Why? Because you aren’t strong enough, chief! What is strong you ask? Can you perform
a legit thighs parallel back squat with 2 to 2.5 times your body weight? Can you perform 20+
pull/chin ups? Meatheads, how about benching 1.5x your body weight? If your vertical isn’t over
30+ inches why are you spending 80% of your training jumping? Explosiveness is built from a
strength base.

As much as I am one to separate the aspects of training, I have them in the playing of all of my
athletes. Skill is #1 and always will be. That is a key element to my training. My guys work on
hockey skills 2-3 times a week. But we do it right. On another note, I do believe in sport specific
training in regards to energy system training (cardio). That is without a doubt the most specific
and most important aspect of specificity.

Your need to get back into shape and fix imbalances right after the season. It makes no sense to
train hard without establishing the proper levels of General Physical Preparedness (GPP). The
following article (click on the link) was written by Bryan Mann and goes into great depth on what
GPP is and how to lay the proper base in order to prepare for real work.

http://www.sportsperformancecoach.com/GPP.pdf

I can’t stress enough how import this stage of training is, for ALL athletes. Get balanced out, get
in shape, and get the injuries fixed. I can’t go into great detail on injuries because I would be
here for literally 5 years explaining how to fix each one that you could encounter.

Create the proper base at a young age to maximize athletic development and the young athlete
will be rewarded in the years to come. In addition GPP exercises are much more interesting for a
younger athlete which is very important. Heavy squats for a 10-12 year old are fun because they
don’t really care. In addition, I am concerned with spine compression with young athletes. (By the
way, the whole growth plate thing is a huge fallacy created by a weak uneducated doctor. A
legitimate study supporting the “growth plate” theory does not exist.)

What to expect in the coming months:

• GPP (Today’s article)
• Flexibility and mobility. Flexibility is touching your toes and mobility is your individual joint ability to move in the right of motion that they should. Read: Shoulders, hips, and ankles to name a few. You need both or you are holding back your own athletic ability and increasing your risk for injury.
• Types of strength: relative, absolute, and dynamic
• Proper nutrition and supplements for results
• The development of a young athlete
• Strongman training for real “functional strength”
• Strength is #1. Get stronger… Do the exercises listed below and you will be faster and a better athlete. Once you are reasonably strong you can progress into plyometrics and explosive movements. In the meantime learn to decelerate and accelerate first. Learn how to land whenjumping. That’s a place to start. If you can’t slow down correctly then you can’t accelerate. The body position is very similar on skates.
• Plyometrics: Stay away from plyo’s until you are strong and can land properly.
• Learn proper running technique. Much of this is related to strength, but there is still is a huge gap in proper technique and looking like an 80 year old woman. Proper arm pump is huge. If you drop your 40 time, you are a faster skater. The upper body and lower must work like a Lamborghini not a clunker! Same goes with skating and the principles transfer back and forth.
• Conditioning: sprints and the slide board are key. Save the distance running for distance runners. Your game is about beating the opponent to the puck or a spot. That’s explosiveness and quickness. Distance running promotes the development of slow twitch muscle fibers. Yes, slow is bad. Look at a marathoner, do they look explosive or strong? HELL no! Don’t freak out on me here, there’s nothing wrong with taking a weekly 15-20 min jog, but 80-90% of hockey is sprinting. You should train like you play spending 80% of your conditioning on varying short sprints from 5 to 40 yards and the rest on the slide board and ice.

If you have any ideas on articles in regards to performance shoot me an email at scottumberger@gmail.com.

As a PS:  Members ought to know that Scott’s last email to me ended with this: “Thanks for the opportunity to reach out and help the hockey world!”  Aaaaah, if that doesn’t sound like a guy who really cares about your success.  I think we’re all going to enjoy his future entries — and learn a ton!

– Dennis Chighisola

Marking the Practice Ice

Marking the Practice Ice

By Dennis Chighisola

My good friend Joe (known as “Coulter” here at CoachChic.com) mentioned something in a comment sometime ago that I promised to eventually address.  So, here goes…

A lot of years ago, I wished I could make markings on the ice.  In my case, I wished I could define an area where a given drill would take place, or even trace a skating path for my guys to move through.

As luck would have it, I mentioned this to a local figure skating instructor, and she told me she and many others in her profession actually used large markers they bought at stationery stores.  I found some, just as she’d said, and they were huge MagicMarker types, with the applicator portion being at least an inch across.

Now, the thing that made these special markers usable on the ice was the fact that they were water-based (not your typical kind of marker).  And they worked awesomely!

If there was a problem, those kinds of markers were hard to find.  So, I frequently bought-out the store when I did locate some.

A few years down the road, I had difficulty finding any of those — anywhere.  By this time, Todd Jacobson (our NEHI goalie coach) and I had gotten hooked on using them.  So, in desperation, I started reasoning some things…  What made those markers work on ice was their being water-based.  I further reasoned that I might be able to find some water-based spray paints at the local hardware store.  And, sure enough, Todd and I have been using latex (or water-based) spray paints ever since!

Then, a few things you might want to know about their use…  I’ve tended to buy red or blue to show well on the ice, although just about any color — other than white — is going to work.  And, lest you think a rink’s management will care about your spraying paint on their ice, it’s really just superficial — and it usually gets picked-up on the Zamboni’s first pass, or scratched-off by lots of skate traffic.  Oh, if there is a problem with this kind of paint, know that it’s liable to freeze if left out in your vehicle in extra cold weather.

So, I’d add this to your little bag of coaching tools.  It really can come in handy.

The Value of Reflection

As Justin Johnson will explain shortly, he took some time last August to visit with athletes and to discuss with them their approaches to a just completed off-season.  And I thought reflecting back on these should be interesting — and very helpful — as CoachChic.com members plan their own spring and summer training programs.

Dennis Chighisola

Justin Johnson
Mental Edge Performance Advisor

As I’ve traveled around this past month discussing with athletes about how they have spent their summer, I’ve stumbled across an interesting phenomenon. A great number of athletes, of all abilities mind you, have decided to take on a Quantity over Quality approach in their off-season. In their pursuit of excellence athletes find themselves practicing sport-specific skills sometimes up to four or more hours a day, six days a week. Pile on top of that, games, lifting, and for many others, a summer sport or camp. As an athlete you begin to wear very thin.

It is amazing when you sit down with a group of athletes and ask them about what they have learned or gained from all of these hours of activity. The response ranges from a puzzled look to a list of three or four things. By physically participating in all of this activity and training, the athlete has been forced to move from an intense focused form of training, which yields the most results, to a more conservative way of training so they have enough energy to get them through the entire day or week.

The reason so few athletes have a response to what they have learned is because mentally they move in a zombie- like state from one activity to another. Not remembering how or what they did last week in their game or practice. So an ironic situation occurs, despite all of the activity athletes are involved in only a select few are gaining any experience from their involvement.

How can you combat this? Well, it’s simple; set some time aside to reflect. Take a few minutes after each activity you partake in and ask yourself a few questions:

What did I learn?
What could I have done better?
What did I do well?
What should I try next time?
Was that fun?

You can also write in a daily or weekly journal to keep track of the activities you are doing and what you are gaining from them. This journal will be an incredibly valuable asset as you move through the summer compiling all of the great learning experiences. As you look back over your entries throughout the summer you will begin to get a sense of what is working for you and what isn’t. The journal will also help you in the following off season. Depending on how detailed you are you should have a great blueprint for what you should and shouldn’t sign up for and participate in. This way you can look forward to a more efficient and effective off season as well as the knowledge that you have become a more experienced athlete.

As sort of a PS to Justin’s great piece…

I think older players and parents of young players should come away with the idea that some planning will really help make the coming off-season more productive and even more fun.  Justin’s 5-point checklist should aid in that.

But I’d like to especially emphasize the fun part here…  You see, I believe there’s a fine line between a routine being fairly enjoyable or being a flat-out drudgery.  And, besides my concerns for how a player feels during his or her off-season, I’m overly worried about his or her mental and physical states as the new hockey season approaches.  I mean, the last thing we want is for a player to be already spent — either physically or emotionally — come next Labor Day.  Actually, the best case scenario would have them entering the fall just dying to get back on the ice.

So, for the time being, I hope you’ll just consider the broad ideas outlined to this point.  More help in this area is on the horizon.

Strength Training for Ice Hockey Players

It gives me great pleasure to introduce yet another new feature to CoachChic.com, as well as another great contributing writer.

Scott Umberger is the Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Robert Morris University. He is also the owner of Umberger Performance which specializes in training hockey players.

Scott has worked with high school, college (athletes from 20 different NCAA schools), and professional athletes (from the NHL, ECL, MLL, MLB, MLB, NFL and NBA), 2 Hobey Baker Trophy Finalists (top 3 and top 10), a top 10 NCAA scorer in Men’s Hockey, a member of the USA U-22 Woman’s Team, 3 All-Americans (track, swimming, hockey), a Biletnikoff Trophy Winner (top DI Football Receiver), FINA Master World Championship Qualifying Swimmer, ECAC/IC4A qualifying track hurdler.

He has recently ventured into power lifting, having dead lifted 625 and bench pressed 420 in his second power lifting meet at a drug free bodyweight of 198.

Scott can be reached through his website at www.scottumberger.com, email at scottumebrger@gmail.com, Facebook, Twitter, or Myspace.

Look for Strength Training for Ice Hockey Players to appear regularly in its own area under Highlight Reel Skills.

I hope everyone is as psyched as I am to welcome Scott Umberger aboard!

– Dennis Chighisola

About Incredible Stickhandling — Skills 4 – 6

Although “Incredible Stickhandling — Skills 4 – 6” has just been added, Coach Chic suggests that those overseeing the training of a really young player make sure the first 3 skills are truly mastered before moving on.  Once they are, it might not be a bad idea to just add one new puckhandling skill every so often.

Incredible Stickhandling — Skills 4 – 6

Coach Chic’s suggestion is for a player to now go back and forth between these new drills and a few of the earlier ones.  And remember:  the idea is to truly MASTER each skill.  Good luck!

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Dumping The Puck

No doubt someone is going to wonder why I’d expend the time and effort to explain the (supposedly simple) task of dumping the puck.  Well, one of our members, David L., evidently knows the significance of this tactic, because he recently requested I undertake this project.  I totally agree with David.  And, as you’ll soon see, an effective dump-in serves an important purpose, and it actually requires some skill and some hockey smarts…

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As a brief follow-up…  When it comes to dump-ins, I’ve noticed higher level strategies evolving over the years.  And, don’t be surprised if they continue to do so.

There was a time when dumps were usually carried out just as I’ve described them in the video — I mean, hard around the boards or softly to the opposite corner.  Then there was a time when higher level teams shied away from sending their dumps around, because goaltenders got pretty good — and mobile enough to stop those pucks.  In more recent years, I’ve noticed teams again daring to fire the puck hard around.  As a matter of fact, a lot of teams are sending the puck in so hard that it travels around and through both end corners so that a teammate can grab it along the boards and fairly high in the offensive zone.  My real point, though, is that the ideas I’ve mentioned in the video are valid for most levels.  However, a clever coach just might make some slight adjustments as he or she sees the game change.

The Greatest Changes CAN Take Place FROM HERE ONWARD!

I know, hockey seasons are winding down right now.  And, although a lot of folks view hockey time as something like September to March (or April), I have to share a different — very important — slant on that.

From a coaching perspective, there hasn’t been a lot new that I could do with my players over the past month (and probably longer).  Mostly we’ve been keeping up our conditioning, polishing the same old skills, and just fine tuning our X’s and O’s.  All the while — in the back of my mind — I’ve been making mental notes about the sweeping changes I’ll install next season.  And, make no mistake about it, sweeping changes usually do have to wait.  (For some coaches, new approaches might have to be delayed until you meet with your teams next fall.  In my case, I’m lucky, in that my next year’s teams start working out pretty soon — in late May.)

As a hockey parent, let me use my grandson as an example (as I so often do)…  Since he reported to school last September, Anthony has been in the charge of his college coach.  Yes, my young buddy has had a commitment to his coach and to his teammates, and that isn’t going to end until he returns home in mid-May.  If you see what I’m getting at here, there’s only one time of the year when Anthony can make some major changes in his game — on an individual basis, and that time is during the off-season.  Once again, come about Labor Day, he’ll be the property of his college program.

How about adult players?  Well, although you and guys like Anthony can work on your games a little during the winter, the greatest changes can only come when you’re not confined to team obligations.

As I and all our other great writers have advised, recent weeks were the right time to take an accounting of a player’s or a team’s needs.  Oh, there’s still some time to do that, but I wouldn’t delay.  For, armed with that information, we’re going to shortly take some major strides together — as parents, coaches and players.  So, be ready!

For sure, we’re going to share numerous skill ideas and ways to improve qualities like speed, strength, endurance and so forth.  However, I’m going to soon kick things off with great ideas about research and planning.  So again, be ready.

Finally — and this is the reason I’ve chosen to write you right now…  While an awful lot of folks are going to put hockey out of their minds for a time (and while a short break from the game is good), now is the time when a lot of US can pass by everyone else.  I mean, a player can blow right by all those who will be sitting on their hands all spring and summer, and a coach who starts studying and organizing pretty shortly is going to find himself or herself far ahead of others when the fall arrives.

PS:  If you’re worried that CoachChic.com isn’t going to address your specific needs, why not use our Ask The Coach feature to tell me (or other writers) exactly what you’d like to see?

A Lot of Things Change As Players Get Older

This one could have been named “Conversations with Anthony” (I hope you get a kick out of that part).

It’s another brief audio clip from a teleseminar I did some time ago, entitled “Starting ‘em Right”.  The gist of that on-line call-in show had to do with ensuring kids develop on three different levels — keeping their skills equal to (or better than) those they play with and against, keeping their confidence, and remaining in love with the game of hockey.

Anthony Chighisola (”Tony Chic”) — at about the age he had to start getting  serious about his game.  (At this writing — April of 2009, Anthony just completed his first year of college hockey, and he achieved more than his share of awards.   For a clip of my young buddy on the ice, Click Here and see the third video.)

In this particular segment, however, I share with you some discussions that arose with my grandson as he was climbing the hockey ladder.  And it also gives my impressions on how preparation has to change as kids get older.

I hope you enjoy this…

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Hockey Coaching Qualifications

My good friend Scott Umberge inspired this piece, mainly from his comments in reference to “The Artistic Hockey Coach“.

Actually, I think Scott was right in the points he was trying to make.  Yet, there might just be another side to this story, especially when it comes to volunteers.

A major aim of the CoachChic.com site is to arm parents and coaches with as much scientific information as possible, and to then share some ideas about artful ways to apply those scientific principles.

In my mind, almost anyone can be a great teacher/coach.  But, as usual, here are a couple of stories that should help make my point…

1) A number of years ago, as I was winding down my talk at a local coaching clinic, an older gentleman posed a pretty good question.  Basically, he was concerned about his age (I’m guessing he was in his late 60’s).  He felt he had plenty of knowledge to share with kids, but he was worried about not being able to skate all that well.

I thought for awhile about that one…  I mean, here’s a guy who seems to really care, and he seems to have plenty to offer in the way of knowledge.  And, wouldn’t it be a crying shame if these things were lost to the kids in his town?

So, I ultimately suggested to him that I would (God willing) someday be 70-years old, 80-years old, whatever.  And I’d like to think that, even if I could no longer jump barriers and such, I’d still be able to teach the game.

2) Even further back in time, I once visited a friend who was in charge of a youth hockey organization on the outskirts  of Montreal.  His organization had produced many professional players, and a look at my friend’s trophy case — and all the photos of current or former NHLers — caused me to think out loud…  “Wow, it must be awesome having some of those guys come back and help teach the next generations.”

My Canadian friend wrinkled his nose and shook his head, “No, our best coach doesn’t even skate!”

You can imagine my amazement, as my friend went on to explain how his program’s AAA Pee Wee coach actually walks on the ice in furry boots.  He went on to explain though, “He is a great organizer and a great teacher!”  And, he added, “His main job isn’t to demonstrate.  He can use others for that!”  (Come to think of it, I’ve seen lots of skills coaches buzz around the ice, wow-ing students and customers with wild moves.  It only takes me a short time to realize they are all “artsy”, and their teaching has very little scientific basis.)

Anyway, returning to the year 2009, I need to say again that, “almost anyone can be a great teacher/coach”.  I think the Number One qualification is that he or she truly care.  (Please think long and hard about that one, since it goes a long ways towards doing what’s right for young players.)  That established, a great teacher/coach would have to gather as much knowledge as possible — he or she will want to be correct about what’s being taught, and he or she should build a bag of coaching tricks — or methods for getting the best teaching results.  Then, borrowing from the above described Pee Wee coach, it would also help if one is a great organizer.

Finally, I hope you appreciate that I’m not disagreeing with my friend Scott.  It’s just that he was talking about paid coaches, while I want to make sure that any volunteer who wants to make a positive impact with kids should know that’s possible.  First, though, you have to care.

A Hockey Player’s First Real Goal

The following is a brief excerpt from a teleseminar I did long ago.  The topic is an important one, and something I truly believe I need to share.

You see, I suspect this is one of the most difficult areas for us hockey parents.  I’m guessing a percentage of us never consider goal-setting at all, while others might be putting the proverbial cart before the horse.

Anyway, I hope you’ll hear me out on this one, if only for a different perspective…

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By the way, I’m not the sort who discounts a youngster’s chances of becoming a professional athlete (or becoming President of The United States).  What I do suggest is that there are natural steps to be taken towards any worthwhile goal.  And I think I’ve just pointed out the most significant one for a really serious young hockey player.

That Coaches’ Poll

Although polling has just gotten underway (and only a few coaches have currently voiced their opinions), I’m already getting an indication of what you’d like to see in future posts.

Skills training and drills will soon be adding up (exponentially) in all the appropriate categories.  And you won’t believe what I have planned in the way of organizational help for you next month.  As importantly though, I see where some coaches want ideas for their X’s and O’s.  And, while it might take me a little time to put that information together, I promise I’ll arm you with plenty of ideas in that area (I’m gathering those ideas right now).

Oh, by the way…  Those who are interested in motivational help (besides reading our Mental Training area) are going to love some ideas I’ll share a little later this summer (that’s the right time to discuss such a topic).

As for anyone who hasn’t yet given me his or her opinion, just click here: Poll (or use the tab up at the top of this page).  It only takes a second to pick your favorite topic.

About My “Think ‘n Skate” Program

I just created what I think is an awesome entry about my “Think ‘n Skate” program.  If there was one difficulty with that, it was arriving at the right category to place it in.

Yes, it is about Mental Training, and it’s also about a player’s ability to Think The Game.  But so does it have to do with General Skills.  And, I also mention near the end of that post that I plan on soon implementing that form of training in The MOTION Lab this spring.

Anyway, I wanted to let you know that I did finally list it — and an accompanying video — under Mental Training and Thinking The Game.  Have a look, huh?  It can really help an intermediate to advanced player!

My “Think ‘n Skate” Program

Although I’d pondered something like this for a number of years before, I think my last college team was the real inspiration for this very different kind of training.  Here’s just one reason why…

One freezing cold winter night my team traveled north to New Hampshire to do battle with a very tough opponent.  Worse yet, the flu bug had hit my squad, leaving us without several top skaters and my two best goaltenders.

Still, my assistant coaches and I concocted a pretty good game plan.  We were going to ask our guys to play super-conservatively, and we were going to ask them to do everything smartly.  (More on the smartly part in a moment.)

As luck (and my players’ hard work) would have it, we scored two quick goals that night, and we were limiting our opponents’ shots from far out and from bad angles.  We even managed to keep that lead — and that style of play going — through almost two periods on foreign ice.

Now, besides employing a very conservative forecheck, I’d ask my guys to do some other things that were absolutely necessary to the predicament we were in.  For example, I suggested that we had to eat at the game clock as much as possible.  And I also advised the guys to dump the puck most times, and to only think offense when our opponents made mistakes, or when we had a really good chance of scoring.

Actually, by taking a quick lead, we’d created  conditions that frustrated our rivals.  And they did start making the kinds of mistakes teams make when they can’t seem to generate any offense.  Sure enough, they started taking chances with the puck, and they forced passes numerous times right to my guys’ sticks.

Ya, everything was going according to plan, and we’d managed to kill nearly two-thirds of the game while clinging to that slim lead.

So, what happens late in that second stanza is that one of my very offensive minded forwards eventually steals the puck in neutral ice, and he starts carrying towards the NH team’s zone.  We’d been over this situation countless times to this point — back home in our last practice, in our pre-game talk, and as recently as the last intermission.  What my guy had to read was his honest-to-goodness chances of successfully carrying the puck on towards the goal.

Darn, but he had to see that there were three enemy defenders in front of him, and that the only sane thing to do was to dump the puck so we could move into our forecheck.  Not this time, though…  Instead he barged right into those defenders and immediately coughed-up the puck.  The opponent who stole the puck relayed it up-ice to a streaking winger who fired a slapshot into our goal.

And don’t you know that that one goal lit a fire under our rivals, and they managed a 2-2 tie just before the period ended.  Oh, and we could hear them hooting and howling in the dressingroom down the hall.  They were believing in themselves again, and they were ready to blow our doors off in the final period.

Okay, so what did I think really went wrong?

In a way, I couldn’t fault my young forward. I felt what happened wasn’t intentional, but more a difficulty he — and countless other players — had developed in their earliest years.  I mean, our game is kind of fast, wild and tense (to list just a few adjectives).  And just by its very nature, I can appreciate how players can momentarily lose their heads or make a wrong decision in the heat of battle.

Still, I couldn’t stop thinking about that turning point in our game — all the bus ride home, and for the days, weeks and months after.  You see, although I’ve coached teams for numerous years, I’m really a skills coach inside.  So, when I’ve seen good and bad plays at the higher levels, I’ve always felt I could design something for younger guys and gals to help them when they reach those higher levels.

And what I thought I’d been seeing with a lot of older players was a difficulty in dealing with a physical challenge while also keeping a clear head and staying with a plan.

So, with a summer hockey school starting a few months after that college season ended, I set-out to design a program that would help young players learn to “Skate ‘n Think” at the same time.  In other words, my idea was to give the kids a simple physical challenge, while also asking them to deal with a mental problem.

With that, the following video shows what I’ve done with my idea through the years since then. (Although I created this form of drilling in the late 1980’s, you’ll notice that I only produced this video a few years ago.) Once you’ve watched it, see below, because I have a lot more to add…

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Now that you have an idea of the program I ultimately designed, let me go back to the initial problem — as I see it…

Do you recall those young teenagers hopping across the lawn on large balls?  (I also used a photo of it at the top of this page.)  Well, one of those kids took a pretty nasty spill halfway through the drill.  I just happened to be holding the camera near the end of the course and I was able to see his face as he arrived and readied to give his coach the answer.  The fact is, if ever they had to put a “deer caught in the headlights” sample in a dictionary, there would be none better than the look on that poor boy’s face.

What had happened was that he got messed up by the fall, and he lost all train of thought.  Little wonder he’d forgotten the mental problem he was asked to deal with.

So, I have to ask you…  Do hockey players face similar challenges in their games?  You bet.  They get spun around, tripped-up, they take awful spills and ferocious body-checks.  And, is there a chance they’re going to have that deer in the headlights moment, just like my young camp student?  Or is there the chance they’re going to recover and forget the game plan, the score, the time remaining in a period?  Again, you can bet at least some players will.

Then a few short asides…

Within my other videos, you’ll often see my kids tumbling while performing another skill.  I have them do it for other purposes too, but one good reason I mix this skill with others is to artificially cause a little confusion.

Ironically, as I was doing a little research earlier today, I found an on-line article describing some rather unorthodox methods used by old Soviet coaches.  It seems Anatoli Tarasov and other USSR coaches knew their players had to be prepped for the numerous adversities that take place in a game.  So, the Russian coaches would actually — purposely — trip or otherwise foul players during practices or apply some last minute off-the-wall rules to drills and scrimmages.

Finally, I am going to start using this form of drilling again once my players return to The MOTION Lab this spring, and I’ll continue it when we later move to the ice.  Yet, even though this seems like a team-type activity, a parent could easily create a “Think ‘n Skate” set of problems for his or her youngster to do at home.  And, an older player could just as easily use some imagination to take advantage of these combined physical and mental challenges.

Critical Periods in Motor Learning – 2

Please be sure to watch Part 1 in this series as a prerequisite to the following.  A lot of the principles described in Part 2 were better explained in the previous entry.

Part 2A – The Answers:

As an introduction to Part 1, I suggested that the information contained there would likely put you far ahead of most other parents, players and coaches.  That should have been the case.

However, I probably also scared you a bit, pointing out the possibility that certain mistakes in training cannot be undone later.  Yes, there are those “windows of opportunity” — or certain periods in a human’s development that had better not be ignored.

Still, while that might be so — that there’s danger in missing those “windows”, I think I might just be able to ease your mind a bit in the following segments.  In fact, I hope to give you some great ideas for helping a young hockey player become far more athletic and far more confident.

Now, due to the length (and file size) required to do this subject justice, I’ve had to divide Part 2 into two sections.  So, here’s Part 2A…

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Now, please go on to Part 2B now…

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As a wrap-up to all this information, let me highlight a few things, as well as offer a few last minute suggestions:

• I hope it did ease your mind, that many of the early motor skills are learned naturally by relatively active children.  At the same time, appreciate that extra activities can help even more.  And, besides typical schoolyard games, rope skipping, running, tag and gymnastic-type activities, participation in other sports can further enhance athleticism and even problem solving.
• Don’t forget the human body’s unbelievable ability to adapt.  And, while the example of weightlifting was used, this would also be the case with speed and agility training, conditioning, and numerous other physical abilities.
• The Theory of Transfer was mentioned here…  Used in a practical sense, my suggestion is that the likes of shooting and puckhandling away from the ice can really help a player’s on-ice game.  And so will mimicking the skating stride, necessary footwork, and numerous other hockey-type movements.  If you think about it, the value of off-ice training is great news for hockey players, since ice-time is expensive and sometimes hard to come by.  (My video on “Food for Hockey Thought” also explains why some off-ice training might be even more productive than training on the ice.)
• I know I only quickly mentioned “muscle memory” in the video, but this is yet another example of the human body’s (and mind’s) amazing ability to learn and adapt.  For, the more one performs a given movement, the more that movement is committed to memory.  If there’s a danger here, it’s that the mind and body can’t distinguish between proper mechanics and faulty ones.  And this suggests that real care must be taken when it comes to rehearsing certain movements.  (I’m usually more concerned with this when it comes to advanced level players.)
• I think we’ll all agree that the right genetics can be beneficial.  Yet, I’m sure we’ll also agree that hard work, dedication and “heart” can overcome many shortcomings.
• Of all the principles I tend to hammer at, perhaps I sense the most resistance when it comes to the subjects of skipping steps and dealing with confidence.
• For sure, some parents and some coaches can’t wait to drag their kids from one level of execution to the next.  If there’s a price to pay for this, it’s that a player might miss truly mastering some basics that he or she could really use later on.  (My brief post on “do-able” drill progressions will help some in this area.)
• Also, if you recall what I said in conjunction with our observing those two sets of twins…  I worry not about the two youngsters who find physical challenges easy; as a matter of fact, they’ll likely to continue to get better because they’ll probably practice a lot on their own.  I think the other two will be okay, because the extra (organized) work we’re giving them is ultimately going to help them also feel good about themselves.  But, left to struggle for any length of time, there’s a good chance they’ll not want to practice or play.  I’ve termed it a “snowball effect”, in that the ones who feel good about themselves tend to get better, and the ones who don’t, well…
• When it comes to believing in oneself, I like to look at is as if every player carries with him a “confidence bank”.  In other words, confidence gets put into that bank with every successful drill, and with every success in a game.  But so are withdrawals made, as the player suffers setbacks along the way.  Here’s my real point, though…  When a struggling player — with an already low confidence account — suffers the next (small or large) failure, there’s a chance he or she will be devastated.  (Depending on the bank account and the nature of the setback, this could even force a player to quit.)  On the other hand, picture what happens to the player who is carrying a near full confidence account when he or she has some difficulty.  I’ve seen it countless time (in hockey and in the business world), and you probably have, too.  For, that guy or gal hardly misses a beat, or he or she is almost shocked that things didn’t turn-out perfectly (because they always have)!
• Along this same line of discussion is the matter of playing levels.  And lest anyone think I’m pushing for a player to be a big fish in a little pond, that’s not the case.  What I am talking about, however, is giving a developmental level player the chance to have his or her fair share of successes — in the practices and in the games.  Here’s a simple test, though…  If a player is in a level where he or she won’t likely control the puck very much — or he or she is just going to play in what I call “panic mode” for a solid hour, I say, “Get ‘em out of there!”  On the other side of the ledger, I think it’s pretty helpful to future development if a player can carry a fair share of the play, and maybe even dare to experiment a bit.

All that said, I’m adding another brief video as sort of an afterthought…  Actually, this is a recruiting video made by my grandson’s prep school so that he could send it to college recruiters.  I didn’t make the video, and that’s not The Old Coach’s voice cheering in the background (I had a hard time getting to many of those distant games).  However, what you should know is that Tony Chic was able to grow in the game according to the principles described here and elsewhere at CoachChic.com.  Actually, you’ll see him demonstrating some of the drills in many video posts (mainly because I would have felt guilty dragging another player away from training).  Anyway, tell me if you think he can move his feet pretty well, if handle the puck and control his body.  Also, let me know whether you think he still has plenty of confidence in his bank…

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Added Hockey Teaching Features

It’s funny, but I actually find myself learning as the CoachChic.com website evolves. And, evolve it must…

What I’m getting at this time is that the categories I originally set-up under Highlight Reel Skills aren’t going to work with all the new content I have planned. You see, the month of May (and future months) will have me adding tons of help for puckhandling, passing and receiving, plus scoring or shooting. So, while I need specific categories to reflect those areas, I also think you are going to need easier ways to find whatever it is you might be looking for.

Of course, some changes have already been made… The new Strength Training for Ice Hockey Players has kicked-off, with guest writer Scott Umberger’s entries falling under the Highlight Reel Skills category! And I’ve also already moved The Mental Edge’s Mental Training section to it’s rightly spot under Thinking the Game.

All that said, I really would appreciate your feedback — on things like these, or anything else you feel will make the site more user friendly.

Then, as a reminder… You can be immediately alerted each time any new information is available at CoachChic.com. So don’t miss out on an update or comment again. Just click on one (or both) of the icons shown up at the top right of this page to keep-up with our News Feed and/or Comments. After doing that, click the Subscribe Now button. It’s free!

Speaking of being up on things… Communication is key — in just about anything we do. But it’s especially important for you and I to express our up-to-the-minute needs to each other.

Already we’ve had the chance to talk through Comments (and I’m continually amazed at the quality of those appearing here). And there’s also a special page (up top in the title bar) where members can submit questions through Ask The Coach.

Still, I’ve just taken a step further with a new area… Thanks to a really-into-it member’s suggestion, CoachChic.com now features a Hockey Poll (also linked up top on the title bar). My first stab at it asks hockey coaches for insight into their “most pressing needs”.

Your ideas will steer the kinds of content I (and other contributors) will provide over coming days, weeks and months. Ya, as I say often, that content has to ultimately be all about YOUR needs.

Actually, answering the poll just requires one click of the mouse. And, besides your answer really having an impact on our direction, it ought to be fun for all of us to follow the results, and to see what challenges other coaches might be experiencing. So, have at it, huh? Again, it should be worthwhile AND FUN!

The “Artistic” Hockey Coach

Is it possible for three different coaches to run the same exact drill, yet one coach gets more from that drill than the others? I mean, one coach’s players actually learn and improve, while the other two squads don’t?  You bet!

To begin, appreciate that there are two sides to a drill — the scientific and the artistic.

Since all the coaches in our sample are running the same drill, we have to assume that the same amount of science is involved.  (After all, science is science, which leaves very little leeway.  Said yet another way, either a drill is scientifically correct or it isn’t.)

However, what’s likely to be very different is the other side of the equation, or the unique “artistic” approach used by each coach.

It’s quite probable that a coach will introduce the drill in his or her own unique manner. Of course, this could include the kinds of tools he or she uses (like a greaseboard or video), but it also has to do with how well each coach explains himself or herself, and it even has to do with how a coach demonstrates and describes what he or she is looking for as acceptable execution.

An artful approach also carries-over to the way coaches observe a given drill, and then how they’ll provide feedback during that drill.

As a tip in this area, I don’t confine myself to babysitting the front of a line. Hey, I figure my assistants and I are too valuable for that. So, rather than wasting a coach to tell the players when to start a drill, I have each player go on his or her own when the teammate in front reaches a given spot. Then, with the drill underway, I like to station myself right in the middle of the work-area. And, I hardly get a chance to catch my breath as I bark short, quick phrases of feedback to each player as he or she passes by.

Lastly, at the conclusion of a drill, the artful coach often provides a worthwhile wrap-up, informing the players on how they did, and suggesting how they might improve in future practice sessions.

Actually, you should know that the above techniques can be found in most “Principles of Motor Learning’ textbooks. They’re tried and true ways for getting the most from any type of movement training. Still, I’ve noticed that most really effective coaches have developed their own artistic teaching methods.  The reason?  Because — differing greatly from the scientific side, ones artistic approach to a drill allows for much creativity.

Efficient Summer Training through Goal Setting

In keeping with our current theme — as in using the coming off-season wisely, nothing could be more appropriate than some great advice on “goal setting”.  So, thanks to another member of the Mental Edge team, here’s a great piece by Justin Johnson!

– Dennis Chighisola

Justin Johnson

Mental Edge Performance Advisor

June marks the start for many young athletes’ summer training. For most this is their off season, a chance to start a new and build speed strength and endurance in hopes that this three- month period will yield great results. However more often then not even the best intentions leave the athlete in only slightly better shape, and likely confused on whether or not what they have done will equal the results they set out to reach. The best way to eliminate this trend is set up a plan that will lead them to success. Below I will discuss three crucial skills around developing an effective and efficient off season.

What have you got?
In athletics and in life we have two types of personal currency Time and Energy. One without the other is useless and often times the mismanagement of the two leads to frustration, regret and confusion. Your first focus needs to be on how you can effectively and efficiently balance your time and energy. Managing this currency is a day to day process that requires you to keep your priorities in check. Discipline in this skill will set the athlete up for a greater chance of success in the next area, Goal Setting.

Begin with the end in mind
Each off season, or any period in which you hope to make gains or reach a goal, requires you to contemplate your desired results. When working with our athletes we call these the WANT goals. A few examples of want goals could be: shaving a second off your 40 time, gain 10 lbs. of muscle, or develop greater flexibility. These goals are often the easiest to think of and serve as a launching board for your off season for a number of reasons. First when you set a goal it gives you a target. That target forces you to look around and evaluate where you currently stand in the path of reaching your goals. For some this path is close and clear, for others it’s long and practically hidden. If unclear of where you are consult with a trusted coach, or family member who will give you constructive honest feedback, not a self-esteem boost.

The second, and most often misunderstood, portion of effective goal setting is what we call the DO goals. DO goals are simply the actions you have to take in order to get what you WANT. Although pretty straight forward this is where the young athlete typically gets led astray. There are two criteria that make up an effective DO goal: It must be something you have complete control over, and it must give you headway towards your intended target. For example if you are a sprinter hoping to shave time from your sprints you most certainly wouldn’t train by running 2 miles in hopes of shaving that time. A more effective use of your time and energy should be spent on start technique. Your technique is something you have complete control over, and by working on it you have given yourself the opportunity to move closer toward your intended WANT goal. DO goals should be compared to rungs on a ladder: each time you accomplish a DO goal it leads you closer up the ladder to your WANT.

If you can effectively manage your time and energy and organize your training around your intended results using WANT and DO goals you will have a great start to a quality off- season experience.

Recognizing A Goalie’s Needs

Recognizing A Goalie’s Needs

By Todd Jacobson

In some of my forthcoming articles I will go more into detail on what a goalie’s focus should be at different stages of his or her off season.  Right now I want to talk about the different roles in goaltending — as either a coach, a player or a parent.  Your season is winding down, and most youth hockey or club programs are starting their tryout sessions in a week or so, which signals the end of your 2008-09 season. Whether you are a college starting goaltender or a first year squirt looking to improve your game, everyone has some part of their game that needs work. Some areas are stronger than others, and typically the focus is different depending on age and skill level.  As for those different roles:

As A Coach…

• You have to look at many different players and evaluate what will help them in their off season.
• Different players need different help.  (As for my high school players, they need to start focusing on the Monday after Thanksgiving right now.)

I would say this to the Older Goaltender…

• Look back at your season (don’t wait too long because you might forget).
• What were the areas of your game you felt could use work?
• Where did you get beat most often?  Was it a lack of quickness in the recovery after a first save? The five hole? Low blocker side? Top shelf? Skating? Handling the puck? There are numerous areas of an experienced goaltenders game that could probably use a little tweaking.
• Possibly, if you play at a higher level, there are some videos of your games, and it maybe not a bad idea to get your hands on them. Be honest with yourself (like you are a coach and looking at another goaltender).
• List the areas of work and rank them from most needed to least.

If you are The Parent of a Younger Goaltender…

• List the things you would like to see the most improvement in.
• I always start with the younger guys on stance, then steady upper body and glove position.
• I move next into smooth, properly executed movements.
• And then I ultimately like doing all those things with some speed and athleticism.

So your only assignment for this session is to put together a list of areas that you feel need the most improvement. The next article we will focus on the beginning of your “off season” training.

Yours in Hockey, Coach J

The Truth is Intriguing

Talk about exciting…  It gives me great pleasure to introduce a new guest contributor to CoachChic.com in the way of Shaun Goodsell.  Shaun has had a passion for working with and helping kids and adolescents for the better part of his life. He has been working with kids in adverse situations for twenty years and has seen many of them through the most horrific of situations. He grew up playing hockey and running cross-country for his local high school and has also run an amazing six marathons! With a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology and his undying love for athletics and young people, Shaun has combined his academic background, his innate love for working with kids and adolescents and finally, his passion for sports in general to create The Mental Edge. A company which not only guides athletes toward a higher ground in measures of performance, but also in their every day lives.  So, knowing members are going to love Shaun’s contributions (and perhaps some by his associates), here goes…

Shaun Goodsell, MA
Senior Performance Coach

Shaun@MentalEdgeNow.com

Over the past twenty plus years I have spent thousands of hours with teenagers, parents and coaches. The time spent has taught me that many teenage athletes are hungry for quality feedback that is descriptive, specific, and informed. The more kids get this type of feedback the more they are equipped to direct their physical and mental energy towards improving, as well as, leveraging strengths. This seems to unleash energy, engagement, and passion that many coaches and parents are often surprised to see, yet, scratch their heads on how to replicate.

What is truthful is that “the truth is intriguing”. What is false is “encouragement is the answer to every struggle a kid has”. When we as coaches and parents give truthful feedback in an intriguing manner (even though that feedback might create pain) we often set kids free from unrealistic expectations, unnecessary pressure, and engage them in ways we have not been able to in the past. Let me share an example. Many hockey players go into games with personal expectations of themselves that they should be impact players. In their minds that means scoring or tallying points. However, many of these players get discouraged game in and game out only to be told to” be patient it will come”. The truth is there are very few impact players and this player may be best served by being told they do not currently possess the skills to be an impact player. To a player that most likely has experienced frustration and disappointment, they might be set free to now excel in other ways because they were told the truth.

It is my belief that we better serve our young athletes by telling them the truth. The truth truly does set you free!

If you are looking to sharpen YOUR Mental Edge and want to learn more about creating a strategy that maximizes your personal strengths, please email Dawn@MentalEdgeNow.com today!

Shaun

With All Due Respect For Fixing Hockey Problems…

Ya, with all due respect for fixing hockey shortcomings, let me tell you something I’ve come to understand after a kzillion years in the hockey wars…

For sure, a player doesn’t want to have any glaring weaknesses.  Yet, want to know what draws the most attention to a player — and what very often wins him big-time recognition?  Well, it’s one HUGE strength (and I’m talking about as close to world class as one can get)!

What I’m talking about is speed that is frightening, or a shot that makes goaltenders tremble.  And while those aren’t the only qualities I could list, I hope you get my meaning here, in that it has to be something that’ll cause a coach or a scout to go, “Wow!”

Come to think of it, the NHL Draft will be coming up in a few months, and that usually represents a chance for others to gain an appreciation of exactly what I’m suggesting.  For, sure as anything, we’re going to hear NHL execs touting their latest selection as “…an unbelievable _______-er, but he still needs a little work on his _______.”  (Yup, the pros take all sorts of players with shortcomings, so why must we waste too much sleep over that?)

Yes, talent raters — be they scouts or tryout coaches — like to be wow-ed.  Or, said yet another way, they like to see something they can build a dream upon.

Okay, there’s a good chance I just upset your applecart with all the above.  So, let me try to put this thing into perspective…

Of course, any long-time member should know that I’m really into our game’s basics, and that I want my players to be fundamentally sound, through and through.  At the same time, I don’t build players to be “Joe Average”.  Naw, it’s pretty likely I can see at least one strength in a kid, and I’ll — besides working on his basics — look for a way to really bring out that strength.

Take, for example, the different body types…

Besides later (after puberty?) starting to work on his body strength, why dwell on the fact that a player is on the small side?  Quite often such kids handle their bodies better than bigger guys, and they’re frequently a little quicker or better in fine motor skills (like footwork and/or puckhandling).  So, I’d find one or two of those good qualities and start enhancing it or them.  And I’d aim to help him or her undress defenders with stickhandling moves or frighten them with blazing speed.

And how about the really big guy — the one who has more difficulty handling his body than some of the littler players, but he does do well in the tough going?  Oh, I’d really work on his skating and other fine motor skills, but I’d also try to help him become “hell on wheels” (if he was willing).  I mean, have every opponent on the ice looking over their shoulders and worrying about this guy cruising around.

Can you appreciate what I’m getting at?  It does no good to bemoan a kid’s shortcomings — beyond a point.  And to ignore his strengths while dwelling on his weaknesses is likely to keep him or her hidden in the middle of the pack.  And what I’m also suggesting is that a kid’s strength (or few strengths) is the only thing he has that can break him out of that proverbial pack.

Once again, though, just to be sure I’m not misunderstood…  I am saying that a player should work hard to improve upon his or her shortcomings.  At the same time, however, he or she HAS to magnify the one thing that might ultimately carry him or her to much higher levels.

An Introduction to the Goalies Only Section

It’s with great excitement that I welcome Todd Jacobson as a guest writer to CoachChic.com.  You might find it interesting that Todd’s dad, Dave Jacobson, was a long-time goaltending coach in my New England Hockey Institute hockey schools, and later my goalie coach at Stonehill College.  Todd attended those camps beginning back in his early elementary school years, and he’s been our NEHI goaler coach for the past decade, as well as the Notre Dame Academy Head Ice Hockey Coach.  Enough from me though, because Todd does a great job of introducing himself.  Welcome aboard, buddy!

– Dennis Chighisola

An Introduction

by Todd Jacobson

I thought I’d begin by giving you a brief background and some of my credentials so that you can better understand the guy behind the keyboard.

I have 18 seasons of coaching behind me, and I have coached just about every age level from learn to skate all the way through adult programs. I have 10 years of high school coaching, both as an assistant and as a head coach of both boys and girls programs. I also have coached every level from “C” through “AAA” and from JV to Varsity.  And I’ve coached every individual position from Forwards to Defense to Goaltenders in various age and skill level camps.

So, you are probably thinking that this guy is middle aged and is probably stuck in a 70’s way of thinking and coaching. Not so! I am about to turn 37 years old and I have been coaching since I was 18.

When I got out of high school — and not looking to go to college right away — I jumped right into the work force.  The itch to be involved in competitive ice hockey was made stronger by playing in poorly organized men’s leagues that just didn’t do it for me. I needed those competitive edges, that drive for the highs of success and the willingness to work harder after disappointment. I got lucky when an old coach of mine was looking for help working with goaltenders in his camps, and I also had an older friend of mine who was coaching a Pee Wee “B” team who was looking for someone to work with his struggling goaltender.  So I jumped at the chance to get involved.

While I hadn’t played the goaltending position all that much, I knew that this was my chance to get my foot in the door in one of the hottest hockey hotbeds in the USA (Massachusetts). I went to the library and took out books (remember in 1991 there wasn’t much help via the Internet).  I taped games on my VCR and I studied Ed Belfour and his little known backup (some guy named Dominic Hasek). I was amazed at the difference in styles yet the same outcomes. They both could stop the puck — Ed Belfour in his standup style with a hint of an early butterfly style creeping into his game, Dominic Hasek a goaltender built like the old cartoon character “Gumby”, with moves and quickness to match.

I knew I had found my niche in the goaltenders game, a position in hockey different from all others, a position that really could ultimately win you or lose you a championship. The Goaltender was a position in which coaches’ jobs were won and lost, and in the end they were either the hero or the goat, depending on the outcome of one or two plays.

I returned to school a few years later and received a degree in business, I am married and have twin daughters who are 8 years old, and all three of the ladies in our house are hockey players. I work in management for one of the largest aftermarket auto parts distributors in the country.

So as we move forward, I thought it would be helpful if you had a better understanding of who I am and where I have been.

Without further ado then, let’s start to build this Goaltending section like I teach all my teams, methodically and with a lot of passion and tact.  I have always had an open mind and a willingness to look at the changes in the positions and the game over time, and I constantly adjust to using the newest training ideas.

One final note…  What members will soon come to notice and appreciate about Todd Jacobson is his sincerity.  (I also find it interesting that all our goalies love him — beginners to the oldest, elite guys.)  Actually, it’s a prerequisite that you really care if you’re going to work with NEHI players, and Todd cares — a lot!

– Dennis Chighisola

(Look for Todd’s first bit of advice tomorrow, 4/2/09)