Implementing A Simple Forecheck – The “L”

As you likely know, there are countless forechecks being used at all the various levels of our game — some very aggressive, others more passive.

Still, I find the “L” forecheck to be the simplest of all, and easy enough for most beginners and intermediate players to eventually understand and execute.

Better yet, as you’ll soon discover, this forecheck is great for teaching basic playing principles.

Also, I think my explanation of this strategy provides some insight into the way I deal with our game (and the way you can expect me to deal with most other areas).  I mean, a lot of coaches will just dump a sketch in your lap and expect you to go out and immediately teach it.  As you’ll see, however, there’s a lot more that should be understood about any given tactic or strategy, including the thought processes or decisions each player encounters.  And, once he or she has gotten into the following, I think any member coach will have the confidence to implement — and even troubleshoot — this simple way to forecheck.

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Sprint Training for Hockey Skating Speed

Over recent years, studies have shown a correlation between running speed and skating speed.  Yup, if a player skates fast, he or she is very likely to be a fast runner.  And the same goes for a fast runner being an equally fast skater.

This, of course, is great news for hockey players who are looking for a way to increase their skating speed without the need for costly ice-time.  In fact, as I’ve mentioned countless times in other entries — and I believe it’s the case here, the results of off-ice training often surpass what could ever be gained from on-ice work.

Now, I’ve done all the research for you, by studying what some of the best sprint coaches in the world are doing with their athletes.  Then, I’ve slightly adapted some of what I’ve borrowed from them, mainly because we’re ultimately looking to help ice hockey players.

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“Up the boards, Johnny!”

If you didn’t know already, I’m really into the social media site, Twitter.  It’s not for everyone, but it truly is great for my special interests.

My work happens to have me spending a lot of time alone.  So, the thousands of other soloists in Twitterland offer me plenty of cyber-friends I can bounce ideas off, or just plain commiserate with.

Then, talk about the chance to share ideas…  With my rather outside-the-box approach to hockey training, I find it awesome to meet and talk with specialist from all kinds of fields — like track, strength training, mental training, nutrition and so many more.

Better yet, I’ve for a very long time said that Twitter members are some of the best and the brightest in the world.  And, among the best and brightest is one Nicole M LaVoi (photo to right).

Dr LaVoi is an Education specialist at the University of Minnesota’s School of Kinesiology, and she’s an expert when it comes to youth sports, especially when it comes to the interactions of players, coaches and parents.  In fact, she has authored or co-authored a number of articles on the latter subject (two of these cited below).

As an aside here…  Having just finished reading one of those studies, I know that the authors had some very serious concerns in mind — like the ways abusive coaches, unsettled homes, and confrontations between parents influence young kids trying to play “a game”.

Yet, a March 15, 2009 Twitter post by Dr LaVoi really struck a chord with me.  You see, I’ve for a very long time been bothered by parents who attempt to coach their kids from the sidelines (or from a rink’s bleachers).  So, I really took notice when she commented that (based on studies), “…kids say ‘coaching from sidelines’ is the #1 bad parent behavior they don’t like.”

Now, if you’re unfamiliar with Twitter, you should know that members are confined to 140 characters per comment.  So it’s sometimes difficult to put things in plain English.  Still, there’s no doubting what Nicole was relating from that study — pretty much to the effect that, “Kids say they hate it when parents attempt to coach from the sidelines!”

Again, I’ll suggest that this sort of parent behavior probably pales to some of the other things discussed in that study.  Yet, interference by parents during team activities really is a biggie when it comes to the coach-player relationship.

As examples…

Parents usually haven’t a clue what has been agreed upon in a team’s pre-game talk or at various times during the game.  Nor do they know what changes in roles may have been asked of certain players.  And, as kids climb the ladder in our game, it’s likely that team related strategies will change pretty often, even from shift to shift.  So, my first point:

It’s quite possible that parents are calling for their youngsters to do the exact opposite of what’s really expected of them — by their coach, by their teammates.

Then, consider that our game is one of transition.  In other words, player roles change in a heartbeat — from offense to defense, from defense to offense.  Said yet another way, our game calls for instant reading of a situation, followed by an equally quick — and proper — reaction.  We’re talking about playing on instinct here, really.  And that brings me to my second point:

There’s no time to really think under these conditions, and there’s surely no time for a player to listen to verbal instructions, process the information, and then react accordingly.

Finally — and thanks to Dr Nicole M LaVoi, et al, there’s a third point, in that:

We now know that the calling of directions from the sidelines by parents can be especially unsettling to the kids.

But, I’m getting ahead of myself, and telling you the gist of the short video to follow.  Actually, I created this for my Team NEHI parents a few years ago, hoping to encourage them in one area while discouraging in another.  And, as always, I ask you to have a look and listen to “Up the boards, Johnny!”, then let me know what you think…

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If you’d like to know more about the studies referenced above, please see:

Omli, J., & LaVoi, N.M. (2009). The perfect storm: Background anger in youth sports. Journal of Sport Behavior, 32(2), 242-260.

Shields, D.L. Bredemeier, B.L., LaVoi, N.M., & Power, C.F. (2005). The behavior of youth, parents, and coaches: The good, the bad & the ugly. Journal of Research on Character Education, 3(1).

Fight vs Flow

Shaun Goodsell, MA
Senior Performance Coach

Mental Edge

As we participate and engage in life there is a constant exchange of information. We send energy into the environment and we get it back. From a competitive perspective, we attempt to impact our environment through our actions and hopefully allow ourselves to be open to feedback we are getting. However, it is also very important that we evaluate the relationship we cultivate with the information from outside of us to determine whether or not we are learning the lessons present to make the adjustments in our performance that helps us move towards improved performance.

With this in mind, I want to compare two types of responses and how they impact performance.

The first response is FIGHT. When we fight with the information from outside of us we often have an underlying expectation that things should be going different and we are entitled to a different fate or outcome. When people engage in a fight response they often become disappointed, anxious, and some become more determined to work harder and more diligent, while others disengage because they become pessimistic about their ability to dictate a different outcome. This over time creates significant discouragement and leads to a reduction in motivational energy. There are many possible examples of this but when an athlete’s performance falls short at any moment the game will give them information that they have to make sense of. When they FIGHT this information is when a series of thoughts flow and the fight response is in full function.

Another way to deal with the feedback we get from our performance is to engage in FLOW. At the core of this relationship with our environment is the ability to absorb, accept, and make emotional and physical adjustments using the moment as a learning opportunity leading to enhanced performance… using what is happening in the here and now. Expectations stay realistic and our response is focused, relaxed and very intentional. I have found that teaching athletes to learn from the information they are getting from around them truly empowers them to find advantages on their opponent as well as enhance their performance, utilizing not only their bodies but also their minds.

At the Mental Edge we are committed to helping athletes learn to FLOW with the environment around them leading to an enhanced experience as well as improved performance in sport and in life.  We have launched an Audio Series that will give athletes a tool to perform in sport and in life with FLOW — staying away from fight! Our new Audio Series is called Mind Strength: an Edge on your Competition by Mastering Five Mental Toughness Skills To Become a Winner on the Field and in Life.

Creating Coaching Cues

After spending a good part of the other night training players up in The MOTION Lab, Todd Jacobson and I strolled out to the parking lot, doing what we so often do, talking the game and exchanging coaching ideas.

I found it interesting on this night that Todd and I both seem to use a similar technique when communicating with our players.  Not so surprisingly, we totally agreed on the fact that players don’t have time to process lots of information while they’re attempting to read and react in a frantically played game.  But, what we both do is use very short — probably one or two syllable words — to slightly guide our players.

The way I usually explain it is that I’ll call-out a short, unmistakable word to connect with what really is a 10-minute story.  I truly mean that.

What comes to mind immediately are a few of my “Rules for winners”.  These so-called rules involve happenings that I feel frequently influence a game’s outcome.  (I’m actually planning on giving these away sometime soon as a downloadable Gift.)

For example, one of these has to do with how quickly (or how slowly) one of my players moves toward an enemy puckcarrier.  I can go into all sorts of examples about winning or losing these 1 on 1 battles, and I go to such lengths to really drive home my point.  In the end, however, I’ll get to the main idea, suggesting to my kids that it’s “quick pressure” that makes a rival puckcarrier rush his or her play — quite often mishandling the puck, or making a bad pass.

That’s what I meant when I said my cues often refer to a 10-minute (or probably longer) story (or stories).  For, as you can imagine, my yelling “Pressure!  Pressure!  Pressure!” during the game action ultimately has a ton of meaning.

Not that I (or Todd) call-out a lot of directions during a game.  But, we do use a few cues that help us communicate pretty well with our players.

7 Areas of (a Hockey Player’s) Athletic Development

I always attempt to attribute found material to its rightful source.  The problem with the following information is that I discovered it well over a year ago, I jotted some notes to myself, and I just never thought to record where I found it.  At the time, I probably didn’t think I’d be sharing the material with others.  That said, my apologies to whomever did create this list, and I’d surely like to give credit where due if it’s ultimately possible.

– Dennis Chighisola

Now, if you’ve come to know me at all, you probably know I’m into checklists.  I just don’t trust myself except to have my faithful list of things to do.

And, when it comes to overseeing the athletic development of my players, I find the following list prevents me from missing a single physical quality:

1. Flexibility
2. Balance
3. Quickness/Agility
4. Speed
5. Power
6. Strength
7. Endurance

As you browse that list, notice that all entries point to qualities we’d like to see in our skaters and our goaltenders.

Picture the ideal goaler:  flexible, under control, quick as a cat, powerful in moving from position to position, strong in crease wrestling matches, and able to endure a long game while carrying all that heavy gear around.

Also envision a quality skater:  free in movements, able to recover when slightly knocked-off the skates, quick and agile in all four directions, speedy on straight-aways, strong in one-on-one tussles, and able to keep going at full tilt through the last shifts of a game.

If you’ll notice, a lot of these qualities also help a hockey player avoid injuries, in particular flexibility, strength and endurance.

So, since we — as coaches, parents or older players — are always looking for some guidance when it comes to readying for a game, I offer the above as a truly awesome checklist.

The “Mental” Side of Goaltending

The “Mental” Side of Goaltending

By Todd Jacobson

If you look up the meaning of the word “Mental” in the dictionary, you get a pretty clear cut answer: of or pertaining to the mind.  (When I typed “Hockey Mental Training” into a search engine, 14 million links were found.  Now, we all know that many of these links won’t help us.  But it shows that this side of the game is becoming used more and more.)

This is certainly the case in the position of hockey goaltending.  Most times the goaltender is on an island of his/her own.  Whether before, during or after the games, he or she is left to train and work at a position unlike any other in hockey.

Over the last few years, hockey has become more and more about training outside of the 200 foot by 85 foot ice surface.  Of course, there’s off-ice training, strength and weight training, agility training, plyometrics, and now — more and more so — mental training.  In fact, the mental side of their position has become a mainstay for goaltenders, all the way down to the youth levels.

Mental training is usually cost free (with time being the exception).  Oh, it can be boring, it can be unchallenging, it can be slow.  But in the end, it can pay (huge?) dividends.

As a goaltender, focus for long durations is necessary, while a skater has to only be mentally zoned in for 30 seconds to a minute before a break of about twice that long.  Yes, the goaltender must be focused for the entire game, with few mental breaks.

All that said, over the following paragraphs I will make some suggestions on how to become more “Mentally” dialed in to your position:

Proper Technique is something every goaltender wants to have.  And what better way to practice any part of your game than to imagine it being done perfectly?  So, try lying in bed at night for 10 minutes or so, and go over how to play a breakaway with every possible move a shooter could make.  And picture your reactions to counter each move, running it over and over again, like hitting the replay button on your VCR (sorry, I’m a little old fashion when it comes to technology).  Don’t you think that after practicing in this way that you’d react in the same way during the live action?  You can bet on that.  And, is it possible you could you use this in a number of other scenarios that happen in a game?  Again, you bet.

Quickness is another part of the goaltenders game that everyone strives for.  And, while quickness is usually increased by physically practicing the movements at a high rate of speed, it can also be enhanced by mentally running through it — over and over again — in your mind. If you imagine quickness and practice quickness, you can only have better results when it comes time to dawn the pads on the ice.

Now, I could add just about any part of the goaltenders game and you should be able to imagine a hundred scenarios for each.

For another example, practice a simple stick save movement off the ice, and then take some time to visualize that same movement (over and over again). In your mind you see a perfect stick save, which is ultimately going to lead to a more fluid action when you later perform it on the ice.

Then, in the last article I suggested you think about the goaltender you might be competing against for a job, and consider what is he or she doing right now.  Are they mentally training as well as physically practicing?  Are they using all their time wisely to be better prepared for the season?  Either way, would you like to find out the hard way, come the beginning of the season, or do you want your coach to say, “Wow! There is someone who did some work in the off season!”

In ending, I’d like to share a quick story:

I’m quite familiar with a pair of high school goaltenders a year a part in their school.  I have coached them both in the past, and I know they will be battling each other for the starting job again this season at a local public high school.

When one was a freshman and the other a sophomore, the sophomore was clearly a better goaltender and won the starting job.  The freshman goaltender worked hard in the off season — doing camps, playing in leagues and doing the extra off ice training to get better, while the sophomore didn’t.  So when the next high school season started — and while the junior still held onto the starting job, the sophomore was now very close on the heals of the older guy.

The same pattern continued in the next off-season.  And when the hockey season arrived, the job became a toss up.  Both goaltenders split time early in the season, and about halfway through, the coach made the decision to go with the younger goaltender for the important games and into the state tournament.

Having witnessed the work of these two goaltenders, it became very evident that the one who worked the hardest was the better goaltender in the end.  And this was recognized by the school’s coaching staff.

Understand that hockey at the highest levels can be a cruel place, but a rewarding one as well.  So, do you want to look back someday and say, “I wish I had worked a little harder in the off season?”  Or, would you prefer to look back and say, “I’m glad I did all that work, because it did pay off in the long run!”

Give mental training a try.  Remember, it doesn’t cost you a penny.  But, it can make your game that much more fulfilling come next fall.

Yours in Hockey, Coach J.

Special Hockey Gift of the Month

Beginning on July 1st of 2009, CoachChic.com will feature a special “downloadable” gift for members-only.

There IS a purpose for making certain files downloadable. For example, in some instances, members will be able to view unique videos from their desktops (like those aimed at visualizing a specific skill), thus making it easy to use the material over and over again. At yet other times, these free downloads may be in the form of a printable pdf file or even an ebook. The possibilities are endless.

Here’s the catch, though… Free gifts will only be available for one month, then they’re gone. So, since you won’t want to miss a single free download, be sure to check this section at least once per month. Better yet, click the NEWS FEED button up in the right corner, and never miss a new post again.

FYI… If you’ve just recently joined, you’ve probably already missed some truly valuable downloads. Have no fear, however… I promise to occasionally rerun these at times when they’d best suit your needs. Promise!

Breaking Down Hockey Strategies

We all need ways to organize.  And my personal learning style requires me to be very, very clear in plotting my teaching plans.  (My guess is that I grew-up with A.D.D., long before there was a name for it. !)

In my case, I don’t want to miss covering a single aspect of the game.  So I’ve devised several ways to arrive at checklists — for team strategies and positional tactics, as well as for the individual skills that help my players execute those well.

Now, you might find it interesting the way I’ve arrived at the various categories here at CoachChic.com.  Actually, though, that’s also pretty close to the way my personal coaching notebook is arranged for next season.

All that said, the following video probably over-simplifies things a bit (and it might be a little boring to some).  But that’s the way I am…  For the sake of my players — and for YOUR sake, I just don’t want to risk glossing-over anything or missing a single step.  So, here goes with a look at “Breaking Down the Game”…

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(Teaching & Troubleshooting) Basic Breakouts

For sure, breakout plays can be designed to be pretty sophisticated.  However, ask any high level coach about the real key to breakout success, and he or should will likely tell you it relies heavily on execution.

That said, I’d like member players, parents and coaches to pay particular attention to the so-called “little things” I point-out in the following video.  For, I think an awareness of these skills — from both a physical and mental perspective — can make a profound impact on any individual’s or team’s ability to move the puck out of their end.  Then, once you’ve seen the video, I’d like to add a few more comments (below)…

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Now that you’ve had a chance to watch that video, I’d like to emphasize a few things…

As you’ll catch me saying often, playing the game well calls for great skills and an ability to think the game.  (Believe it or not, I occasionally run across folks at local arenas who feel players can avoid one or the other and still excel.)

As I said in the video, skill-wise a player needs to be able to skate his or her position, handling the puck under pressure is essential, and it’s also an absolute necessity that players make and catch passes.

It should also be evident that players can’t just close their eyes and fire the puck in some general direction.  In fact, I made the point that we would like to fool the opposition forecheckers when possible, and that the first pass in our zone is especially important.

Finally, because the breakout is actually a combination of many skills and thought processes, look for me to add a number of new videos in coming months, these focusing in more depth on each small breakout part.

The NHL Draft

Not that any of us are aiming for the NHL (but not that any of us can’t)…

Yes, the NHL draft will be televised this coming weekend.  And, as an FYI, you might know that I have for a good many years watched — and even video-taped — the 1st round of each NHL Draft.  As I’ve noted in several other posts, we can learn a lot from what commentators, scouts and GMs have to say about the various draft choices.  They’ll usually offer opinions on why certain kids dropped or rose over time, or why certain guys were or weren’t selected.

By listening carefully, we can gain a pretty good understanding about what the higher-ups are thinking lately, and perhaps adjust our approach accordingly.

Again, not that we’re necessarily shooting for the pros.  But, just having an understanding about what elite level folks are thinking can help influence the way we might view the game, or the way we might encourage younger players to prepare themselves.  (Hey, at least some of what is happening at the NHL level is sure to trickle-down to the colleges, high schools and even the developmental levels.)

Please Share YOUR Hockey Experiences

I know there are lots of ways members can make their voices heard here at CoachChic.com — like in Comments, under Ask the Coach, or in our occasional Polls.

However, have you ever had the urge to contribute something of more substance here?  Well, this is going to be the place.  What I’m talking about is contributing an article on a particular subject you think might benefit other members.  In particular, we’d like to hear about your experiences — as a player, a parent or as a coach.  Or, perhaps you have a slightly related area of expertise that would help others see our game in a different light.

If so, here’s what to do…  Draft the article and send it to me (CoachChic) within the body of an email (I’ll do all the dirty work after that, and put your experiences out there for the hockey world to see)!

Drills to Build Puckhandling Skills

Interestingly, this question arrived from the Youth Sports Coalition at a time when I really wanted to share a few special thoughts with my members in reference to puckhandling.

– Dennis Chighisola

Q:  Susan, the mom of an 8-year old, says that her son is just starting out in a local house league program.  And, while he seems to take to skating quite easily, she notes that, “…he struggles a bit with puckhandling.”  From there, Susan asks, “Are there any drills (The Old Coach) would recommend to help him build his puckhandling skills?”

A:  First, as an aside, I smiled that the mom of a new player already refers to the skill as “puckhandling”.  That’s my preference, since “stickhandling” tends to focus only on the stick-work part of puck control.

That said, it would be difficult to totally outline a thorough course here — in limited space and solely in writing.  At the same time, I have what I think are a couple of great ideas for getting that young guy off on the right foot…

You see, over my many years in the game, I’ve noticed that there’s a certain sort of “mentality” common to good puckhandlers.  I mean, real puckhandlers love playing with that little black thing (or practically anything they can get their sticks on), and they seem to just love experimenting.  (As a friend once observed, “Blow a whistle when a group has pucks, and the true puckhandler is the one who can’t stop fiddling!”)

The good news for Susan and her boy is that I’ve found this mind set to be teachable — IF the seeds can be planted early enough.

Actually, a lot of years ago, I had baseball-sized balloons made to include on them my New England Hockey Institute logo and my favorite puckhandling expression, “Go nuts!”  And I’ve tended to use (and use and use) that expression through the years, as my kids have toyed with either a balloon, a ball or a puck.

As shown in the photo, most balloon dribbling is done in the air.

The idea of the balloon?  Practically anything a kid wants to try with it is do-able.  It’s big, it’s light, and it tends to be slightly slow in moving.  Still, almost every time a balloon is tapped, it tends to spin-off in an unpredictable way.  And this causes one to have to react rather quickly with the hands and stick in order to make the next tap.

There’s yet another reason I like to include small balloons in a player’s puck-work.  For, in my mind, one needs the same kind of dexterity with the stick as he or she might have with a folk or pencil.  In other words, the stick has to ultimately become an extension of him or her.  And the characteristics of a balloon just seem to help that.

Next, I introduce my students or players to small, wooden Swedish Stickhandling balls.  Golf balls are an acceptable substitute, although the wooden balls are a little safer (or slightly less bouncy).  Yes, given the luxury of working with my kids in person, I do ensure they are able to perform side-to-side dribbles and a number of other basic movements, and I do ultimately teach some pretty wild moves.  For Susan’s sake, however, I believe just experimenting with a small ball will help put her young guy on his way to developing better puck skills.  (Ultimately, he might try bringing the ball through and around each foot, and even combine stick dribbles with passes off one foot and then off the other — just “Go nuts”, if you know what I mean!)

Then, a few more thoughts…

Notice that I’ve opted for lightness when it comes to selecting substitutes for a puck.  I do this because quick hand movements are the mark of a good puckhandler, and the right props will allow — or even encourage — quick reactions.  And this points to similar needs when it comes to the desired weight, size and fit of a player’s gloves, sticks or any other pieces of gear that can affect hand, arm and shoulder movements.  Trust me on this, that lighter is always better.

Also notice the ease in which the above program could be undertaken.  The cost for a small bag of balloons would be negligible, a used golf ball should be easy to come by, and it should also be easy enough to find a spot to safely practice these skills.

Finally, I encourage Susan (and every other reader) to borrow my expression, “Go nuts!”  Or, come-up with your own way of encouraging creativity, experimentation, and that special kind of puckhandler’s mind set.  Trust me on this one, too, in that IF a youngster gets the puckhandling bug, he or she isn’t going to be able to stop dribbling even when someone blows a whistle!

A Hockey Player’s Learning Needs

First, let me introduce a long-time charter member here at CoachChic.com, my Twitter-buddy, Ravi.  Yes, that’s where we first met, on Twitter.

Ravi is a Canadian college student plus an adult league hockey player, and we first started going back and forth on that social media site discussing his early season shoulder injury.

Anyway, over about the past year, I’ve found him to be a pretty insightful young guy.  He also seems to know himself quite well (something I feel is a huge mark of maturity).

Next — and in keeping with a topic currently emphasized here, Ravi responded to the poll on learning preferences.  Better yet, he “tweeted” me with the following personal observations…

In describing what he feels he needs to really get a handle on information, he notes that, “It’s always a mix of the three. With anything physical (ie, a golf swing) I prefer video first, then reading.”

Ravi goes on to note that, “I learn more from reading, but the video provides a base for mental visualization.”

Then, he really describes his most comfortable (and likely his most effective) way of learning, with, “My method is to watch, read, practice… I watch your vids, then read the articles.  But like you say, everybody learns differently.”

Is that insightful or what?  And, because he’s already gotten a grip on his personal needs, I’d be willing to bet that Ravi learns more, retains more, and retains longer than anyone who hasn’t yet recognized their own needs.

Ravi also brings to light the fact that most of us learn from a combination of senses.  Yes, there’s likely one that’s more needed than the others.  Yet, I think most folks, like my Twitter buddy, need a little of each — seeing, hearing and interacting — to really grasp the information.

Finally, about the accompanying (rather fuzzy) picture…  When I saw it, I just had to ask his permission to post it here.  For, that indoor pose (looks like in his garage), suggests to me that Ravi also knows something I’m frequently prodding about here, in that, “A great many hockey skills could be enhanced in a dawgoned closet!”  (LOL!)

Just Some Benefits of Strength Gains in Hockey

I found this little exchange interesting, and I hope you do too…

The other day my grandson, Anthony Chic, reported for his first off-season training session in The MOTION Lab.  Mind you, he’d already been lifting through the past season up at college, he’d increased the workload after his season ended, and he’s already been hard at work at the local gym upon returning home.

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So, the interesting part… Having gotten some ice-time in a pretty decent senior league game last night, Anthony happened to comment to me, “Gee, I can’t believe how much more powerful I felt last night!”

As we talked further, he explained how each skating thrust seemed to carry him so much farther.  Yes, that would be the result of some of the leg work he’s been doing.  But it would also reflect some of the upper body strength he’s gained.  I mean, skating is a total body movement (as is running), so an increase in arm and shoulder strength is going to make each pump — synced with each leg thrust — carry him all the farther.

As in running, two factors come into play when one attempts to speed ahead…  Part of an athlete’s forward progress is the result of his or her stride rate (how quickly he or she can step), and the other has to do with stride length (or how far each stride carries the athlete).  Putting the two together — stride rate and stride length — you arrive at the runner’s or skater’s forward speed.

You might find it interesting that a lot of folks believe that stride rate is mostly governed by genetics.  Of course, this is at least partially so.  However, there are others — yours truly included — who believe the stride rate can be increased through special types of training (over-speed work, agility ladder workouts, sprint training among them).

Then — as with Anthony’s discovery, you should now realize that a skater’s stride length can be increased — through strength gains, and through improved mechanics.

PS:  Next time my young buddy is up in the Lab, I’ll shoot some video and show you what one young college player is doing for off-season off-ice work.

Passing Basics in Hockey

As an introduction to the following video, I’d really like you to review the article I did on my Russian Half-sticks.  In particular, I’d like to remind you about the conversation I had with my Soviet interpreter one special day in Moscow, and how that brief exchange changed my views on passing forever.

I also hope this video gives you a little insight into the way I get into most skills.  I mean, quite often the problem in a given area really stems from a slightly hidden issue.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the following.  And, as always, I welcome your feedback or comments…

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Incredible Stickhandling — Skill 16 plus a wrap-up

Well, this is it for phase one in the Incredible Stickhandling course (have no fear, there are still plenty of new drills coming).

Now, the skill demonstrated in the following video can be pretty challenging, but it will surely give you soft hands if you can master it.

As the video will suggest, it’s a good idea to go back through all the drills for the next few weeks.  Mix them up or jump around, and prove to yourself that you have in fact mastered each one.  For, as I’ll tell you in that video, there are even tougher challenges coming (around the first of July).

Good luck!

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Is it Time to Give Up on Hockey?

The following is another great question sent me via the Youth Sports Coalition.  As with many others, it’s a real challenge.  More importantly. I believe my answer is something every CoachChic.com member ought to consider.

– Dennis Chighisola

Q: Anonymous asks a pretty tough question, and one for which there probably isn’t a right or wrong answer.  As the parent of a second year Bantam describes the situation, his/her son is currently extremely small compared to others in his age group.  Perhaps repeating some medical advice, Anonymous does state that, “…it will be several years before he will start to catch up size wise to his peers.”  With that, the parent asks for advice on two hockey playing options for next year — one offering more practices but possibly less game-time, the other likely to give the boy more playing time but less practice.  Oh, then he/she suggests a third possible option, as in, “Is it time to just give up on hockey?”

A: If anyone wants my opinion when faced with a choice between games and practices, I’ll always opt for more practices.  Practices are where players get to hone their skills; no one ever improved from playing in a game (I could write the equivalent of “War and Peace” on this subject).

That said, the mentioning of a third option by Anonymous bothers me a little.  I mean, I’m wondering if the idea of packing it in is just something that’s crossing the parent’s mind, or is it a feeling the youngster has openly expressed.  No matter, please read on…

Actually, I can’t help raising a point I think about often.  You see, all winter long I get to watch the guys coming and going from a local senior league that plays next door to where my team practices.  It’s a night-out for those older guys — feeling part of a team again, getting some exercise, hanging long after their games to have a few beers, swap war stories and have some laughs.  The funny thing is, the teams are a mix of former NHL players and other old pros, long ago college players and probably some guys who didn’t play that high when they were younger.  Plenty of my former high school and college players are there too, which brings me to sense that they must have really loved the game if they’re still at it.

And that’s the point I want to raise for Anonymous’ sake, in that, on a Monday night in Hingham, MA, it seems to matter not where the guys had been long before.  As a matter of fact, it appears to me that all of those senior league members have returned to where they began, just playing the game for the love of it.  And if we think about it further, the guys who reached fairly high levels only stayed there for a fraction of all the time they’ve played.  Or, said yet another way, they’ve spent most of their lives playing just for the love of it.

Now, if Anonymous can agree with what I’ve said to this point, perhaps the most important next step is to resolve his/her son’s reason for playing.  Oh, hockey isn’t for everyone, and there are countless other things a young teen can do for enjoyment.  However, if the boy feels as I suspect — still loving the game, this might at least help ease some current bumps in the road.  Perspective is everything, you know.  And by that, I’ll suggest that the best and the least players on any young team had better not be going to the rink on a given night with visions of the NHL (whatever).  No, I think it better that every youngster head-out with a smile, and mainly just for the love of it.

I hope Anonymous understands why I dealt primarily with the larger question here.  For, that solved, it’ll probably become clearer which team his/her son should aim for.

Then, despite my 40-ish years in the game, I wouldn’t dare predict which young players will or won’t “make it” in the end (and I’ll further suggest that professional scouts couldn’t do any better).  Sure, anyone can spot the kid with potential on a given night.  But things change rapidly in a youngster’s life — physically and interest-wise.  Besides, it’s hard to measure what’s inside a young player, beginning with his love of the game.

Just How Much Do High Level Hockey Folks Really Care?

Actually, this thought first struck me a good 15- or 20-years ago.  I’m thinking back with a smile now, to a night in my hotel room, engaged in a heated (but fun) discussion with a handful of Canadian hockey coaches.  We were all coaching against each other in an Ontario-based tournament at the time, and I was listening intently to the various philosophies being tossed around by my contemporaries that night.

Now, there wasn’t a single thing said over our couple of hours of arguing (again, all in good fun).  No, it was more what I heard from between-the-lines that caused me to consider the following…

What I started to piece together, once my guests left, was that higher-ups in their game really didn’t care how many players dropped by the wayside; they were ultimately going to get the cream-of-the-crop, no matter what.  Said yet another way…  They really only cared about the survivors.  Oh, I know isn’t an easy concept to convey.  But, let me at least give it a try…

In a way, a Canadian junior coach is going to get his pick of the best players out there.  This sense I have isn’t confined to Canadian coaches, however, since I feel the same can be said about USA-based Division I college coaches — in that they are going to get their picks of the cream, year after year, no matter how many youngsters quit on their way up the hockey ladder.  If you think about it, all things remain fairly equal as the junior or DI coaches comb the available talent pool — in that they get the best of any group, be it a weak one or a strong one.  And they compete against other teams that are making their picks from the same exact pool.

Oh, please don’t get me wrong here, or believe that I think the higher-ups are evil or intentionally uncaring.  That’s not my point.  What I am trying to say is that they have no real stake in whether your little girl or boy — or mine — quits the game at 8-years old, 10, whenever.  (By the way, I suspect the two National Teams have very different feelings on this subject — in that they likely live or die on the available talent pool, because their teams have to go out and compete against the Russians, Czechs, Swedes, etc.)

More on my point…  The discussions we had that night in my hotel room really only planted the seeds of that premise.  But it was bolstered further over subsequent years — in my travels all over the hockey world (at numerous US and Canadian seminars).

Frankly, I’d shake my head at times as I heard certain things from the lecturers, oftentimes thinking to myself, “Wrong!  Wrong!  Wrong!”  And I meant wrong because what a high level coach said was going to cause of lot of younger kids to drop by the wayside, or because the guest speaker didn’t have a clue about teaching principles or motor learning.

All this said, I’m not really into bashing people.  And I personally like a lot of the higher level guys I’ve met or even worked with.

Actually, this subject just arose in a telephone conversation I recently had with a Chicago-area youth coach.  And, after bantering about this and several related topics, I eventually arrived at the only answer I have at the moment.  I mean, it appears that more of the responsibility for youth development lies on my shoulders (and those of my contemporaries) than anyone else in North America.  Guys like yours truly (and probably a dozen others across the continent) are in this thing for the long-haul, and we’re accessible to the public — some of us almost instantly.  (Try to reach a junior or college coach for a follow-up question or for an answer to why their methods failed.)  Each of us knows our respective areas — probably better than the higher-ups, and our businesses and reputations hang on our abilities to do the job.

Then, for the third and final time, those higher-ups are mostly good guys (and gals).  And they surely know their stuff when it comes to their level.  If there’s a problem, it’s that few — if any — have ever taken a player from beginner or intermediate status to elite level play.  No, their jobs begin once someone else has helped a youngster reach junior or DI capabilities.

Hoping You Haven’t Noticed — Much!

Ya, I’ve been moving my office across town over the past month, and trying to do so without it tooooo badly affecting my work here at CoachChic.com.

Unfortunately, the building I’ve been in for the past 18-years was sold — the new owners are converting it to condos or whatever. Of course, that’s sent about a hundred business owners scrambling for new space, then going through the awesome task of moving.

In my case, a new spot came quickly and easily. However, sorting through 18-years worth of “stuff”, then reducing my space from 8-rooms to 5-rooms is not such an easy matter.

The office part of the move has been simple. However, rebuilding The MOTION Lab and building a new library has taken T-I-M-E.

Having more to do with my CoachChic.com friends… You wouldn’t believe what it’s taking to relocate my audio/video studio. Oh, moving the gear is nothing. However, try to envision 4-PCs — with all their attachments, a couple of VCRs, a number of cameras, an audio mixer, microphones and a lot more. For, the back of that set-up looks like a huge mass of black spaghetti. So. getting everything connected in a way that makes in hum for me is the real challenge. (Oh, by the way… The new set-up is going to give me even better/more video capabilities, and I’m really psyched about that!)

Anyway, if there’s a brief delay in getting my next radio show and some videos on-line for you, perhaps you’ll at least understand what I’m going through. My promise, though: Once I’m set-up (within a few days), you can plan on me producing more great content — with a vengeance!

Now, here’s hoping a live! LOL!