“Incredible Stickhandling” Now on Sale

Finally, my “Incredible Stickhandling” video is available!  Yes, you can own that video (plus a bonus one) forever and ever, and at a no-brainer cost…

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

Only 100 units will be sold under those special conditions!

Puckhandling Is A Mentality! (One “Sick” Goal!)

Every time I get to talking about puckhandling with someone, I almost always find the need to suggest that “it’s a mentality”.  Said maybe another way — that’ll help you better understand, I should probably say that it’s a “mindset”.

And, while the majority of hockey people might feel the fancy dangler is just a natural — or that he or she was born with that ability, I’m here to tell you that I know I can teach it.

Okay, before offering much more, let’s have a look at one “sick” goal by Jarod Palmer.  After that, I’ll catch you on the other side.

– Dennis Chighisola

Puckhandling Is A Mentality!

Jarod Palmer Sick Shootout Goal (July 18 2010)

Okay, I’m a little old to have the word “sick” in my vocabulary — at least in the above context.  But if ever there was a play that deserved some wild adjective, that surely was IT!

About my title theme, though — that puckhandling is a mentality…

Well, as I watched that play a number of times, all I could think about was the creativity that went into arriving at such an idea.  Just think about that yourself.  And, think about the mentality that Palmer (and any other slick puckhandler) has to have in order to think-up at such an idea.  Unbelievable.

By the way, I don’t know if you noticed how believable young Mr Palmer was as he took that fake shot.  And, did you even hear the supposed shot?  Actually, that might be one of the most remarkable things about that play.  Then, although it was difficult to detect, even in slow-motion, I think Palmer also kicked the puck from behind with his left skate.  And he did that without ever looking downward and giving the goaler a hint that he hadn’t really shot.

Of course, I’m all about teaching, as well as sharing with you all that I know about the teaching process.  So, I’m going to suggest these two things for anyone who wants to become a dangler, or anyone who wants to encourage a player to become slick with the puck…

For sure, disciplined drills form the foundation for good puckhandling.  So, a player should absolutely master all the basic moves.

Along with the discipline, however, there has to be some creative time.  In other words, a player should just hot dog with the puck for awhile — just fiddling and diddling, and having some fun.  In my clinics, I’ll usually encourage my students or players to just “Go nuts!”  For, this is where the mentality or the mindset begins.

Again, although that goal by Jarod Palmer surely was sick (LOL), I’m even more fascinated by the creativity that young athlete surely had in devising such a move.

Mites & Squirts Can Change Real Fast!

I don’t normally do something like this, but I’ve come close to using the same article both here and over in Coach Chic’s Hockey Diary.  For the most part, the difference is that I used photos over on the other site, while I’m including videos for my special CoachChic.com members.

That said, here we go…

– Dennis Chighisola

Mites & Squirts Can Change Real Fast!

Just click on any of the snapshots below
to see a video of that drill

Yes, as the title suggests, “mite and squirt hockey players sure can change pretty quickly”.  Or, as I like to say, “Their young minds and bodies are just so malleable.”

Okay, right now I’m thinking about the young ones who reported to my first-time Mite & Squirt Summer Hockey School.  And, despite the way I opened this essay, I’m wondering why I was so pleasingly surprised at the progress my students made, even by the end of the very first day?  ???  I truly mean that; I was almost shocked.

Well, as a tip for other coaches and parents who like to help their youngsters, I think the following explains a little about why those little tykes progressed so fast:

1. I might be old(ish), but I am definitely not stuck in the dark ages.  Naw, I analyze the game through my own pretty experienced eyes, and I incorporate what I discover along with what I know about motor learning and other sciences.
2. Connected to the above point, I like to do MEANINGFUL drills, and I stay clear of the “vanilla types” that tend to look good but have almost no value.  (Youth practices — and even many so-called “powerskating courses” — are loaded with these.)
3. Expounding more on those two points, I’ve always had a knack for recognizing an important skill, and then developing a series of easily do-able steps (or progressions) to get a player from where he or she is to where they need to be.

Okay, enough blabbering (although I did want to share with other coaches and hockey parents the things that go into developing MEANINGFUL lesson plans).

With that, I thought I’d give my faithful readers a little glimpse of at least some of what took place last week…

As I so often do, I began each session with shooting.  Kids today just don’t shoot enough, and most of them are far behind the generations I’ve previously worked with.  So, we just shoot and shoot and shoot.  (Oh, in the adjacent photo one of my young students is shooting a weighted puck.  And, due to that resistance, notice how he’s working to get his strength into the shot.  Yes!)

In another segment, we’re working on a number of puckhandling moves.  In this case, my student is executing a “wide dribble”, something that is really handy to pull on a defender or a goaltender.  (Yes, later in the session we practiced making that move against my SMG, or simulated goaler.)

Part of my surprise at the kids’ progress was how well they actually took to my Skater’s Rhythm-bar, an invention of mine that smooths the skating motion and also adds power.  It usually takes awhile for young ones to grasp the concepts of the R-bar.  However, notice these demonstrators looking pretty dawgoned good for about 8-years old!

I invented a group of stickhandling and athletic-type exercises built around using a batch of short sections of wood, and I ultimately dubbed that routine “Chop Stix”.  Here, one of my students is doing a nice job of handling the golf ball while also dealing with his balance on those stix.  Notice that his posture is much like what he’ll have to deal with in our crazy game.

Continuing with the puckhandling (a biggie with me), each of my kids spent time attempting to dribble 2 golf balls at a time around the floor.  This is a REALLY tricky skill, because those balls scatter fairly erratically.  Still, within a week or so, I sense they’ll all be able to handle 3-balls!

Here I’ve asked the kids to play a little game by paddling 2 or 3 tennis balls off the side boards.  (This youngster has progressed to where I’ve allowed him to try 3-balls!)  As I joked to one dad near rink-side, “It’s no accident when a player quickly reacts and bangs home a rebound!”  Yes, it can be practiced, and that’s what we’re doing here.

We practiced with the R-bars in numerous ways during the segment when we didn’t wear in-lines.  However, with plenty of repetitions under their belt, the entire class looked pretty good in their striding once they put their skates on. 

Just click on any of the above snapshots to see a video of that drill

Well, that’s it for a peek inside my Mite & Squirt School.  I’ll try to add more photos and write-ups as we go along.  And, I’ll also show and tell about when we eventually make the transition from the Lakeville, MA off-ice facility to the ice in Bridgewater, MA.

Oh, one last thing…  I’d like you to either scan or think about the drills I showed up there, and consider how many of them are really better being introduced off-ice.  That’s how I feel, anyway.  On that floor, the kids can experiment and take their time with a skill.  a little later on I’m going to suggest that they fly once we get to the ice.

– Dennis Chighisola

A Later Entry
Subtitle: Even I Can Learn (at 105-years old — LOL)!

The third meeting of that school last night caused me to reflect all the more this morning on what I’d said above.  And, right now, what I’m suspecting is that there might be something magical in the twice-per-week sessions incorporated in this hockey school.

Oh, I’m not calling myself a genius here; frankly, I may have lucked-into something.

You see, I think there have to be two main components to a program in order to achieve some positive results…

First, there has to be enough closeness in those sessions so that there’s a tendency for proper muscle memory to take hold.  In other words, the mind and body has to remember a given movement, and sort of build upon it.  (I guess what I’m trying to suggest is that a fair amount of closeness of a next session allows a player to pick-up where he or she left-off, while a long gap in there might cause him or her to waste a lot of the next session just trying to recall how the right movement feels.)

Secondly — and with all due regard for the first statement, I think there has to be enough time-off between sessions so that a player feels refreshed and excited again.  For, excitement is going to stir far more growth than is boredom.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I spaced our twice-per-week sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays to extend for about 6-weeks.  That leaves 4-days away from training leading-up to the Tuesdays — where we might lose a little on point one above, but gain some from point number two.  We only have a day-off leading to the Thursday sessions, which means we should gain greatly from point one, and perhaps lose just a little from point two.

Then, thinking about what I just said, doesn’t it make sense that I henceforth adjust my future lesson plans just slightly?  I mean, I think it’ll be wise for me to use Tuesdays as sort of a catch-up day (since we had a longer time-off), and I can look to go faster and to make some changes in our routine on Thursdays (because we’d only trained 2-days earlier).

Then, referring back to my subtitle…  I’m kinda glad I’m the way that I am — still learning at this stage of the game, I mean. 

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As always, I invite (and really enjoy) your Comments!

Some After Hockey Practice Observations

Some After Hockey Practice Observations
By Dennis Chighisola

Well, I suspect this might be one of the shortest posts I’ll ever write here (which might make some of you very happy — LOL).

Truthfully, though, while this is going to be brief, I suspect that the subject is as meaningful as it gets.  It’s not going to be about skills or strategies, by the way.  However, if we can all achieve what I’m about to suggest, a youngster is bound to become highly skilled and smart in the end.

Okay, so my little band of Mites and Squirts spent a pretty fast paced 90-minutes doing 16 drills (some of which had several components).  So, I’m talking about them really hopping at something like a new drill every 5-minutes.  (As I frequently do, I joked with several parents at rink-side about there being no extra charge for the kids falling asleep early tonight.)

Oh, I forgot to mention that we’re currently in the off-ice phase of this school, so we’re doing all sorts of skill oriented things — in gym clothes and in in-line gear — at a nearby roller hockey rink.

Anyway, with the fear of another rental group coming on right after our prescribed end-time, I ultimately (about 5-minutes late) announced to the kids that that was it.

Right.    Only a few kids left immediately, and a few more trickled off as their parents pressed them.  Still, a batch remained for quite awhile, and three young ones stayed (about an extra 20-minutes, or) until their parents couldn’t wait any longer.

Ya, those three…  They organized a little game in one zone and around one net, and they were having an absolute ball ’til the very end.

If you haven’t guessed by now, the point I want to make is that just about all of the kids in my current class have to really love the game.  I mean, just think about it, their wanting to keep at it after all I’d put them through.  (Actually, I had to also make that point to the remaining parents, in that they’ll want to nurture that, and try to ensure that their kids remain loving it for years to come.)

Did I have a hand in this?  Aaaaaw, I don’t know.  I do try to use fun and challenging drills, and well as interesting training gadgets.  And I do approach most of my younger kids’ clinics in a really lighthearted manner.  However, I’m guessing the parents of those kids are doing more than their part.  In fact, I’m guessing they have more say in this matter than I ever will.

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As always I look forward to your Comments (down below)!

Troubles with Hockey Passing & Receiving

At the end of every week, our friend, Jerry Z, usually sends me an email update on his roller hockey goings on.  And, this week was no exception.

What I especially like about these is that Jerry’s reports very frequently point to a few things that are fairly prevalent in my line of work:

1) that I’m obviously dealing with an intelligent guy;

2) that he often shows me some remarkable insight; and,

3) that he is quite often wrong. 

Actually, that last one wasn’t really a swipe at Jerry at all.  More often the incorrect stuff he relays to me comes from various guys Jerry skates with.  Wives’ tales I’m talking about here, or the kind of advice we could all do without.

Anyway, before I get too carried away, I think I’d better get into the topic at hand…

– Dennis Chighisola

Troubles with Hockey Passing & Receiving

To begin, here’s a quick piece from Jerry Z’s latest email, these few sentences taken from an account of his second of two games this past week…

“…on Saturday, I was working with another guy before the game to help corral passes with the puck. It’s getting better, I’m starting to understand the muscle memory it takes to cradle the puck as it comes to you.”

Now, this isn’t one of those wives’ tales at all.  In fact, Jerry is pretty much right — in that most sports movements involve muscle memory (of either the good or the bad variety), and that a player has to use soft hands in gathering-in a firm pass.

As a quick aside, I need to share with members the fact that there have been some changes in Jerry’s activities of late.  What I’m getting at is that he played on a rather small roller hockey court when I first started working with him, while he’s more recently started playing on a surface that is pretty close to the size of an ice hockey rink.

Of course, skating is going to become a far greater factor on the larger floor than it was in the little bandbox.  However, Jerry is also discovering that there is also a huge difference in his moving from playing with a ball to playing with a puck.

And it’s the latter part — about the difference between playing with a ball or a puck — that I want to make clear from the start…

You see, almost no strength or leverage is needed to either catch or propel a very light ball.  Let me say that again:  one could stand in the worst possible posture and still stop or fire a lightweight ball.  However, it takes a bit more strength and more stability to handle a slightly heavier puck.

That said, if you think I want to talk about skating tonight, you’re correct.  For, in almost every instance, the inexperienced skater tends to stand upright.  And, while he or she might get away with handling a ball from that posture, they’re going to have some difficulty once a heavier puck is introduced.  (Oh, Jerry has come quite a ways in the time we’ve worked together.  However, he still does skate fairly upright.)

At this point, I know that someone out there is going to be scratching his or her head, thinking that there isn’t that much difference in weight between a ball and a puck.  And, although that might be so, I guess what I’m really getting at is the combination of weight and the force at which a given object travels that really spells the difference.  In other words, either passed or shot pucks have to be sent with a considerable amount of force to be effective.  And, on the receiving end, a player has to deal with the heavier puck arriving pretty forcefully.

Okay, Jerry mentioned the need to catch the puck with soft hands as it arrives.  Still, despite the fact that I spend lots of time drilling my players on such passing and receiving technique, I’m going to suggest right now that there’s something else that’s causing Jerry’s passing and receiving woes.

Pardon this brag for a moment, folks, but I’m about to explain a trait that tends to separate me from a lot of other skills coaches…

You see, I accept the textbook stuff and the long established understandings of our game, at least for the most part.  However, I hardly ever stop there.  Naw, I’m forever looking for underlying causes of problems, and I quite often find them (far from where others would even think to look).  That describes a lot of what you’ll find here within the hundreds of pages in CoachChic.com (or, at least I hope so).

And that little sidebar brings me to something I discovered at one of my summer hockey schools probably 20-plus years ago…

I happened to notice that even some of my older players were struggling with their passing and receiving, and even in some very simple drills.  So, I pulled out my camcorder that day, and I taped numerous pairs of players moving down the ice and executing passes that were only about 5′ or 6′ long.

Later that night, I studied and studied those pairs, and I especially ran and re-ran the segments where a pass was flubbed, it missed its mark, and for whatever reason the puck began flipping and rolling.

In every single case where those things occurred, I finally found a common condition.  And, while you won’t believe me — until I explain it, the poor passes or catches almost always stemmed from a single skating problem.

As a preface to what I want to really tell you, let me first explain that a player’s “give” with the stick — or his cushioning of the incoming puck — calls for a considerable reach with the stick-blade at the start.  In other words, he or she has to reach a ways outward towards the puck at first, “give” with the pass next, and then continue that “give” beyond the midpoint of his or her body.  (Can you picture this?)

And the same thing goes for a decent pass, in that the player has to pull the puck off towards one side before he or she begins a long sweeping motion that also extends beyond the middle of his or her body.  In fact, just as in shooting, the longer the follow-through, the better ones accuracy.

Now, do you see where I’m going with this?  For, what countless hockey school video clips showed me was that the poorer passers and receivers weren’t able to reach very far outside their centers of gravity (or they at least weren’t very comfortable in doing so).

By the way…  Some of the kids I’d video-taped were pretty decent teenage players.  Yet, they still seemed uncomfortable as I’ve just described.  And the point I want to make here is that all things are relative.  I mean, Jerry can be having his passing and receiving problems as a fairly inexperienced player, but so can far more experienced guys who might not have had the right kind of training.  Sure, the latter guys can likely motor around the rink.  But, extending their hands and arms outside the center of gravity is quite another matter.  (Maybe you can appreciate now why I spend so much time developing athleticism in my players.)

Oh, yes, one other thing when it comes to not daring to reach far outward…  What I discovered within that video footage was that all the bouncing and rolling pucks resulted from the same problem, whether it was in the act of making or trying to catch a pass.

For, what happened is that a passer who didn’t dare to reach very far would chop at the puck with a very short motion.  And, when it came to catching a pass, that kind of player would brace himself with the stick held stiffly at mid-body.

In both instances — from either the stiff catch or the chopping send-off, the puck would bounce, wobble or roll immediately after contact.

And this all brings me back to my buddy, Jerry Z.  Oh, for sure he should continue working on “cradling” his catches.  However, I’m hoping this piece will give him further insight into the REAL problem.  Yup, improved skating is going to help his game in numerous ways, including his passing and receiving.

PS:  I recently suggested that Jerry spend more time working on his puckhandling.  Why — when his skating needs work, as does his passing game, his shooting, his defending, etc?  Well, my feeling is that extra puck work will actually get him chasing the puck or ball, and thusly get him moving more on this skates.  Then, from my Building Blocks view of our game’s skills, you might recall that I see puckhandling as a prerequisite to better passing, receiving and shooting.

Great Hockey Conditioning Ideas – Part 1

Yes, I’m an old(er) coach.  Still, I’ve hardly ever been stuck in the dark ages.  In fact, while I never want to abandon any training ideas that are working well, you can almost be sure that I’ll make some changes to my teaching approach, even if they are only subtle (or hardly noticeable).

Such is the case as I ready my High School Prep guys for their coming season.  For, although conditioning has always been a priority when working with them — so they can enter their tryouts skating rings around everyone else, I’ve decided to pick it up a notch (or two or three) as we approach this coming season.

– Dennis Chighisola

Great Hockey Conditioning Ideas - Part 1

Before getting into this subject too deeply, I want to suggest that there are almost always some other lessons to be shared within a given area of training, without these having to necessarily be connected to that training.

Three great “teaching moments”, as I like to call them, arose during the taping of the following video, two of them coincidentally happening when a player faltered with his jump rope.  But, let me explain…

1. At one point, I sensed that a kid was getting kind of frustrated as he got tangled in his rope.  So, wanting to encourage him, I stopped things and took the time to comfort him and the other kids with, “It’s not your fault.” And I went on to explain that, “Your fine motor skills will be the first to abandon you as you tire — things like your eyesight, your stickhandling, your shooting and passing accuracy…  And, yes, even your ability to deal with that rope.”  Of course, I also encouraged him and the others with the thought that everything will be easier as our training takes hold.
2. At yet another time, a different young guy tripped on his rope and paused for awhile.  Hmmmmmm…  So, what better time to address that issue?  I mean, habits are being formed every second of our training, and it was important to convey that to my players.  And, that goes for the way they respond to adversity.  So, I suggested that they wouldn’t want to teach themselves to stop and sulk — even for an instant — should they have a difficulty in their games.  No, we’re talking critical mini-seconds here, as in a player recovering quickly enough to help his (or her) team on the attack or on defense.
3. Then, yet another slight problem arose on a very different drill (I’ll explain in a few days), this providing us another great teaching moment…  You see, my kids were executing repetitive forward rolls, and by the end of each string of tumbles, the player was staggering pretty good (not unlike being spun around numerous times).  Actually, having asked one kid if he felt dizzy, my reply to his nod was, “Good!”    Of course, I explained to him and the group that they actually experience similar conditions in a game.  Oh, maybe not quite so severely, but they do get tangled or spun or tripped-up or stung during their games, and my feeling is that they’ll recover quicker if they can endure even tougher challenges in our practices.

Now, I want this particular topic to be at least a two-parter.  So, I’m going to begin things by telling you only a little about it, I’m going to point you towards that video, and then I’m going to toss a little quiz your way.  (We did this with an earlier post of mine, and it worked well by getting numerous members involved.)  A few days from now, I’ll answer questions, address your Comments or opinions, and I’ll also explain the entire concept of this routine.

Now, the following video shows a couple of my high school kids skipping rope.  A little differently from normal, I’ve asked them to do these things:

• only go for 15-seconds (at which time another player will jump-in for his 15-seconds of work, and so on);
• jump laterally, rather than the customary rope skipping in-place way;
• during your 15-seconds, alternate the intensity, from a slow pace to a really frantic one.

Okay, so take a look at the video, and I’ll then toss a few questions your way…

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Not bad, huh?  And, as you might guess, it’s a heck of a workout.

Oh, if you can take a look at that footage again, you might notice that each boy — maybe one more than the other — is having difficulty changing his pace — I mean, from slow to helter-skelter.  And you might want to know that I find too many players having the same difficulty when they’re on the attack and trying to disrupt a defender’s timing of the rush.

Anyway, with that, let me pose a few questions that I hope will prove a good lead-in to the second part of this discussion.  Mainly…

1. Why do you think I’ve asked my kids to rotate (actually, they will be rotating in threes)?
2. Why the specific 15-second timing of this work?
3. Why have I asked the kids to jump laterally?
4. Why have I asked the guys to alternate their pace?

Okay, the ball (errrrrrr… the puck) is in your court.  So, let’s have as many as possible jump-in, and let’s get talking about hockey-specific conditioning!

Steven Stamkos Incredible Hand Eye Goal

I have my grandson to thank for finding this video.  (He loves studying — and then copying — the moves of top players, which makes YouTube.com one of his favorite sites.)  My understanding is that the goal scored in the following clip has been hyped by many as “THE Goal of the Year”.

Now, before I comment further, I’d like you to watch the video (and probably watch the slow-motion part a number of times to really appreciate how the goal was scored).  A little later, I’ll also suggest why I’ve placed this post under the “From The MOTION Lab” category.

– Dennis Chighisola

Steven Stamkos Incredible Hand Eye Goal versus Duck (2009-2010)

Okay, by now you should realize that Stamkos batted that puck out of the air as he was sliding along the ice on his back-side.  Hmmmmm…

Oh, and I want to especially insert here the fact that his goal was no accident — no, far from it.  Just watch the video again to see how deliberate Stamkos was it plucking that little black thing into the open net.

Of course, I’m thrilled that mention is made here about the unbelievable degree of hand and eye coordination that was needed to score that goal.  However, perhaps I ought to explain a little more about what I mean by hand and eye coordination…

Number One, a player’s stick-blade has to be an extension of him (or her), or he has to be nearly as dexterous with that stick as he would be with a pencil or an eating utensil.

Secondly, we have to realize how many things are going on in Stamkos’ world during that 3-second(?) flurry…  I mean, he battled through traffic as he unleashed the initial shot, he fell and slid — most likely with little control in that slide, yet he was able to keep focus on the rebound and ultimately take a successful swipe at it.  Ya, in lots of previous CoachChic.com posts, I and other authors have made mention of that kind of skill — as I call them, “asymmetric” movements.

Okay, so here’s my little bit of input…

Throughout this site, you have access to numerous drills that we (especially Todd Jacobson and I) have created for enhancing our players’ ability to focus amid chaos, and to deal with more than one physical problem at a time.

In the case of our goaltenders, you’ll see them, for example, performing all sorts of physical tasks while they’re juggling.  (More recently, we started having our High School Prep goalies juggling while jumping one of those schoolyard gadgets we know as “skip-its”.)

My skaters are dribbling several balls at once, or they’re doing some sort of footwork challenge (like dealing with a skip-it) while also dribbling a ball.

In each case above, Todd’s or my aim is to create the chaotic conditions like those in our crazy game, and we even try to use our imagination to make the practice sessions more difficult than what our kids will face in their games.

Finally, why have I placed this post under the “From The MOTION Lab” heading?  It’s because I firmly believe a setting such as our Lab — or at least some off-ice setting — is really the only place you can create the wild conditions I just described above.  Honestly, after 40-years of doing what I do, helter-skelter training — especially because of all the extra gadgets required — is far easier to get accomplished away from the ice.

  As a PS here…  As I was readying to press “Publish”, I suddenly thought about the recent exchanges going on here concerning floorball.  And, I know dawgoned well that Craig and Greg or someone else is going to suggest to me that a game such as that will also help create the kind of stick-dexterity I described above.  My answer to them?  Absolutely (and so will lacrosse, field hockey and some other sports).  It’s just that we coaches don’t have as much control during such games, and the kind of repetition I like with a given skill is really only possible in a practice setting.

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Have an opinion or further thoughts on this subject?  I’d love you to add your Comment below!

The Perfect Game

I have only one thing to mention as I introduce this article authored by the Mental Edge’s Brady Greco…

We are all sportsmen.

Yes, some of us are hockey people, some of us are into baseball.  But, we should all first see ourselves as sportsmen.  And, oh…  If we could all be sportsmen in the mold of an Amando Galarraga.

– Dennis Chighisola

The Perfect Game

By Brady Greco
Performance Coach
The Mental Edge

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One of the finest displays of perspective in all sports was witnessed this past month by Detroit Tiger pitcher Armando Galarraga.  Galarraga had retired 26 of 26 opposing batters without allowing a hit, walk, or hit batsmen.  All he needed was one more out to become only the 21st pitcher ever in Major League history to throw a “perfect game”.  This feat is one of the toughest to accomplish by any athlete in any sport.  It is what Little Leaguer’s stay up at night dreaming about in their beds.

As the 27th batter dug-in to face Galarraga, 30,000 screaming fans were waiting to witness history.  What was to follow in the moments after will be forever remembered as one of sports most all time “botched” calls by an umpire, official, or referee.  The batter hit into a routine grounder in which Galarraga had to cover first-base.  The first baseman flipped Armando Galarraga the ball for the last out of the game, etching in history his “perfect game”.  Unfortunately umpire Jim Joyce saw the play differently and called the batter safe at first, ultimately blowing Galarraga’s “perfect game”.  After one look at the replay, it was evident the runner at first base was out and Joyce had made the wrong call on the field.  Since baseball does not have the luxury of having instant replay, the call on the field stood.

In an instance like this, with so much emotion attached to the situation, anyone in their right mind would have RIPPED umpire Jim Joyce a “new one”!  Nevertheless, Armando Galarraga composed himself and brushed the call off with a “you gotta be kidding me” smirk, and went back to the mound to complete the game.  After the game, a petition was delivered to Bud Selig (commissioner of MLB) to over-rule Joyce’s ‘bogus’ call and to award Galarraga with a “perfect game”.  However, Selig would stand by the call Joyce made on the field that night and did not acknowledge the “perfect game” thrown by Galarraga.

The following game, Galarraga (who was not pitching that day) made it a point to hand deliver the team’s line-up card to Jim Joyce who was umping behind the plate.  Galarraga wanted to make sure that Joyce was okay and to let Joyce know he had no negative feelings towards him.

When Galarraga was questioned about the blown call Joyce made, he simply responded with, “I know myself that I threw a perfect game, and that’s all that matters.”  This type of perspective is what athletes striving to make it to the next level must learn.  Galarraga understands that baseball is bigger than he is.  He understands that humans make mistakes.  He understands that he is lucky and honored to be able to play the sport he loves on a daily basis.  He knows that if he dwelled on the situation, he would end up mentally beating himself up.  Above all else, Armando Galarraga realizes that life is full of wonderful things and baseball is just a fraction of what the entire world has to offer.

The character, integrity, and sportsmanship displayed by Armando Galarraga was much greater to witness than watching ANY other pitcher throw a “perfect game”.

Brady

Like this?  When you’re ready to live life with this kind of perspective, simply email us to get started.

WHAT THE BLEEP IS FLOORBALL?

One of the most exciting parts of my job is the chance I get to meet so many great hockey people — from the parents of my little Learn-to-skate kids to my fellow CoachChic.com members to some awesome professionals (many of whom have contributed to these pages).

Consequently, I’m as excited to have Greg Beaudin share with us some very interesting information on a recent hot topic here, floorball.

As you’ll discover, Greg knows his stuff.  So, here he is, answering a question many of you may have asked of late (but not necessarily in such a colorful way). 

– Dennis Chighisola

WHAT THE BLEEP IS FLOORBALL?
By Greg Beaudin

http://www.modernhockey.com
cell: 778.385.7825
skype: modernice
greg@modernhockey.com

Innebandy(Swedish), SaliBandy(Finnish), Unihockey(Swiss/German) and Floorball are all the same sport, just different names to reflect regionality. The International Sport Governing Body is known as the International Floorball Federation and the IOC recognizes “FLOORBALL” as the parent term to describe the sport.  The Canadian Federation is simply known as “Floorball Canada” (FC) and in the US, they are known as the US Floorball Association(USFbA)

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More on Floorball & Hockey

I love that Craig Shaw got me going on this topic (see our earlier exchanges), and he also inspired the post I ultimately did on “Exploring the Benefits of Floorball“.

With that, here’s …

– Dennis Chighisola

More on Floorball & Hockey

As every long-time member knows, I’m always looking for ways to help my players.  However, there’s more to that short statement than one might believe.

For sure, I’m always looking for ways to help my players take their games to new levels.  (Of course, that was a given.)

At the same time, I’m forever searching for ways to help my players become truly unique.  And, that one just might need a bit more explaining…

What I’m getting at is that I’d like my guys to ultimately be able to do things that no one else can do.   Hey, I’m guessing Bobby Orr developed a lot of his never-before-seen moves out on the river in Parry Sound, Ontario.  I sure would like to know when the likes of a Boom Boom Geffrion got the idea to blast the first known slapshots.  And, I’d love to know who the player was — or what the circumstances were — that initiated things like the stickhandling move called the toe-over pull.

Ya, my hope is that by virtue of my players training differently — or doing some things that are quite beyond what others might do, they could just bring to the game an equivalent of the toe-pull, spinarama, or slapshot.

Oh, I’m not aiming to create the next Orr or Geffrion.  But, I think it is possible to encourage players to be unique in some ways.

Anyway, those who venture to my blog, Coach Chic’s Hockey Diary, might know that I’m really into a couple of social media sites, Twitter and Facebook.  Well, don’t you know that I was wondering around Facebook earlier today and laughed out loud when I came across a group devoted solely to Floorball (<= check it out)!

I doubt the owners of that page would mind if I copied and pasted some of the introduction from there.  So, here goes…

Floorball, a type of floor hockey, is an indoor team sport which was developed in the 1970s. It is a fast paced sport, with limited physical contact allowed. Floorball is most popular in areas where the sport has developed the longest, such as the Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland. The game is played indoors on a gym floor, making it a year-round sport at the amateur and professional levels. There are professional leagues, such as Finland‘s Salibandyliiga and Sweden‘s Svenska Superligan.

While there are 49 members of the International Floorball Federation (IFF), the Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland have finished in most of the coveted 1st, 2nd and 3rd places at the Floorball World Championships.

In addition to those four countries, floorball is gaining popularity in countries such as Australia, Canada, Japan, Singapore and the United States.

Yes, evidently, that sport is gaining popularity in Craig’s country (Canada) and mine (the United States).  A quick search on Google showed the following US based programs…

• Austin Floorball Club – Austin, Texas.
• Caltech Floorball Club – Located in California.
• EBC Floor Hockey – Located in Michigan.
• Innebandy Chicago – Floorball league located in Illinois.
• MIT Floorball Club – in Massachusetts.
• NYC Floorball – New York City.
• Triangle Floorball Club – Raleigh, North Carolina.
• The Valhalla Warriors – In Mountain View, California.

I find it interesting that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is only about 30-miles away from me, in Boston, MA.  (Ironically, I used to provide hockey skill instructions to the MIT Women’s Hockey Team.)

Okay, so you want to know about my fascination with that sport (and Craig’s)?  Just have a look at another stick-skills demonstration borrowed from YouTube.com…

Now, having seen that (and the video I showed you in the previous post), does it remind you of the college goal that had the hockey world abuzz several years ago — I mean the one where the player held the puck on his blade just before slinging it over the unsuspecting goaltender’s shoulder?  And, that’s what I was getting at up above, when I said I’d like my players to be creative like that, and possibly even come-up with a new and surprising move like that one.

Finally (if there ever can be a finally on this type of topic), I’m going to suggest a few things — to Craig and all my other CoachChic.com friends…

• If I had a very young player at home, I might be inclined to seek a league for him or her, or maybe even start one.
• If you have an older youth player (or if you’re an adult player), I’d probably gather a number of those videos available over on YouTube.com, and see if the creative juices start flowing from watching those.
• If you work with a number of different age groups, as I do, I’d probably suggest the second approach.  Ya, that’s what I think I’m going to do — I’ll collect a few of those stickhandling videos and post them to each team’s site, and then prod my players to copy some of those moves.

PS:  As an afterthought, I just did a quick Internet search for “floorball equipment”, and I grabbed the first site with a recognizable name.  (Actually, Craig, I noticed a site located out your way, in British Columbia.)  And, I was surprised that the gear seems easily available and rather inexpensive…  Floorball Equipment That’s just a sample site, though, and I’ll bet you can get even better buys with a little more searching.

Exploring the Benefits of Floorball

Let me begin by thanking a really active member of CoachChic.com, Craig Shaw, for reminding me about this truly fascinating sport.  And, yes — to two things:

1) I’ve actually known about this game for a number of years;
2) “floorball” truly is a “sport” (as you’re about to see)!

Exploring the Benefits of Floorball

To be honest, the term “floorball” didn’t really strike a chord with me — until I looked it up.  (Actually, I think most of the print and narration was in every language BUT English when I long ago ran across that game.)

Of course, I’m sure Craig would believe anything about this old coach by now — like, the further something is from tradition, the more likely I’ve explored it. 

That said, you just have to take a look at the following video to realize that floorball is NOT your typical street hockey game played in a gym.  As a matter of fact, the following is from the World Floorball Championships (yes, “WORLD Championships”).  But, take a look before I go on further…

Aha, I hope you found that game as interesting as I did when I first stumbled upon it (probably 6- or 7-years ago).

By the way…  It appears to me that floorball playing nations are as passionate (or maybe as nuts) about their sport as many soccer-serious countries are about their game.  And, if you don’t believe me, I think you’ll get a kick out of all the trash talking going on in the Comments area for that video over at YouTube.com.

Back to my initially discovering the game, though…  You should know that it wasn’t the sport itself that caught my fancy…  Naw, the skills exhibited by some of the floorball players was what really got me thinking.  So, take a look at just one example of what I mean…

Now, most long-time friends know that my grandson, Anthony Chic, is somewhat the magician with a puck (or ball).  But, the day I discovered a batch of videos like the above one, I asked him if he could do those tricks.  “No way!  That’s impossible!” was his reply.

Really, I was only teasing Tony C.   From what I can gather, the floorball stick is lighter than our ice hockey sticks, it’s obviously shorter, I know that the blade has holes in it — probably to allow air to flow through, and I sense that the ball is considerably lighter than what a North American kid would typically fiddle with.

Finally, Craig asked if I thought floorball skills would help an ice hockey player.  Ha!  I would say, “Absolutely!”  (Hey, Craig, why do you think I long ago burned a whole bunch of videos like those above to CD, and added them to my New England Hockey Institute library?)

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Well, what do you think, folks?  Please leave a Comment below and let me know!

My HS Prep Hockey Team Returns to the Lab

It was fun to recently greet my 2010 New England Hockey Institute HS Prep hockey team, as they returned to The MOTION Lab.  Of course, most players were returnees, while just a few new kids replaced those who had graduated or moved on.

– Dennis Chighisola

My HS Prep Hockey Team Returns to the Lab

Before getting underway, I’m hoping that you’ve already seen my video series, “You Don’t Need Ice!“, because I’ll be referring to it often as we move into the summer months and then on to the regular season.  (If you haven’t yet done so, use the above link and sign-up quickly, because I’ll be removing that information as it becomes rather passe.  Also, you’ll want to be on my mailing list so you’re notified in advance about a few special events I’ll be announcing shortly.)

As for my views on the spring and summer, they have a lot to do with how I see the season just completed…  I mean, players have been pretty much beat-up over the long winter — both physically and mentally, which means they need some time to lick their wounds and to clear their minds.  (Come to think of it, don’t parents also need a little break after a long, grueling season?)

None of the above means that a player should just veg over the off-season months.  No, some sort of active relaxation is ideal for the spring.  And, for that, I usually suggest my players participate in a spring sport (other than hockey).

By the way, as a coach responsible for the development of a lot players, I really have to pick and choose my own breaks wisely.  So, I’ll usually alternate three main areas this time of year — studying or organizing for my players’ sake, taking some personal time, as well as working on lots of non-team hockey stuff.  I highly recommend other coaches do something similar.  Or, at the very least, don’t wait until the fall to start thinking about your team.  As with many other things, what we get accomplished in advance usually pays huge dividends for a long time to come.

Now, I almost always bring my high school guys into the Lab sometime around the end of May or early in June.  That gives most of them plenty of time away from hockey, or a chance to complete their school and other sport commitments.

As I offer in numerous ways throughout this site, I always have an end-goal for my guys, which includes what I’ll call for now a “ready date”, the amount of time we have until that date, and a list of skills or qualities I’ll want me kids to have under their belts by then.  As for my HS Prep team’s ready date, it’s the first Monday after Thanksgiving.  That’s when all Massachusetts based high school hockey teams are permitted to hold their first tryouts.

So, if you can appreciate what I just suggested, there is absolutely no need for my guys to be at the top of their game — right now, in July, August, September or October.  Oh, they want to be well on their way.  But, there’s only one period that truly matters — again, that first Monday after our US Thanksgiving.

That said, our earliest Lab training sessions are VERY low-key.  My aim is to ease the kids back into hockey.  And, I mean that I want to just gradually get them into the physical stuff, while at the same time not yet putting them through any real mental drudgery.  (My players know I’m not easy on them, by any means.  Still, there’s a time to push, and this definitely is not the time.)

So, for now, the training mostly about technique.  There’s a very good chance my guys’ skating mechanics are off.  And, because they most likely had to scramble their butts-off to compete in winter games, they’ve probably missed the chance to work on new puckhandling moves, passing skills, or scoring plays.  In fact, because their main job was to just do the best they could in games, it’s going to ultimately help my kids if I help them re-master a number of their defensive skills.

As for the lesson plan I designed for these earliest Lab sessions, they mostly have to do with “muscle memory”.  For new members who don’t recognize that term, let me say that, “A player does in a game whatever he or she has done the most to that point.”

In other words, if you swing a baseball bat in practice to include a hitch of some sort — and, if you ultimately do that faulty swing more times than you swing correctly, you can be sure that hitch is going to be present when you enter a game.

Then, as a preface to telling you about the drills we used, let me also point-out that I always build a warm-up routine to accomplish a number of things.  Sure, the idea is to warm the body.  However, rather than waste time, I will usually build our warm-ups to include exercises that also teach or enhance some key skills.

With that, here are the drills…

Rope Skipping — The kids begin with light skipping, aimed at warming them a bit, and also encouraging them to develop coordination and lightness on their feet.

Skip Ball Hops — The little gadget we use has several names, but you’ll see it used in the video that follows.  I’m chuckling as I write this but, while most of my kids have become accomplished rope skippers, the idea of this very different type of device really challenges their neuro-muscular systems. 

T-cord Simulations — Very shortly, my guys are going to start using the Techni-cords.  However, I developed this rather slo-mo drill as sort of a prerequisite.  In essence, a player practices sitting low, and then moving from one skating posture to another (as in striding from the left to the right), over and over again.  Yup, this is all about muscle memory.

Players actually rotate through the above three drills three times, so that they’re fairly warmed as they move into the next drills.

Agility Ladder –  Right now I’m just re-familiarizing my kids with the basic movements.  I’m also demanding that they get back to good technique at this time.  Hey, we can shoot for real fast footwork a little later down the line.

Tumbling Mat Work — I put this one in especially to get my new players familiar with the forward roll (and I spent extra time helping them with this).  As everyone got the hang of it, I had them start tumbling with a stick in their hands.  Still later, I had the boys bring a ball along with them.

Knee Dribble Progressions – My guys actually wear the “Dribble Aids” described in the “You Don’t Need Ice!” series, attempting to keep their eyes-up as they dribble.  From there, they lower to either and both knees, and even attempt to keep dribbling as they sit.  Beyond not looking down, the idea of this drill is for the kids to 1) keep their sticks moving as they move their bodies, and 2) keep their stick-blades flat no matter their poster.

3-puck Dribbling Drill — This one was aimed at helping the guys get their “hands” back again.  When you see the video, you’ll notice the layout of three pucks pretty much allows for (or encourages) all sorts of movements with the stick.  Then, after a few sessions, I actually extended the kids’ reach by moving the pucks further apart, and I made things more difficult by having them balance on small blocks as they dribbled.

Simulated Slap — I had the guys take turns working only on their slapshot motion (no pucks involved).  I asked them to keep their eyes on the nearby mirror, to encourage split vision, and I gradually asked them to work on a quicker and quicker stick.

Okay, it’s time to show you the video.  You might have to go back and forth through the drill descriptions and the video clips now and then.  But, I think the combination should give you a pretty good sense of what we’ve been doing in the Lab lately.  (By the way, failing to get clips of all the drills demonstrated by my current HS Prep players, I found some substitute footage of past students to fill-in.)

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Weighted Rope Skills –  Oh, talk about screwing-up my guys’ neuro-muscular systems…  At the end of their workouts, I had them go back and forth between their regular ropes and ones I’ve made to be pretty hefty.  If you can sense what’s going on — as they go back and forth between the two very differently weighted ropes…  Man, that heavy one just wouldn’t come around at the same speed as the normal one. 

I did make one mistake in my pre-planning.  And it only took a brief observation of my newest kids to realize their upper bodies were totally out of sync when the tried the T-coard Simulations.  With that…

Rhythm-bar Training — At the end of the video you’ll see that I added some training, again so that my new guys could get the feel of making their skating motion a full body one.

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As always, I love your feedback — just leave a Comment below.

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As a follow-up to the above post: Last night started our third week in the Lab, and I’ve already begun upping the ante.  That’s an important principle of motor learning, you know…

Actually, my old Principles of Motor Learning professor really ruined my day one time, when he informed those in his class something to the effect that, “When you can sit back and admire how good your athletes look in a given drill, that drill has out-lived its usefulness.”

Ugh!  That was always part of the fun in coaching — admiring how good my guys looked in a drill!

However, the old prof was surely correct.  Once a given level of execution is do-able, growth stops.  Or, said yet another way, once there’s no challenge, well…

So, anyway, I added just slight twists to each of the drills I’ve already outlined above.  As an example, in the one where my kids dribble the ball around the three obstacles, I now have them walking back and forth on three blocks, and I eventually added one of those small air-filled cushions for them to balance on while dribbling.

Again, the idea is to just slightly keep upping that ante, or to just keep making a given drill a hair more difficult.

Of course, as I should have made perfectly clear in my “You Don’t Need Ice!” series, each challenge should “transfer” positively to the hockey player’s game.

Readying for My AAA Mite Hockey Team

Within a few days, I’m going to show you some video clips of the training my HS Prep guys are now doing in The MOTION Lab.  That’s one of the things I hope you’ll see as a benefit here — being able to follow along as I assemble one of my teams.

Of course, if you’re not quite dealing with that level, I hope you’ll look forward to my telling you about the others I’ll be coaching over the coming months — including my college aged grandson (as he preps for a return to school), a special group of middle school kids, a Mighty Mite team out of my winter Learn-to clinics, and then the team I’m going to introduce to you to today.

Yes, as I’ve joked to a number of folks lately, that I had a weak moment not too long ago, and agreed to coach a cute and talented group of 8-year olds for the local Bridgewater Bandits.

With that as the introduction, let me now share with you some of the thought processes and other things I’ve done to ready for those young rascals. 

– Dennis Chighisola

Readying for My AAA Mite Hockey Team

By now, a lot of members probably know that I’m not in favor of spring tryouts (you can read my feelings on that subject over at Coach Chic’s Hockey Diary).  Oh, I’m not about to join a new organization and immediately overturn the apple cart, so I selected my team a few months back, and I began plotting my course from there.

As is done with most rather young teams, I selected the best little athletes I could, with no regard for playing position.  And, as you can guess, my initial roster showed about 392 centermen (okay, I exaggerate a bit) and no one who claimed to be a blueliner.  Thank God, however, that my new team parents have all offered to do the right thing for everyone’s sake, trusting that I’ll sort the kids in the best way possible.  (I am pretty good at training defensemen, and I told the parents that.  I also suggested that a youngster’s mastering that position might really help him in future tryouts, and this is surely so.)

Last week we had our first off-season practice.  And, while you can be sure I used that session to get some good teaching done, I was also using it to sort through a number of things I personally needed to get accomplished…

For example, it actually matters to me which way a player shoots.  I mean, I usually like to pair lefties and righties on defense, and I like to also have a lefty and righty on each forward line.  Not that this is always do-able.  But, I can hope.  Anyway, I made sure I recorded the way each player handles his stick, just so I could do some doodling with lines and defense pairs back home between sessions.

I also began the task of sorting forwards from defensemen.  Oh, it’s not an easy thing to do.  But, our team parents already know that I’m just going to be testing kids at first, and they also know that I’ll communicate with them as I get closer and closer to my final decisions.

I’m not sure I can adequately describe the criteria I used to sort the kids position-wise.  I’m sure you realize that there’s more than one kind of “D”, and it takes all kinds to play the different forward positions.  Still, I had some thoughts — or might I say visions? — of what I was looking for as I did the initial groupings.  And, tops on my needs for defense was/is some strength — in the kids’ young bodies, and in their skating posture.  But, more on that stuff as we get into future practices.

For my players’ sake, that first session was about laying some groundwork — or a foundation — for the many things we’ll want to be able to do down the road.

Now, you’ve probably heard me say this too many times already.  But, “Passing skills are absolutely horrible among most North American hockey players!”  Oh, I’m not talking about team tactics here.  No, what I’m getting at are the actual skills involved in passing — as in sending firm, flat, spinning passes, and in catching the dawgoned puck if it’s anywhere near your stick-blade.  That understood, I had the kids initially fire weighted pucks from a distance of about 8′ off the side boards.  Obviously, this helped the kids two-fold — with their shots, and with the sweeping motion required in passing.  Following that, I had partners station themselves cross-ice from each other, so that they had to sling their passes the width of the rink.  (And, yes, we still used the weighted pucks for that exercise.)

Next, I introduced the concept of steering and trapping an opposing puckcarrier (hey, can we get any more fundamental to the checking game than that?).  I wanted control of the kids’ first attempts at this, so I had my volunteer assistants assume positions near a goal line, and I asked each player to make that “bad guy” go one way or the other.  What this entailed, of course, was for my kids to learn how to approach from about a 45-degree angle, thusly taking away one side of the ice and only permitting that mock puckcarrier to have one escape route.  (I hope you appreciate that this is going to be a great skill for all my skaters to ultimately employ — tje forwards needing to do this in our forecheck, and our defensemen needing to trap enemy puckcarriers back in our own end corners.)

Staying with the defensive side of our game, I next matched pairs of kids — facing each other, and I asked one player to move side to side as his partner attempted to mirror those movements.  Again, this shadowing of an opponent is basic to good defense.

We later took the latter drill a step further, this time having one player (without a puck) moving down one side of the ice in a zig-zag manner, with his partner skating backwards and attempting to mirror those movements.  As you can suspect, this drill also gave me the chance to observe some kids I was considering as future “D”.

I next reverted to one of my favorite drills — for any age group, having pairs of kids play tag within the end face-off circles.  And again, this kind of reacting to an opponent is going to really help my kids defend against decent opponents.

Let me interject something here, in that I like to stick with a certain theme for a stretch.  And, by that, I mean that I will do a batch of defense-oriented drills for a time, and then I’ll later switch to offensive-type ones.  If there’s a method to The Old Coach’s madness, it’s that I sense it’s a good thing that the kids “think defensively” for awhile, then switch to ultimately “think offense” for a stretch.

We didn’t have to move our lines  at all (after the tag games), with the next drill having pairs of kids playing keepaway with a puck.  And, if you can picture it, this one is great for my young players’ offensive and defensive skills.

I next introduced my SMG (you know, the simulated goalie that’s a favorite of mine when it comes to encouraging goal-scoring skills).  I first had the kids make some sharp cuts with the puck around some obstacles, finishing with a shot on net.  Then, we followed that with a straight line of obstacles with the kids attempting to make moves on the fake goalie.  And, as usual, I teased the heck out of any youngster who hit the SMG or missed the net!  (In a way, I believe there has to be some reward or slight punishment tied to the results kids achieve on a given drill.  I’m obviously not talking about being mean here.  However, if my little guys tie my slight zingers to their missed goals, I know from experience that I am ultimately going to have 15-skaters who want to bury that biscuit.)

Staying with the offense, I taught the kids a basic pass-receiving maneuver dubbed the “goal line reverse” (you can see that demonstrated and explained in my video on “(Teaching & Troubleshooting) Basic Breakouts“.  They did okay, too, which means we’ll be able to take that skill to the next level pretty shortly, having them receive passes as they negotiate their routes.

Then, since I almost always over-plan my practices, I had to end there, with two more drills still left on my lesson plan.  (Ugh.)

In summarizing things, here are a couple of tips I want to share with my fellow coaching…

1)  I don’t leave much to chance — or to memory, so I list every drill I’m going to do, and I have a pretty good idea of how much time I can spend on it.  (I didn’t itemize the allotted times in this first practice, but I likely will once we get into full swing.)

2)  I think my players — no matter their age — enjoy a quick pace, with lots of drills crammed into whatever time we have together.

3)  Most importantly, I don’t mess with so-called “vanilla drills”, or drills that are more flash than substance.  In other words, I use a drill because it’s accomplishing something.

For example, every single drill I noted above is going somewhere.  Said yet another way, it’s a small sliver of the challenges my kids will face in their games this fall, and it’s most likely being done to lay the foundation for some more complex drills.  Again, no flashy drills that have no real purpose.

4)  I mentioned above that I wanted control in a given drill, and that I accomplished that by having an assistant coach work as the enemy puckcarrier.  I think you can imagine using the opposite approach, with all hell breaking loose if I let two 8-year olds go at each other on that first drill.  Oh, we’ll have live match-ups someday down the road; but, right now is a time when we need control of the drill, and the kids focusing on the main challenge.

Well, that’s it for now.  I think my little guys are on the road to learning some really good stuff.  And, I look forward to sharing our progress in coming weeks and months.  (Oh, and don’t forget that I’ll be doing the same with my other teams, too.)

– Dennis Chighisola

PS:  As good as my little group of Bandits should be, we are still without a goaltender.  So, if you know of a local (MA/RI) 8-year old who might be interested in playing for The Old Coach, please email me!

Oooops!  With the above piece now occupying the front page, I don’t want members to forget the Webinar I announced a few weeks ago.  Please check that out, and make sure I have your email address for when final details are made available.

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As always, I look forward to you adding a Comment down below!

Underlying Problems in Hockey Passing

The following was initiated by a conversation I had with one of my long-time advanced students.  That’s as much as I really want to say about him, because to go more into it would likely embarrass many of his teammates.  Of course, that’s not my aim here at CoachChic.com; what my aim IS, though, is to share certain things with my hockey friends that can change their game — A LOT.

– Dennis Chighisola

Underlying Problems in Hockey Passing

Now, I want to re-establish the fact that the above conversation centered around older guys who play an advanced game, or even what most folks would consider an elite level.  <= THAT, I’ll suggest, is going to be an important point for all members to consider as I move along here.

What arose in our brief talk was the fact that a lot of concessions evidently had to be made for my young friend’s numerous teammates who could not catch passes.  Ya, you read that correctly; most of them can’t easily handle a pass so they can quickly get-on to the next thing they have to do (like shoot or whatever).

As an aside, our conversation also included a little about passing — as in most of those guys not being able to thread a firm, flat pass right onto a teammate’s stick-blade.

As that said, I eventually had to add my own two cents worth…  What I need to share — with anyone who will listen — is that there are always underlying reasons for the problems older players experience.

As yet another aside, let me point-out that NHL players have their own skill deficiencies.  That’s why there’s a difference between any pro roster’s top player and the guy or two who is just hanging-on.

In just about every case, the shortcomings of older players have to do with how they were raised in the game.  And that’s what I told my young friend…  In his case, I said that his teammates as far back as in Mites, Squirts and Pee Wees were instructed on the tactical aspects of passing — like, “Don’t hog the puck!” or, “Head-man it as quickly as you can!”

Very seldom do I see youth coaches actually take the time to instruct their players on the “skills of passing and receiving”.  (Actually, the young player I was talking with had to think a bit about that one, because he was fortunate enough to be under my tutelage during those critical skill building years.)

Like so many other individual skills, proper passing and receiving techniques have to be second-nature, or instinctive.  And that means learning them as early as possible, mastering them, and then constantly refreshing them.  (Okay, it might not be as easy as that when it comes to the passing game, because a properly instructed player would best be raised in accordance with the conditions I describe in my Building Blocks Approach to Skills.)

If there’s one huge mistake I see made at our game’s developmental levels, it’s the notion — among parents and coaches, that, “A kid will get it sooner or later.”  And, I’m here (as your trusted adviser?) to tell you it ain’t going to happen.  What will happen is that a player who has had certain skills glossed-over will ultimately learn how to hide the shortcomings.  Oh, sometimes they get him or her cut from a team at some point; sometimes the player just keeps surviving — even at the NHL level.  But, make no mistake about it:  that kind of player IS going to suffer, and he or she is going to spend plenty of frustrating nights out on the ice.  (Come to think of it, so are a lot of teammates going to be frustrated at that player’s lack of skill.)

Okay, so what to do about all this…

- I think we really do need a change in attitude among lower level youth coaches and parents.  Please — from this point forward, know that the little things do matter, and please don’t fall back on that old “A kid will get it sooner or later.”  The chances for that aren’t very good.

- I had thought to make a new video for you on this subject, but I quickly realized I’d already covered most of what needs to be known when it comes to passing and receiving.  So, as soon as you get the chance, I’ll suggest you go here:  Passing & Receiving.  Scroll down to the bottom of that page and work your way upward.  Again, you’ll find a ton of information there — for the player, coach and parent.  And, who knows?  You just might short-circuit the underlying problems in your youngsters’ passing game before it’s too late.

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As always, I love (and rely upon) your Comments!

Member (and non-member) Alert!

While I’m extremely pleased by all the hockey folks who have joined our mailing lists to this point, I know some are going to be disappointed shortly that they haven’t done so yet.

The reason for my latter statement?  It’s because I’m also very excited to announce at this time that I am soon going to begin offering on-line webinars.  And, for those who don’t totally understand what a webinar is, it’s basically an on-line classroom presentation.  These are popular in the business community.  However, they are also the future when it comes to education.

Of course, because I might be pioneering the use of webinars for the sharing of hockey information, I’ll likely veer considerably from what others (or business types) have done.  Ya, I’m talking more like a hockey classroom, or an on-line coaching seminar.  And, this means I’ll be combining video samples and chalktalk demonstrations in order to ensure my hockey friends totally understand the given topic.

Okay, so what’s the problem with your not being on one of my mailing lists?

1)  As it appears right now that a given free version of each webinar will only be aired on a single date.  So, if you don’t get the word, you’re apt to miss something that might have helped you — maybe even a lot.

2) In advance of a given broadcast, I am going to solicit questions.  So, if you want ensure that I cover a given area, I’ll need to have your question in by a certain date.  (Chasing down the appropriate video samples, for example, could take me a considerable length of time.)

3) The two points above suggest that the best way for me to get the word to you — about webinar dates and times, and about your question deadlines, is for me to email you.  And (according to the new anti-spam laws), I can’t do that unless I have your permission!

***Join one of my email lists NOW (using one of the links below)!

All that said, I think you’re going to want to get on one of the following email lists pretty soon.  (Again, many of you HAVE already joined a list, so you won’t need to join again.  If you’re already receiving the “You Don’t Need Ice!” video series, you know you’re already enrolled.)  Here’s my suggestion for joining the appropriate list:

• Those who live in the Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island areas should click the following and SIGN-UP HERE;
• Those who live OUSTSIDE the Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island areas should click the following and SIGN-UP HERE;

Self-Discipline: Paying Yourself Forward!

We’ve been very fortunate to have a number of great guest writers over the first year of CoachChic.com.  Most of them have come from friendships I’ve developed over on my favorite social media site, and all of them have been from among the small group I refer to as “Twitter’s Best and Brightest”.

That said, let me introduce you to one of the very brightest in Twitterland, Dr Mollie Marti.  And, proving she’s a woman who really knows how to take a bite out of life, let me share just some of her extensive experiences:

Mollie is a performance psychologist and founder of BestLifeDesign.com, a life design resource that provides tools, advice, and inspiration in all areas of life design, including health, fitness, relationships, finances, career, spirituality, and success.  Mollie is a successful entrepreneur and coach with a prestigious list of clients, including Olympians and business superstars. She is widely published in academic journals, and also shares her work in numerous peak performance and success books.  As a psychologist, lawyer and trained mediator, Dr. Mollie has years of experience in conflict resolution, negotiation, facilitation, group dynamics, team building and alignment, motivation, performance effectiveness, communication strategies, strategic planning and change management.  With her unique ability to combine the science of success with the art of living well, Mollie is a popular trainer and speaker. She is a frequent resource for local and national media, including Self, Newsweek, Parents Magazine, and the Montel Williams show. She lives with her husband, 3 children, and large family of pets on an apple orchard in scenic northeast Iowa.

Now, besides getting to know her well over the past year or so, I subscribe to her newsletter and – whenever I need a lift or a bit of motivation, I’ll put on my headphones and listen to one of Mollie’s audio recordings.

Does an old hockey coach need that kind of help?  How about a parent?  An athlete?  My answer to all of those is, “You bet!”  As a matter of fact, Here’s an endorsement by another pretty high level coach:

“As a head coach, I am always trying to get the most out of myself, my staff and my team. Mollie has provided tremendous expertise and tools to help each member of our team improve. From goal setting to communication to decision making, she has made a great difference. She has helped our team truly understand that individual success and team success are one in the same. Mollie is our X Factor.”

– Lisa Bluder, Head Coach
University of Iowa Women’s Basketball
2010 Big 10 Coach of the Year

With all that, the following arrived in my inbox today, and I immediately knew I had to share it with my favorite hockey people.  Again, I find Dr Marti’s writings helpful to me, and I suspect the following piece will be appreciated by other coaches, other business types and older players.  Enjoy!

– Dennis Chighisola

Self-Discipline: Paying Yourself Forward!
by Dr. Mollie Marti

“Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it.
Establish your priorities and go to work.”

– H. L. Hunt

For many, the word “discipline” sounds like punishment. Who would guess that such a word, when applied to one’s self, actually creates unlimited rewards and freedom?

Self-discipline is the regulation one’s Self.  It is a way of investing in your future – and it is a key factor in helping you achieve all you want in life.

Once upon a time, Americans were all about self-discipline. George Washington made it a personal challenge to rise before the sun did. Benjamin Franklin said, “The person who has self-discipline is very powerful.” Countless colonists read and followed the precepts published in Poor Richard’s Almanac, which was loaded with advice related to the value of self-discipline and which Franklin published every year between 1732 and 1758 (now that’s self-discipline!).  Immigrants who came to and strengthened the fabric of this great country were highly self-disciplined, persevering through immense trials and tribulations.

So what happened since? Maybe things got a little too easy for us and we settled into choosing comfort over discipline. The good news is that I am seeing resurgence in a desire to better oneself and positively impact our world. Now more than ever people want to serve others and leave a strong legacy, and they realize that they need self-discipline to do this.

Self-discipline is a habit anyone can acquire with a little practice. Go easy on yourself as you’re building this success skill.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Self discipline can be best summed up in a single word: UNTIL. You simply do whatever “it” is until it is done.
2. You can BEHAVE your way to success. The key is to focus on one area of improvement at a time.  Pick one target behavior, like getting up one-half hour earlier than you do now to go for a walk or write that book you say you’ll write “some day.” Then do it every day until it becomes second nature – a habit.
3. If you happen to be human, you will mess up. Build this into your expectations. Don’t buy into all-or-nothing thinking, which leads to throwing in the towel. Forgive yourself and start over. Go back to item 1 and begin again.
4. Break down your goals. If you set a single goal of completing a marathon and you only fit in one-half hour of walking each day, you will quickly get discouraged. If you set an initial goal of walking for one-half hour each day, mixed with running for one minute every 10 minutes, you can steadily work up to this level and quickly see results. Stop going for the home run and start working your way around the bases.
5. Stay vigilant. When you find yourself beginning to succeed, you also may find yourself saying, “I wonder if I really need to…”  If so, STOP. Recommit.  Affirm your new habit with emotion. Say it aloud!  “Exercising each day makes me feel great. Off I go!”

Most importantly, don’t quit. You and your dreams are worth fighting for. Keep going and you’ll quickly find that the temporary pain of self-discipline will be more than offset by the pride and pleasure of achieving your long-term goals!

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Now, if that isn’t something every one of us can use.  As a matter of fact, the timing of Dr Marti’s message couldn’t be better for us hockey types.  I mean, I have been suggesting over recent weeks that our off-season is a time when we can catch or pass others.  And Mollie makes two points that will truly help towards that end…

First, focus on a small part of your game and work to bring that to a high level.

Secondly, stick with it.  As a matter of fact, I suggest that a player not even worry about results at first.  Just keep plodding away — with discipline, and see what happens near summer’s end.  I promise you’ll see results.

Finally, as soon as you get a chance, visit Dr Mollie Marti’s website at http://www.BestLifeDesign.com, and get on her newsletter list.  Like me, you’ll be glad you did.

– Dennis Chighisola

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As always, we REALLY enjoy your Comments!

“Specialized” Hockey Training

Most of you know about the 6-part video series that’s – at least for now — available here through CoachChic.com.  If you don’t, it’s free to members and non-members alike, and the series (“You Don’t Need Ice!”) is mainly about the things a hockey player, coach or parent might do to make better use of the spring and summer off-season months.

Anyway, I’ve asked for those viewing the series to fire questions my way should they have them.  (Hey, that’s part of my job here – to clarify things, huh?)

With that, the first question to arrive is a really great one, compliments of our friend and roller hockey player, Jerry Z!

– Dennis Chighisola

“Specialize” Hockey Training

Now, here’s that question from Jerry:

“In one of your first episodes of the You Don’t Need Ice series, you said specialization has brought about a generation of pretty good robots. I’m wondering if you can expand on that. When did the generation start. Why and how did it start? Do you see hope for the future on seeing more complete athletes?  Or do you feel that the current generation of robots will raise more robots and it’s an irreversible pattern?”

Did I say that was a great question (or questions)?

To begin, I’m going to suggest that “specialization” is a personal thing.  In other words, I think the choice of participating solely in our sport (to exclude all others) wasn’t some planned plot by the hockey powers that be.  Naw, instead I think individual players (or parents of players) ultimately felt that hockey was their best sport, and they decided at some point to just concentrate on that.

I’ll also suggest that the onset of specialization is regionally based, or that it has been influenced by the hockey climate in a give area.  For example, during the time of my youth, my dad and I probably couldn’t have chosen to only focus on hockey, primarily because there weren’t enough year-round opportunities to play and practice.  (Come to think of it, before the coming of sports domes and the like, there probably wasn’t a prayer of working at soccer or baseball or a number of other sports over an extended period.)  Here in New England, the chance to specialize in ice hockey probably began with the so-called “Bobby Orr Era”, during a time when numerous rinks sprouted-up.  And, with those new rinks came the need for rink owners/managers to fill their facilities with year-round playing and training programs.  Suddenly, kids and parents at least had the option to devote a great deal more time to hockey.  And, a lot of them began doing just that.

Again, I’m suggesting that the decisions were personal.  BUT, players have also been encouraged – and sometimes pushed – to specialize (by well meaning coaches, recruiters, and countless others).  You might imagine the pressures that exist within a hockey hotbed, especially if a young player wants to crack a desirable lineup.  At the same time, a player (or parent) might ultimately believe that he (and today, she) has the best chance of “making it” in hockey, and thusly drops-out of other sports.

Now, before going more into this topic, let me share with you the fact that there is at least some benefit to getting plenty of hockey practice.  Envision, for example, the differences between a very inexperienced player and a very experienced one.  Not to mention all the other skills, I’m sure you can picture how the skating motion is not very comfortable for a beginner, while the long-time skater can usually move around in effortless fashion.  And other parts of the game become instinctive to the accomplished player, as well.

That said, perhaps I should now explain what I mean by the “robot-like player”…  In a way, I guess I’m describing one who can execute all the typical hockey movements – and perhaps fairly well, while at the same time not being able to handle his or her body in a really athletic way.  (That last one IS rather hard to define in print.  But, maybe you can envision a truly acrobatic player twisting his or her body while in full-stride in order to avoid a body-check, or his or her skipping and jumping through and over a maze of bodies and sticks while controlling a puck.)  In a way, I think the reason it’s hard to define the non-robot-like player is because he or she IS non-definable.  I mean, he or she can just do things with his or her body that we can’t predict until there is a need to do something wild or imaginable.

At this point, let me combine the two previous paragraph topics – as in the need for some specializing, and what I (and many others) believe is the danger in specialization.

As an example, many old Eastern Block nations do ultimately offer specialized training to their players.  The difference is that they also include gymnastics work and so many other training areas that help encourage great athleticism.  (As a matter of fact, so do my local players gain the benefit of specialized hockey training mixed with lots of outside-the-box athletic work.)

Here in North American, however, most youth organizations mostly train on the ice (as in specializing).  And, if they do engage in off-ice training, it’s very likely for strength development or dryland exercises of a traditional nature (which pretty much entails more specialization).

Now, one other usual drawback to specialization in North American fashion is the dependency on more games for more ice-time.  I could go on about the fallacy of this but, to mention just a few problems:  players generally sit for two-thirds of their game-time, only the best players usually get to handle the puck and act creatively, and – most importantly — there is absolutely no chance for the repetitive practice of necessary skills.  In fact, I’ll suggest that players only do in games what they feel most comfortable doing, which means they haven’t likely expanded their abilities one iota by game’s end.

European hockey organizations, on the other hand, know the value of a high practice-to-game ratio, and they’re known to stick to something akin to a 3:1 or 4:1 scheme.  They also break a year down into four very distinct types of training, taking special care to do certain things for the weeks right after a season ends, and to do other things during the summer months.  And, although it’s a bit more complicated than this, I can tell you that their players engage in soccer, basketball or other sports during that span, and they also dedicate a large block of time to gymnastics and other means of developing athleticism.

Okay, so what’s a North American kid, parent or coach to do – especially since the typical youth organization doesn’t offer what I’ve just described above?  It’s all mainly explained in my “You Don’t Need Ice!” series – to include some involvement with other sports, plus some experimentation with rope skipping, tumbling and other whole body challenges.  Perhaps best of all, almost everything I suggest in that series can be done for little or no cost.

Finally, I like that Jerry asks about the future – and whether I see hope or not.    Yes, I do see hope, although it’ll always be a battle, maybe even a never ending one.  I sense that going with the youth hockey flow – or giving-in to coach or organizational pressures – is an easy way out, and it’s far too often taken for that very reason.  The well meaning guy sitting next to you in the bleachers can also contribute to this, what with his always saying, “Oh, you just have to bring your kid to such-and-such if you want him (or her) to get better!”  (Maybe that’s good advice, and maybe it isn’t.  But, my advice is to ultimately think for yourself.)  Education – or spreading the word – seems the only way to at least gradually overcome such temptations (and that’s part of the reason I hope to always be here for you).

Phew!  (Jerry sure did make me work hard on this one.  But, you know I’m loving it!)

PS:  For his efforts, Jerry is going to receive a gift I’ve almost completed (“__ Things You Can Do to Improve Your Game”).  And I’ll soon be announcing to everyone how that free gift can be attained.

Hockey’s “FUNdamentals”

The the 21 Day Challenge

We truly hope you’ll join us in this unique challenge.  Live simply, live powerfully!

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Shaun and Dawn

Mental Edge, 12922 196th Lane NW, Elk River, MN 55330, USA

Parents, Listen Up!

The Truth About Choking

The Truth About Choking

Is all choking created equally? When an athlete is not able to find the internal resources under pressure to be their best, is it always for the same reason? Many would say it is, because they choked, lacked confidence, or they were mentally lacking focus. The problem with all these labels is that they are over used clichés that lack the clarity that could potentially lead to a breakthrough for the athlete or one looking to improve his or her performance.

I recently came across an article by Malcolm Gladwell, an expert thought leader in the world of psychology, describing what often happens under pressure that leads athletes to “fall apart”, choke and panic. He started by talking about how, in the beginning, athletes are extremely deliberate and thoughtful about learning skills.  Most invest a tremendous amount of time and energy to acquire mastery in relevant skills.  The beginning is marked by a focus on deliberate and repetitive practice.

The learning that occurs during this phase is known as “Explicit ” learning. As this learning takes root, another type of learning occurs that allows the athlete to spend less mental energy in detailed deliberate thought. This learning becomes more unconscious and there is more focus placed on the finer points of the task, such as touch and timing. This is known as “Implicit ” learning. Athletes often perform their best when implicit learning has taken root and they are relying on instinct, creativity and flow to guide their performance.

Interestingly enough, as pressure begins to mount, some athletes become more inwardly thoughtful and consequently become more focused on what they were thinking when they were first learning the game. This results in a more deliberate internal focus that appears to turn a creative approach into a self-focused, fear-of-failure approach.  The noticeable change is a more fearful, tentative, and robotic approach which mirrors that of a beginner.

Contrast this with when an athlete starts to panic. Panic is a heightened state of anxiety that often leaves the athlete with no awareness of quality thought at all, resulting in missing some of the most basic aspects of the game. Some of these are so troubling because the athlete may have done them repetitively in the past.  So, on one hand as someone “OVER-THINKS” during a performance, they regress back to when they were a beginner, because of increased, internally focused thinking. When an athlete is panicked,  he or she lacks any connection to thought all together. Many athletes deal with the challenges associated with both conditions.

The skills needed to overcome these challenges are different, and simply telling them to focus, work harder, or be more confident not only does not help but, in some cases, actually make the challenge worse.

If you are dealing with either of these two challenges, let us help you overcome them.  Simply email us to get started!

Krejci Goal Shows Great Patience

Aaaaah, finally I found a sample of a quality I’ve long felt is the mark of a great goal-scorer.  I’m talking about patience — or coolness — with the puck, and it’s something demonstrated by every outstanding playmaker and finisher.

But, let’s take a look at this Stanley Cup goal by David Krejci before going on…

Now, I’m kinda bummed that this video didn’t run a little longer for you, because as I watched the live broadcast yesterday, I believe the color commentator stayed on the topic of patience for a little while longer.

Of course, some of you might be wanting to ask me how a player can develop that kind of coolness with the puck.

Well, I’m going to suggest that this trait mainly stems from plenty of work with a puck (or ball) — as in puckhandling, puckhandling, puckhandling, until a player can handle that biscuit in his or her sleep.

I might also recommend that players practice plenty of “asymmetric puckhandling”.  In other words, because there’s an awful lot of craziness going on around a puckhandler, he or she should prepare for that in advance by dribbling and dealing with some other physical challenge at the same time.

Going back to the Incredible Stickhandling series of videos would be a great start.  And, since this IS the off-season, I’d suggest staying away from the ice for awhile, instead trying all those tricks off the ice with a stick and lively ball.

Then, in order to get the asymmetric part in there, a player could mix his or her puck tricks with some hopping (on one or both feet), and rising up and down to and from the knees.  Really, though, there’s no prescribed second challenge, as far as I’m concerned.  In other words, a player (parent or coach) should just use his or her imagination.  Remember:  getting better is all in the doing!

Guarding Against Obesity

Two of my all-time favorite Twitter friends are responsible for the following video.

First, Mike Mahony hosts an awesome site called The Muscle Building Fat Burning Video Blog, where he promises to help regular folks (like you and me) cut through all the information overload we might be getting from all the so-called fitness experts out there today.

Secondly, this post features the star of a previous CoachChic.com entry (“A Different Kind of Hockey Warm-ups“), Maryse Senecal.

Actually, the two, both Maryse and Mike, worked together to put this video together, and I’m extremely grateful that they’ve allowed me to show it to my CoachChic.com members.

– Dennis Chighisola

Guarding Against Obesity

Okay, while obesity might not be a problem for many hockey players, we all know that it surely is within the general population — in Maryse’s native Canada, and across the United States.

So, when I had a chance to see the following video over on Mike’s site, I thought it a good idea to share it with my friends here.

In particular, I really like Maryse’s common sense approach to things.  But, you judge for yourself…

If you get the chance, visit Maryse Senecal‘s site over at Myo-Precision for tons more health tips!

And, get to know Michael Mahony on his site, Fitness Expose for lots more fitness tips.

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Hey, do the old coach a favor, and cheer-on our two contributors, huh — especially Maryse, who still thinks she’s everything but awesome in front of a camera!

Have You Claimed Your Hockey Gifts Yet?

Just a reminder to my favorite hockey people, in that two time-sensitive gifts will only be up and available for a short time…

1) April’s free *Gift — the downloadable video aimed at helping young attackers deal with “Breakaways & Shootouts” — was purposely left available a little longer because it appeared rather late.  However, I’ll shortly be replacing that with yet another gift.  If you haven’t seen it yet, I promise the visualization, reading, reacting and problem-solving techniques used in that video absolutely work.  And so does our aim to encourage young puckhandlers to keep their eyes up as they move on the attack.  So, even if you might not use it immediately, I highly recommend that you save that video to disk, just so you have it when the time IS right.

2) If you haven’t yet caught the announcement, I’ve offered a free 7-part video series* about off-season off-ice training to members and non-members alike.  (To explain that, I really want YOU to have that information, because it provides some helpful background to other advice I offer here on the site; at the same time, that series gives me a chance to introduce myself and CoachChic.com to a lot of new folks who might just pass by.)  Trust me, that the information offered in that series is proven, and it’s guaranteed to work.  And, as with all the information I offer here in these pages, it makes for some worthwhile food for thought, even if you’re not going to apply all of it.  (Actually, I don’t want viewers to apply all of it; instead, I highly recommend that players, coaches and parents select just a handful of ideas that seem appropriate to their needs, and then run with those.)

*Oh, then something very related to the latter…  If I had the opportunity to do one thing over again, I’d have gained a lot more information about each individual member — from Day One.  For sure, I’ve come to know some of you due to your frequent Comments (thanks for that!).  At the same time, I know I could better focus my new content or advice differently — or better — if I knew your special interests, your role in hockey, what level you mainly deal with, etc.  So, if you’d be so kind as to complete this, I’ve finally created a SIGN-IN FORM that should answer all of those questions for me.

– Dennis Chighisola

“You Don’t Need Ice!” Video Series

Just in time for the hockey off-season…

A FREE Video Series

“You Don’t Need Ice!”

As always, it’s about the SCIENCES and it’s about getting real RESULTS!

A series of 6 videos aimed at providing players, coaches and parents — from all levels — numerous (and even little known) ideas for jumping ahead of others during the spring and summer months.

This Note from Coach Chic:

I’m going to send you to a sign-up form where I’ll ask a few questions aimed at helping me to get to know you better (hoping you don’t mind).

Thereafter you’ll receive a number of emails — every few days, this so you have plenty of time to digest the videos and other advice.

Hoping you enjoy it,

Dennis Chighisola

Click the puck to sign-up for this awesome special gift!

Setting Up a Move or Deke

Although this post certainly could have gone under the Highlight Reel Skills heading (and Puckhandling), the following footage provides some insight into an equally important part of any effective move.

You see, no move is really going to work unless an attacker first sets-up the defender.

So, thanks to YouTube.com, we’re able to first watch Denis Savard make his patented spinorama move two different times, both at full speed and in slow-mo, and from several different viewing angles.

As you watch, I’d like you to notice that Savard makes a slight motion towards his right before peeling off to his left…

I hope you saw how the backpedaling defensemen either froze or they almost started to turn the wrong way, which gave Savard all the more time and space to spin out and around.

And let me point out one more thing, that being the matter of respect.  For, I’m going to suggest that Denis Savard’s speed moving towards those defenders struck a bit of fear in their hearts, and this gave him all the more time and space to make his play.

Now, the next video shows an equally famous move that should further make my point.  This is the breakaway goal scored by Pavel Datsvuk against Marty Turko…

You probably don’t have to re-run that one again, because you were likely looking for the way Datsvuk set-up that play.

Anyway, what the slick Red Wing forward did was to hold the puck out towards his side — seemingly forever, thusly freezing Turko for the coming shot.  Of course, Datsvuk never did intend to shoot.

Now, the reason I’m trying to make my point so strongly, is because I sense that a lot of young attackers feel as though “the move is everything”.  However, that’s hardly the case.  No, a move isn’t going to work unless the puckcarrier first makes a pretty believable fake in advance of the real move.  And, it doesn’t hurt if a defender really fears the attacker in advance of any move (as in the case of Denis Savard’s skating speed).

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Later Addition to the Original Post:

Thanks to GKelly’s awesome comments, I thought it might be helpful for me to add that goal he speaks about — the 4/21/10 overtime winner matching Satan versus Miller.  So, courtesy of YouTube and the NHL, have a look…

As GK says (and as I’d previously suggested), Satan shows one thing to make the defender (Miller) commit a certain way, then he executes the next move.

Actually, there’s another thing going on here that I’d previously mentioned in a post about dealing with breakaways and shootouts, in that most advanced players nowadays prefer to show the goaltender a shooting posture first.  My take on this is that most smart attackers feel the goaler becomes more vulnerable if he’s made to come out to cut down the shooting angle (but I wouldn’t mind hearing from experienced attackers and goalies about this).

Watching that play again just now, I think Satan also demonstrates yet another mark of a great goal-scorer.  I mean — if you watch the slo-mo replay, you’ll see that he is “cool as a cucumber”, and he holds the puck for what seems like an eternity.  A lot of players rush themselves in these circumstances.  But again, the goal-scorers have ice water in their veins, and they are cooooool.

As always, thanks a ton, GK!

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Your Comments are truly welcomed here (in fact, they really help me)!

Crosby Sets Up Letang

  In the record books, Kris Letang is going to get credit for a huge game-winning goal.  (I mean, eons from now, it’ll just be an entry in the game’s stats:   Pittsburgh goal – K Letang, Assist – S Crosby.)  And, I must admit that Letang’s really quick snapshot was a beauty.  At the same time, I think everyone watching that game would likely credit Sidney Crosby for making that goal possible.

Now, as far as I’m concerned, there are a lot of lessons to be learned from Crosby’s moves.  But, let’s take a look at the play, compliments of YouTube.com and the NHL…

Now, first I’d like to address the physical side of this play.  For, there’s little doubt that unbelievable skating and puckhandling skills went into Crosby’s ultimately getting a teammate open for the shot…

Long time members might recognize the skating skills demonstrated by Crosby as being very much like those that can be developed in my various “Must-do Skating Drills“, and especially in the games of tags I’m always recommending.

And, the general puckhandling skills are just like those I like to see enhanced through my “Incredible Stickhandling” course, and in games of 1 against 1 keepaway.

Then, I’d like you to do me a favor and watch that video one more time.  This time, however, make note of how many times Crosby extends his reach — so as to really protect the puck — with just one hand on the stick.  No way his man can reach in and get to the puck when he’s doing that.

Upon returning, I hope you’ve noticed the way an advanced puckhandler needs to handle the puck with one hand.  (You might later take a browse through another of my posts, this entitled “Troubleshooting the Tight Turn“, to get a lot more insight into this and other related skills.)

If any of my long time students (or Team NEHI players) have watched Crosby’s play, they’re probably chuckling to themselves, saying, “Hey, I can do all that stuff!”  Ya, my guys practice all of those skills — from the games of tag, to the games of keepaway, to learning to protect the puck, and even dribbling around on one knee, two knees, or on their bellies and butts.

And, the above comment — about my kids feeling they can do all those things — brings me to another part of this play that most coaches and parents will surely overlook…

You know, I always had a suspicion that someone like Wayne Gretzky was lucky to emerge from youth hockey to become the player he ultimately was.  (Did I get your attention with that one?).  My reason for saying that is because an awful lot of kids with superior talents get beaten down at the younger levels — they’re called “puck hogs” or whatever, and they’re subjected to all sorts of jealous attacks (mostly from parents of kids with about half the talent).  The fact is (at least to me), those highly skilled players are the models for which all the others should try to emulate.

Youth coaches also usually want every kid to unload the puck when THEY believe the time is right time.  The ironic thing is that Crosby (like lots of other highly skilled players) most likely had it in his mind all the while that he was going to set-up a teammate — in the end, and when the time was really right.  And, to that, I’ll add that we coaches (and the fans in the stands) have to be a little more trusting with the Crosby types (as the Pens’ coach obviously is).

Now, a 2-years ago, I had a very experienced assistant coach whisper to me his concerns that a certain forward on our junior high school team was creating his own plays during powerplay practice.  My reply, “Listen, we have structure in our powerplay for the sake of teaching, and for the sake of our average players.  And we give them plays just so they have a sense of some possibilities.”  I went on to explain that most teams die for a little guy like we were watching.  That youngster’s mind saw the game in a totally different way than most of his teammates, and he saw things that mere mortals never would.  So, I wasn’t about to squash that kind of creativity.  Oh, I’d still help the kid with his decision making, and encourage him to still be a good team player.  But, I wasn’t doing any of that to the point of turning him into a robot.

As a matter of fact, I’ve written elsewhere here that most teams (or at least most coaches) die to have a game-breaker floating around the ice when the chips are really on the line.  And, that’s what a guy like Crosby represents.  He can — and did — fabricate a scoring opportunity when there probably wasn’t otherwise going to be one.

If you sense what I’ve been REALLY getting at, though, it’s that all things are relative at the given levels of hockey, and that those game breaking kinds of players exist in our midst, from Mites to Midgets.  For sure, we have to help them learn to think the game rightly, and we want them to be good team players.  However, I’ll also suggest that we be careful about tampering with whatever it is that makes them different than most of our other players.  After all, robots and mere mortals are easy to come by; game breakers are quite another thing.

Spring Has Sprung for Hockey Players!

FINALLY! THAT VERY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT IS READY AT THE END OF THIS POST!

– Dennis Chighisola

Spring Has Sprung for Hockey Players!

Ya, spring has sprung – meaning that the regular hockey season is over for most North American amateurs, playoffs are done, and most kids have even completed their tryouts for next year’s teams.  This also, it seems to me, sparks another rather unusual occurrence.

You see, every year since I’ve been working on-line, I’ve noticed that hockey related cyber traffic dies-off a little (or even more than a little).  Oh, I can’t argue with those who feel they need a break after a long, grueling winter season.  At the same time, I have a slightly different take on this.

Actually, my suspicion is that only the “fringe hockey people” drop by the wayside when their hockey season ends.  Sure, the really-into-it ones also alter their activities this time of year, but self-improvement is still always present, if only in the backs of their minds.

Okay, so here are two short videos I did some time ago.  Please take a look…

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If you noticed, I placed a lot of emphasis on skill development, whether it be for younger players or more established ones.  For, considering that there are more than four months from now until next Labor Day (when most teams come together again), that represents enough time for serious players to make HUGE changes in their game.  And, I’ll suggest, the younger a player is, the more he or she can change.

In the case of young players – maybe beginners through Squirts/Atoms, I would emphasize improved skating, puckhandling and shooting skills.  I say this, because any improvement in those skills is going to jump a player beyond a lot of teammates and opponents.

I wouldn’t discount individual hockey skill training for older players.  However, since the (fine motor skills) die is pretty much cast for players beyond puberty, I always recommend that they devote more time to being able to do things faster, harder and longer.  In other words, they might work on speed development, undertake a strength program, and definitely work on their conditioning.

Okay, as for that special announcement…  I said awhile ago (in the “Coming” section), that I’d found a ton of great stuff that had been packed away during the office move I had to make last spring.  And, did I ever find some treasures buried deep in a few boxes.

Some of what I found will be introduced to members over coming weeks and months.  But, one special series of videos is going to go out via emails — to members and non-members alike.  (In the case of those non-members, my hope is that those who pass by here might discover how different CoachChic.com is from most other hockey sites.)

Finally, just to give you a hint of what to expect, those videos will take hockey players, parents and coaches from a glimpse at my long ago studies in the Soviet Union to a number of suggestions you’ll want to consider for your off-season training.  Enough said for now, though.  Just take the link below and you’ll be on your way to receiving them.

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As for that special announcement…  It’s a 7-part video series entitled “You Don’t Need Ice!”, and it’s all about the things dedicated players, coaches and parents might do to pass everyone else during the coming months.  And, my suggestion:  the sooner you receive and implement this valuable information, the more drastic those positive changes can be.

Now, I apologize to members that my sign-up form takes about 5-seconds to complete.  But, as you should know by now, there’s ALWAYS a method to The Old Coach’s madness! 

Please CLICK HERE to begin receiving your (every other day) installments of “You Don’t Need ice!”

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As always, I love your Comments (and they truly help me)!

Jerry Z versus “The Brute”!

Okay, this area of our site is meant to be fun.  When I created it, I envisioned members sharing their “experiences” in the game.  However, I never did picture an entry quite like the following.

– Dennis Chighisola

Jerry Z versus “The Brute”!

Now, most of you know Jerry as a hard working roller hockey player.  However, when I first introduced him — back in July of 2009, I said, “I’ll tell you a lot more about Jerry Z as time goes along.  As you’ll soon discover he’s a great personality, and you’re going to be pretty impressed with what he does for work.”

Well, all these months later, I’ll say that Jerry surely is an interesting guy.

He mainly works as a writer/composer for the video/movie industry. What you ought to really get a kick out of are a couple of Jerry’s sideline interests (beyond roller hockey).

Jerry and his brother Orrin, who’s an animator, host a site called “Its JerryTime!” from which the The Brute has been taken.  It’s an absolute riot, as are all of his videos, which are about his life.  (Actually, I had my own thoughts on how Jerry might deal with the so-called Brute, but…)

Oh, despite the fun he has in this and other videos, he’s no amateur when it comes to producing winners.  In fact, once you’ve seen the movie (popcorn not included), you can check out the reviews and awards “Its JerryTime” has garnered, including an Emmy Award!  Take a peek there, take a browse at Jerry’s site, and especially enjoy “The Brute!”

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The Role of a Centerman, Winger and Defenseman

The Role of a Centerman, Winger and Defenseman in Hockey
By Dennis Chighisola

I get asked about the above a lot – I mean, how I perceive the role of a hockey playing centerman, a winger or a defenseman.  Oh, as most CoachChic.com members probably know, I’m hardly ever at a loss for words (or for an answer to any hockey related question).  But, defining those terms presents a real challenge.  And, here’s why…

Until one gets into the real X’s and O’s of our game, he or she might believe that there is some generic way of playing.  In other words, every centerman – Mites to Pros – is asked to do the same things, both offensive and defensively.  And every winger and blueliner also plays close to the same game at every level.  Aaaaah, far from it…  In fact, teams that are well coached might even require players at similar positions to play very different roles.  (In other words, you know your local NHL team has a star forward who is probably given plenty of latitude to “do his thing”.  At the same time, there’s probably a “checking line” forward at the same position who has to perform an extremely different role.)

As an aside here, I recall having one member of the Esposito-Hodge-Cashman line (from Boston Bruins fame) visit my hockey school eons ago.  And, during a discussion session with all our campers, the guy told about how the trio began sharing the load according to what they each did best.  In other words, one guy was extremely good at digging in the corners, another was an awesome playmaker, and another could shoot like crazy.  So, they figured, why have guys worrying too much about their weaknesses, when playing mostly according to their strengths would make them very hard to contend with.

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I tell this story because I noticed a lot of youth teams in those years following suit – or at least trying to, despite the kind of talent they possessed.

Really, I don’t have a problem with a coach teaching very young kids something like I describe in “Implementing a Simple Forecheck – the L”.  As you’ll discover in the video, it’s a little like the way that old Bruin described his line’s distributing of the workload.  There is one exception, however, in that most amateur teams ask their players to share the load a little more evenly.  In other words – and like in my video, roles are filled according to which player can get the job done the quickest.  (Said yet another way, I’m not going to designate my left winger to go into the left offensive corner all the time; after all, sometimes he might be the furthest player from that area, and we just can’t wait for him.)

Now, I don’t mean to send you all over this website chasing different videos.  However, if the above video gave you a sense that THAT forecheck is the only one, take a look at a drastically different scheme I recommend to coaches of older teams…  For, “The 2-1-2 Forecheck” deploys players in totally different ways, and it has totally different objectives from the “L”.

Actually, there are countless forechecking systems, among them ones you’ve probably heard mentioned during NHL game telecasts – like, the “leftwing lock” and the “neutral zone trap”.  I might also mention that every coach on the planet tends to make subtle adjustments to whatever system he or she employs, so that something like Coach Smith’s “2-1-2 Forecheck” works a little (or a lot) differently than the one used by Old Coach Chic.

Then, just so those at the younger levels know, most fairly good high schools and then just about all junior, college and pro teams can use a different system for each game/opponent, or even several different forechecks within a given game.  (Down the road, I’m going to ultimately share a concept with the coaches of older teams, whereby adjustments are even made within each shift, so that decisions are made – according to certain criteria – as to which forecheck should be used.)

Okay, so I’ve mainly talked about forechecking here.  However, teams can also cover enemy rushes in different ways, and they can also assign players differently in their own end of the ice when their opponents control the puck there.  (Actually, if you want to know more about these different playing options, I invite you to go through a series of videos on the subject of team defense, beginning with “Checking – The Real Definition”.)

Now, there’s another reason I told that earlier story about the old Boston Bruins.  Because, for the longest time, it seems that Boston area youth teams also followed suit by slotting kids with certain skills into certain forward positions.  Ya, there always needed to be a sniper (or shooter) on one side, a mucker (or digger) on the other side, and then a fancy, play-making guy in the middle.

In most instances, I think a lot of higher level coaches now look at player roles quite differently.  I, for one, prefer to have a pretty strong guy playing the middle, mainly because he so often joins our defensemen to battle enemy attackers down low in our end.  (In other words, I usually look at my centermen as our third “D” out there.)  And, if you have some speed, I’m most likely going to get your wheels out into the wide open spaces (and make you a winger).

As another aside…  I perceive my purposes with a team mainly aimed at getting them to the next level.  So, I’m looking at a junior high kid and trying to figure how a high school coach will see him.  And, I’m looking at my best high school players and attempting to plot a way for them to continue playing into juniors or college.  Sometimes that requires a position change a kid’s previous coaches didn’t think about.  Again, though, that’s my (actually OUR) job.

Oh, before leaving the forward positions, let me also mention one other thing…  How fair do you think it is to ask a given player to work deep in his (or her) own zone – like helping the “D”, and then require him (or her) to be one of the first players down-ice to pressure the puck in an offensive corner?  Not very, huh?  I appreciate that problem in advance, and sort of expect that my centerman at least might frequently be one of the last guys into the offensive zone.  That’s also why my forechecking systems have forwards filling roles according to how quickly they can do each given job.

Funny that I should build some of this piece around the old “Big, Bad Bruins”.  For, when it comes to talking about defensemen, I think everyone will agree that Bobby Orr totally revolutionized that position.

I can’t argue with the (long-standing?) concept of pairing an offensive-minded defender with a defensive-minder one.  Do note that “minded” part, though.  I mean, some guys (or gals) just have something ticking inside of them that makes them love to lug the puck up-ice, while some tend to be a lot more conservative by nature.  So, pairing two players who might cover for each other seems a pretty smart thing to do.

That said, however, please don’t ever think ANY blueliner can play our game without REALLY good offensive skills.  I’m not necessarily talking about scoring potential here, or shooting ability, although both would be a plus.  What I am getting at is the need for ANY defenseman to be able to handle the puck under pressure – with his or her eyes up, and to be able to avoid enemy checkers, hit open teammates with good passes, or carry the puck up-ice when necessary.

As an aside to the thing about a defenseman’s offensive capabilities…  On a few occasions, I’ve needed to deal with a roster emergency by playing a forward at “D”.  And, much to my surprise, the forward often played as well as (or maybe even better than) some of our experienced defensemen.  Hmmmmm…

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I think one reason is the fact that a lot of young “D” are raised according to some really old (barbaric?) training methods.

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For example, did you know that the Czechs long ago did a study to discover just how often a defenseman skates backwards during a game?  And, while I can’t remember all the stats from that study, I can tell you that the “D” don’t skate backwards all that often.  Truth.  What I will suggest is that a defender mostly skates backwards at critical times.  So, while their lives aren’t spent back-pedaling, they may live or die on being able to handle 1 against 1 attacks pretty well.

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And this brings me back to the idea of a forward oftentimes being able to do very well in a defenseman’s role.  My thinking?  It’s because his puck-toting abilities are often far better than the defense-only-trained kids, and he is forever getting us (or the puck) out of trouble and out of our end of the ice.

Speaking of playing various numerical rushes…  There are and aren’t some generic ways to defend against them.  I say there are, because some time-tested methods suggest handling 1 on 1’s , 2 on 2’s or 3 on 3’s in certain ways.  However, there are really differing opinions on how to cover rushes like 2 on 1’s or 3 on 2’s – due to a coach’s preference, or maybe because an experienced player has a preference.  (I’ve even talked to an NHL defenseman who suggested that certain star opponents would cause him – and teammates – to play a given rush differently than normal.)

One final aside…  If you compared the two forechecks I’ve shown in the videos, you’ve likely noticed that I ask my defensemen to perform drastically different roles from one system to the other.  In the case of my older kids playing the 2-1-2, I’ve intentionally given them that system and encouraged them to pinch a lot.  Again, I’m thinking of the future for these kids, and I know it’s going to be easier for a future coach to rein-in an aggressive “D” as opposed to getting an inhibited kid to open-up and suddenly become aggressive.

Okay, so you stopped by this page for some answers, and all I’ve likely done is dump more questions into your lap.  Sorry ‘bout that.  If you’re a player or parent, what you should have discovered from the above is that the role of a given positional player is pretty much dictated by his or her coach.  Then, if you’re a coach, let me share a few more ideas…

- Within these pages you might see some articles and videos about my ‘09-‘10 Mighty Mites.  These kids had never played prior to coming together last fall, so I have NOT given them any type of “system”.  What I have noticed, however, is that these kids have oftentimes solved problems on their own.  I mean, I’ve watched them learn to spread-out, and I’ve noticed a bunch of the kids gaining their own sense of where the puck might be going next.  (It really has been a learning experience for this old coach to see those things come about.)  On rare occasions, I’ve suggested something to the kids, but we’ve never had the opportunity to practice team-type stuff.  (My kids only practice within the skills session known as my Learn-to-play clinic.)

- I am just completing tryouts for my Bandits AAA Mite Major team, and I’m still wrestling about what I’ll do in the way of a system for them next season.  For sure, I owe them some structure to play within.  So, while I have plenty of time to think further on this, here’s what I’m considering right now…  I will probably make it a requirement that parents and players study that series of “checking” videos together.  I can’t see a better of way for them to all gain a really firm grasp of the game’s basic defensive principles.  From there, I am wrestling between the “L” and the “2-1-2”.  And, I just might have to give you a further update once I’ve decided.

- My NEHI junior high school kids played two different systems this past winter.  The “2-1-2” is sort of a staple for my teams, mainly because most of their high school coaches will use some variation of that.  The other forecheck was an extremely conservative one (my own version of a 1-4) that actually shut-down some really powerful teams.  The only reason I used that, by the way, was so the kids could discover other forechecks exist, and so they also get the chance to think the game a little bit differently.  (A lot of what I call “pond skaters” are going to be going to the same tryouts my kids will, and those pond skaters usually can’t skate and think at the same time.)

- My High School Prep squad likewise used the “2-1-2” (for the reason stated above), and they also used a more conservative “1-2-2”.

- Then, for laughs, I ought to tell you that my last college teams played a system I borrowed from the old Soviets.  The rough idea of that system actually has been — over the past few years — the rage in international play, and dubbed the “Torpedo”.  I don’t have the space to go into that at this time.  But, if we return to the original theme for this article, you can imagine how “un-generic” playing roles must have been if I had only two forwards – a #1-man and a #2-man, two halfbacks, and then a middle (or “stopper”) “D”. 

Ya, let me say it again…  There really is no generic way to play our game.

Women’s Hockey and That Next Step

Women’s Hockey and That Next Step
By Todd Jacobson

I’ve been coaching women’s high school varsity hockey now for seven seasons, and in those seven seasons I’ve seen a game grow by leaps and bounds.

The first season I coached a team I spent a lot of time going out and watching the “good” teams of that time. I noticed almost the same thing with all the top level teams, and I came to one conclusion:  one goal scorer, one decent defenseman and an above average goalie gave you a shot at winning a state championship.

Now, seven years later, what I notice is that you need depth at every position. You need a goal scorer on your top two lines, you need good puck handling playmakers on those lines, as well as what I call a “pest”.  (A “pest” is a player who just loves to skate hard and cause havoc on the forecheck, that allowing the other players to put the puck in the net.) You need a third line of kids who will work hard defensively every time they hit the ice. Anything they get offensively is a positive, but mainly their job is to keep the opponents off the board and giving the top lines the chance to rest. On defense you need solid defensive defensemen, you need playmaking or rushing defensemen as well (and having 5 of them would be nice). A solid goaltender is what every team in the state tournament has. A decent backup is good to have as well. When a team has this type depth and skill at each position they can be considered a contender.

What am I getting at with all the info provided in the previous paragraph?  Depth is happening on every team.  Actually, even the weaker teams have depth. The talent pool for women’s hockey is getting deeper, which means more competition for spots on a roster. Players who would have been varsity second liners seven years ago are now honing their trade on the JV rosters across the state.

I can say that women’s high school hockey is where the boys’ sport was 30 years ago, in the sense that the player pool is getting deeper and the players are more skilled.  Every player is now looking for an edge on the competition.  And the one thing that sticks out for me, when watching the teams around the state, is STRENGTH!  The best players I see, year in and year out, are all strong on their feet, strong while controlling the puck, strong while digging-in in front of the net, and strong while moving players in front of the goal.

Thirty years ago the men were starting to lift weights and hit the gyms at their schools. Strength became more evident in the best players, and more evident when separating players in a tryout. So, I find some truth in the statement, “Only the strong survive.”  In fact, the farther you go up the playing ladder, the stronger the players are.

If you watched any of the recent Olympic women’s hockey, every player was strong, every player could shoot. I must have seen three or four segments of USA women’s Olympic coach Mark Johnson’s off ice and weight room regiment. These women trained more and trained harder in the gym than they did on the ice.

Watching the women’s Division I college championship this past weekend, you could see the same thing, strength.

So, if you want to play at that next level, or you want to be a player who sticks out at the high school level, the gym and the weight room might be your best friend. I think that the weight room can make a good player better.  It just takes a little time, and the will power to stick with it.  With that, the results will definitely be evident.  Remember, the playing pool is getting deeper, which means that a little extra edge might make the difference in where you find yourself on next year’s depth chart.

Beginner Knee Touches

I promised last week that I’d provide a follow-up to the “Beginner Boards Bumps“, as soon as I could gather some video footage.  So, here goes…

– Dennis Chighisola

Beginner Knee Touches

Now, I’d like to share with you something I’ve noticed over a lot of years, in that some players topple over easily in games, while others seem to find a way to right themselves and continue moving onward.

I know, you’re not thinking that’s anything real earth-shaking.  However, let me explain that in another way…

I think a lot of kids just don’t know how to pull themselves back on-balance.  So, once they’re put just a little off-balance, they give-up.  And, that’s the learning experience I try to give my players — youngest to oldest — with a drill I call “Knee Touches”.

The photo to the right shows my beginner — Learn-to-skate –group performing that drill.  As with lots of other such drills, we practiced this for many weeks in a brief off-ice session just before we took to the ice.  (We practice lots of other introductory-type drills in that off-ice “SkateDrill” format, because the rubber flooring provides a slightly more stable surface for them to initially experiment upon.)  Before you click on the photo to see my little ones in action, understand that I’ve asked them to slowly touch alternate knees to the ice WITHOUT USING THEIR HANDS.  Of course, as you’ll see, the kids have varying success with that part of the drill. 

The next photo once again shows those Knee Touches, this time with my slightly more advanced group — the Learn-to-play kids, performing them.  Clicking on the thumbnail will show my little guys and gals in action.  As you watch, try to envision a youngster being put slightly off-balance during game action.  Like doing the drill, a player in a game really does have the choice between lazily falling or tightening his or her core muscles and rising back to action.  So, watch for that if you will, before going on.

Now, you may have sensed that this was coming, in that I am going to suggest that there is very often a mental component as a player wobbles.  In other words, while there is surely a lot of physical wrestling going on as a player teeters, I’m here to say that there are also some subconscious forces at play.

Please think about what I’m saying…  The little guy in the above photo may have been tripped-up or knocked off-balance in the game action.  As this happens, he surely will try to get back up.  However, besides the physical, there’s something going on inside him that involves a quick thought process.   Okay, click on the above photo to see the Knee Touch drill in slow-motion.

Finally, as you’ll recall, this brief series came about as I tried to troubleshoot a problem with my young Mighty Mites.  Ya, they’re only little guys, and they’re not all that experienced.  So, I figured I could give my kids a huge advantage if they could stay on their feet more often than their opponents.  Repetitive bumps again the boards gave them tons of experience in dealing with collisions, but I think that drill is more physical than anything else.  From there, having the kids constantly rise and lower themselves — and giving them the choice between falling or righting themselves — gets a little more into the mental side of this problem.  In a way, I think my kids get mentally tougher with this drill, or maybe they gain a sense that they actually do have a choice oftentimes between falling or getting quickly back into the action.

PS:  If our Learn-to-play and Mighty Mite seasons went much longer, I’d bring the older group to the next progression of this drill, which has the kids skating down one stretch of the rink and doing those Knee Touches while they’re moving.  Far down the road, this drill is combined with puckhandling.

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It’s quite possible you want to question me on this entry, particularly when it comes to my making such a big deal of out what I see as a mental component to falling or not.  That’s okay, though…  And I’d love to discuss that right here with you.

Who is Your REAL Hockey Competition?

I owe the following to two great CoachChic.com members, and two guys I really appreciate for being so active here.

You see, both Craig and Mike have very talented little 4-year old boys who I suspect will be extremely good players down the road.

(I hope other members take notice of the above, because I would love to focus some of my articles and videos towards YOUR specific needs!)

The other reason — and it’s important to my story — is that they live about 3000-miles apart.  (Yes, this will be significant as I get into the meat of my message.)

Okay, hoping that I’ve caused you to scratch your head a little about what I’ve said to this point, let me now get into a very serious discussion…

– Dennis Chighisola

PS:  Although I’ve just mentioned young players as my inspiration, the following is really intended for very competitive players.

Who is Your REAL Hockey Competition?

At least once per season, I sit down with my Team NEHI players to discuss something of supreme importance.  Oh, they might not all believe me when I paint my little picture.  But, I can guarantee them that’s it’s going to prove true.

I might also mention here — to my faithful CoachChic.com members — that my kids tend to be with me because they’re serious about the game (and their parents are also willing to give them a chance to SANELY follow a dream).

What I try to convey to them is that they don’t really know their future competition, or the guys (or gals) they’ll ultimately compete with for a spot on a high level team.

This can be so — even at the high school level — if my kids are going to a private, Catholic or prep school.  But it’s even more so if they someday hope to claim a spot on a junior team or in college.  (And, while my aim isn’t to put anyone into the pros — that kind of thing tends to take care of itself, what I’m about to explain is surely going to be true about each year’s NHL draft.)

I can recall one of my talks during our weekly discussion session a few years  ago…  I drew the attention of my top players at that time, suggesting that there was another 16-year old kid in Moscow — at that very moment — who was also dreaming of the spot they hoped for.  And I went on to describe what that Russian boy might be doing right then — maybe pumping iron, maybe running steep hills, maybe shooting 100 pucks.

I went on further to suggest that everyone wants things to different degrees.

Stories about under-privileged boxing prospects certainly abound, and it should make sense that some of them have/had every reason to give every ounce of their being to succeed.

Actually, there’s a famous story about hockey’s Sutter Family…  Evidently, when they were young, an early exit from their respective playoffs meant the boys had to report home early to toil on the family’s farm.  That kind of work wasn’t fun, I guess, so each of them busted their buns to live just one more day at a hockey rink.

I’m sure you get my point, in that there can be some huge motivational forces working for some athletes, while a lot of kids can take or leave their dreams.  (I’m not suggesting here that dreams aren’t important to all kids; what I am suggesting is that there’s a huge difference between losing and still having a great life, or losing to live in poverty, whatever.)

What I always try to convey to my Team NEHI guys is the size of the hockey talent pool nowadays.  In other words, where most higher level positions in our game were taken by Canadians and Americans a generation ago, hockey is now being played to a high level in countless nations.

Just to make the latter point, you might find it interesting that Anthony Chic was sitting-in on some of those bull sessions a few years back.  And, as he grew in the game, my words came true at every step up the ladder…

By the time he reached a local Catholic high school, that school’s hockey roster was dotted with kids from about 20 different towns.  And, while he probably knew a few of those players, I’d be willing to bet that he’d never before seen most of them.

Of course, when he went to prep school, the talent pool widened all the more, with candidates coming from all over New England (and, as I recall, even one Scandinavian country).

Now, at this writing, Tony C is at a small, Division II college.  Yet, my earlier advice still rings true…  There, players from all over the US and Canada are vying for positions each year, and there’s even a forward on the squad from Japan.  (Ya, just think about it…  While I was giving that talk to a young Anthony and his teammates years ago, there was a boy in the Far East — at that very moment — working to claim the same slot Anthony was hoping for.)

Finally — about Tony C…  He is probably going to want to try his hand at a little pro hockey after graduation.  I don’t think he’s ever put that ahead of his true aims, one being to work in a pro front office someday.  But, if and when he does enter a professional tryout camp, you can be sure his competition won’t come from just down the street (like in Whitman, Ma).  Naw…

Okay, so let’s return to those two 4-year olds…  Thankfully, I can tell that both dads have their heads on straight, in keeping with my preferred “sane” approach to climbing the hockey ladder.  (In other words, I truly believe one can “have a life” while also working toward some future dream.)

I also want to point-out that we’ve had some fun exchanges here at CoachChic.com, with Craig and Mike and I going back and forth with various training ideas.  So, in that regard, they — or their boys — aren’t really in competition with each other — YET.  Yup, I’m going to suggest right now that it’s conceivable young Sam and Chris could actually meet someday down the road.  (From what I’ve said, do you doubt it’s possible?)

I guess what I’m really trying to suggest here is that a dreaming young player not be toooooo satisfied that he or she is the best on a local team, or one of the best in a local league.  Again, his or her real competition is likely hidden away somewhere, and not to be seen until years down the road, when it’s time to fight for a most desirable roster slot.

Finally, here’s a suggestion on how I’d use the above information…

Just knowing this should be helpful to Craig and Mike as dads of very young ones.  Again, just salt it away, guys, and keep it in the backs of your minds.  A little bit at a time, though — and as players (or parents see their youngsters) climb the hockey ladder, I think it’s a very good idea to think more and more about what I’ve said.  Hey, I’ve seen it come true countless times, and our shrinking hockey world seems likely to make it more and more probable.

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As I said in the beginning, I really enjoy your feedback, input and questions.
So, please DO join-in here!

Bergeron Burns Pronger

By Dennis Chighisola

Just a short time ago I critiqued another spectacular (minor league) pro goal in a little more detail.  So, I highly recommend that you take a look at what I titled “Good Offense or Bad Defense?”. I think you’ll find it interesting, and a very good introduction to the things I plan to address here.

As for that Pratrice Bergeron match-up with Chris Pronger, let me begin by stating that both of these guys are among the best in the world.  But, that’s going to be part of my point, in that even the very best slip-up.  (My guess is that some digging would probably uncover another video showing Pronger taking advantage of Bergeron.  Ya, to me, it just tends to work that way.)

That said, let’s get to the video (thanks to YouTube, the National Hockey League and NESN)…

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Now, I’ve said it often here – that great puckhandlers – or real “danglers” — can sometimes mesmerize good defenders.  And, Bergeron versus Pronger – at least in this instance – surely makes that point.  I think it’s pretty obvious that Pronger commits a cardinal sin as a defensive player, as Bergeron (somehow) causes him to look down at the puck.

So, here’s more of what I want to convey at this time…  I’ve known and worked with a lot of pro defensemen through the years, and I can tell you that guys who reach the status of a Chris Pronger are overly aware of their need to focus on their man’s body (their chest, their jersey logo, whatever).  And I can tell you that those guys also constantly work on their 1 on 1’s in practice.  I mean, it’s THAT important for them to make that play correctly in their games, mainly because it’s a huge part of what solid “D” do.

All that said, why is it that I so often get that eyes-glazing-over look as I talk to young defenders about their 1 against 1 skills?  Oh, I have a good hunch here…  It seems to me that young blueliners – as well as young forwards – sincerely believe they can turn it on and turn it off in a game.  Or, despite the fact they’re looking down or lunging at pucks in practice, I think many young players believe they can just change their ways once a game starts.

That’s not true, of course.  There’s little time to think in the heat of battle, so most of what players do happens instinctively.  Or, using the latest coaching terminology, they need to “read” a given play and then instantly “react” in the correct way.

Knowing my stuff when it comes to motor learning and such, I’ll suggest that a player usually reacts in a way that corresponds to whatever he or she has done the most in the past.  In other words, if the defender has been lazy in some practices – and works sometimes rightly, sometimes wrongly, there’s a pretty good chance his or her game play will reflect that.

Returning to Pronger again, let me say that he could play for me — any day.  And I’m guessing most pro GMs feel the same.  Yet, with all Pronger knows, and with all the thousands of times he’s likely practiced the right way to handle an oncoming attacker, we have him caught on video getting pretty much undressed by Bergeron.  Ya, as I said earlier, even an experienced defender can sometimes be mesmerized by a dangler.

And this all brings me to the real reason I’ve written this piece…  My hope is that hockey coaches and parents will show this post to any young defensemen (and even forwards) they have the chance to influence.  Actually, I’m going to do the same for my Team NEHI guys.  Hey, we have to figure that if a guy as good as Pronger can get burned, well…

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Do you have any feelings on the above?  I love your comments, ya know!

Scoring on Breakaways or Shootouts

There’s usually a history to just about everything I do.  So, here’s the background to the video I’ll show you in just a little while…

A few years ago, a mom who was regularly bringing her two sons to The MOTION Lab happened to mention the fact that one son was having real difficulties on breakaways.  Being well aware of the way I tease shooters who put pucks into a goaltender’s belly, she joked that, “He hits the goalie every time!”

That little guy was a skilled player (even though only 7-years old), so I knew talent wasn’t the issue.  I then promised the mom that I’d think on the problem for awhile, and I’d see if I could arrive at a solution.

– Dennis Chighisola

Scoring on Breakaways or Shootouts

Now, one problem on such a play can be that the skater looks down at the puck too much, thereby preventing him or her from really seeing the options ahead.

The next problem — even if the player does look up while approaching the net, is that he or she might not know what to do if the goaltender acts in one way or another.  And, that “one way or another” thing usually refers to his or her either coming far out of the net to cut-down the shooter’s angle, or backing-up (possibly because he or she isn’t confident about leaving the safety of the net).

As an aside here…  I’ve worked plenty with goal-scorers and goalers from beginners to pros, and I can tell you that some of what I just said changes drastically at the college and professional levels.  There’s a cat and mouse game going on between elite attackers and goaltenders, with the goalies oftentimes even showing an opening and then quickly taking it away as the attacker readies to shoot.

Things are usually quite different at the younger levels.  I mean, just as I said in my video on “Creating the Early Goal-scorer“, the littlest goalies have all they can do to move around in their bulky gear.  And, as that difficulty wanes with age, players up through high school might even fear leaving the safety of their net, or they just might not move very well.

Okay, so I promised that mom from the Lab that I’d arrive at an answer for her son.  And, that I did…

What I did was create a DVD that could be plunked in one of our Lab players for my students to watch.  Actually, that was our first step — having them just watch the video so that they could get a firm grasp of the decision process required in “reading” young goaltenders.  As the following video will explain, a goalie coming far out of his or her net (shown on the left) likely doesn’t show much visible net to shoot at.  On the other hand, a goaler who has backed-up into his or her net (shown to the right) is going to show a lot of open spots to shoot for.  So, the decision is pretty simple:   if the goalie comes-out, the attacker should make a fake to one side and then tuck the puck in on the other side; if the goalie backs far in, the attacker should pick an open corner and nail it with a shot.

Of course, leave it to me to make a drill even more challenging or more realistic.  And, to do this, I had my kids spread-out in an area in front of the DVD player to dribble small balls as they watched the video.  Ya, just picture that, as they dribbled — needing to keep their eyes up — and make the right calls, to either shoot or deke.

Okay, so now you ought to watch that video to get a sense of what it’s about.  I’ll have a few more comments at the bottom.

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Now, although there are physical skills involved here (especially if the viewer is dribbling a ball or puck), the above video is really intended as a mental exercise.  In other words, a skater has the opportunity to practice his or her “reads” of a goaltender countless times on his or her own.  And that’s what I’m suggesting, feeling that the player’s ability to ultimately react correctly in these situations will improve with each viewing (or each practice).

I pray that there’s a safe space in front of your computer where a player could do as my students do in The MOTION Lab, dribbling a ball and keeping the eyes up while reading each situation.

Oh, one other thing…  Although a very young player was the inspiration for the above video, I would highly recommend it for those at least up through Pee Wees, as well as for adult players.

Finally, I have a special treat for CoachChic.com members…  The downloadable version of this video is going to be kept available to you in the *Gifts section for the month of March, 2010.  In that way you might save it, burn it to a CD (whatever), and use it on numerous computers long after it’s removed from this site.  (This entry will always remain here, and the downloadable version may be made available periodically in the future.)  Oh, and I’ve added yet another bonus tip over in the members’ section, this about how an attacker should hold the puck on his or her way in towards the net.

Good luck!

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I would REALLY like your feedback on this post, especially after you’ve had a chance to try the video program.

A Little History to The MOTION Lab

The background to the following conversation actually started several days ago over on my blog, Coach Chic’s Hockey Diary*. I encourage you to scan those two articles, and especially the videos contained in the second one.  For your convenience, here are the two article links:

1. Why My Work Is So Different
2. The Special Sport Clubs

I also mentioned in both articles the fact that the seeds for The MOTION Lab stemmed from my getting to see and gain appreciation for the special sport clubs during my studies in the old Soviet Union.

– Dennis Chighisola

* I might suggest you subscribe to my blog, because it is now a new part of CoachChic.com

A Little History to The MOTION Lab

The following video makes some great points I’d like to build upon after you’ve heard Dr Yessis’ interview.

Once again we can thank YouTube.com and a noted authority for sharing such great advice.  Now, as for that advice…

Near the end of that interview, Dr Yessis makes a pretty strong push for something akin to special sports clubs, as well as using qualified coaches and other specialists to staff them.

However, while he didn’t state it directly, my guess is that he’d also suggest that given athletes be guided by a single entity (either by and individual or by a staff).

My reason for raising this point stems from watching a lot of pretty high level hockey programs in my area who don’t really do that.  In other words, the instruction is fragmented — between a head coach, a separate staff of skills coaches, and maybe a fitness instructor.

Let me explain that in another way…  A head coach obviously oversees a team during their practices and games.  And I’ll suggest that he (or she) is the one person who knows what the kids’ strengths and weaknesses are – as individuals and as a group.  From there, his kids report to a weekly skills session where the special coaches seldom have any understanding of what those kids are experiencing in their games.  Sure, some of the generic type drills that are usually run in these sessions might be good for the kids.  However, the skills instructors may never touch upon the kids’ true needs.  And I think the same can be said for the strength or fitness instructor, in that he or she probably isn’t privy to the players’ true needs.

Oh, by the way, I have heard an explanation as to why some organizations like things as I just described.  What they seem to believe is that a “variety” of coaches will serve the kids well.  Hmmmmmm…

That said, about a decade ago I gave some really serious thought to the way I would put my Team NEHI program together.  And, what I decided was that I wanted our skills to fit with the things we were trying to do in our practices and games, and I wanted our dryland and in-line training to support our on-ice practices, skills and games.

Oh, and long-time members should be familiar with my constant note-taking, as well as the way it helps me design my future practices – of any kind.  Of course, I have the luxury of using those notes — three times per week.  On the other hand, part-time skills and fitness coaches never get to take notes about game problems.

If you’d like an example of what I’m talking about here, let’s consider the powerplay…  For sure, this requires some special individual skills, and they’re not usually the kinds of skills a team can spend LOTS of time on in a traditional practice.  Just to name a few, I might suggest games of keepaway – of all different numerical combinations, shooting off a pass, one-touch passing and saucer passing.  So, my weekly skills deal with these, and I even spend some of our off-ice training time on those skills.

That’s not the only reason my way of doing things seems to work better.  For, I am always watching individual players for their unique needs.  Actually, I alluded to this in my article entitled “The Effects of Growth Spurts on Hockey Players”.  In that piece I explained how I communicated with those kids and their parents, and I also mentioned a few drills I put into our skills and off-ice sessions to help them through that sometimes difficult period.

So again, if you can see what I mean, my practices are all tied together, with each supporting the others.  And, I’ll suggest that the only way that kind of continuity can really take place is if one guy (or gal) oversees the team’s development.  Actually, I’m also going to suggest that Dr Yessis’ idea about having select players train in some sort of club atmosphere would have this happen – with either an individual or a staff following the development of each player.

As for The MOTION Lab…  I think I built that about 5-years ago.  And, after some experimentation with private students and small groups, I decided to incorporate it into my Team NEHI program.  However, not wanting to overburden my players and their families by adding another training session to their fall and winter schedule, I decided to bring them to the Lab during our off-season.

Now, I might change things a little this coming season, but…  I usually bring the teams into the Lab in late May.  This is the first time the new groups gather, and they’ll be with me until either late November (when the high schoolers leave) or late April (when the junior high team’s league ends).  The length of time I have them affords me the chance to take a long-range approach – as in, slow and steady wins the race.  That in mind, I use the Lab to start building some of the background skills my kids will need by the time they go to our occasional summer ice-time or to our outdoor sprint and agility sessions.

Once again, though, if you can see what I mean, everything pretty much fits – from the spring Lab to the summer programs to our late summer camp, and then to our fall and winter season.

Then, one final thought…  Every so often I will have a parent within our Team NEHI group who will believe that more is better.  In other words, even though their youngster practices three times per week and plays a weekly game with us, they’ll still use what should have been a few let-the-body-rest days to get their kids extra training.  Ugh.  Here we go again with that fragmented kind of training.  And, no matter how good the other trainer might be, it’s likely that the best drills in the world aren’t going to help the youngster.  In fact, I’ve seen some pretty good players caught in this, and they’ve usually come to a near standstill under such conditions.  As often, I’ve seen some kids with great promise just not fulfill their expectations.

Beginner “Boards Bumps”

By Dennis Chighisola

A lot of this piece is really about troubleshooting, because it’s such a huge part of what we coaches and parents have to do for the sake of our young players.

Actually, I’m constantly on the lookout for problems in my kids’ games (no matter their age).  And, I’ve mentioned often to you how I’d make either mental notes (or more often, written ones) as I observed my young Mighty Mites at play.

Anyway, over one short stretch early in our season I noticed that those little guys needed more help with their stability.  Oh, they are only 4- to 7-years old, and they are just beginners, so they’re expected to take their spills (even if someone opens a door to allow a gust of wind to knock them down – ).

Still, there are cures for such things.  And, while I was able to fall back on a couple of my old standbys for this problem, I’d have invented something if it had to come to that.

Now, I’m going to save the other drill until I can get some footage to show you.  In the meantime, let me show you an introductory body-checking drill I call Boards Bumps.

To the right you can see my little guys moving very close to the boards.  They are actually coasting along and periodically bumping against the boards.  The idea is to allow them to gain the feel of bumping – or being bumped.  They’ll usually wobble a little with each bump, and they’ll sometimes even fall.  But again, the idea is to give them repetitive opportunities to “feel” the bumps, and to learn how to adjust to each.

A little at a time, they’ll learn to spread their skates slightly (for a wider base), and to sit a little lower (for a lower center of gravity).  We coaches will constantly remind them to do those things as they pass by, and we’ll also constantly remind them to keep two hands on their sticks with their sticks down on the ice.

You should know that there is/was a lead-up drill to the one you’re going to see here.  In that one, each player stood next to the boards, assumed a good strength posture, and then bumped the boards 5-times.  After resting for a few seconds, each player would then turn and bump the boards with his or her other shoulder.  And, on their own, the kids would continue to do that as we coaches moved among them to provide feedback.

As an FYI…  The above drill can be done off-ice and at home, in the event a parent wants to help his or her child behind the scenes.  There’s nothing better than to have your own young one (or older one) being the only player standing after an on-ice collision.

Okay, now that you have the gist of it, the next photo is linked to a video that will open in a new window.  Notice that the kids are just getting the hang of this – actually, all of them are at different levels right now, mainly because they vary so much in age.

Finally, I’d like to remind you again about our need to constantly troubleshoot the problems our kids are having.  And, if ever you have any difficulties solving a problem, well…  That’s why you have me here.

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Please DO add your Comments or questions below!

Championship Time for Seniors

Let’s just call this a gift – from the Mental Edge and CoachChic.com – to YOU.  Good luck, seniors (and this might also be some awesome food for thought to those who will be seniors in the not-too-distant future).

– Dennis Chighisola

Shaun Goodsell, MA – President and CEO of Mental Edge

Championship Time for Seniors

Playoffs for the winter sports season are either happening as I write or about to happen. Teams all begin the playoff run with hopeful expectations, and optimism about their chances for a title. The reality is that more will watch as observers while a few compete for the chance at a title. This article is going to focus on those seniors that will have their seasons, and for some, their careers come to an end. This is always a splash of cold water directly in the face that nobody can really prepare for. For that reason I want to give those that experience this some tips as you grieve the loss of the experience of participating in a sport that you have invested countless hours and sacrificed beyond belief for.

First, take some time and go over your career. Highlight quality moments for yourself. See if you can come up with a couple of your favorite times and carry those with you. In our society we do not take enough time to reflect on periods of time in our lives that provide us stepping-stones for transition and change. I am quite sure that during reflection you will realize that competing has left a mark on you with life lessons and values that will help you create success the rest of your life.

Second, create your sports résumé. If someone were to ask you what your accomplishments were as an athlete be prepared to turn your sports experience into working capital in life. For example, what kind of commitment and work ethic did you bring to your sport? What did you learn about yourself as a leader? How did you respond to adversity and what have you taken away about the value of intentional and focused practice? These are all skills and values that not only translate to success in your sport but in other interests as well.

Third, think about what the next activity or interest you are going to invest in. I believe that investing our time, talent, and passion is important as we dedicate ourselves to learn about ourselves and look to master skills, work cooperatively with others, and set goals for ourselves that challenge us. There is much to be said about reinvesting ourselves.

In life it is important to transition from one thing to another without regret or resentment. Celebrate your successes and use them as springboards to your next stage of life. For all the seniors that have had seasons and possibly careers end this year, thank you for your commitment. I have watched and been inspired by many of you. I wish you well as you move to your next stage of life.

If we can help you take your sports experience and turn it into success in life let us know, 763-439-5246. It is true that success leaves a trail.

Shaun

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Please DO add your Comment below (I honestly think this article warrants it).

Use the Olympics as a Learning Experience (A Follow-up)

Just as all sportsmen (and sportswomen) take a little break from their normal routines each time the Olympic Games roll around, I’ve sorta done that here at CoachChic.com.  Ya, I may have held-off on some of the usual types of posts and videos, just because I felt it was appropriate to catch what we could from the Olympic action while the time was right.

Due to the many and varied TV offerings, and due to our very differing schedules, I’m guessing we all watched very different sports (beyond ice hockey, I mean).  Sometimes – even when we’re not really into a given sport, there’s a personal story or something else intriguing enough to cause us to follow an event we know little about.

And it’s that last part – about us getting into the lives and training methods of non-hockey athletes that I was at least partially alluding to in the first installment of “Use the Olympics as a Learning Experience”, as well as during the follow-up I did on Apolo Ohno, entitled “Games! Games! More Games!”. I know I learned a lot from watching whatever speed skating event I could.  And I’m hoping my friends here also gathered a lot from the videos I posted about Ohno and an aerial skier named Ryan St. Onge.  Ya, the average hockey player, parent and coach isn’t ordinarily exposed to such insight as was contained in those videos, so that’s why I wanted to warn you ahead of time, to be on the lookout for those up close and personal type segments.

Okay, most of my recent posts had to do with slightly related sports.  So, before holding our own closing ceremonies here, I thought I’d take just a little time to talk some serious hockey.

– Dennis Chighisola

Use the Olympics as a Learning Experience

In all honesty, there are probably only a couple of places where we can gather solid advice about playing the game smartly.

Of course, I’ll suggest that CoachChic.com is the best place of all! 

Another avenue might have you a searching through a kzillion websites to find whatever you feel you need.

Then, although it’s catch as catch can, TV telecasts can actually help us gather insight into the way hockey is thought at its highest levels.  What I’m really getting at are those little tidbits of advice offered by analysts or color commentators.  And, the more that’s at stake, the more you’ll tend to hear some really good stuff.

For sure, most of the Olympic hockey broadcasts featured games with a lot on the line.  So, even an old war horse like yours truly paid close attention to what the analysts were saying.

Just thinking back to some of those games now, I’m finding it interesting the way – or the timing of — such insight comes about.

I mean, prior to each game we learned what the two teams had to do in order to be successful, and we sometimes were made privy to what the commentators felt were the strengths and weaknesses of each team.  That, I thought, was great information – not only for fans – but for us coaches.  For, you can be sure that whatever was shared with us came from good sources – such as the coaches or other higher-ups from each team.  Some of what we heard mirrors the way serious coaches have to approach important games, taking into account their opponent’s stronger and weaker players, as well as their overall strengths, weaknesses and playing style.

Perhaps at given breaks during a game, the analysts also provided us thoughts about the adjustments the two combatants were going to have to make.  And, I’ll suggest that their comments weren’t very much unlike what was going on in the minds of the two opposing coaches and their surrounding brain trusts.  Periodic adjustments ARE important to our game, you know, and this has to do with personnel changes, and well as tactical and strategic adaptations.

Aaaaaah, late in a game – and particularly late in a very tight game – is when we frequently hear some of the really good stuff.  In such situations every little thing matters, and every little execution or non-execution can spell the difference in the game’s outcome.

Lastly, a game’s recap can sometimes be telling.

Okay, so how about some of the things were heard said over the past week?

• I know that very much was made about corner play during the late stages of the Gold Medal Game.  In other words, the very experienced minds of the analysts evidently viewed the winning or losing of those little, isolated battles as critical to either team’s ultimate success.
• On numerous occasions over the past week I heard comments about how critical play would be in the areas surrounding each blue line.  Ha, that’s also a biggie to me, and it’s actually one of my “Rules for Winners” (these now on the CoachChic.com drawing board and planned for released later this month).  Partly, this is a territorial thing, in that it truly matters if a team is able to attain the attacking zone, or able to chip the puck out of their own defensive end.  As critical – at least in my eyes – is the danger of making a mistake with the puck as one carries over either blue line.  For sure, a turn-over high in your own zone can be a killer.  However, I’ve seen just as much damage done when an attacker loses the puck while trying to enter the rival’s zone.
• That latter point is also tied to something else we heard often, as in each team’s need to prevent odd-man rushes – like 2 on 1’s, 3 on 2’s or even breakaways.
• If you can recall, much was made about play in the all-important slot area.  Ya, against great goaltending, a team isn’t likely to score unless they have bodies and sticks moving in front of the net.  Moreover, I recall an awful lot of goals being scored on rebounds, which means that at least some offensive players were driving hard to the net and looking to pounce on the loose pucks.  And, of course, there was as much made of the need for defending teams to get adequate coverage in front of their net.
• Speaking of goaltenders…  A commentator at least hinted that the Canadian netminder might have been slightly off his game during the Gold Medal match.  So, his suggestion was for the US Team to put as many shots on-goal as possible.  Personally, this one irks me at times – with my own teams, especially when my guys fiddle too much and try to make perfect plays against a goalie who is obviously struggling.

Okay, so I mentioned early-on that all this stuff was great fodder for a coach.  In reality, however, it’s just as valuable for a player and a hockey parent to absorb, appreciate and understand these kinds of things.  You’ll hear me mention it often within these pages, that highlight reel skills will usually get a player noticed, while hockey smarts is what usually get a player’s name called when the chips are on the line.  Oh, and while all of the above had to do with the Olympics, I’ll suggest that your local NHL telecasts can contain just as much valuable information; we just have to realize the opportunity is there, and then listen carefully for the good stuff.

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As always, I’m dying to know what you think, or if you heard anything good that I may have missed!

Games! Games! More Games!

Not that I needed any incentive to tackle this topic but, legendary Boston University hockey coach, Jack Parker, expressed my feelings (exactly) in a recent interview with The Boston Globe.

The real question posed to Parker had to do with the recent decline in the number of Massachusetts guys found on Division I college rosters, as well as on recent Team USA squads.  In other words, the Globe writer was asking Coach Parker what he thought might be the cause of this.

Oh, I’m not going to give you the answer to that one so quickly, instead coming in by the back door as I sometimes do here.

– Dennis Chighisola

Games! Games! More Games!

If you haven’t yet had a chance to see the YouTube video I posted recently on how Apolo Ohno prepared for Vancouver’s Olympic Games, I highly recommend it to you.  Besides being appropriate to the following topic, TIME’s Sean Gregory did an awesome job putting that piece together.

If you’re in a hurry, though, Eric Johnson — of KOMO Seattle – also does an excellent job in another YouTube video, this one following Ohno through a typical daily workout in Olympic training (with different exercises than shown in the other video).  Have a look, if you would, because it’s going to set the tone for the rest of this piece…

Next, we get the chance to follow TIMEs’s Sean Gregory again, this time as he follows World Champion aerial skier Ryan St. Onge…

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Now, if you want to know what Jack Parker suggested as a reason Massachusetts based hockey has slipped, it’s that kids today play too many games.  Oh, I can attest to that, also adding my own two cents worth, in that, I think kids today spend too many hours in a car on their ways to far away games!

Not to sound too sarcastic here but, I sense that some hockey parents would have Ohno skating and racing for 8-hours per day.  And they’d probably prescribe a full day of ski jumping for St. Onge.  Ya, competition – at least to some – is what makes an athlete better!

Ha, and NOT!

As Ohno’s coach mentioned, he didn’t show us everything the great skater does in his daily training routine.  Yet, did you make note of how much time was devoted to off-ice training?  And, let me remind you of what we saw in the earlier video on Ohno, in that he did an off-ice drill my guys do in The MOTION Lab, he spent some time on the ice, and then finished with a grueling stair routine.

I hope you also noticed that a lot of the off-ice work Ohno does is FAR more strenuous than anything he could possibly do on the ice.  That’s just one of the benefits of getting away from the ice, and it’s part of the theory I express in my long ago video post on “Some Food for Hockey Thought”.

Of course, you also got to see both athletes work on technique (with that previous post showing Ohno doing those “turnbuckle” exercises).  And that can be yet another huge benefit to working away from the ice.  In fact, it’s oftentimes easier to work on proper muscle memory in a very controlled environment.  For, on the flip side, a game or other kind of competition frequently causes (or allows) an athlete to resort to and practice all the wrong techniques.  (To me, games are where kids try to look good in front of family and friends, and for some it’s where they just barely survive.)

Technique work in mind, let me re-raise a point my dad made many years ago as a baseball coach, this in answer to why he preferred to practice his teams, rather than have them scrimmage…  As dad would put it, “I can hit an infielder 40 or 50 grounders in just a couple of minutes, while there’s no guarantee he’ll get a single ball hit to him in a game!”

True enough.  And, when it comes to a player polishing his fielding, nothing works better than repetition.  In other words…  Move, scoop the ball and throw…  Move, scoop the ball and throw…  Move…

Of course, the same can be said about out sport, hockey.  And, just think about the skills we could enhance with proper repetition.  God, I can think of a ton of ‘em — including deflecting the puck, passing it, receiving it, shooting it, saucer passing, one-touch passing, shooting off the pass, handling a man in the slot, tying a man up along the boards, defending in various numerical situations, or attacking in those same situations.  And, while players could attempt to learn and then get better at each of those skills, an abundance of practice would make it possible for him or her to truly master just about any skills he or she is willing to work long and hard at.

So, let me echo my dad’s words once again, in that a player just can’t get that kind of practice (or repetition) in a game.

Then, let me echo Jack Parker’s sentiments, in that young players today play too many games.

Of course, between the lines what Parker is obviously saying is that current day kids don’t practice enough.

As an aside here…  Most scientific folks who study such things (as well as most high level coaches) will tell you that the era of specialization was an absolute failure.

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My take on this?  While players of that time may have become fairly proficient at game-like skills — my mainly practicing their sport year-round, there was (and still is?) something drastically lacking in their athletic abilities.

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Worse yet, some studies I’ve come across suggest that one-dimensional players tend to be more prone to injury.

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And, in case it hasn’t struck some readers yet, gaining more athletically qualities very likely calls for less hockey game-time and a lot more off-ice activities.

Now, you’ve likely heard before the prescribed ratio of practices to games.  Obviously, it’s not a scientific equation but, you’ll still hear most of those concerned with development suggesting either 2 or 3 practices for every game played.  (Over the past decade or so, my Team NEHI players have practiced three times per week to one game.)

Before closing, let’s revisit that thing about off-ice training…

To my way of thinking the only argument parents or coaches might arrive at is that it’s difficult to get extra practice time.  But, I’m here to suggest that some form (or forms) of off-ice training is the answer.

You might find it interesting that The MOTION Lab can accommodate almost every drill you saw Apolo Ohno do in those two videos.  No, we don’t have all the weights or a large trampoline like St Onge used, purely because we don’t have the space.  However, my kids do perform just about every exercise you saw.

I only raise this point, though, to suggest that a lot of improved physical development can be accomplished by an individual in a relatively small basement or garage.  And, when the weather cooperates, in-lining and outdoor skill work can be limitless.

For anyone who is responsible for a team, here’s yet another idea…  If you visit the post about my MP Drill Format, you’ll get a glimpse of how I’ve used different venues to teach and refine positional play to teams — from beginners through college players (and you’ll also discover that even NHL coaches have borrowed that drill idea).  With that, I’ll suggest that a no-cost local school gym, tennis court or parking lot could be the answer to extra practice time for my fellow coaches.

Finally, this site is absolutely loaded when it comes to off-ice practice ideas.  In the end, though — like Ohno and St Onge, it really comes down to one’s want to go for the gold.

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Please give me your feedback, huh?  I’d love to hear how you feel about all this!

Speed Skating Versus Hockey Skating

Well, I find it pretty interesting how the Olympic Games spur extra interest in the various winter sports.  For sure, I’ll bet the excitement surrounding the ice hockey tournament has attracted a lot of viewers who probably don’t normally watch NHL games (live or on TV), and it will also likely bring a lot of young parents to all of a sudden look into skating or hockey lessons for their kids.

Hockey isn’t alone in benefiting from increased exposure, of course, and I’m sure sports like skiing, snowboarding, curling, figure skating and speed skating will also see a rise in new fans and new participants.

Oh, yes, speed skating…  I’ve noticed quite a boost in searches for information about that sport, and I’ve also noticed some of those searches link both speed skating and hockey skating.  As a matter of fact, here are a few questions I’ve seen in recent days:

• Why don’t speed skaters use their arms?
• Why do speed skaters pump with one arm?
• Are speed skaters faster than hockey players?
• Could speed skating training help a hockey player?

Of course, I’m not supposed to be an expert on speed skating.  However, I used to employ a speed skating coach to work in my summer hockey schools, and we spent quite a bit of time exchanging teaching and training ideas.  Oh, and our common student, Eric Flaim, ultimately made a name for himself in the long-blade sport, winning a Silver Medal in the ‘88 Olympics held in Calgary.  So, I will at least take a stab at those speed skating related questions.

– Dennis Chighisola

Speed Skating Versus Hockey Skating

Let me start by trying to get those first few questions out of the way…

1) I don’t know what games a questioner was watching if he or she thought figure skaters DON’T use their arms.  They surely do, but let me handle the rest of that in the next section.

2) Those who posed forms of the second question got it pretty much rightly, in that we’ll most often see speed skaters pumping just one arm (I’ll deal with no pumping a little later).

Now, I’ll have to ask my CoachChic.com friends if they’ve ever noticed that speed skaters pump a specific arm, not just any one.  I mean, they don’t pump the left arm because they’re left handed, whatever.  No, they mostly pump the outside arm – which is always the right one, this to aid in their mostly counterclockwise skating pattern.

I said “mostly” – in reference to the arm pumps, because there are times when they use both arms, and there are times when they don’t pump either.  And, I said they “mostly” skate counterclockwise because only the outdoor version of the sport has fairly long straight-aways, while the so-called short track event includes almost all turns to the skater’s left.  (In other words, the track is so short, that there are hardly any straight-aways.)

As an aside here, know that I really don’t get a chance to watch a lot of the various events.  However, there seem to be some huge (but perhaps not obvious) differences between the outdoor and indoor versions of this sport.

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In a way, I see the outdoor event on the huge track as an all-out sprint against the clock.  Skaters are staggered for most of the race and separated in their own lanes, so the only thing that makes sense to me is for a contestant to race at 100% against that clock.

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In contrast, it appears to me that an awful lot of strategy goes into the short track event.  I mean, skaters aren’t confined to lanes, and they consequently don’t always skate all-out as they attempt to outwit and out-maneuver their opponents.  My guess is that the lack of arm pumping – after the take-off – is due to the short-tracker’s need for more control and even greater streamlining than is required in the long track events.

Then, one more thing about the use of a skater’s arms (actually, those who study the biomechanics of skating would say that skaters use their shoulders in that motion)…  If you get the chance, please review the video I made for you about “Analyzing the Forward Stride”; there’s quite a bit explained there about arm (or shoulder) actions, as well as about the body’s need to stay in balance for the sake of energy efficiency and momentum.

When it comes to the take-off, I’ve said that there is hardly a difference when running or skating – with a brisk forward and backward pumping of the arms aiding greatly in getting either a hockey player or speed skater (or sprinter) quickly off the mark.  Once under way, however – or once we get beyond the take-off (within just a few steps), we shift to a “skating mode”, in which the skates push outward and the arms need to travel through a side-to-side motion to balance everything.

4) Okay, now for another question, as in, Will speed skating training help a hockey player?  Well, before tackling that, let’s take a look at an awesome YouTube.com video featuring TIME’s Sean Gregory as he learns how Apolo Ohno prepared for Vancouver (by the way, something like the “turnbuckle” or belt arrangement shown in the start of the video has been a staple in The MOTION Lab for a good 6- or 7-years, and I’m soon going to make these fairly inexpensive contraptions available to you in the CoachChic.com Hockey Store)…

So, do you want my honest opinion when it comes to the training shown in that video (of course, minus the specific short track on-ice stuff)?

I’d say that everything – from the belt training to the stairs workouts — would be awesome for a hockey player.  Actually, we use almost all of those methods with our hockey players in The MOTION Lab.

That said, I do need to add one caveat…  Don’t ever forget that our sport is not based solely upon a pretty, powerful stride.  No, hockey players need to shift gears, react in all directions, and oftentimes handle a puck as they’re moving.  Come to think of it, they also have to skate for their lives with opponents oftentimes trying to run over them!

3) Which brings me to the question I obviously avoided early-on.  For, I would be willing to bet on a speed skater if he or she was matched against a hockey player in a straight-ahead race, or a sprint in one direction around the rink.  Drop a puck, however, and all bets are off.  Ya, everything a speed skater does — from training to dressing — has to do with those two kinds of races.  As soon as lateral movements and stops, starts or cuts are required, my money is on the hockey player.

But again, much shown in that video would be good for an ice hockey player.

Finally, remember that I don’t see myself as an expert on speed skating.  So, I surely would appreciate hearing from those who might know a lot more about both versions of that sport.

PS:  TIME’s Sean Gregory actually has a series of videos available over on YouTube, and I’d highly recommend you view them.  And, if he has a great collection of those up-close studies for sale, I’d love to own them.

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Please give me your feedback on this one, huh?  And I’d like to hear from both hockey and speed skating folks!

Use the Olympics as a Learning Experience

Ever since my Soviet studies long ago, I’ve kept an eagle-eye out for unique training methods, particularly those done by international competitors.  There’s usually a ton of science behind the training methods used by those athletes.  And, with that, nothing satisfies my thirst for new ideas as much as the Olympic TV broadcasts.

– Dennis Chighisola

Use the Olympics as a Learning Experience

Now, the video below features the Russian National Team prepping for their 2008 World Cup appearance.  But, you get a pretty good idea of what I’m talking about — I mean, the way we can learn just from getting a glimpse here and there of what a team of that caliber might be doing to ready for world class competition…

Ya, for sure, the pros also apply all the science known to man in the training of their athletes – be it in hockey, baseball, football, basketball and numerous other sports.  And I’m sometimes lucky enough to be privy to their methods.  However, the Olympics (and some World Cup broadcasts) tend to prove awesome for fans (as well as to yours truly).

What I’m really getting at are those up-close-and-personal kinds of segments whereby the television crew shows clips of an athlete training at home or behind the scenes.

And, I’m not just talking about the times they focus on ice hockey players.  In most instances, there are a lot of things done by athletes in other sports that we can learn from, and a lot of training techniques are used in most sports, including ice hockey.

By the way…  CoachChic.com members are probably going to get a kick out of seeing Olympic athletes doing some of the things I’ve shown in From The MOTION Lab or in video clips on my teams’ off-ice practices.  And, my Team NEHI players are probably going to say numerous times over the next week or so, “Hey, we do that all the time!”

Anyway, keep your eyes open for those close-ups of all the athletes, and perhaps watch them through the different kind of perspective you should have gained as a member here.  Also, since my coaching schedule is going to prevent me from watching a lot of telecasts this year, I’d love to learn from your observations.

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Use the Comment box to fill me in on what you see, huh?

Are Hockey Players Being Taught to Dive?

If this isn’t one of the most frustrating subjects I’ve tackled here in the past year…  Jeeeeesh…

Actually, member Stirling W raised this issue about a month ago, and I’d promised to deal with it as soon as I could.  Ya, I’d promised.  If there was a problem, though, we hashed over so much stuff on the topic of players taking dives, that I initially had a tough time sorting through it all.

In the end, however, I recalled what Stirling had said when I first asked him if he minded me writing an article on this.  After all, how could I not undertake this project after he offered, “Let’s run with it! Our players and future players deserve the chance to put these tools in the toolbox!”

That said, DO let us run with it!

– Dennis Chighisola

Are Hockey Players Being Taught to Dive?

Now, Stirling started by mentioning a conversation he’d recently had with a young Bantam player, with the boy sharing with him that, “…some coaches tell their players to fall down and throw their gloves off if they get hit by a stick or bumped by the other team so they can get a powerplay.”  Stirling told me that he was “appalled at that.”  Ha, could one blame him?

Actually, I’ve been well aware of NHL players taking their dives, or faking as if they’d been shot by an elephant gun.  But, no way was I aware of youth coaches advising their kids to do the same.  In fact, with all the kids I deal with over the course of a year, an idea like that has never crossed my mind.  And, frankly, I hope it never does.

As an aside here, I can’t much argue with whatever a pro coach wants to do.  Nor can I argue with high level college coaches or maybe even guys who work with juniors.  Oh, I might never do things in the same way they do.  But, I can’t really criticize them, and here’s why…

Their neck is in the proverbial noose every single night they go to the arena.  I mean, their livelihood is on the line every night, and I have to presume that every single one of them is doing whatever it takes to win, or to just survive.

That said, I think I can speak for Stirling when I say that we are both more about teaching the game than cheating our way to wins.  I think we’re both also about sending our young players along to higher levels as well armed as we can possibly make them.

Reverting back to the pros and near-pros again…  I am going to suggest that most of the players at those levels are what they are.  And by that, I mean that (within reason) they’re nearly as good as they’re ever going to be, and more of their preparation is geared towards playing stronger, harder, longer, etc.  (Said yet another way, by the time they’re well into their 20’s, they play and fill roles according to the skills they’d brought to that level, and it’s unlikely that a certain kind of player is suddenly going to change himself into another type.)

Stirling and I, on the other hand, mostly work with “developing” young players nowadays, or kids who have a chance to greatly change their playing capabilities.  And, might I say, that that’s how I also see the role of every single youth hockey coach and clinic director in the world, in that you mainly work with kids who are still malleable enough to change – a lot.

Okay, so let’s try a little something here, envisioning a very typical youth hockey game scenario…  One of our players is heading on the attack, and he is winding his way through opponents (in Bobby Orr fashion?), with the far-end goal in mind.  On the way, though, he is partially tripped-up by an enemy defender.  Now, let’s freeze that frame, and give our attacker some options:

1. of course, he could try to right himself, try to keep possession of the puck, and then try continuing on towards the rival net; or,
2. he could give-in to that I’ve-been-shot-by-the-elephant-gun thing his coach taught him, take a fall, and then pray that a penalty will be called.

So, I ask you…  Which option would you prefer your son (or daughter) take?  (Geeeeze, I’ve been a hockey dad, and I’m currently a hockey grandfather, and I can tell you that the choice isn’t even close in my mind.  Ya, I don’t talk about highlight reel skills here for no reason!)

Actually, you can go through all I’ve offered here in the way of drilling — for wild skating, puckhandling and scoring drills, and you can also go through what I’ve posted in The MOTION Lab area.  What you’ll find are innumerable ideas for keeping your balance and fighting your way through heaving traffic.  Nowhere within these pages will you find a drill about how to dawgone quit on your way up-ice!  (Chuckling to myself and shaking my head at the same time, all I can envision is hockey turning into an event much like figure skating or gymnastics, whereby judges hold-up big placards saying, “9.6”, “9.8”, “9.3”.  Ugh…)

One other thing here…  It strikes me that asking players to take dives is akin to a youth coach installing something like the “neutral zone trap”.  I mean, dictating that our kids take dives turns the game into one of coach-versus-coach, rather than allowing the players to just play to the best of their abilities.

Again, there are levels (up above us) where coaches must attempt to outwit their counterparts — with tight checking systems, line matching, and even half-cheats in order to gain a man advantage.  (Oh, and I have to chuckle once again here, since I haven’t seen many Mite, Squirt, Pee Wee or Bantam teams who can even take regular advantage of a powerplay situation.)

Stirling added something else from his conversation with that Bantam player, in that he told the youngster, “That is NOT how to play hockey and NOT how the spirit of the game goes.”  (Man, I love that part about the “spirit of the game”, ‘cause that’s something that would likely come out of my mouth if I was in that conversation.)

Stirling also said that the young Bantam made reference to seeing NHL players do it all the time.  Hmmmmm…  That is always a problem for those of us who try to teach the game rightly to developmental aged players.  But my answer is to have a serious talk with my players (you’ve probably read here about my weekly “bull sessions” at our off-ice practices).  I’ve done it every season when it comes to the roughhouse play my kids so often see on TV.  And I’ll also do it when I see something happen that I think reflects on a team’s or player’s love of the game or respect for the game.  So, I can see myself soon having a talk with my guys about diving, and I am pretty likely to steal Stirling’s line, about playing within “the spirit of the game.”

Do NHL Players Tie Skates Differently?

I hate to do this but, I am going to reserve this information for members only, this for a very special reason.  You see, what I’m about to share is a little on the tricky side, and I suspect it could be misapplied if not truly understood.  Moreover, this topic gives me the chance to put yet another one of those so-called hockey wives tale to rest, hopefully, once and for all.

– Dennis Chighisola

Do NHL Players Tie Skates Differently?

This question actually came in an email I received about a week ago.  Unfortunately, the sender didn’t provide a name.  No matter, it is a very good question.

Now, it must have been a good 20-years ago (probably more), when my son returned home from his latest minor pro hockey season, and when he suggested I try something a little different.  What he asked was that I try skating without using the top eyelets in my skate-boots.  In other words, tie the skates normally, but stop the laces and tie the bow at the next-to-last hole.

Quite honestly, I think I showed a big question mark on my face when I heard that, but my son continued, “Try it, dad.  Wait until you feel how much flex you get in your ankles!”

So I did try it, and I quickly became a believer.  In fact, I’ve been tying my skates that way ever since, and I’ve been sharing that bit of advice with my older students and players, too.

Notice that I said “older” students and players there.  For, I really don’t recommend that approach until a player is pretty dawgoned strong, and until a player has TRULY mastered his or her skating.  Hence my reserving this information for those who are into the CoachChic.com way of thinking.  In other words:  everything in time, everything in proper sequence.  Or, as I’ve said countless times within these pages, “Never skip steps!”

As an aside here, going down an eyelet on a good player’s skate tying really does help him or her to achieve better ankle flexibility.  And, with that, I can see my players looking all the more – I don’t know, I guess “stylish” is the word.  From a skating analysis standpoint, the added flexibility allows a player to nicely snap the ankle at the very end of each thrust.

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Of course, my son had gotten that tip from some other guys he was playing a medium level pro with, so this was something that was obviously known within that level (and most likely higher).  So, when that email arrived in reference to NHL players tying their skates a little differently, it should make sense that I’d answer, “It’s pretty likely.”

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Slightly connected…  I know that some years ago I heard that Soviet players were sometimes practicing with their skates virtually untied.  (Whoa, that has to be a challenge!)  The idea in doing that, of course, would be to make practicing (MUCH) more difficult, so that skating in games — with a regular skate tying — would ultimately feel a lot easier.

Okay, so let me briefly switch to another slightly connected topic, that having to do with tying the skates of very young, or much less experienced skaters.  Actually, while this point was raised by one of my Mighty Mite parents the other day, it also gives me the chance to address that wives tale I mentioned earlier.

It seems that the dad’s son had just been called-up to play and practice on a Mite C level team, and the coach of that team recommended that the dad wrap tape around the boy’s ankles (to evidently gain better ankle support).  Hmmmmm, and ugh…

Now, I can be at least a little compassionate towards that youth coach.  After all, he doesn’t have the benefit of knowing the things my members do – about how to analyze a stride, or about the need for ankle flex in the skating movement.  And, he likely doesn’t realize how applying very much tape around the ankles could make a player skate in almost a robot fashion.  In other words, with the feet and lower legs pretty much fused together, it should make sense that the player is going to move rather rigidly.  (As an FYI…  I don’t mind a player making one or two wraps of tape around the top eyelets, this to keep the laces from coming undone.  Any attempt to lay the tape on heavily or very tightly, however, IS going to cause the aforementioned robot-like problem.)

Trust me, that I didn’t leave that Mighty Mite dad hanging.  Instead, I spent a short time observing the boy moving around the ice during our recent pre-game warm-ups.  And, based on my 40-ish years of studying such things, here are the possibilities I considered before even looking at that youngster:

1. I think the first challenge for a beginner skater is in learning to manipulate the thin steel blade that extends-out from each skate-boot.  Please think about what I’m saying here, in that the skater wears the boot snugly tied to his or her foot (which isn’t tough at all), but then he or she has to control the blade in order to really skate.  (Ever hear the expression “edge control”?)  Actually, good control of a skate’s blade takes unbelievable coordination of tiny muscles in the foot, with different combinations being required to glide, cut, stop, move forward, backwards, or whatever.
2. Appreciate that some beginners – and I’m mainly talking about very young kids here – are a little lazy.  I don’t mean this in a harsh way at all.  What I am suggesting is that some 5-year olds might actually try to conquer their wobbly blades, while some others might not really focus well at first, or they don’t totally understand the coach’s instructions or demonstrations — yet.
3. One other possibility also has to do with rather young kids, and especially kids who are hurrying towards some other goal without worrying about what’s happening with their feet.  Far from the lazy type, this kind of player is usually extra aggressive, and just doesn’t have the patience to worry about how he or she will get from Point A to Point B.

As a final note here, one should only skip to the above checklist after ensuring that the player’s skates fit properly, that they are of sufficient quality to support him or her, and that they are tied correctly.  Of course, the above also assumes that there are no serious physical or learning disabilities present.  (On occasion I will notice a youngster doing something rather odd in his or her skating movement.  Presuming there isn’t anything physically wrong, however, I’ve provided the best ideas in the world to solve almost every beginner skating problem in my video on “21 Must-do Beginner Skating Drills”.  I’ve also included more help in separate articles and videos under the General Skills Advice category.

As for my young Mighty Mite, I kinda knew ahead of time that the best way to describe him would be found in Point #3 above.  Sure, he’s still new at skating, so there’s a little of Part #1 involved (with him and all of my little guys).  But, the main problem – if there even is a problem – is that the youngster in question is hell-bent-for-leather.  I mean, he wants the puck, he wants goals, and he is seemingly not caring how he gets to do those things (right now).  So, does it stand to reason that his footwork isn’t going to look very pretty?  You bet.  But, does it seem to have anything to do with his skates?  Absolutely not.

As yet another aside, my preference is for players who are zoned-in on the puck.  (Some of the prettiest skaters in the world can’t play the game, and some of those have been buried at center-ice or implanted into the local rink’s boards.  So, while “pretty” can be good, “effective” is a far more important quality in my book.)

To sum-up all of this (and to add a little more), let me make these points:

• Beginners need all the help they can get, and this includes good quality skates that are fit properly and tied properly.  And, since beginners do need all the help they can get, I’d lace their boots all the way up through all the eyelets.
• My biggest fear is that the parents of an intermediate will (skip steps and) go right straight to the advanced way of skate tying.  I’d much prefer that kids in this category 1) gain the benefits I mentioned in the above point, 2) become REALLY proficient skaters under normal skate-tying conditions, and 3) build-up their ankle strength to the point where they might be ready to perform stressful movements with the top eyelet not tied.
• I actually advise my players and students on an individual basis when it comes to making equipment changes.  So,  it isn’t like I tell all kids at a given age or level to do away with their top lace-holes.  Instead, I usually sense that one player could really benefit from doing this, while another of the same age and level will not.  When I do prescribe this, I will have a player test it in an easy practice setting, and I’ll usually suggest that he or she continue practicing through the long off-season.  Again, it’s rather stressful if one is skating hard with the skates tied in this manner, so I’d prefer my kids get plenty of chances to build-up strength and to get used to the new feel.

Finally, if you want more of my feelings on whether NHL players are tying their skates in the way I’ve described above, I’d be willing to bet that a great many are.  However, a lot of this would have to do with where a player came from, as well as what sort of player he is.  Furthermore, pro athletes can be a superstitious lot, and they are often open to or resistant to change, depending on so many things.  So again, I’d guess many current pros are tying their skates differently, but probably as many will never change the way they’ve always done what they’ve done.

4 Things Coaches Do to Harm a Goaltender’s Mental Game (without knowing it)!

If you like this article by Justin Johnson, and if you think it might benefit your goaltender, feel free to email it to his or her coach.

By Justin Johnson
Performance Coach, Mental Edge

This past fall I traveled across the state of Minnesota conducting goalie coaching clinics for youth hockey associations. During the two-hour sessions I consulted with coaches about ways they can increase the likelihood of their goaltenders having a positive experience in the game of hockey. What I discovered is there are many coaches who are on the right track with their goalies and their development. There are also a few who have trouble communicating with their goalies. Even more struggle with how they should orchestrate practices and games in a way that encourages goaltender development.

In an effort to shed some light on how coaches can set their goalies up for success, I have included four common pitfalls to avoid. My aim is to inform coaches about the ways they harm their goaltenders’ mental development, oftentimes without even knowing it!

1.)  Not sure what to say, so say nothing
Issue:
Historically head coaches and their staff have struggled with how to coach, challenge and develop the goaltenders on their team. Many coaches haven’t played the position, so they feel paralyzed when trying to address technical information and fundamentals. This lack of goalie know-how, typically leads to frustrating conversations or even an avoidance of conversations because it doesn’t land in the coaches’ comfort zone.
Advice:
I encourage coaches to make an effort to positively impact every player on the team, including goaltenders. Rather than keep quiet, sit down with your goaltender(s) to learn about what they need to be successful. Many goaltenders, even as young as squirts, know what should have been done differently on goals they gave up. As a coach, ask them what you can do to make practices better to address the situations you are seeing in games. Goalies need to feel a part of the team and process – ignoring them because of your ignorance can shake their trust, confidence and ultimately negatively impact on their experience.

2.)  Pulling the goalie without giving explanation
Issue:
Eventually a game will get out of hand or an off-night will come around where it is in either the team’s or the goaltender’s best interest to pull him or her from the game. I believe that the pulling of a goalie is a necessary part of the game and one that if done correctly builds character and a winning spirit in an individual. If done incorrectly you may have a disruptive issue that lasts all season, and negatively impacts the mindset of your goaltenders for quite some time. I have witnessed and even been a participant in many ugly pullings, where coaches yell at the goalie on the way to the bench or display incredibly poor body language that sends the wrong message to all watching.
Advice:
When you decide to pull your goaltender, doing so correctly comes down to two items:

1. Conduct yourself in a calm and professional manner, including body language, by continuing to coach your team in a positive way.

You must not let that goaltender leave the arena without knowing why you pulled him or her and/or how you intend to help them have a better outing next time. (As a side note, I feel it is acceptable to tell the goalie on the bench why you pulled him if it was done to help change team momentum. If it was simply a rough night for the goalie, it is better to discuss that in private after the game.)

3.)  Shouting instructions from the bench
Issue:
Rarely have I seen great coaching advice that makes an immediate impact on a goalie’s performance by being yelled from the bench for all to see and hear. Other than encouragement or to signal the goalie to come to the bench, coaches should never yell to a goaltender. The repercussions of yelling include embarrassment, confusion, frustration, and a fear of making mistakes, all of which deter a quality mindset and performances. In other words, whatever gem of advice you may have and result you get, it will be eroded by a mindset that requires the goaltender to play for you rather than themselves and their instinct.
Advice:
If a persistent issue is occurring, there are a number of ways to communicate more effectively. You can wait until there is an intermission, relay the message to a mature player you feel will communicate it to your goalie with the correct tone and message intended, or call a time-out.

4.)  Waiting right before the game to designate the starter
Issue:
Perhaps the most common mistake coaches make without knowing it is waiting to decide or inform which goalie will play. Coaches fail to understand that goaltending is a position that requires a significant amount of preparation. If a goalie does not know, that preparation is undermined, resulting in a less than prepared, less confident goaltender. Coaches have stated they use this tactic to judge who looks best in warm-ups or to make sure both goalies are ready. Both of these tactics are mentally counterproductive and will create negative effects, not only for your goaltenders but also for the rest of the team.
Advice:
I suggest coaches give notice to BOTH goaltenders as to who will be playing a night in advance, if possible, or the morning of the game, at the latest. This should provide plenty of time for your goaltenders to prepare, giving your team the best chance of a quality performance. This is a simple request and one that will be greatly appreciated by your goaltenders.

Remember, if you are good to your goalies they will likely be good to you and your team!

For more information, contact Justin@MentalEdgeNow.com

Again, feel free to email this article to a coach who might benefit from it’s great advice.

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And, as always, we REALLY appreciate your Comments!

Russian Circle Passing – Variation #6

Please see Drill Submission Rules and Help at the bottom of the Free Drills page (all coaches would appreciate your contribution).

Contributor: Dennis Chighisola – Whitman, MA, USA

Drill Category: Skating, Passing, Pass Receiving, Attacking, Screening, Deflecting, Rebounding and Goaltending

Please first see the basic set-up of this drill as described under the free Drills section.  For, from that basic format, some really awesome offensive and defensive variations have already been shown.  (Click here for the basic drill, “Russian Circle Passing“.)

– Dennis Chighisola

Russian Circle Passing – Variations #6

Drill Description:

Comments:

Just about any of the previously shown setups can be used and then enhanced by just one little change.

What I am about to propose is that the last player to attack from a line can stop at the net and then prepare to screen and deflect (and pounce on a rebound) for the next attacker to come.  That process continues, with an attacker shooting, and then going to the net to setup a screen.

PS:  I do this often with many other shooting drills, merely having the shooter eventually going to the net.

Benefits:  Obviously, players should become adept at all three skills – as in screening the goaltender, deflecting shots, and then reacting to possible rebounds.  However, I think the addition of this component to any attacking/shooting drill also gets players in the habit of following-up their shots and going to the net.

Running the drill:  Before this drill begins, I will usually place a screener/deflecter out in front of the net.  Once the drill gets underway, the last shooter replaces the player at the net.

No video is available for this drill.

Only the Great Hockey Players Take a Beating

Okay, I lied about that, only because that title sounds better than most others I could think of.  Yes, the poorly skilled hockey players also take a beating, but that’s so because they often skate with their eyes down, or they don’t have the agility to avoid a lot of really big hits (ouch).

Still, thanks to Craig S, I have the opportunity to tell you all about how – or why — I think the better hockey players take such a beating.

– Dennis Chighisola

Only the Great Hockey Players Take a Beating

Now, Craig gets this going by describing the conditions his very little guy, Sam, is playing under in an instructional hockey league out in Western Canada (that has to be an awful lot like the Mighty Mites level I talk about elsewhere here).

As Craig tells it, “Sam has been complaining that kids are tripping, slashing and bodychecking him.”  I guess Sam is one of the youngest players, at 4-years old, but as his proud dad says, “He’s quite nifty with the puck and can turn, spin, toe-drag and (do) the rest so he’s the guy they are chasing much of the time.”

And, therein lies the reason for this article’s title.  My son was a wild stickhandler, his son Anthony is like that, and so are a ton of my other students sprinkled around the region.  And, if these kinds of kids have the puck a whole lot, what do you think will happen?

Actually, I want to share something with Craig (and other members), this having to do with conversations I’ve had with both of my own guys and with another student of mine who is currently starring in local high school hockey.

First, I’d like older players, parents and coaches to think along with me here…  For, what we want for our guys is that they take away something they can use to become better.  So, while I could have coddled Tony Chic, for example, what would that really do for him?  Oh, deep inside we hurt for the kids who might take a beating, and a few alternatives might fleetingly pass through our minds.  However, I think we really need to leave-off with something that will help a player — something positive, and something useful.

Anthony Chic is sorta fun to have such conversations with, ‘cause he’ll play right along with me.  So, I put it to him at the start, asking, “You’re a pretty good puckhandler, right?”  And when he agreed, I asked if a few hacks might come along with his having the puck more than most other guys.  Again, he agreed.  Then, I asked if he’d trade his skills for those of the guys who seldom get slashed or hooked very often.  “Of course not!” he answered (as a if a light bulb suddenly came on).

Oh, the welts sure do hurt at times, and I personally cringe when I see some of them.  But, to the “puckhandler” — or to the great player, those can at least be turned into badges of courage.

Now, if you’re talking to a young player along these lines, you don’t have to use my wording.  My point is to somehow steer him or her towards something positive – or sorta turning a negative into something they can use.  The way I’ve done it, at least my guys have felt more proud of their skills, they recognize that they’re a little bit special, and those things tend to make at least some of the hurts go away.

As an aside…  The boy pictured to the far right must look like an abused child when he undresses at night.  First-off, he is quick, he’s highly skilled, he has the puck a good deal during our Team NEHI Jr HS games, and he is getting absolutely smoked about once or twice each game.  Okay, he’s still young, his skills are still improving (although they’re already real good), he hasn’t totally discovered how to get out of trouble yet, and he is also dealing with the growth spurt issue I mentioned a few days ago.

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Also, as I intimated earlier, I don’t ever like to see one of my babies get hurt.  Yet, short of that, rival players are oftentimes helping these kind of guys or gals to get even better.  I mean, while opponents are running at the couple of really top-notch puckhandlers I currently have, my kids are kinda using them as moveable pylons. (Of course, those pylons hit back, but…)  On the other side of the spectrum, though, the not-so-talented kids aren’t carrying the puck enough to get that kind of challenge.

Now, what I quoted above from Craig was more of a statement, and it gave me the opportunity to address something I thought worthy of sharing.  However, he was really steering his way towards a question…

What Craig wanted to know in the end (besides how to help his son endure this), was whether it was right or wrong that coaches don’t call many (if any) penalties in that instructional kind of hockey structure (where coaches run the games on-ice, rather than referees).

As for me, I wrestle with that question a bit…

In a perfect world, I would have no scores be counted, and no standings kept.  Oh, I’d let the kids celebrate their goals – that’s a good thing, but I wouldn’t ring them up in lights.  For, with just that, the coaches on the ice would be thinking more about development than they would the “W”.

Also with that, I think you’d see opposing coaches getting together and making better decisions about how to run the games, how to call penalties, etc.

As an example of what I mean – about calling penalties…  There are some kids who are so timid in the early games that they need to be encouraged to “get involved” in the play.  That said, can you picture how calling a boarder line penalty on him or her could make that kind of player all the more fearful of sticking his or her nose into the fray?  On the other side of the ledger, though, we might actually be helping if we call those border line jobs on a kid who is overly aggressive.  Yet another thought of mine involves kids digging for pucks around the crease, because – while we want to protect young netminders, we also want to encourage skaters and goalers alike to be a little tough in that area.  Of course, none of this could take place under strict hockey rules.  Naw, it could only happen if opposing coaches were working together, and just doing what was right for each youngster.

By the way, Craig ended by mentioning ages, as in his thinking “… coaches are reluctant to call even obvious penalties at this age.”

Well, my feeling is that the more that’s accomplished with young ones, the easier it will be to help them solve some other things when they reach the higher levels.  So, if the ideas I suggested above were used at Sam’s level (or with my Mighty Mites’ age group), I happen to believe those kids would very easily be able to inch their ways a little later towards “real hockey” or “officiated” games.

As a final aside here, I have one other tip for puckhandlers or parents of puckhandlers…  Every time my son or grandson took a little dingle, I inspected his gear to see if a gap in protection allowed that (or if faulty equipment or gear that was too small was the culprit).  If the gear was basically okay — and it was in a gap where my guy was taking the hits, I’d frequently take the time to sew some extra padding or plastic in to cover the exposed area.  (Hey, I’d take my time and do it while relaxing watching TV, or while sitting outdoors on a nice summer night.)

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Oh, in case you’re wondering about this altering of equipment…

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My feeling is that consumer level gear is made for someone named “Joe Average”.  I mean, it wasn’t designed for my physique nor for yours or your kids’.  The fact of the matter is, a certain piece of equipment might “fit” both of us, but it really doesn’t totally do the job for either of us.

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Another problem is that hockey equipment (and a lot of other sports gear) is made to be sold.  In other words, a company might be able to produce an awesome piece of protection, but the general population wouldn’t be able to afford it.  So, doesn’t it make sense that manufacturers do the next best thing — by cutting back on the costs so that the masses can buy it?

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So again, with the probability that the gear you’re using doesn’t totally do the job, my suggestion is to inspect it, and maybe adapt it to do what you really need it to do.

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Oh, and this goes for goalie equipment as well…  Todd Jacobson and I have had more kids get dinged because of gaps in their goaler pads, and we’ve quickly recommended that they either replace the gear (maybe they’ve outgrown some), or get to sewing and patching as I’ve described above.

Of course, most of this article is just one Old Hockey Coach’s opinion.  But, I truly do believe in it.

Good Offense or Bad Defense?

One of my favorite CoachChic.com members, Craig Shaw, recently added a few great Comments under the “Troubleshooting the Tight Turn (or Boston Turn)” article. In the latest one, he asked me to “do a YouTube search for a Victoria Salmon Kings goal,” suggesting it will “knock your socks off”.

As it turned out, my grandson had sent me a link to that play about a week ago, but it was worth it for me to see it once again (and maybe again and again).

As I watched the video one last time, however, it struck me that, while it was loaded with some unbelievable offensive moves by the Salmon Kings, there had to be a kzillion defensive mistakes made by their opponents. (Ya, if I was coaching the other team, I’d have likely suffered 32 heart attacks on the one goal!) So, I thought a study of this video might just best be undertaken under Thinking the Game – Defensively.

– Dennis Chighisola

Good Offense or Bad Defense?

Remember that I’m a hockey coach, so I see things a little differently than the typical fan. Oh, when wearing my skills coaching cap, I love the kind of puckhandling and passing demonstrated in the following video. Still, I’ve also been a team coach for most of my adult life, and over the past decade I’ve been readying my Team NEHI players to do well at the higher levels of our game. So, that means I work on both highlight reel skills AND smart playing principles (many of them having to do with the defensive side of hockey).

That said, take a look at the following video. For sure, you’ll be entertained (and it might even knock your socks off).

Now, after you’ve marveled at the offensive skills demonstrated in that video, try to go back and watch it at least once from a defensive perspective.

As an aside… I have the technical ability to work within videos like those offered on YouTube.com – to copy them, break down the plays, and run them in slo-mo, stop-action, whatever. But, I don’t believe it would be either legal or ethical to show that here. So, you might need to go back and forth between this page and the above video to follow along with me. Sorry ‘bout that. (But, hey, I’m just thankful the likes of YouTube, TSN and the NHL make these kinds of videos available to us.)

Hopefully you’ve now watched that video from a defensive perspective, and I’m also hoping it’s opened your eyes to what a coach might see (and agonize over).

As another aside… When we’re working on the defensive side of our game, I am forever telling my players that good puckhandlers can be absolutely mesmerizing. Actually, the great offensive players just die for moments when they can get defensive opponents to do some of the things I’ll note below.

So, the following is MY defensive breakdown of this play:

• If I might let any defender off the hook in this mess, it would be the first guy. He initially had good inside positioning on the first puckcarrier, but he just got physically out-muscled. (I tend to be a lot more understanding when it comes to physical mistakes versus mental ones. But, that’s just me.)
• From there onward, everything goes downhill — fast… The second defender makes an attempt to take the puckcarrier’s body (or cross-check him?), but he lunges far outside his center of gravity and has almost no strength as he makes contact. Missing the hit, he looks down at the puck from then on. My guess: The mesmerization has begun (as evidenced by the second defender being beaten several times after the attempted body-check).
• The third defender may have started okay, as he tries a pokecheck. However, it becomes obvious that he had his eyes down and was looking at the puck when the second attacker beats him – badly — with a deke or two.
• If you freeze the video right after the pokecheck, you should see a scene that includes four dark jerseys and only two white shirts. Darn, but the checkers should have had the advantage here. Ya, they should have. What I tell my players to do in this situation is to grab a man and totally negate him. That would have worked here, but that’s not how the defensive team played it. And that’s why the original puckcarrier is wide open for a return pass.
• Now, the one-touch pass from the first white player to the eventual goal-scorer helps to make another point I try to impress upon my players… If you watch things leading-up to the goal, you might sense (as I do) that the defender in front of the net is stuck because of what his teammates have done (or not done) to that point. In other words, if his mates had grabbed and eliminated an attacker (or two), he could stay at home to just pay attention to his own man (that guy near the goal-mouth). However, he is stuck in what I see as a 2 on 1 here, with a puckcarrier moving towards the net and a man behind him open at the backdoor. Ugh.

I will say this again: that really good puckhandlers can entice a defender into doing things he doesn’t want to do. And, in certain cases – as in this one, the whole thing can snowball and throw a bunch of players into total disarray. (Actually, I’ll tell my players that, “If you don’t do YOUR job, the guys around you are going to have a hard time doing there’s!”)

Then, one last point… Realize that we’ve been watching pros here. (I interviewed three different times for ECHL head coach/GM jobs, I’ve coached many guys who have attained that level, and I can tell you that all the guys in that video are REAL players.) Moreover, I guarantee you can find NHL players making the same mistakes as I’ve outlined above (just find a highlight reel video on-line, and then look at it from a defensive viewpoint). All things are relative in our game, you know. So, an attacker who has reached the NHL can, at least sometimes, tantalize an equally gifted defender to look down at the puck and look stupid. And, if that’s true – that the best players in the world can make such mistakes, appreciate that younger players need even more help with their defensive discipline and technique.

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I would REALLY like your Comments on this one!

Coach Chic’s Hockey Diary

There are some things I’d like to share with you — maybe personal things or whatever might be going on in my day.  Yet, those kinds of things might not really be appropriate for CoachChic.com.  So, for now on I’ll be making occasional posts in the new blog that’s linked below…

Just Click HERE to go to

“Coach Chic’s Hockey Diary”!

About Goaltending Help

Answering a comment from my new friend, Nicky R (that’s her avatar below), caused me to think about something…

Actually, what happened is that I finished replying to Nicky, and I next saw the heading for a recent post entitled Resisted Shooting.  From there, I’ve mentioned before about how the fireworks go-off in my brain, with one thing making me think of something else.  (I’ll leave it to you to decide whether that’s a good thing or not — !)

Well, what I got to thinking about was the fact that member goalers (and those who work with goalers) shouldn’t just stay within the Goalies section, or discount all the things available to them in all the other various categories.

Take, for example, that Resisted Shooting idea…  Is it necessary for modern day goaltenders to handle the puck — and even shoot it up-ice?  You bet!  And, in their attempts to fire the puck up-ice, is it possible they’re going to at the same time be mauled by opposing players?  You can bet on that one, too!  So, a drill such as Restricted Shooting would be just as useful for netminders as it is for defensemen and forwards.

And, come to think of it, so would almost all the skills that are covered here help a goalie,  so would the strength training ideas, and so would a good many of the tips offered under Thinking The Game!

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So, what do you think?  You know I love to see your Comments!

Coach Chic Interviewed on “IslesNation” Blog

A note from Dennis Chighisola…

I’m asked to do a lot of these kinds of things.  And, hey, they’re good for my business, and they often allow me to share some important ideas.

Anyway, I was just interviewed for the IslesNation Blog, and I truly believe there’s something to be learned from this, especially if one is serious about coaching.  Just click the logo below to read that article…

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As always, you KNOW I appreciate your Comments!

Coach Chic’s Hockey Net Blocks

Here’s a tip in itself, before I get into introducing you to a handy little gadget for your practices…

Through the years, I may have wanted to use a certain drill (or whatever), but there was something standing in the way.  It could be just a small annoyance, or just about anything discouraging or frustrating enough to prevent me from doing something that is really worthwhile for my kids.

That’s a really tough choice, isn’t it?  I mean, on the one hand I know a given drill or exercise is going to help me players, but at the same time running it is going to present a huge headache to me.

Well, I happen to feel that tough choices like those — or the way I choose to handle them — can separate me from a thousand other coaches (and it often does).   In other words, I choose to tackle the problem rather than abandoning a great training idea.

So, with that, let me introduce you to the following problem-solver…

– Dennis Chighisola

Coach Chic’s Hockey Net Blocks

Actually, about a decade ago, one of my helpers in a Learn-to-play clinic planted the seeds for this gadget.  (And we’re currently using the latest version as waves of young Mighty Mites attack the net in the photo below.)

To set the stage…  We were letting a group of beginner hockey players have a little fun attacking one of my simulated goalies (SMG) and a net.  The problem was that those little guys were filling the net with pucks quicker than my helpers could fish them out.  I’m sure you know the problem, because it happens as often in an Atom or Pee Wee or high school practice as it does in a clinic as I’ve described.

Anyway, as I muttered that day about there needing to be a better way, one of my on-ice helpers grabbed a pair of pucks, stacked them, and then used that 2″ pile to lift the net up off the ice.  What happened after that, of course, was that quite a few pucks slid under the back of the net and out where they were easy to grab.  I just smiled at that, I thanked the guy for his idea, and then I told him I was going to run with it.

You might appreciate that the two pucks would occasionally be hit by a shot and slide out from under the net.  So, while the idea was a good one, that wasn’t really the answer.

Over the next few weeks I tried using a 2″ block of wood to raise the net.  And I ultimately made it a wedge shape so that there would be less surface area exposed to incoming shots.  The problem with wood, as I soon discovered in my older guys’ practices, is that it splinters when hit with any sort of real force.

“Okay,” I asked myself, “what can I get that already exists, is in a wedge shape, and WILL stand-up against harder shots?”

And the answer was an industrial doorstop.  Yup, these are much larger than the ones found in local department stores (those dainty little ones that are made to look as nice as they are useful).  The industrial ones I found are plenty thick enough to raise the net — close to 2″, and they are constructed from extra durable rubber (they’re not pretty maybe, but really built to last).  I’m guessing I ordered about 8 or 10 of them, so I could carry several when I needed them, and so that I’d always have some backups in my equipment storage room.

I did have to make a few adjustments over ensuing months, however…

Shown in my (horrible?) sketch below is the thick rubber wedge with a rounded slot cut-out from the top.  I  gouged the top so that the bottom of the net rests into the wedge and fairly well holds it in place.

Keeping track of my new “Net Block” was another matter.  Too often it would get buried deep in a bag of pucks or even get left behind at the rink.  So, I eventually drilled a hole in each wedge to accept a 1/2″ thick rope  about 18″ long.  With this, my gadget is a little more visible or obvious when it comes to picking-up at the end of a session, and the long rope allows me to dangle the wedge for storage (like on my puck bag or on my equipment carriage).  The photo below shows the New Block that is currently hanging on my gear cart…

Finally, I don’t think there’s any real genius involved in my creation, and it’s quite possible other coaches will arrive at better ideas (please let me know if you do).  The point I’m trying to make here is that there are solutions to typical training problems, and that to solve a problem is likely to make our jobs easier and the kids’ training more productive.  To be perfectly honest, we can get a lot more shots accomplished in less time whenever we employ those Net Blocks.

John Carlson OT Goal for Team USA

The “look-away” play — be it a pass or a shot — seems to be a hot topic these past few days…

– Dennis Chighisola

First, Marco Sturm scored the over-time winner in hockey’s 2010 Winter Classic, when Patrice Bergeron “looked away” from his intended target — thusly drawing attention elsewhere, and then fed Sturm with a pass that was almost too easy for him to tap-in.  (Click here to see the Sturm goal from Bergeron.)

Next, Greg K just pointed-out that John Carlson used a similar move to seal the World Junior Championship in OT for Team USA.  The difference in this play was that Carson looked towards a teammate as if he was considering making a pass, this forcing the Team Canada netminder to split his attentions between several attackers.  And, it seems, Carlson caught the Canadian goaler slightly off guard when he finally did pull the trigger.

And, once again thanks to the likes of YouTube, we’re treated to the following video (enjoy)…

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Other members started things with their initial feedback on the Sturm goal.  So, please keep the ball rolling with your further Comments here!

“Pond Hockey”

Having noticed a number of my Mighty Mite players losing their footing this past Saturday in their game, it struck me that a lot of folks — from any hockey playing age group — might not realize the following.  So, I’m recycling a post I made last winter around this time.  Enjoy, and please be aware of this…

– Dennis Chighisola

While I sometimes call undisciplined hockey “pond hockey”, taking a twirl outdoors on the bogs, lakes or rivers can be awesome for a player’s skating and conditioning. 

If there’s one thing I have to warn outdoor skaters about, it’s the abuse the skate blades take on that kind of ice.  You see, tiny, wind blown dust particles usually coat the ice.  And, it’s extra hard, having been frozen at extremely low temperatures.

So, after having skated on a pond or river for even a brief time, I highly advise players to have their skates resharpened before heading back to indoor ice.  Better yet, it’s a great idea to use a second (perhaps used) pair of skates just for playing outdoors.

2010 NHL Winter Classic – Marco Sturm OT Goal

What this entry is partially about is the potential for using such a great resource as YouTube. Ya, we have to be thankful to the NHL and sites like YouTube.com for the opportunity to study some of the world’s greatest players.

Now, as for Sturm and company… I happened to pick-up on something as “the goal” was being scored. However, I’d like you to review this brief video clip before I comment further…

Actually, I didn’t realize that the broadcast’s color commentator made mention of what I’d noticed. But, that’s good, in that Patrice Bergeron deserved a great deal of the credit for that goal being scored.

What happened is that Bergeron looked away from his intended passing target, which made most of the Philadelphia players at least briefly focus their attentions elsewhere. And, that’s all he and Sturm needed to combine for a nice goal.

That “look away” technique is something that can be (and should be) practiced, you know. And I’ll quite often teach that skill to my older guys. The way I’ll run the drill is to have pairs or groups of threes skate down the ice together, with each puckhandler glancing quickly elsewhere before he makes a pass.

Did an earlier coach teach Bergeron that technique? I have no way of knowing. However, I think we can be pretty sure that it’s a skill he made part of his game through plenty of practice over the years. And that’s part of what I’m suggesting here — in that teams or individuals can now add this technique to their bag of tricks. All that’s needed is enough practice so that a play such as that ultimately becomes second nature (or instinctive).

Then, looking at the bigger picture here, I want to suggest that we coaches, parents and players can take almost any short highlight clip and study it. I mean, watch closely for the “little things” the elite players do.

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You know how much I appreciate your feedback. So, please do add your Comments here!

WBV Leads to Coach Chic’s “WakeBoard”

Now, I hope you’ve had a chance to read my earlier entry on Whole Body Vibration, because — as I said there, it’s pretty fascinating stuff.  And, as I also intimated there, it sort of sets the groundwork for how I ultimately arrived at my WakeBoard.  So, please do that if you haven’t yet, and then come back and read on…

– Dennis Chighisola

WBV Leads to Coach Chic’s “WakeBoard”

Long before I located an affordable Whole  Body Vibration device, I thought to build one — I mean a really high tech and heavy duty one, and one that might accommodate hockey type movements.

So, I called my brother, Lou, a genius when it comes to inventing any kind of electronic or computerized contraption.  We must have gone back and forth on various ideas for at least a half-hour, until he asked me to do something pretty interesting…

“Dennis, just think about the times you’ve spent fishing out on a small boat,” Lou suggested.  “You sat for most of the day, yet you were totally exhausted when you got home!”

True enough, and we laughed about that — about how I often hurt in places where I didn’t even know I had muscles! 

I thought long and hard about that over the next few days — about the soreness one gets from being out on a nearby pond.  And I began thinking that the movement of the boat — even in the calmest waters — forces a body to constantly wrestle to hold its position.  I mean, I wouldn’t even be thinking about it, but I know that every tiny part of my musculature was working overtime to keep me upright and fairly steady.  (Interestingly, a few days after talking to my brother, I shared the gist of that conversation with a Lab visitor who happens to be the commander of a US Coast Guard ship.  And he pretty much agreed with what I was thinking.)

Next, yet another thing went into my want to create a special gadget…  In studying countless hours of high level hockey play via video, it was quite obvious to me that players are subjected to something pretty similar to what happens in a boat.  In other words, there’s this gut-wrenching of core muscles that goes on throughout any individual player’s shift — with every learn, cut, stop, and with every bump or wrestle with another player.

Furthermore — and while I’m not downplaying the benefits of traditional lifts — like Olympic ones or squats and presses, I realized that hockey players have to exert tremendous force while in a myriad of less than convenient postures.  Doing my best to say that in another way…  A player might make contact with an opponent while leaning x-number of degrees off his or her best squatting posture, and he or she may need to continue resisting or pushing while rocking from forward to back and from side to side.  Actually, I think the same can be said for a player when he or she attempts to execute a high speed skill — like shooting, passing, pass receiving or making wide moves with the puck.  So again, I know that traditional lifts have proven helpful for hockey players; however, they don’t exactly replicate the way our game is played.

In reference to the above, I just had a little fun with some video..  So, clicking on the thumbnail to the right shows one of my former players wrestling with a very light sandbag while some on-ice college players go through their typical on-ice wrestling in the background.  (Okay, the video ain’t great, but I was just having some fun.)

The next photo (to the left) shows what I arrived at as a device for mimicking the frequently changing postures a player might deal with in the game action.  If you click on that photo, you’ll see a former student in The MOTION Lab moving a 10-lb weight in random patterns.  This is just a basic exercise for work on the WakeBoard, but you might envision the unbelievable full body workout that’s taking place here…  I mean, imagine what every leg muscle is going through, not to mention this student’s core and upper body muscles.  Ya, it’s a lot like being on a boat — his having to constantly wrestle with staying steady and erect.  And, while the weight makes it all the tougher, moving the weight around makes it even more so (and more game related, I’ll suggest).

The next photo shows another Lab student using a sandbag.  I’ll cover this interesting training tool in another future entry.  However, I will tell you that, as light as the shown sandbag is, it introduces a challenge beyond the barbell plate, mainly because the sand shifts around within the bag as my guy heaves it all around.  Click on the photo to see that student in action with his sandbag, the earlier guy moving the weight again, and then a close-up of the WakeBoard as it rocks with each movement of the athlete.

Then, two final things…

1) I haven’t totally satisfied the ways I think the WakeBoard can be used.  To date, the exercises I’ve shown surely do work (as do a few Todd Jacobson and I have used with our goaltenders).  However, I sense a lot more things can be done atop that awesome unstable surface.

2) Because I want to continually add value to your CoachChic.com membership, I’m going to include the following sketches in hopes you might be able to build your own version of the WakeBoard.  Dimensions aren’t critical here; as I’m so often heard to say, “It’s the doing that makes a player better!”

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If you have any questions or ideas concerning my WakeBoard, let’s get a conversation going here in the Comments area!

Off-ice Hockey Tactical Practice

Now, before coaches of older players see the below photo and think this is all about beginner hockey, I want you to know that I have some very important tidbits to share with advanced folks at the end of this piece. And, while the early part of this IS about teaching little ones, I think those who work with Mites through at least Pee Wees ought to seriously consider slight adaptations to what I’ll offer here…

– Dennis Chighisola

Off-ice Hockey Tactical Practice

If you don’t know by now — that I’m a huge fan of off-ice training, I guess you never will. I especially like to teach a lot of my playing system away from costly ice-time… I mean, I could talk about things like slot coverage or a given breakout move for a good 20-minutes, and that doesn’t require ice.

Actually, I can be a little flip when I hear a coach complain about his lack of practice ice-time, quite frequently answering with, “I’d like to think I could get the job done in a dawgoned closet!”

Okay, maybe not in a closet. But, I surely can teach in a parking lot, in the rink runway, or even in a tiny lockerroom.

Take, for example, my recent need to teach face-off positioning to my very young Mighty Mite team. These kids had never played a game before this past month. So, I encouraged our team parents to have their youngsters watch the “Learn Hockey – with Coach Chic & Chomper” video (a kzillion times).

I next took the team to a lockerroom where a face-off circle had already been drawn on the floor (see the adjacent photo). I’ve previously mentioned how water-based spray paint can be used on the ice for special marking, while large sticks of chalk prove awesome for marking on the rink’s dark colored rubber mats.

Now, please click on the second photo (below) to see a short video of my kids learning to line-up for face-offs. I’d like you to do that now, so you’ll have a better sense of what I’m about to explain or describe.

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Okay, I’m guessing that this is about our 4th time holding such an off-ice session. In the first few it took awhile for the kids to locate the five face-off spots.

Until the day this video was shot, we didn’t pay any mind to the names of the positions. (Hey, one small thing at a time.) However, now that it’s time to identify those spots, I’ve decided to stick to just one per week. And – just like I’m doing in the video, I’ll be hammering and hammering at just one (actually two terms on this day, “center” and “center-man”). The kids need that, you know –- my repeating the term and their having to constantly say it.  For, only in that way will it become a regular part of their hockey vocabulary.

Notice how I’m also able to slip-in some applicable rules – like only the center being allowed inside the circle, as well as the one about “hash marks” separating opponents.  (The kids learned that from Chomper and me — LOL!)

By the way… You might be startled by my seeming yelling at/to the kids. But, they’ve learned to giggle when I do that, and not take the gruff voice seriously at all.

As for the future…

Next week I’m going to keep reviewing the center position, and introduce two “wings”. Ya, I’ve thought about that for awhile, and few of these kids know their left from their right. So, I asked our parents to have the kids watch that movie more (that helps with the left/right issue), and to also see if they can teach their kids at home. As I explained to them, “Knowing left from right is going alleviate lots of future frustrations.”

So again, I’m just going to ask kids to identify the two wing (or “winger”) spots without them having to tell left from right right now. The next week they should be ready to learn where two “defensemen” line-up.

Oh, by the way… Notice our young goaltender in the background of that photo (in a gold jersey). He’s positioned there to orient our kids. Knowing he’s there, skaters can also tell me that we’re attempting to score on an imaginary net located at the opposite end of the ice (or room).

Believe it or not, shortly after the camera was turned-off, I moved the goalie to the other end of the room. Oh, I saw a few blank stares with that — at first. However, within a minute or so the kids were able to line-up facing in the other direction. (Gotta love it, huh?)

FYI… Notice who else is learning the game here. I mean, when we’re dealing with very young players, doesn’t it make sense that their parents know at least as much about the game as the kids do? You bet!

I hope to later show you some video of the way I teach off-sides to first-time players. My kids don’t need to know that for the first few months of their season, but they will need to know down the line. Anyway, what I’ll do is draw one line on the floor (per coach), and then have a coach walk with a ball or off-ice puck while a little guy approaches the line with the coach. The coach might delay crossing the line at times, which requires the player to also hold back. At other times the coach will quickly get the ball on-side, allowing the player to enter the imaginary zone.

I’m sure I’ll arrive at other ways to teach the game in that dressingroom. So, stand by for more as the weeks go by.

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Okay, I promised to mention how I’ve used this method with older kids. Sooooo…

- A few years back I was coaching a springtime Squirt-aged team that received no practice ice. I needed to teach those youngsters some semblance of a team system, so I used my trustworthy chalk and the lockerroom floor to do this. I had the room represent our offensive zone for a few weeks so I could teach a simple forecheck, I used it later to teach defensive zone coverage, and I drew circles to show the kids some basic face-off plays and coverages.

- Another time I was coaching a Pee Wee aged group, and I used a large area outside our pre-game lockerroom to teach my way of covering defensive face-offs. Again, it was on a big circle I’d drawn with chalk.

- Then, believe it or not, I pulled that chalk out countless times when I was coaching in college, mainly to show some adjustments I wanted to make between periods. Oh, I suppose my greaseboard would have satisfied our needs. At the same time, there is something extra beneficial to a player (or players) actually moving through a given play.

Have you done something similarly, or do you have an idea that might expand on the above concepts? We’d all love to hear about them in a Comment!

Buzzer Hockey Line Changes

As much as I work on it (and harp on it during games), my older (even high school-aged) players still end-up waltzing with a partner or two in the bench doorway as they change on the fly. I mean, the kids coming off the ice think that’s as important as the fresher kids coming on, so they often get stuck and entangled, and they quite often delay us in getting fresh legs onto the ice.

Now, I’m thinking that the mob-scene-at-the-door thing is a learned trait, and one that’s been ingrained over an older kid’s decade or so of playing the game (without my kind of discipline). So, when it came time for me to organize my new Mighty Mite team (of first-time players), I thought I’d start them rightly…

– Dennis Chighisola

Buzzer Hockey Line Changes

Actually, the above didn’t strike me until I heard the buzzer that ended the first shift of our very first Mighty Mite game. On the spot, though, it hit me that I could start my little guys off on the right foot by getting them into a really good habit.

This was my thinking…

For changes on the fly, I like my older guys to come and hug the boards in front of our bench until the replacement skaters have hit the ice. That’s all that’s required for a legal change like this – for my guys to be “at the bench”. And, with them against the boards and away from the doorway, fresh guys can jump quickly into the play.

Of course, there’s no changing on the fly in buzzer hockey (instead there are timed 2-minutes shifts in my little guys’ league). But, these kids DO have to switch roles – one 5-player unit leaving the ice with another 5-players coming on to replace them. So, I decided to get my kids in the habit of doing as is shown in the accompanying photo – with the kids coming off the ice lining-up in front of our bench until replacements have entered the ice.

If you click on that photo (above) you’ll see a brief video of our player exchange. And, while I sense this action isn’t quite automatic to them yet, I suspect that within a few more weeks it will be. Again, I’m talking about habit here, and I’m hoping this small group of players will ultimately have this ingrained in them. Better yet, perhaps I’ll suggest that the organization these kids are headed to in future years might help reinforce this in their next few age groups (maybe through Mites and into Squirts).

Any thoughts on the above?  Your Comments really help me!

MY Kind of Agility Ladder

By Dennis Chighisola

A lot of years ago a young coach wrote me to ask about making his own agility ladder. For sure, these are available through sporting goods stores and on-line. But, that young coach was asking about building one for a very good reason.

You see, he’d watched a video showing my teams training with the ladders, and he noticed a couple of things that made mine a little different than the store-bought kind.

First, I actually like to use my ladders on the ice at times, or on a rink’s runway mats with my kids wearing their skates. And for this, my ladders had to have rungs that wouldn’t be damaged by skates, or that wouldn’t do damage to the players’ skates. So, I made the rungs out of strips of heavy rubber, with these strung along very heavy ropes.

Secondly, I wanted to add a little twist to the ladders my hockey players use… My thinking was that their footwork has to be in answer to all the obstacles they encounter in the game action. And that footwork is NOT in a set (18”) cadence as the normal ladders would have them do. So, if you’ll notice in the adjacent photo, the rungs in my ladders are spaced at various distances apart. (Actually, I made my rungs movable, so that I could adjust those distances as I wish.)

If you click on that photo you’ll see a brief video showing the rubber rungs and rope, as well as the odd spacing of the rungs.

Oh, and by the way… Most of my guys do a pretty good job of hitting the open spaces. As for those who don’t? Well, that’s just one of the reasons agility ladder training is a regular part of our training!

Might you have any ideas or questions on this?  Your Comments really help me!

Coming: A New Section About Stretching for Ice Hockey

A new section debuts in late-October of 2009, this aimed at advising members on the very latest known about stretching and warming-up in preparation for hockey practices and games.

Coach Chic’s (Pretty Famous) Puck-course!

Just a note — in case you’re local to me and Pilgrim Arena in Hingham, MA…

My new Puckhandling Course starts on Monday night (10/05/09), and it’ll run throughout the winter.  It’s at 7:15pm, in Rink B.

If there’s one thing I’m famous for, it’s that all of my long-time players and students can REALLY handle that biscuit!!!  And, to me having really good puck-skills is a huge confidence booster!

– Dennis Chighisola

The Best Slot Coverage Drill I Know!

I have to apologize here, but there are going to be a few drills that won’t make it into this free section.  Such will be the case for those deemed to be “the best drill I know for _______”.  Again, sorry, but membership does have some special privileges.

If you are a member, however, just click here Defenseman’s Slot Coverage Drill to gain immediate access.

– Dennis Chighisola

The Mental Component: Another Approach to Hockey Training

As if all of our guest writers aren’t on the cutting edge when it comes to the science of training, let me tell you that our friend, Craig Shaw, is into some stuff that is really “out there” (in the nicest sense, I mean).  Personally, I love the high-tech electronic gadgets.  But, wait until you read about what Craig’s into.  Also, you’ll have to read my later notes to discover why this article found it’s way into the From The MOTION Lab category.  Oh, and although they’re not obvious, there are links to two awesome video down below…

– Dennis Chighisola

The Mental Component: Another Approach to Hockey Training

By Craig Shaw

The mechanical, physical and nutritional components of training get the most focus from coaches and athletic trainers.  These are obviously very important, but up to a certain level of technical ability, athleticism and then the emotional and mental components become at least if not more important.  To paraphrase Coach Chic, “It is the smart hockey player who will get the ice time once the tryouts are over and the season is in full-swing.”  As Saul Miller points out in his book Hockey Tough, “once a player reaches a certain level, 90% of his success is related to the mental/emotional side of the game.”  Although these statements are debatable, very few would argue that they don’t have a lot of truth to them.

Are there ways to improve this aspect of a player’s underlying capacity?  Visualization, positive self talk, deep breathing and the like are quite well known and very useful.  Here is another approach which attempts to make the brain a more efficient mechanism:

Neuro-scientists have found that by improving the underlying capacity of timing and rhythm, one can, in fact, ‘fine tune’ the neuro-pathways of the  brain.  One program that has been used to do this is the Interactive Metronome program.  This program has been around for about ten years and has been used by elite athletic programs around the world, including in all the major professional sports leagues in North America.  Through three to four weeks of training, athletes use this computer program for about twelve hours in total and often make lasting improvements to their processing speed, focus/concentration, balance, reaction time and timing.  For example, professional golfers make significant gains to their golf shot accuracy.

This summer I put two elite hockey players through the program and improvements in the above capacities were noticed by these athletes, their peers and athletic trainers.  In fact, the improvements were so significant that there are plans to drastically expand this part of the training program for many of the hockey players in the Victoria (British Columbia, Canada) area.

The downside is that training usually costs about $80 a session.  But again, the results are lasting: once the pathways are established, they tend to be more-or-less permanent.  Further, reading fluency and other academic gains are common as well.  Parents and teachers report that the athletes seem more mature and emotionally grounded.  Therefore, it can be considered an investment in the future.

A less-expensive approach which may give some similar benefits: the Dance, Dance Revolution video game may be an option.  I am the last person to promote video games, but this one is the exception.  Learning to skip rope and play the drums may also be helpful in this regard.

In short, want to move forward in a part of your game that is usually overlooked by other players?  Consider the mental/emotional aspect.  Those viewing the Interactive Metronome website (www.interactivemetronome.com) will notice that their focus is on helping those with significant physical or developmental issues, but the applications for athletes and students without these kinds of difficulties are also worth noting.

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Want to see a demonstration video about the Interactive Metronome?  Click here!

And if you’ll Click here, you’ll see another YouTube video featuring a goalie training with a similar device.

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Man, talk about cutting edge.  Yet, Craig has provided us some ideas we can use to “fine tune the neuro-pathways of the brain” at home if we don’t have access to expensive devices.  (And yes, I did say “we” and “us”, because I’m going to see about implementing some of those things myself, most likely in The MOTION Lab.)

Then, this side note…  Years ago, figure skaters used to be required to perform “compulsory figures” in order to move-up in test levels.  Perhaps you used to see them at the rinks, using a huge compass (or “scribe”) to inscribe large circles on the ice.  And with those, an individual skater would practice and aim for absolutely perfect skate edge control, tracing the circles, doing pivots, etc.  At the higher levels of testing, I would see judges actually get down on their knees, use a mitten to dust away the snow, and then inspect the ice for a slightest wobble or loss of edge control.  My point here, is that practice sessions required unbelievable concentration or focus leading-up to the tests.  And I DO mean unbelievable.  I tell this story because — similar to what Craig mentioned above, compulsory figures students were known to jump a full grade in their school work after a season of intense on-ice practice at concentration.

By the way…  I’m going to end by teasing my friend here a bit, suggesting to Craig that he rethink his feelings on computer games.  For, while I also once felt they were mind numbing (LOL), I’m going to soon do a post on some very positive things I’ve seen in that area.

– Dennis Chighisola

Did you know your Comments really help me?  So, please get involved.  Just use the box below to offer your thoughts, questions or suggestions.  Thanks!

Periodization for Hockey

Okay, “periodization” sure seems like a mouthful.  However, if you can endure a little bit of technical jargon in the following article, our strength training specialist, Scott Umberger, is going to put you far ahead of most people in your hockey circle.  This truly IS awesome stuff.

– Dennis Chighisola

Periodization for Hockey

By Scott Umberger

This might be one of the “heaviest” topics that I could discuss, particularly to the general population versus a group of academics who live and die for the argument of science.  You, I know, want a simple explanation and a simple answer to “Scott, how should I coach or train?”  Keep in mind that the following could entail a 50-100 page college thesis.  But I will attempt to KIS it for you (or keep it simple).

Periodization is the timing of training. This applies to all training, on and off the ice. The big question is how and when to space the work and rest intervals, and how to sequence the drills or exercises to experience optimal results.  That’s a lot of stuff.  What should you be doing, how long, and what rest intervals should you be utilizing?

The principles of periodization revolve around the idea of rotating exercises and rest intervals to keep the body adapting or guessing. The controversy falls into what and when. There are many theory’s that exist in both the Eastern and Western parts of the world. I will say this, a Russian Hockey Coach once stood up at a Canadian hockey clinic and said something like, “North America, you have more ice and more skaters than we do (in Europe).  However, we consistently produce more highly skilled players than you.”  He is exactly right. Russian drills are performed at a much higher pace (more game specific), and the rest intervals are much shorts than we typically employ here. This results in more quality repetitions over the course of a season and a career.

The English version

Here’s the deal, guys.  You need to rotate exercises and drills that you use with each athlete. The science that I’ve laid out above covers that.  Additionally the athletes need a change.  (Who wants to work at a job that does the same thing everyday? Not me. Not your players.)

I suggest that you rotate exact exercises every 4 weeks.  If you want to modify the original exercises, by all means go ahead. Just make sure that there’s something different about them. If you are doing stickhandling drills, perhaps make your players close their eyes.  Variety is the spice of life.

The human body is tremendous, and the Russians classified it as an organism.  You need to train that constantly adapting organism by keeping things fresh, both physically and mentally.

The art of periodization is timing the set up so that the training effects/skills build upon one another and peak at competition time.

Tools

I would also like to state that what is done on Monday will not help on Saturday.

This is why I like the exercise bike for in-season work and not for out of season work. The bike does a great job of flushing the legs during the season after a game or practice. It’s also a way to “get a sweat in” for a player who is beat up. During the season, the muscles of the “hip flexor” and “groin” need to be rested because of the stresses of skating (literally everyday).

Out of season, the slide board plays a tremendous role in training these muscles under the weight of ones own body. Nothing can replicate the stress of the season, but properly programming a slide board workout can come pretty close. The stress on the hips are also much less than skating on ice or on a treadmill.

These are tools, and they should be used as such.  And, as I’ve pointed out elsewhere, nothing works all of the time.

Ideas for Developing a Cycle

Things become slowly more complex when conditioning, skills, and strength training are placed into any cycle. There is truly an art in this — in knowing the athlete, the sport coach, and the athlete’s ability to recover.  (I sometimes get frustrated seeing less than qualified people trying to pull this off.  And if you find yourself needing help with this, that’s one of my specialities.)

Generally, my advice is to pick exercises or drills that would improve the weaknesses of your athletes.  Rotate those over 4 weeks, making sure that your athletes master each exercise or skill.

Some Science for Those Who Care to Know a Little More

Personally, I have begun converting from the Russian Conjugate Sequence System to the Block Training Methodology. This methodology is outlined in structural units:

Block Training Unit

• A single training session
• Microcycle – several training days. A weekend showcase could last 3-4 days, so the training preparation should be adjusted accordingly.
• Mesocycle – several microcycles in the range of 2-4 weeks, typically 3-4, depending on the timing of the yearly cycle (in season vs out of season).
• Macrocycle – includes a complete competitive season (pre-season, in-season, and post-season periods). With hockey, it’s pretty simple, referring to annual cycles. As a 14 to 15 year old with a goal to play Juniors at 16,17, or 18, these Macrocycle’s would be 2,3, and 4 years, respectively.

Types of Mesocycles

• Accumulation – the aim is to improve conditioning (General Physical Preparedness- GPP) as well as sport technique. GPP is conditioning in order to be able to train at an adequate level. If one needs to rest 5 minutes in between sets, then they are not in shape and won’t reap the benefits of the training session. In regards to hockey skills, you could work on not allowing the puck to settle on your stick before you shoot. You don’t master this skill during the season.
• Transmutative – the idea is to transform the nonspecific GPP into Sports Specific Preparedness. An example is to polish up the hockey skills that you have been practicing. The conditioning becomes more specific to the position and sport instead GPP which is preparing the athlete to train in general.
• Realization – having everything come together. This phase focuses on applying the new skills and preparedness in a competitive environment.

I would love to give specific recommendations here. I simply can’t because that kind of advice would have to be specific — for the athlete’s age, competitive level (A, AA, AAA, Jr, Major Jr, professional, etc), and his or her training experience.

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As if Scott hasn’t done an awesome job already, I sometimes like to help things stick with some short stories.  So…

Anyone who has ever trained at a sport that involves measurement — like lifting for poundage, jumping for distances or racing for times — has most likely experienced something known as a “plateau”.  In other words, after long periods of training, you reached a “sticking point” where it was difficult to add much weight to a lift, add an inch to a jump, or cut even a millisecond off your time.  Back in my youth, a lifter countered each plateau by changing his routine, most often using exercises that worked the same muscles but in slightly different ways.  If you can picture it, the new exercises were refreshing — both physically and mentally, and they usually managed to shock the body (and mind?) past that plateau.  That said, what if instead of waiting for the inevitable sticking point to rear its ugly head, one “periodically” altered his or her training routine ahead of time?  Well, I might be oversimplifying things a bit here, but that’s close to what Scott has described here.  (By the way…  All athletes can experience sticking points in their progress; I’ve just used the above examples because they are easily noticeable or measurable.)

I like to also tell a personal story when it comes to this area, this one on the slightly humorous side.  You see, I hate my wife because she swims like a fish while I can be likened to a dawgoned rock in the water.  So, just envision a comparison here, with my wife needing to swim for a fairly long time in order to break a sweat, while I, on the other hand, would be out of gas in a matter of seconds.  Of course, when it comes to a skating contest, I could probably cruise the rink forever without tiring.  My point:   Once the body becomes fairly familiar with a given movement, that movement isn’t as apt to pose a real challenge.  And that’s just another reason why constant change is necessary for further growth.

Finally, perhaps a lot like you, I’m dealing mostly with amateur players who have lots of other commitments.  For that reason, it might be difficult for us to install a program as in depth as Scott might do in his gym.  Still, we can rotate things like tools, exercises and drills as Scott suggests.  The main idea is avoid plateaus and to keep the athlete growing.  And, while we might not be able to do everything as Scott and other professional strength coaches do, I believe that applying just some of the principles mentioned above is going to put a CoachChic.com player, parent or coach far ahead of others.

– Dennis Chighisola

You probably have a lot of questions about this topic.  So, let’s go back and forth through the Comments area below, huh?

Should Parents Back-off on Their Child’s Hockey Training?

I know this is going to be a rather touchy subject.  Yet, I want you to hear-out a couple of extremely qualified guys.

In the following audio presentation, Lisa Cohn interviews Dr Patrick Cohn and noted baseball coach, Tommy Weber, on that very topic — about the possibility that parents should back-off when it comes to their youngster’s hockey training.

Again, I’d like you to hear Coach Weber’s side of this argument, then I’d like to add a few of my own comments a little later.

– Dennis Chighisola

Why Sports Parents Should Back-off

with Patrick J. Cohn, Ph.D. and Tommy Weber

Click the arrow below to play:

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Okay, so you should have gotten a pretty good sense of how one very experienced sport coach and a noted sport psychologist feel on this subject.  And, I’d have to agree with all that’s been said in that interview.   At the same time, we hockey folks have a slightly greater challenge than families in most other sports…

For one thing, ice hockey rinks are usually built in pretty remote locations.  So, it isn’t like our youngsters can just hang their gear over the handlebars of a bike and head-off to practice on their own.  In other words, parents must help transport their kids and all that heavy gear, and it just makes sense that they’re going to hang around for the hour or so of practice time.

And, while it’s not necessarily an excuse for hanging around for practices, hockey families do invest an awful lot more money in their youngsters’ practice time than those in most other sports.

I might add my own reason for staying for a practice, in that I’ve always really enjoyed watching my guys have fun — as they played or as they practiced.  (Actually, that’s one of the things I miss so much today, since my son has long retired and my grandson now practices far away at college.)

Okay, so I’ve given my hockey brethren plenty of reasons to ATTEND their youngsters’ practices.  However, I don’t think it’s the attending practices that Dr Cohn and Coach Weber are really getting at.

No, as a matter of fact, I think it’s more a matter of us parents needing to give our kids — and their coaches — some space that’s really at issue.

I actually addressed that subject in an earlier video (in “Up The Boards, Johnny!“) with a message I really want my friends here to appreciate.  I mean, it is not possible for your son or daughter to serve more than one master at a time.

Please think about that one again…  Nothing but confusion comes from a youngster needing to please both the coach and his or her parents (not to mention teammates).  In fact, I firmly believe a lot of the fun can be taken out of the playing experience if a youngster is forced to please too many.

Then, a personal note…  On rides home from games, my young guy would almost always ask me, “Well, what did you think?”  I simply answered that with several questions of my own, as in “I don’t know; what do you think?” or “What did your coach have to say?”.  You have to understand — and I wanted my guy to also understand — that it didn’t really matter what I thought.  Hey, only one guy (or gal) gets to name the next group of players to go over the boards and onto the ice, and that’s the coach.

– Dennis Chighisola

Click here for more great audios like this one!

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The Most Important Factors in Hockey Shooting

Jerry Z — yes, THAT Jerry Z of CoachChic.com in-line fame — submitted a VERY good question the other day.  As a matter of fact, it might be one of the best ones I’ve fielded to date.   You see, I quite often raise the points noted below as I talk to my Team NEHI hockey players.  And I especially get into this stuff when their offensive efforts are failing.  So, here’s what Jerry asked…

– Dennis Chighisola

Q: What do you consider the most important factor is in shooting?  Whether it’s to be accurate?  Hard?  Quick? (I assume each shooter is different, but how would you prioritize practicing?)

A: Really, I have a very short answer for Jerry.  Before I get to that, however, I’d like to share some information that should help players of all levels, including elite guys and gals.

First, although every player IS different, I probably wouldn’t change the basic advice I’ll be sharing here.  Oh, I do talk to forwards and point-shooters a little differently (which is a topic for another time).  But, no matter what position a player plays, he or she really should be aware of the following…

Now, to really make my point with (head strong?) young players, I’ll use a couple of very familiar subjects — namely, the NHL’s top scorers’ list, and a popular segment of the NHL’s skills competition.

Most often I’ll begin this kind of discussion by asking my guys if they recall who the top scorers are in the NHL.  Once things have settled down, and once they’ve tossed more than enough names my way, I’ll move-on to ask them which guys had the hardest shots in the most recent NHL slapshot competition.  Once again, kids will usually get a little rowdy and argue amongst themselves (I like when they get into it like that), but we ultimately do boil the list down to a couple of really strong shooters.

In a way, my players have played into my hands here.  I mean, I believe they can envision at this point the top scorers and the hardest shooters.  And they’re usually ripe by this time to answer a few of my planned questions.

The first thing I’ll put to them is whether any of the NHL’s extra hard shooters are near the top of the league in scoring.  I’m usually looking at a bunch of open mouths by now, and a whole bunch of players who really want to know what’s coming next.

What’s next?  It’s that most of the guys found near the top in scoring — probably in any league — are those who have moves and put their shots on-goal quickly.

Now, before someone offers the fact that there have been many great shooters at or near the top in NHL scoring, I’m going to say that is absolutely the case.  In fact, all of the guys who tally a lot of points can fire the puck.  But, that’s not my point.

My point IS that top scorers shoot quickly.  Seldom are they one dimensional (with just a big shot).  Again, they have moves — or dekes, and they can usually launch the puck with lightening speed from any spot or any posture.

Before going further let me share some of the keys from another brief conversation I often have with my students and players, this having to do with a match-up between an attacker and the goaltender…

• Please consider that the goaler probably desires two things in such a confrontation.
• He’d like to be able to see the puck (which suggests that screens must prove very frustrating to him).
• A goalie needs time.  I mean, most goaltenders own the best equipment their money can buy, and they spend a lot of their practice time learning how to place that expensive gear in the right place relative to the puck’s location.  And, given enough time to put that gear in the right spot, I’m betting that the hardest shot in the world isn’t going to find its way to the back of the net.

And that, my friends, is the basis upon which I answer most questions having to do with shooting.

That shooting quickness and shooting power belong at opposite extremes should be easy for me to now argue.  Accuracy, on the other hand, will take a little more explaining.

From what I’ve said about the goaler’s needs, you should understand why I see a quick trigger as the most important shooting trait.  It should make sense that the ultra-quick shot has the best chance of catching the netminder out of position.

Now, don’t get me wrong on this next one, because I believe it’s awesome to have a powerful shot, and I work with my guys plenty to develop their hand, forearm, shoulder and core strength.  At the same time, the most powerful shots usually take time to uncork, and that’s often exactly what a goaltender needs to get himself or herself in the right position.  And that’s why power takes a backseat to shooting quickness in my book.

Shooting accuracy is a tricky one…  Frankly, every shot should be on-goal.  (What is it I’ve heard some coaches say?  “You can’t score on 100% of the shots that miss the net!”?)

This short story…  A lot of years ago I read an article about a pro team that had just played our local NHL entry.  The visitors had beaten our guys, and their coach in a post-game interview gave a lot of credit to his point-shooters.  As he described the situation, his team hadn’t been generating much offense from the blue line, so they decided to make a one-game pact.  All the defensemen agreed to not take any slapshots, but to instead just throw pucks on net as quickly as they could.  The result?  Three goals originated from the point.  My assessment?  Those kinds of shots got on-goal fast, there was a better chance they’d be accurate, and the combination of quickness and the screens that took place in front of the locals’ net took-away the two things the home team goaler wanted — as in sight of the puck and time to get in position.

Still, for all I’ve said to this point, Jerry is really asking about how much time HE should devote to each of those shooting skills.  So, my honest answer to that one?  I think he — and all players — should work on all three areas.  As a relative beginner, however, I might suggest that Jerry give his shooting strength a slight priority at first.  Once he’s able to rip some pucks (or balls) fairly well, shooting quickness would come next.  All along, though, he should try to practice hitting spots, and he should always try to put his shots on-goal.

Don’t forget, you really help me — in a lot of ways — when you leave a comment.

Heat Illness and Hydration Tips

Although Jason Price has in mind those athletes who will be enduring the likes of some pretty tough outdoor activities under the hot summer and fall sun, I’m going to suggest that the following represents an extremely timely collection of advice for hockey players.  Sure, we play and practice in cooler — often very cold — environs.  But that’s misleading.  Actually, hockey players should have a number of the concerns Jason raises here.  (This article was written last month.  But, it’ll remain timely for hockey players from now until next spring.)

– Dennis Chighisola

Heat Illness and Hydration Tips

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

Athletes Equation

jason.price@athletesequation.com

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With August nearly half over most High School and College Athletes are either back into or on their way to pre-season practice. Where most athletes go into the season prepared from a summer of training they often find themselves getting into trouble with conditions of August two-a-days with decreased performance or far worse.

Most athletes prepare for the season working out in hot conditions and this gives them a false sense of security when approaching preseason practice. They feel they are acclimatized to the conditions but facts are facts. Most athletes may train at the most 2 hours a day and if they go everyday that is impressive. Most are taking days off in between training sessions.

Now look at the facts of the preseason. Multiple hours of multiple training sessions a day, increased stress of fighting to make the team or earn a position, and practices strung together for days at a time. That is a recipe for disaster for an athlete if they do not take the right approach into the preseason.

Heat Illness is one of the only injuries that is 100% preventable. All it takes is awareness, it is that simple. Awareness from the coaching staff, athletic trainer and athlete, and all it takes is one of those people to be ignorant to the dangers of training in heat to cause a potentially tragic situation. The book “Junction Boys”, about the preseason camp run by Paul Bryant at Texas A&M, does a great job of describing how heat illness can ravage a team because of ignorance towards it.

First, let’s discuss heat illness and what can happen from it. There are three heat related conditions of primary concern for coaches, athletic trainers, and athletes. In order by how dangerous the condition is, they are

3- Exercise-Associated Muscle Cramps

2 – Heat Exhaustion

1 – Heat Stroke.

Again these three conditions are 100% preventable. Symptoms of the three conditions can overlap and often one condition will move on to the more serious one. So, athletes who start having exercise-associated cramps will often ultimately put themselves into a condition of heat exhaustion and then even heat stroke.

Failure to treat these conditions can cause serious dehydration and the complications that come with that (even possible death)!

Now, I am not saying athletes should not train in the heat. Most Athletes have no choice.  All it takes to avoid problems is being aware of the dangers and knowing how to keep oneself protected.

So, how can you tell if someone is suffering from heat illness? They will demonstrate signs of thirst, fatigue, lethargy, flushed skin, headache, and visual disturbances. Anyone showing signs of heat illness should be treated as a medical emergency.  For, if the proper treatment isn’t given them, they are in a potential life threatening situation. Again, Heat Illness is 100% preventable.  If someone shows signs of heat illness, and if they are treated appropriately, they have an excellent prognosis for full recovery.

The table below outlines how you can differentiate between heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat stroke is by far the more serious condition, it’s potentially life threatening, and the individual should be transported to the nearest medical facility for treatment.

Who is at risk of heat injury? Healthy individuals, children, elderly, those with excessive muscle mass, the obese, those with low body fat, the poorly acclimatized or poorly conditioned, those with a previous history of heat illness, anyone who is dehydrated, one who is sleep deprived or those with acute illnesses (flu, allergies, colds, etc). Obviously, this includes a good many individuals.

So, how can you prevent the risk of heat related conditions? First and for most, stay hydrated. Hydration is key. If you wait until you are thirsty to drink then it is too late and you are highly at risk. If you wait until practice to hydrate, then you are highly at risk. So, here is the best strategy to fight heat illness:

• Drink 8-12 8oz of fluid at least 24 hours prior to an event
• Drink at least 16oz of fluid 2 hours prior to exercise and again 20 min before exercise
• Have fluid available during training and practices (unlimited water breaks should be given; if an athlete says he or she needs water, let them get it).
• When exercising for more than an hour, drink at least 5-10 oz of fluid every 15-20 minutes.
• Drink cool fluids containing less than 8% carbohydrate.
• Use individual water bottles to monitor fluid consumption.
• Check Urine color for hydration status (see Urine Color Gauge)
• Take weights prior to and after practice to measure loss of fluid in the body.
• Replenish lost fluid with at least 24 oz of fluid for every pound of body weight lost due to exercise.
• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated beverages.
• Allow 10-14 days to get acclimatized
• Reduce intensity of prolonged exercise

*By fluid I am inferring to water or a watered down sports drink. Fruit Juices, energy drinks, and other beverages are not good fluids to hydrate with.

So, with this knowledge of heat illness and a strategy and how to prevent it, you are prepared for taking on the heat as you prepare for the fall sports season.

Reference:   Anderson, Marcia; Hall, Susan; Martin, Malissa. Foundations of Athletic Training. New York: Lippincott Williams & Wilkens. 2005.

*

As a wrap-up here, hockey players, their parents and their coaches at least seem not to be as concerned about hydration issues as they should.  No, we don’t usually practice and play under extremely hot conditions.  And, no, we’re probably not in danger of the most severe heat related illnesses.  At the same time, hockey players are very much in danger of reduced performance if they don’t hydrate properly.  After all, while environmental temperatures surely are a factor in water loss, so is exertion, as well as stress.  So again, hydration — or frequent water intake — is important to a hockey player.

Finally, I’d like to emphasize one point Jason made, in that once a player gets thirsty, the fluids he or she takes-in at that point won’t help for a considerable length of time.  That’s the reason he suggests starting the hydration process long before the practice or game.  In other words, stay ahead.

– Dennis Chighisola

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Hockey Success Breeds More Hockey Success

Actually, the above statement would be true if we were talking about academics, our chosen field of work, a hobby, you name it.

– Dennis Chighisola

In fairness, I have to begin by saying that this topic was brought about by an email I just received this morning from a CoachChic.com member.  I’m thankful this guy is with us, because he comments often and thusly provides me a lot of food for thought.

In that email, my friend was saying how his youngster had felt really good about himself upon leaving the rink each time over recent weeks, and that this excited him so much that he wanted to do more hockey related things back home.  That’s not so hard to understand, is it?  After all, we humans avoid pain as best we can, and we gravitate towards things that make us feel good about ourselves.  Again, there shouldn’t be any big surprises about that.

Ironically, I’ve been working on several projects recently…  I have an on-ice puckhandling course starting locally in a few weeks, my Learn-to-skate/Learn-to-play clinics begin in early October, and I’m also working on a new video that will appear on this site’s new sales page (ya, I hate that “Oops, you’re not a member?” page — LOL).

The irony comes with the fact that all I really want to talk to customers about is confidence — be it for my clinics or in the promotion of this site.  I mean, that is absolutely everything.  Every guru who has ever lived has said it in one way or another, and that’s also a key principle in The Bible, in The Secret and in The Law of Attraction.

As this relates to my clinics — and even that new sales page…  I hope long-time members have gotten the sense that the drills and slow, deliberate progressions I offer here are all about confidence.  A player does a given skill progression to the point of mastering it, and he or she is sure to feel good about taking-on the next challenge.  And so it should go, from beginner all the way up to elite execution.

Okay, but now back to my main premise…  My CoachChic.com friend said that his young guy left the rink psyched.  With that, the boy went home to seemingly find ways to continue that feeling.  That’s gonna happen, you know.  The player who is loving the game finds a stick and ball at home and experiments, maybe even reliving some of the recent rink excitement.  In the case of my friend’s boy, he also found a way to spend plenty of time on his in-lines.

This in mind, here are a few suggestions for member parents and coaches…

First and foremost, appreciate that YOU have the most say in whether your kids have either good or bad experiences at the rink.

For example, I know some parents get hung-up on a team’s designation (like it sounds better to the guys at work if you tell ‘em your kid plays on a AAA team).  However, I’ll suggest that the player who is going to be in the lower two-thirds of that high level roster is NOT going to be able to truly execute many of the things he or she would like.  In fact, a lot of kids on any given team will play in what I call “panic mode”, because nearly everything they attempt to do is rushed by the superior talent around them.  Many, in fact, won’t be able to skate 2′ without coughing-up the puck or throwing it away in a panic.  Oh, I know, I’m being a bit rough on some of you by saying this.  But, I feel my lot in life is to offer you the best advice I can.  So, I’m just suggesting that some serious thought has to be given to where a youngster plays for close to 9-months out of the year.

For my next point, let me take you to a rink lobby some 15-ish years ago…  I’m walking into the rink to teach a clinic, and I’m greeted by a whole bunch of my former Learn-to-play students as they’re leaving their game ice.  The kids are smiling and waving to me, and I had to believe they’d just done pretty well.  Once the kids disappeared to their lockerroom, however, I discovered a very different story from the group’s parents and coaches.  Those little guys had actually been beaten by a score of about 17-0, with the grown-ups looking and sounding all down in the dumps.  Again, the kids — not yet influenced by the adults, are laughing and seemingly excited at having just played.  The reason I tell this story?  It’s because some of those youngsters were likely allowed to continue feeling good about that hockey experience on the ride home and thereafter, while others were probably going to be told how badly things went.  My personal answer to this is to suggest that I’m a better “spin doctor” than all those professional politicians you see on TV.  I see a little guy take a tumble in one of my clinics and I rush to tell him, “Awesome fall!” — just as he’s deciding whether to cry or not.  And I can usually think of something positive to say to my team, even when they’ve had bad night.  Hey, I want them eagerly coming to practice in a few days, so there appears no other choice but to give them a reason to do that.  And that’s what I’m suggesting here:  Be a spin doctor yourself, and give your own player or players reasons to feel good about the last hockey experience.

Now here’s the best reason for doing some of the things I’ve suggest here…  No matter how a youngster feels about himself or herself, there’s going to be what I refer to as a snowballing effect — with the enthused kid improving all the more between trips to the rink, and the less excited kid likely going backward.  And it keeps rolling that way, with the gaps often widening over time.  As a matter of fact, that’s what I meant in the title up top, in that “hockey success breeds more hockey success”!

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A Different Approach to Hockey Strength Training

CoachChic.com members may get tired of hearing it, but I’ll never tire of saying that I’ve met some of the world’s best and brightest through social media sites.  And I count among that special group my new Twitter friend, Maryse Senecal.

Now, not so surprisingly, most entries in the Strength Training for Hockey Players section have come from those with Physical Education backgrounds.  That should make sense, owing to the special studies required in that discipline.  I take notice, however, when I get to learn from someone with the kind of specialized skills possessed by the likes of Maryse.  So, I hope everyone pays attention here, as she shares with us a different approach to hockey strength training.  (FYI…  If you’ll notice in her introduction, Maryse echoes some of the same shortcomings in ice hockey players that Scott Umberger has noticed and previously shared with us.)

Oh, by the way…  Maryse’s original title to the following piece was “Training the Athlete”.  I just renamed it above for our members’ sake, just so you could find it among the many special articles on strength training.

– Dennis Chighisola

Training the Athlete

By Maryse Senecal
myo-precision

I am an orthotherapist by trade. My specialties lay in the study of myology and bio-mechanics. It was only a natural progression to find myself in the personal training world. In that evolution, I was fortunate to do my internship with the Lead Master Trainer in Ottawa. His specialty is his work with pro athletes. He was interested enough in my field of study to give me a voice when planning his athletes’ dryland programs.

I suggested that we start their off-season training by first addressing their range of motion. These athletes are strong, no doubt there, but they have often sacrificed flexibility and core strength for pure unilateral strength, disallowing the opportunity to pull from their hip, core and flexibility to maximize their power in their performance.

We began rewriting their programs, breaking their program into 4 phases. As I trained them, I was often used as their demonstrator and then their pacer. All this while I was approaching my 40’s! What kept the athletes’ focused on me was the fact that I had no problem keeping up with them, rather, they had to keep up with me. What allowed me to do this consistently was the connection between hip/core strength and flexibility.

And so we began…

1 – Phase 1 – week 1 to 3 – Intense Yoga

We found that the guys’ range of motion was absolutely shameful! So, yoga for stretch and core stability. Intense, as in everyday. Then, because they are performance and strength driven, we would move the yoga gradually into strong power yoga. We would add weights to their sessions, more often than not in an ‘off balance” environment… again, to increase spine and core stability. Note that the boys hated this phase of the training… but they went through it anyway.. in that time, we would work very hard with them in the nutritional environment as well…

2 – Phase 2 – week 4 – 8 – Strength

This phase of the training involves a lot of weight load to increase the strength component of their regimen. Because we believe that training should incorporate a body synergy, core strength and stability was always incorporated with their strength moves. Training to avoid injury. Off balance, or unilateral moves, core strength and stability along with the weight load. I have to admit that the boys were not getting as strong as they would have in a pure strength environment, but for their chosen sport, it really was best. Who cares what you can squat if you can’t bring that strength into your sport? The athletes would train in strength on days 1-3-5, supplemented by yoga on days 2-4.

3 – Phase 3 – week 8- 16 – Power

This was by far the best part of the training. Power… strong plyometrics, off balance plyos, quick foot drills, interval cardio training, strong power moves… really the best part of the training. This is where the boys would start seeing the gains made in the slower parts of their workout phases.

4 – Phase 4 – Training Camps

Once the boys started their training camps, we would pull it back. We would incorporate all of the above components in a circuit format where all aspects of their training would come together. We would also pull back the frequency of their session so that they could concentrate on their performance for camp.

The success they experienced in the training camps was extraordinary. While some were getting injured, or over winded.. our athletes were holding their own. Not as strong, true, yet much faster and more endurance. Because the hip was being shaped and strengthened all through their time with us, pathologies like groin pulls were almost non-existent. I say almost because some came in with that problem, and rehab set their workouts back.

Although different sports demand different bio-mechanics, the phases of this training program can and should be adapted to any chosen sport. The key is to keep it interesting with variety and keep it strong by challenging balance and core strength.

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This note from Dennis Chighisola…

In ending, I’d like to mention a technique I often use as I sort through tons of great research — in that I tend to borrow a little bit from every expert.  Sure, there are some areas of our game where there’s seemingly just one right way to do something.  Yet, we all live different lifestyles and have differing free time to devote to training, we all have slightly different body-types and other unique physical traits, as well as very different goals.  And that’s where borrowing bits and pieces of what the experts suggest tends to help.

Allow me to add one more thing here, in that the above also explains why I feel compelled to offer so many different training approaches here within the pages of CoachChic.com.  Actually, I think it’s the right way to do things, giving you options, I mean.

Finally, I know Maryse would enjoy your feedback and questions, and she invites you to email her.

Be a friend:  EVERY worthwhile Comment helps Coach Chic in the search engines!

Learning Hockey — with Coach Chic & Chomper

This special note from Coach Chic…

If your son, daughter or team is at the stage where they need to learn hockey’s basic rules and positioning, this is the video for them.  No, it’s not for grown-ups, as I’ll soon explain.  But it’s been written and produced in a way that seems to really work for 5- to 7-years old.  And, as you’ll see, it’s awesome for helping very young kids learn about off-sides, icing and where to line-up for face-offs.

Now, I’ve coached all levels of our game — up through high school and college, and I even had several minor league pro interviews.  I’ve also helped a number of students reach the NHL or other elite levels.

That said, perhaps one of the things I’m best at is in knowing where I am at a given time.  I mean, I don’t treat high school guys like kindergardeners, and I don’t talk over the heads of my littlest students.  No, in fact, I go into what I jokingly refer to as my “Mr Rogers impression” when I teach my Learn-to-skate and Learn-to-play clinics.

And that’s what I felt the need to do as I prepared to write the script for the following video.  As I said already, I wasn’t writing it for you, the parent or coach.  (Actually — and I’m chuckling at myself a bit here, because I felt pretty stupid doing some of the audio.  But, I knew “baby talk” and a lot of bells and whistles were necessary if I was to keep the attention of little ones.

If you’ll notice, this video was created a number of years ago (it still has my old CoachChic.com introduction).  Actually, I produced it as a gift to a number of students I had in a summer hockey school back then, sort of as a supplement — or home study program — for the things we were working on on the ice.

Frankly, I held my breath as I waited for feedback from my camp parents.  But, every single follow-up comment was unbelievably positive.  In fact, a number of parents told me that their kids practically wore-out the CD I’d given them.  And, some told me their youngsters knew the video by heart.

Okay, so why don’t I let you take a peek at it right now.  Then, once you’ve had a chance to view it, I’ll add a number of further comments and some advice down below (there seems to be something slightly off with the timing of audio and video when face-offs are covered — it’s hardly noticeable; but I promise to fix that as soon as possible)…

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Okay, is it silly?  Yes.   But, does it work?  Absolutely — because it’s just what a young player needs!  And, as I suggested in the video, countless viewings are going to prove a whole lot more effective than just a few.

As I also suggest, a parent can enhance the learning experience by asking questions of the youngster, perhaps testing him or her in a fun way (and even using a little tool I’ll make available here pretty shortly).

For both parents and coaches, I think you ought to also consider that kids aren’t ever going to truly understand their playing positions without first knowing their left from their right sides.  So, I would make it a point to frequently quiz or otherwise help your youngster/s in this area.

As for coaches of very young teams…  I have done a simple drill — off-ice and on the ice — that really reinforces the off-sides rule.  So, here goes…

• Either mark a line (with chalk) on the lockerroom floor or out in the runway, or use a section of the blue line on the ice.
• Have a coach be a partner for one kid at a time as they both approach the offensive blue line.  In this way, the coach gets to totally control over the drill.
• The coach will want to alternate his her approach to this drill.  In other words, sometimes you might move at a slow, sure pace, and put the puck on-side ahead of your young partner.  At yet other times, the coach should pretend to have difficulty advancing the puck, at which time the young skater must know enough to delay until he or she sees the puck cross the line.

Oh, by the way, parents could easily run that drill at home.  Just be creative about locating a mock blue line.

Then, here’s a little insight into my reason for solving the problems dealt with in that video…  When my grandson was a 6-year old Mite C in the local youth program, I used to cringe at the amount of ice-time that was wasted in his games.  I mean, kids would mill around for what seemed an eternity, searching for where they should line-up for a face-off.  Worse yet, few of the little guys understood the rules of off-side or icing, which meant there were countless more face-offs than there should have been.  So, if there is a very good reason for solving these problems — or for having your youngster or team watch the video countless times, it’s to give them more real playing time within an hour of ice, and to thusly make the game more fun for them.

Finally, here’s our deal, and a good reason why I’m currently making this video available to non-members:

I NEED YOUR FEEDBACK!

Down below is a box for “Feel free to leave a comment… “.

What I’d really like to know is if the video seemed to work — with an individual, or with a team.  And, while it would be nice to have a commenter’s name and organization, I would at least like to know the age of the youngster/s using the program, as well as your position (as a parent or coach).

Oh, and yes you can share this page and video with teammates or friends.  Just send them a link to the CoachChic.com home page (that works best), and tell them to scan the free stuff for “Learning Hockey — with Coach Chic & Chomper“.

Thanks for stopping by.  And, I look forward to helping you further as your little one grows in the game.

– Dennis Chighisola

Opening Night for the ’09 NEHI HS Prep Hockey Team

An introductory note from Coach Chic…

Well, after a long off-season of training, my two NEHI teams have been gearing-up recently for the starts of their new playing seasons.  As a matter of fact, my HS Prep guys opened tonight with a pretty convincing 12-2 win.

So, you’d think I’d be thrilled, huh?  Well, so you’d think…

Actually, I believe it’s good for my guys that I’m seldom satisfied with any game, no matter the outcome.  And I’m almost always able to find a number of things that need fixing, or that need at least a little more work.

Now, I’m likely to later cover a lot of the following in far greater detail.  (In other words, if it’s a skating problem I’m mentioning here, for example, I’m probably going to show you in the Skating section how I ultimately solved that.)  For now, however, I’d at least like to touch upon the things I think need addressing with my older team.  I don’t doubt member coaches, parents and older players will find a few things that’ll also help them (sorta like some food for thought)…

The purpose of my High School Prep team is to ready 17 young guys for their respective high school seasons.  All my kids are headed to different schools, and they range in needs from trying to make their school team to wanting to really excel wherever they’re going.

In Massachusetts, school hockey doesn’t begin until the Monday after our US Thanksgiving.  So, that’s my goal — to have the kids ready on that big day.  And I try to convince them (and sometimes their parents) that our common goal is to have everyone totally ready on November 30 of this year.

What I’m getting at is that nothing but development matters to me until that day arrives.  And, in a way, this takes a great deal of pressure off me and my players.  Oh, I’m intense when it comes to my kids working and learning.  But we should all know that they can’t take their autumn game scores or stats with them when they head to tryouts.

So, I started by sharing this philosophy just so you understand the rather patient approach I’m going to be taking with the following topics.

*

I have my own to-do list as I prepare for games.  And the first game of each new season has a longer list than most others.

I print-up a batch of nice roster sheets so that I don’t have to waste time scratching them out for each new game.  That’s on a smart drive, too, just in case I have to make roster changes at any point during the season.

A one-time deal has me bringing new game socks and our game jerseys to the first game.  (Thank God I have a family who will care for the jerseys from now until season’s end!)

I tote a small plastic bucket (adorned with our logo), this carrying about 20 special pucks meant just for our pre-game warm-ups.  Each year I paint these a little differently, with this season’s pucks remaining black around the sides, but sprayed silver on tops and bottoms.  The goalies hate these (LOL), but those pucks sure do make them focus.  Inside that bucket are also a few tennis balls for my goalers to juggle and do other pre-game work with.

I carry a large loose-leaf book that contains my rosters, official papers, emergency telephone lists and then small items — like chalk, pencils, clear tape, notepaper, small sticky-pads for my game notes, and the likes.

Inside the above book is my team’s lockerroom door sign (as described in the Coaches’ Corner).

Then, there’s what I refer to as my “Murphy’s Law Kit”!  Ya, “stuff” happens when we least expect it, so I’ve collected a ton of odds and ends to bail my kids — if they forget a neckguard, if they strip an edge, if they lose a helmet screw, etc.  Oh, and all the typical first aid items are also in the box.

So, how did yours truly do on HIS opening night prep?  Geeeeeeeze, I left the dawgoned game socks back in the office.  (Grrrrrrr…)

*

I asked the guys to report a little early for this first game.  Unbeknownst to the players, I wanted them to relax as they readied for the first game, and I also wanted some extra time to go over a few important things…

After having a quick administrative discussion — like how the jerseys should be collected at game’s end, how we’d operate in the lockerroom, etc., I went into bench decorum.

• Of course, my defensemen sit on the defensive end of the bench, with our forwards stationed closer to the offensive zone.
• I also pointed-out that I want the next guy up at a given position ALWAYS keeping an eye on the man he’ll replace.
• The kids and I next established in a brief discussion which player might be the most important on line changes — the one leaving the ice, or the one entering the play.  From there, I told my guys that they must clear the way for those trying to get onto the ice.  Ya, if you can just picture players getting tangled in a doorway while a team plays shorthanded…  Ugh.
• I told my guys that I wanted them to only concentrate on a few parts of their game.  I think things come together better when we do it this way.  So, I asked them to mainly focus on our primary forecheck, and to also try to make effective dump-ins.  Hey, if you think about it, solving just those two things over the first few weeks will make it easier for us to gradually add other key elements of our system.

*

We have a neatly timed pre-game warm-up routine I’ll also tell you more about soon.  Of course, things looked pretty ugly and were poorly timed during our first real try at it.  Perhaps more importantly, I sensed my guys had lost their focus on one drill, and poor focus means the kids are learning and reinforcing poor techniques rather than the right ones.

*

During this game, a new situation arose that needed dealing with…  A penalty killer should have what’s referred to as a “strong stick” in his or her own zone.  In other words, if my players get their stick-blade on a puck back in our defensive zone, the puck has to be sent out of the zone (and hopefully HARD down the ice).  Actually, I tell my guys I want pucks to hit the far-end boards.

*

Early in the game, a number of my guys came-off the ice with our opponents lugging the puck towards our net.  (Ha.  Oh no you don’t!)  The time to change-up is when the puck is buried safely in the offensive zone.

*

I thought our goaler played well on this night.  At the same time, I think a few of his difficulties weren’t his fault; they’re mine.  And I have to help him fix them.  So, in one instance I wrote a note to myself that I want to create a drill that forces the boy to fight for pucks in scrambles around the crease.  (A lot like the new guys who hadn’t learned with their former teams how to change properly, I think my goalie had been let-down by his past coaches, since he seemingly never learned to really handle the puck — either passing it, setting-up dump-ins for teammates, or tying-up loose pucks.  Oh, our goaltending coach and I have helped him with these things during the off-season.  But, there’s still lots more work to do — for his sake.)

*

Then, there was one awesome play I just have to discuss with all of my guys as soon as I get the chance…  One of my defensemen was coming back towards our end with an enemy puckcarrier close by, and with another attacker trailing not far behind (sort of a 2 on 1).  A lot of backchecking forwards would have wrongly headed towards the puckcarrier, figuring that’s how they could best help their teammate.  My backchecker, however, immediately grabbed the open trailer, which allowed my D to confidently handle the puckcarrier.  Aaaaah, awesome.

*

In closing, know that the game bench is a crazy place, in that there are lots of things for players and coaches to deal with.  Add to that the fact that players are coming and going — on line changes, and it’s virtually impossible for a coach to truly discuss many of the above points with all of his or her players.  For those reasons, I hold a once-per-week “discussion session” where we’re able to really relax and study the notes I’ve taken at the last game.  There’s no screaming or yelling or embarrassing players in these sessions.  Instead, for example, I might begin this coming week’s get-together with something like, “What do you guys think might be the best time to change-up?”  As I hope you’ll appreciate, I’m encouraging at least a two-way discussion here (and hoping a bunch of kids will chime-in), mainly because I think the information sticks better when players help solve a given problem.

As you should notice, there won’t be a shortage of things to work on during our next three practices.  Actually, a lot of the difficulties we had tonight might even spawn a few new drills.

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The Secret of Champions!

Shaun Goodsell, MA

President and CEO of Mental Edge

Shaun@MentalEdgeNow.com

For years I have wondered what part innate talent plays in the success of athletes. Growing up aspiring to be a pro athlete I thought on many occasions, “I wish I were talented enough to be as good as others.”  In fact as I have progressed in business I have also believed that success is a by product of the genes you get and some are lucky while the rest of us are scrapping and clawing to rise to the success of others.  While attending the PGA Championship last month I started thinking about the pathway these athletes took to get to where they are. Could there be more to it than simply genes?

Recently, I came across a book that challenges the significance of innate talent in the success of athletes, musicians, and business leaders. Geoff Colvin has written a book titled “Talent is Overrated: What Really Separates World Class Performers from Everybody Else”. Colvin makes a compelling case that THE ART OF DELIBERATE PRACTICE is what differentiates world-class performance from others.  He then goes on to describe this compelling concept:

“People who engage in intensive deliberate practice push themselves slightly beyond their current limitations physically and mentally.”

Doing this leads to greater perception, greater knowledge, and greater memory of what they know.  Practicing in this manner over a long period of time leads to the brain and body literally changing. When one learns to perceive more they are able to focus in on vital information that is significant when looking to creatively chart a course of success. For example, being aware of facial expressions in young athletes gives clues as to how they are receiving certain points of teaching. Often times a young athlete’s ability to be coached is closely connected to the closeness they feel to their coach. If a coach is not picking up on these subtle cues they miss information that is vital to their ability to influence a young life. In the same manner, learning to read important cues during a competitive situation gives athletes an advantage on their competition. It is this information that many athletes seem to miss.

Intensive deliberate practice not only improves an athlete’s level of perception but also increases their “working’ knowledge within their sport. It is as though an athlete’s knowledge base grows with each opportunity to play and practice in this manner. This dove tails with other performance coaches who encourage athletes to make sure they are always in the process of learning with each situation. Increasing their data base helps to inform them as to how to predict and approach different situations with greater mastery.  With this increased knowledge making decisions becomes easier and confidence in that process is increased.

Lastly, intensive deliberate practice improves an athlete’s memory of what they have learned in past performances. When they intentionally go into situations with this mindset their memories of the working knowledge they have acquired increases and they draw on this to acquire an edge on their competition.

It turns out the mental aspect of performance is vitally important and learning to approach our performance opportunities with a deliberate intensive approach gives us the secret many champions use to create the Mental Edge!

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Putting A Hockey Parent’s Mind in the Right Place

The idea for this piece actually stems from an exchange I recently had with a good friend from Twitter.  Apparently his son’s hockey team started its new season with a tournament, and my friend was bemoaning the fact that a few games were lost due to some recurring mistakes.  (So, what’s new in the world of youth hockey?  LOL!)

Of course, talking back and forth about the tournament — and hearing my friend’s observations — was fun, except… Ya, I said except…

You see, very soon into our conversation I started sensing that my friend feared his own son’s long-term goals might be hindered by his team’s shortcomings.  Hmmmmm…

Okay, my friend is a really bright guy, and I know he immediately understood the way I put a different slant on this subject.  So, while I’m sure he’s now okay — and he has his mind in “the right place”, I think this is a very worthy topic to share with all my CoachChic.com friends.

– Dennis Chighisola

Briefly, let me re-state the scenario here…

We parents probably get to watch our kids play in a kzillion games over a long hockey season.  And, there’s nothing wrong with the fact that we live a little with the wins, and we probably die a little with each loss.  In a way, that’s at least part of the fun in following a team.

Some of us have probably watched enough hockey to even know where our favorite team’s problems lie when things go wrong.  (No problem with that one, either, as long as we keep those kinds of opinions to ourselves.)

Now, returning to my initial point, I want to suggest that we parents wear at least two hats when we go to the arena.

Of course, we’re moms and dads first, and we want to do everything we can to help our own be comfortable and ready to play.  Ya, that includes helping younger ones get their gear ready, or sending our older guys off with our traditional well wishes — like, “Keep your head-up, son!”  And from there — if you’re anything like me, you probably climb the bleachers and proceed to slide left and right, trying to help your son or daughter avoid a check, make the shot, block a puck, whatever.  Oh, and of course, you have to cheer plenty if your youngster finds success in any way.

Secondly, we should be fans of the whole team.  If you think about it, most of the kids down on the ice are our sons’ or daughters’ friends, and it’s pretty likely our kids care plenty about the successes or failures experienced by their buddies.  So again, cheer loudly for your youngsters’ teams, if only because it’s right.

Okay, where do we go from here?  Is it possible our team’s coming season is going to unveil some real downers?  You bet.  Is it possible some volunteer coaches might not have the answers to their team’s shortcomings?  Ha.  And, is it likely our youngster’s team will be a mix of stronger and weaker players?  That’s a fact — from the local Mites to your favorite NHL entry, so get over it.  And, is it possible any of these things will have an impact on your son’s or daughter’s ultimately making the team of his or choice down the road?  NOT in a million dawgoned years!

In answer to the latter, I do believe very much in the old adage that suggests, “If you’re any good, the scouts (or whomever) WILL find you.”

Realistically, the first major goal for US-based players is to make the high school team of their choice.  (I highly suggest you pause here and listen to my very short audio on A Player’s First Real Goal.)  In Canada — and in some US areas, a junior team is the next step from youth hockey.  In any case, the selection process for these teams involves a tryout.  And, make no mistake about it:  A tryout is purely an individual thing.

Let me say that in yet another way…

Supposing your youngster is a goaltender, and he or she is battling 6 or 7 other netminders for a few limited slots.  During the tryout process, your guy or gal is down there on the ice and in the spotlight, with other tryout candidates firing rockets or attacking in two and three man waves.  And I have to ask you:  Does the coach overseeing these tryouts care one iota what your youngster’s record was back in Mites?  Does he or she care if your child’s team won or lost in the finals of some long ago Pee Wee tournament?  And, does he or she really care what your kid’s goals-against average was as a Squirt or Atom?  Naw, it’s a “show me what you can do today” thing at a tryout, and you can toss-out everything from the kid’s past EXCEPT the skills, work ethic and personality he or she has honed over many years.

And I would say the same for skaters…  In a tryout setting, a coach isn’t watching combinations of players; he or she is watching individuals — for the same aforementioned skills, work ethic and personality.  If a player stinks because he or she hasn’t paid the appropriate dues, there’s nowhere to hide, and there’s no saving him or her from going down the proverbial river.  If, on the other hand, a player demonstrates all the necessary skills, he or she will be hard to miss.  In either case, the kid’s stats back in Bantams aren’t likely to matter, nor are the number of trophies sitting back on the family mantel.  It’s a one time shot — or maybe a couple of days, and the decisions are going to be based solely on what the player can — and can’t — do right then and there.

All right, so let’s go back to my earliest couple of points, in that we have two basic roles — one as a parent, the other as a fan.  And let me add to that one more…  For, I’m here to suggest that we parents are the ones truly responsible for our youngsters’ long-term development.  (Actually, this is where I usually come-in — in local hockey circles, and right here at CoachChic.com.)

Now, from a personal perspective, I always tried to keep some time free during my young guy’s winter hockey schedule.  In other words, I wasn’t going to allow him to be so trapped to someone else’s schedule that it left no time for extra work — on athleticism, on skills, on strength development, or on whatever else he may have needed AS AN INDIVIDUAL.

Over the years, some youth coaches were great, some not so.  Over those years, my own guy was surrounded by players of poor to great skills.  (Did it all matter?  Ya, but only in the quality of team practices.  Good coaches usually run good practices.  At the same time, sometimes poorly skilled players prevented a coach from running a slightly more intense or more upbeat session.)  But, in the long run, and in having been through this over at least two generations, I can tell you that past coaches and past teammates had almost no effect on my two guys’ future chances in the game.

Commenting more on the need to personally oversee our own youngster’s development…  If you think about it, just doing whatever others are doing — or, just entrusting development to a team — is going to put your youngster smack dab in the middle of a huge pack.  And, that does not bode well if he or she plans on attending a really competitive tryout someday.  The answer to that, of course, is for a parent to somehow supplement the youngster’s training with something well beyond what the team offers.

Again, little in the very end is influenced by teammates or youth coaches.  As I stated previously, a player can’t bring his or her newspaper clippings, trophies or stat sheets to a tryout.  Of course, some readers might find the above a drastically different kind of mindset.  But, I’m going to suggest to all my friends here that it’s the type that works for players over the long-run.

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Comparing Hockey, Figure Skating and Speed Skating