Troubleshooting Hockey Shooting Problems

My Facebook friend, Joe C, came up with a good question this morning, that having to do with shooting, and shooting to score. 

Whenever I attack such a question, I like to know what age and what caliber of player I’m problem solving for, because the difficulties an 8-year old Mite is having are probably worlds apart from those experienced by a Midget, a college player or a pro (and don’t think older guys’ skills are perfect).

Joe’s answer was, “Where do you start…..all levels, squirts, peewees, bantams, U14,U16…..?”  With that, I guess I’m going to have to address shooting, in a very broad way.

– Dennis Chighisola

Troubleshooting Hockey Shooting Problems

I hope members will appreciate that I’ve addressed the skill of shooting in countless earlier posts.  If those might be slightly different, they’re likely narrower focused, while this one I’ll make more general (to accommodate all ages and levels).

Actually, at some point soon, you might glimpse at my “Building Blocks Approach to Skills“, and then watch my short video on “Passing Basics in Hockey“.   It should make sense that I’ll be talking about similar principles in all my work, and I also use similar methods when I attack a given skill technique.

Now, whenever I do get into troubleshooting any skill, I almost always know there are some background skill deficiencies playing on the troubles I’m noticing.  Here’s where the above linked entries will be of great help, because within those you’ll discover that other skills — like skating balance, puckhandling and passing really — do influence something like the shooting motion.

And here’s a (perhaps oddball) method I like to use when studying a certain hockey skill…

I like to envision a couple of extremes as sort of a frame of reference.  In this case, my method would include comparing a beginner skater with an older, fairly skilled one.

As an example, let’s envision putting a hockey stick in the hands of the worst skater we can find at a local public skating session.  I think you know the type I’m talking about:  he or she spreads the skates and keeps them both on the ice to gain as much stability as possible.  Just holding the stick in two hands will be a challenge, because they’re needed for balance.  Ask him or her to shoot a nearby puck and…  Look out! 

Shifting our thoughts to the very experienced skater, perhaps you can appreciate how he or she has the balance issue under control.  In fact, the really good hockey player is not only comfortable moving around, but he or she doesn’t mind extending the stick, hands, or any other body part outside the center of gravity.

You and I both know that Joe isn’t asking about anyone like the real beginner I described above.   On the other hand, I’ve drawn this picture of extremes because I’ve discovered that all players fall on a scale between beginner and elite, and everyone — even the best players — have small flaws in their game.

Maybe now you understand why I’ll suggest that some background skills are quite likely to be the cause of a shooting problem.  For, I hope you’ll agree that ones comfort in skates — and his or her ability to reach outside the center of gravity — plays a big part in shooting.

I’m not done there, though, because I feel a player’s puckhandling ability plays just as big a role in his or her scoring chances.

I doubt you’ll disagree with an attacker’s need to “read” the opposing goaltender when he or she is presented a scoring opportunity.  (Although I’ll sometime soon discuss a possible change in advanced level goalie positioning…)  The prevailing thinking is that an attacker should a) shoot the puck at an open spot if the goaler is backed into his net, or b) make a deke and try to go around a netminder who comes out of the net to play the angles.

So, where do the puckhandling skills come in?  For sure, you’re thinking about the need to deke at times.  However, long before one gets that opportunity, he or she has to be able to dribble — with the eyes up — in order to assess the situation.  And please, think about just how critical that eyes up ability is in negotiating to the net (and keeping the puck), to deking, and to picking a corner when an opening momentarily arises.

Going back to my Building Blocks Approach to Skills, let me just point out that young or inexperienced players benefit hugely by learning to properly pass the puck.  We’re talking about having a certain feel for the puck on the stick-blade, and we’re also talking about gaining the ability to grip the puck in a certain way so that it might be sent accurately from the blade.

Okay, so let me try to give Joe and others some usable advice here…

No matter the age and skill level, a coach will always be helping his or her players’ higher level skills by spending appropriate time on the very basics.

Be creative, and use some skating drills that require players to lean and reach outside their centers of gravity.

Continuously reinforce the need for players to handle a puck with their eyes up.

Use plenty of puckhandling, passing and receiving drills that call for players to reach outside their centers of gravity.  The trickiest puckhandling moves involve dangling  the puck far out, and the best passes are sent with long (forehand or backhand), sweeping motions.  Actually, receptions have to also be made by extending the stick out quite a ways to start the cushioning of the puck.

As for working on the shot, specifically…

Although my old Principles of Motor Learning professor would probably scold me on this one, I still have my players practice their shots quite a bit while in a stationary position, about 8′ off the side boards.  I’m sure the prof would suggest that we move on to something else after that part of the skill is mastered, and he’d also point out that one hardly ever gets to stand prettily and shoot during real game action.

My prof’s feelings aside, I still see some value to my players working for a time as described above.  That way of doing it also ensures tons of repetitions in only a few minutes.  And the other part I like about this is that a player can “feel” each shot, gather a new puck quickly, and attempt to feel whether the next shot is done correctly.

Next, although I want my guys to practice their shooting on the go, I still have them working off the side boards to do this.  What I’ll have them do is circle toward the middle of the ice and then turn to shoot on the boards while moving.  Every shot can be practiced in this way — from wristers to backhanders to snapshots to slaps.  And, while players can initially practice these slowly, it’s possible for more experienced skaters to go close to full speed in this simple form of drilling.

Let me now direct your attention to a very basic video called “Creating the Early Goal-scorer“.  Honestly, as basic as it is, I believe we all need to be reminded of the information contained in that video.  As importantly, you’ll discover how to make and use a great gadget I invented called the SMG (or the ScoreMoreGoalie).  As you’ll see, it can be a better way for players to practice hitting corners (than going on live goalers or other devices).

To me, the best goal-scorers in the game can pull the trigger under all sorts of conditions.  And, you’ll find within this site a ton of great ideas to help a player learn to do just that.

Winding down here, I hope Joe and others got more out of this than just a few drill ideas…

For sure, drills can help a player become better skilled.  However, it’s the right drills that can have the greatest impact on positive change.

As is demonstrated above, it’s always a good idea to look for underlying skill deficiencies when a larger problem arises, and this would be true for individual skills as well as for a player’s difficulty in executing a given tactic.  (As a popular baseball announcer is known to say, you’ve got to go “back…  back…  back…”)

Lastly, skill problems seldom arise overnight — naw, they generally come from a long time of neglect or improper training.  That in mind, I suggest Joe and my other friends be patient when trying to enhance your players’ shooting capabilities.

New Workout Apps For Hockey

I know some members might not totally believe their favorite old hockey coach has often been waaaay ahead of the proverbial curve. With that, though…

– Dennis Chighisola

New Workout Apps For Hockey

If you don’t know, I spent a number of (miserable) years working as a civil engineer.  As I used to describe it, “There’s no ingenuity in engineering.”    Ya, I guess I felt stifled in a field where most things were done using formulas, and where there was little opportunity to be creative.

Anyway, I ultimately was granted the chance to switch to coaching hockey full-time, and you’d better believe I jumped at it.  In fact, I cashed in all my engineering school credits, started working on my Physical Education & Coaching Degree, and the rest is kinda history.  Except…

Ya, except that even my time back in college had plenty of exciting moments.  I had already been coaching hockey for better than a decade, I was already a high school head coach, and I was also already pretty well known as a hockey skills instructor.  So don’t you know that I presented a challenge for some of my professors, our philosophical discussions (or arguments) were often spirited, and some of the projects I turned in shocked a number of them.

Such was the case when my Physiology of Exercise prof asked our class to design a new drill having to do with conditioning.  Hmmmmmm…  I’m sure the guy was interested in something more of the aerobic variety, but I was thinking hockey all the time, and I was heading towards something far more interesting.  Mind you, this was in the early 1980′s…

I’d not long before that class bought a portable VHS video recorder that showed a stopwatch down in a lower corner of the screen.  And I’d already begun using that feature to measure stride rate and stride length as my hockey school kids sprinted between a rink’s two blue lines.  (If you didn’t know, those are the two components of speed, be it running or skating.)

Away from the ice — and in an era long before anyone was wearing fancy watches to help with this, I’d started thinking that athletes really didn’t know how fast they were training.  Oh, they might think they were busting it on a given day, but were they really?  After all, the results of their run (or whatever) wouldn’t be known until the finish line.

That in mind, I next turned to the idea that there had to be a way to dictate “pacing”.  And the closest I could envision this was to have some sort of sound govern each step (as in running).  In other words, the athlete’s stride rate could be controlled by his or her need to match some pre-recorded sounds.

So, that’s basically what I arrived at for my new drill idea…  (Chuckling to myself as I think about the old, heavy Walkman type players of the 80′s…)  What I proposed was that an athlete would wear a headset that played a cassette tape (LOL) containing pre-recored beats.  We used a metronome to time various things in the Phys Ed lab back then, so I thought to use the recorded sounds from such a device to get the exact right beats — as in beats per minute.

I further envisioned that a coach would have to know a lot about an athlete’s capabilities as he or she built the audio programs.  For, in my way of seeing things, a coach has to know where the athlete is as a program starts, as well as where the athlete is capable of being in x-amount of time.

Of course, the designer of such a program would also have to understand the pace required to achieve a certain high level, and that would require knowing how many of the athlete’s stride lengths would be needed to cover a certain distance.  I mean, it should be possible to say that a given athlete who travels so far with each stride needs to move at a specific rate in order to cover a distance in a desired time.

My guess is that an athlete would have to be brought slowly through a program like that.  In other words, he or she would likely need some time to get used to matching his or her strides with the audio beats.  And, even back then, I was thinking in terms of periodization, or alternating different paces over the course of a week or month or whatever.

Fast forward to the late 1990′s and into the turn of the century, and I put that line of thinking to different use…

You may have guessed already that I absolutely hate boring or repetitive stuff.  And that even goes for some of the great hockey drills that really need to be done, whether they excite me or not.

That was the case with an awesome warm-up routine that I’d designed to start all my High School Prep team’s off-ice training sessions.  Again, it included great stuff for my guys — and it was developed from some of what I’d learned in my Soviet studies, as well as some of what I knew about sprint training.  My frustration was that it was exactly the same for every off-ice session.

It was also a pain in the butt to administer.  I mean, the exercises had to be changed frequently, which meant I had to constantly look down at notes.

My answer to that was to place a boombox off to the side of the gym, on which CDs containing instructions for our routine could be played.  I rotated 3 different CDs, each with the same timed directions, but with different music playing in the background.  Each CD would take care of the sequencing or pacing of drills, with my recorded voice calling out something like, “Duck walks!” at the exact right time.

The real beauty of this arrangement, at least for me, was that I could be free to move through the work area, and I could continuously provide feedback to my kids.  I could clap my hands to the beat of the music — as the old USSR coaches would, and I could keep my attentions focused on the players, without the need to carry notes.

Okay, so about those cell phone apps (and other related things)…

During the years when I ran The Motion Lab adjacent to my downtown office, I’d often put my high school players through some pretty intense off-ice workouts.  One great segment (described elsewhere on this site) was aimed at conditioning my guys by simulating the various intensities of a typical on-ice hockey shift.

What I did was to divide my players into three groups and — like in a game, have two groups resting as the other players worked their buns off.  The work:rest ration had to be timed, too, maybe with each group working for 30-seconds and resting for a minute.

Perhaps you see it coming, in that paying attention to the large clock on the wall wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do.  As with my team’s off-ice warm-ups, I wanted to get involved — to actually push and prod and provide plenty of feedback.

No, I never did make a CD for that purpose, although I probably should have.  However, that story does brings me to the real topic at hand, or those workout applications.

You see, I’ve been hearing a lot lately about a form of drilling that is all about intense work, adequate rest, and especialy timing.  I’m really liking the concept, especially based on the research I’ve read so far.  (I plan on testing this with some hockey applications sometime down the road, and I also hope to write a little more about that form of training here.  In the meantime, here’s a great explanation:  What is Tabata Training?

What I also found interesting — if not comical — is that others have come around to developing timers similar to those I’ve described above.  One such timer is designed specifically for a Tabata routine, signaling when an athlete should begin working, shift to resting, and then begin working again.

The Internet being such a wonderful place, a quick Google search brought me to a site hosting a free timer.  Here it is:   a free on-line Tabata Timer.  Just so you know (if you haven’t already scanned the above article), Tabata is based on a 4-minute program done 4-times per week, with each program divided into 20-second work segments and 10-seconds of rest in between.

As I was putting the final touches on this story, I was thinking that some readers might even create their own timers — such a device can be a huge help in the training process.  I was also thinking that it might help for those who are engaging in Jeremy Weiss’ S-3 Formula.

PS:  If you do an Internet search, you can find numerous timer tools for what is normally called interval work (or the alternating of work and rest).

In Hockey Training, (Nutrition) Timing Is Everything!

Michael Mahony, featured in the following video, is a long time social media friend, and a CoachChic.com member.  In fact, based on his experiences as a well known bodybuilder and personal trainer, Mike has already shared some advice here in the strength training area.

– Dennis Chighisola

In Hockey Training, (Nutrition) Timing Is Everything!

Now, that expression in the above title — suggesting that timing is everything — is surely a well worn one.  Actually, we could say that about our game, in that timing is important in skill execution, in tactics, and in the application of strategies.

That’s not where Mike is going with this, however.  No, he’s going to be talking about nutrition, and especially about the benefits our members can derive from eating at certain times, and from eating specific foods at certain times.

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I’m glad the way Michael explained the breaking down of muscle cells during a workout, as well as what’s needed in order to build more efficient cells during the training process.  In fact, that subject has been a frustration of mine for a number of years.

Truly, I can appreciate the hockey players who are eager to train often and intensely.  What I fear some players miss are the other components necessary for growth.  In other words, as Mike explained, it’s necessary to break down the muscle cells during a workout.  Thereafter, that area of the body needs adequate rest in order to build the new cells, and it also needs the right nutrients.

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Visit Michael Mahony’s website:  Fitness Expose

Some Hockey Clinic Observations

Having been away from the rinks for a few weeks, a friend thought I needed to get the old creative juices going again by taking a little drive and catching a local hockey clinic.  Man, was my friend right, in that those juices did start gushing as soon as I gazed at the ice down below.

– Dennis Chighisola

Some Hockey Clinic Observations

Let me start  by saying that I get paranoid about making anyone else paranoid.    In other words, I like to sometimes watch what others are doing, but my intent is to never make other coaches feel uncomfortable, or have them feel that I’m always there to critique things.

Ya, I guess I can’t help judging some; that’s at least a part of what I do.  I never want to be cruel, though, unless I think a coach really deserves it.

Anyway, my friend and I eventually found a comfortable spot and a pretty good vantage point, high above the rink.  And from there I could see that a program geared to Mites and Squirts was going to be run in a station format.  Ugh…  A station format…

It seems that’s the popular thing to do nowadays, to run everything in stations.  Coaches hear something like that at a coaching clinic, and they go rushing home with the idea that such a format is the end all or be all.  What they fail to realize is that there’s still no substitute for good teaching, and no format, in and of itself, is going to bring about great results.  Naw, as I’ll reaffirm later, “Drills don’t teach, good coaches do.)

As I explained to my friend, I started using a form of stations in my hockey schools some 30 or more years ago.  Those were totally different, though, and for totally different purposes.

The first time I used it was to accommodate more kids, to make the best use of an awesome teaching staff, and to accomplish repetition in an extremely creative way.  So, 4 groups of students were separated by their age and skill level, and the groups rotated off and on the ice — to a classroom, to an off-ice skills area, to an in-line area, onto the ice, to a video replay of their on-ice skills training in another classroom, etc.  The repetition came by doing many of the same skills, movements or tactics from station to station, the kids were greeted at each station by a coach who really knew his or her stuff, and every station was adjusted to suit the needs of the age group as it arrived.

A few years later, I decided to add another rather brief on-ice station that was aimed at fun and using an array of great training aids.  This time, all the groups went on the ice together, but they traveled separately, to work with things like a radar gun, my Skater’s Rhythm-bar, various jump ropes, and a whole bunch of other gadgets I’ve forgotten at the moment.

Probably about 20-years ago, I devised something similar to USA Hockey’s ADM program, this acting as a way to transition kids from their Learn-to-play clinics to playing their first games.  I built my own dividers long before commercial ones became available, so that our ice could be split into three stations.  An instructional game took place in one area, kids worked on their basic skills in another, and the last station had my coaches teaching a third group how to line up on face-offs and to stay on-side.  Part of the beauty of this format was that kids never sat on a bench, but instead kept playing or learning with each new buzzer.  My professional staff also did all the teaching there.

Now, one of my problems with stations is that the best available coach can’t be at every location.  I’ll give some credit to the guy I watched supervise things the other night, because he was doing as I’d always do, attempting to buzz from station to station, and seemingly jumping in when he noticed an adjustment had to be made.  Unfortunately, he couldn’t be at six places at once.

As an aside here…  I had numerous ways to ensure the right stuff was happening at each of the stations I described up above.  As early as 1980, I was creating the daily age specific classroom videos each group would watch.  Each staff member, despite being great coaches with plenty of experience, also received a coaching manual, a video on how things should run, and the list of drills we’d use, each with a clear explanation of what we were trying to achieve in each drill.

Back to that clinic…  To me, one station was nearly a waste, because the kids stood for longer than they actually did anything.  The idea behind the drill they were doing seemed worthwhile, but I’d have to think long and hard about how it should be restructured.  I mean, in the alloted 15-minutes they were in their corner, the kids may have executed the drill 5-times.  And that kind of repetition never gets the job done.  (If you think about it, more repetitions allow a player to “feel” what he or she is doing, and to sense when he or she is getting the movement right.  And, while it could take 15 or 20 reps before a player gets to that point, he needs quite a few more repetitions to begin committing that right movement to muscle memory.)

Another station involved a game I’ve actually shown members elsewhere within CoachChic.com.  That game may have been a little advanced for the kids I was watching, but it still wasn’t too, too bad.

A pair of end stations involved attacking a live goaltender and a net.  Again, the idea was okay, but there was something definitely wrong with the pace.  I mean, it takes like a half hour for a little guy to carry a puck out of one corner, skate out to near the blue line, and then turn and go to the net.  Zzzzzzzzzz…  Oh, and where do you think the guys in charge of these two stations placed themselves?  They both stood down at the start of the drill, instead of having someone in the middle where they could have been providing feedback.  (As I’m sure you’ve heard me say before, “I can pay a chimp one banana to tell a kid when it’s his or her turn to go.”)

The two stations in neutral-ice were similar to each other, these having kids spread and working in pairs.  If there was a problem, the coaches involved there either stayed too long with one student — like for nearly the whole 15-minutes, or they tied themselves to being a partner for one of the kids.  The latter is all well and good if you believe drills improve a player.  There’s something terribly wrong with that, however, if you know that drills only provide a format within which a coach gets to teach, correct, encourage, etc.

One last criticism…  As my friend and I browsed the rink website, we’d noticed that a single age group attends on a given night, and each group only trains at a single hockey skill for that one night.  Hmmmmmm…

First, the concept of repetition is out the window in this format.  I mean — at least as it pertains to the youngest students, a 7-year old who can barely skate gets (fair to middling) instruction in one skill area, and then never gets that stuff again.

Secondly, this goes against the Theory of Mass versus Distributed training.  For, that theory suggests that only older, advanced athletes can benefit from working on just one skill for an extended length of time, and it would recommend that the kids we were watching should work on a little bit of skating in one session, plus a little bit of puckhandling, a little bit of passing and receiving, a little bit of shooting, and so forth.  The idea is to distribute attention to those skills over one practice session and over many sessions to follow.

My friend, who knows little more about hockey than cheering for a favorite team, asked at the end if I had more thoughts.   With that, I did say that things could look a little more professional — maybe with all the staff dressed neatly and exactly the same, and with the kids all wearing “clinic shirts” (kids wearing such help things look good, they provide advertising for the program when they’re worn elsewhere, and the added cost would be negligible).

I did end by telling my friend that the clinic wasn’t all that bad.  Hey, I’m super-critical about such stuff, as some of my old staff will tell you.  I also had to be that way in order to let you in on some of the right things — to do as coaches, or to expect as parents.

The staff down below did accomplish a few important things…  I’ll give the guy in charge credit for seemingly working his buns off, and I recognized a few helpers who would have met my expectations.  (I didn’t learn all I know in my first year or so, so there’s the chance that the young head guy down there will be better than this old coach within a few short years.)  As importantly, I noticed most of the kids smiling as the Zamboni came out at the end, and I also took the time to see that the parents were smiling, both during and after the clinic.  For, as I noted to my friend, “Despite there being a few things wrong, causing the kids and parents to smile is still a biggie.”

Where There’s a WILL, There’s…

Hardly a day goes by that I don’t see a hockey connection with something that is far from hockey related.  Such was the case as I came across a Facebook post by my good friend and CoachChic.com member, Michael Mahony.  Mike is very much into fitness and strength training, and I can usually rely on him for some great motivational posts, including the following video featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Perhaps depending on the reader’s age, he or she might know Schwarzenegger as a world famous bodybuilder, a movie actor, or the Governor of California.  As you’ll learn from Arnold himself, however, there’s a common trait that helped him transition from one to another, and excel in each of those roles.

– Dennis Chighisola

Where There’s a WILL, There’s…

I’m not going to say a lot about this video, because Schwarzenegger does awesomely in telling his story.  The reason I posted this, though, is so that members might use it for their own motivation, or for the motivation of others.  In other words — in reference to the latter, this is the kind of video a coach might show his or her team, or a parent might share (or watch with) his or her youngster.

Enjoy…

Special Help For Your Hockey Off-season

Awesome help for your

hockey off-season training!

I sometimes joke that Jeremy Weiss reminds me of a younger Coach Chic — okay, a VERY much younger me.    We both have the same passion for studying the game, although I sense that we oftentimes get into different areas.

That’s my reason for calling on Jeremy to tell you about a subject I’m not really well versed in:   nutrition.  He’s done his homework in this department, so we’re together sharing a video that should not only help hockey players, but also the grownups who’ll view it.

I’ve thought for awhile about whether to hide this for members only.  However, considering myself that I might like to share it with some players I know, I decided to leave it freely accessible so that other coaches might send it to their teams, too.

– Dennis Chighisola          

Special Help For Your Hockey Off-season

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Noticing Jeremy mentioned there are free calorie counters available on-line, I thought I’d chase a couple of them down for you.  I haven’t tried either yet, so you might look further into these, or do your own search:

Free Android Calorie Counter            Free Ipad Calorie Counter

At the end of the video, you’ll notice Jeremy adds a plug about his S3 Formula program.  You can look more into that by clicking on the following link.  If you get it, I guarantee a player, coach or parent won’t need to wonder what exercises or what else should be done this off-season.  And, if a player dedicates himself or herself to a program like this, he or she is going to be off to the best season ever come next fall…

Click here for more on the S3 Formula program

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Sorry, the recent (Black Weekend) deal is over,
but please check back for new ones!

The owner(s) of this web site receive compensation when products and services featured herein are purchased.

My Weekend Hockey Reading List

UPDATED EACH WEEKEND…

One of my favorite Internet marketing gurus does this for his followers — to frequently publish his recommended reading list, I mean.  And, I’ve enjoyed it so much I thought to do the same for my friends here at CoachChic.com.

Actually, I can read dozens of articles over the course of a week, and ones that I previously never got the chance to share with you.  However, these weekly entries seem an awesome format to even further increase the information offered within this site.

– Dennis Chighisola

PS:  I’ll leave all the old posts here as new ones are added each week.  However, there’s no guarantee that links will work beyond a point in time.  (If you let me know about a problem link, I’ll try to fix it or remove it.)

My Weekend Hockey Reading List

5/17/13 ————————————————————————————–

“In Defense of Coaches Who Yell – Man, can I associate with this one, because I yell a lot during practices and games.  I do it for good reason or for good effect most times, as many other coaches do.  As you’ll discover in this article, though, there are good and bad ways of using this coaching tool. 

“New Biochemical Acupuncture Athletic Performance Research” – As this article begins, “New research reveals that acupuncture stimulates the release of biochemicals that relieve athletic fatigue due to intensive endurance exercises. Researchers found that acupuncture applied to specific acupuncture points increases antioxidant activity and decreases biochemical releases that are markers for oxidative stress.”

“Older and Wiser: Hockey Parent Don’ts” – Long time members might recall me saying much the same thing as this article’s author, in that I was a far better and wiser hockey dad my second time around.  So, this article contains a lot of tips that can save first-timers from making some really big mistakes.

“Are You Fighting Your Youth Athlete’s Battles?” -  It seems as though a lot is being said lately about the parent’s role in youth sports, and it’s obvious that this is another one.  I highly recommend parents read it.

“Step By Step Guide On Tabata Training” – This is a very, very interesting new-ish form of exercising (or that’s the best way for me to describe it right now), and I’m readying a post right today that will contain several references to it.  So, while it might be a good idea for members to get some advanced knowledge about Tabata, I’ll suggest that knowledge might especially help players with their off-season training.

“Helmet-maker Riddell responsible in $11.5 million suit” – I’ve included this on my reading list purely because it involves current day concerns about concussions.  This suit has to do with football helmets, but you know the same things are likely to go for hockey and other sport headgear.

“Nutrition Advice: Carb Back-Loading Explained” -  This site contains more than articles — it also has some decent videos, and it doesn’t limit the discussion to carbs.  Oh, I know some will skip this kind of topic, but I’m here to tell my CoachChic.com friends that there are three components to building a mean hockey playing machine.  Of course, everyone wants to do their exercises.  However, serious gains aren’t going to be made without adequate rest and nutrition.

“The Art of Russian Hockey” – Here’s the article that was the most fun for me to read this week, and we have my friend and your fellow CoachChic.com member, Tim Taylor, to thank for sending it my/our way.  Enjoy (and thanks, Tim)!

5/11/13 ————————————————————————————–

“Letter for a Volunteer Coach” – You’ve probably seen or heard about this one already, because it’s gone viral among coaches in all different sports.  If you’re a volunteer coach, you’ll probably want to make a copy to save.  If you’re a hockey parent, you ought to read it.  (You’ll need to belong to Facebook in order to have access to this article.)

“Geno Smith continues to get bashed by anonymous league execs, scouts” – The odds aren’t great that our own son or anyone we’re currently coaching is destined to be drafted high by an NFL team, or an NHL team.  As far as I’m concerned, however, this article can prove invaluable to any youngster who wants to be wanted by any team — beginners to pros.  As was stressed in an article last weekend, players need to be “coachable”, and they definitely don’t want to scare away future coaches, scouts or GMs because they come-off as being aloof, rude or whatever.

“NCAA Fails to Address Biggest Concern in Recruiting” – As the introduction states, “The NCAA suspended rule changes passed at the beginning of 2013 that would allow unlimited text messaging, which has been prohibited since 2007, and the next recruiting regulation that needs to be addressed is the recruiting of high school freshmen and middle school athletes…”

“STOP THE DRAMA!” – If you work with female athletes, you’re going to want to visit this page (actually, I found it interesting for my work with guys).  This link actually takes you to a sales page for a coming coaching seminar.  What I found invaluable, though, were the several paragraphs of information leading up to a seminar sales pitch.  I’d never thought about some of the stuff mentioned there, but I know it to be true after coaching several women’s hockey teams in the past.

“Similar Cerebral Motor Plans for Real and Virtual Actions” – Okay, I’ve saved this one for last, because it’s not exactly easy reading.  In fact, this study is conducted by a team of scientists, it outlines their methods and findings, and it doesn’t really make for exciting reading.  What might be exciting are the actual findings, at least to those who believe — as I always have — that there’s something to the visualization of physical movements.

5/4/13 ————————————————————————————–

“NCAA Hockey: The more things change, the more they won’t be the same” – A rundown on all the changes being made with NCAA Division I leagues.

“Deal With Pressure To Win In Sports” – If you’re dealing with young athletes — as a parent or coach, this is a great article (plus a video) on helping them deal with pressure.  This site deals with baseball players, but I can find many ways to relate the tips here to our game of hockey.

“Coachable” – Man, if there’s one trait we want to send our own youngster on with, or something we’d like to instill in all the kids in our charge, it’s that they be “coachable”.   As the author of this piece suggests (and I’ll second), “I’ll take a mediocre athlete who is coachable over a great athlete who is not any day of the week.”

“Hurray for Boston” – In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings, my friend Stephen Heisler shares his feelings on the way the folks in MA rallied.

“Jock advantages” – You’ve probably caught me saying and writing this a number times with CoachChic.com, in that, “Student athletes are more successful academically compared to regular students because of skills acquired through their sports.”  This actually echoes an article I posted a few weeks ago entitled ”Why Ex-Athletes Are More Successful“.

4/20/13 ————————————————————————————–

“5 Ways Football Prep Stars Can Connect With College Coaches“- These 5 methods of connecting might have been drafted for another sport, but I can tell you from my years of experience that all one needs to do is substitute “hockey” for “football” and a high school or Junior star will have a great head start on connecting with college coaches.  (Oh, ya, and don’t forget to enroll in our Junior Hockey Scouting Service as well!)

“Plateau Buster: Elevate Your Fitness to the Next Level“- Actually, this article includes several of the ways I recommend athletes break through so-called plateaus or sticking points in their training.  In fact, reading this reminds one of a way we’ve talked often about on the CoachChic.com site for preventing those plateaus before they happen.

“Five things to tell young athletes’ parents” – As the introduction states, “The phenomenon of ‘pushy parents’ is often cited as a reason for youngsters dropping out of sport.  The actions and expectations of parents can often place extra and undue pressure on their children resulting in many youngsters’ enjoyment diminishing and ultimately leading to them leaving sport altogether.”  Read this short article for some great suggestions on avoiding all that.

“Is the media to blame for the brain injuries of hockey players?” – This one stems from researchers from the Injury Prevention Research Office and the Division of Neurosurgery at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto who wondered whether the media was helping to encourage the type of aggressive play that makes TBI more likely.  Judge for yourself.

“The Fountain of Youth Is the Frozen Pond” – A kinda fun article about over-50 rec hockey.

“Peak Performance and Mental Toughness For Sports” – Is it possible to teach such toughness to today’s generation Y student-athletes, many of whom are accustomed to instant gratification from being able to tweet, text and post instantly?

4/13/13 —————————————————————————————

“Why Ex-Athletes Are More Successful” – In a time when traditional institutions are often bashed, it’s interesting to discover that there are, in fact, great benefits to growing up in sport.

“Censor or Educate? U of Virginia Student Athlete Calls for Help on Social Media Rules“  – If you think this isn’t going to ultimately affect high school, Junior and college hockey players, think again.  Everyone is watching your social media posts, including a kid’s current coach and even his or her future coaches or scouts (I’ve even read where college admissions officers are checking Facebook posts — ugh).

“Excel Speed and Fitness Training” – Knowing that there’s a correlation between fast running and fast skating, I spend a lot of time searching for new sprint training ideas.  I lucked upon this piece by a former NFL player, and I also liked the ideas I found for new drills in the two accompanying videos.

“Athletes Need to Train Their Brains” – Not only are the days of the “dumb jock” gone, but I’ve been saying for quite some time now that, “The mental side of sport is the last frontier.”  That in mind, here are some ways to keep our brains functioning properly.  (Also see “Develop Your Brain Game“.)

“Can Sports Save Mankind?“  – I was pretty surprised at this presentation put together by the United Nations, suggesting that “… sporting activities not only improve our health but are also efficient educational tools.”  I found of special interest that, ” Sport can also contribute to economic development and promote peace.”

Off-season Hockey Training Ideas — For Players and Coaches

With the hockey off-season now upon us, I thought my friend Jeremy Weiss’ recent podcast episode — on spring and summer training ideas — would be perfect for my CoachChic.com members.  For sure, I already have tons of info on that subject here (with more to come), but it’s always a good idea to consider the ideas of others.

– Dennis Chighisola

Off-season Hockey Training Ideas — For Players and Coaches

Just click the arrow below to listen to Jeremy and his guest discuss their views on spring and summer off-season hockey training — for players of all ages, and their coaches…

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Now, not everyone can piece together their own off-season off-ice training program.  However, Jeremy has done just that in a program he calls the “S-3 Formula”.

With that, I’ve included below a short video on the S-3, and down below that an opportunity for you to sign-up for a spring and summer’s worth of great training aimed at helping any player dominate his or her opponent…

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If you’d like a program that is done for you, Jeremy has just that for you.  Click the following link for some great introduction videos, plus an opportunity to Train with the S-3 Formula

Yes, CoachChic.com does act as an affiliate for the S-3 Formula training program.

How to make a High School (Hockey) Team

I hope two things become evident as you read this post:  1) that I’m always digging to find more information for my members, and 2) that I’m willing to travel outside the proverbial box in order to find anything that could possibly help you.  If there’s a third thing I’m grateful for, it’s that I’ve been able to make a lot of great friends in social media, with many of them being among sports’ best and brightest.

Count my friend, Dr Andrew Kolbasovsky, in the latter group, and count us lucky that I recently discovered his Family Advantage Network and an ebook that’s as appropriate to our sport as it is to his.  (At the end of this piece I’ll give you more info on Andrew, his book, and his website.)

– Dennis Chighisola

How to make a High School (Hockey) Team

Just so you know, Dr Kolbasovsky’s book is really entitled, “How to make a High School Basketball Team”.  By now, though, members know me well enough to appreciate that I feel I can learn from anyone involved in sport, and I feel there’s much we can borrow when it comes to other sport how-to’s.

Kicking things off, Andrew suggests that junior high school aged kids should get out and observe high school teams.  If there’s something that surprised me — and should surprise the hockey reader — it’s his idea of going to see the local school’s junior varsity or freshman team.

Sure, we’ve all gotten psyched to see our favorite varsity team play, and that’s likely proven a great incentive — that our kids might dream of the day they can play in that school’s fancy colors, before a packed house, and in front of cheerleaders.  Dr K is talking more reality, however, in that an incoming freshman’s first challenge is to make the school’s lowest level team, be it either the JVs or the freshman squad.

JV and freshmen hockey teams don’t usually play during prime-time, so some effort might be needed to attend an early morning or late afternoon game.  Still, Andrew is right when he suggests that such events are where an incoming player can gain a sense of whether he or she fits on that team or not.  Much of what he’ll suggest over the rest of his book has to do with getting oneself ready for the tryouts, but that’s hardly possible without the player gaining a sense of where he or she is now, and how much ground has to be covered in order to fit on an entry level high school team.

While at the junior varsity or freshman game, Dr Kolbasovsky highly recommends meeting with the team’s coach.  Wait until after the game, of course, and until a time when you sense the coach is free to chat.  Introduce yourself, express an interest in someday playing for him or her and the school, perhaps ask for some advice, and leave an impression that might help him remember you a year later.

Having received some insight into the things a young player might do for the future tryout, Dr K poses this question to his readers:  Do you have to be naturally gifted?  In answer to that, he points to Malcom Gladwell’s bestselling book, Outliners.  Within those pages, Gladwell cites numerous well known personalities whom the public believes were overnight successes.  Come to find out, few, if any, have ever been such.  In fact, it’s suggested that personalities like the Beatles paid their dues in relative obscurity until “suddenly discovered”.  Moreover, Gladwell and many others now suggest that up to 10,000 hours of practice might be needed before one can be considered near the top in what he or she does.

Lest anyone question this, let me suggest that we will likely never know the greatest hockey player who ever lived.  Oh, we know that Gretzky and Howe and Orr made it to the top of the hockey heap; yet, the player we don’t know is the one (or the thousands?) born with better genes but never worked at the game (the way an Orr, Howe or Gretzky did).

For yet another twist on this subject, I highly recommend that members later listen to a very brief audio recording I did called “A Lot of Things Change As a Player Gets Older“.  It’s about a series of conversations I had with my grandson as he constantly asked me, “Gramps, do you think I have a chance to make it?”

Further, on whether one needs to be naturally gifted or not, Andrew says that scientists have studied the secrets of elite level performers of all different types, and that idea of thousands of hours of preparation or practice keeps entering the equation.  Just think about some of the personalities you know in these professions:  musicians, composers, inventors, business moguls, tennis players, chess masters, and even basketball players.  Then think about whether it was possible for any of them to just roll out of bed one morning and become tops at what they do.  Hardly, huh — even if they did possess all the right genes?

I know Dr Kolbasovsky and I agree on the fact that 10,000 hours of work is a lot to expect from a youngster.  As he says, though, “… you don’t need to become the next Michael Jordan, but you should take advantage of what the science tells us.”

I have yet another way of looking at that…  For, all an athlete really has to do is put in enough hours to pass by those he or she wants to beat-out at the next tryouts — in high school, maybe in college, and maybe beyond.

Dr K then echoes something I’ve always told you, in that playing and practicing with your team is good, but it only helps you keep up with others, and never helps you pull ahead.  That in mind, he suggests, “Find a park in your neighborhood that you can walk or ride a bike to that has a hoop that is seldom used.  Make this your home court and go there often to work on your game…”

Of course, hockey players have some advantages and disadvantages compared to the way a b-baller might find extra practice space.  No, we can’t skate without ice, although we can do off-ice skating exercises and also in-line.  To my way of thinking, however, most young hockey players — at least usually — have it relatively easy when it comes to finding somewhere to practice things like stickhandling and shooting.

Andrew also suggests kids play in pickup games at local parks.  As he says, “Play in as many as you can.”

Hmmmmm…  If I have a problem prescribing this, it’s that my CoachChic.com friends come from all over the hockey world, which means everyone has very different access to what I’ll refer to as “pond hockey”.  Outdoor ice is obviously nonexistent in my new home state of Florida, it was iffy in my long time home state of Massachusetts — that’s probably also true in the UK, and I’d dare to say that it’s plentiful for most of my friends in more northerly US states, in most of Canada and in European nations like Sweden, Finland, and the Czech Republic.

Although Andrew doesn’t get a lot into the exact benefits of playing outside pickup games, let me make a few suggestions here…  For one, a youngster is going to get better with every time he’s on his feet (which includes skating in hockey), and he or she is going to improve most other individual skills with every dribble, pass and shot.

Then, two things I want to add to this, at least from my perspective…

First, I’ll suggest that the relatively unstructured nature of pickup games lends itself to lots of freelancing and experimenting.  I’ll bet that Andrew witnessed that a lot on the courts of New York City.  Let’s face it, that new moves are more likely to be invented in those type circumstances than while a coach is watching over a group.

Secondly, instincts come about from repetition.  So, it just makes sense that playing lots and lots helps a player recognize various situations.  Yes, I like to recreate those situations in my team practices and clinics.  However, not many players have access to the good kind of structure.

Andrew continues by suggesting that youngsters should play on as many teams as possible, which brings this old coach to another hmmmmmmm…

On the one hand, I think that most hockey players aren’t lacking for game-time.  Of course, youth teams around the world are structured in all different ways, with some getting more than their fill, while others get very, very little training and just a game per week.  On the other side of the ledger, I find that some kids are toooooo trapped to team activities and they’re not able to either take a break or get specialized training that might better suit their individual needs.

Let me expound on the latter, as well as add to something I mentioned a few moments ago…  For, in many instances, I find that a hockey team’s structure slows the development of a lot of players, just by virtue of a coach usually having to pace things for the lower to middle part of the roster.  Team structure, while good and necessary to the kids’ development, also tends to stifle the creativity some players long for.

I used to handle this in two different ways…  When I’ve run my own developmental teams, I had at least one practice session per week that was geared almost totally to offensive skills, and these even had my goaltenders and defensemen working on every offensive skill normally thought to be part of the forwards’ play.  (Over time, my goalies could roam and fire long passes to teammates up-ice, and my defensemen were as dangerous with the puck as any forward.)  As for my own two guys — when they were young, I tried to arrange their weekly schedules so that they were free to attend my open skills clinics, this so they could develop beyond what their teammates were doing.

Okay, so now for my one and only possible argument with Dr Kolbasovsky…  For, he says, “If possible try to play in games with older kids.”

Oh, I know exactly where he’s coming from here.  His thinking is that the pressures of having to deal with older, bigger, and stronger guys or gals is going to somewhat raise the level of the younger player.  Ya, I agree, somewhat.

I think the real common ground for us here, however, is that he’s suggesting doing this as an extra, and maybe as an off-season venture.  I can see that, and I can especially see that if a youngster is also getting the chance to play elsewhere most of the time with kids of his or her own age and abilities.

What I don’t want members to forget is my fear of having kids skating “over their heads” for a primary wintertime team.  All I’ve ever seen when kids have been over matched, is that they play in what I call “panic mode”, never being able to carry the puck or really daring to make plays.

The good doctor next offers something I love…  For, he suggests finding a partner who likes the game as much as you do, so that you might develop a schedule together and then practice together as much as possible.  He has plenty of ideas for his basketball playing disciples, and I have as many for young hockey players…

Immediately, I think about all sorts of passing feeds, including feeds for shooting off the pass.  This site must have a good 40 to 50 ideas for stickhandling moves, with many of them best worked against a rather passive defender.  And, with some protection against injuries, games of 1 on 1 would be both fun and beneficial.

Andrew also offers that, “Playing in games alone is not enough,” adding, “you also need to dedicate a lot of time to practicing by yourself to continuously improve your skills.”

He then goes on to describe his sport’s fundamentals…  “Basketball involves the development of many different skills:  shooting, passing, screening, shot blocking, defending, boxing out, etc.   There are proper techniques for each of these skills.”

I hope that members can see the similarities between those skills and the ones used in our game, because I’ve designed drills for nearly all of those through the years.  The only difference is that I’ve referred to them in hockey related terms.

Then, if we can recall one of his earliest suggestions — that a youngster should go watch his or her future JV or freshman team, consider that, “Part of the job of every high school coach is to teach these techniques to players.   If you can demonstrate some of these fundamental techniques as you play during the tryouts the coach will take notice.”

Man, can I appreciate that one as a former high school and college head coach.  I mean, I loved it when players arrived with the skills necessary to execute our playing system.  And, the closer a player was to ready when he arrived, the better his chances of getting some decent playing time very early-on.

I like it that Andrew suggests to youngsters that they observe how things are done by certain college teams or certain pro players.  And, not unlike yours truly, he suggests that kids go to YouTube.com should they ever want for more drills.  Of course, CoachChic.com members also have hundreds of ideas within this website.

I also absolutely loved his suggestion that a youngster watch as many televised games as possible.  In Dr S’s case, he took a liking to an NBA star who played the same position.  He learned all he could about the star, he listened to game announcers as they described given plays, and he made note of the star’s favorite moves.  (I’ll have to think more on this one as it pertains to hockey, but Andrew feels that college basketball commentators explain the basics even more than those who do pro games.)

Hinting that most households today have access to some sort of television recording technology, be it an old VCR or a DVR, he suggests that players record the advanced moves of their favorite players, replay them over and over, and then emulate them out on the practice court.

Dr Kolbasovsky spends quite a bit of time suggesting ways to get into great shape for tryouts.  He even recommends one of our choice exercises, rope skipping.

Interestingly, this thing about conditioning arose in a recent conversation I had with the GM/coach of a Junior level team.  It seems the guy is trying to place one of his favorite players with a pretty strong college hockey program, and he’s concerned that the player is only marginal when it comes to skating and a number of other basic skills.  (Don’t get me wrong in that marginal assessment, since it’s only so as he compares to some of the best blue chip talents in the country.)  On the plus side, the kid is an awesome student, he’s a working fool, and he’ll do absolutely anything a coach asks of him.

When it came to giving my opinion, I suggested that the boy report to school ready to skate everyone else into the ice.  I mean, he has to be able to push himself, and then be able to keep going after everyone else drops by the wayside.  Trust me, that this isn’t going to work for the kid who has neglected his skills for a lifetime.  However, there’s the chance that a college coach is going to love this guy, and he’s liable to be kept around long enough to earn his way into the starting lineup.

Dr K goes so far as to suggest what to wear at tryouts.  And, while b-ballers and hockey players don’t dress anywhere near alike, players in any sport should appreciate that, “First impressions are important…”

Between the lines, I think he’s suggesting a player needs to look like a player.  And, while we’re in agreement about it being a good idea to wear a jersey from a league the player has played in, I’ll suggest that the sweater from a fairly prestigious team or league (he or she has played in) is an even better idea.

I’d also suggest wearing the same shirt every day of the tryouts.  Trust me, that a coach can look forward to seeing “that new kid in the red jersey” — on the next day, the next day, and the next.

Lastly, I sense that most good hockey players already do a lot of the things suggested in Andrew’s book.  In fact, I did most of them as a youngster, in several different sports.  If this book has some value to the hockey family, it’s because Dr Kolbasovsky tells aspiring young players (and their parents) exactly how the very dedicated kids generally go about their business.

Then, a funny thing…  As I wind down on this article, I’m thinking that it’s a Sunday night, I’m working, while most other coaches most likely aren’t.  For sure, you could tease me about getting a life, but I’m actually content in thinking I’m constantly out-working my counterparts.  I have my lifetime in sports to thank for such an attitude, and that’s yet another message woven within the pages of Andrew’s book.

*

“How to make a High School Basketball Team” ~ By Dr. Andrew Kolbasovsky of the Family Advantage Network

The above ebook and a number of other helpful resources can be found on the Family Advantage Network, including an article hockey folks should find pretty interesting, “The Chances of a College Athletic Scholarship: Drop the Ball and Pick Up the Wood?”

Protecting a Hockey Lead (or Not?)

The other night I had an old hockey friend ask my feelings about protecting a lead — on, of all places, dawgone Twitter!  Ya, on Twitter, where one is trapped to just 140 characters. 

So, I ask you…  Can you imagine this extra-opinionated old hockey coach answering such a question in just a sentence or two? 

  No way!

– Dennis Chighisola

Protecting a Hockey Lead (or Not?)

Before I get to answering this tricky one, let me suggest that hockey is a very, very difficult game to discuss…

Perhaps more to the point is that it’s very difficult to express any hockey opinion in a one size fits all manner.  Ask me anything, and I’ll have to first know whether we’re talking about a beginner, a Squirt, a Pee Wee, a high school kid or a pro, because it’s quite possible that the right answer for each of those players would be quite different.  Said yet another way, what I might advise you about a young player would very likely be far different from what I’d suggest for an older guy.

Come to think of it, the ability to discern between various ages and levels of talent is probably one major difference between good coaches and not so good ones.  In fact, I’ll hear that complaint often in some of the advanced level forums I belong to, in that it’s hard to deal with the youth parents or coaches who believe there’s only one answer to a given problem (and theirs is usually the wrong one).

All that understood, please appreciate my suggestion that the discussion at hand shouldn’t even take place surrounding a Mite or Atom, or probably even your average Pee Wee team.  Why?  Well, if I really need to answer, it’s because I believe that getting toooooo much into a very defensive style of play takes the game away from the kids.

For sure, there are certain levels within our game where winning is important.  And if I have to define those, they’d be the levels where a coach’s job is on the line.  Although that shouldn’t be the case, I know it is true at some older AAA youth levels.  Where it likely is so — and probably needs to be — is at the high school, Juniors, college and pro levels.

All that stuff out of the way, I still do believe it will help the coach of a younger team to understand some of the thinking that might take place at older levels.

*

Now, what evidently got my Twitter friend going was that his favorite team, the Edmonton Oilers, had jumped to a big lead early in a game last week.  And he put it too me with something like, “Coach, leading 4-0, do you try different things?  Give your 3rd (4th?) line more time?”

Trapped to Twitter’s 140 Rule, about all I could say back in a number of responses was that my gut would probably have me doing different things at different times.  In other words, something inside one night might have me telling my guys to keep pouring it on.  On another night, I might choose to pull in the reins, and switch to something ultra conservative.   Yet another night I might sense something in between is needed, or even something really off-the-wall.

In reference to the latter, you’re going to love this one…

I recall many years ago my son telling me about a tactic one of his favorite minor pro coaches used.  Actually, my son said that the guys on the team had a blast doing it.  Showing that the coach had a sense of humor, I believe he called that strategy their “Kamikaze Play”.

Basically, the idea was for a unit of players to bust their buns to get the puck up-ice and to the red line, where they’d dump it and then quickly change.  The next unit would jump over the boards, pressure the puck, and get a change as soon as they achieved one dump-in.  And so it would go, with each unit busting their buns to do the job and get off.

Hopefully you can sense what would take place here.  First, I think that each group would be super-motivated.  (I also doubt anyone would want to be part of a unit that gave up a goal.)  Secondly, the objective was really, really simple:  again, bust your buns, get a dump-in, and get off.  Thirdly — and the part I sense my son liked best, was that guys were usually only on the ice for a matter of seconds, but it wasn’t too long before their unit was called upon to head right over the boards again.

If there’s something wrong with that old coach’s special play, it might be that it probably couldn’t be used for very long.  In other words, the kind of necessary focus and intensity would probably wane after a certain amount of time, which suggests that it would only be effective for something like the last 5-ish minutes of a period or a game.

Just so you know, there are certain things that can (and should) be done to smartly protect a lead.  But, maybe a couple of scenarios will help make those points…

A few years ago I watched a college squad gain a lead on a team they had no right beating.  They’d worked hard to a point, and played smartly, too.  If there was a problem, they suddenly lost their discipline, which was all their more potent opponents needed.  On a rush, all three forwards moved deep into their enemy’s zone, and all three even eventually got trapped down near or behind the enemy goal line.  Bang!  With all the forwards trapped, their opponents sprung onto the attack, they popped in the tying goal, and they were off to the races from that point onward.

Yet another college game I saw a few years back reached a similar point — with the underdogs clinging to just a small lead.  This time the team out front lost their discipline in a different way, by taking penalty after penalty after penalty — most of them of the stupid variety.  Once again, that’s all the better skilled team needed, as they proceeded to pump in a number of powerplay goals.

One night, my own college team worked our plan to a tee for nearly two periods.  Our line-up had been devastated by illness and injuries, and we were also down to our third string goaltender.  Playing things smartly, though, we managed a 2-0 lead as the second intermission neared.  Unfortunately, it only took one wrong move to undo it all, as one of our forwards attempted to stickhandle through two defenders at the opposition’s blue line.  Seconds later, that turn-over ended up in our net.  Suddenly our opponents came alive, we could hear them hooting and hollering in their dressingroom during the flood, and they blew our doors off over the final 20-minutes.

What can we learn from all that?  For sure, protecting a lead calls for discipline — as a team, and to a man.  As you should have noticed, one mistake is all it might take to excite a previously sleeping giant.  It calls for keeping at least one forward high or back during rushes, and perhaps even two.  It calls for never putting the puck in jeopardy at either blue line, and surely not attempting to carry the puck far when out-manned.  Nor can a team afford to give their opponents many powerplays.   Most especially, it’s important to be aware of the so-called “Big Mo”, or momentum…  As happened in each of the above described games, a sudden slip gave a trailing team reason to believe in itself.

Personally, I’ve used three forechecks with my high school and college teams.  My own version of the 2-1-2 is usually the primary one, and the way my teams use that makes it a fairly aggressive one.  That’s usually backed up by a rather conservative — or defensive — 1-2-2, sometimes referred to as a “wing on wing” forecheck.  We’re also prepared to go with an ultra-conservative 1-4 for only short stretches.

As I’ve mentioned in another recent post, I like to make our opponents worry about us, and I feel that my guys doing their jobs well can make that happen.  Mixing up those forechecks can help keep opponents off-balance, or constantly trying to adjust to what we’ve just thrown at them.

That arsenal also makes it possible for me to go with my gut when we’re protecting a lead.  In other words, I can ask my guys to keep pouring it on with the 2-1-2, or I can have them switch to one of the more conservative forechecks if I think that’ll help eat some of the clock.  And, since the earlier mentioned Kamikaze Play doesn’t really require practice, I’ve been known to even slip that in on a rare occasion.

I’m sure you know that the game clock is important, whether ahead or behind…  When we’re trying to play catch-up, it seems like the clock is running too fast; when we’re protecting a lead, minutes seem like hours.

Sitting on a lead, I’ll usually go up and down our bench and remind my guys that each dump-in is probably worth a good 15-seconds off the clock.

Ironically, I just caught myself with something, because I don’t think that “sitting on a lead” is exactly the way we want to look at things.  In fact, being oblivious to game conditions — as that phrase implies — is courting disaster.

For sure, we coaches (as well as players and fans) are always aware of the score.  However, I must also glance up at the clock 50 or more times over the course of a game.  Late in the game, though, there’s a lot more to be aware of…

A big part of that gut feeling thing I’ve mentioned comes from sensing the way the game is going.

Basketball coaches get a number of time-outs they can use to alter the swing or tempo in a game, while we have to use our single time-out very, very wisely.

Throughout the 60-minutes, I’ll always ask my goaltenders to judge the pace of a game and act accordingly.  In other words, get tie-ups at times when the opposition seems to be buzzing, and try to keep the action going when our guys are flying.

Okay, one last thing…  Quite some time ago, I mentioned seeing a college game in which a team blew a 4-goal lead in the third period of a loser-goes-home playoff game.  I mentioned at the time that I felt for the coach of that team, and I couldn’t really blame him for the strategies he used over the last 20-minutes.  I mean, it’s one of those “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” things, whether he asked his guys to put the pedal to the metal or to back-off and play things safely.  More than 40-years in the game has taught me that one way will work one night — and a coach looks like a genius; the exact same approach fails the next time — and the coach is a bum.

With all that, smart hockey principles are the right way to go, no matter what…  So, I repeat:  discipline is important — in not getting players trapped behind the puck, keeping the puck safe, and staying out of the penalty box.

All You’ll Ever Need to Know About Hockey Skate Sharpening!

This entry is part of something akin to a trilogy, in that all three recent articles I’ve done deal with solving problems — and with us having more common sense — with the more background information we acquire.  I’ll point you to the other articles a little later but, in the meantime, see if my premise isn’t right-on as we tackle the topic at hand.

– Dennis Chighisola

All You’ll Ever Need to Know About Hockey Skate Sharpening!

Before I get into this, let me caution new adult players and parents of young ones with this bit of advice…  Some of what you’ll learn here might help a relatively new skater, but some of it might also hamper his or her efforts.  Will it help for you to know all I’ll be sharing?  Absolutely!  However, if you’re at all in doubt about whether to apply any of this new knowledge, just ask me.  That’s what I’m here for.

Okay, let’s back-up a bit, and envision your brand new skates still at the factory.  Your new blades were “roughly” shaped, attached to their boots, and then your completely assembled skates were packed and shipped to where you’ll purchase them.

Notice that I said your skate blades had been roughly shaped.  Shaped to accommodate hockey play, those blades have been cut from a section of steel that forms close to a 9′ radius arc.  If there’s a problem, most advanced players discover that their blades don’t arrive as true to that radius as they’d like.  So, re-shaping the blade might be the first thing on the new owner’s agenda.

Nor do new blades arrive sharpened.  In fact, they’re often protected by a thin film of plastic that gets removed during the first sharpening.

Now, here’s where it’s helpful to know some related facts, this time when it comes to the shapes of blades used in the three popular on-ice sports…

It’s pretty easy to see that speed skating blades are longer than others, and that they’re close to flat.  Both features are built into the blades to accommodate moving mostly on straight-aways and fairly wide turns.

In contrast, figure skates are curved quite a lot — in the shape of a 7′ radius arc, this to facilitate the many types of spins, turns and sharp cuts common to that sport.

I hope it then makes sense that the hockey skate blade is designed to incorporate some of the qualities necessary to the other two sports — being slightly flatter than figure skates to aid movements up and down the length of the ice, and quite a bit more curved than a speed skate so that the hockey player can turn, pivot, and cut with good speed.  Hockey blades are also shorter than speed skate blades, this to help a player in our sport do quicker cross-overs, and to be far more agile on his or her feet.

Before going further, let’s make sure that our hockey blades are shaped properly, and by this I mean ensuring that the two blades are truly formed in a 9′ radius arc.   As of this writing, I know of two methods for achieving a specific radius.  One is accomplished on a machine built for that purpose called the Custom Radius; the other operation is usually performed by a prehavetty skilled technician who uses templates to trace a given desired radius.

As a brief aside here…  If you’ve had your skates for a long time, and if they’ve had numerous “free hand” sharpenings, it’s quite possible that the blades have lost their true shape or radius.  (The worst I’ve ever experienced was when the middle of my blade had been so worn that it was difficult for me to cut or pivot.)  If you ever want to perform a naked eye test of your radius, just hold the blade upright on a smooth countertop, and notice how/if just the middle of the blade touches down.

Okay, to this point I’ve said that the correct radius for the hockey blade is in the shape of a 9′ radius arc.  I’ll go further by suggesting that young, developing players should have their blades shaped in that way, with the balance point of each blade being set at “neutral” or “zero”, or so that the skater is balancing right over the midpoint of his or her blade.

With that, fairly advanced skaters can have their radius adapted to achieve various effects.  I have prescribed skates to be shaped slightly flatter — in either a 10′ or 11′ arc, this to gain a little more speed in straight-aways.  (Think about getting just slightly closer to the speed skater’s blade in this regard.)  You should know that I never prescribe any such thing for a player who isn’t a really good skater.  My feeling is that the player with good agility and cutting ability will only lose a hair in those departments, while gaining a little more speed moving straight ahead.

I almost always stick with the neutral (or zero) radius setting, while some advanced players and some old-time skate technicians like to move the balance point so that a skater is forced to lean slightly forward or slightly to the rear.  Their rationale that a forward lean might benefit wingers who spend a great deal of time flying up and down their lanes, and that a backward lean helps a defenseman better move backwards.  I honestly don’t buy either line of thinking.

With the hockey skate blades shaped properly, let’s now consider the actual sharpening process.  For, this is where the dulled blade from the factory will take on the sharp edges that make it possible for us to actually skate…

Two things are critical to gaining a proper sharpening.  First, the skate must be placed correctly in a holder, and then adjusted so that the blade hits squarely and at the proper level for when it meets the spinning sharpening stones.  Secondly, the finish stone — or the one that actually gives the blade it’s final shape — should be “dressed” or re-shaped to ensure it cuts the steel blade properly (the blade is only going to take on the shape of the stone it passes by).

Let me suggest two things here…  It’s a good idea to take your blades to someone you truly trust.  The last thing you want is to have your tech talking to his girlfriend on the phone while mildlessly passing your blades by a stone.  Some cost is associated with “dressing” the finish wheel, since an industrial diamond is used (and gradually used up) in this process, and it stands to reason that some technicians will do things right while some just won’t.  Also, never stand in a long line waiting for your skates to be done, and especially never have them sharpened while recreational skaters are having theirs done.  It should make sense that your skates just aren’t going to get the attention they deserve under such conditions.

The sharpening process usually begins with the tech passing a blade against a spinning rough or course stone, this acting as a way to remove old edges or to ready the blade to be shaped with new edges.

That accomplished, a blade is next passed by the finish wheel or stone to give it its new shape.

Near the end of the process, you’ll usually see the tech hold each skate up to a light while balancing a small coin across the blade.  He’s checking to see if the two outside sharp edges are even. (It only takes one time to skate with an edge missing, or one edge lower than the other, because stepping on either feels like you’re falling into the Grand Canyon!)

You might hear the hockey skate sharpening process referred to as a “hollow ground”, because the blades are ground to create two sharp edges on each side with a hollow area in between.

Now, let’s go back to what we can learn from the other types of skates.  For, it might help you to make a comparison between the way speed skates and figure skates are sharpened.

In the case of speed skates, a “jig” is used, this being a small contraption that holds a file, with the file being passed back and forth across the bottom of the blade.  If you can picture it, this makes sort of a block shape, or the two edges are created — not so sharply, and minus the hollow described for the hockey skate blade.  The idea of the not so pronounced edges is to lessen cutting into the ice and to lessen the amount of friction as a speed skater glides along the ice.

At the other extreme is the figure skate, which is sharpened at least close to the way hockey skates are done.  Figure skaters, due to the nature of their sport, need the hollow grind and the sharp edges necessary to cutting, spinning, etc.  And they’d likely wipe out easily if they tried any of their moves with a speed skater’s sharpening.

Okay, so what can we borrow from the way other’s sharpen their skates?

Again, only daring to work with hockey players who already have great cutting ability, I’ve tinkered with the relative hollow in their sharpenings to aid them in having less friction on the straight-aways.  In most instances, some experimentation is needed to gain less friction while not losing too much edge control.

One last little tidbit…  Lots of years ago I came across a science book that contained an explanation about why we can skate on smooth ice but not on glass.  As it turns out, a skater’s bodyweight transfers down through a sharp blade edge, an immense amount of pressure through that edge creates heat that melts the ice right under, which in turn allows us to momentarily hydroplane on a thin film of water.  As the blade passes, the water freezes right behind.

In closing, I like to prepare these kinds of entries so that members can do lots of troubleshooting on their own.  I’ve mentioned some ways that I’ve achieved certain results by adapting things — like the shape of the blade or the length of the blade, as well as the relative shape of the hollow and edges.  What I’ve also done, however, is to provide you all the different variables so that you may achieve quite different results.

Now, it’s my sincere hope that I also made my other point, in that we become better and better troubleshooters with the more we know about related topics.

Here’s the article that started it all — about “Knowing Lots of Hockey Facts“!

Then, when you get a chance, see how all my experiences from the past helped me form something that will likely transform the way a certain level does business (it’s about how I arrived at launching my new Junior Hockey Scouting Service).

*

You should know that this was a very difficult article to write, mainly because I feared forgetting something.  So, I’m going to consider it a work in progress, and I’ll be prepared to alter it if need be.  Of course, the only way I can do that is if you comment below or ask me questions.

A New Junior Hockey Scouting Service

I’ve been working on three entries over the past few days (and nights), all with a common theme, as in the value of knowing as much as we can about a given topic.  For sure, that’s what my first article, “Knowing Lots of Hockey Facts“, was about; that one set the tone for “All You’ll Ever Need to Know About Skate Sharpening” (coming soon); and it surely forms the background for this one.

Up front, let me tell you that this will be more than just an advertisement for my new on-line venture.  I’m instead adding lots of good food for thought for anyone who might like to someday do what I do, or for anyone who oversees a rather large hockey organization. 

With that, let’s explore my recent experiences in the Junior hockey game.

– Dennis Chighisola

A New Junior Hockey Scouting Service

I’m sure most members know that I got back into Junior hockey coaching last spring, and that I also doubled as the team’s General Manager for my brief time on the job.  That’s the way duties are usually assigned, ya know — from Juniors and on up into minor pro hockey.

Most of you also know that I never really got out of that mindset — even when my team’s owner went off the deep end, or even when the fledgling league went belly-up.  No, I continued helping some of the teen players I’d originally recruited, and then I continued to help recruit for two other Florida-based Junior teams.

As an aside here…  I always considered myself lucky when I ran hockey schools and clinics, because I’d gotten to see the game from both extremes — helping beginners from what I’d experienced with pros, and actually sometimes helping the pros because I understood how some of their strengths and deficiencies began decades earlier.

What I’m suggesting is that my years of working on both sides of the Junior level also helped me a ton.  I mean, it helped immensely that I dealt with recruiters as a former high school coach, and I ultimately became a pretty good recruiter myself when I later head coached in college.  In fact, so did it help me as I followed my son through all the steps until he reached the pros, and then later followed my grandson through a similar path.  (Actually, I also ran a summer Junior team for AHAUS back when I was coaching my high school team.)

Anyway, once I did get on the job down here in Florida, I made note of everything that worked and didn’t work in the recruiting game.  I also built “systems” that I knew would not only work for our startup, but also ones that would work for a lot of years down the road.

When I say systems, in this regard I’m talking about arriving at methods that were written down and deemed repeatable.

Documenting how things should work included spreading certain steps on a calendar that spanned a year (although most of the vital stuff would take place over a six to nine month period).

I’ve mentioned a number of times elsewhere within these pages that my dad was a successful baseball coach, and that I was scouted a bit (probably by a blind guy) as a pretty speedy,  switchhitting short stop.  My high school football coach was also ahead of his time, and he went on to rate recruits for the New England Patriots via college game films.  So, beyond knowing about talent “scouts” — the big boys, I also knew a lot about so-called “bird dogs”, or the guys who really beat the bushes for talent.  Consequently, I built a system of bird dog types who promised to keep their eyes open for me in just about every corner of the hockey world — or from across both the US and Canada, and into most European hockey hotbeds.

What I learned in my few months on the job as a Junior team GM and coach would prove even more valuable to my latest endeavor.  For, not only did I get to gain by my own day to day experiences, but I probably learned as much from my frequent interactions with guys in similar posts.

Quite obviously, those other guys were experiencing some of the same problems I was (some of them to a greater degree).

For sure, I learned from the other guys in our league.  However, I think the seeds for running my own Junior Hockey Scouting Service first sprouted when I discovered what hockey execs in other leagues were willing to do in order to fill their rosters with good players.

Make no mistake about it:  inking a single player to a Junior roster is a time consuming and expensive proposition…

Even if a worthy player initiates contact with the club, and expresses interest in signing, there’s much to be done to officially bring him into the fold.  And I’d say the same for returning players from the previous year’s team who are eager to re-up.

The easy ones out of the way, though, an awful lot goes into completing the roster, with a lot coming out of the staff’s hide — with repeated phone calls, emails and social media messaging.  Smart teams have impressive websites, and the smartest of them have a promotional video showing highlights of the organization, the home town, the home arena, and any extra amenities (like a team bus, off-ice training facilities, and more).

A team’s budget can take a pretty good hit when it comes to sending members of the staff to summertime showcases (or tournaments) where Junior eligible players are attempting to demonstrate their skills and game savvy to potential suitors.  I’ve heard about some recruiters doing well at such showcases, while I know an equal number who have come up empty after spending quite a sum — on flights, car rentals, hotel rooms and lousy meals.

So do some teams or leagues run tryout camps yielding mixed results…  If there’s something sad about these, it’s that such camps are run with drastically different things in mind:  with some organizations having legitimate openings; while some need few or no players, and they’re only operating to pad their wallets.

Among the things I personally learned on the job is the fact that a lot of players lie.  Yup, that’s right, even if they’d be doing themselves a favor by telling the truth.  Here’s what I mean…

I don’t blame a kid one bit for hoping to make a really high level or a very prestigious team.  And so would I understand if he’s hoping to stay closer to home by making a local team.  What I don’t appreciate is the boy lying about it.

Of course, what the kid might not realize is that I (and lots of other coaches) catch on to that stuff pretty quickly.  So, at least in my case, I sometimes pretended to hold a spot for a player I knew was telling me stories, while I’d written him off after about the second or third excuse.  On the other hand, I was willing to do anything for the kid who told me right out of the gate that he was waiting to attend a very high level tryout camp, or waiting to hear from a specific team.

I think readers who haven’t yet been involved with Junior hockey might find one other thing fairly interesting, that having to do with the funding behind various levels of the game…

There are only a handful of leagues in the US and Canada where players don’t have to pay to play.  In fact, the players in those leagues are treated extra well.  For the most part, teams in those leagues play in great arenas and in burghs where a Junior hockey game is close to the only show in town.  If you can appreciate it, such organizations can operate like mini-NHL franchises, with similar revenue streams — like ticket sales and some pretty lucrative sponsorship deals.

The greatest number of Junior teams across North America, however, are considered “pay to play”.  In other words, while most teams in that category might bring in some revenue from ticket and ad sales, the bulk of their budgets are derived from what the players pay.

Consequently, a comparison of the two main types of leagues ought to suggest to you which kind requires the most effort to fill a team roster.  Sure, execs at the highest levels have to do a great job at evaluating talent, but every player in the land wants to play for them.  On the other side of the ledger, those recruiting for the pay to play type levels have to bust their buns to fill their rosters and ensure they have a season’s worth of operating capital.

If you understand the latter described group, perhaps you’ll appreciate the pressures I and my fellow Tropical Elite Hockey League GMs were under.  I mean, we had to recruit between 20 and 25 players in order to satisfy our owners, outfit and equip our players, pay our own salaries, contract for all our home game and practice ice, fund the team’s travel to various showcases, and more.

Despite the fact that I’d signed more players than any other GM in our new league, it’s well documented how my owner panicked and ultimately limped back to Alaska.

If there’s anything I’m grateful for in all that transpired, it’s all the extra things I learned about the recruiting process, most of it described above.  In particular, I discovered the relative costs of acquiring a player.  And that kind of knowledge is what’s led me to form the Junior Hockey Scouting Service.  As a matter of fact, I mentioned elsewhere on-line within the past few days that, a service such as the JHSS might not have only saved my job and my team, but it very well may have saved our entire league…

I mentioned earlier how much it costs to secure a player — in time, and in chasing around the country to various showcases and camps.  Yet, what if I could pay a small fee for access to hundreds of players who say they want to join a good Junior hockey program.  Hmmmmmm…  It’s true, ya know, that there are likely thousands of kids out there right now who want a home, there are tons of organizations in need of good players, and the only real problem is in connecting the two.  So, in essence, that’s what I’ve created within the Junior Hockey Scouting Service.

Lastly, as for the tie-in between this piece and those other two articles…  Once again, I hope you see how learning more and more about a given topic helps one solve problems.  In my case, the past year’s experiences showed me that there is in fact a problem, and that problem extends pretty much across North America, within USA Hockey and within AAU affiliated leagues..   Better yet, knowing more and more about the Junior hockey recruiting process helped me reason with better and better founded common sense.  Ya, knowing a lot of hockey facts definitely does help one become a better problem-solver.

Knowing Lots of Hockey “Facts”

You can file this one under “My Advice to Serious Hockey Coaches”.  Said yet another way, I feel one can’t be a truly great coach unless he or she is willing to accumulate as much knowledge as possible, and from as many peripheral fields as possible.  In the end, I might even suggest that this is one reason it pays to be a CoachChic.com member.

– Dennis Chighisola

Knowing Lots of Hockey “Facts”

To begin, I used to have a relative who gave me a hard time about knowing lots of “facts”.  I think you know where that kind of razzing came from…

My take on the situation was that the relative was too lazy or too disinterested to delve into stuff outside a mindless novel or television program, so her defense mechanism was to lessen the importance of anyone else knowing at least a little about a lot of different topics.

My self-confidence has never been that easy to shake, so all I could ever do was to just shrug and say, “Oh, well…”  Don’t get me wrong, because I was at least a bit frustrated each time that relative gave me a zing.  Ya, I was, until…  Until…   Until I ran across a writing that suggested…

“Common sense is enhanced by knowing more and more facts.”

 Think about that one, if you will…

Is it possible you and I would be aided with the knowledge that water will dowse a fire, while the idiot would think that any liquid — including gasoline — would achieve the same results?

Ya, I know my example is a bit towards the extreme, but…

I have always felt that anyone in charge of anything is basically a problem-solver — or at least they should be.  Pick a profession:  mechanic, doctor, dentist, nurse, truck driver, babysitter, talent agent, marketer, salesman, you name it.  Oh, some of their work is almost scripted, or performed almost mindlessly.  However, the truly successful among them is able to perform his or her duties well when something outside the norm arises.  In fact, I’ll suggest that those in any given line of work are separated by how well they solve problems.

Think about it…  Your car has a problem that causes a number of mechanics to scratch their heads, and they try all sorts of repairs — that cost you dearly while never solving the problem.  You know that you’re dying to run across that one guy who has been around the block a thousand times, and a guy who actually enjoys solving a problem no one else can.

I happened to grow up in a tiny Massachusetts town where there once lived a guy who had worked in some famous race car pits.  Despite the size of our town, he really worked — mostly from his home — in relative anonymity.  Lucky for me, however, that a policeman in town once told me, “You should go see Augie about your car problem.”  Ha?  Augie?

Now, understand that a bunch of local garages had already looked at my silver Cadillac, and they hadn’t a clue why it had recently begun running so roughly.

After a few minutes of listening to my car and thinking some, my new friend Augie says to me, “I think I know what the problem is, but I need your permission to cut your exhaust pipe in half.”  Whaaaaaat?

Long story short…  My car ran like new once Augie replaced one section of pipe.  What he later explained was that my Caddy had two pipes — one inside the other, and the inside ones were famous for collapsing and choking the exhaust and then the engine.   Of course, Augie knew that, but evidently not another mechanic in the town did.  Ya, we might say that Augie knew a lot of little facts relating to cars.

In yet another scenario…  Your child is ill and no doctor yet has been able to pinpoint the problem.  For sure, standard tests are necessary, but you also know that all the standard tests in the world don’t always result in an answer.  No, you’re dying for the same thing again, a doctor who relishes the chance to solve problems.

Believe it or not, my lady friend just returned from having her car serviced, and she just finished relating to me her new mechanic’s guess that her rough running Jeep might be suffering from some bad gasoline.  Well aware of some “facts” when it comes to such things, I agreed, knowing that she just drove over 2000-miles from Canada, and that the roughness started occurring partway along that trip.  The mechanic’s — and my — thinking was kinda confirmed, when a guy visiting next door from Canada said that his car is also running roughly.

If there’s a knowledgeable automotive type reading this, you’re probably wondering exactly what I am right now, as in, “Did the new mechanic change the fuel filter/s?”  Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…  From a glance at my lady friend’s bill, it’s obvious that he did not!

Okay, so my hockey coaching friends are wondering how I relate all this stuff to your job?  Hmmmmmm…

Well, all I can do is explain the route I took, beginning with my earliest days as a coach.  And from the very start, I wanted to know more about “things”.  Getting into the physiology of our sport came later.  However, during the earliest days, I wanted to know how the skate sharpening process actually worked, why the local pro shop owner fit pieces of gear certain ways, and so forth.  Over time, I thought it necessary to also know the differences in various skates, because some companies made their boots slightly wider, slightly narrower, with higher or lower arches, etc.

Make no mistake about it, that knowing such things has helped me save some players’ careers…

I’ll never forget the time a long time student of mine suddenly started experiencing back aches, and I was probably the only coach in the region who could have ultimately reasoned that those problems stemmed from a change in his skates and his skates’ radius.

Over the years, I’ve helped a number of players gain more speed by adjusting the way their skates were sharpened.

And, I have also greatly enhanced my players’ stickhandling or shooting with just a slight change to their sticks.

So did I once save a kid because I discovered a faulty piece of protective give, and I swear that he’d have never gone on to play Division I college hockey unless I (or someone) had gotten to the root of that one.

I have bragged for years that I hardly ever have any kids drop out of my Learn-to-skate and Learn-to-play programs.  That’s been good for my business, but it’s also been good for the youth programs and rinks who later benefited from the hundreds (or likely thousands) of players I’ve kept sending them.  Of course, some of my success came from using the right drills with those little ones, but a lot of it also had to do with the close watch I kept on the gear that made things either easier or more painful for them.  (My thinking:  some kids quit other programs without their instructors even knowing why those kids never showed again.)

Now, let’s return to something I said earlier, in that we’d both like to come across that special mechanic or that special doctor when we really need one.  Guys who can change your oil or sell you new tires are a time a dozen, and so are the men and women who can take your temperature and prescribe a kzillion aspirins.

Geeeeeze, I just remembered…  My late dad was once in the hospital for a bleeding ulcer, and a nurse brought him some aspirins to ease his pain.  When my dad suggested an anticoagulant might not be the best thing for his bleeding, the nurse promptly answered, “Oh, ya!”

Unfortunately, so are the guys and gals who coach hockey teams only a dime a dozen, if they can only fill out roster forms, open and close bench doors, and yell a couple of key hockey phrases.  Borrowing some flashy (but meaningless?) drills also seems easy enough to do when a coach just wants to get by with the bare minimum.

All this said, please appreciate that I’m not trying to bash any of my coaching brothers or sisters.  I am, however, trying to stir you to do the things you know are necessary to being more than just a door opener.

To be honest, I doubt a trip to the rink goes by without at least one of your players experiencing some sort of problem.  With that, I’d like you to be one of the few who recognize it, and I’d like you to also be one of the very few who might then be able to resolve it.  As I hinted above, your ability to do those two things just might be the difference between that kid ultimately quitting, or maybe someday making a name for himself or herself in the game.

Just to remind you…  “Common sense is enhanced by knowing more and more facts.”

Personally, I do consider myself an expert when it comes to certain parts of our game.  However, I probably solved more serious problems from just knowing a little — about hockey gear, about how the body works, about what things impact the most in skill development, etc.  And those are all things that you can easily pick up, without the need of a special college degree.  (Actually, I’ve given you all the highlights of my Physical Education studies within these CoachChic.com pages.)

Lastly, I want you to know that I am here for you.  I honestly believe that most of what you need to know when it comes to little known background information is already here within these 600+ pages of articles, videos and audio programs.  And, while some of the content I feel compelled to give you is general in nature (because I can’t dare leave any stones unturned), at least one entry per month contains info that you’ll never find elsewhere.  Of course, if you ever feel anything is missing, all you need to do is ask me.

With that, I am about to release an article shortly that will tell you all you’ll ever need to know about skate sharpening, including stuff I’ve used to save a bunch of players, beginners to pros.

Should You Copy Your Hockey Idols?

This entry was sparked by an email I just received this morning in reference to my article on skate tying.  But, is this conversation — or that email — really only about lacing the skates?  I think not.  No, there’s a greater underlying issue here, and one that I’d hate to miss the opportunity to share with my friends and loyal CoachChic.com members.

– Dennis Chighisola

Should You Copy Your Hockey Idols?

My friend started his email with a lie, stating that, “… I spent a whole dollar on your ‘How to Tie Hockey Skates’ article…”  The truth is, that article, hosted on Amazon.com, is only 99-cents! 

More seriously, my friend Ron continues, “I too heard a rumor that the old Soviet hockey teams would hit the ice in warm ups with no laces in their skates…the theory being it helps to strengthen the foot.”

Yes, I’d mentioned the old Soviets in my article, but it was to only suggest that they skated at times without tying their skates; I’m not sure anyone would dare try skating without any laces in their boots.

Ron then went on to add to what I’d previously written about pro players, “As for how NHL players lace their skates…I’m sure you know who Gordie Howe is…well he had two sons play in the NHL, Marty and Mark.  A few years back they produced some instructional hockey videos and they talked about their personal preferences for lacing skates.  I was amazed that Mark…a great skater and currently in the hall of fame…would put three of his fingers in between his laces and the boot…he did not need and did not prefer to have the skates laced tight.  His skating was very fluid.”

Actually, my skates have always been tied much like Mark Howe’s, or as one might tie street shoes or sneakers, with only the top eyelets pulled snugly around the ankle.

Of course, Mr Hockey had another son, about whom Ron states, ” Then his (Mark’s) brother Marty talked about how he laced his skates…Marty only played a few seasons in the NHL…he said he laced his skates very tight and used ONE roll of tape to tape his ankles.  He also said he was more prone to ankle sprains…I wonder why.”

To be honest, I doubt there’s any correlation between Marty’s ankle problems — or the amount of time he spent in the NHL — and the way he tied his skates.  However, that’s touching upon an area I’ll want to cover pretty shortly.

Next, Ron mentions that, “I recently read Ray Scapinellos autobiography…he was a long time NHL linesman.  He mentioned he barely laced his skates at all.  He said the only reason he laced his skates was so the laces wouldnt flop everywhere.  So heres a guy who spends an entire game on his skates and barely laces his skates at all.”

He then introduces another part of skate tying, and something my son — a stylish pro skater in his own right — always did.  As Ron wrote, “When I watch an NHL game on television…if they zoom in on a player I’ll try to notice his skates.  Look at ex NHL player Sergei Fedorov…a great skater.  He left the tongue sticking out and did not lace the top eyelet…I believe Alexander Ovechkin does this as well.  I’ll also give credit to ex NHL player Doug Brown as well…hes one of your Massachusetts boys…another great skater who barely laced his skates.”

Ron continues, “But every player has their personal preference and I’m sure theres some that get foot cramps from having theirs skates too tight.  I heard that Paul Coffey would wear skates 1.5 sizes too small…ouch…his theory being he wanted his skate and foot to feel as if they’re one unit.”

I might just add here that the urge to make the skates feel like a part of the foot is a major reason why many players go without socks.  (I’ve often suggested something partway between wearing thick sock and going sock-less, with many of my students over the years wearing “knee high” nylons.)

Finally, Ron concludes with, “… a few years back I started to only lace my skates only to the top eyelet…I no longer put the laces through the top eyelet and bend the tongue way down so it sticks out.”

Okay, I really enjoyed reading that email from Ron, as much as I have the ones he’s previously sent me.  Still, while he included a few interesting stories and observations, those weren’t the real reason I asked his permission to reprint the email here.  No, there’s something even more important lurking between the lines, and something I feel I really need to get across to my readers, or something I want my readers to convey to their hockey playing sons and daughters.

You should have noticed how differently all the above pro guys tied their skates.  And along the way, I hope you started to sense that the way they tied them had little or nothing to do with their on-ice abilities.  Yes, I would suggest that Marty Howe hampered himself by wrapping excess tape around his ankles, thereby almost eliminating that joint.  At the same time, we should notice that Paul Coffey and Mark Howe both made it to hockey’s Hall of Fame by tying their skates in drastically different ways.

And that brings me to a story I may have told here before…   You see, I had this former NHL player who occasionally worked in my summer hockey schools, and I’d cringe every time I saw the size of the knob he made for the top of his hockey stick.  Ugh.  The thing was half the size of a baseball.  His answer, each time he’d see me wince?  “Gordie Howe is my idol, and that’s the way he taped his stick!”  And I’d shoot right back each time, something to the effect that, “Gordie Howe could have used a tree limb for a stick and still been better than us mere mortals!”  And I’d usually go on to suggest that Howe was one of the all-time greats despite the way he taped his stick, not because of it!

Now, I’m guessing that anyone who reads this article recalls the way Wayne Gretzky used to tuck part of his hockey jersey into his pants.  And if you were around youth arenas during The Great One’s reign, you would have noticed countless Mites, Squirts/Atoms and Pee Wees doing just the same.  Personally, I thought it cute — that the kids wanted to copy that style.  Still, I knew Gretzky’s sweater wasn’t what made him great, and I knew that no kid was going to become great because of the way he or she wore a jersey.  Actually, if we pressed a kid at that time, we’d have likely gotten him or her to admit just that:  that the way one wears a shirt has nothing to do with the way he or she plays.

With that, I need to warn hockey parents and coaches about the fact that some of their kids are doing other things to emulate their favorite players.  I mean, whether they come out and tell you or not, they’re choosing their new helmet because it’s like their idol wears, and they’re also often selecting their sticks and their skates because of what they’ve noticed on TV or in some on-line or magazine ad.

Now, having already established that a jersey doesn’t make or break a player, I have suggested that the way one doctors a stick, and the way one ties the skates can influence his or her game playing abilities.  Worse yet, some things can have a lasting impact on a player — sometimes for awhile, and sometimes forever.

As an aside here, some might read all this and presume that most of it is just common sense.  I’d have to agree.  Yet, there I was years ago — several summers in a row, arguing with a giant sized pro guy about the right and wrong way to tape a hockey stick.  Ugh.

Consequently, I’m not suggesting anyone get paranoid here (although I kinda do when it comes to some of this stuff).  What I am suggesting, however, is for adults to subtly monitor the kids in their charge — both at the local pro shop, and when it comes to the later use of various pieces of gear.  Again, shirts and helmets aren’t likely to influence a player’s development, while certain articles of equipment surely will.

K.I.S.S. In A Hockey Playing System

As many members know, I’m kinda famous for straying outside the proverbial box when it comes to studying.  After all, how can I ever be an innovator, if I only look into what other hockey coaches or trainers are doing?

For that reason, you’ll find me exploring training procedures for sprinters, rugby players, footballers, martial artists, and so many others.  I’ll dig into what famous generals and honorable political types have done when it came to motivating or directing their kinds of “teams”.  And so will I delve into the X’s and O’s used by the world’s top coaches, no matter their sport.

It’s the latter urge, then, that got me recently reading (for probably the eighth time) an insightful book about college basketball’s most successful coach, the late John Wooden.

– Dennis Chighisola

K.I.S.S. In A Hockey Playing System

The book I just closed the covers on is called “The Wizard of Westwood:  Coach John Wooden and His UCLA Bruins”.  And, while it’s not an X’s and O’s type manual, the author couldn’t really describe the inner workings of the UCLA basketball program, nor the complexities of the man in charge, without touching upon the things that helped make him and his Bruins teams so unique.

Okay, so about this article’s title — Keeping It Simple (Stupid?) In A Hockey Playing System…

Now, my guess is that a lot of folks think that the more successful a coach is, the more sophisticated his or her playing system might be.  Truth be known, that’s what I thought when I first got into hockey coaching some 40-ish years ago.

Don’t get me wrong here, because we can be sure that guys like John Wooden, Scotty Bowman and Bill Belichick know just about every trick in the X’s and O’s book.  And, why shouldn’t they?  They’ve been working at their trade for a lifetime, they’ve reached the pinnacle of their trade, and they’ve also reached a point where they have just about every resource needed to do things in sophisticated ways.

That said, might you find it interesting that Wooden’s approach to b-ball is described as pretty simple?  I might have, if I hadn’t heard similar stories over all the years I’ve been studying such guys.

In fact, the author and countless former UCLA players described Wooden’s typical practices being more about fundamentals than X’s and O’s.  So, while maybe some of his opponents were scratching their heads about how to beat his Bruins with new tactics and strategies, Wooden’s teams were moving, dribbling, passing, receiving and shooting them to death.  Yes, basics — like running, dribbling, passing, receiving and shooting.

Oh, and Wooden coached teams also ran their opponents into the ground, because conditioning was the one other thing he spent a bulk of his practices on.

Now, although Wooden’s teams seemingly had all the typical strategies down pat and at their disposal, I guess I didn’t find it very surprising that the old coach seemed to prefer going head to head with opponents.  Said yet another way, I recall him being quoted more than a few times within that book something to the effect that, “I’d rather other teams worry about what we’re doing instead of us worrying about them.”  (Actually, that’s been my philosophy for a lot of years, but more on that a little later.)

I doubt you’ll find it surprising that I’ve also pretty much devoured just about everything written about or by the great Vince Lombardi.  And I mention him here because Lombardi’s approach to the game was the first thing I thought of as I read Wooden’s philosophy about strategical matchups.

Oh, did this long ago influence the way I approach such things…  For, it’s said that Lombardi knew “his system” so well that he could instantly spot one little thing going wrong within it.

Think about that if you will…  For the most part, he was coming right at you with a play or tactic that he knew would work, IF his players executed properly.  So — and this sounds a lot like Wooden’s approach, Lombardi was pretty much saying that his guys only needed to execute properly in order to be successful.

And this all reminds me of something pretty basic that I heard at a coaching seminar a kzillion years ago…  What the speaker suggested was that, it’s far better to be able to successfully apply one strategy (like a single forecheck), than to use a bunch of them with moderate or poor results.

As an aside here…  None of the above is meant to suggest that available talent shouldn’t dictate a lot of what a team’s system looks like.  I mean, a coach has to make certain system adjustments, if his or her team is highly skilled, not so well skilled, small and quick, big but slow, and so forth.  Hey, accommodations also have to be made when certain strengths or weaknesses fall within given positions.  (I’m sure that Wooden adapted to having a pair of future NBA Hall of Fame centers arrive at his school, and I’m sure Lombardi changed things at least somewhat as various All Pros graced his Green Bay Packers lineup.)

That said, I’m going to still suggest that some things never changed within either Wooden’s or Lombardi’s overall approach to their games.

Then, because I know someone is going to ask…

Over about the past decade, my teams’ defensive system revolved around my own version of the 2-1-2 forecheck and zone coverage in our end of the ice.  (I wouldn’t necessarily stick with those at other levels, but they were ideal for the fairly talented high school kids I worked with.)  A lot like my coaching idols, I got so I could recognize one hair out of place in either end of the ice.  And so did my players get so they could execute their system with their eyes closed.

Were we able to make adjustments?  Absolutely.  Our version of the 2-1-2 is super-aggressive.  So, as my players fairly well mastered that, I introduced them to a rather less complicated conservative forecheck, the 1-2-2.  Later still, they learned an even less complicated, ultra-conservative 1-4 forecheck.

In my mind, our look didn’t change a lot from night to night:  We were always a 2-1-2 team with an aggressive mentality, and it was up to our opponents to prove they could beat that.  Still, at any time I chose, we could toy with our opponents, or get them off-balance, with one or the other secondary forecheck.

Now, I know that this entry is being read by members from all different levels of our game.   That means you’re reading it with different experience levels, a different understanding of the game, and different ways the enclosed knowledge might or might not affect your future experiences around the game.  My main concern here, however, is how it’ll be interpreted by member coaches…

The latter in mind, here’s what I suggest…  Apply this (and other such knowledge) as I have.  In other words, think about what seems to be applicable to your level, and applicable to the kinds of players you normally deal with.  True, that we’d like to think we have a little Belechick, Bowman, or Wooden in us, and we each probably do.  However, we don’t have their players, and it’s doubtful we have the resources to accomplish with our players what they can with theirs.

So, again, let’s all of us be aware of how the great coaches think, and let’s even borrow what we can from them.  At the same time, let’s be wise enough to know where we are, who our players are, and what they can fairly be asked to do.

Lastly, getting back to that KISS principle…  Let’s keep in mind that long ago seminar speaker, who appeared to be right in line with guys like Wooden and Lombardi.  For, it seems to me that we can only expect our players to become masters of a set number of plays or strategies.   Give them one or just a few, and I’m betting they’ll execute with pretty good precision.  Ask them to master more and more, and I’d be willing to bet that their success rate will diminish exponentially.

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Yes, I do have an affiliate association with Amazon, and do profit in the sale of books.  However, I also have all the books I mention in my library, and they are among my favorites.

The R.A.E. and Your Hockey Player

By now, many USA Hockey coaching members should have been made aware of the RAE, or the Relative Age Effect.  My concern is that more USA Hockey members — and perhaps the most important members of all, the parents — just might not know about it.  Moreover, I want my CoachChic.com members to be up on every study I can bring to their attention.

Trust me, folks, that the effect is real, and there’s not much one can do to refute the numerous test results that have brought this phenomenon to the fore.  To be honest, I’m not even sure I wouldn’t use the gist of this to select higher level players.  But, you can be the judge of that.

– Dennis Chighisola

The R.A.E. and Your Hockey Player

To begin, here’s how Wikipedia defines our current topic of discussion:

“The term ‘relative age effect’ (RAE) is used to describe a bias, evident in the upper echelons of youth sport and academia, where participation is higher amongst those born early in the relevant selection period (and correspondingly lower amongst those born late in the selection period) than would be expected from the normalised distribution of live births.  The selection period is usually the calendar year, the academic year or the sporting season.

The term ‘month of birth bias’ is also used to describe the effect and ‘season of birth bias’ is used to describe similar effects driven by different hypothesised mechanisms.

The bias results from the common use of age related systems, for organizing youth sports competition and academic cohorts, based on specific cut-off dates to establish eligibility for inclusion. Typically a child born after the cut-off date is included in a cohort and a child born before the cut-off date is excluded from it.

The most commonly used cut-off date for youth international sporting competition is 1 January. The IOC^[4] and FIFA^[5] and the 6 international football confederations (AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, OFC and UEFA^[6]) all use 1 January as their administrative cut-off date when determining an athlete’s eligibility to compete in youth competitions, children born before a specified cut-off date are excluded.

Cut-off dates for academic cohort structuring, including the setting of academic years, are usually determined by national education authorities and tend to be based on autumn start dates, so August or September cut-off dates are common in the Northern Hemisphere and February or March cut-off dates are common in the Southern Hemisphere. This tendency reflects the historical need for children to be involved in summer-time agricultural work with school starting after harvesting.”

A research paper from Loughborough University (in the UK) explains the RAE in this way:

“The relative age effect describes the observation that greater numbers of performers born early in a selection year are over-represented in junior and senior elite squads compared with what might be expected based on national birth rates.  It would appear that the relative age effect, certainly in some sports, crucially influences the opportunities to achieve high-level sporting performance.”

Actually, while the above two entries focus on comparisons in both the classroom and sports in general, numerous studies have shown the same to hold true in ice hockey, in that players born in the first quarter of a given year seem to have a distinct advantage over those born later, and especially over those born very late in the same year.

Now, let me do my best to put all this into regular language, and also relate it to our hockey players…

As an example, the thinking is that a pair of 8-year olds with birth dates at opposite ends of their birth year are likely to fair quite differently at a youth hockey tryout.  In other words, the boy that is closer to turning 9-years old is likely more physically developed and even more mentally developed than the youngster who just turned 8-years old.  Oh, this isn’t going to be true in every single case, but it surely is going to be so on average.

Now, that’s not the whole problem.  No, based on what we know from the above, it makes sense that the player with the earlier birth date is more likely to make a higher level team, while the drastically younger of the two quite probably will be assigned to a B or C or even house league team.

The main concern here is that the kids making higher level teams tend to get better coaching, and all the other benefits that can come from playing at AAA, AA or A levels.  I’ve also always felt that teams with more talent get to practice at a higher level than those teams where many kids still need work on the very basics.

Now, I began my explanation with 8-year olds for a purpose.  For, imagine what is likely to happen over ensuing years, or as those same kids become Squirts/Atoms, move on to Pee Wees and Bantams, and ultimately compete for Junior, college or professional slots.  The earlier born 8-years — again on average — got the best of everything as Mites, and it’s more than likely they’ll have the inside track on a high quality Squirt or Atom team.  And the same is likely to hold true as they move up in each age group.

In a way, some might call that a fact of life.  Or, as a few of my friends might say, “It is what it is.”  What concerns many of us — yes, including yours truly — is that the cut off date in youth sports, as well as in youth hockey, is purely arbitrary.  In other words, the hockey powers that be currently use January 1 as the start of a new age level, for no other reason than it’s the start of the calendar year.  (As I recall, in Little League Baseball, the cut off date is at the end of the summer, or near the end of baseball season.)

Here’s yet another concern, at least from my perspective…

Looking back on a couple of 8-year olds again, a half a year or more can represent a huge difference — in age, plus the corresponding differences in size and mental capabilities.  And don’t forget that the relative age effects tend to keep getting the slightly older kids onto better teams, where they tend to get better coaching, probably more ice-time, etc.

If there’s a problem, things can start evening out as players move into their teens.  In other words, it’s quite possible that a lot of the slightly younger kids will grow to be bigger than some of the older ones, and many of their other earlier differences just might change as well.

So, if you get my drift, it’s quite possible that all the extra benefits may have been provided to some of the wrong kids.  Not a lot can be done to make up for the disparity in training or other benefits at that point, either.  In a way, some of the kids with the best potential never got what they needed in the earlier years.  Come to think of it, I wonder how many of those kids quit along the way, never seeing the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.

 Oh, and just in case anyone still isn’t quite believing the earlier studies, here’s one that might mean a whole lot more to my hockey audience:

“In a replication of studies by Barnsley et al. (1985), and Grondin et al. (1984) the authors gathered birthdates of players in the National Hockey League (NHL), Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The players were categorized according to month of birth.  Additionally, the players were categorized by country of birth, reflecting the changes in professional hockey over the period since the original studies.  The results indicate that despite the globalization of hockey and changes in minor hockey, relative age effect, that is, a strong linear relationship between the month of birth (from January to December) and the proportion of players in the leagues studied, still exists.”

Okay, so as you’ve been reading this, have you been pondering ways the relative age effect might be overcome?  I know that I wracked my brain for quite some time after I initially discovered it.

Only recently did I hear a change that would make at least some sense, without drastically altering the structure of minor hockey.  What has been proposed is that the beginning of the calendar year be changed each season.  I suppose it could be rotated from January 1 one season, to February 1 the next, and March 1 the next.  However, I sense it would take too long for the effects of that system to even things out.  Might it be better to flip-flop from January 1 to July 1 and then back to January 1 again?  Hmmmmmmm…  Think about that one, huh?

Then, in closing, two things…

Let me share what I did as a hockey parent to help both my son (DOB late-May) and then my grandson (DOB late-July) at least slightly overcome their birth dates.  Appreciate that I knew nothing about the RAE in the 1970′s through 80′s, or later from the 1990′s and into the new Millennium.  Instead, I only hoped to keep my own two guys developing so that they were close to the top in skills and game playing abilities when it came to their respective age groups.  Of course, you might think that I have an advantage in all that, while I’ll suggest that anyone could do this if they have a mind to.

As I’ve suggested countless times within these pages, it’s not a good idea to trust all your youngster’s development to his or her youth organization, at least within the earliest years.  So I’m a firm believer in supplemental training programs — like and extra weekly skills clinic, goalie clinic, etc.  Only through those kinds of programs can a player inch his or her way beyond what teammates are getting.

A Goalie With “Head Problems”

Okay, I don’t think the above title is really a great description of the young lady I’m about to introduce.  However, suggesting she has “head problems” probably got your attention, and it at least somewhat hints at some things that are troubling her.

Actually, as I was putting the final touches on this article, it struck me that the circumstances described below are probably more the norm in youth hockey rather than the extreme.  However, I’ll let others be the judge that.

With that, let’s let Kendra H start things off.

– Dennis Chighisola

A Goalie With “Head Problems”

In her own words, Kendra says, “i am a goalie.  It is my first year of playing on a midget team. I am 15 years old and have been a goalie for 4 years now.”

My guess is that Kendra is also playing on a team that includes mostly boys, since I believe the “midget” designation is seldom used on all-girls teams.  I raise this point, because it can at least sometimes be harder on one or two girls who are mixed with a mostly male team.  Can it be equally as hard for male coaches who are used to dealing primarily with boys to suddenly relate to young lady athletes?  Hmmmmm…

Maybe confirming what I’m suggesting here, she continues, “This year i got some really mean coaches and they try to change how i play and they get mad if i don’t do anything that they don’t wanna do.”

A funny thing…  I’ve been coaching for 40-years, I’ve sent countless former students or players on to the NHL, and I’ve head coached through the college level.  Yet, I never tampered with a goalie, except for the way I wanted him to work within our team system.  Could I help a Mite or Squirt/Atom goaltender?  Ya, I know enough of the very basics to probably do that.  However, would I tamper with a Bantam or older goaler?  I very much doubt it.

And that’s what I’m wondering about here, as Kendra tells us about being at odds with her coaches.  Do any of her coaches really have any goalkeeper knowledge — beyond the very, very basics?

Ultimately, Kendra gets into the part that REALLY bothers me.   For, as she says, “… and they got in my head so now that’s all i am worried about when I play.  I cant get my mind back in the game.”

Amazing, huh?  Ironically, I just finished an article on “Designing A Pre-game Warm-up Routine“, and I mentioned in there how important it is for my skaters to help build their goalie’s confidence during that pre-game period.  God, if nothing else, I and my guys want our netminders to enter a game feeling good about themselves, and like they can stop anything!

Understandably, Kendra states that, “I am really starting to not play good at all.”  And, making me really feel for her, she adds, “… i don’t have anybody really on my team that helps me out.”

In the end, she pleads, “So my question is, is there any thing you would suggest i try to get my head back in the game?”

Ugh!

I’m going to say my piece here for Kendra’s sake, but I’m going to immediately after open this discussion to a bunch of friends I know in the goaltending area.  I sense a number of them will come through for her by commenting down below.

As for my feelings…  I’m going to get tough with the young lady for a moment, but only for her sake, or her wellbeing.  And I’ll start by suggesting that Kendra had to know all along that netminding is a rather lonely position.  As such, I think she has to take it upon herself to develop some habits that work for her.  I think she has to know that she will frequently be surrounded by idiots, and almost always surrounded by coaches, teammates and fans who haven’t a clue what a goalie goes through — night to night, and even minute by minute.

What I’m getting at is for her to develop her own psyche, or inner toughness.  Again, others probably aren’t going to understand, so there’s no sense in beating that dead horse.  What’s more important is for her to understand it, let it go, and work from within.

I think mental preparation is even more important to goaltending than it is to all the other playing positions.  And in this regard, I suggest that Kendra (or her parents) seek help from one or more of the many out there who deal in both sport psychology and goaler training.  (Our own Shaun Goodsell of the Mental Edge; and my former high school goalie, John Haley, have some home study or visualization programs that can surely help her.)

As for dealing with her coaches, again ugh…  I think that I can only help Kendra by suggesting she not go head to head with her coaches, but just roll with them.  Oh, I’m not taking their side when I offer this approach, but it might just be better for all if she smiles, or grins and bears their negativity.  Perhaps, she’ll even win them over at some point, and ultimately gain the more peaceful, positive interactions she obviously longs for (and deserves).

I might also advise Kendra’s parents to find her a local goalie coach.  The immediate benefits should be obvious, but what I’m also thinking is that the outside counselor might prove helpful as an intermediary between Kendra and her team coaches.  In other words, while those coaches might not be thrilled to hear the opinions of a 15-year old in their charge, they’d probably welcome some advice from an outside specialist.  And, quite obviously, that outside goalie coach might just (nicely) suggest that the coaches stay off her back.

Summing up my thoughts, I’m just looking for a way to make a bad situation at least tolerable.  And, since it’s unlikely anyone is going to immediately change the thinking of Kendra’s coaches, I believe she could make things easier for herself by slightly altering her own outlook and approach.

Good luck, Kendra!

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Okay, so is there anyone out there who feels for this girl, and has some ideas to help?  If so, please let your thoughts be known in the comments area below.

Designing A Hockey On-ice Warm-up Routine

What’s Wrong With Amateur Hockey?

Update:  Only a few days old, the discussions in this group are already proving to be on a good high level, with a lot of very insightful posts and comments.

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Talk about something that just had to come, sooner or later…

As much as I like to stay positive — about hockey, and everything else in my life, the bulk of what I hear — around the rinks, on the telephone or on-line — tends to be a little towards the negative.  Ya, parents are paying a lot of money, so they have certain expectations; the coaches are asked to meet some rather high expectations; and game officials struggle to meet their own responsibilities.  Then, stuck in the middle, obviously, are the players.

So, as you’ll soon see, I’ve created what I hope is an awesome outlet for all us.

– Dennis Chighisola

What’s Wrong With Amateur Hockey?

A big fan of social media, and especially appreciative of the options provided within Facebook, I’ve created a new “group” setting I’ve dubbed “What’s Wrong With Amateur Hockey?”  Here’s what I’ve said about it in the description:

“My hope is that we — hockey coaches, parents, players and I — can explore this topic with some seriousness. Chances are we’ll find it easy to list our complaints — and that will give us a good start. Maybe down the road, however, we’ll even arrive at better solutions than those currently entrusted with that job.”

In a way, I’m almost looking at that group as an extension of Coachchic.com, and here’s why…

Feedback is critical to me keeping a pulse on your hockey lives.  Sure I love to hear about your accomplishments or how the information here might have helped you or your player/s.  Still, I mainly deal with problems, or the things that aren’t going so well for you.  As you’ve likely heard me say numerous times here, “I see my job as a problem-solver.”

With that, here’s a link to that new group on Facebook…  What’s Wrong With Amateur Hockey?

If you’re on Facebook, just go to that page and ask to join the group.  I’ll be sure to get you in, as soon as I see the request.

The 1977-78 Hobomock Chiefs

Call it nostalgia that had me post this old and faded photo here, because it sure will be a good reason for me to smile each time I pass through…

The 1977-78 Hobomock Chiefs

If I’m not mistaken, that was taken during the Montreal North Tournament, perhaps one of the nicest and best run tournaments I’ve ever been involved with. 

Now, although I can recognize most of the guys (I did do a double-take seeing myself in the back there with the long hair and mustache), I’d love for passersby to help me identify everyone for sure. 

As importantly, I’d love to be reminded of the few guys who were with us but didn’t make it into this photo.  I know my son, Mike Chighisola, was out with a seriously cut finger, and I notice that a team captain and alternate are missing, as well as our other goaltender.

So, maybe anyone passing by could spread the word on this, and help to bring back a few more good memories. 

Especially, I would love it if each of the players (and coaches) would leave a message below and let me know how you’re doing.

Thanks for the memories, guys         

– Dennis Chighisola/
Coach Chic

PS:  I wouldn’t mind at all if other former Chiefs said hello, as well.  We’re all family in this wonderful game!

A New Argument In Hockey: Concerning “Play”

Over about two decades of writing hockey advice columns for a couple of hardcopy magazines, I used to say that my best work was done when I was really, really ticked.  I mean, every month or so something would really get under my skin and I just couldn’t wait to beat my keyboard to death.

Anyway, I’m going to take a deep breath right now, and see if I can use some of my ire to do the current topic some true justice.

– Dennis Chighisola

A New Argument In Hockey:  Concerning “Play” – Part 1

To begin, this topic isn’t new.  USA Hockey for the past few seasons has been encouraging their member hockey players to set their skates aside for the off-season months and to get out and play other sports.  They’ve also modified a popular soccer practice format of “small games” into what most of us now know as “cross-ice games”.  I know of a few who ascribe to the idea of lessening the amount of actual instruction at practices, the aim being to let players solve problems on their own.  And so have some others — especially ones with a dozen academic letters trailing their names — suggested something closer to totally unstructured practices.  Thus those quotation marks around the word “play”.

Just for the record, I was espousing the idea of kids playing several sports long before USA Hockey ever dreamed of it.  Even though USA Hockey had to have discovered it about the same time I did, I arrived home — in dawgone 1979 — with the old Soviets’ concept of breaking a year into four distinct seasons, and I’ve written here and elsewhere how North American kids could use their post-seasons and off-seasons to play and learn from other sports.  I’ve also pointed out in depth how the years of specialization in hockey proved to be a failed experiment.

Perhaps you’ll find it even more interesting — maybe even humorous — that I was using small area games in the early 1990′s…  Those in the New England area might remember me pulling my 4-wheeler onto a local ice surface trailering miniature boards that were the forerunners to today’s foam dividers.  Much like a pro arena’s “bull crew”, my staff and I would snap those boards together and split the ice into three sections.  The league I ran was for beginners, from about 5- to 7-years old, and it was done so that kids at that stage got to learn and play the game but never leave the ice for their hour long session.  In other words, a pair of lines from each team would travel together and rotate — playing a game in our mini-rink, working on skills in another area, and learning game playing skills (like lining up for face-offs or staying on-side) in the third area.  Again, the kids and their parents had the fun and excitement of a game, but the kids also remained on the ice for their total ice-time, while also learning some necessary skills.

I say all that to suggest that I’m not against all the supposedly new ideas that now circulate, and to even suggest that I pioneered at least some of them.  (Incidentally, one time while taking a break at a World Hockey Summit, I was introduced to a biggie from USA Hockey’s headquarters in Colorado Springs.  And when I sheepishly said, “I guess I kinda bash you guys once in awhile in my column,” he grinned and countered with, “Ya, I know.”  Ya, he knew, because guys at that level have always kept an eye on The Old Coach, and I’m guessing they knew all about the things I was doing — in the late-70′s, through the 80′s and 90′s, and so on.)

One other thing to know before I go further into my tear…  I am forever aware that what might be prescribed for one hockey age group might not be right for another.  So I keep an eye out to especially ensure that those who deal with young kids aren’t misled into following advice that doesn’t suit them.  One forum I’m involved in with Facebook is awesome, and it features a number of pretty knowledgeable hockey guys.  At the same time, there’s another in LinkedIn that seems to be a mixture — of good hockey people, some folks who are sincerely searching for help, a small handful of Johnny One Notes who are either talking to hear themselves talk — mainly hyping their product or service, and a few others who constantly  spout something they’ve taken out of context from someone who knew what he was talking about.

Just so you know, it’s the inexperienced coaches (or parents) I’m most concerned about as I browse those forums.  You see, an elite level coach might be telling readers or video viewers how he has to deal with the game, and his methods may or may not be appropriate for those working with younger levels.  And I have the same concerns when someone jumps into a forum and blabs about something that I know is self-serving, almost knowing that some inexperienced readers are going to take his drivel as gospel.

Okay, what really got me started on this entry was a very sincere question posed in a LinkedIn group, this by the dad of a Pee Wee who wondered if weekly dryland sessions were appropriate for that age group.  Somewhere in his short paragraph was the question of when dryland training was appropriate, as well as if there were any scientific studies published having to do with young kids lifting weights.  So, here’s what I wrote:

There are tons of great answers here, all with similar themes.

To be honest, though, I might have suggested “in the womb”, or close to it (for when so-called off-ice exercises should begin). I’m not suggesting sport specific training here, but humans are developing many of their most important physical tools — for play or work — right from birth, and the “windows of opportunity” are closing fast on various skills as he or she nears puberty.

For sure, playing a variety of sports can aid in a youngster’s physical development. However, since some can help far more than others, it seems a crap shoot to trust the development of necessary basic skills to just these.

That said, Tony, you might get an indication that I’d recommend different types of off-ice practices for all the different age groups, and this is so. It should make sense that the practices would vary drastically, according to the youngsters’ ages and their levels of physical development.

In other words, even the youngest kids in your program would benefit from the likes of games of tag, balancing activities, games that require tracking a ball, and rope skipping. Over the next age groups, some of those activities could be blended with a number of body weight exercises (like push-ups, sit-ups, etc).

Then, to answer your question more specifically, I would suggest that the Pee Wee ages are a bit young for real heavy work. At the same time, every human — youngest to oldsters — should have a strong core. I would kinda hope that the people in charge of designing the dryland program for your organization know their stuff. With that — and as I suggested earlier, training would be different for each age group, from Pee Wees to Bantams to Midgets.

PS: Yes, recent studies have shown that youngsters actually benefit from some strength training. These training sessions, however, would include mostly body weight exercises, or work with very little added resistance. (Personally, I have felt for a long time that youngsters should learn “how to lift” rather than actually deal with heavy weights.)

If reference to that PS, I wrote a while ago here about “Strength Training For Young Hockey Players“, if you’d care to know more.

Okay, though, did I sound self-serving in my answer to Tony?  I pray I didn’t.

However, a day or so later another guy added his opinion to the stream — ugh.  I know the guy, I even like the guy, and I respect his work.  At the same time, because he’s basically selling — and profiting from — a single point of view, he too often comes off as a Johnny One Note.  His One Note statement suggested that the kids not practice at all, but instead have only one coach present — for supervision, and that he or she just toss a ball out onto a field and let the kids play.  He ended with something to the effect that we shouldn’t turn the kids into robots, and that they need to play.

Now, I have to ask you…  Did that guy really answer Tony’s question with the same sincerity as it was posed?  Grrrrrr…

Moreover, picture something…  You and I have only one on-ice practice per week, and we think it would be a good idea to give the kids a little more for their money.  Our initial decision would be whether we’re going to hold an extra practice or not.  Again, it requires a simple — yes or no — answer.  I don’t know about you, but it would never cross my mind to go to all that bother, or to ask the team and their parents to come to something extra, if it was going to be the equivalent of the kids’ recess at school.  ???

In effect, the guy was trying to tell anyone who followed that stream that we shouldn’t practice at all, but just toss a ball out onto a field and leave the kids alone.

Luckily, knowing the guy, I can take him with a grain of salt.  I can also take what’s good from his beliefs while discarding something like the above.  My main concern, however, as I’ve intimated earlier, is for the guy or gal who might read his entry and take it for the God’s honest truth.  In other words, I fear they’re likely to run back home and bring nothing but a ball to practice, or hide the kid’s stick at home, and tell him to do something else.  And they’re not going to even know what impact that had on their kid’s game until the youngster has to go to a tryout sometime down the road.

Let me say that another way…  Hardly any of the choices you and I have to make are purely cut and dried, black or white, or all or nothing.  As I said already, that guy has some good ideas, but I’m suggesting that we’d be wrong if we based all our future practice planning on a single sentence or small paragraph of his.

Okay, I have a lot more I’d like to say on this subject, and it’s going to take about as much space as this piece.  So, I’m going to leave off here, call it Part 1, and start working on Part 2 for you.

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PS:  Although I usually save my best advice to be hidden in the members area, I think I’m going to leave this one free to anyone who would like a second opinion.  In fact, I want to go on record with these feelings, and I’m not worried about who gets to see them.  Phew (at least for now).

Studying The Most Skilled Hockey Players Of All-Time

We have fellow CoachChic.com member, Jerry Z, to thank for pointing us towards the videos below…  Thanks, Jerry!

– Dennis Chighisola

Studying The Most Skilled Hockey Players Of All-Time

My guess is that you or the young hockey players in your house have spent plenty of time on YouTube and other such sites, either searching for help, or just admiring the plays made by some of your favorite pros.  That, I’ll suggest, is a good thing to do, especially when it comes to developing young players.  Without a doubt, we can always learn by observing those guys; I know I surely do.

And that brings us to the two videos Jerry sent me.  I’ve actually posted these for two reasons, but let’s take them one at a time…

1)  Take a look — I think you or any hockey enthusiast in your house will enjoy them.  If nothing else, you have some great players to study and to perhaps emulate.

Here’s Part 1

Part 2 is next…

2) Okay, so what did you learn from seeing ten of the best hockey players who ever lived?  This isn’t a test — trust me.  However, rather than my usual interpreting things for you, I’d really like to see these guys through your eyes, or maybe even through your youngster’s eyes.

So, let’s begin a dialog, by using the Comment boxes below.  I’m really hoping that a bunch of us get involved, and do this thing together.

PS:  I’m going to keep this among members-only.

Coach Chic’s Hockey Secrets – Episode 2

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Dennis suggests that members will gain even more from each show by downloading the MP3 file and listening to it — while driving, working, walking, exercising or relaxing. Oftentimes — within “the theater to your mind”, you’ll find that even new ideas will come to you (it works that way for Coach Chic)! To listen to the show on-line, just click the arrow on the player below.

Right Click Here to Download

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Episode 2 — Show Notes: – Behind the scenes at “Coach Chic’s Hockey Secrets” – Hot Topic: Dealing with team water bottles – A different way to view penalties – The art and science of hockey training – The benefits of playing “off wing” – Tip: Taping the hockey stick blade

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Russian Hockey Skating Methods

I actually field this question a lot, probably because most folks know I studied in the old Soviet Union, and because I’ve been a Big Red Machine student for a good many years.

I think it’s also about time I explain better a statement I often refer to here, this by the late, great Anatoli Tarasov, about his not wanting to copy others for fear of being just second best.

With that, it’s always fun for me to talk about Russian hockey.

– Dennis Chighisola

Russian Hockey Skating Methods

I’m going to begin with that (as near as I can recall) quote by Tarasov, as in his suggestion that, “To copy someone else is to be second best.”  And I’m going to suggest that, The Father of Russian Hockey would clarify that for us if he was alive today, just by adding a phrase, “beyond a point”.  Ya, to copy someone else — beyond a point — would make one second best.

I’ve read a few times whereby certain NHL clubs have drafted a specific player in order to off-set a given divisional rival’s player who gave them fits.  Maybe, for instance, a big and skilled centerman has been dominating them for a few seasons, so they go out and select their own big guy in hopes of turning the tables.  Can you see the probability that the drafted player would be — at best, a shadow of the guy they’re trying to negate?  I mean, what’s the likelihood that anyone close to the original player is out there and available at that point in history?

I’ve also often thought about how I’d try to offset a team that dominated in a certain way.  In other words, I’m not sure I’d assemble my own team full of big guys to compete against a team that’s extremely physical, since there’s the likelihood of only being second best.  I’d probably instead try to take advantage of their slowness (or some other shortcoming) and try to make them match my team’s speed (or whatever).  I might do the same thing in reverse, as well, recruiting a physical squad to wear down a smaller, more skilled team.

Not that I’d actually do every one of those things; every situation is unique.  Still, I would look at each problem I face, put it to Tarasov’s litmus test, making sure I’m not just creating a near carbon copy of someone else, and almost guaranteeing that I’d come out second best.

Which brings me back to that phrase, “beyond a point”…  For, I know darn well that Tarasov came to North American and studied the Canadians.  That’s documented, and he’s said so.  How much he used from what he saw is something else.

I have to believe that he recorded every drill and every playing system he could.  He and most other USSR coaches were that thorough.  It’s just that Tarasov was adamant about one thing:  Canadian boys and Soviet boys are not the same.  They grow up differently– in vastly different societies, so not all North American training methods or playing tactics would work for his players.

In fact, Tarasov built a lot of his team’s initial playing style around soccer, a sport played as much by youngsters in the Soviet Union as baseball is played by kids in North America.  If you’ve seen videos of his earliest teams, you had to spot the soccer influence — with their regrouping, or their extra-extra patience in taking shots.

There was yet something else those wearing the CCCP had going for them back then that was drastically different from most free hockey playing nations, and that was science.  I mean, back in those times, every Soviet resource was available to their athletic programs, most likely because successful teams helped the government’s propaganda efforts.

Even though I know they weren’t showing us everything during my studies at the Moscow Institute for Sport and Physical Culture, I came home having discovered tons about plymetrics, building athleticism and enhancing sport specific strength.  Actually, it would be a good 15-years before much of what I’d learned would be known to other North American coaches.

Adding to that, I discovered the concept of over-speed training purely by accident — or without anyone wanting me to (if you want to see something interesting, read about that and see my video on “Over-speed Training“).

Something else I found interesting…  One day my interpreter brought me into the hockey office, and while we were shooting the bull, he asked if I’d like to see a printout of my biorhythms.  Hmmmmmm…  As I looked at the sheet, I smiled and said, “You guys use these to evaluate your players at given times, don’t you?”  Oh, he swore up and down that wasn’t so (I’m actually chuckling to myself right now, just picturing his face).  You can be the judge of his truthfulness.  However, knowing those old Soviets didn’t leave any stone unturned, I have my own beliefs.

With that all as our background, let’s get to that skating — as well as a little about the other basic skills…

You can be absolutely sure Tarasov (as well as his army of coaches and scientists) initially employed many of the skating drills they saw in Canada, as well as at various World Cup and Olympic tournaments.  And you can also be sure he acquired video footage of specific players.  Where that not-wanting-to-be-second-best thing came in was when Tarasov and his people took their training a whole lot further.

When it came to skating, they’d developed ways to help their players go faster, harder and longer than anyone else.  Ya, if there’s one thing all the Canadian coaches and players from the ’72 Showdown at the Summit series agreed upon, it’s that the Soviets were remarkable when it came to skating.

Of course, no one knew at the time that USSR scientists had developed a high level of off-ice training that could probably do more for their skaters than what others achieved on the ice.  There was the over-speed work — again unknown to most others — when it came to skating.  Also, at a time when few in North America believed in weight training for skilled athletes, the relatively small Soviet players were acquiring strength that would also amaze the ’72 Team Canada stars.  Then, there was their research and work on conditioning, that made it possible for Soviet skaters to play at a frantic tempo from the opening face-off to the very last shift of a game.

Oh, and talk about those guys getting a lot of government help…  I heard about (but never saw) a section of ice that was ramped so that the Soviet players were able to skate uphill.  I haven’t a clue how they made that, or how they maintained it, since water flows downhill.  For all I know, though, they could have had a hydraulic setup that allowed them to raise and lower the surface as needed.

As far as skating style goes, I can only give my relatively educated opinion…  And, in my eyes, the Soviets weren’t pretty at all.  What they were, however, was very, very efficient.

One thing I also noticed was that Soviet players seldom raised their skates up far from the ice.  Of course we know now that that’s one of the key components to fast and efficient skating.  (Actually, if you’ve never received my free video on “Skating Analysis“, you can watch it here, and also download a copy to keep — there’s a link at the top of the page for the download).

Then, just as a wrap-up, why not quickly get into the Soviets’ other basic skills…

I don’t think Tarasov was ever content with his players in the area of puckhandling, although you wouldn’t know it from the current crop of Russian stars gracing the NHL.  From a personal perspective, I think the old Soviet coaches were doing the right things as far as skill development went, but it’s probably the one area where the players’ upbringing might have sabotaged a skill.  I mean, the Communistic way of life discouraged individualism, and that may have prevented their taking on the “stickhandler’s mentality” I talk so much about within this site.

As for passing, now that was right up the Soviets’ alley…  As I suggested earlier, soccer very much influenced the development of their hockey strategies, and that also held true in their emphasis on the passing game.  Actually, they were dazzling at times, and as patient as could be at others.

When is came to shooting, it’s perhaps ironic that I just finished reading Harry Sinden’s rendition of that Showdown at the Summit.  (For younger members, you might need to know that the former Boston Bruins’ coach and GM was in charge of the whole show for Team Canada, from picking the roster to coaching.)  And, while Sinden wrote in his book that he was extremely impressed with the Russians’ skills, he said the exception was their shooting.  If you want my opinion, though, Harry was talking into a recorder each night as the series was going along, so those were his immediate — 1972 — impressions.  I suspect some of his opinions would change today, with a better understanding of what the Russians were really doing…

As far as the shooting goes, Sinden felt that they didn’t put the puck on net enough — of course, that’s the Canadian or North American mentality (“Shoot the dawgone puck!”).   Little did he know at the time that the Soviets’ patience was by design.  In fact, I’ve read that it often drove the Canadian players crazy that the Soviets wouldn’t shoot the puck, but instead waited for yet better scoring opportunities.

Sinden also said that the Russian pointmen didn’t shoot the puck well.  Hmmmmmm…  I’m sure that’s possible.  Still, could it be that they knew then what we in North America know now — that million mile per hour shots are NOT the secret to point shooting after all?  (For more on this topic, see my article on “Improving A Defensemen’s Point Shots“.)

Before finishing, I just wanted to add a few more things…

Although I’ve often mentioned the government resources afforded the Soviet sport teams, and especially ones that were as popular and successful as their hockey program, the country was very poor and lacking in so many things.  The resources their hockey team was usually afforded were in the form of scientific help, while most of their equipment and facilities tended to be pretty old and worn.  And they had fewer indoor ice facilities in the entire USSR than could be found within most regions of the United States or Canada (thus their need to create off-ice programs).  My point, though, I guess, is that the best science in the world can beat you, while a new gym mat or a sparkling new barbell set generally won’t.

Lastly, if you came to this article looking for a magic bullet or a secret drill, I hope you’re not disappointed.  I’m hoping that a better understanding of Tarasov’s thinking will help you more than anything.  I do want to leave you with one good drill, though, and this one I created with the Soviet style of skating very much in mind…

Picture if you will a 5-man unit of my NEHI High School Prep guys heading out on to the ice for a 30-second mock shift.  In other words, the five guys are heading over the boards and they’re going to move around the ice at a pretty good pace for about 30-seconds — no pucks or any other distractions, but just skating their typical game-line patterns.

Next, picture that I ask that group to skate the same patterns and at the same speed, but not pick up their skates.  Oh, trust me:   that it’s do-able, and that most players of the caliber I had could do it without a problem.

From a logistical standpoint, I arranged my guys in three 5-man units so that they could rotate through as normal lines would, so that they’d have plenty of open ice to use, and so that they’d get the proper work:rest ratio.

Now, if a coach is able to try this with his or her players, I think a couple of things become evident in short order…  First, it’s actually do-able, as I said just above.  Secondly, it doesn’t take long for most of the skaters to do just about every skating maneuver without lifting their skates very high — including cross-overs.  Third, I think you’re going to recognize an economy of movements.  Fourth, eventually let the players know that it’s permissible to pick their blades up just slightly when the need arises — the point, really, is for them to ultimately move and keep the skates low most of the time.  Fifth, I think you will start to notice that a lot of players actually gain better lateral mobility as they perform this way, and they’ll tend to be better toward their weak side, probably because they’re working from a fairly stable stance; they’ll also be beaten a lot less as they approach an enemy puckcarrier, because they’re ready to react quicker in either direction.

As with my pretty famous “Toe-drags” Drill (explained and demonstrated in the Skating Analysis video), the idea isn’t to have the players keep their blades on the ice all the time during a game.  No, what you’ll discover is that they’ll ultimately be able to perform nearly every skating maneuver while keeping the feet rather close to the ice.

Something New for CoachChic.com

As members will come to realize, I laugh at myself plenty.  Actually, I’ve always said that was a common trait among my many students who went on to play in the NHL or other elite levels.  Hopefully (and I actually know) it serves me well in all that I do — in hockey, in business, and in my personal life.

I say that because I was probably the least techie guy you’d have ever met some 20-ish years ago.  As I’ve written often, a good hockey friend (Roland Lacey of MediaRight Technologies) and some members of the MIT Women’s Hockey Team dragged me kicking and screaming onto the Internet.

Rolly Lacey is the one who really did it for me, though, and he actually built this site (and it’s forerunner) probably a dozen years back.  You should have seen my face, though, the day Rolly told me that this site was almost complete, but that his own work was becoming so demanding that he’d have to “turn over the keys” to me.  Gulp!  (No, I’ll never forget those words, about his turning over the keys to me!) 

Miracles of miracles…  I’ve done okay for myself in catching up, as Rolly said I would.  And I’ve even gradually dared try some new things within CoachChic.com.  I’ve also more recently gotten to discover more about the guts to WordPress, or the inner workings of this site, thanks to my social media friend, Mike Mahony.

No fault of his, Rolly could only take care of those things that were needed to run a pretty darn good membership site.  Still, I’ve just started discovering yet some other things — beyond the real essentials — that can help make CoachChic.com work all the better. 

Until just recently, I never knew that new members could receive anything more than a thank you note when they joined.  Forever, though, I’d wished that first-time members could be advised on how things should really work here, and I especially wanted them — or you — to know how to get the absolute most — from this site, and from me.  Soooooo… 

What I just discovered is a way to henceforth have a Welcome Letter delivered to each new member upon signup.  If there’s a problem, long time members never received an introduction to the way things should work, or advice for getting the absolute most from their membership.

With that, I hope everyone (including non-members) will click the following link and scan that new Welcome Letter.

– Dennis Chighisola

PS:  Don’t forget to tell me if you use either a smartphone or a computer to view this site.

Computer versus Smart Phone

Okay, don’t you dare laugh at The Old Coach on this one!    Yes, despite the fact that I can do some things on a computer that would challenge most average folks, I must admit the following… 

You see, I’ve never had cause to own a smart phone (nor have I really wanted one).  Over recent years, I’ve either been working at a rink, driving to or from a rink, or close by my trusty laptop.  Truly, there was just never a reason for me to have something bulky in my warm-up suit pocket or on a team bench (and, hey, I am kinda dedicated to the job when I’m at the rink). 

Oh, I promise to get up to speed on that device pretty shortly.  However, in the meantime, I’m hoping you can help me with something.  Initially, just your answer to the following will help me — a lot:

– Dennis Chighisola

Lastly, although just those answers should really help, that poll’s structure doesn’t allow me to gain an even deeper understanding of your experiences here on the site.  So, should you have more to share, I’d love to hear from you in a comment box below.   The only way I can make things better for you is to get a better understanding of your difficulties or the way you view CoachChic.com.

Late Addition:  It’s become apparent that few view this site on their phones.  My problem now, is wondering if that is by choice or because it’s too difficult to negotiate or to enjoy all the site’s benefits from your phone.  So, I’m adding a second question…

What Makes a Good Hockey Defenseman?

If you oversee the development of a young defenseman, I suggest you pay close attention to this article.  For, while I’m probably going to tell you some things you already know, I suspect I’m also going to surprise you some.  In the end, however, I think it’ll all make sense to you.  That’s my way, you know, explaining things in a common sense way.

Oh, and by the way…  Although I can’t recall ever playing a shift on defense, my many years of coaching caused me to focus more in that area than any other, and I sense I’d be comfortable teaching that position to pros. 

Moreover, many years ago, I found myself helping an NHL scout.  And, in particular, we spent some time together studying video and analyzing the play of several free agent “D”.  So, some of my impressions from that experience were lasting, and they very much influenced many of the things I’ll share below with you.

– Dennis Chighisola

What Makes a Good Hockey Defenseman?

I have a feeling that the habit of slotting the biggest and slowest youth hockey kids on defense has finally died — or at least I hope it has.  Sure, size can be helpful to a D-man, but a good one definitely can’t be slow afoot or one of those can’t-get-out-of-his-own-way types.  Naw, far from it.

That’s why skating is high on my list of needs when it comes to patrolling the blue line well.  As a matter of fact, I think the modern day defenseman should be able to skate as well forward — or with the same mobility — as the once traditional centerman would.  Of course, because we’re talking about defensemen here, you want to know about backward skating, right?  Well…

Many years ago the Czechs did a study to determine how much time defensemen actually spend skating backwards.  And, while I can’t recall the percentage of time they arrived at, it was for far less time than most casual hockey followers would believe.

Does that mean backwards skating isn’t important to a blueliner’s game?  Not in a long shot.  For, while it’s true the “D” don’t skate backwards as much as most folks think, anytime they are skating backwards means the bad guys are coming and the play is likely to be critical.

Then, while I’d like to see D-men have that forward skating mobility I mentioned earlier, I wouldn’t mind if they lugged the puck on some attacks with good speed and even some reckless abandon.  In a way, I see the modern game requiring all five skaters to be good on defense and good on the attack.

On the other hand, a backward skating defenseman has to be under control at all times.  He should have quick feet — or be agile, and really good at lateral movements.  All those movements need to be under control, though, because one false, out of control movement is all a smart attacker needs to leave him in the dust.

Oh, and while we’re on the subject of backward skating, I’m going to suggest that backward speed isn’t as necessary as some might believe.  Oh, a defenseman has to be quick off the line, or quick transitioning from forward to backward.  However,  I’ve yet to see a “D” need to have a footrace with an attacker while skating backward.  Instead, it’s necessary for him to get off the mark, jump to the right positioning, and then hold the right positioning for the rest of the play.

And that last sentence also points to the need for a defenseman to be smart.  All the skills in the world won’t help him if he can’t play under control and play situations — like 1 on 1′s and 2 on 1′s — rightly.  Smart defensemen also gradually gather all sorts of little tricks they can use when dealing with attackers, including clever uses of their sticks.

Now, I wouldn’t want to encourage developmental aged blueliners to skip their skill work just to play with smarts.  However, you’re probably aware of some aging pro athletes who were able to extend their playing careers due to smarter positioning.  Middle infielders in baseball can sometimes play longer despite losing their lateral range, and so have a number of pro defensemen lengthened their playing days even though their feet may have slowed.

Then, while I said earlier that it helps if a blueliner has good size, I’m going to suggest that there have been plenty of effective players at that position who were average in size, at best.  What I think a top defenseman needs is strength on his skates, or strength in dealing with opposing attackers.  That can be true in open ice, along the boards, and certainly in the slot-area.

Okay, having pretty much covered skating and the defensive side of their game, I think another major surprise to some readers is that I place puckhandling as the Number Two skill when it comes to top notch D-men.  (That’s also the case in my Building Blocks Approach to Skills.)  Actually, I might place puckhandling and passing in a tie, but good passing isn’t ever going to happen unless good puckhandling is accomplished first.

Just as I mentioned earlier — about backward skating being super-critical to his play, so is the handling of a puck in the defensemen’s defensive end.  In most instances, a “D” picks up a puck under heavy pressure from enemy forecheckers.  And, while it’s important that he protects the puck in that area of the rink, he also has to handle it with his eyes up so as to be able to locate nearby friends and foe.  Again, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of this play (even though I suspect a great many youth parents and coaches give it little thought).  (For some of the fundamental moves a “D” might have to make under such conditions, see my video about “Basic Breakouts“.)

Most readers have probably heard mention of the all important “first pass” in the defensive zone.  Trust me, that I hammered away about that with my former high school and college players, and I guarantee you that every high level coach does the same.  Let’s face it:  a team is not going to be very successful unless the first pass regularly connects and starts a team moving out of its own zone and away from its own net.

It’s been my observation that a number of future Hall of Fame defensemen weren’t all that great at defending against rushes.  I don’t mean they weren’t good at it, but that’s not what got them recognized.  No, when they were on the ice the puck was almost always safe and usually headed towards the opponents’ end.  I mean, any puck they got their stick on was gathered in quickly, and just as quickly relayed to a breaking teammate up-ice.

Of course, every young “D” wants to have a million mile an hour shot from the point.  And, while a strong shot from out there can be helpful, I’m going to suggest it’s even more important for pointmen to have what I refer to as “sweet shots”.

In truth, any player shooting from above the tops of the face-off circles should not be attempting to score.  If it happens, fine.  However, that should not be the point shooter’s objective.  No, shots from that far out should be placed into a screen, deflected, or bounced off the netminder for a rebound score.

And that’s kinda where my idea of the sweet shot comes into play.  First, there’s not always a lot of time to handle the puck and then get a full windup into the shot.  Secondly, a wilder swing too often results in a wilder shot and a missed net.  So I (and most higher level coaches) would prefer to see shots that get to the net — aimed towards the net’s middle post, with decent velocity, and on or near the ice.  Sweet, as I like to call it, and something that makes it easy for the forwards up front to do their thing.

Lastly, I could probably write a book on this subject — about what makes a good hockey defenseman.  Still, if a defender comes even close to executing the things I’ve described here, I’m going to suggest that future coaches are going to love him.  To be honest, I believe a 10-year old, a 12-year old or a 15-year old could be helped to possess many of the traits I’ve noted.  As a matter of fact, I’ve seen plenty — as young as 8- or 9-years old — with most of these skills.

PS:  Oh, and those involved with the more advanced levels of our game ought to check out the recent article, “Improving A Defenseman’s Point Shots“.

Coach Chic’s Hockey Secrets – Episode 1

with your host — Dennis Chighisola

The show that offers you insight, tips, tricks and shortcuts to superior hockey play!

Coach Chic’s Hockey Secrets first aired in October of 2007, as a standalone on-line radio program (or podcast) offering serious hockey parents, coaches and players great insight, tips, tricks and shortcuts to superior hockey play.  In March of 2009, this radio show became a special addition to the CoachChic.com membership site.  Only for the sake of revamping this site was the show briefly removed.  Henceforth — as of January of 2013, all the past episodes will be reintroduced, and then new shows will be produced right on their heels.

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Dennis suggests that members will gain even more from each show by downloading the MP3 file and listening to it — while driving, working, walking, exercising or relaxing.  Oftentimes — within “the theater to your mind”, you’ll find that even new ideas will come to you (it works that way for Coach Chic)!  To listen to the show on-line, just click the arrow on the player below.

Right Click Here to Download

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Episode 1 — Show Notes: – Hot Topic: Adapting to new rule interpretations – Promises for “Coach Chic’s Hockey Secrets” – Observations at a tennis tournament – Gap control in the defenseman’s 1 on 1 – Tip: Taping the butt-end of a hockey stick

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More on the Science of Hockey

I needled some of my coaching counterparts over on Facebook earlier today, suggesting that too many coaches allow themselves to become trapped in the mundane activities of supervising their teams.  Oh, I know there’s plenty to be done running high level programs, but my personal feeling is that space must also be made in each day to explore new ideas.  Said yet another way, I think coaches are doing their players a disservice by remaining stuck on 20-year old drills or teaching methods.

Anyway, what got me going this morning was an Internet article entitled “Partnership puts Rox at forefront of training science“.  As you’ll discover, it’s about MLB’s Colorado Rockies and a fairly new idea aimed at helping top flight athletes.

– Dennis Chighisola

More on the Science of Hockey

As the article begins…

“When the Rockies arrive in Scottsdale, Ariz., for Spring Training, they’ll see what look like several doormats in their spacious and modern exercise room.

Well, they’re much more. They’re state-of-the-art tools that the Rockies hope will help them rise from the floor of the National League West and into playoff contention in 2013.”

I urge you to take the above link and read that article.  In a nutshell, however, what I’ve discovered — from that article and from further investigation — is that a lot can be gained by studying the forces generated into those mats by each individual player, and then comparing those readings to massive base data.

I was able to chase down the following video, which gives at least a little background information on the new technology…

Before going further, here’s yet another video, this a newscast explaining the sudden turnaround of young NBA star, Jeremy Lin…

Now, none of this is meant to suggest that I’m going to go out and buy that gadget or that service for my next Junior team, or that any of you will have access to it for your Mites or Atoms or Bantams.  Still, I always find it beneficial to be aware of such stuff, and I also like to sorta read (or listen) between the lines.  And, unlike those I teased over on Facebook — about not looking outside the proverbial box, I’d like you to get in the habit of reading between those lines, too.

One thing that jumped right out at me was that new program’s ability to foresee injuries.  That is not only going to help advanced level teams with keeping their current rosters healthy, but it will also ultimately allow them to better study players in their minor league system, as well as evaluate potential draft picks.

Somewhere in all I read or learned from videos was the fact that past injury predictions were based on visual assessments, and this is so.  Actually, many years ago I took a weekend long course with the Massachusetts Chiropractors Association, and much of their presentation involved just that.  I mean, we watched countless athletes — garbed in only shorts and t-shirts — just walk a straight line, towards and away from a camera, and from both side views.  And in nearly every case, we could see with the naked eye each athlete’s weaknesses.

My guess:  most of you who work with older players could do much the same.

Of course, we all work with different levels, and within different circumstances.  However, yet another thing that jumped out at me was the need to view each athlete as an individual.  I know, I know…  You just dismissed that — because it’s obvious, right?  Well, if it’s so obvious, why is it that most of us conduct generic type workouts where every one of our players does the exact same exercises?  Hmmmmmm…

I’m not (necessarily) suggesting that Mites and Squirts be given separate training routines.  However, having spent the past few years either working with older players or with teams totally owned by me, I could take the time to study each player as an individual, and I could prescribe special exercises for each guy.  In fact, if I was still running a Junior team, I’d be doing those kids a huge disservice by NOT designing separate, long term routines that would have them become more and more appealing to college recruiters or pro scouts.

Think about what I’m saying here…  I have a guy for an entire season — like from mid-summer until the early-spring.  And that’s plenty of time to bring about some major changes in him — from academics to hockey skills to physical qualities to hockey smarts.  As most members know, I view things in that manner.  However, just imagine the opportunities lost for players who aren’t guided in such a way.

Lastly, all I really want my members to get from this entry is the understanding that science is continuously evolving.  Your current coaching (or parenting) circumstances might not allow you to take advantage of every new idea you come across, but I firmly believe you ARE better off just knowing it exists.  In fact, I think you jumped far ahead of others you’ll see at the rinks this weekend, solely because you are aware of what’s happening at elite levels.

When New Players Join a Hockey Team at Mid-season

Ugh…  One of our members asked me about the above, and I cringed a little, mainly because I’ve been there, too.  For sure, it can be unsettling, but let’s see how I do addressing it.

– Dennis Chighisola

When New Players Join a Hockey Team at Mid-season

Just so readers know, a fellow member who coaches a young Mite team out in the southwest wrote me recently with the above problem.  But, let’s allow him to tell that story…

“The gold division is made up of teams that were selected to be the best teams from each facility.  The silver division was teams from all of the rinks that were intended to be evenly matched by balancing talent among them (our home rink had 1 gold and 5 silver teams).  After 7 weeks of play, the 6 weakest teams from all the rinks became the bronze division.  Two teams from the gold were not competitive and dropped to silver.  Our team was winning by an average of 15 or so points.  We thought there was a chance to move us up to gold but we stayed put in silver and continue to play teams we have already beat.  Our first challenge came last week when we faced one of the previous gold teams.  We won that game as well but it was much closer (4-3).

Now to my issue – we heard yesterday that we are getting 2 new players…  Those players are 4-5 year olds moving up from the mini-mite development program.  Our concern is that these kids just aren’t going to get the touches they need to develop in moving to a team at our level a bronze team makes more sense.  We also already have 11 skaters – moving to 13 limits ice time and touches for everyone, as everyone will continue to get equal shifts. Unfortunately I think our success as coaches is what has put us in this position…

Any suggestions as to how to address this with the hockey director?  I don’t think he is likely to go with the reasoning that their skills are more suited to a bronze level of play…  One of the new players was on the ice during our scrimmage yesterday and looked like a deer in the headlights.  When I tried to explain some things to him about where to line up he just couldn’t understand – at least he was able to say “coach, I don’t understand.”  I am just not sure a 4 year old is ready for the level we are at,  we struggle with the 5 year old as it is.”

Before our friend ended, he expressed a concern about the new kids also disrupting the chemistry his team has developed to this point in the season.  So…

As I said in the intro, I’ve been there a few times before.  And at least in my head — without expressing it to anyone else, my feelings were pretty close to what this coach just described.  Not that killing other teams by really lopsided scores should be our aim.  Still, we coaches (and kids) work so hard to get to a given level of play, and then all of a sudden the powers that be want to upset our little apple cart?  (The way it happened to me, more often than not, was that I lost good players to promotions about this time of year, thus sending me and the rest of the team back to Square One.)

Before going on, I have a sneaking suspicion something else might be playing on this new development, as well.  I mean, the fact that a team that was blowing away every opponent didn’t get moved up really makes me wonder.  So, is it possible that upset a few of the wrong people?  Could be.  Or, is it even possible the folks who run the league knew the team would be weakened in due time?  Hmmmmmm…

Okay, so let me switch caps for a few secs, and look at things from the other side…  Everyone in an organization should be working for the common good, and I can see it being beneficial to the program to promote some deserving young players.  I can also see the chance that our fellow CoachChic.com member has earned some respect for his ability to work with his kids, and that might be a very positive reason why the hockey director and the parents of the new players want those little ones joining him.

Then, while there might not be much of anything up above to sink ones teeth into, there’s one more part of all this that bothers me from a teaching/coaching perspective…

I don’t care who he or she is, the best coach in the world can’t do anything other than to teach to the middle of his or her group.  If there’s a problem with that, someone loses out when the players’ skills are far apart, and it’s even worse, I’ll suggest, when their attention spans and comprehension levels run the gamut.  The ones hurt the most are usually the kids at the two extremes…  Sometimes the drills are slowed for the sake of the lesser players, which hurts the more advanced ones; and usually the drills that challenge the better players leave the lesser ones in the dust.

Lastly, I’m really not sure what to suggest here.  There’s quite obviously a lot wrong with what’s transpired.  I guess what I’m not sure about is whether this is the kind of situation that calls for a confrontation or taking a stand.  Part of the reason I say that is because two really young ones were maybe promoted too hastily — through no fault of their own, yet they’re in line to suffer some disappointment if things are reversed.

With that, I’d love to hear from other members, to see if they have any different feelings.

PS:  Just before I pushed the Publish button on this one, it struck me that one small help in all this is to see if an assistant coach might become responsible just for the team’s youngest kids — I mean, sticking right with them, and helping them when they trail the older players.  It could be a current assistant, someone new added to the staff, or even the guy who might take over those kids as their head coach next season (he might like getting a head start with them).

Three Movement Constants

My friend, Jason Price, a fellow Bridgewater State College Phys Ed alumn, just happened to publish this article for his Athletes Equation members, and I thought it contained some awesome information for our hockey members.  True, Jason’s message is aimed more towards athletes in general, and even the general population.  However, I can tell you right now, that a hockey player isn’t going to move quickly, strongly or efficiently without needing to deal with these “three movement constants”.

– Dennis Chighisola

Jason Price– MS, CSCS, ATC, LAT, CPT, USAW Club Coach

Athletes Equation

jason.price@athletesequation.com

Three Movement Constants

Effective movement is based on the interaction between three movement constants.  They are the ground, gravity and the body.  Any movement we do except for swimming (just replace ground with water) is based on the interaction of these three things.  But, these three things can also be what disrupts movement.

First lets look at the ground.  Our body is designed to generate force by using our limbs as levers and to absorb the force of contacting the ground.  Our body is designed to absorb the force of contact with the ground and then return that energy to us for power to create movement.  I wish it was that easy.  Ineffective movement patterns can create an environment where the ground wins.  You see all too often with athletes, active people and non-active people, where the ground wins.  How do you know the ground is winning?  Stress fractures, overuse knee syndromes, foot dysfunction, non-contact knee and ankle ligament injuries, among other things.  Being able to efficiently absorb force and generate force from the ground is fundamental to efficient movement.

The second way movement is disrupted is by Gravity.  This may not make sense to you because gravity is always there.  But, Gravity will win if we let it.  Our body has what I like to call anti-gravity musculature.  This group of muscles’ responsibility is to keep us erect and upright.  They maintain our posture and help maintain our body as a functional powerful machine.  Signs that gravity is winning are poor posture, stooping over when picking things up.  Gravity will treat everything the same; no body gets special treatment.  Those with good posture will move much better and with greater ease than those with poor posture.  That is just a simple fact.

The final way movement is disrupted is by our own body.  Ever see a new born calf try to walk?  It can’t get out of its own way.  But, unlike humans, cows are built with an instinct to walk on the day they are born.  Their body adapts quickly to this instinct, and within hours the calf is walking like a champ.  Well, humans are highly adaptable too.  Most everyone who lives in New England knows the story of Tedy Brushci and his stroke.  He went from visual and movement impairments to playing in the NFL in less than 8 months!  Now that is adaptability.  But, adaptability can be good and bad.  We can adapt to poor movement just as easily as we can to good moment.  I am willing to bet that most people who open this post will have some recognizable tightness or weakness in their body.  Those are poor adaptations.  The purpose of a good strength and fitness training program is to create positive adaptations.

Yours in Strength & Health,

Jason Price

Owner

Athletes Equation/Fitness Equation

Jason recommends a Function Moment Screen.  As he suggests, being screened and having an individualized program created just for the individual to improve moment will help him or her become more effective, move with more ease, and waste less energy.

Those who live in Southeaster Massachusetts and Rhode Island should know that Athletes Equation/Fitness Equation will be hosting a Corrective Exercise workshop on December 23rd (2012) at 1pm.  This workshop will provide participants with a functional movement screening and corrective exercise plan.  Cost of this program is $49 with spots being limited.

To sign up CLICK HERE.

Assistant Hockey Coaches

This topic of discussion began via a whole bunch of message exchanges over on Facebook (more on that in a few secs).  However, while my conversation was with a head coach, and it concerned dealing with an assistant coach, I’m going to suggest that the ideas presented below have as much to do with any support staff who might be connected with a hockey team.

– Dennis Chighisola

Assistant Hockey Coaches

I felt badly for the young head coach as he shared the latest circumstances involving his team.

Up front, my friend is an experienced coach with quite a few years on the job, and he’s also formally educated in our line of work.  I mention that last part to suggest that he knows what a professional is supposed to act like, even if he is currently in a volunteer coaching position.  If there’s a reason he occasionally bounces some ideas or some problems off me, it’s probably because he figures I’ve been through the hockey wars a little longer than he.

With that, his latest question was a lot more serious than some of the philosophical conversations we’ve had over the past year plus.  What troubled him was that he felt an assistant coach with his Pee Wee team was undermining him.  More specifically, my friend knows the value of keeping things positive with his kids, and he’s caught that assistant coach far too many times demeaning the players and swaying their emotions in a totally different direction.

The young head coach started the conversation by asking if I’d ever had the need to fire an assistant.  My answer, “Yes, I have.”  I went on to explain that I chose to let a paid assistant go one time years ago, but his problems had more to do with his lack of motivation than him actually undermining me.  The fact that my friend was talking about a volunteer position had little to do with his current circumstances, but a whole lot more to do with something needing to be done right now-ish.

I’m kinda hoping that you’ve been thinking all along what you might do under such conditions.

As for me, I advised my friend to have a talk with that assistant, and to lay everything on the line.  From my perspective, the assistant should know that it’s an either/or:  either he changes his ways immediately, or he’ll be asked to leave.

The young head coach and I went back and forth through another eight or ten messages, I think finally agreeing that he should sleep on it all (that usually works for me).

Now, here’s the real problem, at least as I see it…  When anyone takes the top position anywhere, it’s their name on the line — or their reputation that could get muddied, and it’s their neck in the noose.

That’s my reason for long ago adopting as my own motto something I first heard from former Maple Leafs coach, Punch Imlach, in that, “I’d rather be shot for a lion than a lamb.”

Ya, and that goes right back to it being my (or Imlach’s) name on the line.  Sure, lots of people have other ideas on how to do something, and some of those ideas might even be worthwhile.  If there’s a difference, those with other ideas aren’t always willing to put their own necks in the noose.  In fact, while those types might have an abundance of ideas, you can almost be sure they don’t want to accept responsibility for anything.  No, it’s someone like my friend — a head coach — who will either be embarrassed or fired when things don’t work out.

Well, tonight — a couple of nights after we’d first talked on the subject, my friend messaged me to say he’d asked the guy to step aside.  I got the feeling there wasn’t a meeting at all, but that the young head coach had just decided that was the best way to handle things.

To be honest — and despite the fact that I’d suggested a meeting before going further, I really do agree with the way he handled things.  Why?  It’s because leopards seldom change their spots.  In other words, that guy wasn’t likely to change his attitude towards the kids, no matter how many times he promised to do so.  That he lacked the kind of attitude to work with kids is most likely just the way he is.

The rest of the follow up from my friend almost sounded like a humongous sigh of relief, as he told me how upbeat his kids were in their first game with the assistant gone.  It almost reminded me of the old joke, “That guy can light up a room, by leaving it, I mean!”

Now, there’s the chance that more hockey parents and folks in other support positions are reading this than assistant coaches.  If that’s the case, I’d like to at least suggest that the same thing can go wrong in numerous relationships surrounding a hockey team.  As I’ve mentioned so many times already, there’s usually only one person with their name on the line or their neck in a noose.  And, like it or not, he or she deserves the final say on anything and everything.  Offer suggestions, of course, if you’re in a support position.  However, if you want the last word, it would be fairer if you go on record or become responsible for the final outcome.

Hockey Help Wanted

Let hockey folks know their services are needed!

 

If you have a hockey related position available in your organization, please use a comment box below to explain.  Also be sure that your post includes all of the following:

• List the position title, including the level of play if that’s applicable.

• List just a brief outline of duties necessary to that position.

• Note whether this is a paid position or whether it involves volunteering ones time.

• Note the starting date (month and year) that position must be filled.

• Note the location of this position, as well as whether travel is involved.

• Include minimum requirements for a successful applicant.

• Please advise applicants on a way for them to contact you.

• Your posting must include a valid email address (a telephone number is optional).

This should be just a cursory posting announcing the basics.  It’s presumed a thorough investigation into an applicant’s qualifications will be carried out after initial contact.

All comments must be approved prior to posting.  So, please allow one day between submission and its appearance here on the site.  If there are problems within your posting, we’ll need your email address to clarify matters.

We reserve the right to change the above conditions at any time.  We also reserve the right to screen job listings for anything that might be offensive or illegal.  We further reserve the right to bar advertisements, information or applications from obvious CoachChic.com competitors.

Click here to see a listing of hockey people who have already expressed interest in a specific position.

Good luck…

I’m Available!

Let hockey folks know you’re services are available!

 

If you have hockey related skills you’d like to make available to those in need of such services, please use a comment box below.  You may post in a short story form, but be sure that post includes all of the following:

• List the position you’re interested in, including the level of play if that’s applicable.

• Note whether you’re seeking a paid position or you’re willing to work as a volunteer.

• Note your available starting date (month and year)

• Note the location you’d like to work, as well as how far you’d be willing to travel.

• Include just a few experiences/accomplishments that might interest a potential employer.

• Your posting must include at least your first name and last initial.

• Your posting must include a valid email address (a telephone number is optional).

This should be just a cursory posting, letting others know the basics.  It’s presumed you have a complete resume ready to be submitted upon request.

All comments must be approved prior to posting.  So, please allow one day between submission and its appearance here on the site.  If there are problems within your posting, we’ll need your email address to clarify matters.

We reserve the right to change the above conditions at any time.  We also reserve the right to screen applicants for anything that might be offensive or illegal.  We further reserve the right to bar advertisements, information or applications from obvious CoachChic.com competitors.

Click here for a listing of organizations that may have already posted a position suitable to you.

Good luck…

New Changes Coming!

Don’t panic, CoachChic.com members, if this home page starts looking a little different. 

In the start, some categories might disappear.  However, trust me, that they’re not gone, but just being redone and reorganized.

The reason for the changes?  There are a few VERY exciting NEW categories coming!

Should I let you in on those new categories?  Hmmmmmmmm… 

Aaaaaw, what the heck…

• For starters, I’ve received a lot of contacts from coaches (and other hockey personnel) who are looking for jobs.  I’ve also had more than a few organizations asking me if I know of any good people who might fill key roles in their programs.  So, one new category is going to be something on the order of a “Hockey Job Fair”.

• My duties over the past months have also changed considerably, ever since I moved to Florida to assume the GM/coaching reins for a Junior hockey organization.  Oh, the league I came to ultimately folded, but I’ve hardly missed a stroke, working behind the scenes to help my son with his Junior team, especially in the area of scouting and helping him recruit new players.  Over that time, I’ve seen some unique needs arise — for players at that level, for those who run teams at that level, as well as for those who recruit from that level for their college or minor pro teams.  So, look for a new section here aimed mainly at helping those involved in Junior hockey.  

Knowing all that, I’m hoping current members and those passing through will spread the word.  If all goes according to plan, I’ll have the new stuff in place within a day or two.

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey Flow Drills (or not?)

Truth be known, I love so-called “flow drills”.  But…

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey Flow Drills (or not?)

Personally, I have a fairly good collection of flow drills I can fall back on, and I’m always looking for new ones. (Actually, what caused me to write this piece is my just having found another pretty decent one.)  So I want you to know that I basically love using such drills — at times.  And it’s the times I’ll use them that may separate me from a lot of other coaches.

As an aside…  I’ve done some bashing of Florida youth hockey since arriving down here this spring, and having since had an opportunity to observe some local games and practices.  (Sorry ’bout that.)

No offense intended, but my pretty educated guess is that local youth hockey is just going through the normal growing pains.  I’m sure some coaches down here already “get it”, while it’ll probably take another generation or two for a lot of good coaches to emerge.

As for the getting it part…  I’m going to suggest that a typical practice should be about coaches teaching and players solving problems, with the players becoming more and more skilled and smarter as time goes along.

Of course, I took that aside so that I might emphasize practice planning and drill design as two major steps towards getting the right things done.  What I’ve mentioned elsewhere within these pages is that too many youth coaches resort to drills that look good but have little value when it comes to their players’ true development.

Ah, yes, true development…  Let’s get one thing out of the way this very second…

A player IS going to get better on a steady diet of fancy flow drills.  I mean, an hour of decently paced skating does a player some good, as does the chance to do some stickhandling, passing, receiving, shooting, defending, whatever.  If you think along with me here, though, there’s probably not a lot going on that couldn’t be done on ones own, out on a pond, wherever.

What I’m getting at — when it comes to drill selection — is that there’s more to skill development and the development of hockey smarts than just moving through fancy patterns for a solid hour. Or, paraphrasing an old adage, “Never confuse activity with accomplishment.”  Again, just buzzing around and doing a whole bunch of “things” doesn’t necessarily mean players are getting a whole lot better than if they were training on their own.

Let me also remind my fellow coaches that there are two main parts to any drill:  1) the scientific side, and 2) the coach’s artful approach.  And, make no mistake about it, two coaches running the exact same drill can get vastly different results; it’s in how a coach “uses” a drill that makes all the difference in the world.  In general, the determining factors have to do with the way a coach introduces a drill, how the drill is set up, and how the coach interacts with the players during the drill.   And, that interaction especially depends on a coach providing the players constant feedback, so that they perform the drill better or smarter with each next time through the course.

Okay, I may have some readers scratching their heads, wondering how I can say I love flow drills while at the same time kinda criticizing their use.  So…

Sprinkled over my typical practices are a bunch of drills with drastically different aims:

• Most of what I do calls for solving my guys’ problems, be they skill related, or having to do with game play.  And, for the most part, I can’t accomplish such things in a drill that has players and pucks moving in 32 different directions.  No, it’s quite likely the drill they need will be worked in a small area, and only focused on one, small segment of their game.  (To be perfectly honest, some of these drills are really boring to watch, yet they are usually more effective than a dozen fancy drills combined.)

• I will sometimes employ a few scaled down versions of flow drills, once again focusing on a particular part of our game. The accompanying sketch shows such a drill.

What’s really happening is that my skater in red moves out of a nearby rink corner with a puck, and he exchanges give-and-go passes with the two players in center-ice.  He next takes the second pass, fires a shot on the net in front of him, and then goes to the far corner so he might soon perform the same down the other side of the ice.

For sure, there’s some activity going on in this drill, with everyone moving at a decent pace for a length of the ice, and with all the skaters also each passing, receiving and taking a shot before getting a brief rest.  My goalies also get their fair share of shots.

Where is the teaching value to this drill?  Well, I ordinarily station myself in neutral-ice to inspect the give-and-go pass exchanges — of both the skaters and those in stationary positions.

Sometimes I’ll have the last attacker stop in front of the net to screen and deflect the next attacker’s shot, which means that I could spend time at one end to encourage my guys or to provide some corrections.

• With some decent teaching and troubleshooting accomplished through the above two approaches, I might then go to a typical flow drill or two, purely because they do have my players constantly moving, and constantly needing to be on their toes.  This is in stark contrast to the first type of drill I described above, where my main objective was to troubleshoot a hockey problem, and where there’s likely to be at least a little standing around as we attempt to get things right.

Just so you know, I can’t stand NOT teaching during a given drill, so I am sure to locate myself somewhere within all the confusion of a flow drill — to provide feedback on a specific skill or play.  Still, that’s my basic problem with flow drills:  they’re so spread out, and there’s so much going on, that it’s virtually impossible to get a lot of teaching or correction done.  (Watch any team going through such paces, and you’ll probably notice coaches just standing back as if they’re admiring their players’ work.  That might be okay for elite level teams, but it surely doesn’t help younger players who need all the help they can get.)

(If you want one of my all-time favorite flow drills, see the Russian Circle Passing drill in the free drill section.  The reason it’s one of my favorites?  That drill has the players flying, but there are a number of locations where coaches can interact to enhance the players’ skills and thinking.)

Hopefully, with all this, my fellow coaches won’t fall into the trap I see engulfing far too many others.  Many of you are limited to a single hour (or 50-minutes) of practice ice per week, and your challenge is to get more accomplished in your time on the ice than your competitors do.

Furthermore, most of us are given in the neighborhood of 30-plus weeks to work with our players, and we’re praying they’ll be far better in the spring than when they started in the fall.  As I suggested early-on, relying totally on fancy looking flow drills will help your kids get slightly better, while holding very deliberate practices — that include lots of feedback and lots of problem solving — almost guarantees your players will be far better once the season ends.

Help for an Overwhelmed Young Hockey Goalie

Although this post falls in the Goalies section, I’d like every parent (and coach) of a young player to drink in what I’m about to say.

The following came by way of our Ask The Coach link up above, it’s about an 8-year old netminder, and I think my answers might ultimately provide some good food for thought for folks involved with any hockey playing position.

– Dennis Chighisola

Help for an Overwhelmed Young Hockey Goalie

Let me begin with some of the highlights from Todd J’s email…

“My question is regarding my son…  he is 8 years old and plays goalie on a Novice team (this is his second year as a novice goalie).

He has amazing reflexes, and from day one has re-directed pucks and made blocker and glove saves.  He will take a puck in the mask, chest, legs, and not flinch a bit, but much to mine and his coaches dismay he will not ‘drop down’ or ‘butterfly’ to make saves, and rarely does so after he blocks a shot.

His team this year has several new to hockey players and it has been hard to watch him getting lit up. His last game was really tough, over 30 SOG, and the mercy rule kept the score board from showing the score, but after the first period it was 12-0. Bless his heart he stood in goal for the whole three periods and did make some great saves, but the fact he rarely drops to cover the puck = rebounds and the fact no one was there to clear the pucks allowed many 2nd, 3rd, and 4th shots, which of course usually means goals.

After the game, their coach kinda let into them a little, as they were standing around a lot and not moving. He told them they are better than what they played out there today. He also told my son he really has to do better and start covering the pucks. A point he makes clear…  during the games! I am afraid my son has ‘shut down’ and is now going through the motions just because he has to. I told him after that last game I was really proud of him and it took a lot guts and heart to hang in there and not to quit. I told him I didn’t care, win or lose, as long as he tries and gives 100% that’s what’s important. I told him winning is awesome but we can learn more sometimes from losing, he seemed to take all this in stride, but after all he is only 8 years old!

In his defense, our association places much more emphasis on offense and scoring…  Practices usually consist of 15-20 minuets of skating drills, followed by some sort of development drills, and usually the last 15 minuets or so of the hour long practice is spent scrimmaging. There is no designated goalie coach or anything like that. Sometimes the goalies will get some one on one with one of the coaches, but no real technique training or basic skills instruction. Often the goalies are just cannon fodder for drills and such. I don’t want to ‘coach from the stands’ as I don’t skate or play myself, but it is frustrating to see him becoming more and discouraged without being shown the basics that might help him succeed.

What can I do to help my son?”

Well, Todd, while our CoachChic.com goalie coach — our own Todd J — is off with his Junior team right now, I’m going to ask him if he might take a few secs to comment from his perspective (I already suspect he’s going to have a heart attack reading some of the above).  In the meantime, I’ll be offering my own opinions as somewhat of a long time movement specialist and head hockey coach at numerous levels…

Before getting underway, I’ll say that it’s hard to totally criticize a young goaltender who spends a great deal of the time on his or her feet.  My old friend, Joe Bertagna, a noted goalie expert, used to begin every seminar lecture on the position by suggesting that (I paraphrase), “The ideal netminder is the one seen on the table hockey game — you know, the one that is frozen in an upright position and just slides back and forth.”  ;)

I will suggest that the game — and the position — has changed a lot in recent years, with top flight goalers using variations of the butterfly style, laying the stick down across the ice, and doing whatever else it takes to stop shots that are on or near the ice.

Personally, however, I’m thinking that there are points in a young goalie’s development whereby his or her body does or doesn’t cover a lot of space while down in a butterfly posture.  In other words, I’m not sure a little one’s legs span very far across the crease, nor can the smaller youngster reach the net’s upper corners with the mitt or the blocker.  Again, though, that is purely my thinking on the topic.  Moreover, I’m not suggesting young goalies shouldn’t play the butterfly style; I’m only offering that it might be more effective when their bigger bodies help cover more net.

Looking at things initially with my movements hat on, Todd, something doesn’t quite make sense as I read the first few paragraphs of your email.  I mean, it doesn’t quite fit — that your son has great reflexes, and that he often handles shot after shot, but then he doesn’t react downward to handle pucks that need to be covered.  ???

In yet another aside, Todd Jacobson and I have had conversations over recent years concerning first shots and successive ones.  And, not wanting to put words into Todd’s mouth, I say that the first shot is all about technique — like having the right posture, getting on the proper angle, and thus covering as much net as possible.  With that, I’m thinking more and more that stops of a second and third and (God forbid) fourth shot become more and more about athleticism, reactions, and maybe even instincts.  Can movements from one posture to the next and the next be practiced and perfected? Absolutely.  However, I still say that those just noted three qualities play huge parts in a goaler making the follow up saves.

Now, being about 2000-miles away from you guys, Todd, I’m wondering three things, each of these at least possibly contributing to your son’s unwillingness (or even fear) of moving up and down:

1)  What’s the chance that your son is still wearing “skater’s skates”?  The rounded blades on those kinds of skates serve an important purpose to forwards and defensemen, but they can make it very difficult for a youngster to perform typical goaltending moves.  I even think a few falls with the rockered blades could discourage a kid from wanting to move very much — be it sideways or up and down.

2)  What’s the chance that your son is on the chunky or hefty side?  For sure, I’ve seen a lot of relatively heavy young netminders really labor with getting up and down.

3) What’s the chance that your son’s skating isn’t really up to snuff?  I know a lot of youngsters gravitate towards what they believe is the safety of the small crease area, only to — little by little, maybe — discover that their lack of skating mobility really limits the area they can cover.

Please don’t be offended by those questions, Todd.  I always begin with the simplest and usually most obvious questions.  So, while it’s possible I hit the nail on the head with one or even two of those, it could also be comforting to you in knowing that at least those three things are in your son’s favor. Furthermore, it may prove extremely helpful to other readers if they’re able to go through that short checklist.

Switching to my head coaching hat at this time…  I think one of the things that Todd Jacobson will find frustrating is that your son’s team doesn’t have a volunteer goalie coach at every practice (as well as at the games).  Just so you know, I have head coached at as many youth levels as I have where I could hire special assistants, and I don’t believe I’ve gone one season in over 40-years without having a goalie coach available for my kids.  At the youth levels, I’d either find a dad who had played a little goal, or I’d find one who might be interested in just studying the position and helping my kids.  At other times, I’ve found a local Midget or older goaltender who would be willing to come to our practices most every night.  (A lot of guys that age just love returning to help younger players.)  As Coach Jacobson would likely tell you, goaltending is a key to a team’s success, yet it’s ignored by far too many youth level teams.

By the way, Todd, I love your positive approach with your son, as well as your appreciation of his coach/es.  That said, you might still have a talk with his head coach, let him know that you’re going to try to get your son some help, and that you’re hoping the coach will find a way to keep encouraging the boy until things have a chance to get better.

With that…  If you could find it within your schedule and pocketbook, there is likely a good goalie coach for hire at your home rink or a neighboring one.  A once per week clinic would be awesome for a young goaler, but even occasional private sessions should help.

Then, something I really want to share — with you, and with other dads who feel a little helpless (regardless of the position their son or daughter plays)…  Depending on your learning preference, there are some great manuals and videos out there on teaching goalies (and other positions).  For your sake, Todd, you might scout around to find something basic, or something geared to where your son is right now.

The fact that you don’t know much about the position — and the fact that you don’t skate — shouldn’t matter.  I can tell by your email that you’re intelligent enough to stay ahead of an 8-year old when it comes to goaltending knowledge.  And, that’s all you really have to do:  read up on or study a video that gives you the info you need to help your son for where he is right now.  If you think about it, that’s what any of us parents have had to do to help our kids with their schoolwork — just keeping ourselves one step ahead of the latest homework assignment.  (If you’ll take a glimpse at the last photo above, it shows a high school aged goalie Todd Jacobson and I trained in our off-ice training center.  Trust me, that tons of things could be done right at home with your son, especially having to do with his going down, recovering, etc. )

Although I probably don’t need to say this, a lot of coaches might joke that, “There’s nothing more dangerous than a hockey parent who knows just a little about the game.”  So, those deciding now to study hockey ought to at least keep that in mind.

Lastly, I’m kinda hoping that you’ll let me know what you think on all this, Todd, and maybe even answer some of the questions I’ve posed.  I’d love for members to jump in and help here, and it would also be helpful if anyone knows of a good goalie training manual or video Todd might find helpful for this stage in his son’s development.  Then, as soon as I post this, I’m contacting Todd Jacobson to see if he’ll weigh in on what I believe is a very worthwhile topic.

*

PS:  I hope those passing through don’t overlook the help provided in these 600-ish pages.  Membership to CoachChic.com is about equal to the cost of one skate sharpening per month.

Goalie Specific Off-ice Exercise 5

I just love that Cynthia introduces a new concept in this entry, this having to do with her recommending two different sized weights in the following exercise.  I’m kinda hoping that skaters — and parents or coaches of skaters — will make note of this, and think about how such an idea can be incorporated in their various routines.

– Dennis Chighisola 

Goalie Specific Off-ice Exercise 5

UNEVEN SINGLE LEG REVERSE FLIES

with Cynthia King

 

 

 

Center one foot on the flat side of a BOSU Ball.  Hold 2 different weights, i.e 10 lbs in the left hand and 5 lbs in the right, and bend at the waist.  Keeping the abdominals pulled in tight to protect the back and help with balance, raise the arms out to the sides in reverse fly form.  Elbows will stay slightly bent.

Complete one set of 8-10 reps then switch weights to the other hand.  Complete another set of 8-10 reps and then switch weights back.  After this second set, switch LEGS and complete 8-10 reps, then switch hands and complete another 8-10 reps.

By using 2 different sized weights, you must use your stabilizing muscle groups to balance properly for the exercise.  I suggest using this method periodically in any exercise where dumbbells are used.  Always challenge your balance in some form during every workout.

What We Can Learn from Hockey Penalties

We coaches — in almost all sports — might be considered a rather odd lot.  We study and study our game, and we analyze and maybe even over-analyze just about every aspect of play.  And trust me, that I’m no exception.    Back home in Massachusetts, I was (lovingly, I’m sure) referred to by many hockey parents as “The Nutty Professor”.  Ya, I’ve been known to come up with some of the wildest drills anyone has ever seen.

Still, I’d never change the approach I’ve taken in my work.  Even a study as outside the box as the following one has proven hugely beneficial — to my players and to me.

– Dennis Chighisola

What We Can Learn from Hockey Penalties

I’m guessing it was sometime in the early 1980′s when the subject of this post first crossed my mind.  I know it was during one of my first seasons as a college head coach, and I can even remember the two players who caused me to think there was a connection between penalties and some other playing difficulties.

Actually, both guys were pretty good players.  However, one was returning from an injury, while I suspected the other didn’t have the kind of stamina I expected.  Of course, upperclassmen that they were, and good players that they were, you might imagine that they put up quite a stink when I suggested their playing time might be reduced for an upcoming game.

I do recall, however, that I gave both guys a chance once the next game started.  The one returning from the injury didn’t last too long into the game before he had to call it a night.  On the other hand, the guy I suspected of being out of shape at least tried to take a regular shift.

Okay, so the Nutty Professor tends to come out in me when I do something mindless, like driving home from a game — rehashing and rehashing things in my mind, and trying to make sense of some things that many others might not even consider.

The morning after, I contacted one our team’s volunteer stats people, and asked if she could go through all of our games to that point in the season, and provide me with the types of penalties taken by each of our players.  On the drive home the previous night, I couldn’t help but think about the penalties both of the guys in question had taken.  It wasn’t that they took a lot — it was probably a combined total of three, but it was the nature of those penalties that had gotten me into Nutty Professor mode.

Now, think along with me, if you will…  I already knew what penalties the suspected out of shape kid had taken in that recent game.  However, since his conditioning had seemingly been off for the entire early season, it was his whole body of work that I was really interested in seeing.  In other words, if we were 7- or 8-games into our schedule, I had a feeling that all the penalties he’d amassed up through the last game would be similar, and they’d tell a certain story.

Bingo!  Beside that young guy’s name was listed calls like hooking, tripping and holding, and he probably had at least two of each.  Among knowledgeable hockey coaches, a hooking penalty is frequently seen as a sign of laziness.  In other words, instead of hustling and skating his buns off, the player gives less effort than necessary, he coasts, and then just reaches for an opposing puckcarrier with the stick.  In my player’s case, however, while being out of shape can make one lazy, I believe he was running out of gas and just not able to catch his man.  And I quickly saw the other penalties in the same light…  My guy reached out often with his stick to take some tripping penalties; and he also lost tussles along the boards, these resulting in holding calls.

Not stopping there, and with the entire roster in front of me, I scanned down to see if I could spot any other unusual groupings of penalties.

Sure enough, another of my players spent time in the box for calls similar to the first guy.  I didn’t see him being out of shape, however, although I could easily understand why his rather large body and slowness of foot caused him to take a number of hooking and holding penalties.  And so was there another young guy who wasn’t exactly known for his footwork listed as taking a batch of similar penalties.

Ye Old Professor wasn’t done there, either.  For, with some time to kill, and a couple of pages of stats at my disposal, I scanned down through the rest of our roster to see if I could connect those with other player tendencies.

Oh, could I ever…  For example, here are the types of penalties our resident (self proclaimed) goon amassed:  roughing, charging, cross-checking, boarding, slashing…  Need I say more?

As interesting as all the rest, though, was our second most penalized player, who had totaled only a few less minutes than the team’s supposed tough guy.  His penalties seemed to be all over the board, with calls like charging, hooking, cross-checking and tripping.

Okay, so you could be wondering what the big deal is here, and how it could be that there is something to be learned from studying a player’s penalties.  Well…

• First, I think it’s important that coaches, parents, players and the media keep statistics in a certain perspective.  Professional teams and agents for the pros might like to beat each other over the heads with stats at contract time, but I’m just using whatever I can gather to suggest to me some tendencies, or even some maybes.

• Over the 20-plus years since I first conducted that (very unscientific) study, I’ve found that the types of penalties players get do give me some insight into what’s happening with a given player.  At times, I’ve even been able to use that as evidence in the event I want a guy to make some changes to his game or to his preparations for the game.

• I’ve discovered that there can be several reasons why a player gets called for certain kinds of penalties.  Again, the types of penalties he takes are only helpful in suggesting he has a problem.  It’s up to the player and me to figure what that problem might be.

• In other words, I have to know the player — or watch him more closely — to decide whether penalties like hooking, holding and tripping mean he is injured, out of shape, or maybe just lacking the speed or skills to keep up with quicker or more agile opponents.

• In much the same way, the guy taking all the roughhouse kind of penalties may either be playing selfishly and being overly aggressive, or he might be the type who is trying to hustle and dig but just has subpar body-checking skills or technique.

In closing, I’m going to suggest that anyone can use this information to some advantage — from other coaches to parents to adult players.  I’m even thinking it might have an application in some other sports.  Again, though, let me caution you about only using it to look for indications something might be wrong, or to gain an idea of whether a given player might need help in a certain area of his or her game.

Welcome New Members!

I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome a number of new members who joined CoachChic.com over recent days.  And, in so doing, perhaps I can also remind our many long time members about just a few of the benefits that exist here.

I know that some members like to quietly digest and apply what’s found in the many articles, videos and audio programs published within these pages, and that’s okay.  I understand.  However, I really do like to get to know all of you — if I can.

One way you and I can do that is by you leaving a comment on any posts you might either question, agree with, or have something further to add.  Those are the exchanges you see taking place off to the right of this page.

Yet another way is to email me with a question or a suggestion for a new site entry.  Just contact me any time at all, and I’ll usually get back to you within a few hours.  My email address can always be found up above by clicking on the Ask The Coach link.

I feel blessed and amazed that we seldom lose members.  However, on those rare occasions when we do, it’s almost always been someone who didn’t get involved very often.  That’s why I’m encouraging each of you to truly take advantage of this site, and take advantage of me.  In a way, it’s up to you as a member to gain every advantage you can.

Lastly, I’ve been in our game for over 40-years — as a player, coach and hockey parent, so I know quite well the problems that arise, and I know they happen on a regular basis.  Don’t go it alone as I so often had to.  Again, just ask, and give me the chance to help.

Again, welcome new members, and a special thanks to all my friends here,
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Dennis C

Hockey Handshakes: Before or After the Game?

I joined a new hockey group on LinkedIn the other day, and the first thing I found there was a poll asking the above question.  In other words, the administrator wanted to know if members thought it was a better idea to hold the ceremonial handshake before each hockey game, as opposed to after. 

With that, would you expect me to think anywhere but outside ye olde box?  Ha…  Hardly.

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey Handshakes: Before or After the Game?

Ya, outside the box…

Actually, before I could click — to make my decision known, I realized I had drastically different thoughts when it comes to various age groups.  For sure, I’m as traditional as any fan, in that I love the handshakes that take place at the end of a Stanley Cup series.  That’s a rather moving scene, if you ask me.

That out of the way, I quickly began thinking about youth hockey games — from the older kids down to the youngest.  And that caused me to view things quite differently — as I said on LinkedIn:  viewing this topic in a “perfect world”.  (Oh, I also mentioned to the administrator that I felt an article coming on — )

Right, me and that perfect world again…  Still, if you’ll humor me for awhile, let’s take a look at our game, starting with its beginner stages…

I actually suggested to that LinkedIn group that I’d like to see the handshakes take place both before and after each game featuring 5- and 6-year olds.  Think about it:  The kids get to do a face-to-face with their supposed opponents before each game, then they later get to let their opponents know that they appreciated the contest.

Better yet, what do you think about two teams of very young ones actually dressing together prior to a game?  And, in my perfect world, I might even assign each player a “buddy” from the opposing team to dress with, so they could get to somewhat know one another prior to “doing battle”.  Would that make the following game take on a different meaning?  I tend to think so.

Still better yet, I’d recommend highly that the game officials also engage in the handshaking tradition, especially prior to each one of the games.  Think about what I’m hinting at here…  The little ones would quickly realize that the guys in stripes are actually friendly sorts — and maybe not the surly judges seen too frequently in other venues; while the refs just might get to see the kids in a different light, and thereby realize they’re dealing with mere babes.

Then, for extra measure…  During the few seasons I worked within USA Hockey’s ADM program, it was actually necessary for two teams to share dressingrooms (because six teams would be playing — cross-ice — on a single sheet of ice).  The interesting part for me was in getting to know the coaches I and my staff would be working with during at least one of the upcoming games.  Still better was when I had to act as the host for the other 5 visiting teams, and actually get around to meet and assist all the other head coaches.  In most instances, I got a chance to like my counterparts beforehand (or I at least got to understand why the rare one seemed a jerk — ).

Okay, if you’re starting to think along with me on this stuff — and starting to see some benefits to what I’m suggesting, I have kind of a tricky question for you:  If you believe this would be a good idea for 5- and 6-year old games, what would you think its effects would be with 7- and 8-year olds?  And, if you think that might also be a good thing, just when — or at what age — do you believe kids would stop reaping the benefits of such a process?

Two last things…

I’ve been doing what I do for over 40-years, and I’ve written for hockey audiences — on-line and for hardcopy magazines — for a good many of those years.  And, believe it or not, a lot of my seeming off-the-wall ideas ultimately found their way into North American youth hockey.  In some instances, I saw it happen; in yet other instances, higher-ups in our game told me (sometimes through clenched teeth — ) that they were listening.

Truly, some of what I’m proposing may seem a little bit of a stretch.  However, I’d truly like to know what fellow hockey folks are thinking as they finish this, and I’d especially like to hear from those who have opposing views.  After all, how else can I learn?

Three Types of Hockey Players

I said over on Facebook a little earlier today, that I have great friends there, and they so often send me some great stuff.  The reason I said that was because our good friend — and fellow CoachChic.com member, Jerry Z, sent me a video this morning I saw as appropriate to some recent Junior hockey goings on.  However, if you don’t think there’s plenty in here for parents and coaches of younger kids, guess again… 

– Dennis Chighisola

Three Types of Hockey Players

Actually, the video Jerry sent me was entitled “3 Types of Players“, and you can take a look at that at your leisure (for as long as it’s available).  The featured coach in that video is a basketball guy, but what he describes is as true in hockey as it is in any other sport.  In fact, school teachers might say they find the same groups within their classrooms.

Take a look at the chart to the left, and see if you don’t notice most of the players you’re familiar with falling into one of those three groups.  It’s possible you might envision a given player lying a little between one group or another.  However, I think that b-ball coach was right-on with the way he drew that chart, and that we’ll ultimately see every single player falling into one of those three categories.

As far as I’m concerned, that video presentation wasn’t created just for the fun of it.  No, there are things to be learned from those groupings — or their definitions, like it or not…

Type 1 players are described as the greatest players and hardest workers, with the coach suggesting that “… you don’t coach very many of those.”  I’m picturing a Steve Yzerman, a Michael Jordan, a Ray Bourque, or a Larry Bird here.  For sure, those guys were talented, probably beyond mere mortals.  At the same time, however, those all-time greats were as well known for their work ethics.

Recalling what the b-ball coach said about us not coaching very many of those Type 1 players, there’s little doubt that nearly all others fall into the other two categories…

I’m skipping now to the Type 3 players, mainly because they’re so near and dear to me.  Actually, they’re usually near and dear to every coach they ever play for, and they’re likely loved by their teachers and their future employers, as well.  In a way, is there anyone who doesn’t admire someone who starts out lacking in some talent, but works his or her butt off to ultimately do the job right?

And, man, does that coach strike a chord with me when he describes these kids…  For, at least a half-dozen times each hockey season, I have a parent thank me for working with his or her youngster.  And my answer back to that parent is always the same, “Naw, your son is the kind of kid who makes me look good as a coach!”

Two groups down, now’s the time for my stomach to turn…

I begin by asking whether it seems right to you that some players possess A-level talents, yet their attitudes or mindsets don’t come close to that level.  I’ve heard those Type 2 players assessed in coaching staff meetings, too, often with someone shaking their head and murmuring, “What a waste.”  Ya, what a waste, when a player has some God-given talent, but not the heart or willingness to really apply that talent.

In the video, they’re called “coach killers”, and it’s also mentioned that “they can’t play”.  Why so?  Well, in my estimation, it’s because both basketball and hockey are team sports, and they’re also transition sports.

Hey, some big-time responsibilities come with being a member of a team — as a player, and as a human being.  And, since constant turn-overs of a ball or puck require quick reading and reacting skills, the player who fails to train himself or herself in these areas is almost always a step behind the play, or usually heading in the wrong direction.

Then, I hate to be cruel here, but I often refer to the Type 2 player as a “professional powerskater”.  In other words, their solid physical skills allow them to cruise around like worldclass athletes, but their inability to think the game has them looking to folks in the know as if they’re lost out there on the ice.

All that said, I’m going to offer my opinion on how these different groups tend to evolve.  Actually, I’m going to throw these your way, and ask you to tell me differently (should you be so inclined)…

Since moving to Florida, I’ve come to the conclusion that a lack of depth in some programs — or a lack of really strong competition — can give a young player a false sense of security (not that I didn’t see similar occurrences in certain levels back in New England).  In other words, if a youngster can get away with marginal skills and thinking abilities against lesser players, well…

As an aside, I’ve never been satisfied with my team’s record when it comes to practice planning.  Naw, as a head coach, I’m looking at a bigger picture, and I’m trying to get my guys ready for a day down the road when each of them will have to compete against the very best — in future games, as well as at future tryouts.  As a matter of fact, a frequent topic of conversation with my older Massachusetts guys has always had me prodding them to think about a future adversary who is working on his game that very day — on some far off frozen Canadian farm pond, on an outdoor rink in Moscow, or in an off-ice gym in Sweden.  Trust me, that just beating up on the kids from a neighboring town isn’t likely to get you a starting spot someday — in Juniors, in college, or anywhere beyond.

Oh, boy, now a tough one, mainly because it’s going to be a bitter pill for some to swallow…  But, you see, in my 40+ years of working with players from beginners to pros, I have yet to see an instance where there wasn’t a correlation between a player’s attitude and that of his or her parent/s.  That might not always hold true when it comes to likability, because one can be likable while the other is not.  On the other hand, where I see parents influencing the most is when it comes to their youngster’s willingness to work, or more importantly, when it comes to their youngster’s knowing that he or she has to work in order to improve.

Allow me to once again revert back to that idea of a player prepping for the day when he or she has to compete for a spot against some unknown talent…  I’m not talking about getting paranoid here, but I think a parent either helps or hinders his or her youngster in this department.  So, while I think it’s okay to have some laughs over scoring 6-goals amid modest talent, don’t think for a moment that such accomplishments put a kid on an NHL fast track.  No, ’tis better to inspire a youngster to keep on working — and working and working and working.

If you know someone who would benefit from this article,
go ahead and share away.

Okay, I’ve never been one to pull any punches, so I hope you didn’t expect me to do any differently on this topic.  Just as surely, though, I enjoy your feedback, even if it’s contrary to my beliefs.

*

If this is your first visit to CoachChic.com, maybe you’re getting the feeling
there’s a lot more good stuff within the 600-ish posts here.  It’s true, and it’s the kind of stuff that should help separate your knowledge base from all others in your hockey circle.

Designing an “Exciting” Hockey Practice

Not only do I receive some of the best hockey questions here and elsewhere, but the ones I get more often than not give me a chance to share some pretty decent ideas with CoachChic.com members.

– Dennis Chighisola

Designing an “Exciting” Hockey Practice

The question I received most recently came from the coach of a U12 team.  The problem, as he states it, is that the players on his team “… are  bored with the same training sessions…”  So, he goes on to ask, “How can I change them?”

I only wish I had the chance to hold a short back and forth conversation with that coach, because I’d begin by suggesting it seems rather early — about two months into the season? — for kids at any level to become bored with a practice routine.   I guess the quick follow-up to that would be, “Have you used the exact same lesson plan for every single one of your practices so far?”

With that, let me remind every member about what I see (and use) as the most important elements to effective teaching/coaching…

1) Repetition is the best teacher, without question.  In other words. athletes need to repeat and repeat correct skill techniques until they become second nature.  They also need to work within the same game playing conditions, over and over again,  in order for the correct decisions to eventually become instinctive during the heat of battle.

2) That said, boredom is the greatest threat to effective teaching/coaching.

For sure, some folks who haven’t previously heard me describe the above might be shaking their heads right now, wondering how one balances the two.  But I’m going to suggest, right here and now, that the sensitive balance between drill repetition and boredom can be the difference maker when it comes to effective coaching.

If the coach who initiated this is reading along, he’s probably wondering if he should have had a different practice plan every night to this point.   No, that’s not what I’m saying.  In fact, using all new drills every night would totally defeat what I’ve said in Point 1 above.  There has to be consistency from practice to practice.

 Okay, here are some suggestions that should help all youth hockey coaches…

With rare exceptions, all drills should be intended to help with real problems hockey players at your level have, and specific problems your kids are having.

Despite that latter statement, no hockey practice should include mostly drills aimed at stamping out the latest “brush fires”.  The reason?  While you’re fixing this part and that part of your team’s game, the phases of play you’re ignoring soon become the new brush fires.

I’m often on a tear here about so-called “vanilla drills”, or the kind of drills that look good to the folks in the stands, but either have no real substance, or they’re far from appropriate for a given age or skill level.  I say this, just to remind coaches to think long and hard about borrowing drills from elsewhere.

This might also be a time to address the occasion when a coach says to himself or herself, “I have to fix such-and-such tonight.”  In other words, the coach saw something go wrong in a recent game, and he or she wants to correct it at the next practice.   (Yes, we’re talking a brush fire here.)  There’s nothing really wrong with this, if the coach understands the usual consequences.  For, what we’ll discover is that probably one guy within the whole squad “gets it” almost immediately.  The rest of the squad — or the mere mortals — will likely need to be subjected to quite a few practices of repetition, if they’re ever going to get it at all.

That last point suggests we enter a season with a basic structure for our practices.  Personally, all my practices usually include some individual skill work, some conditioning, then something that helps enhance the following parts of our team play:  forechecking, backchecking, defensive zone coverage, numerical rushes (like 1 on 1′s and 2 on 1′s), breakouts, regroups, attack plays or scoring thrusts, penalty-killing, powerplays, face-offs, and other special game situations (eg, goalie-off situations).

In recent years, I’ve divided my practices into theme sections, meaning that I’ll get my guys thinking defense for a goodly part of a practice, and then I’ll switch to having them concentrate on our offense.  I read that suggestion somewhere years ago, it seemed to make some sense, I gave it a try, and I kinda liked it.  I’m not saying that it will work at every level I’ll ever coach, but it has so far at most.

Coaches should now see how my practices have some structure, with a pretty good chance that there will be plenty of repetition.  As a matter of fact, I will usually use close to the same lesson plan for the first three practices or so, just so my players get their heads into that structure.  Experienced coaches would also appreciate the fact that things work smoother — and quicker — once players are familiar with a given drill.  I mean, there’s usually a need to do a lot of explaining with a new drill.  More familiar drills take less time to set up, which allows us to gradually cram more and more of them into a given practice.

As for change, I do that in a couple of ways…

Just about every drill we coaches know has some sort of variation.  When it comes to skills, there are a kzillion ways to practice something simple, like cross-overs.  And so are there all sorts of different ways to set up a backchecking drill, playing numerical rushes, and so forth.  Sometimes, even changing the starting location of a given drill can make it seem new to a group of players, while each new variation should still reinforce the same skills, playing principles or thinking abilities.  (In other words, the secret to gaining repetition is for the coach to keep providing the same feedback from variation to variation.)

I also borrow (or adapt) a teaching technique from the public schools in these parts, by presenting certain drills in “blocks”.  I mean, I will insert a segment on something like agility for a few minutes of each practice over about a 6-practice stretch.  As I rotate that out for a few weeks, I’ll bring in something similar for another 6-week stretch.  Other so-called blocks are also being rotated in and out, but beginning and ending on different dates, which means that my practices are in constant change.

Various skill drills, once mastered by themselves, should be combined and practiced together.  Like most practices, I handle things quite differently according to my team’s age group or ability level.  Hey, let’s face it:  I doubt the local pro team coach is saying to his guys, “Let’s work on cross-overs today!”  Yet, you can be sure that skill is more than accommodated at high level practices — during conditioning drills, and during numerous team play drills.

Borrowing from my favorite college coaching course, Principles in Motor Learning, I next introduce the Theory of Part Versus Whole…  The gist of that suggests that perfecting various “parts” of something like a “whole” breakout, will ultimately help that phase of play to be far more efficient.  So, while I might frequently have my guys breaking out of their own end in full units, I will more often have them working to master isolated parts.  (Beginning with a goaltender’s tee-ing of the puck for a retreating defenseman, I can probably think of about a dozen ways the puck is moved and/or exchanged on a typical breakout, with each of those representing a single drill.  Over time, those moves and exchanges can be combined to create even more drills.  Adding or eliminating resistance within a given play gives us all the more variations.)

Now, there’s a very good reason why I can only talk theory here, and never get too specific.  For, you see, every single team is different, which means their needs are very different.  Moreover, every single team will progress and digress at a different pace from week to week.  Consequently, the need to continually read a team’s needs falls directly on the shoulders of the head coach.  I tend to think that ability separates me from a lot of other coaches, and I’m going to suggest that such an ability is going to prove the measure of most coaches who read this right now.

Then — and after just having patted myself on the back — , I think that every team I’ve ever coached has at some point during a season “hit a wall”.  I mean, they will suddenly show one night for practice and be absolutely “out of it”.  I’ve never seen it coming, but without being able to really describe it, I’ll tell you that I can recognize the symptoms almost instantly.  That being the case, I will ditch my lesson plan right on the spot.  I’ll quickly think of some crazy things to do, and especially some things that will get the guys laughing, while still busting their butts.

Here’s my way of looking at something like this…  I’ve found it well worthwhile to blow-off a practice, so long as it’s on a very rare occasion.  And, although I said I’m blowing it off, that doesn’t mean the session won’t be beneficial to my guys.

They’ll get more than a good workout, and with the fun stuff I’ll do — like races and other crazy competitions, a session like I’m hinting at usually even helps my players bond a little more.

Although I don’t like to freelance it when it comes to valuable practice time, I have completely ad libbed my routine when caught off balance.  After all the years of doing what I do, I have enough wild ideas in my head to satisfy at least one hour.   Still, other coaches might prepare in advance for the night they think something a little different is in order.  A coach might keep that lesson plan tucked away in his or her skate bag, and he or she might even carry a few extra small gadgets — like some different colored pucks, a crazy bouncing ball, some balloons, or anything else that could bring some smiles to their players’ faces.

And, when I said up above that I’ve found that rare occasion worthwhile, I also mean that my guys have always seemed to come back to the next practices with a vengeance, or with a bunch of newfound enthusiasm.  Do I think that’s a fair trade?  At first I wondered, but I’ve come to know it absolutely is worth it.

Finally, let me speak directly to the coach who initiated this post (or to anyone else who feels their team is already becoming bored)…

Refer back to my earliest notes to design a basic practice outline.

Go with that for a few sessions, and then start making just a couple of changes each week in the ways I described above.  Those changes needn’t be exactly the way I do them, but do try to stick with repetition.  Balance that with the need to cover other things, and the need to rotate in variations of the standard drills.

Despite all I’ve said about vanilla drills, no one ever died from using one on occasion.  Maybe the coach wants to just spice things up, or create lots of movement for a few minutes, and that can be okay.  The idea is for us coaches to not base our teaching on drills that don’t do much teaching.

Nor should we feel badly about employing one crazy lesson plan when we know the time is right.  I’d say there’s something wrong if a coach sees the need to do something like that more than about twice during a season.  However, when the time is right, the time is right.  As a matter of fact, it might not be a bad idea for the coach who initiated this to run his very next practice in this fashion.  Races and wild games have proven awesome for my teams — again, they get a break from the usual same old, same old; they bust their buns (often times more than in a traditional practice); and they do tend to bond more because their practice teams include combinations other than just best friends, whatever.

Oh, and one last thing…  Players tend to read their coaches, and they tend to feed off their coaches’ enthusiasm (or not).  So, while I think I’ve provided a lot of great ideas for making our practices more exciting, I don’t believe a group of players is going to get too, too psyched if their coaches doesn’t seem like he’s really into the teaching process.

With that, I’m kinda hoping others will chime in here.  My guess is that there are some other great opinions held by members.

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Hockey Line Changes – WHEN & HOW to teach them to young players - $1.97 - This article was inspired by a CoachChic.com member and youth hockey coach, asking for guidance about when and how he might teach his relatively young players to change on-the-fly.  With that, Coach Chic goes as deeply into line changes as he does most other hockey subjects. He more than answers the coach’s question, but he also suggests how those coaching teams in buzzer hockey might start introducing a basic concept involved in proper changes.  Even advanced level hockey coaches might discover — or be reminded of — some important principles necessary to clean and effective changes.  And, as always, Dennis explains things in a common sense way, so that even the very inexperienced hockey coach will feel comfortable teaching this phase of the game to his or her players.

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Incredible Stickhandling – $9.97 – This 14-minute video begins with some advice that you’ll probably never hear anywhere else. (I don’t know why other hockey gurus do it, but they too often skip right into the drills without sharing the kind of background information that can make those drills all the more productive.) You’ll discover 16 easy-to-do puckhandling skills that lead to some very complex moves. (I’ve helped 8- and 9-year olds learn the “spinarama” made famous by several past NHL stars, just by helping them master two, very basic stickhandling skills.) Despite my 40-years as a coach and skills analyst, I consider myself a teacher, first and foremost. And this should be evidenced in the very methodical approach I use to order the drills, demonstrate them, and explain each one to you. I think you’ll also appreciate the way I wrap-up your video with suggestions on getting the very most from the overall program.

Analyzing the Forward Stride -$9.97 – Discover the REAL mechanics of hockey skating — as understood by PhDs in biomechanics and physiology, as well as top instructors around the world (no wives’ tales here). Besides describing problem areas in the forward stride, I’ll also share a number of drills that help a skater be faster and more energy efficient. (What is a smooth, powerful stride worth to you? A whole lot more than $9.97, you can be sure!)

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Hockey — Then and Now

I usually don’t include the following kind of conversation within the CoachChic. site, UNLESS there’s a lesson to be learned in the end.  Given some time to think, however, I believe it may prove very useful to many members.

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey — Then and Now

Ron A, a good on-line hockey friend, happened to email and ask me my impressions when it comes to comparing the professional game, from way back when to now.  Actually, like a lot of folks younger than me, Dave viewed the days of Bobby Orr, Rick Middleton, Gil Perreault and Mike Bossy as the “old days” — .  (Little do most folks know that my dad took me to games that featured the likes of Rocket Richard, Gordie Howie and Terry Sawchuck.)

Still, no matter when he wants to fix the time, I think Ron is right, in that there’s a huge difference between any then and now.

As an aside…  I’m betting that old-timers felt that the game had changed quite a lot from Richard’s days to those of Orr, and they’d probably say that, “Guys are bigger, stronger, faster…”  Bernie Geffrion had changed the game with his new-fangled slapshot back in the 50′s, yet guys like Stan Makita, Bobby Hull and Orr had brought that to a frightening science.

As yet another aside…  I’d be willing to bet that the true stars of one era would most likely be stars at another point in time — given the chance to develop.  And I only add that last part, because the chances to develop their unique skill sets — or to even get a look-see — would change from era to era.

One of the things that got Ron going was an article he’d read a few years back, the writer suggesting that, “…the problem with the nhl today isn’t that the talent pool is too shallow from expansion but all the players are so good and they’re skill level cancels out all the other players on the ice.”  And Ron wrote that the author also added, “…that’s why there’s all the low scoring games in today’s game.”

Ron felt that the guy had a few good points, and I agree.   However, do I totally agree?  Hmmmmmmm…

To be honest, I sense that the differences from the 70′s to today are a lot more complicated.

I don’t watch NHL games like a fan much nowadays, although I surely do study them when I get the chance.  And, going back just a few seasons, I was absolutely floored by the pace played during the Stanley Cup playoffs.  I mean, watching the hometown Boston Bruins make their Cup run, I couldn’t believe the way players were coming over the boards, skating 100mph, leaving the ice after 30-ish seconds, and being replaced by another unit going just as fast and frantically.  And it seemed to go on, shift after shift, from the opening face-off and into some over-times.  Could guys from the 50′s, 60′s and 70′s do that?  I don’t think so, except if they were given certain advantages.

I mean, to my way of looking at things, players today have unbelievable advantages over guys who came before them.  And that is at least partially because science has advanced so far…

For sure, higher level teams look for bigger bodies nowadays.  However, teams at those levels also now have knowledgeable strength coaches on their staffs, and they know how to train players beyond those from past generations.

Higher level teams today also look for faster players.  And those players can be helped to perform at even faster speeds, because of what’s known now in scientific circles.

As for that frantic pace I mentioned earlier, credit science again, to help develop players who can go like the Energizer bunny for the length of an entire game.

And don’t think that most of the above doesn’t contribute to harder hits, harder shots, quicker shots, and so many other skills being done harder or faster.

Players today have even greater advantages over guys who came before them, when it comes to technology…

In the earliest days, kids mostly learned by going to live pro games — think about that.  There were sporadic games broadcast back in the 50′s and 60′s, and that picked up from the 70′s on.  Going back to the early days, kids in certain pockets copied the star player on their local team, which fostered carbon copies within that area over the next generations.  National broadcasts suddenly gave kids the chance to study stars from across the land.  However, the arrival of cable television into most North American homes ultimately gave kids the chance to see more games — and more star players — than ever before.

Oh, and I can’t forget what home video units did for kids and coaches.  I mean, kids for years have been able to play and replay fancy moves made by their favorite stars, and even youth coaches could run and rerun plays to study the X’s and O’s used by high level teams.

The Internet, of course, has been absolutely unbelievable for hockey development.  Hey, consider the way you and I can communicate here on CoachChic.com.  Picture also being able to plug in almost any hockey or other related term into your favorite search engine.   And, my sense is that the education of hockey people is exponential here on-line, because coaches are able to broaden their understanding of the game, parents are becoming more knowledgeable, and the players quite obviously keep getting better and better.

Then, while YouTube.com is part of the Internet, I almost view that as something all unto itself.  My grandson has been learning new moves for years by watching his favorite players, and I also think watching certain videos on there has helped him think the game better.  My son, involved with Junior hockey, uses it as a recruiting tool at times, while I am often combing through that site for new ideas to share with you.  (Just think, that some 8-year olds are able now perform some of the moves they see done by the world’s greatest players.)

Today, every pro team is connected to satellite broadcasts of all league action, which means that one team can in advance study their next opponent’s special teams, what they’re doing lately on offense, defensively, etc.  I’m sure they also study rival goaltenders like Major League Baseball teams study opposition pitchers and hitters.  Each NHL team has at least one assistant coach in charge of video, usually working with a specialist who deals with the very sophisticated equipment.

Now, let’s get back to the NHL and it’s talent pool…

First, players of today have to pass through all sorts of screenings — both physical and psychological.  So, fewer weak sisters are wasting a team’s time, and more worthy players are climbing a team’s depth chart.

Secondly, while hockey’s highest rung might need more players because of expansion, I believe the feeder system has more than kept up.  Canada continues to pump out strong players, while the US has grown from just a few hockey hotbeds to the game being played — very well — in numerous other areas.  Then, of course, pro teams now have access to some very talented European players.

 Lastly, let’s get back to those low scoring games…

I happen to believe that the size and wingspan of today’s players is just one thing that takes away the open space that once existed for star players.  There aren’t any poor skaters in today’s game, and most players skate so fast that they close open spaces pretty quickly.

Today’s coaches are all strong tacticians, too, and I sense that they’re showing stifling defensive systems to players who can think and play their system.  And, of course, I’ll point to all the areas of technology I mentioned earlier, as reasons why today’s coaches and players are able to approach the game on a totally new level.

In the end, Ron wondered if I’ve spent much time studying the pros, since I seem to concentrate mostly on coaching amateur players.  True enough, Ron, that I know my calling, and I do focus most of my attention on helping younger players climb the hockey ladder.  Still, I study the NHL-ers as much as I can, just so I know how to help those younger ones eventually get to the top.

Lastly, I hope my CoachChic.com member friends see a whole bunch of take-aways from the above.  From my perspective, this entry is loaded with them, if member parents, coaches and players just read between the lines.

Why Am I Involved In Hockey?

My son has been staying with me for a few days, as he moves into a new hockey job close by.  With that, you can imagine the hockey conversations that go on (and you’d probably love being a fly on the wall for some of them). 

Anyway, a few minutes ago, I leaned across the back patio table and said to Mike, “Ya know, more questions come to me having to do with people skills than those involving hockey play.” 

Am I thrilled at that?  No.  But, do I think such questions are necessary, or valid?  Yes, I do.  In fact, still learning at my age, I sense that there’s something to be appreciated about such questions — by me, and by the powers that be within youth hockey’s higher ups.

– Dennis Chighisola

Why Am I Involved In Hockey?

Dave’s question came via email, explaining about some problems he’s recently had with one of his players…

In a nutshell, he’s now second guessing himself about appointing a new player as an Assistant Captain prior to getting into his team’s season, because — despite the kid demonstrating great work ethics in the early going, he seems to have come with some serious excess baggage.  Readers are going to cringe when I tell them that Dave says the kid has been bullying some teammates.  (Like some kids of similar ilk that I’ve coached, I can believe Dave when he says that most of the boy’s improper actions take place when adults aren’t watching.)  And, with that giving us a fairly good sense of his character, it should come as no surprise that the boy also is known to take some stupid penalties at times.  Sad to say, one Assistant Coach has resigned, at least partly because the boy’s parents “…can’t promise the kid will change…”  Trying to steady a team that is already struggling, Dave wonders about removing the “A” from the boy’s jersey, suspending him for a game, whatever.

Just wondering, but is anyone else’s blood boiling right now?  I’ll tell you, that I steamed as I read Dave’s initial email, and I’m hot again as I type.  Over 40-years of coaching all levels, I’ve been there, done that, and all this does is bring back a lot of very bad memories.  Ya, I love coaching — and teaching the game, but there are those very few individuals who take all the fun out of trying to help kids.

Okay, my being equally upset doesn’t help Dave one iota.  So, after reading his email a number of times, I somewhat cooled, and tried to see this mess in a whole new perspective.  And, the first thing that came to mind was something close to this article’s title, in that, “Why the heck is this kid even playing hockey?”  I later changed that a bit, wishing to ask the boy’s parents, “Why do you even encourage your son to play hockey?”

Not exactly the greatest definition I’ve ever heard, yet it did give me the key word or phrase I was looking for.

For, within that single sentence, it says that hockey is played between “two TEAMS”!  It doesn’t say anything in there about satisfying the twisted wants of an individual player, nor does it say anything about parent opinions!

So, I scrambled back to the on-line dictionary again, just to make sure I’m not wrong here:

I’m sure my readers (and Dave) know where I’m going with this.  For, although it’s probably not spelled out enough as one of the qualifications for enrolling in ice hockey, there’s little doubt that one is signing up to become a member of a team.  And, in case a parent has other ideas, he or she should understand that his or her son’s (or daughter’s) commitment is to the team.

As an aside here…  A very long time ago, I coached a kid who I considered almost a second son.  Actually, he was a gem, as were his parents, but he was a bit of a loner, and maybe not exactly cut out to play a team sport.  As an older teen, he made a choice on his own, and he became more famous than most of my other star players while participating in another, slightly related individual sport.  My only point here, is that not every youngster has what it takes to give of himself or herself, and be a good team sport member.

So again, I’d rephrase my question to that boy’s parents, and ask them, “Does your son really want to be part of team — and to give somewhat of his individuality to be a good team member?”  Oh, I can imagine the argument.  However, there is no arguing with a definition that has been in existence for eternity, and one that won’t vary no matter where you look it up.  In a nutshell, there is an understanding that comes with enrolling ones son on a team.

From there, I’ll suggest that the parents in question need to have the same conversation with their son:  “Do you know what it means to be part of a team?”

Personally, I never enter into conversations like the above with anything but the hope that all will work out rightly.  I mean, I would love for the parents in this case to ultimately understand what I’m asking them, and I’d pray that the boy might realize he’s been wrong by not blending with all of his mates, and by not handling that “A” with the utmost respect.

Will what I suggest work?  Man, my guess is that we’re all going to win some and lose some.  The shame of it all is, it’s been my expeerience that, the parents are going to determine everything in the end.

Okay, I guess everyone has an understanding of how I’d deal with this in 2012, this after reflecting on the various successes and failures I’ve had with similar situations in the past.

For sure, I would suspend the wayward boy for one game, no matter the outcome of any future deals.  Hopefully, what’s done is done, but it also carries with it the one game suspension.  And, I would let it be known that every subsequent infraction will carry a similar suspension, until the player changes his ways.  (There is no need for a single player in a lockerroom to feel fear or any other discomfort because of a teammate.  And, lest anyone blame the coaches for not being present every second the team is at the rink, I can tell you that that is virtually impossible, and that a kid who wants to do something rotten is going to find his or her chance.)  An apology to his teammates wouldn’t be out of the question as far as I’m concerned.

I would suggest to Dave that he use the “A” as a bargaining chip, or do as he feels most comfortable.  If the family sincerely comes on board with the team concept, perhaps the boy will also be the Assistant Captain Dave had hoped.  That honor can be stripped away at any time.

Lastly, there can be a tendency on a coach’s part to question himself or herself, as in, “What could I have done differently?”  And my answer would be, “I doubt very much.”  Dave and other head coaches have a ton of responsibilities, and they’re responsible to a ton of  players, not just one.

As a PS here, I would do anything I could to get the Assistant Coach back.  Good men — and willing men — are hard to find.

Keeping an Even Keel in Hockey

Try to have this conversation with a red blooded teenage hockey player, and you’re liable to see a rolling of his (or her) eyeballs, and hear a, “Ya…  Ya…  Ya…”  To which I might say, “Take a spot down the end of the bench, and just pray I remember your name someday.” 

– Dennis Chighisola

Keeping an Even Keel in Hockey

That introduction out of the way, let’s talk about how things really ought to be…

I happen to have spent most of my life in a small town called Whitman, Massachusetts.  It might make sense then, that I grew up a fan of the Boston Red Sox, Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, and New England Patriots.  It might make further sense that, having been involved in my profession for as long as I have, I’ve studied closely the ways of those teams’ most successful managers and coaches.  And, lucky I am, having been able to either daily or weekly study the likes of Dick Williams, Tito Francona, Harry Sinden, Don Cherry, Red Auerbach, Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick.

Aaah, Bill Belichick…  When it comes to displaying an even keel, I can’t think of a better example, nor a better example of how keeping that even keel has at least partially contributed to a coach’s success.  To some — and especially to fans from other cities, Belichick might seem emotionless.  You seldom see him smile on the sidelines, and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him be outwardly angry.  No, my way of describing him would be to say that he’s very businesslike, and always on that proverbial even keel.

Belichick’s extension on the field is a quarterback named Tom Brady.  Talk about businesslike and focused — I mean unbelievably focused.  Brady’s laser-like glare tells the story, no matter where or when a camera catches him.   In fact, watching the Patriots’ offense tally 45-points this past Sunday, I swear that Brady’s expression didn’t change, from the game’s first set of downs to his last snap.  Again, businesslike, and on an even keel.  Actually, while fans will catch the occasional high-five or after-touchdown spike, I almost know that the entire New England organization accepts that on an even keel approach, waterboys to the front office.

Okay, so what do I mean by such an approach?  In general, I’d say that it suggests we limit extreme highs and extreme lows.  As a matter of fact, I recall learning from a long ago lecture by one sport psychologist that, it’s not so good for an athlete or a team to ride that kind of up and down roller coaster.  (I sorta liken this to the quick high one might get from a sugar-boost, because we have to know it’s just a matter of time before we drop to an inevitable low.)

Perhaps the first time I ever noticed the calm and businesslike approach to a hockey game was when I watched the old Soviets, beginning back during the 1972 Showdown at the Summit.   Of course, much was said in those earliest years as North Americans rushed to study the guys from The Big Red Machine — but it was mainly in awe of their skills, the speed at which they could execute those skills, and the unbelievable pace they could play due to superior conditioning.  That the coaches and scientists from the USSR had even delved deeply into the psychology of our game ultimately came out, though, and I became as fascinated with that.

If you’re old enough to have seen any early Soviet games — or later videos of them, you had to notice the emotionless expressions on the players’ faces.  Stoic, really, and a lot like Tom Brady, in that you seldom saw any more than a quick hug after a goal, and you would never see any outward indication of the way a game was going.  Yup, stoic, or emotionless.  In fact, their coaches of that era weren’t any more demonstrative, at least on the game bench.

Of course, I’ve often said over recent years, that North Americans started playing more like Europeans in subsequent seasons, and today I think we see many pro level Russians and other European players playing a North American style, and also doing their goal scoring dances and banging their sticks after giving up a goal.

Now, although I’ll suggest later that even youngsters should learn to play on an even keel, I’m really talking to those at competitive levels — maybe from about Pee Wees on up, and especially those who are in their teen years and into their early 20′s.  And, while you might think I’m directing all this towards just players, I have to tell you that I see parents and coaches holding a great deal of influence in this area.

Okay, so there’s more than a little bit of Bill Belichick in me, along with the need to be a bit of a control freak.  And in the latter regard, I’ve been known to ask my team’s parents to cheer like crazy, but not yell directions to my players or get on the game officials.

With the help of a great sport psychologist, I posted the article, “Up The Boards, Johnny“, and produced a video of the same name. The two of us were making slightly different points in that article, but the one I want to share here is the fact that players can’t listen to verbal instructions, process those, and then act as quickly as hockey requires.  No, we’re better off teaching the players how to read and react smartly in their practices, and then trusting them to do what comes instinctively once they hit the game ice.

As far as me being a control freak goes, though, let me just say that, I would love to have a mute button in my pocket that allows me to quickly stifle the crowd anytime I feet the need.  And the need most often arises when someone on our side believes we’ve been done in by a game official…

No one cares that the crowd gets “a little” rowdy with what they believe is a bad call.  However, as soon as a single voice or two starts to get personal with a ref, I feel it starts to hurt me as a coach, as well as my team.  At times like I’m describing, I’ll quite often want to talk to the ref for a sec.  I might not even be upset, but instead just want a clarification on something.

As far as a clarification goes…  Oftentimes, games played at your typical local rink don’t include the penalties being announced.  And they don’t usually have the space on the scoreboard to list more than a few penalties.  So, without knowing that kind of information — like the type of penalties, their duration and expiration times, it’s virtually impossible for a coach to plan his or her next shifts.  Refs who understand the simplicity of my requests have had no problem whatsoever coming over and explaining things to me.  On the other hand, the official who is already turned off by personal attacks from the stands, is going stay as far from my bench as he can, because he figures he’s just going to get another earful from me.

Having already said plenty about wanting my players to keep on an even keel, you can imagine how I feel about any of them acting up over a referee’s call.  First, as one coach mentioned to me recently, he’s never seen an official change his call because a player yips all the way to the penalty box.  Secondly, getting heated over a call is a waste of valuable energy.  Third, while that player is momentarily off his or her game — or, lost his or her focus, you can bet that he or she has also thrown teammates off their game.

This aside…  Everyone who has ever skated for me knows not to follow my suit when it comes to my demeanor on the bench.  Much of the time I’m pulling a Belichick, calm and on an even keel.  However, if I suddenly pull a nutty and yell at a ref, there’s a good chance I’m not even upset; it’s just a ploy.  At yet another time, I might resort to my half-smiling even keel, but I’m really seething inside; again, what you see on the exterior is just an act, or just a ploy.  My point to this is that I’m going on gut instincts, and dealing with the game officials in a way that I sense will help us in the long run.  It’s nothing personal, one way or the other.

Then, perhaps one of the greatest lectures I’ve ever attended was by a famous sport psychologist, Dr Jim Loehr, that presented during the NHL Coaches Symposium in Montreal, in 1980.

Dr Loehr brought with him some feedback devices to use during the earliest part of his presentation…  Simply, he hooked electrical sensors to a number of volunteers from the audience, and he explained how the devices would make a beeping sound to indicate the amount excitement experienced by each volunteer.

I remember him really getting us all into the experiment by asking the (male) volunteers to picture the most beautiful woman they could.  And, man, did we all roar, when the feedback devices started beeping like crazy.  I mean, they must have beeped about 50 times in about 5-seconds.

As the laughter died down, the good doctor switched the volunteers’ focus to something more relaxing or a lot less exciting.  And, with that, the beeps slowed to maybe one to every couple of seconds.

The experiment surely made its mark — with me, and with most others, and I hope it’s making the point with member players, parents and coaches.  In such a simple experiment, it was proved that our bodies react to whatever we’re giving our attentions or focus to.  Pretty easily, it was shown that we can raise our heart rate by being excited, but we can just as easily relax ourselves by thinking peaceful thoughts.

Another very interesting part of his lecture included the description of a young Swedish tennis player who was so excitable that he was at one time banned from further competition.  We were told that the youngster was seen as world class, yet he was rendered nearly ineffective due to his frequent temper tantrums.  With nowhere to turn, the teen star sought help from some sport psychologists, and turned his life — and his tennis fortunes — around.  As Dr Loehr explained at the end, Björn Borg became known as one of the coolest customers to ever grace a tennis court.

Now, just so you know, typical relaxation exercises slow the heart rate considerably.  In fact, a quick search on-line shows most experts agreeing that, relaxation exercises can:  slow your heart rate, lower blood pressure, slow your breathing rate, increase blood flow to major muscles, reduce muscle tension and chronic pain, improve concentration, reduce anger and frustration, and boost confidence to handle problems.  (You can find other techniques to practice relaxation, but they’re all pretty similar to this one:   Quick Relaxation.)  My suggestion:  Every old enough player should seek a relaxing technique that works for him or her.  Over time, one tends to become familiar with the way stress feels, as well as how if feels to be stress free.  Over time — and through practice, one can also learn to somewhat shortcut the long process of achieving a relaxed state, so that he or she can ultimately snap into it in a matter of seconds.

I know I suggested the above to every “old enough” player — which, to me, probably means Pee Wees on up.  I’m not sure kids younger than that can handle the formal approach to typical relaxation methods.  At the same time, is it ever too young for a player to learn calmness?  I don’t think so.  I do sense that most coaches of young ones have the right idea, trying to encourage them to have fun.  Still, though, in trying to figure what I’d do with a kid who seems extra hyper, I might just suggest to him or her that, “Ya know, you seem to play much better when you’re nice and calm.”  (Have a better idea about this?  Please share it down below.)

In summary, I hope every member appreciates that the mental side of our game is as much a skill as skating and shooting.  And, as such, it has to be practiced just as often.  For, whether players realize it or not, future coaches will see you as a total package, and hoping you’re both physically and mentally ready to play the higher level game.

PS:  For probably the past 20-years, I’ve shared one of Freddie Shero’s favorite expressions with my players:

“Always act like a duck — calm and unruffled on the surface, while paddling like hell underneath.”

A Plea To CoachChic.com Members (and Non-members)

I feel like I’ve been on kind of a roll lately, having added a great many new posts over the past few weeks.  Not that I haven’t always tried to keep the good content coming for my members — it’s up to nearly 600 articles, videos and audio programs right now.

The reason I’ve been on that roll?  It’s because of you.  It’s because you’ve asked me to deal with some really meaningful questions lately, and it’s because you’ve also contributed some awesome comments after the various posts.  And, trust me on the importance of those comments, because they always add a great deal more value to the topic at hand.

A couple of things that bother me, however…

First, I want every single one of you to use your membership to the max.  If the content here already suits your needs, that’s okay.  At the same time, I know that every hockey coach, parent, and adult player finds himself or herself challenged at some point.  And, that’s what I’m here for:  to answer your questions or help you over a hurdle.  Sometimes, as a few higher level coaches have told me, it can also be nice to have me to bounce your ideas off.

Secondly, while I’ll always be sure to pass along information I believe you should know, I’d also like you to steer the conversation.

Thirdly, even though non-members don’t have access to all the content here, a lot of folks don’t realize that I do welcome your questions.  No matter where the questions come from, they’re bound to help lots of folks, including CoachChic.com members.

All that said, here’s my plea:  Please don’t be shy, please get involved, and let’s work together to make this the best hockey resource site in the entire world!

Also, remember that you can use the link up above (Ask The Coach) to submit any questions or difficulties you might have.

Yours in hockey,

Dennis C

Improving A Defenseman’s Point Shots

Unfortunately, the defenseman I was aiming to help with some great drills has moved on. Those things happen in Junior hockey. Nonetheless, I still want to share those with CoachChic.com members, just to keep you all ahead of the pack.

– Dennis Chighisola

Improving A Defenseman’s Point Shots

Now, just in case you think your pointmen don’t need help with their shots, think some more…

The guy I was planning on working with played Juniors for his country in the World Cup. He goes about 6′ 6″, he’s about 200-pounds, and he shoots absolute bullets. In fact, I’ve heard that he recently broke three panes of glass with that shot at the local rink.

So, how would you like that guy cranking shots for your team? Ya, I would, too, except… Maybe the fact that he broke so many sheets of glass is telling, because — for the type of cannon he has, not nearly enough of his shots get through to the net.

This aside… I recall many years ago my son coming home from a late night pickup hour, all excited that he’d finally broken a pane of glass with his shot. Yes, I say “finally”, because it ultimately came to me that every youngster longs for the day when he or she can do the things the older guys do. Both my son and my grandson went through periods when they beamed that the puck finally made a booming noise when they shot against the boards.

In an even funnier story, I remember the night my son came home just as excitedly, telling me he’d screeched a shot — evidently high and towards the glove-side — from just inside the blue line, and, “The goalie never even moved!” I tried to get more from him, but he was kinda wired. A few minutes later, though, I discovered my son didn’t even score on that shot. Still, he was repeating, time after time, “But he never even moved!”

What I’m saying is that I’m now seeing such things — like shooting for some sort of extra effect — as just a natural part of a young player’s development. Sure, we parents and coaches would like them to think about other things — maybe like placing their shots, but I’m thinking some things just need to be left alone for awhile. My guess: Those little milestones contribute greatly to a youngster’s enthusiasm, and they probably encourage the kids to practice all the more.

(If you get the sense that I’ve missed a lot of my son’s and grandson’s games over the years, it’s very sadly so. That’s one thing that really stinks about too often having coaching responsibilities elsewhere and conflicts galore.)

As for that defenseman in question, he should be beyond getting too psyched about the sound of his shots or the breaking of an occasional sheet of glass. By all rights, pro scouts should be swarming the rinks he’ll play in this winter, so it’s about time he starts showing them some results.

As far as results go, I’m talking about long shots getting through to the net. What’s the sense of having a 90-plus shot, IF it never gets there?

I am forever trying to convince attackers that the goaltender basically only needs two things: 1) sight of the puck, and 2) time to get in position. Give him those two things, and I don’t care how hard your shot is.

I’ve mentioned elsewhere within these pages about once dealing with a really head-strong blueliner. He had a good shot, but a wild one, and he was forever firing BBs up around our forwards’ ears as they attempted to screen and deflect for him. So, one day at practice, I gave him 10-pucks, I put a goalie in net, and I then asked that young guy to fire away. Ha! Zero goals! The goaler gloved a few, and he watched most of the rest sail high or way wide. I’m not sure it convinced that defenseman that he’d be better off putting shots low and into the screen, but it surely did all the other players who watched (and snickered). My point here: From anywhere outside the tops of the end face-off circles, it’s better if you’re NOT trying to score the goal yourself.

I’ll address that time and sight of the puck in another way, as well, asking my players to consider which NHL-ers accumulate the most points. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anyone who was invited to the hardest shot competition show in the NHL’s top ten. No, the guys near the top in scoring — while obviously having excellent shots — are usually the guys with moves, a quick trigger, and/or the ability to pounce and quickly put home rebounds.

I think I’ve also previously mentioned reading an article about the Montreal Canadiens from a decade or so ago, at a point where they were struggling with scoring production. Their coach arrived at a thought one day that his players bought into. He asked his D, just for one game, to not take any slapshots from the blue line. The result was something like 4-goals originating from shots taken from the point. We can only guess what happened… Few shots missed the net, and the ones that did make it were either screened or deflected, or jumped on as rebounds.

Okay, here’s another thing I was thinking about in reference to helping that big Junior defenseman…

In the various shooting clinics I’ve run, I’ve always noticed a bunch of less experienced kids flailing at the puck with all their might as they attempted slapshots. I’d usually stop things, and ask a decently skilled pro to demonstrate something for me. I’d ask him to just swing easily into the puck to see what happens. I’d also ask him to do something like a “sweet” motion into the puck, rather than trying to kill it. And, amazingly, the guy’s shot would still take off like a rocket. Ya, that’s because it’s the player’s coordination into the puck that gives it its force, and — as in golf, it’s more the “(stick) head speed” that causes the puck to really fly.

Lastly, I’ve found that it takes a lot of players too much time to set up to take their slapshot. The puck arrives at the point, and things begin to happen — as in a checker moving quickly to cover our guy, and the goaltender moving to get the two things he needs — sight of the puck and positioning. Fortunately, I long ago recognized that my players needed to get their shots off quicker, which caused me to create a whole bunch of drills to help them.

All that set as our backdrop, here’s what I’d have hoped to have done with that big guy…

• Before we’d even begin shooting, I wanted him to get really, really good at an agility oriented skating drill called the “2-step”. You can see an explanation and demonstration of that in my video on “29 Must-do Advanced Skating Drills“. That one is a must for advanced level players. Besides helping that D-man with his skating agility, I know it would have benefited him in his movements along the blue line. Ultimately, I’d have had him do that with a puck out and around his point position.

• I’d have reasoned something with him… “Supposing you shoot 95mph, but your location is hit-or-miss. How about shooting closer to 9omph, then, with every shot being pretty much on target?

To be honest, I don’t think a player will actually lose all that much off his shot by doing what I’m suggesting. Oh, maybe he would at the start, as I’m trying to get him into that mentality of taking “sweet shots”. But, most guys I’ve worked with get right back to their old selves after they’ve gotten the hang of shooting my way.

I’d start him almost like my beginners, using a dozen pucks, trying to take those “sweet shots” in stationary fashion against the side boards, and trying to put them all in the same low spot.

Ultimately I’d have him circle with a puck, head back towards the boards, and take that same sweet one while on the move.

• The drills I’ve designed to help quicken a player’s set up of the slapshot have them spreading 3 or 4 pucks in different patterns. (As players get fairly good at taking slapshots, it matters to them where the puck is in relationship to the skates or their body. And, frankly, it just takes some players far too long to situate themselves in a comfortable shooting position.) Here are just a few drills I would have used with that guy…

In one, I’d have had him place the pucks in a straight line coming away from the boards, with the pucks spread about 6′ apart. He’d start by firing the puck closest to the boards, and then he’d have to quickly move — backwards and with cross-over steps — to fire the next puck, the next and the next. Trust me, that in no time at all, a player gets pretty good and pretty quick at addressing the puck.

In another drill, we’d spread a batch of pucks randomly inside a blue line (there can be a goaler in the net, and this drill could include forwards in front of the net and working on their screens and deflections). On cue, my defenseman has to as quickly as possible fire three pucks spread a distance apart. In other words, go to one puck and fire, skate a bit to another and fire, and then find another in the opposite direction to fire. If the reader can visualize what’s happening, my guy has to — several times in succession, spring to a puck, get set up very quickly, and then get his shot on net.

In closing, I hope you’ll appreciate that there’s nothing all that scientific about what I’d attempt to do. For sure, I’m into the sciences, but most remedies — like these — have more to do with common sense. They’re about assessing a player’s needs and then systematically giving that player repetitive drills to cure the problems. Again, R-E-P-E-T-I-T-I-O-N.

Practice designs are obviously different for every team, Mites to pros. So, while some teams might have the luxury of allowing individual players to work on their personal needs, I’ve usually found that more kids could benefit from what one kid obviously needs. So, all of my NEHI High School Prep skaters would have done the drills I’ve just described, and perhaps only the defensemen would practice some more than the forwards. My point being: The above line of thinking will work with most levels, and the drills I’ve described would benefit anyone playing in a league allowing slapshots. Given an off-ice shooting area at home, I’ll suggest that individual players could fairly quickly get pretty good at their point shots.

Hockey Parents: Take the Game Personally

This topic has been a long time in coming, but it took the mom of a young Squirt level goalie to get it out of me.

Actually, rather than commenting further on another fairly popular CoachChic.com article, Gail chose to email me with further details of her (or her son’s) situation, while also including some further questions.  And it was about halfway through reading her letter, that I knew I had to address things in a broader way, as well as share it with all my hockey friends.

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey Parents: Take the Game Personally

Sometimes I opt to reprint an entire email, if it suits the purpose of an article.  In the case of Gail’s letter, however, the details of her son’s plight aren’t as important as the feelings I sense she’s experiencing for her son’s sake.  I’m not diminishing a bit what her son is going through right now; it’s just that I believe Gail’s overall feelings might be softened a lot if I give her a slightly different perspective.

Now, the first time I recall dealing with this topic was about 5- or 6-years ago, with the dad of a pretty good defenseman on my NEHI Junior High School Team…

The dad wasn’t disrespecting this old coach at the time, but he was sorta moaning about the defense partner his boy was playing alongside.

Ya, when matching younger players, I will purposely pair D in certain ways — maybe placing an offensive kid with a defensive minded one, a stronger player with a slightly weaker one, etc.  So, with his son being a big, really skilled and really aggressive kid, it made sense that I’d have him playing with a slightly weaker, or more defensive minded partner.

I had to drink in the dad’s feelings for awhile, and really think about what was going on.  From what I was gathering, the guy was spending more time watching his son’s partner, what with the list of errors he could so easily spout about that other kid’s game.

That’s when the idea of a parent taking things more “personally” came to mind.  If you can appreciate what I’m suggesting here, that dad’s boy wasn’t going to make it or break it in the long run because of his mate.  In fact, since my old NEHI Teams were all about development, I wanted all of my team’s parents to understand that their kids’ future had nothing to do with our wins or losses, how other teammates were coming along, etc.

My idea of taking things personally wasn’t aimed at the kids being any less the good teammates.  In fact, once I formulated my line of thinking, I made it known that I wanted the parents to watch their own boys’ development while allowing the kids to see the games as they always do.  I mean, I think it’s beneficial that players live or die with their teams, being jubilant after a win, and down after a team loss.  I happen to think that both extreme emotions are kinda good for them, and it’s part of the reason we all — players, parents and coaches — enjoy being involved in a team sport.

On a personal level, I’ve seen my own (son or grandson) on a given night put in a heck of a performance in a losing cause.   Just as surely, I’ve sensed they’ve stunk out the joint while the team managed to win.  You have to know that I have always cheered for their’ teams to win, but at the same time I had to be aware of whether Mike or Anthony was on the right track when it came to long range development.

So again, I wasn’t talking about my Team NEHI players or their parents being selfish in any way.  If a parent was going to get his or her money’s worth, though, he or she had better keep their eyes on their own son’s development.

In her case, Gail’s son happens to be a goaltender.  There aren’t any defense partners to be concerned with, nor forward linemates.  At the same time, goals will be scored against her son, these sometimes being his fault, and sometimes the fault of teammates.  And that’s where my different approach to things comes into play.

Of course, there’s certainly more to my idea of taking things personally…

When it came to that long ago defenseman’s dad, I had to remind him that his son had to control his temper, or learn to play with more control or discipline.  (Does it make sense to my readers that some parents will focus more on their kids’ teammates, maybe as a defense mechanism — or so they can avoid thinking about their own youngster’s shortcomings?)

What I also tried to constantly remind that dad of was his son’s long range goal.  The boy was headed to a highly competitive high school hockey program in 2-years, and it wasn’t going to be easy to make the team — or get steady ice-time — if any major deficiencies showed in his game.  Hey, in high school hockey, one stupid penalty can get you buried on the bench and forgotten for a long, long time.

I also tried to convince that dad — and all the other parents on our team — that stats or won/loss records in junior high school can’t be taken with the player.  In other words, getting a regular shift on a good high school team is more a matter of “what have you done for me lately, kid”.  That’s why I say that development is so important.  If your team is winning but you’re not improving, you’re dead in the water come the high school tryouts.  If you pay attention to improving with each day, I’m betting on you to be a star someday.

Okay, up to now, Gail may or not yet see my point in all this.  For her sake then — and especially for her son’s sake, let me translate much of the above to their current dilemma…

To be honest, I wouldn’t necessarily handle matters the way her son’s coach has.  From what she’s written to me, her son considers himself to be a full-time goalie, while he shares the net with a boy who has just decided to switch from a skating position to goaltending.  Even so, I guess the head coach is suggesting the two boys switch between skating out and playing net, while Gail’s boy prefers to stay between the pipes.  I tend to side with Gail and her son on that one, and I’m sure I’d have the two boys split each game (probably playing the most experienced one first or last depending on the opponents).

Still, that said, I can’t get away from the idea of putting development first.  I presume that Gail’s son has visions of someday playing for his local high school or Junior team, so I’m going to remind her that his tryouts for such a team are about 5- to 6-years away.  Who started in net here in 2012-13 won’t matter then, but what will matter are the things he learned between now and the big tryout date.

Gail doesn’t mention what level of Squirts her son plays.  However, if he’s not ultimately working within the highest level in her son’s region (like A, AA or AAA), his serious playing days will probably end when he graduates youth hockey.

By the way…  There is nothing wrong with a youngster or his or her parents not having higer aspirations.  To just have fun — right now — is okay.  However, since a youngster’s self-esteem and true enjoyment of the game is usually based on at least some success, I have to point right back at that taking it personally kind of thinking.

Part of that taking things personally calls for the parent to watch a boy’s play within the context of the game.  In other words — while not beating on her son, Gail or the boy’s dad might judge which goals he might have stopped, what he could do better in the future, etc.  It might be true, that others really caused some goals, but a player doesn’t grow from worrying about others.  So again, my message to Gail would be that she should care a whole lot more about how her own boy is doing.

Then, because my old Team NEHI programs ran the gamut in weekly training — from on-ice practices to off-ice practices to on-ice skills to special positional coaching, I didn’t have to mention to those parents about yet another import point.  However, in Gail’s case, I might suggest that she look into extra weekly goaler training if her son isn’t taking advantage of such.  Talk about a way for him to develop on a personal level.

Lastly, for Gail’s sake…

Based on the current conditions — with your son playing every other game, I would do my darnedest to make the best of it.  Ya, the situation does sound like it stinks, but it is what it is, at least for this season.  Making the best of it would include your son working hard at every practice, finding some other ways to help his game away from the team, truly encouraging his goaltending partner when it’s his turn to play, and then having some fun when it’s your son’s turn to get into the net.  Again, the idea is to make the most of a not-so-thrilling situation.

I don’t blame any hockey mom for living and dying as she watches her youngster deal with various hockey challenges.  Trust me, that we dads frequently ache inside as we watch our own ride the youth sports roller coaster.  If there’s a problem — and it’s what I learned long ago while dealing with that Junior high school dad, it’s that there is almost nothing to be gained from worrying about teammates or coaches.  In the end, which team a youngster makes — next year, the year after, and for the years after — boils down to how well he or she develops as an individual.

In closing, all the above was intended for every CoachChic.com reader, at every level.  I don’t care if you’re the parent of a Mite or a highly touted older guy; it’s important for you to be both a good team person and one who watches very closely for how your own son or daughter is developing.

My taking it personally approach can sometimes benefit a player.  I mean, the greatest distraction in the world can come when a youngster worries too much about a teammate’s shortcomings.  (Ya, right, as if everyone doesn’t lack in one area or another.)  So, if a parent sees just a hint of that, I’d nip it in the bud.  I’d frame it in a positive way, however, reminding your son or daughter that long range success is going to be based on his or her own skills and playing smarts, and not on the mistakes a teammate might make.

I also feel the need to mention that the parent of a kid who wants to go further in the game not depend solely on what’s offered by his or her youth hockey organization.  There, nearly every player is developing at the same rate, doing the same drills, etc.  The player who may want to go beyond most others has to somehow get extra training, even if it’s at home.

Then, from time to time I get the guilties writing a piece like this.  I mean, some parents might be thinking, “Sure, Dennis, it’s easy for you to observe your own and make corrections, because you’re a 107-year old coach!”  Naw, if I’ve helped my own at all over many years of parenting, it’s because I first recognized the need to take their development very personally.

Can A Hockey Coach Steal A Game?

The short answer to the above is obviously, “Yes.”  Of course, it’s possible for any head coach to steal a win for his team.  However, with that established, my long time CoachChic.com friends have to know I have a lot more to say on such a topic.

Actually, this all came up in two ways — from a conversation I had with another very successful hockey coach, that after having watched an on-line basketball coaching webinar earlier in the day.

– Dennis Chighisola

Can A Hockey Coach Steal A Game?

That conversation with the other hockey coach took place on Facebook.  I was wishing my long time friend good luck on his upcoming high school season, and that brought us to bantering back and forth about things we have in common when it comes to coaching philosophy.

Wrongly, I’d say, my friend gives me some credit from the way he views the game.  True, he was an assistant coach with me for a time, but he steered his high school team to a state championship last season purely on his own — and, I might add, in just his first season at the helm.

When we got rolling with the conversation, he made it a point to highlight the great dedication shown by the kids in his high school program, or as he put it, “The commitment to Townie Hockey is second to none.”

Then he went on to describe what he was talking about when it comes to commitment…

“A typical day in the life is 90 minutes off ice and 90 minutes on ice with a 10 mile bus ride in between. We breakdown game film and do all our defensive strategies off ice so as to not bring the practices to a screeching halt and can focus on the more fun stuff on ice.”

Now, those who have been here for any length of time knows that’s a hockey man after my heart.   And, while I love — and totally agree with all the things he’s doing for his kids (maybe except for that bus ride — ), I just plain like the fact that he’s thinking, or that everything he is doing is for a reason.  So many coaches just take what they’re given — like the 90-minutes for on-ice practice, and then they’re on their way home.

Actually, my old buddy caused me to think some, when he inserted, “I’m a big believer that how goes your forecheck = how goes your game, cuz it’s all in the attitude.”  Hmmmmmm…  Although I’ve never quite looked at it that way, I think I’d have to tend to agree.  I recall nights when my teams would hem our opponents in their own end for minutes at a time, and we were usually on our way to a “W”.

I got us back to a comparison of how other coaches might do things, offering, “That’s the way it ought to be done, but not all coaches can pull it off.  You did it, and my guess is that players and parents will be even more willing to follow your direction this next time around.”  Ya, nothing gets folks on your bandwagon quicker than winning, and my sense is that my friend’s team will continue to be successful until league opponents manage to get as much accomplished with their players.

My friend went on…  “You know, last year when we turned the corner, and rounded the bend, you could see the light go on upstairs.  And man did they gel!  I was incredibly fortunate to be able to bring on 2 great coaches to work with me.  We had to sell the administration our vision of a high school hockey program and they graciously supported the endeavor. Whereas most high school hockey teams are doing their 2 or 3 or 4 – 50-60 minute skates/week we definitely had a conditioning and skills and team edge on the opposition despite 4 of our 10 skaters and our keeper being freshmen.”

Ha!  There you go.  Other teams were doing the customary stuff, and my buddy and his capable assistants were out-teaching them by a country mile.

That’s when my other experience of that day kicked in…  “Funny, I told him, “but I was listening to a high level basketball webinar today, and a major point that the speaker was insisting upon was that games are won in the practices.”  (I then joked — because my buddy would know, “No kidding!”) Knowing the organizer of that webinar, I suggested to him that such a point would likely go over the heads of a lot of coaches, no matter their sport.

I loved my buddy’s comeback…  “Coach, you are so right. You manage games. You coach practices.”

Please think about that one again, if you would:  You manage games, and you coach (or teach in) practices.

My friend continued…  “Try coaching up a kid during a game like hockey and forget about it:   let me see, he’s skating, stickhandling and reading the play simultaneously.  It moves way too fast.  Now stick some thought in his head to worry about.  Anything that was once fluid is gone because he’s so focused on that critique.”

In contract, he offered, “I throw so much multi tasking and so much pressure on everything we work on (in practice) that gametime is funtime.”

With that, I only half-joked, “LOL!  I think I feel a new CoachChic.com article coming on! 

Oh, and seconds later, a young lady seeing our public conversation added, “lol.. and who wouldn’t ‘Like’ this one?!?

For sure, who wouldn’t like this one?

Okay, so now for some take-aways from all of this, as far as this old coach is concerned…

1) All of us coaches are going to be given standard practice hours, and those are good enough, if good enough is what you and your players are looking for.  As is written countless times throughout these pages, a ton more can be accomplished by adding some off-ice practices, studying video, doing some chalktalks, etc.

2) I don’t think there’s any doubt that games are won in practices.  Sure, we coaches can once in awhile steal a point or two from the game bench, but not very often.

3) Although there are some things that are different when comparing basketball and hockey, there are lots and lots of similarities.  They are both “transition games”, with only slightly different rules and slightly different tools to work with.  That said, the coach in that b-ball webinar suggested that every coach should have what he called a “Cheat Sheet”.  (Having spilled coffee on his in the past, he suggested it be laminated.)  The idea of that sheet is to have some set plans for the last minute or so in a game, with options depending on the conditions at the time.

Not much different than a hockey bench, I guess things can get crazy in basketball, too — if the game is close and the clock is winding down.  I’ve kinda done something like that in the past for my older hockey teams — for example, listing my powerplay unit (to include backups), my penalty-killers, and even some ideas for late game face-off plays.  I’d also have plans for our goalie-off unit, should we need it.

 *

If anyone has their own ideas about a hockey Cheat Sheet, please share them below.
I love to learn from you guys, and I’m sure other members would also appreciate it.

Hockey Refereeing Inconsistencies

I belong to quite a few hockey (or related) groups within social media, including a Facebook group called the Hockey Coaches & Players Drills Forum.  It’s a great place to find some new drill ideas, as well as to get involved in some interesting hockey coaching discussions.

What got me typing away here today is a post by group member, Dan P, who expressed his concerns about the inconsistencies he’s seeing this season as he coaches a Squirt AA team.  With that, my juices got flowing, and I just knew I had to address this issue with my CoachChic.com friends.

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey Refereeing Inconsistencies

Getting the ball (or puck) rolling, here’s what Dan had to say:

“The long battle of ref consistancy continues!  Coaching my Squirt AA team last weekend (this is still bothering me) one of my smallest, quickest players took a checking penalty.  However, he made the body contact exactly as he was taught. We have been teaching “stick to stick; hips to hands”.  The ref said he called the penalty because the player “dropped his shoulder” and he would continue to call every player on our team that did it.  First issue I have with this is that we have followed the guidelines set forth by USA Hockey (from what I have taken from the rule change) that is talked about at every coaching clinic and have gone over the USA Body Checking Rule section on the USA Hockey website.  Do the officials watch the same videos showing what is legal and illegal?  I haven’t done an officials clinic in probably 10 years.  Anyone else having similar issues?”

Now, not having been at the game in question — or seen the call, I’m not going to get involved in the exact situation Dan described.  I do, however, see tons of stuff within the above paragraph, that should give us plenty of meat for discussion.

As an aside…  Dan is (rightly) concerned with the refereeing inconsistencies as they affect his kids and his ability to teach them well.  So am I.  As a matter of fact, I’m constantly reminded of an incident I was involved in many years ago whenever this issue rears its ugly head.

I was actually coaching my old high school team back in the early 1980′s when I found myself — and my players — heading to the dressingroom as frustrated as could be.  Feeling much like Dan, I’d seen several questionable penalties called late in the game, and they had cost us the win.

As we all filed towards the lockerrooms, it suddenly struck me that my kids were going to be asking me a lot of questions.  So I veered from that course, and headed straight for the referees’ room.

Now, when the refs made their calls, they knew I was scratching my head over on the game-bench.  Yet, whether purposely or not, they stayed far enough away so that I never could get the answers I was looking for.

In reflection, I probably could have lost my job over what I did next, but I nearly tore the hinges off the ref’s room door as I entered, and I was already ranting as the door swung open.  In effect, I told them, “I am a teacher first, and when I go back into my team’s room, those kids are going to want answers!”  Man, was I hot.  Thank God, though, that those guys knew me for better times and better manners, and cooler heads did prevail.

I tell that story to suggest that Dan might consider himself lucky that the officials at his game at least spoke to him.  I also tell that — and the next story — in hopes it might actually be helpful to referees out there…

At least a year or so later, I was again coaching my high school team when an odd whistle blew and halted my team’s powerplay.  To be honest, I had been slightly distracted talking with a player and hadn’t seen the play.  My assistant coach and several players hadn’t a clue what the whistle was for, so I tried to ask the ref who made the call.  Of course, that guy moved himself quickly to the face-off circle which starting me seething.  Thankfully, the other ref backed up to our bench — so that few in the arena would notice, and he said just loud enough for me to hear, “Coach, the play was off-side.”  I immediately slapped my head, apologized for asking, and added, “I am an idiot!”  (Ya, by his one small gesture, he had diffused a situation that could have easily gotten nasty.)

That ref just happened to be the class of the league, and he’d done games as high as the old World Hockey Association.  What got him to the high levels was a firm knowledge of the rules, a feel for the game, and some common sense.  Enough said?

Now, while you might think I went off on a tangent there, I was really speaking to Dan’s main concern, in that we coaches have to go back to our kids and have answers for them.  Oftentimes we can take care of that on our own, but sometimes we need the help of the game officials.

And that brings me to a notion I’ve had for a good many years…  For, I can’t understand for the life of me why refs aren’t seen as part of the teaching process when it comes to our game’s youngest levels.  Yes, there’s a need to act impartially when it comes to tournaments, more competitive levels of play, etc.   On the other hand, I’ve always fostered that we’re-in-this-thing-together approach when I’ve had refs work in my hockey schools and in certain teaching leagues I’ve designed.  I’d ask them to look at things that way, I’d sometimes arrange for them to have a brief classroom session with the players, and I asked them to explain everything they could to “our kids”.

I’m glad Dan mentioned about the referee adding that, “…he would continue to call every player on our team that did it.”  I know a lot of guys who enter younger level games with something in their heads — like it’s their pet peeve, or their peeve of the day, and they aren’t about to change their minds.

I happen to love the old guy I’m going to speak about now, but we’ve had our share of friendly arguments…

His “thing” happens to be protecting young goalies.  Is he right?  Ya, I can totally appreciate that.  However, I can’t appreciate it to the point where it distorts the game, or causes me to teach the game other than the way I think things ought to be.

I think our first conversation on this topic arose one of the first times he worked a hockey school for me.  He watched how I was teaching my attackers to be aggressive going to the net, and he jumped in with his feelings on protecting the netminder.  Ugh.  I explained that a lot of my kids could ultimately play at some very high levels.  However, if I taught them to back off and not go to the net hard, they were never going to make it beyond rec hockey.

As I said, that guy has been a good friend for a lot of years, so you can imagine that we’ve had that conversation a kizillion times.  So, I eventually reasoned that I’d continue to teach what I feel is the right way, and just take my chances that a penalty might be called on my kids at least once in awhile.

And that’s kinda my suggestion to Dan…  I honestly believe he is teaching the right way, and there’s no reason to do anything differently.  Sure, he could monitor the kids’ elbows and hands back at practice.  However, he just can’t be getting all paranoid about what the next referee’s pet peeve might be.  As I do myself, I’d suggest he teach the kids properly, and take a chance that one or two might be called for something a little off the wall from time to time.

As yet another aside…  I sense that refs doing numerous games on a given day can cause some problems.  Oh, I’m not trying to stir things, but…

I’ve for years had cause to run from one rink to another.  And, I still recall seeing a pair of refs coast one night while doing a Division III high school game in one rink, and then skate their buns off shortly after at another rink while officiating for two of the best high school teams in the state.  Were they resting in the early game with the knowledge that they had their work cut out for them in the later one?  I thought so.

I know that youth leagues schedule their officials in different ways.  However, I’ve often wondered what effect it has on a ref’s psyche when he’s gone from a slower game to a faster one, or from a faster one to a really slow one.

For sure, it’s impossible for players, coaches or officials to do their jobs to perfection.  Hey, we’re all human.  If there’s a problem, it’s that we’re all depending on one another.  Oh, I know we’re never likely to get perfection, which suggests to me that that’s where good communication skills come into play.

That in mind, I’d suggest a couple of things to Dan…

He might hold a meeting with his players and parents, and explain to them that it will take a little time for there to be consistent calls under the new contact guidelines.  I’d further reason with them that the best thing to do would be to just concern themselves with what the players and coaches can control, and to not be thrown off by an occasional strange penalty.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to remind the kids about that last point each time they head out for another game, “Just relax, play the game the way you’ve practiced, don’t be bothered by an odd penalty, and we’ll talk about it all afterwards.”

Just prior to this season’s earliest games, I might be inclined to talk to the refs about what the kids have been learning in their practices.   With that, I’d ask if they’ll be looking for anything in particular, and then I’d even ask for their help or advice once the game is over.

Position Assignments for Young Hockey Players

Position Assignments for Young Hockey Players

The Importance of Hockey Specific Drills

You really should read a very recent post I did on “Having the Skills to Make It!“, because it provides a lot of background to the following line of thinking.

– Dennis Chighisola

The Importance of Hockey Specific Drills

As you’ll discover from reading that article mentioned above, this whole subject came about as another Junior hockey scout and I watched a local tournament here in Florida.  The kids were mostly 18-ish, and they weren’t bad, on average, but they still had some deficiencies the other guy and I recognized rather easily.

You ought to know that the other scout and I come from both similar and then really very different backgrounds.  I taught and coached him early-on, but then he went off to play a lot of minor pro hockey, while I mainly continued teaching, analyzing skills, and coaching some of the developmental levels of our game.  I describe all that to suggest that we saw a lot of the same things during the tournament games, but then we also saw some things quite differently.

In my case, I know the difference between good and not so good coaching, and between good and not so good drills.  And it’s in reference to the latter that you’ll often hear me grump about so-called “vanilla drills”.  Ya, they’re kinda nothing drills — because there’s hardly any benefit to them, except that they sure do contain a lot of activity, and they surely do look fancy to the folks sitting up in the stands.  You can usually recognize them when you see six pucks flying every which way, players going in thirteen different directions, and the coaches standing back idly and just watching.

The main idea of a good drill is repetition, or repetition of the right mechanics.  And an effective drill also requires constant feedback from knowing eyes.  Hey, to keep going without correction means a player is going to most likely just keep reinforcing the same (and often incorrect) mechanics.  So, when it comes to those Junior players again, I’m thinking that they haven’t done a whole lot of stuff other than fancy looking vanilla drills.

This aside…  Where do so-called vanilla drills come from?

I’d say coaches mostly dig them out of drill manuals, or they sometimes see them performed at a coaching clinic or at another team’s practice.  Oftentimes the drills are very good ones, but they’re bad — or an absolute waste of time — if used with a different age group or a different skill level.

What also sometimes goes wrong is that a coach can watch the fancy drill, like how it looks, but not really understand what the purpose of the drill is, or what corrections should be made along the way.  (Man, years ago I was at a Canadian coaching seminar where I overheard a guy who worked with Mites get all excited about borrowing a drill some Bantams were doing out on the ice.  If you now understand my concerns, there’s no way that guy’s Mites were going to be able to perform even the basics of that drill, never mind all the other crazy things that would ultimately go on.)

Okay, getting back to that Junior level tournament…  The things that jumped out at me, in general, were the kids’ skating postures, and the way they carried their sticks.  A correct skating posture is covered in numerous posts — and videos — throughout this site, most of them under the Skating section within Highlight Reel Skills.  What I’d like to devote some time to here is the proper use of and carrying of the hockey stick.

For some in depth ideas on how many hands to use on the stick at various times, I direct you to my post on “Two Hands or One on the Hockey Stick“.

One thing that drove both the other scout and me crazy was the way kids were carrying their sticks up in the air, and sometimes waving them in the faces of other players.  (I’m not suggesting they were trying to play dirty; what I am suggesting is that many of them were carrying their sticks up high without even thinking about it.)  The other guy — the long time pro — would think they were playing dangerously, while I saw it more as a skill deficiency.

I will oftentimes trick my older players into believing they should carry their sticks low…  I’ll call them in around the center circle while I’m handling a puck.  Then, noticing a player with his stick up at the waist, I’ll slide him a quick pass.    You have to know that the puck always flies far beyond him, because there’s no way he can react quickly enough to get the stick down to grab the pass.  Point made, I’ll go on to suggest that they should always travel with the stick held low or on the ice.  And I’ll usually add, “Hey, you can even get lucky when an opponent throws a puck near you.  There’s no way you can get lucky with the stick held high.”

And that brings me to what I really want to tell you about and then show you.  For, on the way home from the rink that night — which was something like a 90-minute drive, my mind began to wonder in and out, between a conversation with a friend and a possible solution to those flailing sticks.

Ya, if you hang with me at all, you have to get used to the fact that I can get lost in space at times.  Trust me, that it’s seldom a reflection on my company, but more my urge to daydream.  Anyway, maybe you’re getting a sense of how my brain tends to function…

Probably about halfway along on that drive, I began envisioning how I would have liked to have seen those teenage kids move.  For sure, their posture could be better, but so would they look far better if they were traveling with their sticks held low, and with their sticks held in two hands most of the time.

So, do this along with me…  I’m picturing those kids moving just as I’d like to see it.  I’m correcting their posture as they go past me, and they’re beginning to get more and more comfortable with their sticks held down and steady.

As I’m doing that, I’m starting to think that it matters not whether they’re on the ice or performing those movements in a local parking lot.  Hmmmmmmmmm…

Okay, so I’m going to show you the drill I concocted, and then I am going to have MUCH to say about it in reference to it being “hockey specific”…

What I’d done is locate a straight line in my complex’s parking lot (I had a bag of playground chalk handy in case I needed to draw my own line).  I then set a small pylon a ways away and perpendicular to the way I’d travel, that pylon representing a teammate holding a puck and looking to make a pass.  Not knowing where that player will eventually move the puck, all of his or her teammates should be moving in support, just in case.

In the first video, I’m moving on that perpendicular course, stick down and steady, with my eyes (always) on the puck.  Most players don’t have a problem with showing a forehand target, but a lot do when it comes to moving in the other direction and showing a backhand target extended far out in front…

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In this next video clip, I’ve had to reverse directions…  In other words, maybe I’ve run out of “good space” at some point, and I now have to head back in the other direction.

Now, a lot of viewers may have thought that first drill was on the really simple side.  Maybe so, maybe not.  However, the following movement — of changing directions while maintaining a fairly consistent, steady target — is done wrongly far too often.

Notice, if you will, that I’m going to switch the stick towards the new direction before I actually make my turn.  Why?  I do that so that a potential passer is given a warning that my turn is coming.  (Too often a player makes the cut, he or she next switches the stick, and the pass has already been sent to where the passer thought his or her mate was going.)

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One reason I wanted to show these drills in an off-ice venue is so that individuals could be helped as well as a team.  I mean, an adult player could practice these movements on his or her own, and a parent should be able to easily find a spot where he or she could help a young player perfect the moves.

Now, before anyone thinks that those drills were overly simple, I’m going to agree.  At the same time, however, I am going to tell you that those drills are “specific” to the problems I recently saw kids having.  And I’m going to further suggest that all the fancy drills in the world won’t cure what ails those older teens.  These absolutely will!  So, are these drills simple?  Yes.  Are they of the vanilla variety?  Definitely not!  These simple drills will fix the problems at hand.

For sure, those drills could be taken to the ice.  All a coach needs to do is substitute a blue line or red line, and place a puck or pylon somewhere to simulate the passer.  The drill could be made to look fancier — if a coach is worried about the folks up in the stands, but simplicity — and repetition of the right movements — is still the key to getting what you want.

At some point — or after the basic skills are learned, a player at a time could skate around a face-off circle while continuing to watch the puck, keep a steady target, and at the right times switch the stick to show an intended turn.

Quite obviously, that’s not the end of helping players move better, or helping them solve passing and receiving problems.  At the same time, it gets them well on their way.  In fact, I would use this form of drilling — either off-ice or on, and then gradually start adding passes.  Even weeks after I abandoned the simplest form, I’d likely bring it back again now and then.

In closing, I’m reminded of the old television advertisement hyping frequent oil changes.  The message was that frequent changes were a whole lot less expensive than the engine overhaul that might be needed if oil wasn’t regularly changed.  Or, as the punchline went, “Pay me now, or pay me later.”  What I’m getting at is my recently observing a bunch of older players who weren’t demonstrating some of the skills a scout might like to see.  If the kids knew what my fellow scout and I were seeing, they’d be disappointed, as would be their parents.  Where would the blame fall?  It would likely be on the shoulders of coaches who used more of the meaningless, vanilla-type drills, and not enough of the type that actually solves problems.

Handling Disruptive Hockey Players

I’d much prefer to field questions related to skill problems, troubles with a team’s breakout, or maybe a player’s being out of shape.  Trust me on that, that such things are easy for me to deal with.  Trying to solve some other things are for less so, and you can trust me on that one, too.

– Dennis Chighisola

Handling Disruptive Hockey Players

Of course, you have to know that a long time member, Tim T, hit me with one of the latter just this morning.  My difficulty with handling one of “those” kinds of questions isn’t so much that it’s hard, but that they’re usually a matter of philosophy.  And, the problem with discussing philosophy here is that no two humans are built alike, which means that what’s comfortable for me isn’t necessarily going to be comfortable for another.  Worse yet, I don’t believe there can ever be a right or wrong answer when dealing with things that boil down to philosophy.  Still, all that said, let’s get on to Tim’s problem…

“Our Pee Wee team has a few undisciplined players and it’s disruptive in practice and hurts us in games. None of them are bad kids, just things like not coming to the circle when called (would rather shoot a few pucks into the net than come when coach calls), sometimes  two or more talking when I am, not putting forth 100% effort in drills, etc.

I am looking for some tips on how instill the necessary discipline in these players. My challenge is to accomplish this while not letting the entire practice breakdown to the point where our well behaved kids are just standing around while coaches deal with the ones requiring discipline. We have tried using push ups, bag skates and putting players in the penalty box for a short amount of time.

We usually have one head coach (me), one assistant and sometimes one or two parent volunteers on the ice during practice. Any suggestions for how they might best be used? I have been the one running the drills, but am thinking of turning that over to the assistant while I work on the discipline.

Thanks Coach.”

Well, Tim, I think anyone passing through here is going to now totally appreciate why I cringe at seeing a question like this one come to my inbox.  I’m tough, though, so let me still give this one a whirl. 

If there’s one problem I see here, it’s that the season has already begun, and Tim (like any other coach) is already into doing things the way he normally does.  So are the players at this point used to doing whatever it is they do.

As an aside, I have written elsewhere in these pages that coaches should do an end-of-season evaluation — for themselves.  I mean, each coach should make note of all the things that went right or wrong over the season, and then spend a short portion of the off-season considering how to keep the good and how to deal with the not so good.  As I’m also known to suggest, rules announced before the team first takes the ice don’t seem personal; it’s like they were made for everyone.  On the other hand, try to make a new rule after a player is habitually late (or whatever), and it’s seen as extremely personal to that player or that family.

In defense of Tim, this is his first go-round with a traveling team, having only spent last season helping one team, and then only briefly running a house league team with few practices.

Tim should know that I’ve tried both approaches to meting out punishments during a practice, sometimes nailing just the offending player/s, and sometimes bagging the whole team for the sins of one or two.  And I can admit that I saw no rhyme or reason to either approach sometimes working and sometimes not.

As yet a second aside…  It’s been my experience that some of our wayward kids are just normal kids with too much energy or too little attention span.  Those kids I believe we can work with, and bring them back into the fold.  I’ve also had to deal with some kids with serious learning or behavioral problems, and they are almost never salvageable.

I hate to write that last sentence, but that has been my experience.  If you think about it, at least one of the reasons kids enroll in hockey is because it’s a team sport.  As such, however, it requires kids who are willing to blend with the others.  For those who can’t, there are individual sports where those types can sometimes excel.

All that said, I really do think it’s time for a team meeting, this to include parents as well as players.  (My guess — or my experience — is that the parents who really need to be there will have something better to do.  Grrrrrrrrrr!  Maybe an RSVP would give Tim a better sense of who plans to attend, and maybe it will also give him a chance to persuade the right people to show.)  As hinted at up above, I can’t tell Tim to be anyone other than himself.  However, I will suggest a few topics I think need covering…

I think the whole thing has to be approached from the aspect of hockey being a team sport, and as such, the actions of one or two impact greatly on all other team members.

It should be noted that the players who are inattentive during practices eat up a great deal of practice time, which in turns cuts into the chance for other kids to learn new things.

It’s also been my experience that the kids who don’t pay attention in practices really screw up the works in games.  In other words, most of the kids know how to cover face-offs or how you’re trying to breakout or forecheck, but those things can’t be successful without everyone on the same page.

Tim might open things for discussion concerning how he might handle the practice-time problems — like punishing only those who misbehave or making it a team thing (which usually causes the good kids to grumble at the not so good ones).

Tim might also throw it out to the crowd about how the games will be handled.  And, while I’m not him and he’s not me, I might be inclined to briefly sit a kid (or two) for not getting himself ready to play when the time was right:  in the most recent practice.

Then, I know that most youth organizations look for feedback from the past year’s coaches when teams are being assembled for the next season.  And I would be up-front with all the families, in that I’m only going to recommend players who are truly deserving.  I might even put a scare into some, suggesting that I’ll definitely tell future coaches about the problems given player might present.

Now, I’d like to think that I’m not a mean guy (and most folks who know me would vouch for that).  At the same time, I am all about fairness, and I know I can be tough on a player if his actions seem to be unfair to others.

I’d also like to think that I look to use our game — especially at its younger levels — for the purpose of teaching life’s lessons.  And in this regard, I think a coach would be doing the offending player/s a huge disservice by letting the wrong work ethics persist.

Of course, most of the above centers around a yet to be determined meeting, while I know that Tim has a practice coming within a day or so.  Hmmmmmm…  What to do?

Personally, I would not change the way he’s been doing things, that to include Tim running the practice and others watching his butt and helping.  If there’s anything that can go wrong with that, it’s that other guys don’t necessarily do a very good job of watching the head coach’s back, and some are more a hindrance than help.  And that stuff has to be cured as soon as possible, maybe to include putting a helper or two in charge of watching over the wayward kids.

I would also consider holding a mini-meeting off to the side and before the next practice with the problem kids.  The subject of that gathering might include some of what Tim thinks is necessary from what I listed as possible meeting notes.  Then…  Ya, then…

It’s been my observation that kids who stray need company — even support.  So it’s likely that the two or three kids who are constantly a distraction hang close together as often as they can.

With that, I would tell them that I don’t want to see them near each other during any part of the practice.  Go mix with the other kids, but the instant they’re seen together, the pair or threesome (or whatever) are headed off together to do something physical.

If the kids ask why, I’d tell them that I suspect it’s only one player who is causing the others to get in trouble, and I’m going to be looking for that one guy.  (Hey, so I tend to lie a little when it comes to solving crazy problems — !)

Lastly, and finishing as I began, I have to say that handling such problems seems not an exact science.  It’s also difficult in such circumstances, because it’s not fair for me to put words in Tim’s mouth, nor ask him to be me.  And, as everyone probably sees by now, there probably isn’t a right or wrong to any of this.  Purely, it’s what one guy (or gal) can get to work.

PS:  I think the thing that makes Tim’s problem a little more difficult than what some others might face is that he seemingly has to deal with more than one player who is taking the team down.  Handling a solo player with behavioral problems would be far, far easier.

*

I honestly think this post deserves — and is likely to get — lots of feedback and some differences of opinion.  I’m all for that, and I’m betting Tim is, too!

*

Not long after I completed this piece for Tim T, I received another question that I felt fell awfully close to the above (the hockey mom who sent it may not have initially thought so, but I’m hoping she’ll hear me out). 

Anyway, not sensing this really required a separate article, allow me to deal with Tina F’s question here…

Punished for Being Late to a Game

Actually, that hockey mom did an awesome job of explaining herself and some recent circumstances, so I’ll let her introduce the problem…

“Hi Coach,

This weekend my son was benched for the whole first period of his squirt game. The game started at 7:20 am. The kids were told to be there at 6:40. My son arrived at 6:47 and sat the whole period. I was told that a kid squirt level or under cannot be benched for this amount of time. I was also told that in (her son’s league) the organization could be fined $500 for benching a kid at this level so long. I have requested a meeting with our club president and would like to have all my ducks in a row. What do you know?

Tina F”

First, I’ll suggest that Tina might look a little deeper into that league rule.  It’s just my hunch that such a rule would include a few exemptions, maybe like allowing a coach/team to bench a player for reasons having to do with discipline, breaking team rules, what have you.  (My guess is that the rule is in place to ensure all young kids get fair ice-time under normal conditions.)  I’m not guaranteeing that, but I sure would venture to bet something like that is so.

Secondly, I’m going to ask Tina to consider what should be going on within a team lockerroom.  For sure, I can’t speak for her son’s coach, but I can tell you all the way I think, and how and why I run a team a certain way.  And, I’m kinda hoping that most of this makes perfect sense…

I know that a lot of coaches require their players to be at the rink a specified time prior to the game’s official start.  For me, it used to be one hour prior to game-time when working with youth teams (far earlier when I coached my college team), but I changed my mind on the youth team application a few years ago.

As a brief aside here, I always like to remind parents about how they most likely feel as they prepare for an important meeting.  If there’s travel involved, they’ll surely take into account their vehicle being up for the trip, as well as current weather and traffic conditions.  If there’s one thing most adults want to avoid when it comes to something important, it’s running in to it in a panic, and knowing that they’re just not going to feel right the rest of the way.

That said, parents oftentimes forget that their kids have the same things going on in their minds (or stomachs).  In fact, the higher up I’ve been able to observe players, the more I’ve seen them arrive (on their own) hours early.  They like just being there, being able to fiddle with their gear, get themselves totally ready to play, and also bond a bit with their teammates.

And, please don’t discount the importance of all I’ve said in that last sentence.  For example, 10-minutes before game-time is not the time to discover a helmet screw missing or a broken skate lace.  And, whether anyone wants to believe it or not, the kids who arrive early tend to bond with their teammates, while the perpetual late arrivals almost never really do.  (Please trust an old coach on that last one.)

I mentioned earlier that I’ve abandoned the rule about being at the rink an hour prior to game-time, just so parents of young ones didn’t panic on icy roads, whatever.  What I arrived at instead was to ask every player to be completely dressed — and parents gone from the lockerroom — 20-minutes prior to game-time.

Trust me, that I still had some parents push that 20-minutes early thing, rushing into the lockerrom at the last second, and then needing to spread all the gear, tie skates, find the helmet, fish around for the gloves.  I cured that in short order, though, requiring that late players let us know they’re at the rink, but then go find another place to dress (I don’t care if it’s out in the rink runway).

The reason for all this is that those last 20-minutes are “my time”!  It’s a time when my players can relax without distraction, and it’s a time when I can go over things in preparation for the game.  That’s a time when we’ll deal with a missing player, some slight changes in the line-up, whatever.  And it’s even a time — say in the last 5- to 10-minutes — when everyone can put on their proverbial “game faces”.  It is not a time to listen to stories about flat tires, and it’s not the time to start looking for Johnny’s missing glove.  Again, it is “my time” — a lousy 20-minutes.

Now, as much as I believe the league has some exemptions for that rule about benching players, I’m also suspecting that the coach for Tina’s son’s team established that rule some time ago — the one that required everyone to be there by 6:40am.  I almost know it wasn’t created on the spot, or just this last weekend.  Whether the length of punishment was established ahead of time might be another matter.  Still, from a very old coach’s perspective, Tina was wrong, be it one minute late, seven minutes, or an hour.

Maybe Tina and others now know why I switched my requirements the way I did.  Still, very far away games have caused a problem with that 20-minutes early rule, and I might think to make an adjustment to an even earlier time should I return to coach a youth team again.

If Tina might have a complaint, it’s probably the length of the punishment assessed her son.  Hmmmmmm…  One period for being late by 7-minutes.  Hmmmmmmmm…  Late is late, though, isn’t it?  And, to be honest, I doubt missing just a few shifts would prove much of a deterrent to others sauntering in at any old time.  So, while I’m betting Tina didn’t purposely get her son to the game late, my guess is that the length of punishment her boy received surely has gotten the attention of every team member.

Okay, I’m kinda hoping Tina isn’t thinking right now that she’s sorry she asked me, and I’m surely hoping she’s not thinking about sending a pipebomb my way — .  Really, what I’d like to see from all of this is for Tina to become the world’s greatest hockey mom, and for her son to be appreciated by his teammates and coaches.  As I give or entertain references for older players nowadays, one of the best things said about any kid is that he’s the first one to the rink and the last to leave.  Coaches like to hear those kinds of things, but so do future employers.

Bottom line — if Tina sees it in her heart…  Scratch the meeting with the President, and tell him you see things differently now.  Next, see if you can get just a minute with the coach.  Apologize to him for being late, and you might even mention that you understand the reason he has rules (and I’m hoping you do by now).  The way I see things, Tina, there is hardly anything to gain should you be found in the right in any of this, but a whole lot more can be gained if you just graciously accept what happened.

*

Once again, I expect that this one should
attract plenty of feedback (but no firebombs — please)!

Doing a Hockey Coast-to-coast

Talk about cause to smile…  First, I’ve been sitting out on my back patio here at my new home in Kissimmee, Florida — it’s about 9:30pm, it’s nice and warm, I’m dealing with a pile of email, and I’m also getting around through my favorite social media areas.  And, although that’s reason enough for me to usually smile, a Facebook message came through moments ago that really did the trick.

– Dennis Chigisola

Doing a Hockey Coast-to-coast

That message was from the mom of one of my AA Mite players from last season back in Massachusetts.   And what she wanted to convey to me was a message from her 8-year old son, a little guy who was developing into a pretty nice young defenseman.  Anyway, what she wrote was…

“(He) wanted me to email you to tell you that he had his first “coast to coast” goal tonight at his hockey game.  He remembered how you said that one day he would get one. “

Actually, I started chuckling before I even finished reading the first sentence, because I recalled having teased him about that.  He’d almost done it several times last season — lugging a puck from deep in his own zone, winding through a batch of defenders, and almost putting the goal home at the other end.  And it was seeing him get a little frustrated that caused me to suggest that, “One day you will get your coast-to-coast goal!”

Okay, you have to know that this entry really isn’t about a Mite defenseman, nor is it really about players going to coast-to-coast with the puck.  So, what is it all about?

First, it’s about my long time feeling that I want my players to be uninhibited initially, before I’ll start asking them to play with increasingly more discipline.  Think along with me, if you will…

If we put handcuffs on our players early, they’ll never develop to the point of being able to play both ways.  In other words, we’ll have them so conscious of playing defense that they’ll never dare to get involved in the attack.

I may have told this story elsewhere, but it’s appropriate here, and it might just make an impact on parents and coaches…

My college team was playing at home one night years ago, and the opposition was giving us headaches with a very conservative forecheck.  In essence, every time one of my defensemen would grab a puck in our end and pass it up to a nearby forward, that forward would get crushed and we’d lose the puck.  Hey, no biggie; teams at that level always play a little cat ‘n mouse with the X’s and O’s, and it’s up to the other team to adjust as soon as possible.

On this night, I could see that our only recourse was to have the D start carrying the puck up-ice until they drew an enemy checker, which then might free a forward.  Again, no biggie, right?

Well, most of my blueliners could do it, but one of my most talented young guys was still throwing the puck up to a forward, and still playing into our opponents’ hands.  Ugh.

I don’t doubt that I grumped at him a few times when he came back to the bench.  But I could see that he was frustrated, I cooled it a bit, and then I asked him what was wrong.  Again, ugh.

This young guy had to be close to 20-years old, I’ve already said that he was pretty talented, yet he spoke with tears in his eyes as he spilled out the frustration, “Coach, all my life I’ve been yelled at for lugging the puck, now you’re asking me to do it, and I can’t!”  Wow!  Can you picture me wanting to kill some of the guys who coached my player along the way?  For the third time, ugh!

Hopefully that story gives you a better idea of what I’m getting at.  If I had that guy through his developmental years, I’d have worked the whole thing the other way around…  I’d have encouraged him to go, go, go, and then I’d have gradually tried to bring him under control, and teach him when to and when not to keep going with the puck.

Continuing with my work in developing young defensemen, I will suggest that all of my guys — or say six of them on a given team — are usually at different stages of development, or at different stages of being able to think the game or make adjustments.  And, if you’re getting the sense that I’d deal with each of my kids differently, that is definitely so.

That was usually the case with my NEHI High School Prep team that long time members had a chance to follow over recent years.  If you can imagine it, four of the six were probably still at the point where they lacked the confidence or skills to carry a little further up the ice.  However, for the one or two who were ready, I’d handle them like so…

I’d first tell them not to push it.  I mean, don’t just get it into your head that you’re going to go, because the opposition just might make you look awfully foolish.  Instead, I’d suggested that they will start to recognize the hole — almost like a runningback in football recognizes the hole he should run through.  “It’ll be there,” I’d tell them, “you’ll see it, and you’ll know that’s the time to go to it!”  So again, I’d tell them not to just get it in their heads ahead of time, but wait until they recognized that (usually) gaping hole.

Of course, I’ve just described working with college and then high school players, but can you now see where I was going with that little AA Mite guy, the one who finally managed to go coast-to-coast?  Actually, there were two more experienced young D on that team with him last year, and one of them — the oldest D-man — got the next step pretty quickly.  The other kinda struggled with it at first, but he also ultimately got the idea — of not forcing anything, but instead waiting until he saw the time was right to keep going with the puck.

I got myself embroiled in some interesting troubleshooting a few weeks ago on Facebook.  A dad questioned his son’s youth hockey coach for yelling that he’d shot the puck from the point on a given powerplay, even though the boy scored.  Skipping all the things that went into most folks feeling the coach was right on that one, a guy who is interested in that youngster as a Junior player suggested that he’d like to see the kid shoot the puck more.

Think about that, if you will, because it’s very much connected to all I’ve mentioned to this point.  A ton of us agreed that the boy should have dished the puck off on that particular play; it was the right thing to do from purely a hockey playing standpoint.  At the same time, the Junior coach was looking at that kid long range, and from a developmental point of view.

So I jumped in to the Junior guy’s way of thinking…  If that boy is actually shy about shooting the puck, that’s probably the first thing to cure.  In other words, encourage him to shoot, shoot, and shoot some more.  Then, like the other examples I’ve used, we could ultimately help that youngster make better decisions.  The thinking is, he’d be making those later decisions with a great deal of confidence, and he’d also feel capable of either shooting or passing.  (I mentioned that conversation in more detail in a previous post, in “Having the Hockey Skills to Make It“.)

Now, you may have noticed that I’ve only been talking about D-men here.  That’s because that coast-to-coast example is an easy one for me to explain, and it’s also because I had a few stories relating to defensemen that helped me make my point.  However, I’m telling you that I deal with all the positions — from the goaltenders to defenders to forwards — in the exact same way.  I want to first turn ‘em loose, and then gradually pull in the strings or teach them to play with better discipline or more smarts.

The second point — you now know — is that this approach can be used with all ages.  No, we might not be talking with beginners about going end-to-end, or looking for holes.  But, we do want them to develop all the time, and we do want to get them to first be little daredevils before even thinking about pulling in the reins.

Lastly, you ought to know that I’ve wrestled with where to place this post — either in the Mental Training section or under Thinking the Game.  Hmmmmmmm…

To be honest, I believe this piece really has a lot to do with the mental side our game.  I mean, I want my guys to be confident, and I’m not going to build my players’ confidence if I make them paranoid about defense or getting rid of the puck right off the bat.  Let’s face it:  the best player is the confident one, and it’s up to us coaches to help nurture that during the players’ developmental years.  There’s plenty of time to hold their feet to the fire once they have their skills and heads in the right places.

That said, I’ve placed this in the General Positional Advice area under Thinking the Game.  There are some good tips here for teaching by principles, and I sense more coaches will find (and read) it here.

“Puck-hogs” and Their Parents Have Feelings too!

I received a rather disturbing message last night, this from an old friend and the mom of a former student.  I say it was disturbing, because it pretty much signals what can be wrong with youth hockey, as well as any other youth sport.

I guess this could have easily been titled “An Open Letter to Some Old Friends”.

Ugh…

– Dennis Chighisola

“Puck-hogs” and Their Parents Have Feelings too!

Now, some of what I’ll repeat is only slightly doctored — as the old “Dragnet” television series used to state in each episode, “to protect the innocent”.  With that, here’s the gist of what that hockey mom wrote…

“As you know, some hockey parents can be crazy, and the parents on my son’s team have been complaining about him — not that he is doing something wrong, but because he is good and scoring 4 goals a game.  My son’s coach tried to talk to the coach of a higher level team to have him moved up, but that coach said my son isn’t ready.  My son’s coach doesn’t want him, because parents are complaining — instead of passing the puck, my son will take the shot and score.  I told his coach that any kid at 6 years old is going to take the shot if he thinks he can score.  And if he wants my son to pass more often, why doesn’t he teach him how?”

If you get just a few things from all that, appreciate first that we’re talking about 6-year olds here — un-dawgone-believable.  :/  Moreover, we’re talking about a catch-22 for this single mom and her son, whereby he might be too good for his current team, but the next level coach says he’s not ready to move up yet.

My friend continues (again with some editing on my part)…

“Oh, a parent was also complaining about my son in the stands as I was sitting in back of her trying to enjoy watching my kid play hockey.  My daughter says to me, ‘Why is that women talking badly about my brother?’  So I politely leaned forward and said, ‘That’s my son and he is still learning.’”

I already said, “Ugh”, huh?

Well, the mom continued to explain to me that another woman jumped in, which caused the coach to evidently later call my friend a troublemaker (whatever).  She went on to say that her son gets along with all of his teammates (knowing the boy, I would have bet on that).  And she ended with a couple of what I believe to be earnest questions or thoughts:

 ”As a parent am I not supposed to protect my 6 year old from people yelling negative things to him in the stands?”

“If the kids are fine, what are parents so upset for?”

“I thought this might be a bit of a jealousy issue too.”

“Help!”

To begin, I’m going to suggest to my friend that she not engage the other parents UNLESS her son is truly affected by them.  If she thinks I’m siding with the other parents on this one, I am definitely not…

Actually, that hockey mom already answered the second question, because those other parents surely are jealous — and jealous as hell.  I don’t know if it’s a defense mechanism or what, but some of them — or at least the vocal ones amongst them — are likely frustrated that my former student can do some things that they can’t, and they don’t have an answer for what they’re seeing.

This aside…  Last spring I kinda got on my friend about her son needing something extra to build his confidence and puck skills.  The mom argued with me a bit (in a friendly way), suggesting that he was just a hard worker, and that she wanted him skating with better players who would force her son to become better.  My side of that argument was that things work exactly the opposite when we’re talking about the development of a young player.  If  her son played over his head, he’d always be playing in what I refer to as “panic mode”, or just always scrambling to keep up with the others.  In most instances, kids like that don’t even get to — or dare to — handle the puck.  My idea was to give her son one more year of an “instructional hockey league” I created just for the off-season, this to include 5- to 8-year olds who were still learning the game or feeling their way.  I told her he’d get to handle the puck lots, and that his confidence would grow immensely.  Well, she finally gave in to me, and the proof is in the pudding — or in the 4-goals per game that he’s now pumping in.

FYI…  I’m guessing a few others from that boy’s team were also in my league, so their question to me might be, “Why isn’t my son scoring 4-goals per game?”  And my answer would be that their youngsters weren’t at the same stage of development as my friend’s son.  All he needed was those weekly games — against slightly less experienced talent — to put him over the top — in handling the puck more and in the resulting confidence.  The bulk of the kids in that league were still working on basics, and they got tons of that for their time and effort.

Okay, so now the blame game…

- Without a doubt the parents all need to take a pill.  They have to appreciate the boy for what he can do, and then try to help their own ultimately be able to do that.  I know the hockey mom who wrote me, I know her to be a nice and friendly lady, and I see nothing she did wrong.  I mean, is it really her fault that her son has suddenly kicked things into a new gear?

I’ll mention my son a little later, but let me tell you that my grandson was a totally different animal…  A few times — at a very young age, he heard the boo-birds, and he chose to slide an otherwise easy goal to a teammate who would almost inevitably fall on his face, and thus bring about all kinds of groans from the stands.  And, oh, were the parents of that kid who muffed the easy goal embarrassed.  So, parents, be careful what you wish for.

- I don’t think the higher level coach should go off Scott-free on this one.  Oh, I know the boy we’re talking about, being as young as he is, still has difficulty with his attention span. And I’m going to suggest that it’s the mental side of his game right now that’s holding him back from moving up, and certainly nothing physical.  So, could that coach help some with the problem at hand?  Hmmmmmm…  Could be.

-  And that brings me to the boy’s current coach, who I feel is almost totally to blame for nearly everything that’s going on.  Up front, let me tell you that I’m a full-fledged member of the coaching fraternity, and I don’t often take my brothers to task.  Worse yet, I know and really like that young guy.  At the same time, he is the captain of that ship, and everything that goes on is totally under his control — from the parents’ attitudes and actions to what’s done in the nightly practices.

I need to remind him (and others) that the object of our game isn’t to NOT score.  And to ask it of anyone — especially a 6-year old — just isn’t right.

For my money, all the kids on a AAA (or even AA) Mite team should be taught HOW to pass, and it should be reaffirmed on a nightly basis.  None of the drilling should be viewed as “this is to cure our puck-hog”, since every kid on that kind of team should be learning both the passing and the receiving side of that skill.  In fact, it’s been my experience that the less experienced players are hardly ever in good enough position to feed them the puck.

Actually, in reference to the passing, the hockey mom in question asked me what she could do about it.  Ha.  She doesn’t run the practices.  And, while a private coach could teach him the fundamentals of feeding good passes, anyone who still believes it’s this youngster’s fault ought to reread the story about my grandson.  Yes, there are two sides to a pass, so it’s just as important that every other team member be proficient — at not only catching passes, but also putting the puck in the net right after.

I would not lose sight of the fact that puckhandling is what really separates the best young skaters.  That’s what gets them quickly up the ice past most others, that’s what usually gets them to the net sooner than others, and it’s the ability to confidently handle the puck with the eyes up that helps them see all the last minute passing and scoring options.

Without a doubt, the best player is the model, and what all the others should want to be.  It’s definitely not the other way around.

And, trust me on this one, because I’ve been there countless times…  Tournaments and playoffs will be coming soon, and those games too often boil down to “my best player” against “your best player”.  So, to think about unloading your best player, or belittling him into not scoring, just doesn’t make sense.  And, I hope no one believes they’re going to program a 6-year old to not score for most of the games, but then suddenly turn it on when a grown-up wants it.

Being quite familiar with the organization all this is taking place in, I sense that a future star might be worth more to the program than a coach.  (There are other teams in the league who will be all too happy to scoop a top player, and the powers that be in my old home program won’t take kindly to losing such a kid.)

Okay, I promised to mention my son, partly because I shared this with my friend, the hockey mom…  Well, he went to three NHL training camps and the 1988 Olympic tryout camp in Lake Placid, among quite a few other things most kids just dream about.  Ironically, while he was the designated puck-hog on his earliest teams, a few years later I noticed that most of his teammates from those early teams were gone from the sport — within a few seasons.  The kids who continued to play and enjoy the game had parents who took personal responsibility for their own, and they gave their own chances to get better.

I’m also reminded of a piece I wrote long ago in reference to lopsided games, mentioning the fact that it’s no fun to be on either bench as one team thumps another.  At the same time, I suggested that it’s almost a wasted night if the superior team goes overboard to keep down the score.  And I’m suggesting about the same in reference to the better young player.  I mean, while everyone else is encouraged to do all they can and play their best, it seems a waste — and just plain wrong — to ask one player to not do so.

Lastly, take this all as you will.  However, it’s coming from an old guy who happened to have head coached from youngsters through high school, juniors and college, been through at least three generations of players, and sent 20-ish guys to the NHL and hundreds to top college programs.  Yes, I’ve seen it all, and I’ve seen the above described scenario more times than I can count.

PS:  Lest anyone back home be bothered that a hockey mom wrote me and asked for help, you should know that she knows that’s what I’m here for.  Actually, that’s a big part of CoachChic.com’s being, and I and some other specialists are always here to help anyone who asks.

*

This is a late addition — some 4-months after the original was posted here.  The funny thing is, I always wondered if Wayne Gretzky got any crap in youth hockey when he lugged the puck so much.  Now I know.

Take a peek at this video, and listen to Wayne and his dad reflect back on those years….

A Hockey Coach Asks: How Much Is Too Much?

I know I’ve dealt with this topic a number of times in the past — probably because the matter of young athletes overdoing it — with too many games or other activities — comes up too often.

Well, as many of you know, I’m into social media pretty deeply, and I also belong to a lot of LinkedIn groups that are related to my hockey coaching interests.  One such group is a great place for me to discover what’s bugging youth sport parents, and it’s called the Sports Parents Network.  There, parents and coaches from all sports compare notes and share pet peeves.

Ya, pet peeves… 

– Dennis Chighisola

How Much Is Too Much?

Under that Sports Parents Network section lies a discussion group entitled The Benefits of Being a Multi-Sport Youth Athlete.  And for my money, that’s a very worthy topic, with a very worthy premise.

Yes, as one member put it quite well, suggesting “… there is something to be said about the well rounded athlete.”  Yup, there surely is, and I’ve been saying that for years.  In fact, what I’ve done often is to repeat something I read awhile back, this coming from a group of experts, declaring something to the effect that, “The era of specialization was a failed experiment.”

Let me clarify that a bit…  For sure, some good players came from that period of time when hockey players were sticking solely to hockey — mainly only playing that sport, and primarily only practicing that sport’s skills.  But more of those players seemed robotic in their actions, and as many lacked the athleticism to maneuver their way out of trouble when trouble came.

I can only think back to my youth to recall some of the baseball stars who were often referred to as multi-tool athletes.  I mean, the likes of Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle could run like deer, they could make unbelievable defensive plays, they had strong throwing arms, they hit for high batting averages, and they could swing a bat with tremendous power.   Of course, hockey has had it’s own mult-tool players, and I immediately think of Mario Lemeieux and Bobby Orr as two of my past favorites.

Nowadays, there are a lot of Europeans who demonstrate great athleticism on the ice, and I have a strong feeling why…  Most of the European hockey playing nations — and especially the old Soviets and now the Russians — have systems in place that dictate a lot of what their developing players do and don’t do.  No, the US and Canada don’t have nearly that much control or influence over their players.  So, it’s up to individual households across North America to make the right choices.

Okay, now to insert what really got me going on all of this.  For, when I read the following, submitted by group member, Nicholas Adams, I began to shake my head (for the umpteenth time this year)…

 ”I have found that parents simply sign up their kids for too many activities.  I am currently coaching a High School team and just two weeks into the season we have lost players through muscle strains and back problems. The interesting pattern is that many of these players are participating in three maybe four sports throughout the year and each impacts on the other. And this is all classic over use leading to burn out.

I agree that at really young ages kids should be allowed to experiment but once they get to teens, and as a Club Soccer coach too, I would prefer that they pick their sport and stick to it. If you’re missing my practice because you have Lacrosse then my session, my team and the other players aren’t their priority, so stay away.

Suggesting that doing different sports will allow other muscles to rest seems ridiculous, kids need down time, rest is as important a part of preparation as working and by participating in so many sports at the youth age the damage is being done for later life.

The demand on kids to participate in sports is a little maniacal and often it’s down to the parents placing unrealistic demands on them. I agree that at the younger ages they should just play but by thirteen, fourteen you need to make a decision and make sure that the child is part of that decision.”

Phew!  I’d say Nicholas nailed that one.  Still, let me echo some of what he said, plus add a little bit.

First, it bothers me greatly when folks (in this case mostly hockey parents) hear a little bit of information and then become dangerous.  Man, have I seen it — in the stands and on the fringes of a lockerroom before and after a games.  One dad says to another, “I heard that if your kid does such-and-such…”  And out of the corner of my eye I can see the other dad nodding enthusiastically.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr…  It doesn’t matter whether there’s any scientific validity to what was said, but we can be sure it’s going to get acted upon, and probably even shared with more hockey parents.  And before you know it, there starts another one of those wives tales that guys like Nicholas and I will battle for years.

Okay, so what’s the real scoop?

Well, as was suggested early-on, it surely is beneficial for players — in all sports — to work on their overall athleticism.  And, I (and all the scientists) will tell you that the earlier the better.  As a matter of fact, I have a feeling some hockey parents are pretty shocked when they see my two-part video series on Critical Periods in Motor Learning.  I mean, while I’m not sure there’s real proof yet that the learning of some skills begins in the womb, the scientists I quote in the first video suggest that the motor pathways between the brain and muscles must be developed very early if they’re ever going to develop at all.  (Here in my country, USA Hockey has begun pushing for emphasis on skills for their member players’ earliest years.)

Research seems to point to the chance for humans to develop most basic athletic qualities between birth and about  6-yeas old.  For sure, some other athletic qualities can continue to be enhanced for some years beyond.  However, it seems that most scientists are in agreement that the die is basically cast by about puberty.  In other words, the athlete is what he or she is by his or her early teens.

Just so you know, I don’t abandon helping my older hockey players or students when it comes to their individual skills.  At the same time, I do spend more time helping them do what they do faster, harder and longer.  Again, it’s unlikely I’m going to change a player’s skating style a lot, and I’m probably not going to suddenly turn a player with hands of stone into a stickhandling magician.

Then, this suspicion…  I have encouraged young players to play several sports for more than just physical gains.  For, it’s my feeling that the learning of the rules and stategies necessary to other sports makes them better thinkers or problem solvers — in hockey as well as in their other sports.

 All that said, how about Nicholas’ plaint?

If parents (who really do make the decisions in each household) want their youngsters to be well rounded, the time to do that is prior to puberty.  I’d even keep a youngster playing another sport or two through the years in junior high school, partly for the physical and mental benefits as described above, but also to act as mental breaks from their primary sport.  (As I’m known to say often, I’d even tire of my favorite food — lobster, if I had it every day.)

Getting closer to Nicholas’ concerns, I would not complicate a young teen’s life by having him or her play two different sports in the same season.  In fact, I think a lot of athletes have all they can do to keep one high school sport commitment.

Oh, boy…  Nicholas really struck a chord with me when he mentioned the need for rest, because to see parents ignore that truly drives me crazy.  Just from a physical standpoint, please consider this…

A given muscle basically needs three things to grow.

First, it must be taxed to the point where its cells are broken down.  From there, the human body has a remarkable ability to understand the challenge that caused that to happen, and it goes about building new cells capable of matching the new demands.  (The new cells will quite often be bigger and/or more energy efficient.)

I think most parents appreciate that proper nutrition — like the right foods and water — is required to feed the new cells as they attempt to grow.

The third part of this equation is the one that seems to give so many parents and some young athletes the most trouble.  For, rest is absolutely necessary in order for those new cells to grow.   Experienced weightlifters know this, so they usually give the recently over-taxed muscles anywhere from 48- to 72-hours to rest.  (What some young athletes do wrongly is to break down their muscle cells, and then go right back to breaking them down again, hardly ever giving them a chance to grow anew.)

Then, while it would probably be hard to scientifically prove it, I’m with Nicholas when it comes to the possibility of injuries occurring when one plays more than a single sport in a season.  I don’t know if the conflict in muscles used would cause that to happen, but I can almost guarantee that being over tired can.

Lastly, I’ll add something else I’ve observed after lots and lots of years with readying players for their high school hockey seasons…  I’ve seen kids have great success in our sport by not playing a different fall sport, but playing a spring (and even summer) sport.  In most instances, a short pre-season is all that’s needed to get a baseball player, lacrosse player or track athlete ready to compete.  On the other hand, I’ve found hockey players having a difficult time trying to move from a fall sport without skating and handling a puck for several months.  Those are just my own personal observations, though.

Then, let me add one final thought, and something else I’ve been saying for a good many years…  For sure, youngsters need lots of work in order to become good — at anything.  The problem I see in this is that there’s a very, very delicate balance required between getting enough work and getting too much.  That’s one reason I advise parents to (quietly) monitor their own, constantly watching for tell-tale signs that the youngster might be tiring, either physically or mentally.  And, even though I strongly believe in athletes working, I’ve learned to err on the side of caution.  Actually, I’m also known to once in awhile say, “Heck, let’s go fishing!”  I’ve seen the new-found enthusiasm from a short mental break having most athletes coming back like gangbusters.

Having the Hockey Skills to Make It!

This could have just as easily have been titled “As Seen Through A Scout’s Eyes”.  That’s where the following observations came from. 

Actually, another scout and I were watching some local Junior level games not long ago, when some of the following was discussed. 

Then, just recently having shared these ideas as part of an advertisement on my new Florida based website, it struck me that I just had to share this information — and quite a lot more — with my CoachChic.com members.

– Dennis Chighisola

Having the Hockey Skills to Make It!

Before continuing on…  Let me mention that I often take breaks in my writing — to stretch the limbs or to rest my eyeballs.  I also take mental breaks, which oftentimes have me checking on the latest goings on at Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc.  And as it so happened, a check on Facebook got me embroiled in troubleshooting a hockey problem posed by the dad of a pretty good 15-year old.  So, I’ll include a little about that discussion in here as well..  

Here’s how things began…  During a break at that Junior tournament, the other coach vented a little frustration at what he’d seen over two nights of play, mumbling something to the effect that, “Those kids are horrible.”  He didn’t really mean that, because the kids weren’t exactly horrible.  What he was really expressing was a bit of frustration at the things he was seeing, and probably about the things he’d have to correct if he dared sign one of those players.  Personally, I was thinking, “Few people up in the stands realize what our eyes are seeing that theirs don’t.”

Here’s what I think (or really know) was going wrong…

Although players and fans (rightly) get excited about a spectacular goal or a thunderous hit, scouts are usually watching a player throughout his entire shift, and we’re watching intently, even when a given player is far away from the puck.

Unfortunately, a lot of players don’t know how to make themselves useful when they don’t have the puck.  This too often translates to them almost standing still or gliding around without purpose, when there really should be some purpose.  This game is all about pulling together 6-players to attack the opposition net, and 6-players in defense of their own net.  (Yes, I even include the goaltender in helping us launch offensive attacks.)

I hate to suggest the following, yet it’s true…  Sometimes even pretty good players don’t “look good” as they move around the ice.  I almost know that’s a part of what was happening as my fellow coach made his observations — in that most of the guys we watched just didn’t move comfortably, and they didn’t “look like” the experienced hockey players they probably are.

I sense I have a pretty intelligent audience here, and folks who have an idea about what I just said.  With that, I hope you can picture along with me…

What I was seeing was team after team of kids with poor skating postures.  At times I’d see them moving while almost standing straight up, few of them seemed comfortable moving with their sticks (more on this shortly), and they too often entered collisions not seeming very prepared.

Oh, those hockey sticks…  If my fellow coach voiced one of his pet peeves that night, it was about the way the kids were carrying their sticks.  As a former pro player, he was critical about the number of guys who went into collisions or body-checks with their sticks held high.  But as a long time skills coach, I was as bothered by the fact that most of them seemed uncomfortable with their sticks, in general, and they seemed not to change their grips according to whether they were on offense or defense, or whether defending against a puckcarrier or away from the puck.

In answer to some of that last paragraph, I’m in the process of posting a new drill for you.  At this writing, I still need to gather some video footage and photos to demonstrate it.  As for much of the other problems we saw with sticks, I highly recommend that members go through the various articles and videos found in this Skills section.

Unfortunately, I sense that too many “vanilla drills” have been used with a lot of the players we were watching.  And by vanilla drills, I mean the types of drills that might look good to the folks up in the stands, but aren’t worth much towards the players’ future development, or towards the players’ true needs.

I long ago authored something entitled the “500 Drills” manual, and it was purchased by NHL teams and coaches from other high levels.  Yet, I only revert on occasion to any of the old drills I know.  The reason:  my current players have unique needs, which calls for me to find or create a drill process that helps them.

If you get my drift here, I don’t make a nightly practice plan by just grabbing drills from Category A, Category B, etc.  Instead, I’m constantly making note of what difficulties my players are having, and I find a drill to help them.  If one doesn’t already exist, I’ll use a little imagination and create one.

The main idea of a good drill is repetition, or repetition of the right mechanics.  So, when it comes to those Junior players again, I’m thinking that they haven’t done a whole lot of stuff other than pretty looking vanilla drills.

Now, I kinda hate just talking in negatives here.  So, let me at least do my best to turn this towards a positive, or at least provide you some positive advice…

What I’m suggesting is that players, parents and coaches take a look at some game video of a favorite pro, or even watch some of my videos — like on body-checking or breakouts.  Watch how a given player “moves” around the ice — like in a seated posture, with the stick always down on the ice, and noticing when the stick should be carried in one hand or two.  That, in itself, should help most of you quite a lot.

As for that Facebook exchange I mentioned earlier — with the dad of the 15-year old…   It had to do with the dad questioning whether his boy should have been corrected after he scored during the practicing of his team’s powerplay.  Hmmmmm…

What made that play a hard one to discuss with the dad was that the boy was successful in the end.  In other words, even though he evidently did something that didn’t please his coach, he did score the goal.  And I can envision the boy saying, “But, I scored, Coach!”

Well, I can also envision a lot of the Florida kids we were watching the other night (and their parents) thinking similar thoughts to themselves — as in, “Hey I’m a pretty good player amongst my peers!”  The problem is, a couple of pretty savvy pairs of eyes watching from rinkside are thinking, “You don’t have what it takes to crack the next level!”

For sure, it’s great for a player to have confidence.  At the same time, he has to always be willing to learn more and be able to do more.  So should parents want to encourage their youngsters to have good attitudes in that regard, and so do coaches want to constantly rethink what they’re doing or teaching.

Now, as with a lot of philosophical articles like this one, I may have raised as many questions in your mind as provided answers.  In that case, I am dying for your questions.   Most of what you’ll find here at CoachChic.com is a combination of my experiences and the things you tell me you need or want.

Lastly, that new drill idea is finally completed, it’s something so simple it can be done with Mites to Juniors, it can be done off-ice or on, and you can find it in my latest post, “The Importance of Hockey Specific Drills“.

Endearing Yourself to Hockey Scouts

If ever there was a bit of advice I’d like every single CoachChic.com member to keep present in his or her mind, it’s the following.  In fact, while this contains lots of what I’m always harping on with older players, I think it’s a good idea that younger kids (with the help of their parents and coaches) get this stuff firmly fixed in their heads.

– Dennis Chighisola

Endearing Yourself to Hockey Scouts

Talking to scouts in recent weeks — and hearing about other coaches’ conversations with scouts, there’s little doubt that a potential recruit’s playing ability is buried amid lots of equally desirable qualities.  In fact, here’s the first question many scouts tend to ask about a player:

“Is he a good kid?”

Please think about that one…  For, you’ll soon realize that it matters not whether a potential recruit is 6′ 6″ and goes 225 pounds, IF he is also an egghead.  What good is it that a goaltender is big, quick and agile, IF a coach can’t get through to him?  How much is it going to help a team, IF a gifted forward can’t get along with his mates?  And, does a college coach really want to invest in a puck moving D-man, IF that guy is out partying at every opportunity?

Now, let me suggest that nearly every college head coach in the land has been through it all, probably more than once.  I mean, they have had to deal with dummies, lazy guys, troublemakers, and alcoholics-in-the-making.  And, while they might have at one time thought they could help a kid turn his life around, I’m willing to bet that most experienced coaches ultimately discovered that it just wasn’t worth the effort.  Ya, and nowadays there are enough talented players around so that a coach can easily afford to bypass a problem child.

Grades are yet another hurdle on a young guy’s (or gal’s) way to playing college hockey.  NCAA has set minimum guidelines, and then so does each school.  However, don’t think college coaches aren’t also concerned about a player’s track record when it comes to school work.  Let’s face it, the coach has to feel pretty sure a player is going to stay eligible, and that he (or she) is likely to make it in the classroom over the long haul.

Okay, so that brings me to the way I deal with college recruiters…  And I am going to tell you that I am not lying for anyone — I said anyone!  All I have is my word with the scouts, and I am not going to throw away my integrity for a kid who can’t follow directions, be a good teammate, get to bed at a decent time, or pay attention to his grades.

Said yet another way, a wayward player can’t think like his (or her) situation is a one-time deal (as in, “Hey, Coach, just stretch the truth a little bit for me?”).  I mean, guys like me will be asked hundreds of times about other players over future years, and our believability will always be based on how right — or how straightforward — we were about previous kids.

That in mind, it only makes sense that it all falls on the player’s shoulders.  And in that regard, I’ve asked my guys in the past to, “Make it easy for me to brag about you!”  Make it easy for me to tell everyone what a great young guy you are.  Make it easy for me to tell anyone who’ll listen how motivated you are — about improving your game, about attaining good grades, etc.

Then, with those things helping to ease a scout’s mind, we can go on to show him (or her) what kind of player you are.  And, want to know something?  I’m going to suggest that many scouts will be willing to take the good kid and good student who has some slight playing flaw.  If the player is a good person, a willing worker and not brain-dead, he just might be worth the effort.

Finally, having been around this block too many times, I have to say that both good and bad traits start when players are young.  It’s pretty hard to change a guy (or gal) once he (or she) has reached the late teens.  Quite obviously, then, young players need the help of their parents and coaches from the start, to steer them in the right direction — in hockey and in life.

Hockey’s X’s and O’s Versus Playing Principles

This topic actually arose during a late night bull session that included a couple of Junior level coaches and yours truly.  We were gathered outdoors around a large table, relaxing after a long day of recruiting and such, discussing Tropical Elite Hockey League business, and eventually — as coaches often do — drifted off into various teaching philosophies.

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey’s X’s and O’s Versus Playing Principles

At one point, a young coach admitted that he wasn’t all that much into exotic forechecking systems, and more interested in teaching his guys important — need-to-know — playing principles.  If I put his words into my own, I’d probably say that he wants his kids to ultimately “think the game” at a high level.

That concept immediately brings to mind my late old friend and idol, Roger Neilson.  Roger and I traveled similar paths in  the game, and we both got deeply into the use of video for coaching at about the same time (like in the late 1970′s and early 1980′s).  Most coaches reading this would die for the 50 or so lectures I recorded and saved from past hockey seminars, and I’m sure you’d especially enjoy a cassette I have featuring Neilson talking about forechecking according to principles.  In other words, he described what a first forward into the offensive zone might be thinking as he approaches an enemy puckcarrier, then he goes on to explain what the next guys into the zone should be observing, weighing and then doing as they arrive.

The point I was just trying to make is that the concept of teaching by principles is not a new one, and it’s obviously been used by coaches at very high levels.  A funny thing, however…  If you go watch my video on Implementing A Simple Forecheck – The “L”, you’ll discover that I’ve used X’s and O’s, but I’ve also explained how each player must think as he or she moves into the offensive zone.  In other words, I demonstrate a given type of forechecking, but I also encourage its execution according to sound hockey playing principles.

Okay, so what if a coach wants to implement something like the 2-1-2 forecheck?  I’ll suggest that just showing your players the layout of X’s and O’s accomplishes absolutely nothing.  I mean, the various roles have to be filled by human beings — your players, and it’s imperative that we explain to each where he or she should initially go, what he or she should look for, how his or her duties should be carried out, etc.

Then, while various approaches to a forechecking system might have been raised by a fellow TEHL coach, and although the lecture Roger Neilson once presented involved forechecking, the idea of combining X’s and O’s with thorough explanations of the involved principles should be used in every phase of a team’s playing system.  In other words, we have to arm our players with how to think their roles all over the ice — in backchecking, defensive zone coverage, breakouts, on the attack, and so forth.

One final word…  Don’t take lightly what I said about combining the layout of your players with how they have to think and ultimately execute.  I know that clear explanations of playing principles are lacking in most books and other literature or media that’s supposed to help coaches and players understand positions or playing systems.  However, just looking at the way players should be positioned in a given phase of play helps little in gaining a true understanding of our game, and just the X’s and O’s minus the principles involved makes most systems almost useless.

PS:  Although I’ve met Mike Smith, a brilliant hockey guy, and I tell everyone that his book on hockey systems is the best there is, it also lacks the type of playing advice I’ve mentioned above.  I’d like to think, on the other hand, that I continuously explain such things throughout the CoachChic.com website.

Is Hockey A Simple Game?

As I began transitioning from my coaching duties up in Massachusetts to those involved with my new job down in Florida, I’d promised that not much would change in the advice I’d offer members.  For sure, I’m working mostly with fairly high level guys now, as the GM and head coach of a Junior “A” team.  Still, what I’ll often be sharing here should be helpful to players, parents and coaches involved in all stages of our game.  See if you don’t agree when it comes to the following topic.

– Dennis Chighisola

Is Hockey A Simple Game?

As I thought about the current title, I couldn’t help but reflect back on a conversation of about 30-years ago.  I’d just returned from my studies in the former Soviet Union, and a crusty old coach and hockey dad was seemingly needling me — or perhaps trying to make himself feel good by putting me down.  I don’t think he’d ever opened a hockey textbook or studied anywhere, so it made sense that he’d say something to the effect that, “Hockey is a simple game, and some of you coaches just complicate it!”  Hmmmmmm…

Of course, I usually enjoy a good philosophical discussion, and I’m never shy about defending my personal feelings on anything that matters to me.  At the same time, I’ll often — as I did then — avoid arguing with a fool.

Had I not been dealing with someone of that ilk back then, I would have tried reasoning with him…  For sure, the game’s objectives are easy enough, with a given hockey team attempting to score more goals than it allows.  On the other hand, strategies and tactics have evolved to be pretty sophisticated, and so has the science of training.  In fact, I’ve seen lots of players injured — or badly inhibited in their development — because certain scientific principles weren’t adhered to.  And that kind of explains that guy’s stance, in that he wanted to just open and close a bench door, yell at his players about not scoring or giving up too many goals, without ever having to know how to truly help his kids.

That said, something far different caused me to revisit the question at hand…  For, you see, today I spent some time at my new home rink here in Florida, working with a few local Bantams amid several members of our new Tropical Elite Hockey League.  And it wasn’t too long into our on-ice session that I started thinking…

• I began with a little work on the players’ wrist shots, which only proved to me that those kids can’t shoot.  (Don’t get me wrong, or think badly of that small group of kids.  The fact is, they shoot as well — or as badly — as most other kids their ages.)  The prescription seems simple enough, in that these kids just need to get a few thousand more shots under their belts.

• We spent the remainder of our time on-ice doing different variations of a passing drill that just further exposed a lot of deficiencies.  Once again, the small group of kids I worked with were in the norm for their ages, meaning that they needed a ton of work on both their passing and their receiving skills.  So does the cure for this one seem pretty simple, to include my Silent Passing drill and other ideas I’ve outlined in my video on “Passing Basics“.

Okay, so how about some information you can use?

- I frequently feel the need to shape a player’s (or players’) thinking when trying to start positive changes, and that’s exactly what I did when we got into the first shooting drills.  I advised those young guys that goalers tend to look for a cue as they anticipate a shot, and that the best scorers put shots on-goal without any warning.  With that, I had the kids practice shooting while balancing on one foot for a time, then shooting while balanced on the other.  (The idea is to get them comfortable at ripping their shots from any posture.)

- The earliest shooting drills were done in place while firing against the boards.  No real problems there.  However, as soon as the guys started moving on a goaltender, I noticed them holding back or not really balancing on one skate at a time.  I immediately halted the drill, and explained how the best players I’d ever worked with — and especially the ones who passed others and went on to the NHL and other pro levels — dared to try new things, and they even had the ability to laugh at themselves as they failed a few times.  Oftentimes we have to convince kids that it’s not important to look good in practice, and that it’s actually okay to make lots of mistakes on their way to conquering a new skill.  I also added, “Hey, you’re amongst friends here, so don’t be shy, and don’t be afraid to fail once in awhile.”

- When it came time to do our passing, all the basic problems jumped right out.  However, I especially took the time to convince that group of guys about the benefits of making themselves easy targets for teammates to hit.  I mean, moving through predictable routes while keeping a steady stick-target makes it super-easy for a teammate to feed you the puck.

- I also had to stress to those young guys the need to put a pass right where their teammate wants it.  As a matter of fact, on one attack play, an open man went to the net with a steady target, stick cocked and ready to fire as soon as he received a pass.  The problem:  the guy with the puck passed it about 4′ off target, and any chance at a goal ended right there.  Once again I stopped things, and explained that hitting or not hitting the target was most often the difference between scoring and not scoring.

Now, reflecting on today’s short session, I pretty much know that I’m going to begin with the absolute basics once my Junior “A” team gathers for it’s first workouts.  I’m not leaving anything to chance, and I’m going to make sure I don’t skip a single step in any of the skill progressions.  To be honest, I wouldn’t skip steps if I was greeting an NHL squad this coming fall, so I’m not going to do it with Junior players.  In fact, I’ll suggest that no lower level youth hockey coach or parent move on to more advanced steps until they’re absolutely sure the basics have been mastered.

Then, just to make sure I’m answering the topic question…  For sure, a know the sciences and I know some pretty advanced level X’s and O’s.  At the same time — and as you may have noticed above, the answer to having a team (or individual) execute at a high level generally calls for some very simple remedies or explanations.

Opinions and Facts: How Do You Know?

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So, You Want to Be a Professional Hockey Coach?

This topic came about in some recent conversations, because a few young coaches probably envy me landing what might very well be my dream job.  I also think my recent blog post — entitled “I (Also) Had A Dream (or Two)” — sparked some questions about what a dream job might really entail.

No matter, I thought I’d share the following with younger coaches who aspire to someday coach or otherwise work at a relatively high level.

– Dennis Chighisola

So, You Want to Be a Professional Hockey Coach?

I learned very early-on in my coaching career that it truly does matter where you coach, and how much control you have over your own destiny.

I have no idea where my work ethic came from — be it from my Italian heritage or my rather old fashion upbringing.  However, I am a tireless worker when it comes to hockey.  In fact, I don’t see myself as extra-bright or extra-quick, but I am willing to out work you until I (or my team) can beat you.

And that’s what I meant in my opening remark, about needing some control — or a level playing field — in order to be able to compete within a league.

For example, when coaching in a typical Massachusetts-area high school program, the economics of your town usually determines the number and quality of kids coming to your school from your feeder program.  In non-scholarship college programs, the number of top players you get is too often determined by the school’s relative admissions standards, its tuition costs, as well as some other perks (like housing).

Perhaps now you can appreciate why I feel my latest assignment is more like my dream job.  Oh, each team in our new league will have its own perks, be it the coach’s credentials or an extra nice home arena.  Still, the playing field is a lot closer to being even (compared to what I just described above), and my willingness to work extra hard should pay off in this new league.

That said, young aspiring coaches reading this should appreciate the need to pay their dues…

For sure, past playing experiences will help you get a foot in the door — somewhere.  But, that alone, isn’t usually going to help you land your dream job.  I’ve never been sorry about the route I took — working my way upward through youth hockey circles and on to high school and then college coaching, attending advanced symposiums all over the world, and getting my college degree in a related field.  Still, other guys have gotten as far or further by paying their dues in different ways.

And that brings me to a conversation I had just the other day on my front porch with my grandson and his long-time girlfriend…

Anthony Chic aims to someday work in a professional team’s front office, and he’s thought things out pretty well on his own.  I mean, he’s been slowly but surely paying his dues, and he knows he still has a long ways to go with that.

He’s made his mark as a goal-scorer and playmaker at every level so far, and he’s gained his share of recognition.  And, although I’m not sure he’ll take my advice on playing a little pro hockey — at any level — once he finishes his college career, I tend to think that a busted nose and a few more battle scars will let the players he’ll soon oversee know that he’s been there and done that.

Knowing what he’s wanted to do for so long, Anthony will ultimately leave college with his MBA in Sports Management.

Okay, so that conversation out on the porch…  I’d just finished talking with a couple of guys who had their minds set on someday coaching at a high level, and I raised that point about paying their dues.  Interestingly, one guy was sorta foot-loose and fancy free, while the other was somewhat trapped in his lifestyle.

And that’s the point I wanted to get across to Tony C and his girlfriend, for whatever it’s worth…  The guy with few ties could pick up in an instant and take any low paying job he thought might help his career, while the other guy was sorta trapped with a wife, kids and a mortgage payment.  (I made the latter point in my blog post, in that I wouldn’t have traded my family or home for anything, but those things surely did play into my decisions not to take a couple of interesting hockey coaching jobs halfway around the world.  On the other hand, a guy with no real ties would have probably taken either job in a heartbeat.)

I might lie all the time in telling folks I’m 107-years old, but I am getting up there in age, and I have either seen or experienced plenty.  And the above is what I’ve taken away from all that…   So, if a young guy wants to someday coach at a high level, he has to have a plan.  Most will have built a playing resume, and most will see the benefits to a related college degree.  From there, however, comes the need to start paying those other dues.

Some unbelievable coaching seminars take place across North America during the summer months, and the higher level ones are great for networking.  If you can manage them, some low paying and seemingly miniscule jobs can still be good stepping stones, as can be an unpaid assistant coaching job.   (I even suggested to my grandson that he ask a local pro scout if he can tag along for a few months.  Scouting can be a lonely job, so he’s likely to find a taker.  And, can you just imagine the conversations that would take place on the long drives from rink to rink?)

Lastly, the above might not be an exact how-to.  Frankly, I don’t think there’s a perfect plan.  Moreover, a lot of luck is involved in landing your dream job, including just being in the right place at the right time.  However, I think the tidbits I’ve shared above should be extremely helpful.  And, come to think of it, they’ll also help keep the aspiring coach or GM networking and likely in some right places.

There’ll Be Hockey Changes — But Not Many

A lot of members have written to ask if there will be changes to CoachChic.com, now that I’m moving from my past duties to those involved in my role as the General Manager and Head Coach of the St Cloud Thunder Junior “A” team.

– Dennis Chighisola

There’ll Be Hockey Changes — But Not Many

I’ve written often here, that I might be more fortunate than any other hockey coach in the world.  You see, for close to 40-years, I’ve been able to go back and forth between all the various levels of hockey, and this is an experience even the most noted coaches in our game have never had.

What I’m getting at is that, even the Scotty Bowmans and Jack Parkers haven’t had the need to troubleshoot problems experienced by beginner skaters, Pee Wees, Bantams, and so forth.  No, they basically get the cream of the crop, and then work their magic from there.

Nor have guys of that ilk had the chance to note the good, the bad and the ugly of their players, and then go back to influence the development of younger kids.

So again, I’ve had what I consider to be a luxury…  Probably 20 or so of my former students went on to play in the NHL, with hundreds of others reaching the higher levels of college or minor pro hockey.  So have I been asked to help many high level players fix small problems in their game.  And, with all that, I’m one of the few who gets to turn around and work with younger kids (or their parents and coaches) based on what I’ve seen in those older guys.

Okay, so here I am moving on to work with a squad of pretty high level young guys from about ages 15 to 20…

Having already begun evaluating players and offering certain ones contracts, I’ve come to realize that many of the kids I’ll have are only a year or so away from being drafted or being offered a slot in a quality college program.

Despite my respect for their current abilities, however, I’m going to try to look at each for both their strengths and their weaknesses.  As I’ve also written often within these pages, I want to help them build upon — or magnify — their unique strengths, while I’ll also try to help them overcome any of their shortcomings.

And it’s that latter point that should help CoachChic.com members immensely.  In other words, parents or coaches of beginners through Midgets ought to benefit from the way I’ll deal with each, and outline my ideas within these pages.

Oh, and by the way…  Without stepping on any of the toes of those who currently work so hard within the Kissimmee-St Cloud area, I’ve already offered to help the local youth organization in any way I can.  Ya, you know me…  I love working with younger kids of all ages, I love advising their parents as best I can, and I also just might look for a way to help the local coaches, too.

Anyway, perhaps you can see how things might not change a whole lot here at CoachChic.com.  On the other hand, I have a new crop of fairly elite level players to evaluate and help, and I suspect members will benefit plenty as they follow me doing just that.

Goalie Specific Off-ice Exercise 4

 

Goalie Specific Off-ice Exercise 4

BOSU BALL, STABILITY BALL PUSH UP WITH AB CURL

with Cynthia King

 

 

 

This exercise will definitely engage those core muscle groups!  You will need a BOSU ball and a stability ball.

Grasp the sides of the BOSU ball — there is a bit of a handle on each side.  Situate the stability ball under your shins.  The closer the stability ball is to your knees, the easier.  Make it more difficult by placing the ball back towards feet.

You should begin with your body elongated.  Do a push up then pull in stability ball so that your knees are near your chest.  Roll stability ball back to starting position and repeat push up.  Continue your push ups and curls until failure.

It may take a few times to steady yourself, but keep at it.  You will master the move in no time!

 

 

Teaching the Beginner Hockey Player to Shoot

I received another great question via Facebook earlier today.  And, since it seemed something worthy of sharing with other parents and coaches of very young kids, I asked my friend if he minded me sharing it with my faithful CoachChic.com members.  (Of course he didn’t mind!)

Surprisingly, perhaps, you’re going to find me thinking out loud some here, as I also include a few pretty good suggestions for helping a little one with his or her hockey shot.

– Dennis Chighisola

Teaching the Beginner Hockey Player to Shoot

Let me begin by showing what I received from my friend, Joe P…

My oldest is 5.5yo, and transitioning from learn-to-skate to learn-to-play.  He has the hockey bug something fierce! Anyways, he skated with the LTP kids the last few weeks of this past season and what I noticed was how good some of their shots were.  Just curious if you have tips on teaching a young kid how to shoot. I have a shooting pad in the basement and he loves going down there with me, I just need help on how to teach him. I played for 20+ years but have never coached.

Thanks!

Joe

I’m going to begin by saying, “Been there, done that!”  And, once I explain myself, you’re going to admit that you have, too!

What I’m getting at is that we’ve all looked at our youngster and wondered why some kids are able to do things our own can’t — personally, I’m thinking back to when my son was also maybe 4- or 5-years old.  It’s just a natural thing (isn’t it?), and something I believe we all go through as hockey dads (or moms).

That said, I probably need to suggest that my friend Joe relax a little (if I was talking to a younger Coach Chic, I’d probably tell him to, “Take a dawgone pill!”  ).  The problem:  our own youngster just doesn’t have the experience or the time on the ice that all of the more noticeable kids have had.  That’s really it, plain and simple.

The second thing I’d do here is refer Joe and all others dealing with beginners to read Coach Chic’s Building Blocks Approach to Skills.

Just to give you a quick review of it, though, I suggest that the more advanced skills should be built upon the more basic ones.  That in mind, I put Skating at the base of the skills pyramid, and then I suggest that Puckhandling comes next.  Those two skills in place, a youngster can be both a better passer and pass receiver.  Then, being able to skate, handle the puck well, and sweep pretty effective passes, it’s easier for a youngster to attack a goal with either a deke or a shot.

Now, I’m not saying that Joe’s little guy has to wait until he’s mastered all those steps before he’ll be able to shoot a puck.  What I am saying, however, is that he’ll shoot better and better as he improves his stickhandling and passing skills.  Make sense?

Consequently, I suggest that Joe have his son fiddle with a ball a lot, because that’s going to give the youngster a better “feel” for his stick-blade.  And, a little diddling with a puck will give him better feel for that.  What I’m especially getting at is a sense of sliding the ball or puck away, and then softly cradling it on each catch.  For, that kinda “cupping” of the puck is the start of a good shooting motion.

I’d then approach the passing segment in two phases…

In one, dad and the little guy can just slide a ball or puck back and forth at a fairly close distance.  Again, feel is important — and that’s going to be gained with every pass and catch.  Learning to sweep instead of wildly whacking at the ball or puck is what I’d also like to see take place.

Then, let me explain the best of all my passing and shooting drills for young players…   For a 5-year old, I’d grab a 2.5 pound metal weight from the local sportinggoods store (use a plastic weight on the ice).  With that, Joe can show his boy how to sweep the weight down the driveway (or other paved area) for a pretty good distance.  In other words, Joe’s son can do this on this own, sliding the weight as far as he can, and then walking down to its landing spot to just fire it back to the starting point.  Over time, Joe can teach him how to cup the weight, and then roll it down the stick-blade from near the heel to it’s mid-point.  That creates a visible spin of the weight (and later the puck), so that it remains flat as it travels.

Hoping my later suggestions help, I still feel the need to return to my earliest point, in that we’re all going to constantly see other kids doing things we wish our own could do.  It’s all natural, really, for a hockey parent and a young player.  All kinds of old adages apply here (“Rome wasn’t built in a day” comes to mind), but patience is what I’m really recommending.  I’m actually kind of envying Joe here, and really missing the days when my own son — and later my grandson — needed that kind of help with their game.  In other words, while it’s right to want to help our youngsters over given hurdles, don’t be wishing too hard that they get beyond the beginner stages.  You’re going to someday miss those times, as I do now.

 

Yes, It’s Official!

As the old adage goes, “The wheels of progress turn slowly.”

That’s been the case as the new Tropical Elite Hockey League has started to come together, and so has my involvement with the new Florida-based league been sort of a slow transition.

With that, I’d like to update members on what’s been going on for me, and I also want to let all of you know how my move will affect CoachChic.com.

– Dennis Chighisola

Yes, It’s Official!

Let’s cut to the chase, or at least to the recent word out of the TEHL Office down in Kissimmee, Florida:

June 3, 2012
ANNOUNCEMENT: Coach Dennis Chighisola (Coach Chic) is the first coach to be named in the Tropical Elite Hockey League.  He will be heading up the St. Cloud Thunder of the TEHL!

Man, what a turn of events for me, both exciting and panic provoking!

Quite obviously, the excitement for me is in getting back to work with high level players again.  A part of that is the fact that most of them — the junior players, I mean, by their very nature, will be highly motivated.  (Oh, not that my old high school and college guys weren’t into their games.  However, many of them knew they were near the ends of their competitive playing careers, and it was understandable that their priorities were really split.  Again, though, Junior players have their eyes on a bigger prize — for sure hoping to get to a good college, with some of them hoping to even play pro down the road.)

Ugh…  The part that has me kinda in panic mode…

You know my life is going to change drastically.  A quick check on Google says that I’ll be relocating some 1,300 miles from my lifetime home, and that the Kissimmee-St Cloud area of Florida is about 23-hours away.  Oh, believe me, I relish the opportunity to live and work in a place dubbed The Sunshine State.  The scary part is the logistics — or the physical part — of transferring all my personal and work stuff that far away.

I’m also panicking a bit with the drastic change in my responsibilities.  I mean, for those of you who don’t know, I’m the type of guy who has to really get his head into something.  And, given that chance, I can usually out work most other coaches on the planet.  What’s troubled me most over recent weeks is going from an all-in approach to working with younger, developmental level players to a similar approach to elite level athletes, with an unnerving state of flux in between.

Ya, that state of flux…   The killer part of the whole thing has been in the not knowing where I’d end-up come this August, or in my not being able to tell local hockey folks where I’d be next season.

The panic doesn’t end with those two things, however…  Suddenly, I find myself in a race to get some talented players to play for me.  For sure, there are great Junior eligible kids out there.  The problem for me is in connecting with them, or in letting the right ones know the great opportunities that await them in the new TEHL.

For those who don’t know, Junior players can range from 15- to 20-years old.  In a perfect world, I’d look to some older guys for stability and leadership, the bulk of the roster would be made up of 18- and 19-year olds, with a sprinkling of younger kids in the mix as my future stars.

The beauty of the new TEHL setup is that I can draw from literally the entire hockey world.  That’s right…  I am currently dealing with kids from the US and Canada, in the UK and across Europe.

Oh, don’t think I don’t respect the local talent, too.  I know that the hockey in Florida has come a long, long ways, so I’m really hoping a few homegrown kids will make our roster.  In fact, I’ve written a lot over the past year or so about the vast improvements in hockey throughout the south, so I’m also scouring places like Georgia, Texas and even out in California for the best players I can find.

My team isn’t going to be for everyone, however…

How so?  Well, not every player (or parent of a player) sees the need to get away from home.  From my point of view, however, a lot of the home distractions disappear when a player lives far away.  And, for the most part, TEHL players (and especially my guys) are going to have to focus on academics and serious training.  Ya, they’re sort of a captive audience under such conditions, thinking mainly school and hockey for at least seven straight months.  (Not that there won’t be plenty of rec time, socializing and sending pictures home from poolside in January !)

Something else has also come to mind as I’ve spoken with a couple of potential players lately — especially ones from as far away as Western Canada, Norway and the UK…

For example, I’m think about a really talented forward from Manitoba, and how he can easily stay close to home and play in a very strong Junior program.  The first thing that makes me think of is that he will probably continue getting the same kind of training and systems work as all the other local players.  In contrast, I think that a move away from home is going to slightly break the mold, and help him add some new dimensions to his game.

At the same time, I’m thinking that his skills and style of play might keep him partially buried among similarly skilled players back home, and among kids who have developed in pretty much the same style of play.  This line of thinking originally arose as I thought about the Norwegian boy who has developed in the same program — with mostly the same group of players — for a good 5- or  6-years.  What’s the chance of him looking unique and really being appreciated back home?  Hmmmmmm…  And, what’s his chance of dazzling some college recruiters or pro scouts in a very different setting here in the States?  Again, hmmmmmmmm…

In a way, it’s going to be my hope that my players also learn as much from their teammates as they learn from me.  Ya, every player is going to arrive with his own unique strengths, and it should be interesting — and beneficial — as they work together over a long hockey season.

Am I dreaming here?  Absolutely!  I’ve mentioned that often in previous articles, about the way every coach looks forward to their newest coaching assignment.  If there’s a difference with this one, well…  The talent pool for youth coaches can sometimes be confined to a very small circle around the local rink.  So can the same be true for high school coaches.  Come to think of it, even non-scholarship college programs are limited by academic requirements, tuition costs and other things.  Not so with the higher levels of Junior hockey, though, where the world really is the limit.

Anyway, I know my CoachChic.com members are dying to know how things will change around here.  And my first guess is that they’ll be subtle, at the most…

For sure, a lot of my articles will be influenced by what I’m seeing during my Junior team’s practices and games.  In a way, however, that doesn’t represent a huge change, because a lot of the advice I’ve provided within these pages has always been based on what I’ve seen in my highest level players.  If you’ll recall, I taught a great many who went on to pro and Division I college careers, and I’ve always used the good, bad and ugly from their games to develop new training ideas for the youngest kids.

Then, although there’s nothing in the works right now, you have to know that I’ll ultimately work at least a little with the youth level kids down in Florida.  I know they’re crazy about the game there now, so I sense they’re going to appreciate some of the things an old coach from the hockey hotbed of New England might be able to show them.

So, can you understand my current excitement — as well as some of the logistical craziness I’m likely to face over the next few months?  Ya, it’s now official, and I’m promising to take you right along for the ride!

When the Proverbial Light Comes On

I don’t doubt some folks will glance at the title, and perhaps take the expression a little lightly. Trust me, however, that this could possibly be one of the most important messages any hockey parent or coach could read.

– Dennis Chighisola

When the Proverbial Light Comes On

In time, I’m going to connect this subject with some older players. However, because the changes that can occur with young players are so easy to observe, let me use some of my youngest little rascals as examples of what I’m talking about.

Right now, we’re in the middle of my Mighty Mite League, a league I designed just to transition very beginner kids — from about 5- to 8-years old — from their ADM or Learn-to clinics to playing their very first games.

If you can picture it, I often find it difficult to answer questions posed by the parents of very young ones, especially when they ask if I think their son or daughter is capable of playing in the league. In most instances, I’ll encourage those with their basic skills in place, and I’ll do the same for those who seem to be extra aggressive — those kids always seem to get the hang of things fairly quickly. But again, it really does bother me that I have to almost predict whether a 5- or 6-year old is going to benefit from that league.

Okay, so I said we’re near the midpoint of that league, and I’m now getting the chance to see where I was right or wrong. And, while I’m discovering that I was right more than wrong, I don’t think any of the kids are losing a bit by playing in the league.

With that, let me describe a little of what I’ve seen so far…

There was a spunky little 5-year old in my Learn-to-skate clinic who ultimately deserved a crack at moving up to the Learn-to-play level.

Even at his young age, I found I could prod him to perfect his stops and backward skating, so that I’d allow him to play in the mostly older kids’ 3 on 3 games.  Every so often, he’d backslide, and discover he didn’t get promoted from the basic clinic.  And every next Sunday he’d come back and do things just right, so he’d get another chance to play in the game. (Hey, I don’t yell at little ones.  However, I surely do use the “carrot versus stick” approach to inch the little rascals along.)

Okay, so when an opening existed in our new beginner league, I had a gut feeling that little guy would catch on — eventually.  Would I be proved right? Hmmmmmm…

Trust me, that he didn’t catch on to things very quickly.   In fact, over the earliest weeks, he looked much like a little tripod, trying to stay steady while braced by his two skates and stick.  He also almost always fell down with each transition of the puck.

No matter, that little guy is one of the inspirations for this piece. I mean, yesterday morning was when I saw that light come on for him. In just a matter of a few weeks, he was keeping up to the play, and I’ll bet he got his stick on the puck close to 20 times. Oh, he’s probably not ready to tote the biscuit faster than some of the 7- and 8-year olds, but he is now getting into the middle of nearly every skirmish. And, marked by the sudden changes I saw occurring yesterday, I’ll say he’s now on his way to being a hockey player.

My next example involves a player who was plenty old enough to join the league, and skilled enough, too. I think he also played decently enough in the earlier games, in spite of what his dad may have thought. Ya, the dad… Honestly, he’s a great guy; I just think he needs to slow down a bit, and perhaps realize that his boy is only at the beginner stage.

I’ve actually watched the boy a lot during the earliest games, and noticed that he’d been going up and down in his play. I’d also go along with his dad, in that the boy’s interest level seemed to also go up and down.

Suddenly, however, that light came on… The youngster had his team’s only two goals yesterday, but that wasn’t our only reason to be excited. The boy played much of the game as if possessed, and he actually made both of those goals happen with a lot of hard work and a real want for the puck.

A lot like the first boy I described, there was another tiny tyke I wasn’t sure about encouraging towards that league. If there was a problem, this boy is older, and he probably needs to get into the swing of things before it gets too late for him.

Actually, this youngster has mirrored the other little one right through our earliest games, with one exception: the light has not come on for him yet. To be honest, he’s been a little slow reacting to puck movement, and he hasn’t often been involved in plays for the puck. The other day I prodded him a bit during the game action — to go get the puck, and his answer to me was, “I’m trying!” (Aaaah, gotta love him for that!)

Okay, I started by saying that I would also tie this discussion to the development of older players. Well, I hinted at that in my recent article about the new Tropical Elite Hockey League.  (If you have or know a good player aged 15- to 20-years of age, be sure to let him know about the announcements contained in that article.)

What I’d suggested was that a lot of players — including older ones — still need some time to come into their own. In that regard, I mentioned how the new league might actually act as a second (or third or fourth?) chance for players who weren’t able to crack line-ups in other Junior leagues.

Being involved in our sport at all levels for so many years, I’ve come to know this to be so — that some players just need a chance to show their stuff.

For example, years ago, I know I would cringe at the thought of losing one of my better college players to an injury or illness. Yet, I also knew that another player would likely rise and thrive from increased ice-time and responsibilities.  Oftentimes, that would even be an underclassman who wouldn’t ordinarily have had a prayer of getting regular playing time.

If you follow the various pro leagues, you’ve probably also noticed how some new stars emerge once thrown into the fire.  It just always seems to happen, that someone will emerge, once given a chance.  We hear it as often in the music industry, where a group or solo artist spends years working smaller venues, only to one day become a seeming overnight success.

As luck would have it, I caught a TV special today that highlighted the career of former Boston Red Sox pitcher, Tim Wakefield.  Among the things I didn’t know…  Wakefield quit his first college team, but was drafted from his second.  He rose fast through the Pittsburgh Pirates’ organization, became the ace of their Major League staff, and then was sent to the minors with arm problems.  The Red Sox gave him a chance, and he really experienced some drastic ups and downs in Boston.   Yet, he endured, and ultimately retired last season with 200 wins.

If you can appreciate what I’ve been getting at, most players need time to get their game together, or a chance for that proverbial light to come on.

If we use Tim Wakefield as an example, the Red Sox would have missed a 200-win pitcher, IF the knuckleballer had let himself become too discouraged by his first college experience, IF he had quit after being demoted to the low minors, or IF he didn’t see things through when the Sox so frequently changed his role from starter to reliever to starter.

Thus my recent warning to Junior eligible players, in that they might be destined to play in college or beyond, IF they don’t call it quits beforehand.

And, while you and I might think 5- or 6- or 7-years old is a little early for a kid to pack it in, it happens far too often.   Seldom is it the little boy or girl who makes that decision, of course.  Naw, it’s a (mom or) dad like the one I described earlier, who pulls the plug because he (or she) is too impatient about that light coming on.

Then, if all the above wasn’t enough…  A number of my buddies and I arrived at our high school’s varsity baseball tryouts having been all-stars at every level on the way.  (I pitched our Little League All-star game, and batted cleanup in the order.)  Most of us did well in high school, and I had great success, starting at short stop as a sophomore, and batting lead-off most of the time.  That said, one of our friends kept trying out through the early years, and he was cut more times than kept for a team.  He arrived in high school still big, gangly and rather uncoordinated, and spent a fair amount of time on the junior varsity team.  Then…  Ya, then…  I think the light came on for him rather late in his sophomore season.  A pitcher, he’d suddenly gotten that big body under control, and he began throwing faster than most high school-ers could swing a bat.  I mean, he got so he could throw absolute smoke.  And, guess what…  For all the all-star games and other recognition the rest of us had gotten over the years, our tall, aspirin throwing buddy was the last man standing when the pro scouts came around.  Yup, he signed a contract with the New York Yankees when we graduated, and he spent a number of years in their minor league system.  As importantly, I hope he acts as an inspiration for other athletes here, in that honors hardly matter during the earliest years.  No, I suspect it’s far better for that light to come on later, when high school, junior, college or even pro people make more consequential evaluations.

Oh, by the way…  I’m hardly ever just talking about just hockey when I write something like this.  Hey, I’d encourage any young person to follow his or her dream, no matter what that might be.  Personally, I believe the best approach — in any endeavor — is to just wear the competition down, and be the last man (or woman) standing in the end.

I’ll say again, that this could be one of the most important messages I could ever share with you — as parents, coaches, or even adult rec players.  Don’t sell yourself or youngster short too soon.  Keep plodding away, and give that light a chance to ultimately come on.

New Junior “A” League Forming

There wasn’t enough space above to write what I wanted for a title.  However, what it really should have read was, “New Junior ‘A’ League Forming — in, of all places, Florida!”  (Oh, by the way, this piece is going to be about a whole lot more than just that new Junior hockey league!)

– Dennis Chighisola

New Junior “A” League Forming

Actually, this is the brainchild of my long-time hockey friend and fellow CoachChic.com member, Stirling Wright.

Now, I’m going to take a little liberty here, and try to read Stirling’s mind a bit…

He’s been through these hockey wars for a long time, and he’s coached his share of Junior teams.  He’s also briefly been involved in a pro league start-up.

The above being fact, the guessing part for me is that Stirling is a lot like yours truly, in that he’s likely dealt with lots of incompetence along the way, and he’s finally arrived at a point where he’s saying, “Just get out of my way and let me do things right!”  (Oh, man, have I said that a kzillion times in my career, and it’s a major reason why I’ve chosen to mostly run my own hockey programs!)

There surely is something to be said for running your own thing — and especially for starting from scratch, and doing all the things you’ve seen done rightly over the years, while finding ways to avoid all the nightmares that come with any sort of undertaking.

As a brief aside here, long-time members are probably familiar with my annual sessions in “the bunker”. 

For those who don’t know, that isn’t necessarily a physical place, but instead a kind of state of mind.  As I’ve written often, some of my best ideas have dropped like gifts from heaven — while I walk a beach, loll at poolside, drive through the mountains or soak in a hot tub.  In other words, the place isn’t so important, as long as it frees my mind some, and allows my creative juices to flow.  (Honest to God, I once wrote an entire training manual over about 4-days, mainly shuttling my laptop between a pool, a hot tub and a tropical lanai.)

In more recent years, the bunker has consisted of a cozy area I created in my backyard — it’s covered for rainy days, it includes a huge picnic table, as well as power for my laptop and a radio.  No, it’s not the beach, nor the mountains.  However, I find the ambient sounds — of birds chirping, and distant kids playing or dogs barking — get the creative juices flowing just as well.  Oh, and speaking of dogs, my little buddy, Raggs, just loves lying at my feet for hours at at time.

Then, just to relate this to hockey — or even business…  Fellow coaches should know that I like to keep all my work materials in a neat shoulder bag for easy toting to and from the bunker.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that I’m not going to do something that proves a drudgery.  So, being able to grab my stuff and set up in a matter of 3-minutes pretty much ensures I’m going to head to the bunker often.

Okay, so, perhaps in his own type of bunker, Stirling is working diligently towards bringing big-time Junior hockey to the Sunshine State.  And he has good reason for such optimism.

Number One on my list would be that a 6-team league is going to open up well over 100 slots for young teens (through 20-year olds) to improve their game — drastically.  I know that sounds kinda vague, but…

Although some great players are expected to show for league tryouts, I envision a lot of kids coming who have been on the proverbial bubble for other leagues.   For many of them, all they need is a real chance, some steady ice-time, and someone who truly cares watching over their development.  (More on the “someone who truly cares” later.)  Moreover, new stars emerge from any group, and that’s exactly what I expect to see happen as the new Tropical Elite Hockey League gets underway.

Coach Wright has an equally important vision — call it Number Two here, in that everyone is going to love the Florida venue.   Will scouts prefer a trip down south as opposed to some frozen tundra?  Ya, I’ll surely agree with that!  Even players’ parents are going to love making that trip several times per year.  I’m even guessing that a lot of their relatives (especially grandparents?) are sprinkled all over the state.

Number Three comes from Stirling also, in that he feels the collection of coaches he’s bringing south will be welcomed gladly by the Florida hockey faithful.  Oh, I know that hockey down there has come a long, long ways over recent years.  However, I totally agree with the thought that local arenas and youth organizations will benefit even more from what TEHL personnel will be able to share with them.

Number Four here might actually fit a lot higher on my personal list.  However, explaining that will take a short story, this having to do with the benefits of off-ice training in a warmer clime…

A lot of years ago, I was asked to speak on the benefits of off-ice training to a group of advanced level coaches within USA Hockey.  That seminar took place in New Jersey, mind you, although I soon discovered that there were tons of coaches in attendance who hailed from places further south, and even as far west as Texas.  Hmmmmmm…

Upon learning that, I focused right in on those guys, and told them they had a huge advantage over us northerner, IF they only got serious about off-ice training!  I mean, it doesn’t take long for fall to turn to winter where I come from, so I’ve always been forced to rent indoor facilities to conduct my kind of off-ice training.  Not my southern counterparts, though, and certainly not those based in Florida.

Very much connected to this is the recent drafting of Southern Californian 18-year olds by NHL teams.  Ya, if you haven’t noticed, there have been a small handful of them lately, and in each case I noticed, those kids had extensive roller hockey backgrounds.  And I’m going to suggest that those numbers will go up in future years, to include a whole lot more kids from other warmer areas of the states.

Of course, someone is bound to ask if I’m going to be involved in Stirling’s new undertaking.  Perhaps locals (here in the MA and RI areas) want to know more than any others.  Or, as one local hockey mom recently posted on Facebook, “Does this mean The Great Coach Chic might be leaving us?”  Well, as one of my favorite cartoon characters might say, “Could be!”    Actually, I’d be eager to do it, and Stirling and I have had numerous conversations towards that end.  Every one of the points noted above have me leaning that way.  I’ve always also been partial to the Kissimmee area, and I’d even be interested in speaking with a prospective silent partner or two about purchasing that franchise.  More to come on all that in a future post, though.

Okay, so you’d like to know more about the league?

I mentioned earlier about “someone who truly cares”, and that is in reference to the types of people Stirling is trying to get involved.  I can’t tell you how often the expression, “the league comes first,” has been said in our communications.  Amen to that.  In one regard, you might interpret it as meaning, “It does no good for some teams to be successful while some others are failing.”  In yet another way, it means that everyone connected with the league has to be constantly chanting the same mantra, in that the league’s success — in the end — will primarily be based on how many players it’s able to move on to college hockey (and maybe even beyond).  Oh, and you can include in this section a deep concern for the young players’ grades, as well.  Ya, we don’t call them “student-athletes” for no reason.

The TEHL”s first season will include 6-teams, most situated in Central Florida.  At this writing, I believe four sites are set, with the complete league line-up expected to be announced fairly soon.

For sure, players are the main ingredient, so free agent tryout camps are slated for several locations over coming weeks.  If you know of any worthy players between the ages of 15 and 20, please point them towards our first camp to be held in Kissimmee, Florida.

If you believe in young people, and want to help defray the kids’ costs to play (Junior level players do pay to play), Stirling has set up a site where donations can be made (in any amount).

If you or someone you know would be interested in investing in a franchise, you can contact Stirling Wright directly.  If you want to invest with me, you can email me.

With all that, I have a sneaking suspicion that things will change rapidly over coming days and weeks.  And, I promise to keep you all up to pace as more comes in.

 

 

Should You Lift Weights Fast or Slow?

Long-time members know I see at least part of my job as keeping abreast of the very latest in scientific training techniques.  Yes, things change rapidly when it comes to that area, and new ideas for things like strength, agility and speed training are always coming along.

With that, let’s take a look at the very latest when it comes to weightlifting technique.

– Dennis Chighisola

Should You Lift Weights Fast or Slow?

Younger members might find it amusing that this question arose often enough when I started lifting — back in the early 1960′s.  And, I’ve seen the argument continue right up to the present.

If anything has changed in recent years, I think it’s that an athlete’s primary sport is taken into consideration — for a lot of things.  For sure, some forms of training might be treated in a generic way — like one size fits all.  More often, however, serious consideration is given to whether a given athlete needs to prep for an explosive sport, or one that requires explosive speed.  (If you search back through this Strength Training for Ice Hockey Players section, you’ll see that Scott Umberger and I put you on the cutting edge when it comes to stretching for hockey, warning you to discontinue doing static stretches prior to practices and games, and to instead do a dynamic stretching routine.)

Okay, so I’m sure you’ll agree that our sport calls for explosive movements — or explosive speed.  So, let’s have a look at a few excerpts I recently found in Status Fitness Magazine:

“As long as you are lifting weights that are heavy enough to make your muscles burn and tear, your muscle fibres will be broken down creating a soreness.  When this occurs regardless whether you are lifting slowly or quickly, you are effectively training your muscles.

Goalie Specific Off-ice Exercise 3

As Cynthia King’s third entry came in today, I’m awaiting word on getting back into a high level of hockey coaching.  Not that every coaching assignment I’ve ever had hasn’t been important; it’s just that this one might return me to coaching some older, higher level players.

Anyway, while the kind of stuff Cynthia proposes is right for all ages, perhaps it’s even more appropriate for those goalies who are extra competitive, and motivated to play at higher levels.

With that, here’s yet another in her series of outstanding off-ice, off-season exercises for goaltenders.

– Dennis Chighisola

Goalie Specific Off-ice Exercise 3

 

BOSU BALL SINGLE LEG DEAD LIFTS

with Cynthia King

 

BOSU balls are perfect for balance and stability exercises.  Although I use them for goalies, I suggest all players incorporate them into their workout for engaging the stabilizing muscles.

Stand on one foot in center of inverted BOSU (flat sided surface).   Make sure foot is centered.  Holding a medicine ball, bend at the waist and slowly lower ball along base leg to foot.  Raise back leg as you lower medicine ball.  Return to a standing position, only touching back toe to BOSUl.  Incorporate the hamstring of base leg as you rise to starting position.  For added stretching, wrap a resistance band around back foot and hold taunt the entire set.  Make sure to breathe and hold in the abs.  This will help with stability.  Make movements slow and controlled.

Happy Training!

Six Words Hockey Parents Need to Say

Besides answering member questions and providing the best possible advice on things that have worked for me, I feel compelled to share with my faithful members anything I run across that might just help.

Of course, I’m forever digging into scientifically oriented literature, and hockey sites of all kinds.  But then there are my 14,000-ish social media contacts who so often lead me to some real gems.

Such was the case with the following article that came by way of my LinkedIn participation in a special group devoted to sports parents.  As I hinted above, I think this one is a real gem.

– Dennis Chighisola

Six Words Hockey Parents Need to Say

For those who feel hurried, I’ll cut right to the chase by pasting in a few lines, plus those six words hockey parents should commit to memory and say ever single day…

“… College athletes were asked what their parents said that made them feel great, that amplified their joy during and after a ballgame.  Their overwhelming response:  ‘I love to watch you play.’”

Just think about it…  So much has been written about and talked about lately, in reference to that (sometimes dreaded) ride to and from the rink.  I mean, about the way some parents browbeat their kids or push and prod them to do everything but enjoy the game or practice.

Beyond that, I’m going to suggest something else…  I think most of us parents actually do experience that very sensation, of loving to watch our kids play.  It’s just that we don’t say it often enough, or let those feelings be known to our youngsters.

Moreover, I’m going to suggest that there’s some psychology involved in the use of such a phrase — as in the power of positive thinking.   Ya, picture the kid who heads into the rink with his or her head down, tail between the legs.  Fearing failure is no way to enter a battle, and it’s no way to enter an activity that’s supposed to be fun.   Picture, on the other hand, if we send our young ones off with something akin to those magic words, “I love to watch you play.”  That just has to be uplifting — before a hockey game, and doubly so if repeated after a game (no matter what really took place).

All that said, I really do recommend reading the complete article…  Six Words You Should Say Today

A Variation on My Russian Half-stick

Long-time CoachChic.com member, Tim T, writes me often, always with a great question or observation.  This time he felt he’d just seen a variation on my Russian Half-stick idea, and I thought I’d share it here with other members.

– Dennis Chighisola

A Variation on My Russian Half-stick

Before getting into this, members might want to review my article and video about the Russian Half-stick.

With that, Tim emailed to say that he’d just attended a Philadelphia Flyers practice session.  At one point in the practice, he got to see the powerplay unit work against penalty-killers, and he noticed the shorthanded unit playing with something that looked like my Russian Half-sticks.

If you do recall the purpose of my half-sticks, you probably know that they’re intended to encourage good passing and receiving techniques.  So, I suggested to Tim that the Flyers had something else in mind for their penalty-killers…

A lot of hockey coaches try to give a slight advantage to their man-advantage unit, mainly so their plays work, and so they can gain a little confidence in those plays.  The way many of us do this is to have the PK unit switch their sticks, so that they’re holding the blade end in their hands with only the smaller butt end down on the ice.  So, what I think the Flyers coaches do is just have their man-down guys play with sticks that have little or no blade on the ice.

As I also suggested to Tim, the penalty-killers could still keep switching their sticks to cover the ever changing passing lanes, but they wouldn’t be so lucky as to steal the puck and rag it.

 

Goalie Specific Off-ice Exercise 2

Here’s yet another in Cynthia King’s awesome monthly series on off-season, off-ice training for goaltenders.  Enjoy!

– Dennis Chighisola

Goalie Specific Off-ice Exercise 2

 

BOSU Balls for Goaltenders

With Cynthia King

 

I love BOSU balls.  They really force you to use your stabilizers and core muscle groups.  Balance will be greatly improved.

Place 2 BOSU balls, flat side down, next to each other.  Stand in the center of each one.  Hold one kettlebell (lighter weight than you would use if standing on ground) in both hands.  Keeping your upper body upright, lower into the squat position.

The swing will start low, between the legs at the squat.  As you rise to standing position, swing bell to shoulder height.  Make sure to hold in abs.  You will notice your inner thighs engaging as you hold BOSUs together.

If you do not have BOSUs or a kettlebell, hold a dumbbell and stand on your toes as you squat and swing.  The idea is to use your stabilizers, core and inner thighs as you control your swing

Effects of Birth Dates on Hockey Success

It’s possible you’re heard or read about the recent studies — and concerns that — players born in the first few months of any given USA Hockey (and other federation) age groups have quite an advantage.  If  you haven’t, though, please have a listen to the second point of the three described in the following video.  That done, I’ll share a few of my thoughts.

– Dennis Chighisola

Effects of Birth Dates on Hockey Success

If anyone is scratching their head about that one, let me say what that brilliant guy said, but in terms we grassroots hockey folks deal with every day…

Starting right from the earliest tryouts, coaches of the better teams in each organization obviously pick what they perceive as the most talented kids they can find.  Malcolm Gladwell defines them as the biggest, but I’m going to suggest that they are also the most mentally mature of the group.  In other words, it’s likely that the light comes on a little sooner for the slightly older kids, so they tend to grasp instruction and concepts better than their younger counterparts.  If we’re talking about kids up through 7- or 8-years old, appreciate that a few months difference in age is really quite a lot.

Anyway, next picture that those slightly more advanced kids get placed on a better team, and they more often than not also reap the benefits of a better coach (I mean, usually A Team coaches are more experienced than those handed the reins of a C Team).

Over the course of one season can mean quite a difference in development.  However, envision that the same thing tends to happen, season after season, with the only slightly older or slightly sharper kids getting the best of practices, games and so much more.

I have to chuckle a little, in that I arrived at the answer to the problem before Gladwell mentioned it…  Yes, a wise hockey federation would create a two-tiered system within each age group, so that kids born in the second half of each year would have as good a chance at developing.  For example…

Majors – those born between January and June
Minors – those born between July and December

What they’d call those different age groups could be different — it’s unimportant.  But, a country might just reap all the more talented players by bringing them along through such a split.

As I was putting the final touches on this article, and readying to publish it, something struck me.  I don’t think the above described two-tiered system would have to go all the way up through youth hockey.  No, because I have a sense that most of the damage is done — and it could be undone — in the ages from Mites through about Pee Wees.  So, that’s what I’d suggest:  splitting the ages through the early years, and then going with traditional setups from Bantams on upward.

Of course, the big problem with huge organizations is that they are usually extremely slow afoot.  In other words, I can’t picture federations the size of USA Hockey or Hockey Canada making such changes without a decade of discussions.

Maybe something like that would be better taken on by another (AAU?) or new organization?  I mean, it seems to me that just changing their birth date requirements — to start each group with July 1 birth dates — might steal half the players from the established federation.

Okay, short of all that, what might you do as the parent of a youngster who was born in the second half of the year?

First, it’s probably helpful just to understand the circumstances described above.

Secondly — at least if you live in the US, where high school hockey is big…

My son was born in May, so he never had a problem in that regard.

My grandson, on the other hand, was born in late July.  Actually, perhaps due to some good behind the scenes training, he always seemed to do very well within his hockey and baseball age groups.  Where he struggled was in elementary school, mainly because he was always the youngest in his class.  So, as he moved to middle school, we moved him to a Catholic school and also had him repeat the 5th grade.  It took some time for him to make the transition from a public education to the private one, but from high school through college he has never failed to make the honor roll or dean’s list.  As for sports, that was a huge bonus.  Once he moved from the USA Hockey date-of-birth system to being one of the oldest in his school grade, he’s gained the benefits of being comparatively physically and mentally mature.

No matter, or whether you need to dwell very much on all the above…  What I do like to do, is be sure my CoachChic.com members are at least aware of these kinds of things.

Hockey Drills Bring Both Good and Bad

It was probably about 30 or more years ago when I was sitting in on a meeting with the higher-ups to the forerunner of Massachusetts Hockey.  We were laying the groundwork for some state-wide coaching programs, as well as developing the script for a video to be made available to all area youth hockey coaches.

To be honest, I can’t recall what caused me to turn some heads with a long time observation, but I think it was in answer to, “Anything else we might include in the lesson plans?”

What caused others in our small group to snap around was my want to warn youth coaches that, “Most drills help one area while causing a problem in another.”

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey Drills Bring Both Good and Bad

My decade or so in coaching caused me to know that to be true back then, and the many years ’til now just convince me all the more.  Yes, it’s true, that almost every drill we ever use brings about some positive results, while also causing our players to practice something we’d prefer not to introduce.

Want a great example of what I’m talking about?

We all have our players do a ton of drills that call for them to attack a defender and/or attack the net (aren’t there a thousand or more of these kinds of drills out there?).  The problem arises when the drill seemingly ends, with the attacker turning off towards a corner to return to his or her line.  And, you know that turning away from the net is not exactly what you’d like him or her to do in a game.

Recognizing that many years ago, I created another step to such drills, by having an assistant coach immediately toss a loose puck in the crease, so that our attackers could get used to stopping and going for a rebound.

Still, the drill has to end at some point, which calls for the attacker to ultimately relax and return to line.  Some “flow drills” have players attacking, quickly defending, doing something else, whatever.  However, in the end, everyone does eventually turn from the play and return to line.  :/

Now, the above might suggest that the good and bad influences of drills only occur when we’re doing things like match ups, or attacking and defending drills.  Not so, though…

The same can be said about skills work, and especially about cross-training.  In fact, if you ever take advantage of my free video series, “You Don’t Need Ice!”, I spend a little time explaining how I happen to deal with that.  Actually, I speak there in reference to the Theory of the Transfer of Skills, which governs when slightly related exercises or skill drills transfer either positively or negatively to our main sport.

I do plan to comment more on the latter in a few secs.  However, I’d like you to view the following video as kinda of a backdrop to my later comments.  If you would, keep an eye on the little goaltender who is playing in a 3 on 3 small game…

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Okay, what YOU probably saw was an undisciplined little netminder, roaming far from his crease, flopping and diving around, and sometimes seeming rather lazy when shots weren’t imminent.  I took that video because that’s what all of us would see — from the exterior.

A year or so ago, I went back and forth with a CoachChic.com member about his little guy, also a young goalie who was at the time playing in a 3 on 3 league in the UK.  The dad’s concern had to do with water breaks, because he found the pace of an almost non-stop small game pretty demanding for the one player on each team who doesn’t get to leave the ice.  (We discussed attaching a waterbottle to the net for quick sips when the boy could grab them.)

My point here, however, is to let you know what a goaler goes through in such a game, and to suggest that the sometimes laziness we see in the video is totally understandable.

Getting back to the main premise — about what’s really happening in the video…

The reason I took those clips is because of what I was really seeing.  I mean, I witnessed that little guy performing a lot of really athletic movements that he wouldn’t ordinarily try in a league game.  And, just so you know, he was arguably the best goalie in our AA Mite league last season, and he’s more recently been promoted to the Elite team at the Mite level.  So, he does play with decent discipline, while also daring to come out for loose pucks, and he’ll even dare to make passes up-ice to open teammates.

Where did all that daring come from?  I’ll suggest that it stems from three things:  1) the boy participates as a skater in two weekly skills sessions, 2) he’s a smiling but daring personality who takes to physical challenges, and 3) he seems to practice his athleticism in those weekly 3 on 3 games.

Now, for my personal take on all the above, or the fact that drills tend to bring with them both good and not so good results…

In my estimation, it’s often worth it to allow some negative things to transfer into a youngster’s game, so long as there are more positives coming along with it.  That’s how I felt about my little goalie, and it’s also how I feel about teach younger players to body-check and take slapshots — at the expense of occasionally taking a penalty or losing a goal.  Personally, I care more about long term development than I do any one game right now.

And I think the same can be said about a given match up drill and some forms of cross-training.  As that free video series points out, we should be able to live with a little negative influence, as long as there’s plenty of positives going on.

New Hockey Coaches Inner Circle

I just thought I’d alert my coaching friends about something new I’m about to offer.

Loving what I do so much — and especially loving my work with other coaches, the Hockey Coaches Inner Circle is going to allow me to do just that, and it’s also going to give guys or gals like you and me a chance to work closely together.

The whole thing isn’t easy to explain here.  So, I’m going to send anyone who might be interested to scan the follow website.

YOUR Hockey Coaches Inner Circle

Actually, I have a feeling — with the limited number of slots I can offer — that this thing will fill on the first night (Sunday, April 15, 2012).

Hoping you might join me,

– Dennis Chighisola

Some Hockey Tryout Advice

I’m kinda chuckling to myself as I think about the last time I explained the following (it was actually about 3-weeks ago).

You see, the organization I do a lot of work for likes me to focus on the youngest kids, or those in the developmental stages.  I can appreciate that, since I can usually mold those little ones faster and better than most others.  I also enjoy those kids immensely.

About the only time I get frustrated is when I have to wait for elite and then AAA level coaches to make their picks, so that I can finally get to work with the leftovers.

Well, this being the third year I’ve had to sit back and watch as another group of coaches seemed to agonize over making their picks, I decided to explain to them exactly what I’ll now share with you.

– Dennis Chighisola

Some Hockey Tryout Advice

I began (three different times) with, “Can you envision a bell curve?”  I think two of the guys knew what I was talking about, while the other understood once I drew an imaginary curve in the air.

I’m not poking fun at anyone here — at least as it pertains to knowing or not knowing about the configuration.  Those well versed in math would probably be more familiar with such a graph, and I know that’s where I first came across it (probably back in my high school or early engineering studies).

Anyway, once I got the different coaches picturing the unique shape of the bell, I suggested to them that every group of tryout players can be spread over the curve.  In other words, those who are almost automatic “cuts” would fall on one end of the graph, while the no-brainer automatic “keepers” would fall on the other end.

I’m sure that makes perfect sense to you, as it did to my fellow coaches a few weeks back.  Still, also a lot like them, you’re probably wondering what this has to do with making the tryout process any easier.  Hmmmmmm…

Well, I’ll suggest that that part of the tryout process is now complete, just because we’re admitting that we have a certain number of players who will be kept, and a certain number of kids who need to be let go.

More importantly — with the above decisions made — and recognized, it should make sense that the real tryout takes place among the group of players who fall in the middle of the bell.

I don’t care how many players are involved in any given tryout, and I don’t care how many players fall in either of the three segments of the bell…  No matter, a certain number can be decided within a day or so (if not within minutes), while the real focus has to eventually be placed on the group of players who fall in the middle.

Now, almost everyone wants to resist me on this one, but…  My feeling is that players need to somehow be removed from the tryout process as soon as they’re designated to either make or not make a team.  Keeping them around beyond a point really muddies things, or those so-called automatics just get in the way and detract from the players who really need to be seen.

The way I like to do it is to arrive at a point where everyone has had a fair chance at showing themselves.  With that, the easy cuts and keepers can be told that, “You’re all set, and we’ll let you know how you placed within a few days.”

The beauty of removing the sure things from the mix is that new players will immediately begin emerging from the remaining group — a few being recognized as standouts, and a few noticeably lesser skilled than the rest.  And so the lopping-off goes, until a roster is full.

In the graph above, the sure keepers might be represented by #1, the sure cuts fall in group #5, and the players in the middle are the real tryout candidates.  In the end, those in group #2 and some from group #3 will make the team, while the the rest of group #3 and group #4 will be let go.

Now, I kinda described the above as if a tryout was for one team.  However, I’ve used that formula to distribute numerous players from a hometown program to an A Team, B Team and C Team within a level.  Referring to the bell curve again, better players would be gradually moved to the A-roster, while easily recognized lesser players would be quickly assigned to the C’s.  And so the lopping-off continues, until a B Team remains in the middle of the curve.

Similar to the earlier graph, the obvious keepers will fall to the left, with the best players ultimately designated as A’s, the least as C’s, and the remaining players comprising the B Team.

Lastly, I mentioned earlier that I’ve received some flack for sending kids home before the tryouts are done.  However, the above method is the fairest one for the kids who are really tryout out.  Again, neither the best or the least are ever going to change their status by hanging around longer; they’ll just ultimately get in the way.  The kids who deserve the most attention — for the fairest tryout, are those who fall in the middle.

Having shared the above with my fellow coaches a few weeks back, I thought one or two of them arrived at a decent alternative to my method…  They kept all the kids around until the end, but they found ways to more often pit kids from the middle group against each other.

*

PS:  I find it amazing sometimes how we are able to arrive at a truism under some extreme circumstances, and I consider myself pretty dawgoned lucky when such a thing happens to me.

Anyway, a few years ago, a logistical foul-up caused me to be in a room with a bunch of kids and parents that included those who I intended to keep and those I had to cut.  Hmmmmmmm…  How to survive that thing without having some pretty disappointed kids and/or parents?

Well, it struck me that that was one moment in history when I saw kids in certain ways.  I mean, just for that one Thursday night, I saw one group of kids as deserving to make my team, and yet another group of kids who were not quite up to the task.  And I truly felt that way, too.

I went on to tell everyone that, “It’s quite possible a player who is cut tonight will ultimately be the best of the lot.”

Again, my evaluations were based on one night — or a couple of nights — in history.

(Re-)Introducing “Box Hockey”

I don’t use these pages to sell things to my CoachChc.com members, and that’s not my purpose in this posting.

That said, I do have to show you a video I’ve been getting around to others, mainly because there’s some important stuff in it I’d like you to know.

So, right after you watch the video, let’s have a conversation about a game you may or may not have heard about.

– Dennis Chighisola

(Re-)Introducing “Box Hockey”

 

Although that game — box hockey — may be new to you, you should have discovered that it’s actually been around for about 100-years.  Only recently has there seemed to be a re-emergence, maybe because several companies have decided to mass produce nice looking game boards like the one shown in that video.

As for me, I stumbled across the game some 15 or so years ago — and I can’t for the life of me remember how that came about.

Anyway, at a time when my hockey schools were booming around the New England area and beyond, I carried a trailer full of unique training equipment to each venue.  I had wild off-ice gear, equipment to run two different video stations, and even a ton of on-ice stuff that I occasionally try to show my members.

Better than a decade ago, then, I built my own box hockey game that we used in an outdoor station.  And, let me tell you, kids of all ages fought to get their turns on that.

My kids’ enthusiasm for that game wasn’t the only thing I noticed, however.  No…  For, what I saw each day was kids really battling — I mean REALLY battling — to move the puck up the box hockey surface.  And I’d stand back to be really fascinated by how much that game encouraged aggressiveness.  (Actually, my grandson was only a young Mite when we used that gadget a lot, and I now have to wonder how much that had to do with him being so aggressive for the puck through his older youth, high school, prep and college years.)

As an aside here…  You can imagine how many questions I get from hockey parents and coaches over the course of any given week.  What you really need to know, though, is how helpless some moms and dads sound when it comes to dealing with their kids’ lack of aggressiveness.  I mean, I feel badly for them — partly because they usually live too far away for me to personally help, and partly because the only thing that would really help is if a coach ran some drills that specifically encourage the youngster at that.  Even with all the troubleshooting I’ve done for such things, I can’t for the life of me think of a drill that can be done at home to help that area of a kid’s game.

Hopefully, you can picture how excited I was when I connected with the people at HBox.  I mean, I knew that game would help anyone who wanted to instill a hunger for the puck in their youngster.  And now, I am able to point them right to the gadget that will help get that done.

As yet another aside…  My homemade box hockey board was busted a few years ago by some workers who had access to my equipment storage room (Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!).  Fortunately, I have a new HBox version right now, and I’m itching to use it.  I’ve just picked my new AA Mite team for next year, and I’m just beginning to design plans for our off-season and beyond.  And I’m just thinking, how difficult my little guys will be to deal with, IF they all get lots of work at that game.  I’m talking about all of my kids here, too, top of the roster to the bottom, being willing to fight you tooth and nails for the puck.  Oh, and I’m also thinking something else…  I know it’s always difficult to get everyone to practice on time.  However, if they have the incentive to play box hockey before each on-ice practice, I have a feeling my little guys will be driving their parents nuts to get them to the rink rather early! 

Okay, I said from the start that I’m not trying to sell you anything.  So instead, what I am suggesting is that you do as I once did, and make a box hockey game of your own.  One sheet of plywood would probably do it.  And, there aren’t any dimensions that are critical, other than to make sure the puck fits through the various holes — in the dividers, and in the end goals.

Then, just in case you would prefer to take the easier route, an HBox game can be purchased through my affiliate link (which means I get credit for the sale):  Just Click Here

THE Most Important Hockey Season Is Coming Up?

I’m hoping my hockey friends noticed the “THE” in my title, because I truly meant to type it that way.  Yes, I feel that in the overall picture of being a hockey coach or hockey dad — or even if I was an adult rec player, the coming days, weeks and months are as important as any in the entire year!  In a way, what we do over that span is going to determine how we (or our player/s) will perform next fall.

Oh, by the way…  It’s very possible that I’ll leave this particular article available to the general public.  In a small way, perhaps, I’m at least alerting as many hockey people as possible as to the importance of the coming weeks.  As always, though, I’ll save the meaty stuff — or my exact recommendations — for my members only.

– Dennis Chighisola

THE Most Important Hockey Season Is Coming Up?

I’ve covered this topic — in depth and in many ways — elsewhere within CoachChic.com.  To save you the time in chasing one important view of the spring months, however, let me at least outline the way most advanced level organizations and trainers break down an entire year…

In-season – your regular playing season
Post-season – the period immediately following the playing season
Off-season – something like the middle of that time away from your regular season
Pre-season - the weeks leading into your regular playing season

We all (including yours truly) tend to paint the entire time away from our regular schedule as the “off-season”.  However, advanced level hockey types know that each of those four separate parts of our year should be treated very, very differently.

There should be little doubt that most amateur leagues have completed their regular seasons by now, and we’re currently in what the above shows as our “Post-season”.

Okay, so why is it I suggested we’re now into “THE Most Important” hockey season?  Well, in a nutshell, it’s because I see it as our one chance to make corrections in what we’re doing, so we can get it even closer to right by next fall!

If you’re a hockey coach, I’ll suggest the first thing you do is perform some really serious soul-searching…

How about communication?  Did the team (or team parents) conform to set team rules?  Could those rules need expanding upon, or some slight altering or updating?  Dealing with the players, might there be better ways to get our idea across — say, with added media or teaching tools?

And, how about the way your team came along…  Even after coaching all the years I have, I know I’ve already recognized a few areas of play that could have been treated differently.  (Yes, even I constantly re-evaluate my coaching, mainly because I intend to keep getting better and better at what I do.)

If you’re a hockey parent — and you truly want your youngster to enter the next season even better than the last, I’ll suggest the following…

Be honest in an evaluation of his or her weaknesses.  If the player is old enough, see if he or she agrees with what you’re saying, and if he or she is willing to do a little work to overcome those shortcomings.

Also be honest in seeking your youngster’s strengths (or more likely, a main strength).  That could be speed, aggressiveness, size, puckhandling, shooting, whatever.  For, as I’ve written elsewhere here, future coaches (and even scouts) most often get attracted by strengths before they start to look for weaknesses.  So, for example, if a player has a hard shot, it probably wouldn’t hurt that his or her shot be brought to the point of being absolutely frightening to opposition goalies.

I honestly believe adult rec players could do a similar self evaluation…  I don’t know if dwelling on a strength would be my main priority but, I wouldn’t discount it.  Mostly, though, I notice that a great many recreational skaters would benefit lots by eliminating their weaknesses.  Ya, you’ve got to “accentuate the positive”, as the old song goes.

Those who know me probably realize how much I value time — as in the amount of time I have to accomplish a given task.  So, just take a look at the coming Post-, Off-, and Pre- seasons through my eyes for a sec, and appreciate that we now have the luxury of 5-months to ready for next fall.  Yup, count ‘em:  April, May, June, July and August, IF we don’t piddle that precious time away!

Oh, by the way…  I can almost bet that half the non-members reading this are going to revert to what they’ve always done — like chasing tournaments all over the countryside, attending the most popular hockey school, or enrolling for the usual spring and/or summer league.  Oh, one of those might not kill a player, but I doubt any of them will help solve the things you consider as playing weaknesses or strengths.  In fact, if one keeps doing what he or she has always done in the past, it’s very doubtful any significant results can be achieved.

All the above gives you a hint of what I have in store (for members) over the coming months.  A lot of it is going to involve ideas for off-ice training (and training at home), because I’ve found that these types of overlapping activities not only help a player’s hockey game, but they also expand his or her physical — and even mental — abilities quite a bit.  That said, I promise that I’ll still be adding some on-ice ideas to help all my friends reach their goals for when the puck drops again in earnest next fall.

Then, this final tip…  Most elite level programs and instructors (as well as wise hockey parents) know that a player takes quite a physical and mental pounding over a long winter In-season.  So, while those in the know never allow those in their charge to suddenly become couch potatoes, they do back-off on the heavy training for a short time.  In elite circles, the kind of physical stuff done during this period is known as “passive activity”.   And, in my mind, this is the one time during an entire year when — if things are done right — a player’s love of the game can be greatly renewed.  Tournaments, camps and off-season leagues don’t do that, but I’ll be telling you soon just what will.

Goalie Specific Off-ice Exercise 1

As promised in her introductory article in February, Cynthia King now kicks-off a once monthly entry of goalie specific off-ice exercises anyone should be able to do at home.

Actually, I’m thinking just how lucky we are right now, in that these exercises come just as most goaltenders are finishing their hockey seasons and looking for new ideas to ready them for next fall.  For sure,  these exercises are going to ultimately give goalers of all ages the basis for an awesome off-season routine, and I’ll further suggest that these exercises could be used right through next season and for many seasons to come.

Oh, and if you missed Cynthia’s opening article, I highly recommend you give it a read:   “Goalie Off-ice Training (from an unlikely source)!“

– Dennis Chighisola

Goalie Specific Off-ice Exercise 1

By Cynthia King

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite goalie specific exercises is the Medicine Ball V’s.  This will target the lower back, glutes, inner thighs, obliques, shoulders and stabilizing muscles.  You will need a mat and a weighted medicine ball (although a dumbbell will also work).

Use the weight of your choice for the medicine ball, or no ball for beginners.  Place the ball at the top of your mat.  Position yourself about halfway down the mat with your knees the width of the mat.   For the most benefit, lift your toes off the mat so that your stabilizing muscles really participate.  For beginners, rest toes on the mat.

Bend over as low as you can and hold the ball in both hands, arms outstretched.  Deeply bend to the left and tap the ball, rising only high enough to make the movement.   Keep knees stable and hips squared and facing forward at all times.   Move back to the center (at the top of the mat) and tap, then to the right and tap. Continue back to the center, left, center, right, center, etc.  This forms the “V”.

Make sure that you hold in the abdominals at all times.  This will help strengthen the core.  It is very easy to protrude the abs.  Remember that they are muscles and can be trained in a direction we do not want.  Never relax them.

I created this exercise with the lower back in mind.  However, I quickly found many muscles engaged.  MOVEMENTS SHOULD BE CONTROLLED!  FORM IS CRITICAL!

1. CHALLENGE MOVE :  Take knees out farther than width of mat
2. CHALLENGE MOVE :   After center tap, rise upright and back down, then continue V

Although I did develop this for goalies, I believe that skaters benefit as well.  Lower back and core are important to everyone.

Wishing y’all a healthy, successful season!

 

Cynthia

Plant a Tree — for Hockey

I’m breaking with tradition a bit here, as I place this entry under A Coach’s Notebook.  However, I hope that will makes sense in a few minutes.

Next, I know that my article titles don’t always make a lot of sense — at first, and the above one most likely has my faithful friends scratching their heads.  Still, as you’ll also soon discover, I couldn’t have chosen a better one for the topic at hand.

– Dennis Chighisola

Plant a Tree — for Hockey

Actually, it was something I read months ago that still haunts me today.  So, without further adieu, here’s how I remember it…

“Plant a tree today that you know you’ll never get to enjoy the shade from.”

Want to read that again — to let it sink in, because I surely read it and read it until I got the true meaning.

Now, I’m probably a lot older than most CoachChic.com members, so something like that doesn’t exactly hit home as quickly or as deeply with those of you who are 30-somethings or 40-somethings.

Don’t let me get morbid on you, though — , because I’m at least planning on staying around to haunt you — through my 60′s, 70′s, 80′s and maybe even my 90′s.

Haven’t connected the above saying to hockey yet?  Well, the idea of “planting a tree” is something I really associate with teaching a young player well.  I mean, it’s about giving him or her such a great foundation that there’s a chance for that kid (or group of kids) to play at higher levels years from now.

What gives the above advice true meaning — at least to me, is that there’s a good chance I won’t get to see how a lot of my tree planting (or early skill development) works with the kids currently in my charge.  At the same time, I’m urging my fellow coaches — while likely eons younger — to still see their work in the same way.

Let me share yet another something I ran across recently, in this case sort of the motto for a successful business type I tend to follow rather closely.  The guy tells a story about recovering from a near fatal auto accident, about thanking his lucky stars he survived, and then about promising himself to constantly go through the remainder of his life asking…

“Did I live?
Did I love?
Did I matter?

Don’t see the connection to that and hockey either?  Well, the “Did I love?” part is kind of important in my relationship to the hockey folks I meet and ultimately get to know.  However, it’s the one about really mattering — or, in the end, having mattered — that grips me quite strongly.

Ya, I’m helping a hockey dad with a current problem, and I’m hoping my advice matters.  Or I might be guiding a player through a difficult skill sequence and I’m also hoping the way I did things really mattered to him or her in the end.

With that, the scope of my work is pretty broad, and I probably feel those kinds of obligations with a wider audience than you.  I mean, I feel the slight pressures of needing to matter with my team each year, with the kids in the clinics I run, with my many social media friends (on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and elsewhere), and with you and other CoachChic.com member coaches.  Ya, I know you’re depending on me for good advice, or for the right answers to your questions.  And I’m not satisfied unless I sense I’m doing the job — for you, or for the young players entrusted to me.

And don’t take that last phrase lightly — a lot is being entrusted to me and to you.  So, with your current hockey season likely winding down, perhaps you can salt the gist of this piece away for when you’re making your off-season plans.   Try to remember that you’re planting trees, some of which you’ll never get to enjoy the shade from.  And, most especially, consider the great feeling you’ll derive from sensing that your work really, really matters.

 

 

 

A Hockey Reputation Matters

I received a phone call yesterday, from a hockey mom wanting to know if I might give her son a recommendation.  Hmmmmmmmm…

So did my email inbox contain a pair of similar requests – one wanting my opinion on a certain hockey coach, and another from a coach asking about a player I’d recently had on my team.  There was another one in there, too, this asking if I could recommend one of my players for a rather exclusive team that was being formed over the spring and summer months.

Even while I was working at the local rink this past week, two different coaches asked my opinion on given players.

– Dennis Chighisola

A Hockey Reputation Matters

Yes, ‘tis the season when a hockey player’s reputation matters more than ever.  And it’s a time when a player’s, parent’s or coach’s track record either helps or hinders his or her next step up the hockey ladder.  Consequently, it’s a time when doors can either open or close for anyone involved in our game.

Actually, I probably shouldn’t make this sound like one’s past history only comes into play at this time of year.  However, with so many organizations looking ahead to the next season right now, it makes sense that a whole bunch of folks are seeking more input – about new coaching applicants, or about potential players.

Unfortunately – at least for some, as one hockey parent put it in a recent Facebook message to me, “Hockey seems a pretty small world.”  And she was right.  Word travels fast in hockey circles.  (As I so often joke, I can sneeze at my desk here in Whitman, MA, and I’ll shortly after receive an email — from somewhere like Rhode Island — offering a, “God bless you!”)  Oh, and while news does travel pretty fast within hockey circles, bad news probably travels faster and stays out there longer than anything good we’ve ever done.

Now, some folks might think this rather unfair – that even young players’ reputations follow them, and likely help or hinder them as they strive to make a higher level team.  However, isn’t that life?  I mean, that’s the way things will go in school as students seek special recognition, and it’s the way things are going to go for them once they’re out in the job market.

What a lot of hockey parents fail to realize is that their youngster’s reputation is pretty much a family affair.  To be honest, in my 40-ish years in coaching, I haven’t known very many bad kids.  On the other hand, I’ve had to deal with quite a few kids who were negatively swayed by their parents, some to the point where they were nearly uncoachable.

Really, I don’t want to go into all the horror stories most of us have already heard enough times.  Still, my sharing the following story just might explain an oft used expression of mine, in that, “the hockey family is a package deal”…

A few years ago, I accepted onto my team a youngster who came with quite a bit of so-called excess baggage.  It wasn’t something I looked forward to, but instead I was doing it as a favor for a friend.

The interesting thing was that the boy reported smiling, he willingly did everything asked of him, and he seemed a pleasure to coach.  Not trusting my own take on the matter, I eventually garnered the same impression from my two assistant coaches.  They felt he was a great kid, and willing to do anything they asked of him.  Hmmmmmmm…  The parents?

As I soon discovered, the mom was the family spokesperson, and I found she was at least a little “rough around the edges”.

As you might suspect, she wanted to lead our first telephone conversation, and I did let her release some seemingly pent-up feelings.  Pretty shortly, though, I asked her if she was ready to do some listening.

Now, I probably had something going for me that a lot of younger coaches don’t (yet), in that I’ve really been around, and most hockey parents at least know where I’ve been and what I’ve done.  (Hey, even if they don’t like me, most know they ought to listen to what I have to say.)

Thankfully, the mom seemed to be with me – as I explained my feelings about a family being a package deal, and that her son’s problems may be her doing.  And she even accepted the fact that others might not like her son – or want him on a team – just because they didn’t like her.

With that, I suggested we try to erase the past, give her son a clean slate, and perhaps help him build a new reputation that would help him in the future.

I can’t leave that last story without mentioning a gut feeling about that whole situation…  You see, while I never had one tiny problem with that boy, I believe the things I heard from past coaches to be true – that he didn’t get along with teammates, that he wasn’t all that easy to coach, and that he took numerous needless or foolish penalties.  What I think happened, however, is that he was being coached behind the scenes at home – and probably on rides to and from the rinks, and that the parents – or the mom – convinced him to play a selfish game.  Oh, the boy didn’t change his stripes when he reported to me; I think he was always a good kid at heart.  But, as I’m trying to warn my faithful friends here, his problems most likely stemmed from someone other than his past coach or team.

I led off with that story to help me make my point when it comes to subtler, but still similar situations, where parents have more influence over players than their coaches.  Hey, let’s face it, we coaches are lucky to have the kids’ attention for a couple of hours per week.  And it’s doubtful we can undo in that short span all that’s been ingrained at home and on those drives to the rink.

For example, when I was recently asked by another coach about one of my players, the first thing that came to mind was that he has been late for almost every team function, practice or game.  And over the course of a season, his game has slipped accordingly.  So, when the other coach asked if he was my best player, all I could say was, “He may have been at the start of our season, but not anymore.”

Another youngster has also been asked about by higher level coaches, and all I could think about as I answered was his unwillingness to share the puck with linemates over recent months.  Oh, and it wasn’t like he was one of our studs – I expect those types to handle the puck a little more, and to even take the shots if they have them.  But he’s a middle of the pack player, who needs to dish the puck off more and then break to an opening for a better scoring chance.

The examples don’t stop there…

I’ve also heard some “cute”(?) things on my youngest team’s game bench over the course of this past season… Take, for example, a little guy mumbling something about ice-time on a team that just rolls two lines.  I mean, first, it would be hard to short-shift anyone when the lines operate that way.  But, can you imagine someone in the neighborhood of 7-years old coming up with that question – about ice-time? Give me a break!

Here’s yet another one…

On a young team, kids go off-side without thinking — errrrrrrr, or do they…  Well, on both of my teams this season, I’ve seen a few instances where I really had to wonder if a player went off-side on purpose.  You know the trick:  get the rush blown dead because you thought your mate should have passed to you.  Is that the kind of thing I’d tell another coach about?  Naw.  However, I can tell you from my perspective that the kid who truly does that on purpose has a larger body of work that falls in the same category.  In other words, if a player is pulling that kind of nonsense, you can be sure the rest of his or her game is also a little on the selfish side.

Anyway, where does the idea of going off-side on a teammate stem from?  Ha.  Few kids think that one up on their own, so you can be pretty sure a parent is behind that (and most of the other selfish play).

Oh, one more beauty…

I’m sure other coaches get bombarded with lots of calls or emails in reference to special teams being put together over the off-season.  I get them often, asking if I might have a player deserving of strutting his stuff in a “showcase” kind of tournament.

Such was the case not long ago, and it caused me to sit back in my chair to envision my roster.  Hmmmmm…  Just one player at the time seemed to have the skills and physical maturity to hold his own in such a format.  But then…  Ya, but then…

In the game freshest in my mind, I recalled that we were trying to mount a comeback with precious minutes remaining on the clock.  With that, I see a game official escort my guy to the penalty box, and I discover that the guy who is supposed to be one of our best weapons has taken a 10-minute misconduct penalty.  Worse yet, the ref coasts by our bench and softly lets me know that the kid took exception to some rough slot play by saying, “Ref, you suck!”

Well, you’d have to know the parents to appreciate that the boy cared more about himself than his teammates or the game they were playing.  Was he a bad kid?  Not really, but…

Okay, these last few points…

As I intimated above, I’ve seen few bad kids in my 40-ish years in coaching.  Instead, I’ve come to realize that kids don’t drive themselves to the rink or plan the day in a way that gets them there late on a regular basis.  And kids – at least usually – care more about being liked by their mates and coaches, so they’re not – again usually – born with the need to hog the puck, take selfish penalties, or not get along with game officials o their coaches.  Nor, I’ll suggest, do they count seconds in their shifts.

I’ve written this piece in hopes of letting parents know that it’s never too late to help their youngster develop the kind of reputation that will get them raves when a new opportunity comes along.

I think members realize that I love kids — of all ages, and I’m not about to purposely hurt anyone.  The problem, however, is a need to be truthful any time I’m asked about a given player.  That’s what I want when I ask the opinion of another coach.  Moreover, my reputation is on the line every time I recommend a player.  I don’t think I’m unique in this matter, either.  No, your son’s or daughter’s coach is most likely going to want to speak honestly when asked about him or her.  So, it seems up to the parents to help mold the kind of player everyone will love to recommend.

The 5 Performance Keys

I’m always psyched when I can provide our CoachChic.com members with more great advice from my good friend, Shaun Goodsell.

And, while I suspect that Shaun is talking to hockey parents in the following television interview, my feeling is that we coaches can also use this information to get more out of a team full of players.

– Dennis Chighisola

5 Performance Keys

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Goalie Off-ice Training (from an unlikely source)!

Well, those who haven’t yet gotten with the social media craze ought to think again, since I met a number of our top guest writers through either Twitter, Facebook, or Google+.  Such was the case with this article’s author, the personable and very bright Cynthia King.

Actually, this article kicks off a special series Cynthia has in store for us…  Each month, henceforth, she’ll provide a new exercise specific to goaltender training.

With that, the following acts as an introduction to Ms King, along with a basic philosophy that should carry over to those future monthly articles.

– Dennis Chighisola

Goalie Off-ice Training (from an unlikely source)!

By Cynthia King

As I was gathering my thoughts to write this article, my first concern was, “Who is going to listen to goalie off-ice training advice from me?”.  There are a few reasons why I asked myself this question.  The first is that I am from Mississippi originally and had never seen hockey until 2004.  I reside in the Atlanta area now, and a family friend is the majority owner of our local ECHL team.  He introduced my sons and myself to the game, courtesy of the Gwinnett Gladiators (www.gwinnettgladiators.com).  The second reason is that I am a 45 year old Southern mom.  The third reason is that I am just a personal trainer.

However, when you combine all 3 of my concerns, you get 3 very important pieces to a puzzle that is still being assembled.

Shortly after seeing our first hockey game, my youngest son gave up being a baseball catcher and became a hockey goalie. Simply having said son explains concern number 2.  Concern 3 was eased a bit as I train, and have for years at a fantastic fitness center, Body Plex of Newnan, GA and I spent 2010 training with one of TV’s current Biggest Loser trainers.  Concerns 2 and 3 led me to an amazing opportunity which gets me here.

In July of 2011, I was offered a chance to help with off-ice training at Pro Tek Goaltending Camp in Montreal, Canada (www.protekgoaltending.com).  My son was participating in the camp.  My mind was in overdrive trying to figure out how in the world was I going to prove myself around the professionals that I was about to join.  Yet from day 1 of camp, I knew I was just given a gift and realized that THIS is just what I wanted to do.

My first order of business was getting 70 French speaking goalies to say “Bonjour y’all”.  They complied and that became our greeting everyday.  After that, I knew that talking to these goalies and asking them questions was my best way of understanding exactly what their specific training issues are.  As a trainer, I already had an idea of what needed to be strengthened and stretched.  Watching them on the ice and discussing their specific, or lack of, training methods, allowed me to tweak some of what they already do and introduce them to new goalie specific workouts.  I particularly enjoyed working with players at the Junior level.  They were eager to learn and apply the new techniques to their training program.

An obvious point of concern for goalies is the lower back and core.  I was rather shocked to learn that so many do not realize the importance of good core strength.  With so much emphasis placed on legs, goalies may not understand the role of stabilizing muscles in their often sudden, quick bursts of play.  I use medicine balls, BOSU balls, bands, and ropes to help improve balance and engage the core.  If your core routine only consists of sit ups, then you are severely limiting the power and stability that is afforded with solid core strength.  Conditioning the lower back is IMPERATIVE  to a goalies overall performance and injury reduction.  I incorporate all of the equipment listed above when targeting the lower back.

I like to work on different stretching movements for inner thigh.  As you know, groin injuries are prominent with goalies.  They can be reduced or heal faster if inner thigh regions are properly stretched and strengthened.  I like to use certain cable exercises that can help target some of the harder to reach muscle groups that are so easily injured.  There are several variations of lunges that I also prefer to help engage inner thigh muscles.  Each muscle group must be utilized during a session to give a goalie his best defense at warding off the dreaded groin injury.

As I continue to learn this sport, I am in awe of the athleticism that is required.  Even as I watch the youngest on the ice, I appreciate the fact that I could never be even a mediocre hockey player.  To achieve professional level astounds me.  I congratulate you all who have.  As a trainer,  I truly enjoy learning and improving  hockey specific training…especially goalie specific.  I really love talking to coaches and players and understanding their needs.  I must say that I do smile when I, of all people, can show a coach or a player a new move and they realize the value of that move.  I always enjoy exchanging ideas and thoughts with those coaches and players and working together on ways to improve their longevity in this sometimes brutal sport.  Learning from those who actually play, helps me as a trainer to gain more insight into their off-ice needs.

It is my hope that you understand the importance of core conditioning.  A strong core is vital to your performance as a goalie.  Even though I’m just a hockey mom from Mississippi and at first glance, an unlikely source, I am always happy to help any way that I can.  Until then, Bonjour Y’all!

See our Goalies section for all of Cynthia’s drills! * * *

 

Cynthia King – NFPT Certified Personal Trainer/NFPT Certified Advanced Weight Training Specialist

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Make the Most of Half-ice Hockey Practices

I have my good friend, Seth L, to thank for this entry.

As he explained things, he just coached his first hockey game in 2-years.  And, very much in “Coach Chic-ese” fashion — , he said that he was excitedly, “Decompressing now & expanding on my notes from the game.”

Although his team had lost the game, 7-2, he felt his kids had “outchanced” their opponents by about 3 to 1.

What inspired this post, however, was Seth’s seeming frustration with having only a single half sheet of ice for his coming weekly practices.  As he said, “1/2 ice is tough!”

– Dennis Chighisola

Make the Most of Half-ice Hockey Practices

I partly agree with Seth on that one — that half-ice practices can be inhibiting at times.

However, let me share something from a coach who has been fortunate enough to have lots of full-ice practices over 40-years on the job:

Even at times when I owned the entire ice surface, I’m betting that I’ve spent most of the time in a single zone.  In other words, a majority of my time with older teams is spent on segments of our system — like defensive zone coverage, breakouts, forechecking, powerplay plays in the offensive zone, attack plays, etc.

Sure, there are times when a coach wants to run a series of plays from one zone to the next and to the next.  However, that is something I’m going to address a little later down the page.

As soon as I saw Seth’s concern about half-ice practices, I immediately went back to where he mentioned the level he’s working with.  Why?  Well…

I think his Bantams are older enough to mentally re-orient themselves with each change in drilling.  I mean, I think kids that age can understand that we were just working in the defensive zone for our breakouts, but now we’re going to switch around and work on attacking the offensive zone with some plays.

Littler guys, on the other hand, are a whole ‘nother story…  I can imagine that Mites — and maybe even some Squirts/Atoms? — can have some difficulty adjusting to what I just described above.  They may not even understand the terminology yet (as in our being in the “defensive zone”), never mind be able to make the mental shift from one phase of play to another.

Okay, with all that, I do have some ideas that can help with the lack of regular full-ice practice time.  If there’s something a coach needs, it’s a group of coaches around him or her that is receptive to some new ideas.  Most guys and gals will like what I’ll suggest, while I have come across a few (rather lazy ones?) who aren’t looking to accomplish more with their own kids.

Confused by all that?  Well, what I’m getting at is that the coach you share the ice with may not be interested in sharing it in different ways, or he or she may need to agree with doing some non-traditional kind of things.

That said, here are some things I’ve done over the years to overcome the problem with only having a half-sheet of practice ice:

1) Hoping the group before you hasn’t torn-up the ice too badly, consider gaining an extra 10-minutes per practice by not having the ice resurfaced.  This doesn’t immediately help the half-ice situation, but it does typically gain a team about an extra 300-minutes of practice over a long winter (10-minutes x 30-practices), and it also paves the way for the next ploy.

2) Arrange with the coach of the other team that one remain back in the lockerroom for 10-minutes, while the other gets to go out on the ice early for that amount of full-ice practice.  (I always like to be the one who gets the lockerroom chalktalk time first, so that I can prepare the kids in advance for the way we’ll later use the full-ice.)  The two teams switch roles at the end of practice, with one leaving 10-minutes early, and the other staying out on the full sheet.

3)  Although I haven’t done this, I’ve seen other teams split the ice longitudinally, so that units can start an attack from one corner of the ice and finish with an attack on the far net.  Lines or units from the same team stay together and re-form in the corners so that they can continue attacking both nets in waves.  My guess is that with some imagination, the ice could also be split in other ways.

4) If our two teams aren’t too different in abilities, I’ve arranged with another coach to have a brief — say 15-minute long — controlled scrimmage to work on a specific area of team play.  One example might be to have a team attempt to move the puck up-ice, gain the red line for a dump-in, and then try to apply their forecheck.  Sometimes the two coaches want to do different things, but the idea is for one team to sort of dummy for the other for a time, and then for the teams to reverse roles for an equal amount of time.

In closing, I’ll suggest that Seth isn’t going to have as much difficulty as he thinks coaching his (older) team on half-ice.  Still, there will be times when one or more of the above ideas might help his kids work their plays over the full length of the rink.  (The above measures probably aren’t necessary every week, but probably only on occasion.)  Of course, I’m guessing that I’ve just scratched the surface with my ideas, and I’m hoping some members might having even more good ones.

NBC Brings ‘Science of NHL Hockey’ to TVs and Classrooms

I boast often about the quality of our membership.  I mean, we have some really into it guys and gals here who not only take advantage of this site’s content, but they also contribute a great deal to our hockey discussions, and thereby drastically increase CoachChic.com’s value.

One such member is Tim Taylor, for whom I am hugely grateful.

As it pertains to this post, Tim happened to run across something I hadn’t seen yet, he alerted me about this exciting event, and I thought I’d get the word out to all our members as quickly as possible.

So, thanks, Tim!

– Dennis Chighisola

NBC Brings ‘Science of NHL Hockey’ to TVs and Classrooms

Before going any further, here’s a video clip from that series…

Now, here’s a link to the article Tim sent me (which also includes the above video):

NBC Brings ‘Science of NHL Hockey’ to TVs and Classrooms

It appears to me that NBC wants these videos to get a wide distribution, for the sake of science — this because they’ve included an embed code within this first video.

With that, I’d suggest that each of our members share this (and maybe other videos from this series) with their team members.

As for me — and if it’s permissible by law, I’ll try to post more from the series here.

Build a Backyard Hockey Rink

Freezing cold temperatures have been slow to arrive in the Northeaster United States this winter, which should explain the lateness of this post.  If I’d have had my thinking shoes on, however, I’d have probably helped my member friends all the more by giving them some time to plan.  In other words — for reasons I’ll explain later, perhaps the best time to start thinking about a backyard rink is during the summer or early fall.

Yet another reason I’m posting this right now is because my good friend Christopher has been working on his own backyard rink, and — running into a bit of difficulty with that — he just wrote me seeking some help.

Actually, I’m a bit embarrassed that I don’t have a quick answer to Christopher’s question, despite having long ago built a dozen or so rinks for my son and grandson.  So, I’m thinking that this post might prove a great way for all of us to share ideas or experiences on this subject.

– Dennis Chighisola

Build a Backyard Hockey Rink

This project caused me to scurry through YouTube.com to see what others had done so far in this area.  To be honest, almost all the various videos on backyard rinks are nearly the same, with most of them only varying in extras — like lights, high boards, doors in the boards, etc.

I finally settled on the following video, mainly because it’s a really basic set up, and because it gives a pretty good view of everything.  So, please have a look before we go further on the subject.  (Don’t panic that you don’t hear a soundtrack; there is none for this video.)

Having built a number of these, I can tell you that finding a truly level area is critical to preparing for a backyard rink.  And, that’s part of the reason I suggest planning things earlier in the year, when the ground is still soft and workable.  Truly, spending some time in the warm weather leveling the planned area for your rink might be the best thing you ever do.

I also suggest erecting the boards section of the rink while the ground is still relatively soft, so that some stakes can be driven into the ground to hold the boards in place.

I highly recommend thinking about disassembling the rink as you plan its assembly.  I mean, large screws and metal brackets can make things a whole lot easier to take the boards apart at season’s end, rather than using large nails or spikes.

I might also offer the idea of buying the plastic liner beforehand, just so that you can design the rink’s measurements accordingly.   (There’s nothing worse than discovering you have to piece together several sections of plastic in order to get coverage, knowing full well that there’s a strong chance the thing is going to leak with each thaw.)

*

As an aside here, you know I’m all about teaching, or development.  So, let me share a philosophy I’ve held for a good many years…

The kind of discipline I provide in my clinics and practices is essential to players acquiring all the skills and smarts necessary to play at a high level.  Hey, there are proper ways to move on the ice, puckhandle, pass, receive, shoot, check, deal with critical situations, what have you.

Beyond that, however, I’ve always said that the mark of a “real player” is based on what he or she does in his or her spare time.  In other words, gain discipline from proper instruction, but then go freelance as much as possible to truly separate yourself from the pack.

In-lines can help us do that during the warm months, as can dryland training and even floorball.  However, I think the backyard rink is an awesome place for a youngster to really experiment — or hotdog a bit — during the hockey season.

*

Okay, from here onward, let’s consider this YOUR post, or a place where anyone can share ideas, ask questions, etc.  I’m even going to leave this available to the public, just so we can gain even more input.

Christopher will actually kick things off, since I’ll post his current problem first.  Hopefully, we can find some help for him and many future rink builders to follow.

*

The singer of this song actually stopped by here to suggest that I share his video with other backyard rink enthusiasts.  So, enjoy (and, thanks, Geoff)…

 

Out of the Mouths of Babes

In most instances, we use that expression — “out of the mouths of babes”– in reference to young kids saying the darnedest things.  In this case, however, the enclosed video was sent me by an adult lady friend I’ve met through Facebook.  Much like we’d envision young kids, however, my friend is purely a casual hockey fan, but, as you’ll discover, a pretty insightful one.

With that, she’s going to help me reinforce a couple of principles I’ve stated over and over again within these pages.

– Dennis Chighisola

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Our Facebook dialogue began with my friend asking me if I’d seen the penaltyshot goal scored by a member of her favorite team, the Montreal Canadiens.  No, I hadn’t caught Lars Eller’s sensational move, but CoachChic.com members have to know that I’m always dying to see any kind of new and exciting offensive play.

Once you watch this video, we’re going to discuss it on two levels — one from a quick philosophical perspective, and the other from a fairly close look at what really went into Eller’s play working.  (Oh, as my lady friend said, “Look at this shot… amazing !!!!”)

Okay, so here’s where that “out of the mouths of babes” thing comes into play.  For, my friend followed the sending of that video with the observation that, “…that is exactly what the HABS need… there’s not enough of twist like that with the hockey stick.”  Ya, her terminology isn’t quite the same as we’d use to describe the move — or the difference in Eller’s approach to many other players.  But, at the same time, I think you’re sensing exactly what she was trying to say.

‘Tis the Time to Think About Tryouts

Perhaps members recall me getting into and having a little fun with a new video program that allows me to use a couple of robots to get my messages across to YouTube.com and social media friends.

So, at the risk of boring (or maybe slightly amusing) you, I’ve included a recent one down below as sort of a backdrop to a very important topic.

Hopefully, within a few minutes, you’ll discover why.

– Dennis Chighisola

‘Tis the Time to Think About Tryouts

Okay, as I hinted at above, there’s a method to my madness in creating those robot featuring videos for other areas on the Internet.  In the case of the following one, it was produced to: 1) get folks thinking about tryouts far ahead of when most others will, and to 2) let them know about my soon to be leased Skater’s Rhythm-bar.

As a member, you don’t have to worry about the latter, because I’ll be sure to keep you abreast of any such developments.

However, it’s the former — or all that stuff having to do with tryout prep — that I feel the need to expand upon for your sake.  In a way, I think my short video will raise as many questions as it will provide answers.  So, my aim here is to do my very best at explaining everything for you.

That said, let’s have a look at that video first…

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If you know me at all by now, you know I hate the idea of spring tryouts.  Still, I can’t change the (hockey) world, so instead I have to go with the flow and do what’s best for my players.

And, if you do know me, you’ve come to realize that I like to take a long range view on absolutely everything.  I mean, something as important as a tryout isn’t to be taken lightly — heck, a player is going to live or die for an entire season based on the team he or she ultimately makes.  So, I’ve always taken tryouts seriously — for my students’ and players’ sake, and well as for the benefit of my own son or grandson.

As an aside…  I think it absolutely absurd that some local rinks or organizations will advertise a week-long program to be held just days before, these aimed at getting players ready for tryouts.  Geeeeeeeze…  A player is hardly going to be changed much at that point, and I’ll even suggest that more harm can be done than good if players are pushed to their limits and enter their tryouts either bumped, bruised or tired.

And that brings me to the importance of taking the long-range approach instead.  With still months to go, some positive changes can be accomplished.  And so can players even be given a few days off prior to tryouts so that they enter the fray feeling fresh, both mentally and physically.

Now, in that video, it’s said that individual skills are the most noticeable in a tryout atmosphere.  And, think along with me on that one if you will…

If we’re talking about young players, coaches tend to use a lot of skill drills to get a good look at the kids, one by one.  If the coaches go to scrimmaging, there’s little doubt the the best skaters, puckhandlers and shooters will stand out.  Then, if it’s a “small game” — like 3 against 3, a shifty and nifty player is most likely going to really stick out.

When we’re talking about tryouts for older players, most coaches resort to lots of scrimmaging.  And, once again, it’s the great skater, stickhandler, passer, receiver, thumper and scorer who is going to attract the most attention.

Of course, you’re probably wondering about when a player’s smart positional play is going to stick out, and I’m going to suggest that it’s hard for a coach to recognize much of that during a scrimmage atmosphere.  Oh, sure, a coach might spot a little of that, but I can tell you from all my years of experience, that it’s the flashy player who catches the coach’s eye first, and probably makes a lasting impression.

Okay, so what about that stuff I mentioned in reference to the Skater’s Rhythm-bar?  Well, it really is so — that coaches notice the player who cruises nicely around the ice.  He or she can’t help it, really.  There’s just something impressive about the smooth, powerful, seemingly energy efficient skater, because it suggests to a coach that a player has practically lived on the ice, and that all the hockey movements likely come naturally to him or her.

Finally, I’m not saying that any of the above is right or fair.  All I am saying is that it is the way it is.  Coaches don’t get the chance to necessarily know what a player is truly like.  And it’s probable that a coach will only discover if a kid is smart (or dumb as a rock) once the selected players begin working within a team practice setting and then in games.  Until that time, all the coach can go on is how the player “looks” in the tryout setting, or how he or she looks relative to all the other players.

Knowing When Your Hockey Players “Get it”

Talk about a satisfying feeling.   But then, I know this is going to take some explaining.

– Dennis Chighisola

Knowing When Your Hockey Players “Get it”

My AAA Bantam team had about 3-weeks off from games over the recent Christmas through New Years break.  Still, we had our two practices per week, these giving us a chance to polish our act a little in preparation for the rest of our season.

As for the theme of this article, I noticed some things over recent practices that were kinda making me smile a bit.  In actuality, though, these didn’t come at times when my guys were executing perfectly; to the contrary, they happened at times when some of our attack plays went slightly awry.

Okay, so as practice wound down tonight, I decided it was time to tell my kids exactly what I’d been seeing, and to even let them know how pleased I was with them.

First, though, a little background to all this…

Personally, I can’t imagine why this hadn’t hit me a lot of years ago.  However, I think it was about three summers back, when I was working with my NEHI High School Prep team when the idea of my guys “getting it” really struck me.

The squad had a lot of returnees, but we also had a handful of skaters who needed to be indoctrinated in The Old Coach’s way of doing things.  And, in particular, the new guys had to gain an idea of what I saw as good passes and good pass receptions.

And, oh, did I beat it into them, hardly ever letting up, and forever reminding them to make firm, flat passes right on their mates’ sticks, or to find a way to handle any pass that came even close to their own sticks.

The interesting part came late in our training camp when I noticed one new player muttering to himself a few times during a drill, and then sorta banging his stick on the ice in frustration a few other times.  Hmmmmm…

Starting to get a handle on what I was seeing, I whispered to a nearby assistant that the new guy was finally “getting it”.  I mean, he now knew the difference between a good pass and a not so good one, and he was getting a little upset with himself when he made a teammate work a little harder than he should.

Well, almost the same scenario played out tonight.  I mean, I was seeing the same thing happening as my current team went through a series of attacking drills, and I also snuck over to whisper to a current assistant about my belief that this group of kids was finally “getting it”.

Actually, I couldn’t resist going into our lockerroom after practice and telling my kids how pleased I was with them.  And, as I started to tell the story about my old HS Prep guys showing displeasure with themselves in some passing drills, one of my youngest current players said something to the effect that, “That was me, Coach, huh?”

Ya, he was one of the more noticeable ones out there.  And, while I told him I wasn’t thrilled at him banging his stick, I wanted him to know how happy I was that he did finally “get it”.

Okay, so why do I make such a big deal out of this seemingly small turn of events?

Really, that’s because I think it IS a pretty big deal when our players suddenly do “get it” — and I’m talking about any part of their game we deem important to their overall development.

I’m also encouraging other coaching to stick to their guns when it comes to proper execution, or when it comes to playing principles you feel important.

Then, here’s what I consider the biggie, as far as I’m concerned…  For, once a player truly does “get it”, I’m going to suggest that it sticks with him or her for the rest of his or her playing days.

Would you believe that a Facebook Fan Page existed in honor of This Old Coach several years before I even joined that popular social media site?  It’s the truth.  As I discovered, a bunch of my former hockey students and players who by that time had reached their mid- to late-20′s created a page entitled something like, “Coach Chic says to do everything both ways!”    The history behind this is that I have forever harped on my players to discipline themselves, and to make sure they can cut left and right, stop to each side, and perform just about any skill in all the ways possible.  Did my constant reminders to do everything both ways make an impression on my players?  I’m guessing that’s so, and I’m guessing it’s in the backs of their minds today as a lot of them play in adult leagues or pick-up hours.

That “do everything both ways” principle can actually cause me to laugh in the middle of my Learn-to-play clinics and in the ADM program I work in.  Ya, by the midpoint in a season, those 6- and 7-year old little rascals will often stop me before I can get those words out of my mouth — I mean, they’ll all chime in and yell, “Coach, you have to do it both ways!” 

On a more personal level, my son has played about a dozen years of minor pro hockey, and I can hear some of my old, long ago harped upon principles emerge in conversations we have today.  And so can I see the occasional shake of my college hockey playing grandson’s head if failed to do something like put a pass exactly where he’d intended.

So again, I’m suggesting that we all — coaches and hockey parents — stick to our guns, keep hammering at those principles we feel important, and never fear sounding like a broken record, because that’s the only way our players will someday really “get it”.

Skating for Ice Hockey

This pretty good question arrived about a week ago.  But, like a lot of other ones that require a great deal of thought, I’ve just sat and stared at it for days on end.

Truly, this topic might deserve a tome-sized answer some day down the road.  For now, however, let me deal as best I can with a very insightful guy’s question in this relatively short post.

– Dennis Chighisola

Skating for Ice Hockey

Ron actually included a lot of questions within a larger one, so I think it best for me to at least try to answer each one at a time…

“I’m curious what your opinion is about all the hockey skating instruction on the market today. I’ve watched quite a few of the DVDs and videos on the market…including yours.  You have a very simplified approach to hockey skating and as you said the rules of the game and the dimensions of the rink make hockey skating different from figure and speed skating. A lot of the other hockey skating instructors have different opinions on knee bend, arm swing, how to start, and so on.”

In all honesty, I don’t like bashing other skating instructors.  At the same time, I can’t go without suggesting that most of those who run clinics or sell DVDs and videos have very little training in the sciences surrounding our game.   In some instances, former figure skaters have done okay with a portion of what they teach, but they’re often missing the scientific background, and a knowledge of what I refer to as “the nature of our game” — or the challenges our players really face in the heat of battle.  Of course, some have great marketing talents that get their opinions seen more than the PhDs who really know their stuff, with a lot of their methods getting so much exposure that they’re taken as gospel, whether there is any true basis to their claims or not.  Then, for sure, there are those who climb down off telephone poles or slide out from automotive lube jobs to conduct so-called powerskating clinics at your local rink.  Ugh.  This doesn’t mean that a lot of guys and gals don’t do some good things; but it might mean that they can’t be taken too seriously when a debate arises involving skating mechanics, etc.

Al that said, one just can’t believe the naked eye — beyond a point.  Instead, we have to trust what has been discovered in the lab by very qualified biomechanical (and other) specialists.

But does all this matter if you score tons of goals and win every race to the puck. I mean I watched this one russian’s hockey skating DVD and his theories on skating were much different then the other hockey skating instructors but man he was an awesome skater.

  Oh, boy, does Ron have a good one there!  Actually, I try to make it a very big point in my video about skating analysis, that a beautiful stride doesn’t mean a player can play the game.

If you can appreciate it, the nice stride is about having balance within the body, and thusly expending a lot less energy and covering quite a bit more ice than one who is rather out of sync.  In contrast, an effective hockey player performs his or her duties in short, all-out bursts that are quite often out of balance.  In other words, a player is quite often doing things like tussling along the boards with an opponent, dashing only a matter of a few steps for a loose puck, teetering off balanced and batting in a rebound.

As for that Russian skating instructor, I think I know the guy, and believe he and I have even spoken on hockey matters separate from skating technique.  As Ron says, though, that guy surely can skate.  Does that mean the guy can be a productive player?  Absolutely not.  Would his kind of skills help him be even better if he could play the game?  Absolutely!

So again, skating skills — and especially proper skating mechanics — don’t necessarily mean someone can play the game.

Also, what do you think of the term “power skating” or should that term be phased out.

Once again, …  My very first “clinic” was dubbed “powerskating”, only because several before me had used that term.  We’re talking nearly 40-years ago, now.  It wasn’t too much later, however, that I realized two things:

1) that wasn’t what I did at all — teach only skating, I mean.  No, I mixed in almost an equal amount of puckhandling, and then I started to add the basics of passing, receiving and shooting.  Then, even later, I incorporated a little bit of body-checking into the mix;

2) to use the word “power” in there is to suggest that that quality is more important than any others when it comes to effective hockey skating.

In summary, I believe there are a few things to consider when it comes to skating for hockey…  First and foremost, we should rely on the many scientific studies that have been done on this movement (or trust me to do that for you).  Next, consider how hockey skating differs from other sports, and what it’s really like for a player to deal with all the challenges within our game.  Then, realize that — while skating is extremely important to hockey, it’s far from the only skill or quality that goes into the making of a solid hockey player.  Lastly, while I may have expressed some negative feelings toward some so-called skating experts, I do believe that most of them do a great deal of good.  Where they may overstep their bounds is in trusting too much their own observations over what’s known by true scientists.

The Need for a Hockey Coach to Think on His Skates ;)

Okay, that title wasn’t meant to make me sound like a genius.  (Actually, I had to choose something like that to help this subject reach the search engines.)

Really, though, I wanted to share a couple of thoughts with readers, these having to do with a few things that crossed my mind during a recent 3 on 3 league I work with.

– Dennis Chighisola

The Need for a Hockey Coach to Think on His Skates

The number of young (mainly 5- to 7-year old) skaters who frequent our current 3 on 3 cross-ice program dictates that we have two games going at the same time.  Actually, so does the difference in the various ages and skill levels require us to split the kids.

No matter the number of skaters, though, we seldom have enough young goaltenders to man four nets.  So, we usually resort to filling one or two vacant goaler spots with a few old automobile tires.

Such was the case recently, when the group I was overseeing needed a pair of tires in one net while a goaltender did man the other goal.

Perhaps you can imagine the problem already, with kids having an advantage in shooting on the small tires.  That started happening right from the beginning, with some goals being scored from far, far down the ice.  Oh, what to do?

Trying to think of a way to level the playing field, I noticed that a blue line crossed in front of the somewhat empty net, maybe almost 2′ out.  And, after thinking for a moment, I decided to introduce a new rule to our game…

I stopped action at the next buzzer, and announced to the kids that, “In order for a goal to count, the puck must be carried across that blue line.”  Insert some groaning by a couple of little snipers.    (Just so you know, I always have teams switch ends halfway through each game.  So, the other team would ultimately be faced with a similar challenge.)

Now, our game happens to call for great skills, game playing knowledge, as well as the ability to solve problems.  And as players mature, they’re also challenged to keep various things in their heads as they skate — like the game-time, the score, the latest strategies that their coach wants employed, etc.   So, my impromptu rule was going to help these little guys get a head start on learning to skate and think at the same time.

Oh, trust me, that a number of kids forgot themselves, and they were shocked when I announced, “No goal!”  Little by little, however, they all ultimately got the hang of it.

It wasn’t until the game was winding down that something else struck me…

I’ve mentioned elsewhere in these pages that even elite level players can have so-called “brain freezes”.  And in this regard I’m thinking about the times I’ve seen my high school or college players take icing calls on attempted dump-ins, when just another step or so would have brought them across the red line and made the dump legal.

What I’m getting at is a certain “ice awareness”, or the ability to know where one is on the ice.  Totally by accident, really, I’d instituted a challenge into our 3 on 3 game that forced the kids to not only think, but they had to also be overly aware of where they were and where they had to shoot from in order to have a goal count.

Lastly, if you’ve come to know me at all, you probably know that these little revelations aren’t going to end with that one game.  Naw, I see that one teaching moment being just the first of many I’m going to want to try in future 3 on 3 games.

 

 

Quickening A Big Hockey Player’s Feet

I don’t know where or when it began, but quite a few years ago I started to realize that I can do a lot for bigger guys.

Among the players I believe I influenced quite bit were current and former hockey players, several who ultimately steered towards big-time college lacrosse, and even one humongous guy who got a shot as an NFL lineman.  (Among the lacrosse players, a few of them or their dads actually told me that all the off-ice work I’d done with them was the difference in them making it.)

Little wonder I kinda smile when a parent brings a big, hulking kid to me for some quickening.  And, little wonder I shook my head when Rik C recently wrote me for help with his pretty big son.

– Dennis Chighisola

Quickening A Big Hockey Player’s Feet

Let’s begin with some of Rik’s message to me, received through our Ask The Coach option up at the top of this page:

I’ve got an 18 year old that is 6’4 220. He is playing Tier 3 Jr.’s in the US. He has great hands is a 3/4 point per game player but the area of his game where he needs work is his skating…he is too upright and he doesn’t have explosive ability. Once he gets going he is fast and eats ice…as long as he keeps moving his feet. I’m hearing he should be on the Skate Speed ramp for 10 to 12 ups per session and on slide boards for about 5 reps to complete a session. My question is do you believe this will help? And how long does it take for muscle memory to take over?

Well, can my CoachChic.com friends appreciate why I shook my head and smiled as I scanned Rik’s question?  Oh, I’d like it all the more if the family lived close to me, so I could make an in-person evaluation and even work with Rik’s son.  However, he did an awesome job of describing the boy, and I can just see similarities in past students of mine as I read each part of that description.

With that, let me consider Rik’s real question — at the end…

I found it interesting that he described exact routines for a speed ramp device and for the use of a slideboard.  The problem I see with each of those types of training, however, is that they both tend to help in an area that doesn’t seem to need all that much improvement.  (After all, Rik does say that his son “… is fast and eats ice…” once he gets going.)  Oh, I’m not saying that a player wouldn’t benefit from using either of those contraptions.  Still, to do so right now seems to be wasting time that could be better spent doing some other things.

What I’m really hearing from Rik — and what I’ve discovered in dealing with numerous other big-bodied players — is a need to “get going” quicker.

Just as an aside here, I feel the need to introduce the distinction I make between being “fast” or “quick”…  For, to me, speed — or being fast — is usually measured over a relatively long distance, perhaps like a race down the ice.  On the other hand, I see quickness as being cat-like or agile, and being able to react in the blink of an eye within a few steps in either of four directions.

As yet another aside…  I’ve found it interesting that over many years, most bigger or taller players do tend to skate rather upright.  I haven’t a clue why this is.  I will, though, try to make one suggestion below.

All that said, here’s what I would recommend for Rik’s son, as well as any other bigger players.  Perhaps not so surprising, all of these recommendations are described in some detail within the CoachChic.com site…

1)  Some sport psychologists have already agreed with my belief that there is a mental component to quickness.  In other words, it helps greatly if an athlete first “thinks quickness”.  With that, I like to have a player stand relaxed and with feet spread a bit, and then attempt to move the feet up and down as quickly as possible for about 8-seconds.  The player should hardly bring the feet off the floor or ice.  Sensing how that felt, I’ll ask him or her to see if he or she can do it again and feel the feet moving even faster.  I’ll also often introduce the thought of running on a flaming hot surface (like a hot pavement), whereby it would hurt to leave the foot down very long.  Said another way, I’d almost like to hear the feet tap lightly like a very fast drum roll.

2) Work on an agility ladder is exactly what this kind of player needs.  Not only does it help enhance the above described quick feet, but it also helps quicken changes in direction (and quick take-offs).

3) Over time, rope skipping can be one of the best ways to improve footwork or foot quickness.  (Just envision the way pro boxers ultimately move their feet while skipping.)

4) At 18-years old, Rik’s son should already be doing some plyometrics.  The very idea of this form of training is to enhance explosiveness.

5) I usually resort to WallSits (sitting against a wall for about 20-seconds as if sitting in a chair), as well as some skating in an exaggerated sitting posture.  A slideboard could also help here, if the player concentrates on that aspect of his or her posture.

As I’ve previously stated, there’s nothing wrong with the recommendations others may have made.  If there’s a problem with those, the ramp device and slideboard would probably only help enhance areas Rik’s boy is already fairly good at.  The ideas I’ve provided about should instead help with take-offs, and they should especially help his son to win many of the more consequential battles that take place in our game, these including quick, agile movements.

As for a timeline, I dare not guess.  All I might suggest is that improvement is going to come from the above prescribed methods.  And, I’ll offer, ’tis better later than never.

Hoping that helps, Rik, I also hope you’ll get back to me once you’ve had the chance to drink this all in.

PS:  All the exercises I’ve described above are covered in much greater detail within this website.

 

 

 

Should Facemasks Be Made Mandatory in the NHL?

This one falls in kind of a gray area, mainly because it doesn’t really have anything to do with teaching the game.  However, since it comes from a long-time CoachChic.com friend, I’ve made an exception and included it here.

Also, this isn’t the kind of topic I dwell much on.  So, since my grandson is nearly done his undergrad march towards someday working in a pro hockey front office, I’ve asked his input.

– Dennis Chighisola

Should Facemasks Be Made Mandatory in the NHL?

Good friend, Jerry Z, begins with his question, “Do you think there will ever be a change to wearing mandatory facemasks for players in the NHL?”

Offered as ammunition, Jerry continues, “After seeing Chris Pronger, Dan Paille, Nathan Gerbe and countless others go down with severe facial injuries, I think the game has gotten too fast and too dangerous.”

Jerry continues, “When you talk about the NFL, no one even questions the need for facemasks. With hockey, you have a much faster game, with the additional great risks of the composite sticks, quicker booming shots, ricocheting pucks, big bodies zooming in an enclosed area, and flashing skates. It seems like a new era, kind of like when goalies switched to wearing masks with the advent of the curved stick.”

Thoughts from Tony Chic

No flies on my young buddy, he begins by saying, “No they (the NHL) never will change.”  Anthony does, however, sense that, “… they could mandate shields.”

As he explains, “It’s just how the game is.  People know that it is a risk and are willing to take it.  It also polices the game, because when looking at it, when people don’t wear facemasks, they need to be more responsible for their sticks.  So they end up playing the game with less reckless abandonment.  That’s why junior players when transitioning to the NHL have less problems than college players.  The college players have a tendency to stick people by mistake.”

Thoughts from Dennis Chighisola

Now you might know why I dared call in my young buddy, Tony C. 

For sure, I think he’s right on all that stuff — especially the part about the absence of facial protection somewhat helping to police the flailing of sticks all over the place.  (Want to see some false bravado and a bit of madness, just catch a game where everyone is clad as if their grandmothers dressed them.)

I have yet another thought, though…  For, to make a rule change such as Jerry proposes, I’m guessing that both the NHL Office and the players’ union would have to back it.

It took a very long time for helmets to be mandated.  And a big part of the resistance to that was the thought that fans would somewhat lose their connection with the individual players.  I mean, there was nothing like seeing a speedy Guy Lafleur streaking down the wing with his blond mane blowing in the wind.  Helmets now at least partially block us fans from seeing what a player really looks like, but just imagine what covering his face might do.  Oh, I know there’s the football analogy, Jerry, but I still sense an awful lot of NHL execs want the fans to see what a Crosby or Ovechkin really looks like.

As for the players, I suspect they want a choice.  For sure, more and more players who grow up wearing a mask will want to continue doing so.  (Anthony’s mention of the college kids brings this to mind.  However, during his college off-seasons playing in a summer pro/am league, Tony C chooses to ditch his mask, probably in order to be accepted by his pro teammates and opponents.)

I’ve heard it said that some young pros want to wear the mask, but they’re a bit reluctant.  So they’ll wait to get one facial ding, and then they’ll use that as an excuse to keep wearing protection after the injury goes away.

I know of some pros who see the mask as dangerous in its own right, just because it creates some blind spots.

I’m also wondering if there are some players who see their earning power connected to the point I made earlier — in that fans will know them better if they’re easier seen.

Lastly, I will have to go along with Anthony Chighisola in his belief that half-shields might someday be mandated.  A great many stars are now wearing them, and it seems we can see their faces quite well.

*

Oh, boy…  My guess is that this subject might bring a host of varying opinions.
So, we invited others to let ‘er rip in the Comments box below.

Fair Ice-time in Youth Hockey

This post is actually a follow-up to an article entitled, “3 Principles Atom Minor Hockey Coaches Should Follow“, and its in direct response to a question asked under that piece.  (I highly recommend that every member read that, and even send it to your favorite coach or organization head.)

For, Phil writes to me about his past experiences in coaching the game, and then he raises something based on his recent observations.  For sure, his question is a tricky one, and it’s caused me to take several days to really think about how to answer.

So, with that, here’s my best attempt (please accept my apologies in advance for jumping around a bit with all sorts of random thoughts on the subject)…

– Dennis Chighisola

Fair Ice-time in Youth Hockey

Phil prefaced things in his Comment, noting that he’d had some success in Canadian youth hockey circles, and that he and others “… have always attempted to roll three lines the best that we could.”

Noting the touchiest of things when it comes to this issue, he adds, “Obviously there are dissatisfied parents when it comes to ice time.”  (Oooooooooh, ya!)

Then, coming to the point, Phil ends with, “This year the coaches are using their top players a lot more than the rest of the team, with certain kids getting only one shift in a period.  My question is, at what age does it become about winning at all costs and development of still young players?”

Ugh.

Now, I’m betting that most readers are going to be surprised that I actually have mixed emotions about this.

On the one hand, I believe that fair ice-time is pretty much a must through at least the Squirt/Atom years.  And if I had my druthers, that would continue right on through Bantams and maybe even Midgets.  So, some random thoughts…

Of course, parents will argue that everyone is paying the same tuition, so ice-time should be distributed in equal fashion.

I also firmly believe that a commitment to equal ice-time — as in Phil’s concept of rolling three lines — forces a coach to be a better teacher — to all of his or her players.  In other words, the coach is going to want to ensure that there are few weak links in those three units, which usually causes him or her to work extra hard to raise the skill levels of the lesser players.

Very much connected to the above concept is the idea of distributing the talent evenly over three lines.  For, in so doing, a coach is less likely to favor one unit over another.  (I do this all the time, and rarely care which line or defense pairing is going over the boards next.)

On the other side of the ledger is a coach’s attempt to win some games.  Ya, I don’t care who the coach happens to be; there is always the inner sense that folks will think you’re a jerk because you can’t help your kids get some W’s.  And, yet more random thoughts…

I think it’s important here to suggest that every organization has it’s own aims, and these might be tapered to its different age and competitive levels.  I know this can also vary within different countries or within different hockey regions, too.  (Some of the Canadian programs I coached against through the years were super-competitive, while most of the “town programs” I see in US-based youth hockey tend to put fun and learning far ahead of anything else.)

On the latter, however…  I don’t care what some (or most) organizational mission statements say, coaches can oftentimes feel as though they’re being judged on how successful their teams are.  So, given the possibility of either winning or losing a given game, just venture a guess as to what’s going to motivate most of their line-up decisions.

Personally, I feel the organization I currently work a lot with wants me to develop players.  At the same time, I know that there’s a great deal of league-wide competitiveness (like, between organizations, and even between owners).  Moreover, because organizations actually compete for players during each off-season, it just makes sense that highly motivated players (or their parents) are likely to seek certain coaches, levels or organizations with winning traditions.

Next, I’m going to introduce something that I doubt many folks have ever considered.  For, from all the observations I’ve made over about 40-years on my side of a clipboard, I’m going to suggest that a lot of youth hockey rosters are too large for the levels they’re expected to compete at.  In other words, an organization deems that a roster should include so many skaters and so many goalies, solely based on an imaginary ideal roster size, or the number of players needed to finance a given team.  And, I’ll suggest, this is where the trouble starts.  I mean, a team might be able to  find 12-skaters who can compete at a given level, but program guidelines dictate that another 3-skaters be added.  And, it’s usually those few less-than-up-to-par kids a coach fears putting out when a game is on the line.  Make sense?

Yet a few random thoughts having to do with the way this old coach tends to deal with fair ice-time, regardless of the players’ ages or competitive levels…

There ARE times when I feel the need to get a point across.

I’ll bet you’ve all seen the little guy (or gal) who acts like they’ve been shot whenever they’re involved in a collision.  You know what I mean:  they stay down on the ice (sometimes with a smile on their faces?), maybe waiting to have everyone cheer when they’re finally deemed okay.  Anyway, a young one only has to pull that once or twice with me before I do him a huge favor.  Ya, I’ll tell him I’m really worried about him, and that I think it best that he sit for awhile.  It can seem like a lifetime to a little guy, but I don’t usually let the sitting last long.  What I will often wait for, however, is for that youngster to squirm a bit, and tell me a few times that he’s really okay.  Again, I feel I’ve done him a favor for the long-run.

As a preface to the next one (and maybe even the previous one?), this short story…  A farmer decides to call in an animal psychologist to work with his very stubborn mule.  Upon arriving and grabbing the mule by his reins, the doc proceeds to drill the mule right between the eyes with a heavy hunk of wood.  The farmer is aghast as the mule buckles and drops to the ground.  With that, the psychologist explains, “First, I have to get his attention!” 

With older kids, it takes something quite different for me to resort to a benching.  One example might be if a young guy has a history of taking selfish penalties, and then pulls the same thing again.  A lot like the noted psychologist, I’ll occasionally feel the need to get that player’s attention.  So I’ll likely growl, and tell the player to take a spot far down the bench, adding that, “I’ll give you a call when your teammates feel the need to kill another stupid penalty!”  Still, much like I do with younger kids, I’ll ultimately let an older guy off the hook.  If there’s a difference in the way I handle the two extremes, I must admit that I’ll ask the older kid for a guarantee that we understand each other well before I’ll let him back on the ice.

Only at the older levels — maybe from strong Pee Wees on up, I’ll have a powerplay unit to use in man advantage situations.  This acts as a bit of an incentive, not always using the best players, but perhaps those who show most often for practices, or those who demonstrate an ability to follow simple directions.

Then, like Phil, I like to keep rolling all my units through most of a game.  Still, there are a couple of times when I might ever so briefly get away from that…  In a close contest, for example, I might gather my best players to go over the boards for the last minute or so of a period, and/or late in a game.  Again, all of my players will usually get tons of ice-time, but I reserve the right to play those I deem most trustworthy for just a few extra minutes or so.  I’ll also often use this as an incentive, employing a number of kids who have to that point played above and beyond.

Oh, and I guess I ought to close by saying that I perceive myself as a teacher first.  That posture makes a lot of what I suggest above more do-able for me than what a so-called “door opener” might accomplish.  I’m also a long-range planner, and that’s why I’ll use certain “benchings” to gradually bring all of my players onto the same page.

Lastly, that thing Phil mentioned about parents is real enough.  Hey, they DO pay the freight, and they DO deserve every consideration within reason.  And that’s why I’ll suggest that communication is a key to dealing with the ice-time issue.  I don’t think I’ve ever had a complaint about owning the last few minutes of a period or a game; most parents probably see how fair I am the rest of the time.  In some instances, parents are annoyed by the same things that bother a coach (like Little Johnny writhing in fake pain after a fall), and I’ve found them to be tickled pink when I whisper to them that I have a way to solve a problem.  As often, of course, parents aren’t as aware of a player’s shortcomings, or what he or she might need to do to contribute more to the team.  So again, communication is the key.

*

Okay, a topic like this is bound to stir some controversy.  It surely is a tricky one.
So, fire away (only figuratively).  Oh, and if you really disagree with me,
just remember that my little buddy Raggs sniffs all my incoming mail!

 

 

About the Skater’s Rhythm-bar

Oh, man, I hope my friends don’t hurt themselves laughing at what I’ve entered down below.  But, here’s a little history to all of this…

A few weeks ago, someone turned me on to an interesting program provided over on YouTube.com.  That program gives anyone the chance to create cartoon videos from a host of characters.  I settled on a pair of robots, and a Facebook friend ultimately named them SlapShot and HatTrick. 

Hoping not to waste my efforts, I thought to use that format to at least share some worthwhile information — first letting folks know how to pronounce my name and nickname (Introducing Dennis Chighisola), and later how the unique spelling of my nickname came about (SlapShot & HatTrick Explain Dennis Chighisola’s Nickname).  I must admit that my earliest works weren’t all that polished (the program is kinda tricky to use).  Oh, I have gotten better at producing the videos, although they’re still probably as stupid today.  (I’ve joked to one Facebook friend that the red robot is my alter-ego!)

As you might gather, however, my eventual thinking was that I could have some fun, perhaps give some social media friends cause to laugh, and also get a little advertising crammed in between the lines.  So, maybe you’ll at least see a little of each within the following video…

– Dennis Chighisola

About the Skater’s Rhythm-bar

My (again, stupid) cartoons somewhat explained, I just posted a new one to My YouTube Channel last night and to Facebook this morning.

At first, I thought to apologize for promoting one of my products within these pages.  However, I then thought it might be just as unfair if I DIDN’T let you know about this…

Over the years, many members have actually written me and asked about the Skater’s Rhythm-bar.  I think that stemmed from my occasional mention of it, or my once in a while showing it in a video.

With that, I am practically going to give this closely held secret away (and I’m serious about the almost giving it away part).  You’ll have plenty of time to consider things, though, as well as learn a lot about skating and my problem solving methods along the way.

All you need to do to be notified of it’s release is to “Like” this page (using the “Like” button up at the top)…  Perfecting the Hockey Skating Stride.

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A Cool Video Gadget for Hockey Coaches & Parents

I feel it at least a small part of my duties here to keep members apprized of new gadgets that may help them, or may ease their learning or teaching experiences.  So, I was psyched that I received an email this morning showing something that should do just that for you.

Actually, this isn’t exactly about a gadget, but instead an app aimed at transforming your iPhone or iPod Touch into what the TechSmith company calls “the ultimate coaching tool”.

– Dennis Chighisola

PS:  I am not affiliated with this product or the maker in any way.  I just figure it’s a neat idea and something my friends here might like to know about.

A Cool Video Gadget for Hockey Coaches & Parents

Here’s some a wording borrowed from this morning’s email…

Coach’s Eye is a coaching app that will transform your iPhone or iPod Touch into the ultimate coaching tool!

Slumps, bad habits and poor technique can be recorded with Coach’s Eye to point out problems, and review as needed.  It’s like having your own, personal coach who never misses a thing.

Sign up to find out when Coach’s Eye is available and you could win a t-shirt cannon for your team, organization, or school.  Then share out the unique URL you get after you sign up to increase your odds – you’ll get an extra entry for each person that signs up using your link!

With that, I’ll share the video showing the Coach’s Eye, just so you don’t have to chase to find it…

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Just so you know, I won’t likely be getting one of those apps, mainly because I love my Flip and other similar cameras, and I’ve become so familiar with using those that I can practically work with them in my sleep (there is something to that “old dog” story, ya know — ).

Oooooh…  Should any member know more about this app, or should anyone get to try it, I think the rest of us would really like to know your feelings or experiences.

Transitioning from In-line Hockey to Ice Hockey

I say it often enough, that I love my work in hockey, especially because of the great people it allows me to meet.  Then, since the day I set foot (or fingers) onto Twitter, I’ve said pretty much the same thing:  that I’ve met some remarkable people through social media.

Carole Lockwood Taylor, of Tyler, Texas, is such a find for me, a really nice lady I happened to meet through Facebook.   More interesting, though, is the way Carole and I really got to know one another.  More fascinating still, is her connection with our game, ice hockey.

– Dennis Chighisola

Transitioning from In-line Hockey to Ice Hockey

Over a week or so, I’d noticed that a lady named Carole had “Liked” my different Facebook posts, and she’d even made some brief comments on a few rather general observations or comments I’d made.  What really got my attention, however, was the day she added her feelings on a video I’d posted, this highlighting my summertime Mite & Squirt (primarily off-ice) Hockey School.  I mean, after evidently watching it, Carole said about my video message, “THIS IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE !!!”

Huh?  Why in the world would a young lady from Texas be telling me so absolutely that the principles I’d noted in the video — about how in-line skating can help hockey players — were true?

You have to know that I wrote right back to Carole and asked if she was involved in hockey, or if she was a hockey mom.  And she quickly responded, “Being a former Inline Speed Skating Coach, I can tell you THIS IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE !!!”

We went back and forth from there, and I at some point let her know that I kinda pioneered the use of in-lines for ice hockey players here in my home area, and that I’d seen the miracles those efforts had produced.

The real shocker came in a later message from Carole, however…

My son won many awards, even at Nationals, speed skating on inline skates…  Then some coach called me and asked if Jeff could play on an inline hockey team…  he could out skate anyone, keep his head up, and all he had to learn was the finesse  of stick handling.  WHICH HE DID.   In the driveway, in the house, in the street…  he slept with the stick and puck.  He would play 4 age divisions at Inline Hockey tournaments…  12u,14u,16u,18u adult, when he was 12 years old.  That continued until he was 18 and now coaches atoms, mites, bantams, and the Pro Inline team he is on.  He tried out for and made an Elite AAA Ice Team from Houston when he was 13, having only been on the ice for the first time about 4 hours prior. I would drive him to practice in Houston from Tyler (4 hours one way)…

Carole went on to say that the extreme costs and some personal matters ultimately ended those long trips.  However, she finished with an update on her son, Jeff, in that “… he lives in Houston doing what he loves!!!

Now, I know there’s a danger that some readers will scan that first paragraph and miss what truly took place.  Oh, for sure, Carole’s son was obviously unique in his desires to do well in hockey, and he was also pretty lucky to have a mom like her.  At the same time, the things he accomplished would seem pretty unrealistic to anyone who doesn’t believe that in-line training can — and surely does — transfer to the ice.

Then, while Carole ultimately thanked me… “for pioneering the way for inline skaters transitioning to ice,” I think my CoachChic.com friends might find it even more interesting how I actually lucked into the earliest stages of in-line training.

Actually, my son was given the first pair of in-line skates I’d ever seen — I think by a college coach or a local pro scout.  They were an Erect-a-set (if that’s how it was spelled) kind of contraption, with an ugly frame, nuts, bolts and wheels that had to be riveted onto the bottom of hockey boots.  Genius that I was(n’t), I never paid much attention to those skates, except to think that they might be useful for conditioning during the summer months.

Next, a young lady named Nancilee entered the picture…  In fact, she’s become famous in many of my writings, mainly because she was the inspiration for my invention, the Skater’s Rhythm-bar.

Telling the short version of the story here, a 21-year old Nancilee called my office to see if I would give her private lessons and take her from an absolute beginner to making a local ladies’ hockey team a few months down the road.  Hmmmmm…

Hardly looking forward to our first meeting, Nancilee in advance had told me that she’d never been on the ice before.  (Ugh!)  Yet, she left the doorway onto the ice that first day and promptly twirled a quick loop around the rink surface.  Whaaaat?  ???

Scratching my head, I called her in, and Nancilee almost ran over me.    Explaining it all — including her ability to stride — as well as her inability to stop, she simply giggled, “I in-line a lot!”

Yup, that was my REAL indoctrination to in-line skating.  And, man, did my mind race from that day forward…  I mean, I’d seen for myself that someone could train exclusively off the ice and at least fairly well be able to skate on the ice.  So, what if a combination of wheels and blades could be used to better train my hockey students?  Hmmmmm…

By now, most long-time members know about my studies back in the old USSR.  That’s where I learned about the true value of off-ice training.  But that’s also where I discovered that the old Soviets HAD to train away from the ice because of their drastic shortage of indoor rinks.  The more I thought about that, though, the more I realized that most North American amateurs have nearly the same problem.  Ya, it’s hard to make headway as a youth player in our game if we’re not able to practice regularly.  For sure, off-ice training — or dryland — can help immensely with that.  But, then, how about being able to actually skate without the need for costly or hard-to-get ice-time?

Well, sadly, the so-called in-line craze ultimately subsided in many parts of North America.  However, it’s my understanding that roller hockey is alive and well in many southern and western areas of the US.  In fact, a number of recent NHL Draft choices over the past few years have grown-up in California, and they’re on record as having spent a great deal of time in their formative years on wheels.

So, I’m not saying that in-line training is dead, by any means.  I know if I wanted to hold a roller practice with my ice hockey players this weekend, I could be pretty sure they all have a set of in-lines at home.  And one of the reasons I hold that little guys and gals hockey school each summer is for all the reasons Carole and I have mentioned to this point.  In the case of those little ones — and their young parents, however, I want to be sure I’m starting them off right, and making sure they appreciate the benefits of in-line training, and how much that actually does transfer to their on-ice game.

*

PS:  Over the last 2-ish years, I’ve become similarly fascinated by another cross-over sport called floorball.  No, that game doesn’t involve skating, so it’s not going to totally make slideboards, wheels and ice blades obsolete.  However, floorball does promise to help develop a number of other important hockey qualities.  So, who knows…  Maybe I’ll someday soon pioneer yet another great way to train without the need for costly ice-time.

*

PPS:  For those wondering about my occasional mention of the Skater’s Rhythm-bar, I’d like you to know that I’ve been working for months on how to get you all the information you’ll need to make your own.  It’s not an easy process for me, so please be patient.   “Like” this page if you want to be alerted when it’s ready:  Perfecting the Forward Skating Stride

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