Never Miss Another Hockey Post — Again!

I know lots of my friends here are tech-savvy.  At the same time, I can appreciate those who are not (personally, I’m good at some technical things, not so good at others).

Anyway, I’d hate to think that there’s a single member who misses a new hockey post when it initially hits CoachChic.com (or one of its sister sites).

With that, let me make sure everyone is up to speed on a few conveniences that might not be all that noticeable…

– Dennis Chighisola

Never Miss Another Hockey Post — Again!

CoachChic.com
Right up at the top-right of this page are two orange buttons.  The left-most — and the one shown in the adjoining photo — when clicked upon, will make sure you’re alerted every time I or a guest writer posts a new article or hockey video to this site.

Not shown in the photo is the right-most button, which when clicked will make sure you’re alerted each time a new Comment is added here at CoachChic.com.  (This can especially help anyone who has Commented already and is patiently — or impatiently — awaiting a follow-up.)

Coach Chic’s Hockey Diary
If you look at the links located at the top of any CoachChic.com page, you should see one that goes to “Dennis’ Blog”.

My hockey diary is located at a different site, mainly because I address some issues there that are only slightly hockey related, or perhaps don’t have a lot to do with the teaching/coaching process.  In many instances they’re opinion pieces.  Still, members should find most entries interesting, if only food for thought.

Anyway, clicking on that link — to Dennis’ Blog — will get you there.  Then, once you arrive at that site, you have similar options as I described earlier, except that that blog’s format shows them in a slightly different way.  I’ve listed quite a few helpful links to the right of that blog, this to include writings by some truly great hockey people from across North America.  Partway down the page you’ll see that header that says “Subscribe”, and under that the links that will allow you to be notified about new Posts and new Comments.

Hockey Tips and Tricks
This can be yet another helpful site, my on-line store where lots of hard-to-find hockey aids can be explored.

Once again, the opportunity exists for you to be notified any time a change is made to that site — just press the orange button.  (You might especially want to know whenever a new product is added.)

The other two symbols are a little different…  The small “t” will bring you to my Twitter homepage, while the small “f” takes you to my Facebook page.  And, hey…  I’d like to get to know you in yet other ways, so please do connect with me!

All the CoachChic.com Category Links
If you’ve never taken the time to explore all the various areas within CoachChic.com, at least be aware that they can be accessed through those two rows of links that sit atop each page.

Finally, I thank my lucky stars that my techie partner long ago selected WordPress — for your sake and for mine.  Yes, Roland Lacey made it so easy for us to host videos, audio and writings, and it really should be easier for you to negotiate this site than in most other formats.

Still, that said, please let me know if anything here ever confuses you (or whatever).  Your experiences should be as easy and enjoyable as they are informative.

 

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Hockey Coaches: Build a Team Website

I’ve wanted for the longest time to help you all with this subject, but it took me quite a while to decide how I could best approach it.

What I’m talking about is my recommendation that teams have their own website.  Oh, I’m sure many of you are using generic sites like Eteamz.  However, I have a different suggestion.

Oh, and by the way…  While I control my teams’ site as a head coach, I’m going to suggest here that members who aren’t coaches might offer the following ideas to their favorite coach, and maybe even help with the process.

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey Coaches: Build a Team Website

If you don’t currently have a site, I’m going to point you towards a free service offered by Blogger (which is actually operated by Google).  You’ll need a Google account — as will your team members, but this is also free.

Okay, just to give you a sense of how I’ve developed my team sites, let’s take a look at the page I created for my three Boston Bandits Teams…

(You can click on the above image to go to that webpage.)

As fancy as all the above might appear (to someone who hasn’t worked with a website before), it was really easy to create.  Many programs now use something called a WYWIWYG Web Builder.  Oh, it sounds pretty scary, but those letters actually stand for “what you see is what you get”.  In other words, you don’t need to know how to program and use html (’cause I’d be cooked if those were necessary).  In a way, once one goes behind the scenes, it’s very much like working in a word processing document.  (Better yet, I’m going to include a link below to some awesome Blogger tutorial videos!)

Now, I’m going to be coaching three different teams for the 2011-12 season, so I’ve created one front page for all of my hockey families to first visit…

I’ve just pasted in those yellow arrows for your sake, so you can see where I’ve placed links to my three different teams.  My thinking here is that I’d like one main page, having everyone arrive there, in hopes they’ll see any special — or time sensitive — announcements I might have for them.  Once they’ve scanned that Home page, they can click on the link to their own site, which contains very team-specific information.  (Although I do have a few announcements posted off to the right, I know they are rather hard for you to see.)

There is yet reason I wanted to begin with a main page…  You see, the pages containing special information are going to be hidden from the public (more on that later).  At the same time, I really do want other hockey people to stumble upon this site.  For your sake, I’ve used three yellow arrows again, this time to point towards some announcements I DO want outsiders to see (have a read and see what I mean)…

Okay, now about including and excluding visitors to certain pages…

For a time, let’s isolate my new AA Mite team.  And, let’s say that two different people click on the link to that special page.  A team member is going to get right through, while anyone I haven’t programmed in will be told they don’t have access.

The screenshot below shows what the inside of that Mite page looks like.  More specifically, though, I’ve pointed to the area where I can make “Settings”, and I’ve then gone to the section that allows me to control “Permissions”.  In that area, you should be able to see that I am the only “Blog Author” (although I could grant equal rights to a Team Manager or Team Mom if I chose to do so.)  The list below that (and purposely blurred) contains all the email addresses I want to allow into this blog/page.   That’s how Blogger does it — I mean it grants access to the site according to a visitor’s email address.  And, if extra addresses need access — like for home and work or moms and dads, it’s easy enough to plug those in as well.

Okay, here’s why I really like creating these kinds of sites with Blogger (besides the fact that they’re free, they’re easy to use, and they allow me to limit access)…

I know that players love videos.  Better yet, the audio and visuals can really help in their ability to understand information.  And, Blogger provides free and unlimited storage of the video files.

I’m kinda lucky, in that I have a lot of ready-made videos on hand to show many skills and some of the X’s and O’s I’ll use with my teams.  You don’t have that capability?  No problem!

Video sites like YouTube.com have thousands upon thousands of hockey videos containing both instruction and examples of plays.  (You might have to study it a bit, but one can copy the “embed code” from most such videos, and paste that right into your site.)

As a matter of fact, I’m going to put the following video on my AAA Bantam Minor site later tonight, because it provides a pretty nice background to the powerplay I’ll later show them…

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As you can see, the video is a pretty good one for my purpose — in that it’s a good way of getting my older kids thinking about the powerplay, and it also highlights the kinds of skills they’re going to need to play on that unit.

Just to give you a little insight into what I’ve done so far…  My Mites and Bantams have both been given spring rope skipping and home puckhandling assignments.  Hey, it’ll be nice if those skills are being developed right now, before we even come together as a team.  My goaltenders also have a page of their own, and they’ve been treated to some videos on juggling instruction.  (You’ve likely seen my goalies juggling in Todd Jacobson’s charge, and my new netminders are going to also do many of the other specialized skills Todd’s kids have demonstrated in that special section.)

Three final things…

Here is a link to the Blogger Tutorial Videos (I think they’re pretty good).

Although there is a video on this subject in the above noted collection, I’m thinking that I’ll one day do a post here that will show the exact steps and resources I use to create most of my videos.

As you may have sensed from all this, mine is not a run-of-the-mill team website.  No, it’s not so much for organization as it is for teaching.  Actually, our organization runs a very professional site with rosters and schedules and all that stuff.  My “team sites”, on the other hand, are sort of required reading or viewing, IF a player wants to be up to speed on all we’ll be doing this coming season.

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As always, I’d love your feedback on this post!

How Pro Hockey Scouts Think

If ever there was an audio program players, parents and coaches should listen to, it’s one like this.  I mean, at one time or another, all three parts of the hockey population wrestle with important decisions, large and small.

And, while I’d like to think there is already plenty of help here within these CoachChic.com pages, it’s awesome when we’re able gain yet more insight from someone like a pro scout.

As always, I’m indebted to my friend Shaun Goodsell for providing this interview.

– Dennis Chighisola

How Pro Hockey Scouts Think

Gordie Roberts was drafted in the third round, 54th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1977 NHL Amateur Draft. His professional career started in 1975 when he was signed as a 17-year old underage junior by the WHA New England Whalers. He represented the Whalers in the 1977 and 1978 WHA All-Star Game and was still with New England when the NHL and WHA merged in 1979.

In 1980, the Whalers traded Roberts to the Minnesota North Stars for Mike Fidler. He remained a North Star for eight seasons before moving to the Philadelphia Flyers in 1988, who promptly traded him to the St. Louis Blues after only 11 games. During this time, Roberts also played for Team USA in the 1984 Canada Cup as well as the 1982 and 1987 Ice Hockey World Championship tournaments.

Roberts won 2 Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and 1992 and became the first American player to appear in 1000 NHL games in 1992. He played for the Boston Bruins during his final two years in the NHL.

Post Playing Career
Roberts served as the player/coach of the 1994-95 International Hockey League Chicago Wolves as well as the assistant coach of the Phoenix Coyotes for the 1998 and 1999 seasons. In recent years, he has worked as a pro scout for the Montreal Canadiens, specializing in pro scouting evaluating teams / player in the NHL and AHL to consult with GM on trades and free agents. The Mental Edge is proud to have Gordie as a Mental Edge Coach that specializes as an Advisor to hockey players in their player development and possible future hockey career.

Awards and achievements

• Inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999.

As an Insider, you have a front row seat as Shaun and Gordie talk about his NHL Career, post NHL Career and how he’s now helping hockey players!  (Just press the arrow below to listen to the interview.)

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Shaun and his staff have many other awesome interviews available (at no charge) over on the Mental Edge website, and I highly recommend CoachChic.com members take advantage of those.

– Dennis Chighisola

 

Winning Hockey Starts Right Now!

I sometimes ask myself if I really need to write something like this.  Then, moments later, I realize it’s an absolute necessity.

Oh, my guess is that long-time CoachChic.com members already know what I’m about to say (although they may not mind a brief reminder).  On the other hand, I’m betting a lot of folks who just pass through here would be helped by knowing that success in our game really does need to start about now.

–  Dennis Chighisola

Winning Hockey Starts Right Now!

In a way, I don’t blame anyone whose been through a long, grueling season for wanting a break.  I’m no different, and I haven’t even been subjected to the bumps and bruises players have taken, or as many stresses as some coaches and parents have felt.  Ya, I think everyone needs a little time off.

On the subject of taking a break, however, let me remind members of the article I placed here long ago, about the old Soviet’s design of “A Year-round Hockey Training Plan“.  I’ve gone into quite a bit of depth in that earlier post, and you really should read it.  However, the part of the plan I’d like to highlight right now — for any player’s sake — is what we all refer to as the “post-season” part of that 12-month cycle.

For, in reference to that time immediately following the regular season, a lecture I caught in Moscow years ago suggested players use that as a period of “active relaxation”.  In other words, while some time is needed to heal the wounds — be they physical or mental, USSR coaches didn’t want their players to go backwards in their development over those weeks or months.  So they had them engage in all sorts of fun yet challenging activities.  Better yet, players who undertake a well thought-out approach to active relaxation can often be on their way to huge physical (and even mental) gains.

As a brief aside…  Over the past few weeks, I’ve had several similarly themed conversations with the parents of my littlest hockey players — like the clinic kids who are 5- to 7-years old.  And, I’ve (as gently as I could) warned those parents about what I’ve seen happen to players who take extended time-off.  In almost every case, those kids arrived far behind their former classmates once the fall came, and they frequently lagged behind their friends for the entire next season.

Now, I mentioned that last problem just to draw a distinction between those who take a short break and those who abandon their game for a 5 full months (count ‘em:  April, May, June, July and August).  (It’s my hope that the kids in my charge will get the best of two worlds, because I’m designing a sane off-season routine for them, but I’m still going to have them flying as they enter their next season.)

I’ll not go into too much detail here — about what to do during those many spring and summer months.  Every player is different, and consequently he or she has different needs.

With that, the last statement — about players having different needs — leads me to something I really do want to discuss in greater length.  After all, the late winter and into early spring is the right time to reflect on the past season, and it’s the right time to use what we’ve learned to set a new course.

I’m sure I and a host of guest specialists have provided members tons of help within the 400-plus posts found here.  So, a player or parent should be able to scan through the various category headings to find exactly what he or she needs.  And, if you don’t find it, I want you to let me know.

Next, I’m going to slide my focus towards coaches.  And I have to return to the way I opened this discussion, worrying that a lot of my hockey brethren will put their coaching hats away until it’s almost time to hit the ice again in the fall.  To this I say, “No!  No!  No!”  And I’ll also restate the title of this piece, as in, “Winning Hockey Starts Right Now!”

Actually, I go into this topic in some depth in my new hockey coaching manual, “How to Assemble & Teach A Basic Hockey System“.  In a nutshell, though, I describe the hockey coach as somewhat an architect.  And, with that, I’ll suggest that he or she has to design very detailed plans that just can’t be scribbled in a night or two.

In fact, I’m using that manual as an outline right now…  Oh, some of that book talks far over the heads of my youngest team, while it doesn’t include all the more sophisticated X’s and O’s I’ll use with my older team.  Still, the outline I’ve used for that manual would probably provide some reminders of things I’d want to consider at nearly any level — beginners to pros.

Again, I’m already into that phase right now, especially as I look ahead for the sake of my older guys, a AAA Bantam Minor team, as well as individual players I’ll oversee within my Hockey BootCamp.  (As I hinted at above, their planning is going to have to be far more elaborate than the way I’ll aim to ready my little guys.  Not that the youngest ones won’t need plenty for me to ready; it’s just that the older guys will require a whole lot more.)

Lastly, let me emphasize the pace I’m hinting at here…  If players wait until close to the start of their season, I think you’ll agree that they’ll arrive totally unprepared (and out of shape).  Going slowly and steadily, though, is sure to have them ready by next fall.  From the coaching side of things, I’m not looking to panic in the end — like sometime in August, just so I can have something together.  Naw, I and my players are starting right now, so that we can be totally prepared when we need to be.

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Just so members know, my work with local students and teams provides lots of unbelievable fodder for CoachChic.com entries.  In other words, members will get to follow me as I deal with the numerous things that arise over the coming year — be they my need to troubleshoot problems, our sometimes successes, and our sometimes failures.

I’ll be working with junior high, high school and adult members in that Hockey BootCamp.  A lot different from my teams, I’ll be looking at each player as an individual.  I’ll try to let you in on the way I analyze their skating strides and skills, I’ll let you know what I’m doing differently for unique body-types, and I’ll also let you know how the various age-specific conditioning goes.

Next fall should mark about my kzillionth year of running a Learn-to-skate/Learn-to-play program.  That’s where I do my “Mr Rogers” impression, and gradually bring those little rascals from “snow eaters” to “daredevils on the ice”!

One “Mighty Mite” team will be formed out of those Learn-to clinics.  So, those who will be coaching a similar team might benefit from the way I introduce little ones to their first games, their first experiences at dealing with hockey’s rules, face-off positioning, even sitting on a team bench.

A notch up from that team is a Boston Bandits Mite AA team.  These little guys will be pretty good, but not quite as mature as the AAA Mite team I coached this past winter.

The oldest team I’ll run next season will be a Boston Bandits AAA Bantam team composed of all first-year Bantams, or Bantam Minors.

I actually start with the latter two (Boston Bandits) teams next week, holding a get-together known as the team “Meet & Greet”  — where I’ll go over team related rules and such with the parents, and then later skate with my players.

The biggest challenge of the two will be my older team, which evidently struggled pretty badly last season.  Not pinning the blame on anyone here, let me say that I’ve needed to at least slightly change the character of that team without having to cut every single returning player.  So, I suspect members should find it interesting to see how I try to turn that team around.

Anyway, I mention these things because CoachChic.com members should enjoy — and hopefully benefit from — the way I deal with so many situations over the coming year.

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I just thought I’d add a timely update here…

Most of my next year’s AA Mite team members are playing for me in a rink-run spring Mighty Mite league.

Part of the reason I’m loving this is because I now have the opportunity to assess the kids who are currently with me.  One assessment has to do with the positions I’ll ultimately slide each player towards, while another involves me taking notes on their needs, both individually and as a group.

For sure, some of the readings I’m taking on these kids have to do with their skills.  So, already I’ve started planning some drills that are sure to help them reach a higher level.

What some members might not think about, however, is the importance of noting each kid’s individual playing personality.  In other words, some will tend to be naturally conservative, while others are super-aggressive.  Oh, I have ways to bring some aggressiveness out of the ones who need it.  But, we coaches (and parents) shouldn’t believe we’re going to greatly change a kid’s innate personality.

So, with the latter point in mind, I’ll filter a lot of the kids towards specific playing positions based on whether I sense they’ll want to sit back a bit, or maybe go hell bent for leather.  (If you think about that stuff, I’m sure you’ll also start thinking about where it might be best to play given personality types.)

One thing I also have to decide pretty shortly is how much systems play I’ll give this team.  In other words, can they handle the “L” forecheck I usually prescribe for young teams, or will I need to go to something else that’s even easier for them to learn?  Actually, I’ve had some thoughts swirling around in my head lately, and I’ll be sure to let members know more if I decide to go another way.

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A few years ago, I was probably one of the few hockey coaches to communicate with his players and their parents via a website.  My guess now, however, is that lots of you are currently doing this.  I also know that a lot of you are using sites that have been prepared by other companies specializing in such offerings.

No matter, I’m going to soon provide members only a brief rundown on the way I create a site for one of my teams.

In anticipation of that, I’d really like you to take a look at Blogger (<= click there).  Blogger is actually a free website service provided by Google.  It costs nothing to create websites there, it costs nothing to create a Google Account, and then there are a number of other reasons I tend to use it — especially when it comes to my teams.

So, if you don’t yet have a team site, and you’d like to create one, I think Blogger just might be right for you.

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As always, I love it when you Comment on a post — with either your personal feelings or questions.