Incredible Stickhandling — Skills 13 – 15

Well, we’re nearing the end of phase one in Incredible Stickhandling, and you’re going to want to have the puck-skills necessary to go on either further.  So, be sure to master all the drills to this point — even keep going back to polish and perfect some of the earliest skills.  You’ll be glad you did!

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Hockey Smarts = Ice Time!

As many of you might know by now, I run 2-teams under the New England Hockey Institute banner.  The high school guys are with me from late-May until Thanksgiving (when the local school teams begin), and my junior high school aged kids are with me for almost 11-months.

For sure, I do a lot for my players’ when it comes to their skills and playing smarts, but I also do quite a bit to improve their psyche.  And it’s the latter — trying to help my kids carry themselves and act like true athletes — that I’d like to comment on here.  In particular, I’d like to share with you something I frequently try to convince my older guys about…

You see, this is something I always felt from my experiences as a long-time high school and then college head coach, in that skills tend to get a player noticed — and they tend to help a kid make his or her team; thereafter, however, hockey smarts tend to get a player ice time.  Think along with me, if you will…

About all that’s really recognized at tryouts is whether a player fits — skill-wise.  All sorts of drills are conducted for this purpose, without there being much a coach can do to discover whether the players can think and skate, or play the game according to sound hockey principles.

Once his or her team is named, a coach goes about the next steps, which include filtering players towards their positions or rolls, and then teaching them his or her playing system.  And it’s at this time that hockey smarts (or a lack thereof) start to show.

As an aside…  Of course, a player’s skill capabilities enter into the amount of ice time he or she gets.  But, for the sake of this discussion, let’s envision that most team members are in the ballpark when it comes to skill oriented capabilities.

Actually, that process — of assessing and re-assessing each player’s ability to think the game or play the system — continues throughout a season.  In other words, make dumb plays with the puck in your own end, and you might expect to sit.  Forget your assignment on a face-off, and you might not hear your name called for a long, long time.

So again, if you can appreciate my point…  Great skills are sure to get a player noticed — and probably picked — during a difficult tryout process.  In a way though, a new process starts right after tryouts end, this one involving the battle for ice time.  And, while skills are still a factor in logging lots of ice, so are hockey smarts and an ability to execute the coach’s playing system.

Finally, I’ve come to believe that understanding the above is really a part of each player’s mentality.  And I also believe this mind set is best taught early — again, convincing him or her to build highlight reel skills, but at the same time realizing the need to be smart and adaptable (to whatever strategies and tactics a new coach might want to employ).

Springtime Off-ice Hockey Training

As mentioned elsewhere, I’ve spent a goodly amount of time this spring in my “bunker“, researching new training ideas and then planning a course of action for my junior high school and high school players to follow through the coming off-season months.  I’ll tell you more about my specific findings and my plans soon.  But for now, let’s just think about helping our kids be better in a few areas — hoping they’re far more capable next fall than they were when they finished their past hockey seasons.

Now, my kids will be coming into The MOTION Lab next week.  However, even if you don’t have a special indoor training facility, I think anyone can improve his or her skills in an off-ice atmosphere.  (Frankly, I’ve always felt I could improve hockey skills in a dawgoned closet, and I want you to take-on that same attitude.  After all, it isn’t the fancy gear or beautiful surroundings that make a player better.  Actually, you should have seen the awful conditions I observed in the old Soviet Union.  It didn’t matter though, because those players still got pretty good!)

I tend to approach my off-season outline just as I’ve broken down the game under the Highlight Reel Skills area — into general skills, skating, puckhandling, passing, receiving, and shooting.  (Oh, we’ll have some tactical sessions over the summer — like under our Thinking the Game section, so I’ll be sure to let you know more on that in a future post.)

Anyway, here’s a rough idea of what I plan for my teams over the next few months:

• Our “general skills” work this spring and summer will include things aimed at making my kids more athletic, more agile, a little more explosive, and a little quicker.  Rope skipping, agility ladders, some low impact plyometrics and some sprint training will surely help, and I’m going to be showing you some great ideas for these in my June and July posts.  By the way…  We don’t have the time or enough equipment to hold strength training sessions as a team.  So I’m going to point my kids (and their parents) towards the special CoachChic.com section for great advice and guidance, and recommend that the older players undertake a strength program on their own.
• The skating drills I suggested to Megan will be a big part of what we’ll be doing this spring.  Those drills are excellent, and they’re sure to help any player be more powerful and more efficient in their skating.
• I’ve already advised my players to start following my Incredible Stickhandling course.  Then, when we meet — in the Lab, at our later in-line sessions and in our summer on-ice skills sessions — we’ll continue to do those very same moves as puck-drills.
• I find that passing is almost always one of our least polished skills.  So I’m going to begin very early with the Russian Half-sticks this year, and I’m also going to begin at Square One in the skill’s progressions.  If you get my drift, I think starting now — in the spring, is going to pay huge dividends come next fall.
• I do have some fancy gear to enhance the shooting motion.  However, the StickWags I described elsewhere will put umph into anybody’s shot.  And so will just firing away in the driveway.  I’m going to ask my kids to make that a regular routine this off-season — firing those pucks off-ice, I mean.

Not that the above is all we’ll do this spring and summer.  Still, parents and coaches and older players should have a pretty good idea about ways to improve hockey skills over the coming months.  And, perhaps the best part is that it should cost little or nothing to do most of these things!

Now, there’s nothing to it but to do it!

Summertime Hockey Skills Ideas

I just received this interesting question from the Youth Sport Coalition, and I’m placing it along with my answer in this section mainly because it is so timely…

Q:  Tim, a hockey dad, notices that, “Hockey is virtually a year round sport” nowadays.  So he’s wondering what he can do for his son over the coming summer months.  Then, echoing the sentiments of most other hockey parents, Tim would like advice on things he might do so his son doesn’t lose his skills, but he also doesn’t want to subject the boy to burn out.

A:  If there’s one problem, Tim didn’t tell me how old his son is.  That being the case, let me make a few suggestions for the various age groups.

Before I get too far into this though, let me suggest that the off-season shouldn’t be devoted to just sustaining skills.  No, I believe it’s possible to actually make huge gains during the spring and summer months, WITHOUT THE DANGER OF BURN OUT.

To begin, I believe very young players grow the most by enhancing their fine motor skills and their overall athleticism.  Participation in a warm weather sport can help with both of these traits, and it also can help a youngster learn to deal with different kinds of mental challenges (because of the different rules, different strategies, etc.).  An active youngster is going to be better-off next fall, mainly because most backyard games help enhance motor skills and athletic qualities.  Rope skipping — especially if a youngster works at it — can really carryover to on-ice footwork, balance and more.  And so can just horsing around on in-line skates transfer to a young kid’s on-ice abilities.  As far as improving hockey-specific skills, I’d suggest that Tim set-up his son with a stick and golf (or Swedish stickhandling) ball, and then (borrowing one of my favorite expressions) encourage the boy to “Go nuts!” with that thing!  Yes, puck-skills can really separate young players, and so can shooting ability, if Tim can arrange a convenient net and a handful of pucks for his son.  As for formal training, I might suggest that Tim enroll his son in a once-per-week skills oriented on-ice program, and then an end-of-summer hockey school.  The weekly sessions will tend to maintain the boy’s legs and skills over the summer, while the one-week program should make the first fall skates seem easy.

Next, skipping to the extreme, I’ll suggest that older teenagers pretty much “are what they are” when it comes to motor skills and athleticism.  At this time in life then, a youngster might be better served by working to do things harder, faster and longer.  (In other words, I’d recommend strength training, some sprint and agility work, plus some hockey-specific conditioning.)

Now, I dealt with the two extremes first because the middle age groups would likely benefit from a little of each.  I mean, 11- to 13-year olds would likely benefit from mixing some of what I recommended for very young kids with a little work on those physical traits I mentioned for older teens.  And, should Tim’s son fall in this category, he might adjust this spring’s and summer’s training according to whether the boy falls towards the younger or older end.

Then, on the dangers of so-called burn out…  My take on this is that “work” is what one makes of it.  In fact, I think even most college and pro players — or those guys and gals who have to do some pretty heavy off-season workouts — can find ways to make those workouts enjoyable.  As Tim may recognize in his own day-to-day activities, there’s a huge mental difference between those things he feels he “has” to do and those things he “chooses” to do.  That in mind, I see nothing wrong with blowing-off a given clinic or workout in favor of a day- or night-off, a vacation, whatever.  And, as I’ve often suggested to my players, sometimes it can be more beneficial to “just go dawgoned fishing!”  Yes, having seen it all over nearly 40-years as a coach, I’ve noticed that most players come back loaded for bear just from taking that kind of short break.

Finally, I want to thank Tim for the very timely question.  And, if I haven’t totally answered it (because I wasn’t sure about his son’s age), I sincerely welcome a follow-up.  Thanks again!

Down with So-called “Powerskating”

Would you believe I claim to be the reason so many New England-based programs now hold weekly “Skills” sessions?  I mean that, and here’s the reason why…

About 20-ish years ago, I was invited to sit-in as an advisor during the founding of a new AAA level youth program.  The organizers had the right idea, aiming to bring the top young talent together under the tutelage of some of the area’s top coaches, and then give those players plenty of exposure to college and pro scouts.

In addition to practices, the organizers also wanted to include a weekly “powerskating” course for member players.  I objected immediately, not to the offering, but to the naming of that offering.  As I told them then, and I’m telling you now, that term is both misleading and confining.  And here’s what I mean…

To begin, powerskating suggests that power in the skating movement has more significance than all the other elements.  And, I can tell you that is not the case.  (More on this in a future post.)  Actually, everyone in that long ago meeting nodded in agreement.

Moreover — and as I suggested to those new program founders, a coach can’t spend a solid hour each week just dealing with skating skills, and it’s misleading to tell the paying parents you’re going to do one thing when you really mean to do more.  I went on to suggest that players are far better off honing all their basic skills in a session — from skating to puckhandling to passing to shooting.  And again, everyone in that meeting agreed.

Then, when the organizers prodded me for a better name for their weekly program, I shrugged and finally offered, “How about…errrr… Skills?”  And “Skills” it was — for the next 20 or so years in that program, and with seemingly every new organization that’s since come along.

Strength Training Basics

Previously I posted something that was almost in the form of an open question (Strength Training for Young Hockey Players? ).  Really, I was kind of wondering out loud if young players would benefit from doing some strength training basics.  Well, along comes an article in my local newspaper (The Enterprise – Brockton, MA), this by regular “Keeping Fit” columnist, Wayne Westcott. Westcott does, in fact, answer my question, and he even offers advice I think worthy for very young athletes through at least intermediates.

So, the following is a combination of Westcott’s comments, as well as what I know from my own experiences and schooling.

– Dennis Chighisola

Not Too Young To Workout (the title of Westcott’s column)

For sure, today’s youngsters face a challenge unlike those growing-up in earlier generations.  Let’s face it, current day kids are tempted to plunk themselves in front of TVs and computer monitors for hours upon hours.  (Not that there aren’t some great benefits to playing some PC-based games.  But, that’s a story for another time.)  Westcott even points to a sizeable rise in obesity over the past 20-years, this most certainly attributed to our increasingly more sedentary lifestyles.  If there’s something else that’s a little scary, it’s the fact that failure to develop one’s strength in the earliest years is sure to affect him or her in later life.

I might note that Westcott was mainly talking about the general population in his column.  So let me just add my thinking, in that young athletes are likely to be far ahead of non-athletes.  In the case of ice hockey players, they tend to start very early, and the majority of them are pretty active throughout the year (either continuing to skate or train during their off-seasons, or by participating in another sport or two).

Then, this comment by Westcotts:  “Although there has been a longstanding myth that strength training can harm children’s musculoskeletal system and hinder bone development, the truth is exactly the opposite.  Progressive resistance exercise enhances a child’s musculoskeletal system and facilitates bone development.”

Now, a good starting place for any hockey player is in the ability to deal with his or her own body weight.  Actually, no special equipment is needed to perform the likes of push-ups, sit-ups, dips and pull-ups.

If I had to offer my 2-cents worth in reference to those exercises, it would be to suggest that perfect form is far more important than the number of repetitions.  In other words, I’d rather see a youngster execute one perfect push-up rather than a batch of those snakey-kinda things that do little towards his or her strength gains.  And the same would go for every other exercise I can think of.  Master one perfect movement — with total body control, and then slowly build to 2-reps, 3-reps, 4 and so forth.  Again, strength gain and body control should be the main aim.  (Using this approach, my junior high school and high school players usually move from zero to 40 push-ups and sit-up in about a month.)

Westcott does offer some help for those who have real difficulty in handling their own body weight.  For example, a hefty youngster might struggle with having to move his or her heavy upper body through a perfect push-up motion.  So, Westcott suggests that a machine can be used for this purpose.  In other words, a very light weight could be used in the beginning, with resistance very gradually increased as the youngster gains strength.

Advice for Beginner to Intermediate Strength Training

Most strength coaches — and especially those working with athletes — very frequently opt for so-called “free weights” over machines.  Free weights (dumbbells, barbells and the likes) force a lifter to somewhat wrestle with that weight through a movement, and this tends to come close to the way an athlete has to deal with resistance in his or her sport.  Machines, on the other hand, can only travel through a specific movement path.

If there’s a plus for machines, it’s that they tend to be safer than free weights.  So, to remove some of the dangers in using free weights, most serious lifters use a safety rack.

Professional safety racks can be costly.  So, my dad made one for me when I was a teen, and I’ve done the same for my son and then my grandson.  Our earliest homemade racks were built from sturdy lumber, while the later design was put together for me by a local welder.  No matter the materials used, what I hope you’ll be able to see here (as my grandson lifts) is a bar that is free to slide up and down between 4-vertical posts that are affixed to our basement’s floor and ceiling; and the posts have holes spaced every few inches so that 2 strong metal pins can be inserted at the lowest point of any given movement.  The general idea:  those upright posts keep the bar trapped within a slot that is still relatively wide enough to allow the lifter to wrestle with the weight; and the metal pins are there to support the bar — prior to and after a movement, or at any time the lifter might lose control of the bar.

As an aside here…  One reason I, my son and then my grandson began lifting at home primarily had to do with convenience.  I mean, I learned in the beginning that long trips to a gym (and other slight hassles associated with working out elsewhere) too often provided great excuses for not working out at all.  However, I also discovered that once one of us got pretty serious about our lifting, those outside trips and other gym benefits made a lot more sense.

Next, and in conjunction with what the real expert, Scott Umberger, mentioned previously (Introduction to Off-season Strength Training for Hockey) basic movements are the way to go for off-season strength training.  With new lifters, I usually suggest working the major muscle groups.  And, while we can expect Scott to provide far more details in this area, I’m basically pointing towards squats, shoulder presses, bench presses, curls and calf raises, mixed with the aforementioned dips and pull-ups.

Through the years, I’ve heard a number of recommendations when it comes to determining the repetitions and sets that should be done in a given movement.  Still, most of them are fairly similar…  Usually the first step is to test oneself for a single maximum lift in a given exercise.  Once arrived at, the lifter should be able to perform in the neighborhood of 4-repetitions at about 80% of that maximum weight.  Most lifters perform 3-sets of each exercise.  With each session, the lifter should attempt to increase the number of reps until he or she reaches 10.  Once that’s accomplished, the process starts all over again — beginning with new testing, working with 80% of the new max, and then working towards moving that new weight for 3-sets of 10-reps.

By the way…  I’ve pretty much just defined a phrase you’re likely to hear often in strength training circles — “progressive strength training”, I mean.  In effect, it suggests that one will only get so strong by working against a set amount of resistance; on the other hand, real strength gains come with each gradual increase in resistance.  (Now, armed with that knowledge, I hope you better understand the limitations in working with some popular hockey-specific training aids — like weighted pucks and those gimmicky skate-weights.)

Then, here’s something I think many players (and their parents) fail to consider, in that strength gains are really dependant upon three factors:  work, proper nutrition and rest.  In other words, the muscles have to first be taxed such that the athlete’s body recognizes the need to build bigger and more efficient muscle cells.  Next, the affected area needs a reasonable amount of time-off — and the right nutrients — in order to build those new and improved cells.  Here again, there might be varying opinions concerning the right amount of rest required between workouts (these ranging between 48- and 72-hours).  Anyway, in practice, a certain muscle group might be worked on a Monday, with the next session planned for either Wednesday or Thursday.  Oh, in the event you hear about athletes spending 5 or 6 times per week in the gym, it’s because their routines are rather long and probably pretty draining.  So, they split their otherwise long workouts, perhaps really challenging their lower bodies on certain days, and then taxing their upper bodies on other days.  Returning to my original statement, though, I want to emphasize the fact that work — or breaking down the muscle cells — is only one part of gaining strength and size.  For, total growth is not going to take place unless the other two conditions are also met — as in the lifter eating and drinking properly between sessions, and as in he or she providing the body a substantial amount of rest time.  (If you get the sense that I’ve seen this one overlooked by many, I surely have.)

Considerations for Advance Strength Training

If you’ve explored anything in the way of advanced strength training for hockey players, you’ve likely come across the mention of plyometrics and the Olympic lifts.  As I’m sure Scott Umberger and most other knowledgeable strength coaches would warn you, it’s important to have a strong based before going into these more advanced areas.  (Frankly, serious injuries are possible unless the athlete does have that strong base.)

That said, both plyometrics and O-lifts are used to help an athlete transfer his or her basic strengths into sport-specific explosiveness.  (More about these two advanced level exercise programs in future posts.)

In Conclusion

Now, while it’s great to have the very best gear, waiting for fancy equipment and ideal conditions can put you far behind those who just plain get to work.  Let’s face it:  exercise makes you better, fancy gear doesn’t.  Yes, you want safe equipment, and relatively comfortable working conditions.  At the same time, some miraculous results have been gained from heaving containers filled with sand or concrete.  Again, it’s the doing that really makes you strong!

Skill Development and Confidence

This is a great follow-up to the last Mental Training entry.  (So please be sure to read that first!)

– Dennis Chighisola

Shaun Goodsell, MA
Senior Performance Coach

Shaun@MentalEdgeNow.com

If you scan or read most articles describing the success or failure of an athlete, inevitably, somewhere in the article there will be the mention of confidence as the crucial factor dictating success or failure. Why is it that so many believe that confidence is so important? I think it is because we are addicted to feeling good and believe that everything begins with feeling good. If someone succeeds we think it is because they believe they can. If they fail it is because they do not believe they can. The fact is that it is much more complicated then this.

What dictates a person’s level of success is whether or not they have the skills to be effective, not how deeply they believe in themselves. Although a belief in oneself is helpful, it is not the determining factor in one’s level of effectiveness. The time athletes spend developing their skills and their subsequent mastery of those skills is the most significant factor in determining their level of success. When an athlete masters skills and transfers their mastery to competitive arenas then a deep level of belief forms. Cultivating this deep belief starts with believing that specific skills are the vital difference makers in competitive situations and the application of those is what is responsible for success.

One story that highlights this concept happens often in the sport of baseball. When a pitcher is unable to get hitters out there might be any number of reasons for that. They are not hitting their spots, changing speeds, lacking velocity, or simply not studying hitters and learning how to get them out.

In football it could be a lack of speed, execution, or game planning. In hockey it could be some fundamentals are lacking making it difficult to create success.

The belief that a person has in their ability to be effective and successful is completely tied to their level of skill development and this is one of the vital factors that goes into helping young athletes shape the kind of mindset that helps them compete successfully as well as enjoy doing it. So next time you are tempted to believe that it was confidence that dictated an outcome, maybe look a bit deeper and see if skill application wasn’t what dictated the outcome.

If the above article causes you to sense that Shaun and The Old Coach might be  on the same wavelength, beleve it.   Actually, I was think all the time I read it that just about every drill and game playing tip on this website was initially developed with a player’s confidence in mind.  And my suggestions to go slowly and to master each step before taking on the next is also aimed at building confidence.  Confidence IS that important.  With it, a guy or gal is a real player; without it, welll…

– Dennis Chighisola

Checking — Tactical Advice & Summary

This will conclude the 4-part series on Checking — or, an overall view of the defensive side of hockey.  The first section includes the application of these principles within a team’s playing system, followed by a brief summary.

Once again I apologize for the fact that the following video was produced just prior to the drastic changes made to rules involving body contact and such.  And again, I promise to do an update in time for your new season next fall.

Also, this VERY important note…  When I think about a smart player, checking — or the defensive side of his or her game — comes quickly to mind.  It’s that important, and it’s a major part of our game’s X’s and O’s.  So, while players and parents should certainly know this information, I truly believe the dedicated coach has to understand these principles well enough to convey them well to his or her players…

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Off-season Off-ice Goalie Training Ideas

Off-season Off-ice Goalie Training Ideas

By Todd Jacobson

Last month we asked you to do some homework on what you think your biggest needs are as a goaltender, or what areas you want to see improvement in.

Below I have given some outlined ideas with some creative suggestions for training off the ice away from structured practices:

• Hand Eye Coordination Maybe the biggest asset a goaltender can have, and one that can be worked on in the comfort of your own home. My first and most favorite way to brush up on this skill is Juggling whether it be starting out with one or two balls and just tossing them up and catching them, to the all-out 3 ball juggle, or the harder 3 ball juggle off the wall (some may remember seeing this in the movie “Miracle”).  When talking about hand eye coordination it brings to mind the last few nights reading the online stories of the NHL playoffs and seeing the accompanying photos along with the stories. I was amazed at the clarity and focus of the goaltenders eyes constantly seeking and finding the puck amongst the traffic and in the middle of the constant chaos in front of the goal.

• Proper Stance Technique is another key area of the goaltenders game. If your stance is off, shooters at the higher levels will recognize it and take advantage. I would suggest finding a mirror — one where you can see yourself in your stance. This way you can make your own corrections. Are your knees bent and your rear end down? Are your gloves leveled with each other and out in front of the body? Are your legs in an inverted “V” with the top of the pads just slightly touching? Can you see the holes that the shooter sees? Is your chin up? Is your stick out slightly angled away from your body? I have always felt that if a goalie could see what the shooters see they would never give up any goals. Just practicing holding your stance in a mirror can do wonders for a goaltender. Try holding your stance in different positions in front of the mirror, seeing what the shooters see, and maybe appreciating what the shooters are looking for.
• Movements are the key to a goaltender playing for a long time. If the movements are smooth and quick, then you’re likely to have a long career. Too many times I see goaltenders doing their best “Gumby” impression (for you older folks, you might remember the little green guy whose limbs moved crazily in all different directions as he moved). This could be another area to use with the mirrors. Simulate basic movements slowly and smoothly at first. Work on the following moves in both the right and left directions:  short shuffle, long shuffle, t-glides, half circle stick saves, half circle blocker saves, glove saves, butterfly, up’s and down’s. Do the movements look smooth, or is something missing?  Is their a piece of equipment not moving in sync? Are there large holes opening up during these movements? The more you can see yourself doing the smooth movements, the easier it is to see what those pesky shooters are seeing.
• Quickness is going to be the life saver for the goaltender down the road. As the goalie gets older the skaters get faster, the shots get harder, the passes swifter, the skill level and accuracy more honed.  And quickness is going to save you much of the time. Goaltenders at the higher levels have practiced so much of the basic stance and smooth fluid movements that these become second nature.  Quickness and athleticism then come into play. How quick can you recover after the first save? How quickly can you get from point A to point B, all the while being under control with smooth movements? Mirrors can again be used here, but the main thing is quickness. How fast can you get up from the butterfly? How quickly can you get from the top right of the crease to the left post and vice versa?
• Athleticism is now one of the number one factors in a goaltender’s game. Way back, it was a position that was played by the kid who couldn’t skate.  Not anymore. Goaltenders are usually the most athletic players on their teams nowadays.  They have to be. When I talk of athleticism I use Coach Chic’s old message of “just go nuts”. Try firing a ball off the wall from close range and see if you can get to it, try balancing on a two by four inch block of wood, try keeping your balance while moving all around on one leg.  It’s now all about combining quickness with the agility and control.
• Agility kind of goes along with athleticism and quickness.  You don’t necessarily need a fancy agility ladder.  How about some chalk squares on a driveway? Work on foot quickness — and again “go nuts”.  Plenty of work on quick foot movements will help once you get back on the ice.
• Angles Sometimes just being in the right place can make a goaltender a lot of stops over a long career. Look at the likes of Patrick Roy or Martin Brodeur.  Neither one of them were ever a shown on a regular basis of highlight film saves, yet they made more saves and won more games than any other pair of NHL goaltenders. They were however always in the right spot. Mirrors for angles are good as well. It only takes a goaltender being off a few inches for a sniper to find the openings. Whenever practicing angles you would like to be able to draw an imaginary line from the center of the puck to the center bar of the net and have that line directly between your legs. Also coming out of the net eliminates the corners that the shooters so love to aim for.

So in the end, some of these practiced on your own — in a creative way, or in a challenging setting — can really give your game that added boost. When you get back on the ice your skills will be improved. I say for any player to be better they need to be creative and committed to becoming better. If you wait for only those on ice structured practices, someone will pass you by at some point. So get creative, get committed and think of the long haul. Also think of that goaltender who you might be competing for a job against.  Are they sitting around, or are they working on improving their game? Don’t wait until it’s too late to find out the answers.  Get out there and start fine tuning your game!

Yours in Hockey, Coach J.

Picking A Youth Hockey Program

To go along with all my other fun hockey duties, I’ve just recently become an adviser (or expert) with the Youth Sports Coalition, primarily attempting to help hockey parents, coaches and players with their skills related training problems.  And, although the following question (submitted by a YSC member) doesn’t really deal with a training challenge, I think it truly is something most newer hockey families face.

– Dennis Chighisola

Q: Stacy, a concerned hockey parent, wonders whether an 8-year old son is in the right place for his skill development and competitiveness.  Stacy notes the options — like house or travel teams, and then asks if a young player might be better-off waiting until he is older and more competitive before trying a higher level of play.

A: To begin, let me provide my personal take on the differences between house leagues and travel teams…

For sure, there ought to be a place where youngsters can play hockey without having to be overly committed.  The house programs I’ve seen through the years tend to offer just that — with one game per week, maybe an occasional practice, everything taking place at the neighborhood rink, and all this coming at a relatively low cost.

Each of the above categories are adjusted a little (or a lot) when one makes a so-called travel team.  Regular practice is an important part of these programs, some teams can play more than a game per week, games likely take place at a number of “away” rinks, and some distant tournaments might even spice-up the playing schedule.  Of course, all these extra offerings do come at a steeper price.

I must say that I’ve noticed most hockey parents choosing the house league option for their own reasons.  I can’t blame them for having to weigh the costs.  But I also sense a lot of parents opt for the lesser commitment to fit their own personal lifestyles.  So I tend to admire Stacy’s question, in that an 8-year old boy’s needs seem to be the main concern.

Oh, a first aside…  I know it’s hard to predict what a youngster is going to want 5-years from now.  However, if Stacy even senses that the 8-year old is going to want to make a high school hockey team someday, a course of action should be evident in awhile.

Now, let me draw some other distinctions between the two levels, at least as this old coach sees them…

By its very nature, a house league can probably only promise some fun and a chance for a youngster to tell friends he or she plays hockey.  If Stacy is looking for true development, it isn’t likely to take place here.

As a second aside…  I’ve always felt that the quality of coaching at a given youth level has a lot to do with the available “parent pool”.  In other words, if the coach of a given team is going to come from among that team’s parents, there are likely to be more knowledgeable guys and gals available at the AAA level than in a house league.  To explain further, I believe that a lot of players make higher level teams because their parents are pretty savvy about the game.

Make no mistake about it, Stacy, your son can’t truly develop unless he gets great coaching.  (In my book, “coaching” and “teaching” are synonymous.)

As far as advice goes, I think there’s an in-between option for Stacy’s son (and others facing similar decisions).  For, within most travel programs, each level is usually divided into at least three teams, with each team stocked with similarly skilled players.  These “A”, “B” and “C” teams also usually adjust their competitiveness to fit the ages and abilities of their players.  So, what I’m suggesting is that an on-the-fence 8-year old might get quite a bit more by moving to at least a “C” level team.  Actually, there’s probably little difference in the competitiveness at the house and “C” levels.  Yet, the latter represents a small step towards a youngster eventually making stronger teams.  And it also gives gives the parent and player a season to make a more educated decision the next time around.

Thanks for the great question, Stacy, and good luck!

Incredible Stickhandling — Skills 10 – 12

Okay, I hope you’ve been really working to master the earlier steps in this series of Incredible Stickhandling drills, because things are going to get a little trickier — and more challenging — from here onward.  Good luck!

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The Importance of Gaining A Mental Edge

I happened to be browsing the Mental Edge website this morning, and I ran across the following.  Something just struck me about the words, but I’ll tell you a more about that a little later.  For now, please have a read…

– Dennis Chighisola

EXPERTS AGREE one’s mental approach can separate the ordinary achiever from the exceptional one. A positive mental approach is also strongly correlated with those individuals who derive a positive experience from their participation in athletic competition.

However, the skills required to achieve individual goals are often overlooked because the primary focus for development is concentrated more on physical attributes than mental approach.

At Mental Edge, our mission is to increase personal achievement and elevate the experience of individuals through mentoring and the teaching of competencies necessary to achieve a positive experience, on and off the field of play.

We believe personal satisfaction is fundamental to participation in sports … and in life.

I have to thank Mental Edge’s Shaun Goodsell for those words.

Now, the real reason I think this short piece is so important to our members?  It’s because I feel he’s right-on in his observation — in that “the primary focus for development (among most youth hockey parents) is concentrated more on physical attributes”.  Yes, I see an awful lot of parents carting their kids from skills program to skills program, oftentimes helping create what I (only half-jokingly) refer to as “professional powerskaters”.  Come to think of it, I’ve noticed an awful lot of youth coaches running skills-only kinds of practices, too — whipping their kids up and down the ice, but never really helping them learn the game.

Oh, I suspect that isn’t EXACTLY what Shaun was getting at up above, although I am sure he meant to say that much more emphasis is placed on physical skills than the mental side of a player’s game.

Which brings me to a few things involving my NEHI players…

• At least a few times per season I purposely have a talk with my older kids about the thinking side of their game.  And I’ll frequently use two levels of play I’m sure most of them are familiar with — in that they’ve all seen a number of Boston Bruins games, as well as games played by Boston’s highest minor league team, the nearby Providence Bruins.  Through a back and forth discussion, we’ll try to reason why some highly talented guys down on the farm never get a chance to crack the parent team’s line-up. Again, there are some highly skilled players down there on the “Baby B’s,” yet they never get an NHL call-up. ???  What we ultimately arrive at is the fact that some of those young guys can’t yet be trusted to think the game at a high level.  They may not be able to stay focused on the task at hand (see my “Think ‘n Skate” Program for more on this), or they might not possess the mental skills Shaun Goodsell is talking about.
• Just near the end of my grandson’s first college exhibition season, he called to ask if I’d do him a huge favor.  He remembered some “visualization” tapes I’d created years ago for my hockey school students.  What I did was to make audio cassette tapes for each of the three skating positions, and then I had the kids lie back — eyes closed, relaxed, and then “picturing” themselves performing their various duties during a typical shift.  Anyway, Tony Chic was asking if I might recreate one for his center position, so that he could transfer the audio to his IPod.  (Darn, good for him, huh?)  And, hmmmmm…  Did I just suggest to myself a new project that might benefit CoachChic.com members?  I mean, would you someday like to have access to visualization audio programs like I’ve just mentioned?  Let me know, huh?

Then, back briefly to one last comment on skills training and the like…  Without question, greatly enhanced skills bring with them a substantial boost in confidence.  So, daring to put words in Shaun’s mouth on this one, I think we’d both tell you to keep working hard on those individual skills.  Actually, the point here isn’t to suggest backing-off on physical work; the idea IS that appropriate attention has to also be given to the mental side of a player’s game.

Finally, I’ll suggest that there are (at least?) two parts to an athlete’s mental preparation…  As I’ve noted above, a transition sport participant must learn to combine great physical skills with an ability to play smartly (and that’s what our “Thinking the Game” section is all about).  For the rest, I gladly defer to the real experts, Shaun Goodsell and his Mental Edge staff.

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey’s Basic Shots (the wrist & backhand)

Here’s a great primer on hockey’s basic shots — the wrist (or sweep) shot, and the backhander.  In this video, I share the key points most coaches cover, and then I let you in on some of the points I think matter even more.  (Oh, and by the way…  Down the road, I am going to show you some shooting drills that’ll help anyone develop a super “quick trigger”!) Enjoy…

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Ooooops, sorry… The “ATC Store” noted at the end doesn’t exist anymore.  Again, sorry.

The Start of Creative Hockey Coaching – My Bunker

Most of my long-time friends and associates know that I stray far outside of hockey for my inspiration.  I guess after so many years in the game, it’s hard for me to find a lot new by staying within such a small box.  In much the same way, I’ve often thought that those far removed from my chosen area of study could borrow a little from what I do, if only for a glimpse outside their own small box.

Actually, the term “bunker” came from my long ago need to do some very serious business and personal lifestyle studies.  I mean, I was once at a point where a lot of work-related and life-altering decisions had to be made, and I needed a place where I could just get away from it all — mentally, really, more than physically.

Thereafter, having realized the benefits of that special atmosphere, I’ve retreated to my proverbial bunker numerous times when I need to make some hard decisions.  And more recently, I’ve made this a springtime ritual — for revamping my business direction and slightly changing my hockey training methods.

In my recent radio show (Episode 29), I talked about “blowing-up” my office and my hockey training methods.  Personally, I’ve noticed that my work changes from year to year, and the spring represents a great time for me to totally rearrange things in the office to reflect those changes.  The fact that a hockey season usually finishes near late-April, the time is right after that to totally re-evaluate my past teaching methods and to design a new direction that combines both the best of the past with some really good new material.

All that said, the following audio and video clips are actually cuts from past radio shows.  They’re timely once again, though. since it’s spring here in New England, and it’s again time to ready my work and life altering “bunker”…

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As you should have discovered, I’m not suggesting an exact location for your personal bunker.  Instead, it should be a place where you can feel the creative juices flowing.  I happen to like the ambient sounds of my neighborhood — or the sounds from a crackling fire, but I’ve found a roaring surf just as relaxing and stimulating. (I don’t know about you, but I just can’t get into a creative mood while sitting and staring at the four walls in my downtown office.)

You may have also noticed a need to have all my work materials readily available.  Let’s face it:  if getting ourselves ready to work is a chore in of itself, we’re not likely to look forward to the set-up or pick-up.

Here’s just a quick peek at my own humble bunker…

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This next audio is more hockey specific.  At the same time, you might gain a sense of how collecting data at season’s end helps my future planning, as well as how my research gradually starts to impact on those in my charge.  Yes, as I and the CoachChic.com guest writers have been suggesting for awhile now, long-range planning is key to using the next few months to their max.

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So, whether for your hockey preparations or for your business, I highly recommend that you think quite a bit about what truly stirs YOUR creative juices.  Then, go about establishing your very own personal “bunker”.

A New Radio Show Episode Just Added

Episode 29 of Coach Chic’s Hockey Secrets — or a review of the past month’s top subjects — is now available on the Radio Show page.  Give a listen, huh?