My Weekend Hockey Reading List

UPDATED EACH WEEKEND…

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

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

My Weekend Hockey Reading List

5/17/13 ————————————————————————————–

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5/11/13 ————————————————————————————–

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

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

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

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

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

5/4/13 ————————————————————————————–

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

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

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

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

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

4/20/13 ————————————————————————————–

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

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

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

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

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

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

4/13/13 —————————————————————————————

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

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

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

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

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

A New Junior Hockey Scouting Service

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

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

A New Junior Hockey Scouting Service

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Knowing Lots of Hockey “Facts”

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

– Dennis Chighisola

Knowing Lots of Hockey “Facts”

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

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

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

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

 Think about that one, if you will…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Designing A Hockey On-ice Warm-up Routine

What’s Wrong With Amateur Hockey?

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

—————————————————

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

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

What’s Wrong With Amateur Hockey?

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

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

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

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

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

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

The 1977-78 Hobomock Chiefs

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

The 1977-78 Hobomock Chiefs

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks for the memories, guys         

– Dennis Chighisola/
Coach Chic

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

A New Argument In Hockey: Concerning “Play”

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Coach Chic’s Hockey Secrets – Episode 2

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

Right Click Here to Download

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

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

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Something New for CoachChic.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

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

Computer versus Smart Phone

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

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

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

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

Coach Chic’s Hockey Secrets – Episode 1

with your host — Dennis Chighisola

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

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

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

Right Click Here to Download

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

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

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When New Players Join a Hockey Team at Mid-season

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

– Dennis Chighisola

When New Players Join a Hockey Team at Mid-season

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Assistant Hockey Coaches

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

– Dennis Chighisola

Assistant Hockey Coaches

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New Changes Coming!

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

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

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

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

Aaaaaw, what the heck…

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

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey Flow Drills (or not?)

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

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey Flow Drills (or not?)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Welcome New Members!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hockey Handshakes: Before or After the Game?

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey Handshakes: Before or After the Game?

Ya, outside the box…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Two last things…

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

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

Designing an “Exciting” Hockey Practice

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

– Dennis Chighisola

Designing an “Exciting” Hockey Practice

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Non-members may now purchase hidden articles or videos as they become available.  Click on a link below for more details.

Articles available for your Kindle or other electronic reader:

How to REALLY Tie Hockey Skates — Less foot pain! More ankle action! - 99-cents – In hockey, if “skating is the name of the game”, skate tying has to be one of the most important first steps in playing well, playing relatively pain free, and achieving maximum support with sufficient ankle flexibility.  Ask anyone in the game, and they’ll tell you that Dennis Chighisola troubleshoots every phase of hockey with a combination of science and common sense. “Coach Chic” is also famous for explaining his solutions so that virtually anyone — at any level — can understand.  This article (along with the included bonus article) is guaranteed to answer any question you’ll ever have about hockey skate tying.

Coach Chic’s Building Blocks Approach to Skills – 99-cents – Few hockey players, coaches or parents realize the way various individual skills build upon one another. Moreover, few realize the significance of prioritizing skills — like skating, shooting, puckhandling, and passing — to help make the complete offensive player.  As you’ll discover, “Coach Chic’s Building Blocks Approach to Skills” is unique, and a must read for anyone who influences a hockey player’s development. It’s short, but it explains well the whys or hows of the way all individual skills are really connected.

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

If you see a special article you’d like released through Amazon.com, please let Coach Coach know.  Also let him know if there’s a topic you think he ought to cover within these pages.  Leave a comment below, or Email Coach Chic.

Many more coming.

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Videos available through the Hockey Tips & Tricks Store:

How to Assemble & Teach A Basic Hockey System – $21.97 – By Dennis Chighisola (“Coach Chic”)  40-years of  Coach Chic’s Hockey Coaching Experience Packed into 72-pages!  A downloadable ebook you can either read on your computer or print to make a hardcopy manual.  No coach should be without this in depth handbook!

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

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

(3 videos) Must-do Skating Drills (for Beginners, Intermediates and Advanced skaters) – $14.25 each, $28 for the set -  These are the scientific, time tested skating skill drills required of players as they climb the hockey ladder from learn-to-skate clinics to advanced level play.

Chop Stix – $4.95 – Coach Chic made this collection of training aids for about $2 (and anyone could make them).  So that puts the total cost of all the gadgets — and the video outlining countless drill ideas — to under $10.   And they include fun and challenging exercises — for core strength, balance, and lots of asymmetric stickhandling!  They’re suitable for players from near beginners to adults (so a set could be used by every hockey player in your family).   Coach Chic even has an entire team train at once with their Chopped Stix! 

If you see a special video you’d like released through the Hockey Tips & Tricks Store, please let Coach Coach know.  Also let him know if there’s a topic you think he ought to cover within these pages.  Leave a comment below, or Email Coach Chic.

Many more coming.

Why Am I Involved In Hockey?

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

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

Why Am I Involved In Hockey?

Dave’s question came via email, explaining about some problems he’s recently had with one of his players…

In a nutshell, he’s now second guessing himself about appointing a new player as an Assistant Captain prior to getting into his team’s season, because — despite the kid demonstrating great work ethics in the early going, he seems to have come with some serious excess baggage.  Readers are going to cringe when I tell them that Dave says the kid has been bullying some teammates.  (Like some kids of similar ilk that I’ve coached, I can believe Dave when he says that most of the boy’s improper actions take place when adults aren’t watching.)  And, with that giving us a fairly good sense of his character, it should come as no surprise that the boy also is known to take some stupid penalties at times.  Sad to say, one Assistant Coach has resigned, at least partly because the boy’s parents “…can’t promise the kid will change…”  Trying to steady a team that is already struggling, Dave wonders about removing the “A” from the boy’s jersey, suspending him for a game, whatever.

Just wondering, but is anyone else’s blood boiling right now?  I’ll tell you, that I steamed as I read Dave’s initial email, and I’m hot again as I type.  Over 40-years of coaching all levels, I’ve been there, done that, and all this does is bring back a lot of very bad memories.  Ya, I love coaching — and teaching the game, but there are those very few individuals who take all the fun out of trying to help kids.

Okay, my being equally upset doesn’t help Dave one iota.  So, after reading his email a number of times, I somewhat cooled, and tried to see this mess in a whole new perspective.  And, the first thing that came to mind was something close to this article’s title, in that, “Why the heck is this kid even playing hockey?”  I later changed that a bit, wishing to ask the boy’s parents, “Why do you even encourage your son to play hockey?”

Not exactly the greatest definition I’ve ever heard, yet it did give me the key word or phrase I was looking for.

For, within that single sentence, it says that hockey is played between “two TEAMS”!  It doesn’t say anything in there about satisfying the twisted wants of an individual player, nor does it say anything about parent opinions!

So, I scrambled back to the on-line dictionary again, just to make sure I’m not wrong here:

I’m sure my readers (and Dave) know where I’m going with this.  For, although it’s probably not spelled out enough as one of the qualifications for enrolling in ice hockey, there’s little doubt that one is signing up to become a member of a team.  And, in case a parent has other ideas, he or she should understand that his or her son’s (or daughter’s) commitment is to the team.

As an aside here…  A very long time ago, I coached a kid who I considered almost a second son.  Actually, he was a gem, as were his parents, but he was a bit of a loner, and maybe not exactly cut out to play a team sport.  As an older teen, he made a choice on his own, and he became more famous than most of my other star players while participating in another, slightly related individual sport.  My only point here, is that not every youngster has what it takes to give of himself or herself, and be a good team sport member.

So again, I’d rephrase my question to that boy’s parents, and ask them, “Does your son really want to be part of team — and to give somewhat of his individuality to be a good team member?”  Oh, I can imagine the argument.  However, there is no arguing with a definition that has been in existence for eternity, and one that won’t vary no matter where you look it up.  In a nutshell, there is an understanding that comes with enrolling ones son on a team.

From there, I’ll suggest that the parents in question need to have the same conversation with their son:  “Do you know what it means to be part of a team?”

Personally, I never enter into conversations like the above with anything but the hope that all will work out rightly.  I mean, I would love for the parents in this case to ultimately understand what I’m asking them, and I’d pray that the boy might realize he’s been wrong by not blending with all of his mates, and by not handling that “A” with the utmost respect.

Will what I suggest work?  Man, my guess is that we’re all going to win some and lose some.  The shame of it all is, it’s been my expeerience that, the parents are going to determine everything in the end.

Okay, I guess everyone has an understanding of how I’d deal with this in 2012, this after reflecting on the various successes and failures I’ve had with similar situations in the past.

For sure, I would suspend the wayward boy for one game, no matter the outcome of any future deals.  Hopefully, what’s done is done, but it also carries with it the one game suspension.  And, I would let it be known that every subsequent infraction will carry a similar suspension, until the player changes his ways.  (There is no need for a single player in a lockerroom to feel fear or any other discomfort because of a teammate.  And, lest anyone blame the coaches for not being present every second the team is at the rink, I can tell you that that is virtually impossible, and that a kid who wants to do something rotten is going to find his or her chance.)  An apology to his teammates wouldn’t be out of the question as far as I’m concerned.

I would suggest to Dave that he use the “A” as a bargaining chip, or do as he feels most comfortable.  If the family sincerely comes on board with the team concept, perhaps the boy will also be the Assistant Captain Dave had hoped.  That honor can be stripped away at any time.

Lastly, there can be a tendency on a coach’s part to question himself or herself, as in, “What could I have done differently?”  And my answer would be, “I doubt very much.”  Dave and other head coaches have a ton of responsibilities, and they’re responsible to a ton of  players, not just one.

As a PS here, I would do anything I could to get the Assistant Coach back.  Good men — and willing men — are hard to find.

A Plea To CoachChic.com Members (and Non-members)

I feel like I’ve been on kind of a roll lately, having added a great many new posts over the past few weeks.  Not that I haven’t always tried to keep the good content coming for my members — it’s up to nearly 600 articles, videos and audio programs right now.

The reason I’ve been on that roll?  It’s because of you.  It’s because you’ve asked me to deal with some really meaningful questions lately, and it’s because you’ve also contributed some awesome comments after the various posts.  And, trust me on the importance of those comments, because they always add a great deal more value to the topic at hand.

A couple of things that bother me, however…

First, I want every single one of you to use your membership to the max.  If the content here already suits your needs, that’s okay.  At the same time, I know that every hockey coach, parent, and adult player finds himself or herself challenged at some point.  And, that’s what I’m here for:  to answer your questions or help you over a hurdle.  Sometimes, as a few higher level coaches have told me, it can also be nice to have me to bounce your ideas off.

Secondly, while I’ll always be sure to pass along information I believe you should know, I’d also like you to steer the conversation.

Thirdly, even though non-members don’t have access to all the content here, a lot of folks don’t realize that I do welcome your questions.  No matter where the questions come from, they’re bound to help lots of folks, including CoachChic.com members.

All that said, here’s my plea:  Please don’t be shy, please get involved, and let’s work together to make this the best hockey resource site in the entire world!

Also, remember that you can use the link up above (Ask The Coach) to submit any questions or difficulties you might have.

Yours in hockey,

Dennis C

Hockey Parents: Take the Game Personally

This topic has been a long time in coming, but it took the mom of a young Squirt level goalie to get it out of me.

Actually, rather than commenting further on another fairly popular CoachChic.com article, Gail chose to email me with further details of her (or her son’s) situation, while also including some further questions.  And it was about halfway through reading her letter, that I knew I had to address things in a broader way, as well as share it with all my hockey friends.

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey Parents: Take the Game Personally

Sometimes I opt to reprint an entire email, if it suits the purpose of an article.  In the case of Gail’s letter, however, the details of her son’s plight aren’t as important as the feelings I sense she’s experiencing for her son’s sake.  I’m not diminishing a bit what her son is going through right now; it’s just that I believe Gail’s overall feelings might be softened a lot if I give her a slightly different perspective.

Now, the first time I recall dealing with this topic was about 5- or 6-years ago, with the dad of a pretty good defenseman on my NEHI Junior High School Team…

The dad wasn’t disrespecting this old coach at the time, but he was sorta moaning about the defense partner his boy was playing alongside.

Ya, when matching younger players, I will purposely pair D in certain ways — maybe placing an offensive kid with a defensive minded one, a stronger player with a slightly weaker one, etc.  So, with his son being a big, really skilled and really aggressive kid, it made sense that I’d have him playing with a slightly weaker, or more defensive minded partner.

I had to drink in the dad’s feelings for awhile, and really think about what was going on.  From what I was gathering, the guy was spending more time watching his son’s partner, what with the list of errors he could so easily spout about that other kid’s game.

That’s when the idea of a parent taking things more “personally” came to mind.  If you can appreciate what I’m suggesting here, that dad’s boy wasn’t going to make it or break it in the long run because of his mate.  In fact, since my old NEHI Teams were all about development, I wanted all of my team’s parents to understand that their kids’ future had nothing to do with our wins or losses, how other teammates were coming along, etc.

My idea of taking things personally wasn’t aimed at the kids being any less the good teammates.  In fact, once I formulated my line of thinking, I made it known that I wanted the parents to watch their own boys’ development while allowing the kids to see the games as they always do.  I mean, I think it’s beneficial that players live or die with their teams, being jubilant after a win, and down after a team loss.  I happen to think that both extreme emotions are kinda good for them, and it’s part of the reason we all — players, parents and coaches — enjoy being involved in a team sport.

On a personal level, I’ve seen my own (son or grandson) on a given night put in a heck of a performance in a losing cause.   Just as surely, I’ve sensed they’ve stunk out the joint while the team managed to win.  You have to know that I have always cheered for their’ teams to win, but at the same time I had to be aware of whether Mike or Anthony was on the right track when it came to long range development.

So again, I wasn’t talking about my Team NEHI players or their parents being selfish in any way.  If a parent was going to get his or her money’s worth, though, he or she had better keep their eyes on their own son’s development.

In her case, Gail’s son happens to be a goaltender.  There aren’t any defense partners to be concerned with, nor forward linemates.  At the same time, goals will be scored against her son, these sometimes being his fault, and sometimes the fault of teammates.  And that’s where my different approach to things comes into play.

Of course, there’s certainly more to my idea of taking things personally…

When it came to that long ago defenseman’s dad, I had to remind him that his son had to control his temper, or learn to play with more control or discipline.  (Does it make sense to my readers that some parents will focus more on their kids’ teammates, maybe as a defense mechanism — or so they can avoid thinking about their own youngster’s shortcomings?)

What I also tried to constantly remind that dad of was his son’s long range goal.  The boy was headed to a highly competitive high school hockey program in 2-years, and it wasn’t going to be easy to make the team — or get steady ice-time — if any major deficiencies showed in his game.  Hey, in high school hockey, one stupid penalty can get you buried on the bench and forgotten for a long, long time.

I also tried to convince that dad — and all the other parents on our team — that stats or won/loss records in junior high school can’t be taken with the player.  In other words, getting a regular shift on a good high school team is more a matter of “what have you done for me lately, kid”.  That’s why I say that development is so important.  If your team is winning but you’re not improving, you’re dead in the water come the high school tryouts.  If you pay attention to improving with each day, I’m betting on you to be a star someday.

Okay, up to now, Gail may or not yet see my point in all this.  For her sake then — and especially for her son’s sake, let me translate much of the above to their current dilemma…

To be honest, I wouldn’t necessarily handle matters the way her son’s coach has.  From what she’s written to me, her son considers himself to be a full-time goalie, while he shares the net with a boy who has just decided to switch from a skating position to goaltending.  Even so, I guess the head coach is suggesting the two boys switch between skating out and playing net, while Gail’s boy prefers to stay between the pipes.  I tend to side with Gail and her son on that one, and I’m sure I’d have the two boys split each game (probably playing the most experienced one first or last depending on the opponents).

Still, that said, I can’t get away from the idea of putting development first.  I presume that Gail’s son has visions of someday playing for his local high school or Junior team, so I’m going to remind her that his tryouts for such a team are about 5- to 6-years away.  Who started in net here in 2012-13 won’t matter then, but what will matter are the things he learned between now and the big tryout date.

Gail doesn’t mention what level of Squirts her son plays.  However, if he’s not ultimately working within the highest level in her son’s region (like A, AA or AAA), his serious playing days will probably end when he graduates youth hockey.

By the way…  There is nothing wrong with a youngster or his or her parents not having higer aspirations.  To just have fun — right now — is okay.  However, since a youngster’s self-esteem and true enjoyment of the game is usually based on at least some success, I have to point right back at that taking it personally kind of thinking.

Part of that taking things personally calls for the parent to watch a boy’s play within the context of the game.  In other words — while not beating on her son, Gail or the boy’s dad might judge which goals he might have stopped, what he could do better in the future, etc.  It might be true, that others really caused some goals, but a player doesn’t grow from worrying about others.  So again, my message to Gail would be that she should care a whole lot more about how her own boy is doing.

Then, because my old Team NEHI programs ran the gamut in weekly training — from on-ice practices to off-ice practices to on-ice skills to special positional coaching, I didn’t have to mention to those parents about yet another import point.  However, in Gail’s case, I might suggest that she look into extra weekly goaler training if her son isn’t taking advantage of such.  Talk about a way for him to develop on a personal level.

Lastly, for Gail’s sake…

Based on the current conditions — with your son playing every other game, I would do my darnedest to make the best of it.  Ya, the situation does sound like it stinks, but it is what it is, at least for this season.  Making the best of it would include your son working hard at every practice, finding some other ways to help his game away from the team, truly encouraging his goaltending partner when it’s his turn to play, and then having some fun when it’s your son’s turn to get into the net.  Again, the idea is to make the most of a not-so-thrilling situation.

I don’t blame any hockey mom for living and dying as she watches her youngster deal with various hockey challenges.  Trust me, that we dads frequently ache inside as we watch our own ride the youth sports roller coaster.  If there’s a problem — and it’s what I learned long ago while dealing with that Junior high school dad, it’s that there is almost nothing to be gained from worrying about teammates or coaches.  In the end, which team a youngster makes — next year, the year after, and for the years after — boils down to how well he or she develops as an individual.

In closing, all the above was intended for every CoachChic.com reader, at every level.  I don’t care if you’re the parent of a Mite or a highly touted older guy; it’s important for you to be both a good team person and one who watches very closely for how your own son or daughter is developing.

My taking it personally approach can sometimes benefit a player.  I mean, the greatest distraction in the world can come when a youngster worries too much about a teammate’s shortcomings.  (Ya, right, as if everyone doesn’t lack in one area or another.)  So, if a parent sees just a hint of that, I’d nip it in the bud.  I’d frame it in a positive way, however, reminding your son or daughter that long range success is going to be based on his or her own skills and playing smarts, and not on the mistakes a teammate might make.

I also feel the need to mention that the parent of a kid who wants to go further in the game not depend solely on what’s offered by his or her youth hockey organization.  There, nearly every player is developing at the same rate, doing the same drills, etc.  The player who may want to go beyond most others has to somehow get extra training, even if it’s at home.

Then, from time to time I get the guilties writing a piece like this.  I mean, some parents might be thinking, “Sure, Dennis, it’s easy for you to observe your own and make corrections, because you’re a 107-year old coach!”  Naw, if I’ve helped my own at all over many years of parenting, it’s because I first recognized the need to take their development very personally.

Can A Hockey Coach Steal A Game?

The short answer to the above is obviously, “Yes.”  Of course, it’s possible for any head coach to steal a win for his team.  However, with that established, my long time CoachChic.com friends have to know I have a lot more to say on such a topic.

Actually, this all came up in two ways — from a conversation I had with another very successful hockey coach, that after having watched an on-line basketball coaching webinar earlier in the day.

– Dennis Chighisola

Can A Hockey Coach Steal A Game?

That conversation with the other hockey coach took place on Facebook.  I was wishing my long time friend good luck on his upcoming high school season, and that brought us to bantering back and forth about things we have in common when it comes to coaching philosophy.

Wrongly, I’d say, my friend gives me some credit from the way he views the game.  True, he was an assistant coach with me for a time, but he steered his high school team to a state championship last season purely on his own — and, I might add, in just his first season at the helm.

When we got rolling with the conversation, he made it a point to highlight the great dedication shown by the kids in his high school program, or as he put it, “The commitment to Townie Hockey is second to none.”

Then he went on to describe what he was talking about when it comes to commitment…

“A typical day in the life is 90 minutes off ice and 90 minutes on ice with a 10 mile bus ride in between. We breakdown game film and do all our defensive strategies off ice so as to not bring the practices to a screeching halt and can focus on the more fun stuff on ice.”

Now, those who have been here for any length of time knows that’s a hockey man after my heart.   And, while I love — and totally agree with all the things he’s doing for his kids (maybe except for that bus ride — ), I just plain like the fact that he’s thinking, or that everything he is doing is for a reason.  So many coaches just take what they’re given — like the 90-minutes for on-ice practice, and then they’re on their way home.

Actually, my old buddy caused me to think some, when he inserted, “I’m a big believer that how goes your forecheck = how goes your game, cuz it’s all in the attitude.”  Hmmmmmm…  Although I’ve never quite looked at it that way, I think I’d have to tend to agree.  I recall nights when my teams would hem our opponents in their own end for minutes at a time, and we were usually on our way to a “W”.

I got us back to a comparison of how other coaches might do things, offering, “That’s the way it ought to be done, but not all coaches can pull it off.  You did it, and my guess is that players and parents will be even more willing to follow your direction this next time around.”  Ya, nothing gets folks on your bandwagon quicker than winning, and my sense is that my friend’s team will continue to be successful until league opponents manage to get as much accomplished with their players.

My friend went on…  “You know, last year when we turned the corner, and rounded the bend, you could see the light go on upstairs.  And man did they gel!  I was incredibly fortunate to be able to bring on 2 great coaches to work with me.  We had to sell the administration our vision of a high school hockey program and they graciously supported the endeavor. Whereas most high school hockey teams are doing their 2 or 3 or 4 – 50-60 minute skates/week we definitely had a conditioning and skills and team edge on the opposition despite 4 of our 10 skaters and our keeper being freshmen.”

Ha!  There you go.  Other teams were doing the customary stuff, and my buddy and his capable assistants were out-teaching them by a country mile.

That’s when my other experience of that day kicked in…  “Funny, I told him, “but I was listening to a high level basketball webinar today, and a major point that the speaker was insisting upon was that games are won in the practices.”  (I then joked — because my buddy would know, “No kidding!”) Knowing the organizer of that webinar, I suggested to him that such a point would likely go over the heads of a lot of coaches, no matter their sport.

I loved my buddy’s comeback…  “Coach, you are so right. You manage games. You coach practices.”

Please think about that one again, if you would:  You manage games, and you coach (or teach in) practices.

My friend continued…  “Try coaching up a kid during a game like hockey and forget about it:   let me see, he’s skating, stickhandling and reading the play simultaneously.  It moves way too fast.  Now stick some thought in his head to worry about.  Anything that was once fluid is gone because he’s so focused on that critique.”

In contract, he offered, “I throw so much multi tasking and so much pressure on everything we work on (in practice) that gametime is funtime.”

With that, I only half-joked, “LOL!  I think I feel a new CoachChic.com article coming on! 

Oh, and seconds later, a young lady seeing our public conversation added, “lol.. and who wouldn’t ‘Like’ this one?!?

For sure, who wouldn’t like this one?

Okay, so now for some take-aways from all of this, as far as this old coach is concerned…

1) All of us coaches are going to be given standard practice hours, and those are good enough, if good enough is what you and your players are looking for.  As is written countless times throughout these pages, a ton more can be accomplished by adding some off-ice practices, studying video, doing some chalktalks, etc.

2) I don’t think there’s any doubt that games are won in practices.  Sure, we coaches can once in awhile steal a point or two from the game bench, but not very often.

3) Although there are some things that are different when comparing basketball and hockey, there are lots and lots of similarities.  They are both “transition games”, with only slightly different rules and slightly different tools to work with.  That said, the coach in that b-ball webinar suggested that every coach should have what he called a “Cheat Sheet”.  (Having spilled coffee on his in the past, he suggested it be laminated.)  The idea of that sheet is to have some set plans for the last minute or so in a game, with options depending on the conditions at the time.

Not much different than a hockey bench, I guess things can get crazy in basketball, too — if the game is close and the clock is winding down.  I’ve kinda done something like that in the past for my older hockey teams — for example, listing my powerplay unit (to include backups), my penalty-killers, and even some ideas for late game face-off plays.  I’d also have plans for our goalie-off unit, should we need it.

 *

If anyone has their own ideas about a hockey Cheat Sheet, please share them below.
I love to learn from you guys, and I’m sure other members would also appreciate it.

Hockey Refereeing Inconsistencies

I belong to quite a few hockey (or related) groups within social media, including a Facebook group called the Hockey Coaches & Players Drills Forum.  It’s a great place to find some new drill ideas, as well as to get involved in some interesting hockey coaching discussions.

What got me typing away here today is a post by group member, Dan P, who expressed his concerns about the inconsistencies he’s seeing this season as he coaches a Squirt AA team.  With that, my juices got flowing, and I just knew I had to address this issue with my CoachChic.com friends.

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey Refereeing Inconsistencies

Getting the ball (or puck) rolling, here’s what Dan had to say:

“The long battle of ref consistancy continues!  Coaching my Squirt AA team last weekend (this is still bothering me) one of my smallest, quickest players took a checking penalty.  However, he made the body contact exactly as he was taught. We have been teaching “stick to stick; hips to hands”.  The ref said he called the penalty because the player “dropped his shoulder” and he would continue to call every player on our team that did it.  First issue I have with this is that we have followed the guidelines set forth by USA Hockey (from what I have taken from the rule change) that is talked about at every coaching clinic and have gone over the USA Body Checking Rule section on the USA Hockey website.  Do the officials watch the same videos showing what is legal and illegal?  I haven’t done an officials clinic in probably 10 years.  Anyone else having similar issues?”

Now, not having been at the game in question — or seen the call, I’m not going to get involved in the exact situation Dan described.  I do, however, see tons of stuff within the above paragraph, that should give us plenty of meat for discussion.

As an aside…  Dan is (rightly) concerned with the refereeing inconsistencies as they affect his kids and his ability to teach them well.  So am I.  As a matter of fact, I’m constantly reminded of an incident I was involved in many years ago whenever this issue rears its ugly head.

I was actually coaching my old high school team back in the early 1980′s when I found myself — and my players — heading to the dressingroom as frustrated as could be.  Feeling much like Dan, I’d seen several questionable penalties called late in the game, and they had cost us the win.

As we all filed towards the lockerrooms, it suddenly struck me that my kids were going to be asking me a lot of questions.  So I veered from that course, and headed straight for the referees’ room.

Now, when the refs made their calls, they knew I was scratching my head over on the game-bench.  Yet, whether purposely or not, they stayed far enough away so that I never could get the answers I was looking for.

In reflection, I probably could have lost my job over what I did next, but I nearly tore the hinges off the ref’s room door as I entered, and I was already ranting as the door swung open.  In effect, I told them, “I am a teacher first, and when I go back into my team’s room, those kids are going to want answers!”  Man, was I hot.  Thank God, though, that those guys knew me for better times and better manners, and cooler heads did prevail.

I tell that story to suggest that Dan might consider himself lucky that the officials at his game at least spoke to him.  I also tell that — and the next story — in hopes it might actually be helpful to referees out there…

At least a year or so later, I was again coaching my high school team when an odd whistle blew and halted my team’s powerplay.  To be honest, I had been slightly distracted talking with a player and hadn’t seen the play.  My assistant coach and several players hadn’t a clue what the whistle was for, so I tried to ask the ref who made the call.  Of course, that guy moved himself quickly to the face-off circle which starting me seething.  Thankfully, the other ref backed up to our bench — so that few in the arena would notice, and he said just loud enough for me to hear, “Coach, the play was off-side.”  I immediately slapped my head, apologized for asking, and added, “I am an idiot!”  (Ya, by his one small gesture, he had diffused a situation that could have easily gotten nasty.)

That ref just happened to be the class of the league, and he’d done games as high as the old World Hockey Association.  What got him to the high levels was a firm knowledge of the rules, a feel for the game, and some common sense.  Enough said?

Now, while you might think I went off on a tangent there, I was really speaking to Dan’s main concern, in that we coaches have to go back to our kids and have answers for them.  Oftentimes we can take care of that on our own, but sometimes we need the help of the game officials.

And that brings me to a notion I’ve had for a good many years…  For, I can’t understand for the life of me why refs aren’t seen as part of the teaching process when it comes to our game’s youngest levels.  Yes, there’s a need to act impartially when it comes to tournaments, more competitive levels of play, etc.   On the other hand, I’ve always fostered that we’re-in-this-thing-together approach when I’ve had refs work in my hockey schools and in certain teaching leagues I’ve designed.  I’d ask them to look at things that way, I’d sometimes arrange for them to have a brief classroom session with the players, and I asked them to explain everything they could to “our kids”.

I’m glad Dan mentioned about the referee adding that, “…he would continue to call every player on our team that did it.”  I know a lot of guys who enter younger level games with something in their heads — like it’s their pet peeve, or their peeve of the day, and they aren’t about to change their minds.

I happen to love the old guy I’m going to speak about now, but we’ve had our share of friendly arguments…

His “thing” happens to be protecting young goalies.  Is he right?  Ya, I can totally appreciate that.  However, I can’t appreciate it to the point where it distorts the game, or causes me to teach the game other than the way I think things ought to be.

I think our first conversation on this topic arose one of the first times he worked a hockey school for me.  He watched how I was teaching my attackers to be aggressive going to the net, and he jumped in with his feelings on protecting the netminder.  Ugh.  I explained that a lot of my kids could ultimately play at some very high levels.  However, if I taught them to back off and not go to the net hard, they were never going to make it beyond rec hockey.

As I said, that guy has been a good friend for a lot of years, so you can imagine that we’ve had that conversation a kizillion times.  So, I eventually reasoned that I’d continue to teach what I feel is the right way, and just take my chances that a penalty might be called on my kids at least once in awhile.

And that’s kinda my suggestion to Dan…  I honestly believe he is teaching the right way, and there’s no reason to do anything differently.  Sure, he could monitor the kids’ elbows and hands back at practice.  However, he just can’t be getting all paranoid about what the next referee’s pet peeve might be.  As I do myself, I’d suggest he teach the kids properly, and take a chance that one or two might be called for something a little off the wall from time to time.

As yet another aside…  I sense that refs doing numerous games on a given day can cause some problems.  Oh, I’m not trying to stir things, but…

I’ve for years had cause to run from one rink to another.  And, I still recall seeing a pair of refs coast one night while doing a Division III high school game in one rink, and then skate their buns off shortly after at another rink while officiating for two of the best high school teams in the state.  Were they resting in the early game with the knowledge that they had their work cut out for them in the later one?  I thought so.

I know that youth leagues schedule their officials in different ways.  However, I’ve often wondered what effect it has on a ref’s psyche when he’s gone from a slower game to a faster one, or from a faster one to a really slow one.

For sure, it’s impossible for players, coaches or officials to do their jobs to perfection.  Hey, we’re all human.  If there’s a problem, it’s that we’re all depending on one another.  Oh, I know we’re never likely to get perfection, which suggests to me that that’s where good communication skills come into play.

That in mind, I’d suggest a couple of things to Dan…

He might hold a meeting with his players and parents, and explain to them that it will take a little time for there to be consistent calls under the new contact guidelines.  I’d further reason with them that the best thing to do would be to just concern themselves with what the players and coaches can control, and to not be thrown off by an occasional strange penalty.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to remind the kids about that last point each time they head out for another game, “Just relax, play the game the way you’ve practiced, don’t be bothered by an odd penalty, and we’ll talk about it all afterwards.”

Just prior to this season’s earliest games, I might be inclined to talk to the refs about what the kids have been learning in their practices.   With that, I’d ask if they’ll be looking for anything in particular, and then I’d even ask for their help or advice once the game is over.

Position Assignments for Young Hockey Players

Position Assignments for Young Hockey Players

Handling Disruptive Hockey Players

I’d much prefer to field questions related to skill problems, troubles with a team’s breakout, or maybe a player’s being out of shape.  Trust me on that, that such things are easy for me to deal with.  Trying to solve some other things are for less so, and you can trust me on that one, too.

– Dennis Chighisola

Handling Disruptive Hockey Players

Of course, you have to know that a long time member, Tim T, hit me with one of the latter just this morning.  My difficulty with handling one of “those” kinds of questions isn’t so much that it’s hard, but that they’re usually a matter of philosophy.  And, the problem with discussing philosophy here is that no two humans are built alike, which means that what’s comfortable for me isn’t necessarily going to be comfortable for another.  Worse yet, I don’t believe there can ever be a right or wrong answer when dealing with things that boil down to philosophy.  Still, all that said, let’s get on to Tim’s problem…

“Our Pee Wee team has a few undisciplined players and it’s disruptive in practice and hurts us in games. None of them are bad kids, just things like not coming to the circle when called (would rather shoot a few pucks into the net than come when coach calls), sometimes  two or more talking when I am, not putting forth 100% effort in drills, etc.

I am looking for some tips on how instill the necessary discipline in these players. My challenge is to accomplish this while not letting the entire practice breakdown to the point where our well behaved kids are just standing around while coaches deal with the ones requiring discipline. We have tried using push ups, bag skates and putting players in the penalty box for a short amount of time.

We usually have one head coach (me), one assistant and sometimes one or two parent volunteers on the ice during practice. Any suggestions for how they might best be used? I have been the one running the drills, but am thinking of turning that over to the assistant while I work on the discipline.

Thanks Coach.”

Well, Tim, I think anyone passing through here is going to now totally appreciate why I cringe at seeing a question like this one come to my inbox.  I’m tough, though, so let me still give this one a whirl. 

If there’s one problem I see here, it’s that the season has already begun, and Tim (like any other coach) is already into doing things the way he normally does.  So are the players at this point used to doing whatever it is they do.

As an aside, I have written elsewhere in these pages that coaches should do an end-of-season evaluation — for themselves.  I mean, each coach should make note of all the things that went right or wrong over the season, and then spend a short portion of the off-season considering how to keep the good and how to deal with the not so good.  As I’m also known to suggest, rules announced before the team first takes the ice don’t seem personal; it’s like they were made for everyone.  On the other hand, try to make a new rule after a player is habitually late (or whatever), and it’s seen as extremely personal to that player or that family.

In defense of Tim, this is his first go-round with a traveling team, having only spent last season helping one team, and then only briefly running a house league team with few practices.

Tim should know that I’ve tried both approaches to meting out punishments during a practice, sometimes nailing just the offending player/s, and sometimes bagging the whole team for the sins of one or two.  And I can admit that I saw no rhyme or reason to either approach sometimes working and sometimes not.

As yet a second aside…  It’s been my experience that some of our wayward kids are just normal kids with too much energy or too little attention span.  Those kids I believe we can work with, and bring them back into the fold.  I’ve also had to deal with some kids with serious learning or behavioral problems, and they are almost never salvageable.

I hate to write that last sentence, but that has been my experience.  If you think about it, at least one of the reasons kids enroll in hockey is because it’s a team sport.  As such, however, it requires kids who are willing to blend with the others.  For those who can’t, there are individual sports where those types can sometimes excel.

All that said, I really do think it’s time for a team meeting, this to include parents as well as players.  (My guess — or my experience — is that the parents who really need to be there will have something better to do.  Grrrrrrrrrr!  Maybe an RSVP would give Tim a better sense of who plans to attend, and maybe it will also give him a chance to persuade the right people to show.)  As hinted at up above, I can’t tell Tim to be anyone other than himself.  However, I will suggest a few topics I think need covering…

I think the whole thing has to be approached from the aspect of hockey being a team sport, and as such, the actions of one or two impact greatly on all other team members.

It should be noted that the players who are inattentive during practices eat up a great deal of practice time, which in turns cuts into the chance for other kids to learn new things.

It’s also been my experience that the kids who don’t pay attention in practices really screw up the works in games.  In other words, most of the kids know how to cover face-offs or how you’re trying to breakout or forecheck, but those things can’t be successful without everyone on the same page.

Tim might open things for discussion concerning how he might handle the practice-time problems — like punishing only those who misbehave or making it a team thing (which usually causes the good kids to grumble at the not so good ones).

Tim might also throw it out to the crowd about how the games will be handled.  And, while I’m not him and he’s not me, I might be inclined to briefly sit a kid (or two) for not getting himself ready to play when the time was right:  in the most recent practice.

Then, I know that most youth organizations look for feedback from the past year’s coaches when teams are being assembled for the next season.  And I would be up-front with all the families, in that I’m only going to recommend players who are truly deserving.  I might even put a scare into some, suggesting that I’ll definitely tell future coaches about the problems given player might present.

Now, I’d like to think that I’m not a mean guy (and most folks who know me would vouch for that).  At the same time, I am all about fairness, and I know I can be tough on a player if his actions seem to be unfair to others.

I’d also like to think that I look to use our game — especially at its younger levels — for the purpose of teaching life’s lessons.  And in this regard, I think a coach would be doing the offending player/s a huge disservice by letting the wrong work ethics persist.

Of course, most of the above centers around a yet to be determined meeting, while I know that Tim has a practice coming within a day or so.  Hmmmmmm…  What to do?

Personally, I would not change the way he’s been doing things, that to include Tim running the practice and others watching his butt and helping.  If there’s anything that can go wrong with that, it’s that other guys don’t necessarily do a very good job of watching the head coach’s back, and some are more a hindrance than help.  And that stuff has to be cured as soon as possible, maybe to include putting a helper or two in charge of watching over the wayward kids.

I would also consider holding a mini-meeting off to the side and before the next practice with the problem kids.  The subject of that gathering might include some of what Tim thinks is necessary from what I listed as possible meeting notes.  Then…  Ya, then…

It’s been my observation that kids who stray need company — even support.  So it’s likely that the two or three kids who are constantly a distraction hang close together as often as they can.

With that, I would tell them that I don’t want to see them near each other during any part of the practice.  Go mix with the other kids, but the instant they’re seen together, the pair or threesome (or whatever) are headed off together to do something physical.

If the kids ask why, I’d tell them that I suspect it’s only one player who is causing the others to get in trouble, and I’m going to be looking for that one guy.  (Hey, so I tend to lie a little when it comes to solving crazy problems — !)

Lastly, and finishing as I began, I have to say that handling such problems seems not an exact science.  It’s also difficult in such circumstances, because it’s not fair for me to put words in Tim’s mouth, nor ask him to be me.  And, as everyone probably sees by now, there probably isn’t a right or wrong to any of this.  Purely, it’s what one guy (or gal) can get to work.

PS:  I think the thing that makes Tim’s problem a little more difficult than what some others might face is that he seemingly has to deal with more than one player who is taking the team down.  Handling a solo player with behavioral problems would be far, far easier.

*

I honestly think this post deserves — and is likely to get — lots of feedback and some differences of opinion.  I’m all for that, and I’m betting Tim is, too!

*

Not long after I completed this piece for Tim T, I received another question that I felt fell awfully close to the above (the hockey mom who sent it may not have initially thought so, but I’m hoping she’ll hear me out). 

Anyway, not sensing this really required a separate article, allow me to deal with Tina F’s question here…

Punished for Being Late to a Game

Actually, that hockey mom did an awesome job of explaining herself and some recent circumstances, so I’ll let her introduce the problem…

“Hi Coach,

This weekend my son was benched for the whole first period of his squirt game. The game started at 7:20 am. The kids were told to be there at 6:40. My son arrived at 6:47 and sat the whole period. I was told that a kid squirt level or under cannot be benched for this amount of time. I was also told that in (her son’s league) the organization could be fined $500 for benching a kid at this level so long. I have requested a meeting with our club president and would like to have all my ducks in a row. What do you know?

Tina F”

First, I’ll suggest that Tina might look a little deeper into that league rule.  It’s just my hunch that such a rule would include a few exemptions, maybe like allowing a coach/team to bench a player for reasons having to do with discipline, breaking team rules, what have you.  (My guess is that the rule is in place to ensure all young kids get fair ice-time under normal conditions.)  I’m not guaranteeing that, but I sure would venture to bet something like that is so.

Secondly, I’m going to ask Tina to consider what should be going on within a team lockerroom.  For sure, I can’t speak for her son’s coach, but I can tell you all the way I think, and how and why I run a team a certain way.  And, I’m kinda hoping that most of this makes perfect sense…

I know that a lot of coaches require their players to be at the rink a specified time prior to the game’s official start.  For me, it used to be one hour prior to game-time when working with youth teams (far earlier when I coached my college team), but I changed my mind on the youth team application a few years ago.

As a brief aside here, I always like to remind parents about how they most likely feel as they prepare for an important meeting.  If there’s travel involved, they’ll surely take into account their vehicle being up for the trip, as well as current weather and traffic conditions.  If there’s one thing most adults want to avoid when it comes to something important, it’s running in to it in a panic, and knowing that they’re just not going to feel right the rest of the way.

That said, parents oftentimes forget that their kids have the same things going on in their minds (or stomachs).  In fact, the higher up I’ve been able to observe players, the more I’ve seen them arrive (on their own) hours early.  They like just being there, being able to fiddle with their gear, get themselves totally ready to play, and also bond a bit with their teammates.

And, please don’t discount the importance of all I’ve said in that last sentence.  For example, 10-minutes before game-time is not the time to discover a helmet screw missing or a broken skate lace.  And, whether anyone wants to believe it or not, the kids who arrive early tend to bond with their teammates, while the perpetual late arrivals almost never really do.  (Please trust an old coach on that last one.)

I mentioned earlier that I’ve abandoned the rule about being at the rink an hour prior to game-time, just so parents of young ones didn’t panic on icy roads, whatever.  What I arrived at instead was to ask every player to be completely dressed — and parents gone from the lockerroom — 20-minutes prior to game-time.

Trust me, that I still had some parents push that 20-minutes early thing, rushing into the lockerrom at the last second, and then needing to spread all the gear, tie skates, find the helmet, fish around for the gloves.  I cured that in short order, though, requiring that late players let us know they’re at the rink, but then go find another place to dress (I don’t care if it’s out in the rink runway).

The reason for all this is that those last 20-minutes are “my time”!  It’s a time when my players can relax without distraction, and it’s a time when I can go over things in preparation for the game.  That’s a time when we’ll deal with a missing player, some slight changes in the line-up, whatever.  And it’s even a time — say in the last 5- to 10-minutes — when everyone can put on their proverbial “game faces”.  It is not a time to listen to stories about flat tires, and it’s not the time to start looking for Johnny’s missing glove.  Again, it is “my time” — a lousy 20-minutes.

Now, as much as I believe the league has some exemptions for that rule about benching players, I’m also suspecting that the coach for Tina’s son’s team established that rule some time ago — the one that required everyone to be there by 6:40am.  I almost know it wasn’t created on the spot, or just this last weekend.  Whether the length of punishment was established ahead of time might be another matter.  Still, from a very old coach’s perspective, Tina was wrong, be it one minute late, seven minutes, or an hour.

Maybe Tina and others now know why I switched my requirements the way I did.  Still, very far away games have caused a problem with that 20-minutes early rule, and I might think to make an adjustment to an even earlier time should I return to coach a youth team again.

If Tina might have a complaint, it’s probably the length of the punishment assessed her son.  Hmmmmmm…  One period for being late by 7-minutes.  Hmmmmmmmm…  Late is late, though, isn’t it?  And, to be honest, I doubt missing just a few shifts would prove much of a deterrent to others sauntering in at any old time.  So, while I’m betting Tina didn’t purposely get her son to the game late, my guess is that the length of punishment her boy received surely has gotten the attention of every team member.

Okay, I’m kinda hoping Tina isn’t thinking right now that she’s sorry she asked me, and I’m surely hoping she’s not thinking about sending a pipebomb my way — .  Really, what I’d like to see from all of this is for Tina to become the world’s greatest hockey mom, and for her son to be appreciated by his teammates and coaches.  As I give or entertain references for older players nowadays, one of the best things said about any kid is that he’s the first one to the rink and the last to leave.  Coaches like to hear those kinds of things, but so do future employers.

Bottom line — if Tina sees it in her heart…  Scratch the meeting with the President, and tell him you see things differently now.  Next, see if you can get just a minute with the coach.  Apologize to him for being late, and you might even mention that you understand the reason he has rules (and I’m hoping you do by now).  The way I see things, Tina, there is hardly anything to gain should you be found in the right in any of this, but a whole lot more can be gained if you just graciously accept what happened.

*

Once again, I expect that this one should
attract plenty of feedback (but no firebombs — please)!

“Puck-hogs” and Their Parents Have Feelings too!

I received a rather disturbing message last night, this from an old friend and the mom of a former student.  I say it was disturbing, because it pretty much signals what can be wrong with youth hockey, as well as any other youth sport.

I guess this could have easily been titled “An Open Letter to Some Old Friends”.

Ugh…

– Dennis Chighisola

“Puck-hogs” and Their Parents Have Feelings too!

Now, some of what I’ll repeat is only slightly doctored — as the old “Dragnet” television series used to state in each episode, “to protect the innocent”.  With that, here’s the gist of what that hockey mom wrote…

“As you know, some hockey parents can be crazy, and the parents on my son’s team have been complaining about him — not that he is doing something wrong, but because he is good and scoring 4 goals a game.  My son’s coach tried to talk to the coach of a higher level team to have him moved up, but that coach said my son isn’t ready.  My son’s coach doesn’t want him, because parents are complaining — instead of passing the puck, my son will take the shot and score.  I told his coach that any kid at 6 years old is going to take the shot if he thinks he can score.  And if he wants my son to pass more often, why doesn’t he teach him how?”

If you get just a few things from all that, appreciate first that we’re talking about 6-year olds here — un-dawgone-believable.  :/  Moreover, we’re talking about a catch-22 for this single mom and her son, whereby he might be too good for his current team, but the next level coach says he’s not ready to move up yet.

My friend continues (again with some editing on my part)…

“Oh, a parent was also complaining about my son in the stands as I was sitting in back of her trying to enjoy watching my kid play hockey.  My daughter says to me, ‘Why is that women talking badly about my brother?’  So I politely leaned forward and said, ‘That’s my son and he is still learning.’”

I already said, “Ugh”, huh?

Well, the mom continued to explain to me that another woman jumped in, which caused the coach to evidently later call my friend a troublemaker (whatever).  She went on to say that her son gets along with all of his teammates (knowing the boy, I would have bet on that).  And she ended with a couple of what I believe to be earnest questions or thoughts:

 ”As a parent am I not supposed to protect my 6 year old from people yelling negative things to him in the stands?”

“If the kids are fine, what are parents so upset for?”

“I thought this might be a bit of a jealousy issue too.”

“Help!”

To begin, I’m going to suggest to my friend that she not engage the other parents UNLESS her son is truly affected by them.  If she thinks I’m siding with the other parents on this one, I am definitely not…

Actually, that hockey mom already answered the second question, because those other parents surely are jealous — and jealous as hell.  I don’t know if it’s a defense mechanism or what, but some of them — or at least the vocal ones amongst them — are likely frustrated that my former student can do some things that they can’t, and they don’t have an answer for what they’re seeing.

This aside…  Last spring I kinda got on my friend about her son needing something extra to build his confidence and puck skills.  The mom argued with me a bit (in a friendly way), suggesting that he was just a hard worker, and that she wanted him skating with better players who would force her son to become better.  My side of that argument was that things work exactly the opposite when we’re talking about the development of a young player.  If  her son played over his head, he’d always be playing in what I refer to as “panic mode”, or just always scrambling to keep up with the others.  In most instances, kids like that don’t even get to — or dare to — handle the puck.  My idea was to give her son one more year of an “instructional hockey league” I created just for the off-season, this to include 5- to 8-year olds who were still learning the game or feeling their way.  I told her he’d get to handle the puck lots, and that his confidence would grow immensely.  Well, she finally gave in to me, and the proof is in the pudding — or in the 4-goals per game that he’s now pumping in.

FYI…  I’m guessing a few others from that boy’s team were also in my league, so their question to me might be, “Why isn’t my son scoring 4-goals per game?”  And my answer would be that their youngsters weren’t at the same stage of development as my friend’s son.  All he needed was those weekly games — against slightly less experienced talent — to put him over the top — in handling the puck more and in the resulting confidence.  The bulk of the kids in that league were still working on basics, and they got tons of that for their time and effort.

Okay, so now the blame game…

- Without a doubt the parents all need to take a pill.  They have to appreciate the boy for what he can do, and then try to help their own ultimately be able to do that.  I know the hockey mom who wrote me, I know her to be a nice and friendly lady, and I see nothing she did wrong.  I mean, is it really her fault that her son has suddenly kicked things into a new gear?

I’ll mention my son a little later, but let me tell you that my grandson was a totally different animal…  A few times — at a very young age, he heard the boo-birds, and he chose to slide an otherwise easy goal to a teammate who would almost inevitably fall on his face, and thus bring about all kinds of groans from the stands.  And, oh, were the parents of that kid who muffed the easy goal embarrassed.  So, parents, be careful what you wish for.

- I don’t think the higher level coach should go off Scott-free on this one.  Oh, I know the boy we’re talking about, being as young as he is, still has difficulty with his attention span. And I’m going to suggest that it’s the mental side of his game right now that’s holding him back from moving up, and certainly nothing physical.  So, could that coach help some with the problem at hand?  Hmmmmmm…  Could be.

-  And that brings me to the boy’s current coach, who I feel is almost totally to blame for nearly everything that’s going on.  Up front, let me tell you that I’m a full-fledged member of the coaching fraternity, and I don’t often take my brothers to task.  Worse yet, I know and really like that young guy.  At the same time, he is the captain of that ship, and everything that goes on is totally under his control — from the parents’ attitudes and actions to what’s done in the nightly practices.

I need to remind him (and others) that the object of our game isn’t to NOT score.  And to ask it of anyone — especially a 6-year old — just isn’t right.

For my money, all the kids on a AAA (or even AA) Mite team should be taught HOW to pass, and it should be reaffirmed on a nightly basis.  None of the drilling should be viewed as “this is to cure our puck-hog”, since every kid on that kind of team should be learning both the passing and the receiving side of that skill.  In fact, it’s been my experience that the less experienced players are hardly ever in good enough position to feed them the puck.

Actually, in reference to the passing, the hockey mom in question asked me what she could do about it.  Ha.  She doesn’t run the practices.  And, while a private coach could teach him the fundamentals of feeding good passes, anyone who still believes it’s this youngster’s fault ought to reread the story about my grandson.  Yes, there are two sides to a pass, so it’s just as important that every other team member be proficient — at not only catching passes, but also putting the puck in the net right after.

I would not lose sight of the fact that puckhandling is what really separates the best young skaters.  That’s what gets them quickly up the ice past most others, that’s what usually gets them to the net sooner than others, and it’s the ability to confidently handle the puck with the eyes up that helps them see all the last minute passing and scoring options.

Without a doubt, the best player is the model, and what all the others should want to be.  It’s definitely not the other way around.

And, trust me on this one, because I’ve been there countless times…  Tournaments and playoffs will be coming soon, and those games too often boil down to “my best player” against “your best player”.  So, to think about unloading your best player, or belittling him into not scoring, just doesn’t make sense.  And, I hope no one believes they’re going to program a 6-year old to not score for most of the games, but then suddenly turn it on when a grown-up wants it.

Being quite familiar with the organization all this is taking place in, I sense that a future star might be worth more to the program than a coach.  (There are other teams in the league who will be all too happy to scoop a top player, and the powers that be in my old home program won’t take kindly to losing such a kid.)

Okay, I promised to mention my son, partly because I shared this with my friend, the hockey mom…  Well, he went to three NHL training camps and the 1988 Olympic tryout camp in Lake Placid, among quite a few other things most kids just dream about.  Ironically, while he was the designated puck-hog on his earliest teams, a few years later I noticed that most of his teammates from those early teams were gone from the sport — within a few seasons.  The kids who continued to play and enjoy the game had parents who took personal responsibility for their own, and they gave their own chances to get better.

I’m also reminded of a piece I wrote long ago in reference to lopsided games, mentioning the fact that it’s no fun to be on either bench as one team thumps another.  At the same time, I suggested that it’s almost a wasted night if the superior team goes overboard to keep down the score.  And I’m suggesting about the same in reference to the better young player.  I mean, while everyone else is encouraged to do all they can and play their best, it seems a waste — and just plain wrong — to ask one player to not do so.

Lastly, take this all as you will.  However, it’s coming from an old guy who happened to have head coached from youngsters through high school, juniors and college, been through at least three generations of players, and sent 20-ish guys to the NHL and hundreds to top college programs.  Yes, I’ve seen it all, and I’ve seen the above described scenario more times than I can count.

PS:  Lest anyone back home be bothered that a hockey mom wrote me and asked for help, you should know that she knows that’s what I’m here for.  Actually, that’s a big part of CoachChic.com’s being, and I and some other specialists are always here to help anyone who asks.

*

This is a late addition — some 4-months after the original was posted here.  The funny thing is, I always wondered if Wayne Gretzky got any crap in youth hockey when he lugged the puck so much.  Now I know.

Take a peek at this video, and listen to Wayne and his dad reflect back on those years….

Having the Hockey Skills to Make It!

This could have just as easily have been titled “As Seen Through A Scout’s Eyes”.  That’s where the following observations came from. 

Actually, another scout and I were watching some local Junior level games not long ago, when some of the following was discussed. 

Then, just recently having shared these ideas as part of an advertisement on my new Florida based website, it struck me that I just had to share this information — and quite a lot more — with my CoachChic.com members.

– Dennis Chighisola

Having the Hockey Skills to Make It!

Before continuing on…  Let me mention that I often take breaks in my writing — to stretch the limbs or to rest my eyeballs.  I also take mental breaks, which oftentimes have me checking on the latest goings on at Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc.  And as it so happened, a check on Facebook got me embroiled in troubleshooting a hockey problem posed by the dad of a pretty good 15-year old.  So, I’ll include a little about that discussion in here as well..  

Here’s how things began…  During a break at that Junior tournament, the other coach vented a little frustration at what he’d seen over two nights of play, mumbling something to the effect that, “Those kids are horrible.”  He didn’t really mean that, because the kids weren’t exactly horrible.  What he was really expressing was a bit of frustration at the things he was seeing, and probably about the things he’d have to correct if he dared sign one of those players.  Personally, I was thinking, “Few people up in the stands realize what our eyes are seeing that theirs don’t.”

Here’s what I think (or really know) was going wrong…

Although players and fans (rightly) get excited about a spectacular goal or a thunderous hit, scouts are usually watching a player throughout his entire shift, and we’re watching intently, even when a given player is far away from the puck.

Unfortunately, a lot of players don’t know how to make themselves useful when they don’t have the puck.  This too often translates to them almost standing still or gliding around without purpose, when there really should be some purpose.  This game is all about pulling together 6-players to attack the opposition net, and 6-players in defense of their own net.  (Yes, I even include the goaltender in helping us launch offensive attacks.)

I hate to suggest the following, yet it’s true…  Sometimes even pretty good players don’t “look good” as they move around the ice.  I almost know that’s a part of what was happening as my fellow coach made his observations — in that most of the guys we watched just didn’t move comfortably, and they didn’t “look like” the experienced hockey players they probably are.

I sense I have a pretty intelligent audience here, and folks who have an idea about what I just said.  With that, I hope you can picture along with me…

What I was seeing was team after team of kids with poor skating postures.  At times I’d see them moving while almost standing straight up, few of them seemed comfortable moving with their sticks (more on this shortly), and they too often entered collisions not seeming very prepared.

Oh, those hockey sticks…  If my fellow coach voiced one of his pet peeves that night, it was about the way the kids were carrying their sticks.  As a former pro player, he was critical about the number of guys who went into collisions or body-checks with their sticks held high.  But as a long time skills coach, I was as bothered by the fact that most of them seemed uncomfortable with their sticks, in general, and they seemed not to change their grips according to whether they were on offense or defense, or whether defending against a puckcarrier or away from the puck.

In answer to some of that last paragraph, I’m in the process of posting a new drill for you.  At this writing, I still need to gather some video footage and photos to demonstrate it.  As for much of the other problems we saw with sticks, I highly recommend that members go through the various articles and videos found in this Skills section.

Unfortunately, I sense that too many “vanilla drills” have been used with a lot of the players we were watching.  And by vanilla drills, I mean the types of drills that might look good to the folks up in the stands, but aren’t worth much towards the players’ future development, or towards the players’ true needs.

I long ago authored something entitled the “500 Drills” manual, and it was purchased by NHL teams and coaches from other high levels.  Yet, I only revert on occasion to any of the old drills I know.  The reason:  my current players have unique needs, which calls for me to find or create a drill process that helps them.

If you get my drift here, I don’t make a nightly practice plan by just grabbing drills from Category A, Category B, etc.  Instead, I’m constantly making note of what difficulties my players are having, and I find a drill to help them.  If one doesn’t already exist, I’ll use a little imagination and create one.

The main idea of a good drill is repetition, or repetition of the right mechanics.  So, when it comes to those Junior players again, I’m thinking that they haven’t done a whole lot of stuff other than pretty looking vanilla drills.

Now, I kinda hate just talking in negatives here.  So, let me at least do my best to turn this towards a positive, or at least provide you some positive advice…

What I’m suggesting is that players, parents and coaches take a look at some game video of a favorite pro, or even watch some of my videos — like on body-checking or breakouts.  Watch how a given player “moves” around the ice — like in a seated posture, with the stick always down on the ice, and noticing when the stick should be carried in one hand or two.  That, in itself, should help most of you quite a lot.

As for that Facebook exchange I mentioned earlier — with the dad of the 15-year old…   It had to do with the dad questioning whether his boy should have been corrected after he scored during the practicing of his team’s powerplay.  Hmmmmm…

What made that play a hard one to discuss with the dad was that the boy was successful in the end.  In other words, even though he evidently did something that didn’t please his coach, he did score the goal.  And I can envision the boy saying, “But, I scored, Coach!”

Well, I can also envision a lot of the Florida kids we were watching the other night (and their parents) thinking similar thoughts to themselves — as in, “Hey I’m a pretty good player amongst my peers!”  The problem is, a couple of pretty savvy pairs of eyes watching from rinkside are thinking, “You don’t have what it takes to crack the next level!”

For sure, it’s great for a player to have confidence.  At the same time, he has to always be willing to learn more and be able to do more.  So should parents want to encourage their youngsters to have good attitudes in that regard, and so do coaches want to constantly rethink what they’re doing or teaching.

Now, as with a lot of philosophical articles like this one, I may have raised as many questions in your mind as provided answers.  In that case, I am dying for your questions.   Most of what you’ll find here at CoachChic.com is a combination of my experiences and the things you tell me you need or want.

Lastly, that new drill idea is finally completed, it’s something so simple it can be done with Mites to Juniors, it can be done off-ice or on, and you can find it in my latest post, “The Importance of Hockey Specific Drills“.

Endearing Yourself to Hockey Scouts

If ever there was a bit of advice I’d like every single CoachChic.com member to keep present in his or her mind, it’s the following.  In fact, while this contains lots of what I’m always harping on with older players, I think it’s a good idea that younger kids (with the help of their parents and coaches) get this stuff firmly fixed in their heads.

– Dennis Chighisola

Endearing Yourself to Hockey Scouts

Talking to scouts in recent weeks — and hearing about other coaches’ conversations with scouts, there’s little doubt that a potential recruit’s playing ability is buried amid lots of equally desirable qualities.  In fact, here’s the first question many scouts tend to ask about a player:

“Is he a good kid?”

Please think about that one…  For, you’ll soon realize that it matters not whether a potential recruit is 6′ 6″ and goes 225 pounds, IF he is also an egghead.  What good is it that a goaltender is big, quick and agile, IF a coach can’t get through to him?  How much is it going to help a team, IF a gifted forward can’t get along with his mates?  And, does a college coach really want to invest in a puck moving D-man, IF that guy is out partying at every opportunity?

Now, let me suggest that nearly every college head coach in the land has been through it all, probably more than once.  I mean, they have had to deal with dummies, lazy guys, troublemakers, and alcoholics-in-the-making.  And, while they might have at one time thought they could help a kid turn his life around, I’m willing to bet that most experienced coaches ultimately discovered that it just wasn’t worth the effort.  Ya, and nowadays there are enough talented players around so that a coach can easily afford to bypass a problem child.

Grades are yet another hurdle on a young guy’s (or gal’s) way to playing college hockey.  NCAA has set minimum guidelines, and then so does each school.  However, don’t think college coaches aren’t also concerned about a player’s track record when it comes to school work.  Let’s face it, the coach has to feel pretty sure a player is going to stay eligible, and that he (or she) is likely to make it in the classroom over the long haul.

Okay, so that brings me to the way I deal with college recruiters…  And I am going to tell you that I am not lying for anyone — I said anyone!  All I have is my word with the scouts, and I am not going to throw away my integrity for a kid who can’t follow directions, be a good teammate, get to bed at a decent time, or pay attention to his grades.

Said yet another way, a wayward player can’t think like his (or her) situation is a one-time deal (as in, “Hey, Coach, just stretch the truth a little bit for me?”).  I mean, guys like me will be asked hundreds of times about other players over future years, and our believability will always be based on how right — or how straightforward — we were about previous kids.

That in mind, it only makes sense that it all falls on the player’s shoulders.  And in that regard, I’ve asked my guys in the past to, “Make it easy for me to brag about you!”  Make it easy for me to tell everyone what a great young guy you are.  Make it easy for me to tell anyone who’ll listen how motivated you are — about improving your game, about attaining good grades, etc.

Then, with those things helping to ease a scout’s mind, we can go on to show him (or her) what kind of player you are.  And, want to know something?  I’m going to suggest that many scouts will be willing to take the good kid and good student who has some slight playing flaw.  If the player is a good person, a willing worker and not brain-dead, he just might be worth the effort.

Finally, having been around this block too many times, I have to say that both good and bad traits start when players are young.  It’s pretty hard to change a guy (or gal) once he (or she) has reached the late teens.  Quite obviously, then, young players need the help of their parents and coaches from the start, to steer them in the right direction — in hockey and in life.

So, You Want to Be a Professional Hockey Coach?

This topic came about in some recent conversations, because a few young coaches probably envy me landing what might very well be my dream job.  I also think my recent blog post — entitled “I (Also) Had A Dream (or Two)” — sparked some questions about what a dream job might really entail.

No matter, I thought I’d share the following with younger coaches who aspire to someday coach or otherwise work at a relatively high level.

– Dennis Chighisola

So, You Want to Be a Professional Hockey Coach?

I learned very early-on in my coaching career that it truly does matter where you coach, and how much control you have over your own destiny.

I have no idea where my work ethic came from — be it from my Italian heritage or my rather old fashion upbringing.  However, I am a tireless worker when it comes to hockey.  In fact, I don’t see myself as extra-bright or extra-quick, but I am willing to out work you until I (or my team) can beat you.

And that’s what I meant in my opening remark, about needing some control — or a level playing field — in order to be able to compete within a league.

For example, when coaching in a typical Massachusetts-area high school program, the economics of your town usually determines the number and quality of kids coming to your school from your feeder program.  In non-scholarship college programs, the number of top players you get is too often determined by the school’s relative admissions standards, its tuition costs, as well as some other perks (like housing).

Perhaps now you can appreciate why I feel my latest assignment is more like my dream job.  Oh, each team in our new league will have its own perks, be it the coach’s credentials or an extra nice home arena.  Still, the playing field is a lot closer to being even (compared to what I just described above), and my willingness to work extra hard should pay off in this new league.

That said, young aspiring coaches reading this should appreciate the need to pay their dues…

For sure, past playing experiences will help you get a foot in the door — somewhere.  But, that alone, isn’t usually going to help you land your dream job.  I’ve never been sorry about the route I took — working my way upward through youth hockey circles and on to high school and then college coaching, attending advanced symposiums all over the world, and getting my college degree in a related field.  Still, other guys have gotten as far or further by paying their dues in different ways.

And that brings me to a conversation I had just the other day on my front porch with my grandson and his long-time girlfriend…

Anthony Chic aims to someday work in a professional team’s front office, and he’s thought things out pretty well on his own.  I mean, he’s been slowly but surely paying his dues, and he knows he still has a long ways to go with that.

He’s made his mark as a goal-scorer and playmaker at every level so far, and he’s gained his share of recognition.  And, although I’m not sure he’ll take my advice on playing a little pro hockey — at any level — once he finishes his college career, I tend to think that a busted nose and a few more battle scars will let the players he’ll soon oversee know that he’s been there and done that.

Knowing what he’s wanted to do for so long, Anthony will ultimately leave college with his MBA in Sports Management.

Okay, so that conversation out on the porch…  I’d just finished talking with a couple of guys who had their minds set on someday coaching at a high level, and I raised that point about paying their dues.  Interestingly, one guy was sorta foot-loose and fancy free, while the other was somewhat trapped in his lifestyle.

And that’s the point I wanted to get across to Tony C and his girlfriend, for whatever it’s worth…  The guy with few ties could pick up in an instant and take any low paying job he thought might help his career, while the other guy was sorta trapped with a wife, kids and a mortgage payment.  (I made the latter point in my blog post, in that I wouldn’t have traded my family or home for anything, but those things surely did play into my decisions not to take a couple of interesting hockey coaching jobs halfway around the world.  On the other hand, a guy with no real ties would have probably taken either job in a heartbeat.)

I might lie all the time in telling folks I’m 107-years old, but I am getting up there in age, and I have either seen or experienced plenty.  And the above is what I’ve taken away from all that…   So, if a young guy wants to someday coach at a high level, he has to have a plan.  Most will have built a playing resume, and most will see the benefits to a related college degree.  From there, however, comes the need to start paying those other dues.

Some unbelievable coaching seminars take place across North America during the summer months, and the higher level ones are great for networking.  If you can manage them, some low paying and seemingly miniscule jobs can still be good stepping stones, as can be an unpaid assistant coaching job.   (I even suggested to my grandson that he ask a local pro scout if he can tag along for a few months.  Scouting can be a lonely job, so he’s likely to find a taker.  And, can you just imagine the conversations that would take place on the long drives from rink to rink?)

Lastly, the above might not be an exact how-to.  Frankly, I don’t think there’s a perfect plan.  Moreover, a lot of luck is involved in landing your dream job, including just being in the right place at the right time.  However, I think the tidbits I’ve shared above should be extremely helpful.  And, come to think of it, they’ll also help keep the aspiring coach or GM networking and likely in some right places.

There’ll Be Hockey Changes — But Not Many

A lot of members have written to ask if there will be changes to CoachChic.com, now that I’m moving from my past duties to those involved in my role as the General Manager and Head Coach of the St Cloud Thunder Junior “A” team.

– Dennis Chighisola

There’ll Be Hockey Changes — But Not Many

I’ve written often here, that I might be more fortunate than any other hockey coach in the world.  You see, for close to 40-years, I’ve been able to go back and forth between all the various levels of hockey, and this is an experience even the most noted coaches in our game have never had.

What I’m getting at is that, even the Scotty Bowmans and Jack Parkers haven’t had the need to troubleshoot problems experienced by beginner skaters, Pee Wees, Bantams, and so forth.  No, they basically get the cream of the crop, and then work their magic from there.

Nor have guys of that ilk had the chance to note the good, the bad and the ugly of their players, and then go back to influence the development of younger kids.

So again, I’ve had what I consider to be a luxury…  Probably 20 or so of my former students went on to play in the NHL, with hundreds of others reaching the higher levels of college or minor pro hockey.  So have I been asked to help many high level players fix small problems in their game.  And, with all that, I’m one of the few who gets to turn around and work with younger kids (or their parents and coaches) based on what I’ve seen in those older guys.

Okay, so here I am moving on to work with a squad of pretty high level young guys from about ages 15 to 20…

Having already begun evaluating players and offering certain ones contracts, I’ve come to realize that many of the kids I’ll have are only a year or so away from being drafted or being offered a slot in a quality college program.

Despite my respect for their current abilities, however, I’m going to try to look at each for both their strengths and their weaknesses.  As I’ve also written often within these pages, I want to help them build upon — or magnify — their unique strengths, while I’ll also try to help them overcome any of their shortcomings.

And it’s that latter point that should help CoachChic.com members immensely.  In other words, parents or coaches of beginners through Midgets ought to benefit from the way I’ll deal with each, and outline my ideas within these pages.

Oh, and by the way…  Without stepping on any of the toes of those who currently work so hard within the Kissimmee-St Cloud area, I’ve already offered to help the local youth organization in any way I can.  Ya, you know me…  I love working with younger kids of all ages, I love advising their parents as best I can, and I also just might look for a way to help the local coaches, too.

Anyway, perhaps you can see how things might not change a whole lot here at CoachChic.com.  On the other hand, I have a new crop of fairly elite level players to evaluate and help, and I suspect members will benefit plenty as they follow me doing just that.

Yes, It’s Official!

As the old adage goes, “The wheels of progress turn slowly.”

That’s been the case as the new Tropical Elite Hockey League has started to come together, and so has my involvement with the new Florida-based league been sort of a slow transition.

With that, I’d like to update members on what’s been going on for me, and I also want to let all of you know how my move will affect CoachChic.com.

– Dennis Chighisola

Yes, It’s Official!

Let’s cut to the chase, or at least to the recent word out of the TEHL Office down in Kissimmee, Florida:

June 3, 2012
ANNOUNCEMENT: Coach Dennis Chighisola (Coach Chic) is the first coach to be named in the Tropical Elite Hockey League.  He will be heading up the St. Cloud Thunder of the TEHL!

Man, what a turn of events for me, both exciting and panic provoking!

Quite obviously, the excitement for me is in getting back to work with high level players again.  A part of that is the fact that most of them — the junior players, I mean, by their very nature, will be highly motivated.  (Oh, not that my old high school and college guys weren’t into their games.  However, many of them knew they were near the ends of their competitive playing careers, and it was understandable that their priorities were really split.  Again, though, Junior players have their eyes on a bigger prize — for sure hoping to get to a good college, with some of them hoping to even play pro down the road.)

Ugh…  The part that has me kinda in panic mode…

You know my life is going to change drastically.  A quick check on Google says that I’ll be relocating some 1,300 miles from my lifetime home, and that the Kissimmee-St Cloud area of Florida is about 23-hours away.  Oh, believe me, I relish the opportunity to live and work in a place dubbed The Sunshine State.  The scary part is the logistics — or the physical part — of transferring all my personal and work stuff that far away.

I’m also panicking a bit with the drastic change in my responsibilities.  I mean, for those of you who don’t know, I’m the type of guy who has to really get his head into something.  And, given that chance, I can usually out work most other coaches on the planet.  What’s troubled me most over recent weeks is going from an all-in approach to working with younger, developmental level players to a similar approach to elite level athletes, with an unnerving state of flux in between.

Ya, that state of flux…   The killer part of the whole thing has been in the not knowing where I’d end-up come this August, or in my not being able to tell local hockey folks where I’d be next season.

The panic doesn’t end with those two things, however…  Suddenly, I find myself in a race to get some talented players to play for me.  For sure, there are great Junior eligible kids out there.  The problem for me is in connecting with them, or in letting the right ones know the great opportunities that await them in the new TEHL.

For those who don’t know, Junior players can range from 15- to 20-years old.  In a perfect world, I’d look to some older guys for stability and leadership, the bulk of the roster would be made up of 18- and 19-year olds, with a sprinkling of younger kids in the mix as my future stars.

The beauty of the new TEHL setup is that I can draw from literally the entire hockey world.  That’s right…  I am currently dealing with kids from the US and Canada, in the UK and across Europe.

Oh, don’t think I don’t respect the local talent, too.  I know that the hockey in Florida has come a long, long ways, so I’m really hoping a few homegrown kids will make our roster.  In fact, I’ve written a lot over the past year or so about the vast improvements in hockey throughout the south, so I’m also scouring places like Georgia, Texas and even out in California for the best players I can find.

My team isn’t going to be for everyone, however…

How so?  Well, not every player (or parent of a player) sees the need to get away from home.  From my point of view, however, a lot of the home distractions disappear when a player lives far away.  And, for the most part, TEHL players (and especially my guys) are going to have to focus on academics and serious training.  Ya, they’re sort of a captive audience under such conditions, thinking mainly school and hockey for at least seven straight months.  (Not that there won’t be plenty of rec time, socializing and sending pictures home from poolside in January !)

Something else has also come to mind as I’ve spoken with a couple of potential players lately — especially ones from as far away as Western Canada, Norway and the UK…

For example, I’m think about a really talented forward from Manitoba, and how he can easily stay close to home and play in a very strong Junior program.  The first thing that makes me think of is that he will probably continue getting the same kind of training and systems work as all the other local players.  In contrast, I think that a move away from home is going to slightly break the mold, and help him add some new dimensions to his game.

At the same time, I’m thinking that his skills and style of play might keep him partially buried among similarly skilled players back home, and among kids who have developed in pretty much the same style of play.  This line of thinking originally arose as I thought about the Norwegian boy who has developed in the same program — with mostly the same group of players — for a good 5- or  6-years.  What’s the chance of him looking unique and really being appreciated back home?  Hmmmmmm…  And, what’s his chance of dazzling some college recruiters or pro scouts in a very different setting here in the States?  Again, hmmmmmmmm…

In a way, it’s going to be my hope that my players also learn as much from their teammates as they learn from me.  Ya, every player is going to arrive with his own unique strengths, and it should be interesting — and beneficial — as they work together over a long hockey season.

Am I dreaming here?  Absolutely!  I’ve mentioned that often in previous articles, about the way every coach looks forward to their newest coaching assignment.  If there’s a difference with this one, well…  The talent pool for youth coaches can sometimes be confined to a very small circle around the local rink.  So can the same be true for high school coaches.  Come to think of it, even non-scholarship college programs are limited by academic requirements, tuition costs and other things.  Not so with the higher levels of Junior hockey, though, where the world really is the limit.

Anyway, I know my CoachChic.com members are dying to know how things will change around here.  And my first guess is that they’ll be subtle, at the most…

For sure, a lot of my articles will be influenced by what I’m seeing during my Junior team’s practices and games.  In a way, however, that doesn’t represent a huge change, because a lot of the advice I’ve provided within these pages has always been based on what I’ve seen in my highest level players.  If you’ll recall, I taught a great many who went on to pro and Division I college careers, and I’ve always used the good, bad and ugly from their games to develop new training ideas for the youngest kids.

Then, although there’s nothing in the works right now, you have to know that I’ll ultimately work at least a little with the youth level kids down in Florida.  I know they’re crazy about the game there now, so I sense they’re going to appreciate some of the things an old coach from the hockey hotbed of New England might be able to show them.

So, can you understand my current excitement — as well as some of the logistical craziness I’m likely to face over the next few months?  Ya, it’s now official, and I’m promising to take you right along for the ride!

When the Proverbial Light Comes On

I don’t doubt some folks will glance at the title, and perhaps take the expression a little lightly. Trust me, however, that this could possibly be one of the most important messages any hockey parent or coach could read.

– Dennis Chighisola

When the Proverbial Light Comes On

In time, I’m going to connect this subject with some older players. However, because the changes that can occur with young players are so easy to observe, let me use some of my youngest little rascals as examples of what I’m talking about.

Right now, we’re in the middle of my Mighty Mite League, a league I designed just to transition very beginner kids — from about 5- to 8-years old — from their ADM or Learn-to clinics to playing their very first games.

If you can picture it, I often find it difficult to answer questions posed by the parents of very young ones, especially when they ask if I think their son or daughter is capable of playing in the league. In most instances, I’ll encourage those with their basic skills in place, and I’ll do the same for those who seem to be extra aggressive — those kids always seem to get the hang of things fairly quickly. But again, it really does bother me that I have to almost predict whether a 5- or 6-year old is going to benefit from that league.

Okay, so I said we’re near the midpoint of that league, and I’m now getting the chance to see where I was right or wrong. And, while I’m discovering that I was right more than wrong, I don’t think any of the kids are losing a bit by playing in the league.

With that, let me describe a little of what I’ve seen so far…

There was a spunky little 5-year old in my Learn-to-skate clinic who ultimately deserved a crack at moving up to the Learn-to-play level.

Even at his young age, I found I could prod him to perfect his stops and backward skating, so that I’d allow him to play in the mostly older kids’ 3 on 3 games.  Every so often, he’d backslide, and discover he didn’t get promoted from the basic clinic.  And every next Sunday he’d come back and do things just right, so he’d get another chance to play in the game. (Hey, I don’t yell at little ones.  However, I surely do use the “carrot versus stick” approach to inch the little rascals along.)

Okay, so when an opening existed in our new beginner league, I had a gut feeling that little guy would catch on — eventually.  Would I be proved right? Hmmmmmm…

Trust me, that he didn’t catch on to things very quickly.   In fact, over the earliest weeks, he looked much like a little tripod, trying to stay steady while braced by his two skates and stick.  He also almost always fell down with each transition of the puck.

No matter, that little guy is one of the inspirations for this piece. I mean, yesterday morning was when I saw that light come on for him. In just a matter of a few weeks, he was keeping up to the play, and I’ll bet he got his stick on the puck close to 20 times. Oh, he’s probably not ready to tote the biscuit faster than some of the 7- and 8-year olds, but he is now getting into the middle of nearly every skirmish. And, marked by the sudden changes I saw occurring yesterday, I’ll say he’s now on his way to being a hockey player.

My next example involves a player who was plenty old enough to join the league, and skilled enough, too. I think he also played decently enough in the earlier games, in spite of what his dad may have thought. Ya, the dad… Honestly, he’s a great guy; I just think he needs to slow down a bit, and perhaps realize that his boy is only at the beginner stage.

I’ve actually watched the boy a lot during the earliest games, and noticed that he’d been going up and down in his play. I’d also go along with his dad, in that the boy’s interest level seemed to also go up and down.

Suddenly, however, that light came on… The youngster had his team’s only two goals yesterday, but that wasn’t our only reason to be excited. The boy played much of the game as if possessed, and he actually made both of those goals happen with a lot of hard work and a real want for the puck.

A lot like the first boy I described, there was another tiny tyke I wasn’t sure about encouraging towards that league. If there was a problem, this boy is older, and he probably needs to get into the swing of things before it gets too late for him.

Actually, this youngster has mirrored the other little one right through our earliest games, with one exception: the light has not come on for him yet. To be honest, he’s been a little slow reacting to puck movement, and he hasn’t often been involved in plays for the puck. The other day I prodded him a bit during the game action — to go get the puck, and his answer to me was, “I’m trying!” (Aaaah, gotta love him for that!)

Okay, I started by saying that I would also tie this discussion to the development of older players. Well, I hinted at that in my recent article about the new Tropical Elite Hockey League.  (If you have or know a good player aged 15- to 20-years of age, be sure to let him know about the announcements contained in that article.)

What I’d suggested was that a lot of players — including older ones — still need some time to come into their own. In that regard, I mentioned how the new league might actually act as a second (or third or fourth?) chance for players who weren’t able to crack line-ups in other Junior leagues.

Being involved in our sport at all levels for so many years, I’ve come to know this to be so — that some players just need a chance to show their stuff.

For example, years ago, I know I would cringe at the thought of losing one of my better college players to an injury or illness. Yet, I also knew that another player would likely rise and thrive from increased ice-time and responsibilities.  Oftentimes, that would even be an underclassman who wouldn’t ordinarily have had a prayer of getting regular playing time.

If you follow the various pro leagues, you’ve probably also noticed how some new stars emerge once thrown into the fire.  It just always seems to happen, that someone will emerge, once given a chance.  We hear it as often in the music industry, where a group or solo artist spends years working smaller venues, only to one day become a seeming overnight success.

As luck would have it, I caught a TV special today that highlighted the career of former Boston Red Sox pitcher, Tim Wakefield.  Among the things I didn’t know…  Wakefield quit his first college team, but was drafted from his second.  He rose fast through the Pittsburgh Pirates’ organization, became the ace of their Major League staff, and then was sent to the minors with arm problems.  The Red Sox gave him a chance, and he really experienced some drastic ups and downs in Boston.   Yet, he endured, and ultimately retired last season with 200 wins.

If you can appreciate what I’ve been getting at, most players need time to get their game together, or a chance for that proverbial light to come on.

If we use Tim Wakefield as an example, the Red Sox would have missed a 200-win pitcher, IF the knuckleballer had let himself become too discouraged by his first college experience, IF he had quit after being demoted to the low minors, or IF he didn’t see things through when the Sox so frequently changed his role from starter to reliever to starter.

Thus my recent warning to Junior eligible players, in that they might be destined to play in college or beyond, IF they don’t call it quits beforehand.

And, while you and I might think 5- or 6- or 7-years old is a little early for a kid to pack it in, it happens far too often.   Seldom is it the little boy or girl who makes that decision, of course.  Naw, it’s a (mom or) dad like the one I described earlier, who pulls the plug because he (or she) is too impatient about that light coming on.

Then, if all the above wasn’t enough…  A number of my buddies and I arrived at our high school’s varsity baseball tryouts having been all-stars at every level on the way.  (I pitched our Little League All-star game, and batted cleanup in the order.)  Most of us did well in high school, and I had great success, starting at short stop as a sophomore, and batting lead-off most of the time.  That said, one of our friends kept trying out through the early years, and he was cut more times than kept for a team.  He arrived in high school still big, gangly and rather uncoordinated, and spent a fair amount of time on the junior varsity team.  Then…  Ya, then…  I think the light came on for him rather late in his sophomore season.  A pitcher, he’d suddenly gotten that big body under control, and he began throwing faster than most high school-ers could swing a bat.  I mean, he got so he could throw absolute smoke.  And, guess what…  For all the all-star games and other recognition the rest of us had gotten over the years, our tall, aspirin throwing buddy was the last man standing when the pro scouts came around.  Yup, he signed a contract with the New York Yankees when we graduated, and he spent a number of years in their minor league system.  As importantly, I hope he acts as an inspiration for other athletes here, in that honors hardly matter during the earliest years.  No, I suspect it’s far better for that light to come on later, when high school, junior, college or even pro people make more consequential evaluations.

Oh, by the way…  I’m hardly ever just talking about just hockey when I write something like this.  Hey, I’d encourage any young person to follow his or her dream, no matter what that might be.  Personally, I believe the best approach — in any endeavor — is to just wear the competition down, and be the last man (or woman) standing in the end.

I’ll say again, that this could be one of the most important messages I could ever share with you — as parents, coaches, or even adult rec players.  Don’t sell yourself or youngster short too soon.  Keep plodding away, and give that light a chance to ultimately come on.

New Junior “A” League Forming

There wasn’t enough space above to write what I wanted for a title.  However, what it really should have read was, “New Junior ‘A’ League Forming — in, of all places, Florida!”  (Oh, by the way, this piece is going to be about a whole lot more than just that new Junior hockey league!)

– Dennis Chighisola

New Junior “A” League Forming

Actually, this is the brainchild of my long-time hockey friend and fellow CoachChic.com member, Stirling Wright.

Now, I’m going to take a little liberty here, and try to read Stirling’s mind a bit…

He’s been through these hockey wars for a long time, and he’s coached his share of Junior teams.  He’s also briefly been involved in a pro league start-up.

The above being fact, the guessing part for me is that Stirling is a lot like yours truly, in that he’s likely dealt with lots of incompetence along the way, and he’s finally arrived at a point where he’s saying, “Just get out of my way and let me do things right!”  (Oh, man, have I said that a kzillion times in my career, and it’s a major reason why I’ve chosen to mostly run my own hockey programs!)

There surely is something to be said for running your own thing — and especially for starting from scratch, and doing all the things you’ve seen done rightly over the years, while finding ways to avoid all the nightmares that come with any sort of undertaking.

As a brief aside here, long-time members are probably familiar with my annual sessions in “the bunker”. 

For those who don’t know, that isn’t necessarily a physical place, but instead a kind of state of mind.  As I’ve written often, some of my best ideas have dropped like gifts from heaven — while I walk a beach, loll at poolside, drive through the mountains or soak in a hot tub.  In other words, the place isn’t so important, as long as it frees my mind some, and allows my creative juices to flow.  (Honest to God, I once wrote an entire training manual over about 4-days, mainly shuttling my laptop between a pool, a hot tub and a tropical lanai.)

In more recent years, the bunker has consisted of a cozy area I created in my backyard — it’s covered for rainy days, it includes a huge picnic table, as well as power for my laptop and a radio.  No, it’s not the beach, nor the mountains.  However, I find the ambient sounds — of birds chirping, and distant kids playing or dogs barking — get the creative juices flowing just as well.  Oh, and speaking of dogs, my little buddy, Raggs, just loves lying at my feet for hours at at time.

Then, just to relate this to hockey — or even business…  Fellow coaches should know that I like to keep all my work materials in a neat shoulder bag for easy toting to and from the bunker.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that I’m not going to do something that proves a drudgery.  So, being able to grab my stuff and set up in a matter of 3-minutes pretty much ensures I’m going to head to the bunker often.

Okay, so, perhaps in his own type of bunker, Stirling is working diligently towards bringing big-time Junior hockey to the Sunshine State.  And he has good reason for such optimism.

Number One on my list would be that a 6-team league is going to open up well over 100 slots for young teens (through 20-year olds) to improve their game — drastically.  I know that sounds kinda vague, but…

Although some great players are expected to show for league tryouts, I envision a lot of kids coming who have been on the proverbial bubble for other leagues.   For many of them, all they need is a real chance, some steady ice-time, and someone who truly cares watching over their development.  (More on the “someone who truly cares” later.)  Moreover, new stars emerge from any group, and that’s exactly what I expect to see happen as the new Tropical Elite Hockey League gets underway.

Coach Wright has an equally important vision — call it Number Two here, in that everyone is going to love the Florida venue.   Will scouts prefer a trip down south as opposed to some frozen tundra?  Ya, I’ll surely agree with that!  Even players’ parents are going to love making that trip several times per year.  I’m even guessing that a lot of their relatives (especially grandparents?) are sprinkled all over the state.

Number Three comes from Stirling also, in that he feels the collection of coaches he’s bringing south will be welcomed gladly by the Florida hockey faithful.  Oh, I know that hockey down there has come a long, long ways over recent years.  However, I totally agree with the thought that local arenas and youth organizations will benefit even more from what TEHL personnel will be able to share with them.

Number Four here might actually fit a lot higher on my personal list.  However, explaining that will take a short story, this having to do with the benefits of off-ice training in a warmer clime…

A lot of years ago, I was asked to speak on the benefits of off-ice training to a group of advanced level coaches within USA Hockey.  That seminar took place in New Jersey, mind you, although I soon discovered that there were tons of coaches in attendance who hailed from places further south, and even as far west as Texas.  Hmmmmmm…

Upon learning that, I focused right in on those guys, and told them they had a huge advantage over us northerner, IF they only got serious about off-ice training!  I mean, it doesn’t take long for fall to turn to winter where I come from, so I’ve always been forced to rent indoor facilities to conduct my kind of off-ice training.  Not my southern counterparts, though, and certainly not those based in Florida.

Very much connected to this is the recent drafting of Southern Californian 18-year olds by NHL teams.  Ya, if you haven’t noticed, there have been a small handful of them lately, and in each case I noticed, those kids had extensive roller hockey backgrounds.  And I’m going to suggest that those numbers will go up in future years, to include a whole lot more kids from other warmer areas of the states.

Of course, someone is bound to ask if I’m going to be involved in Stirling’s new undertaking.  Perhaps locals (here in the MA and RI areas) want to know more than any others.  Or, as one local hockey mom recently posted on Facebook, “Does this mean The Great Coach Chic might be leaving us?”  Well, as one of my favorite cartoon characters might say, “Could be!”    Actually, I’d be eager to do it, and Stirling and I have had numerous conversations towards that end.  Every one of the points noted above have me leaning that way.  I’ve always also been partial to the Kissimmee area, and I’d even be interested in speaking with a prospective silent partner or two about purchasing that franchise.  More to come on all that in a future post, though.

Okay, so you’d like to know more about the league?

I mentioned earlier about “someone who truly cares”, and that is in reference to the types of people Stirling is trying to get involved.  I can’t tell you how often the expression, “the league comes first,” has been said in our communications.  Amen to that.  In one regard, you might interpret it as meaning, “It does no good for some teams to be successful while some others are failing.”  In yet another way, it means that everyone connected with the league has to be constantly chanting the same mantra, in that the league’s success — in the end — will primarily be based on how many players it’s able to move on to college hockey (and maybe even beyond).  Oh, and you can include in this section a deep concern for the young players’ grades, as well.  Ya, we don’t call them “student-athletes” for no reason.

The TEHL”s first season will include 6-teams, most situated in Central Florida.  At this writing, I believe four sites are set, with the complete league line-up expected to be announced fairly soon.

For sure, players are the main ingredient, so free agent tryout camps are slated for several locations over coming weeks.  If you know of any worthy players between the ages of 15 and 20, please point them towards our first camp to be held in Kissimmee, Florida.

If you believe in young people, and want to help defray the kids’ costs to play (Junior level players do pay to play), Stirling has set up a site where donations can be made (in any amount).

If you or someone you know would be interested in investing in a franchise, you can contact Stirling Wright directly.  If you want to invest with me, you can email me.

With all that, I have a sneaking suspicion that things will change rapidly over coming days and weeks.  And, I promise to keep you all up to pace as more comes in.

 

 

Six Words Hockey Parents Need to Say

Besides answering member questions and providing the best possible advice on things that have worked for me, I feel compelled to share with my faithful members anything I run across that might just help.

Of course, I’m forever digging into scientifically oriented literature, and hockey sites of all kinds.  But then there are my 14,000-ish social media contacts who so often lead me to some real gems.

Such was the case with the following article that came by way of my LinkedIn participation in a special group devoted to sports parents.  As I hinted above, I think this one is a real gem.

– Dennis Chighisola

Six Words Hockey Parents Need to Say

For those who feel hurried, I’ll cut right to the chase by pasting in a few lines, plus those six words hockey parents should commit to memory and say ever single day…

“… College athletes were asked what their parents said that made them feel great, that amplified their joy during and after a ballgame.  Their overwhelming response:  ‘I love to watch you play.’”

Just think about it…  So much has been written about and talked about lately, in reference to that (sometimes dreaded) ride to and from the rink.  I mean, about the way some parents browbeat their kids or push and prod them to do everything but enjoy the game or practice.

Beyond that, I’m going to suggest something else…  I think most of us parents actually do experience that very sensation, of loving to watch our kids play.  It’s just that we don’t say it often enough, or let those feelings be known to our youngsters.

Moreover, I’m going to suggest that there’s some psychology involved in the use of such a phrase — as in the power of positive thinking.   Ya, picture the kid who heads into the rink with his or her head down, tail between the legs.  Fearing failure is no way to enter a battle, and it’s no way to enter an activity that’s supposed to be fun.   Picture, on the other hand, if we send our young ones off with something akin to those magic words, “I love to watch you play.”  That just has to be uplifting — before a hockey game, and doubly so if repeated after a game (no matter what really took place).

All that said, I really do recommend reading the complete article…  Six Words You Should Say Today

A Variation on My Russian Half-stick

Long-time CoachChic.com member, Tim T, writes me often, always with a great question or observation.  This time he felt he’d just seen a variation on my Russian Half-stick idea, and I thought I’d share it here with other members.

– Dennis Chighisola

A Variation on My Russian Half-stick

Before getting into this, members might want to review my article and video about the Russian Half-stick.

With that, Tim emailed to say that he’d just attended a Philadelphia Flyers practice session.  At one point in the practice, he got to see the powerplay unit work against penalty-killers, and he noticed the shorthanded unit playing with something that looked like my Russian Half-sticks.

If you do recall the purpose of my half-sticks, you probably know that they’re intended to encourage good passing and receiving techniques.  So, I suggested to Tim that the Flyers had something else in mind for their penalty-killers…

A lot of hockey coaches try to give a slight advantage to their man-advantage unit, mainly so their plays work, and so they can gain a little confidence in those plays.  The way many of us do this is to have the PK unit switch their sticks, so that they’re holding the blade end in their hands with only the smaller butt end down on the ice.  So, what I think the Flyers coaches do is just have their man-down guys play with sticks that have little or no blade on the ice.

As I also suggested to Tim, the penalty-killers could still keep switching their sticks to cover the ever changing passing lanes, but they wouldn’t be so lucky as to steal the puck and rag it.

 

New Hockey Coaches Inner Circle

I just thought I’d alert my coaching friends about something new I’m about to offer.

Loving what I do so much — and especially loving my work with other coaches, the Hockey Coaches Inner Circle is going to allow me to do just that, and it’s also going to give guys or gals like you and me a chance to work closely together.

The whole thing isn’t easy to explain here.  So, I’m going to send anyone who might be interested to scan the follow website.

YOUR Hockey Coaches Inner Circle

Actually, I have a feeling — with the limited number of slots I can offer — that this thing will fill on the first night (Sunday, April 15, 2012).

Hoping you might join me,

– Dennis Chighisola

Some Hockey Tryout Advice

I’m kinda chuckling to myself as I think about the last time I explained the following (it was actually about 3-weeks ago).

You see, the organization I do a lot of work for likes me to focus on the youngest kids, or those in the developmental stages.  I can appreciate that, since I can usually mold those little ones faster and better than most others.  I also enjoy those kids immensely.

About the only time I get frustrated is when I have to wait for elite and then AAA level coaches to make their picks, so that I can finally get to work with the leftovers.

Well, this being the third year I’ve had to sit back and watch as another group of coaches seemed to agonize over making their picks, I decided to explain to them exactly what I’ll now share with you.

– Dennis Chighisola

Some Hockey Tryout Advice

I began (three different times) with, “Can you envision a bell curve?”  I think two of the guys knew what I was talking about, while the other understood once I drew an imaginary curve in the air.

I’m not poking fun at anyone here — at least as it pertains to knowing or not knowing about the configuration.  Those well versed in math would probably be more familiar with such a graph, and I know that’s where I first came across it (probably back in my high school or early engineering studies).

Anyway, once I got the different coaches picturing the unique shape of the bell, I suggested to them that every group of tryout players can be spread over the curve.  In other words, those who are almost automatic “cuts” would fall on one end of the graph, while the no-brainer automatic “keepers” would fall on the other end.

I’m sure that makes perfect sense to you, as it did to my fellow coaches a few weeks back.  Still, also a lot like them, you’re probably wondering what this has to do with making the tryout process any easier.  Hmmmmmm…

Well, I’ll suggest that that part of the tryout process is now complete, just because we’re admitting that we have a certain number of players who will be kept, and a certain number of kids who need to be let go.

More importantly — with the above decisions made — and recognized, it should make sense that the real tryout takes place among the group of players who fall in the middle of the bell.

I don’t care how many players are involved in any given tryout, and I don’t care how many players fall in either of the three segments of the bell…  No matter, a certain number can be decided within a day or so (if not within minutes), while the real focus has to eventually be placed on the group of players who fall in the middle.

Now, almost everyone wants to resist me on this one, but…  My feeling is that players need to somehow be removed from the tryout process as soon as they’re designated to either make or not make a team.  Keeping them around beyond a point really muddies things, or those so-called automatics just get in the way and detract from the players who really need to be seen.

The way I like to do it is to arrive at a point where everyone has had a fair chance at showing themselves.  With that, the easy cuts and keepers can be told that, “You’re all set, and we’ll let you know how you placed within a few days.”

The beauty of removing the sure things from the mix is that new players will immediately begin emerging from the remaining group — a few being recognized as standouts, and a few noticeably lesser skilled than the rest.  And so the lopping-off goes, until a roster is full.

In the graph above, the sure keepers might be represented by #1, the sure cuts fall in group #5, and the players in the middle are the real tryout candidates.  In the end, those in group #2 and some from group #3 will make the team, while the the rest of group #3 and group #4 will be let go.

Now, I kinda described the above as if a tryout was for one team.  However, I’ve used that formula to distribute numerous players from a hometown program to an A Team, B Team and C Team within a level.  Referring to the bell curve again, better players would be gradually moved to the A-roster, while easily recognized lesser players would be quickly assigned to the C’s.  And so the lopping-off continues, until a B Team remains in the middle of the curve.

Similar to the earlier graph, the obvious keepers will fall to the left, with the best players ultimately designated as A’s, the least as C’s, and the remaining players comprising the B Team.

Lastly, I mentioned earlier that I’ve received some flack for sending kids home before the tryouts are done.  However, the above method is the fairest one for the kids who are really tryout out.  Again, neither the best or the least are ever going to change their status by hanging around longer; they’ll just ultimately get in the way.  The kids who deserve the most attention — for the fairest tryout, are those who fall in the middle.

Having shared the above with my fellow coaches a few weeks back, I thought one or two of them arrived at a decent alternative to my method…  They kept all the kids around until the end, but they found ways to more often pit kids from the middle group against each other.

*

PS:  I find it amazing sometimes how we are able to arrive at a truism under some extreme circumstances, and I consider myself pretty dawgoned lucky when such a thing happens to me.

Anyway, a few years ago, a logistical foul-up caused me to be in a room with a bunch of kids and parents that included those who I intended to keep and those I had to cut.  Hmmmmmmm…  How to survive that thing without having some pretty disappointed kids and/or parents?

Well, it struck me that that was one moment in history when I saw kids in certain ways.  I mean, just for that one Thursday night, I saw one group of kids as deserving to make my team, and yet another group of kids who were not quite up to the task.  And I truly felt that way, too.

I went on to tell everyone that, “It’s quite possible a player who is cut tonight will ultimately be the best of the lot.”

Again, my evaluations were based on one night — or a couple of nights — in history.

THE Most Important Hockey Season Is Coming Up?

I’m hoping my hockey friends noticed the “THE” in my title, because I truly meant to type it that way.  Yes, I feel that in the overall picture of being a hockey coach or hockey dad — or even if I was an adult rec player, the coming days, weeks and months are as important as any in the entire year!  In a way, what we do over that span is going to determine how we (or our player/s) will perform next fall.

Oh, by the way…  It’s very possible that I’ll leave this particular article available to the general public.  In a small way, perhaps, I’m at least alerting as many hockey people as possible as to the importance of the coming weeks.  As always, though, I’ll save the meaty stuff — or my exact recommendations — for my members only.

– Dennis Chighisola

THE Most Important Hockey Season Is Coming Up?

I’ve covered this topic — in depth and in many ways — elsewhere within CoachChic.com.  To save you the time in chasing one important view of the spring months, however, let me at least outline the way most advanced level organizations and trainers break down an entire year…

In-season – your regular playing season
Post-season – the period immediately following the playing season
Off-season – something like the middle of that time away from your regular season
Pre-season - the weeks leading into your regular playing season

We all (including yours truly) tend to paint the entire time away from our regular schedule as the “off-season”.  However, advanced level hockey types know that each of those four separate parts of our year should be treated very, very differently.

There should be little doubt that most amateur leagues have completed their regular seasons by now, and we’re currently in what the above shows as our “Post-season”.

Okay, so why is it I suggested we’re now into “THE Most Important” hockey season?  Well, in a nutshell, it’s because I see it as our one chance to make corrections in what we’re doing, so we can get it even closer to right by next fall!

If you’re a hockey coach, I’ll suggest the first thing you do is perform some really serious soul-searching…

How about communication?  Did the team (or team parents) conform to set team rules?  Could those rules need expanding upon, or some slight altering or updating?  Dealing with the players, might there be better ways to get our idea across — say, with added media or teaching tools?

And, how about the way your team came along…  Even after coaching all the years I have, I know I’ve already recognized a few areas of play that could have been treated differently.  (Yes, even I constantly re-evaluate my coaching, mainly because I intend to keep getting better and better at what I do.)

If you’re a hockey parent — and you truly want your youngster to enter the next season even better than the last, I’ll suggest the following…

Be honest in an evaluation of his or her weaknesses.  If the player is old enough, see if he or she agrees with what you’re saying, and if he or she is willing to do a little work to overcome those shortcomings.

Also be honest in seeking your youngster’s strengths (or more likely, a main strength).  That could be speed, aggressiveness, size, puckhandling, shooting, whatever.  For, as I’ve written elsewhere here, future coaches (and even scouts) most often get attracted by strengths before they start to look for weaknesses.  So, for example, if a player has a hard shot, it probably wouldn’t hurt that his or her shot be brought to the point of being absolutely frightening to opposition goalies.

I honestly believe adult rec players could do a similar self evaluation…  I don’t know if dwelling on a strength would be my main priority but, I wouldn’t discount it.  Mostly, though, I notice that a great many recreational skaters would benefit lots by eliminating their weaknesses.  Ya, you’ve got to “accentuate the positive”, as the old song goes.

Those who know me probably realize how much I value time — as in the amount of time I have to accomplish a given task.  So, just take a look at the coming Post-, Off-, and Pre- seasons through my eyes for a sec, and appreciate that we now have the luxury of 5-months to ready for next fall.  Yup, count ‘em:  April, May, June, July and August, IF we don’t piddle that precious time away!

Oh, by the way…  I can almost bet that half the non-members reading this are going to revert to what they’ve always done — like chasing tournaments all over the countryside, attending the most popular hockey school, or enrolling for the usual spring and/or summer league.  Oh, one of those might not kill a player, but I doubt any of them will help solve the things you consider as playing weaknesses or strengths.  In fact, if one keeps doing what he or she has always done in the past, it’s very doubtful any significant results can be achieved.

All the above gives you a hint of what I have in store (for members) over the coming months.  A lot of it is going to involve ideas for off-ice training (and training at home), because I’ve found that these types of overlapping activities not only help a player’s hockey game, but they also expand his or her physical — and even mental — abilities quite a bit.  That said, I promise that I’ll still be adding some on-ice ideas to help all my friends reach their goals for when the puck drops again in earnest next fall.

Then, this final tip…  Most elite level programs and instructors (as well as wise hockey parents) know that a player takes quite a physical and mental pounding over a long winter In-season.  So, while those in the know never allow those in their charge to suddenly become couch potatoes, they do back-off on the heavy training for a short time.  In elite circles, the kind of physical stuff done during this period is known as “passive activity”.   And, in my mind, this is the one time during an entire year when — if things are done right — a player’s love of the game can be greatly renewed.  Tournaments, camps and off-season leagues don’t do that, but I’ll be telling you soon just what will.

Plant a Tree — for Hockey

I’m breaking with tradition a bit here, as I place this entry under A Coach’s Notebook.  However, I hope that will makes sense in a few minutes.

Next, I know that my article titles don’t always make a lot of sense — at first, and the above one most likely has my faithful friends scratching their heads.  Still, as you’ll also soon discover, I couldn’t have chosen a better one for the topic at hand.

– Dennis Chighisola

Plant a Tree — for Hockey

Actually, it was something I read months ago that still haunts me today.  So, without further adieu, here’s how I remember it…

“Plant a tree today that you know you’ll never get to enjoy the shade from.”

Want to read that again — to let it sink in, because I surely read it and read it until I got the true meaning.

Now, I’m probably a lot older than most CoachChic.com members, so something like that doesn’t exactly hit home as quickly or as deeply with those of you who are 30-somethings or 40-somethings.

Don’t let me get morbid on you, though — , because I’m at least planning on staying around to haunt you — through my 60′s, 70′s, 80′s and maybe even my 90′s.

Haven’t connected the above saying to hockey yet?  Well, the idea of “planting a tree” is something I really associate with teaching a young player well.  I mean, it’s about giving him or her such a great foundation that there’s a chance for that kid (or group of kids) to play at higher levels years from now.

What gives the above advice true meaning — at least to me, is that there’s a good chance I won’t get to see how a lot of my tree planting (or early skill development) works with the kids currently in my charge.  At the same time, I’m urging my fellow coaches — while likely eons younger — to still see their work in the same way.

Let me share yet another something I ran across recently, in this case sort of the motto for a successful business type I tend to follow rather closely.  The guy tells a story about recovering from a near fatal auto accident, about thanking his lucky stars he survived, and then about promising himself to constantly go through the remainder of his life asking…

“Did I live?
Did I love?
Did I matter?

Don’t see the connection to that and hockey either?  Well, the “Did I love?” part is kind of important in my relationship to the hockey folks I meet and ultimately get to know.  However, it’s the one about really mattering — or, in the end, having mattered — that grips me quite strongly.

Ya, I’m helping a hockey dad with a current problem, and I’m hoping my advice matters.  Or I might be guiding a player through a difficult skill sequence and I’m also hoping the way I did things really mattered to him or her in the end.

With that, the scope of my work is pretty broad, and I probably feel those kinds of obligations with a wider audience than you.  I mean, I feel the slight pressures of needing to matter with my team each year, with the kids in the clinics I run, with my many social media friends (on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and elsewhere), and with you and other CoachChic.com member coaches.  Ya, I know you’re depending on me for good advice, or for the right answers to your questions.  And I’m not satisfied unless I sense I’m doing the job — for you, or for the young players entrusted to me.

And don’t take that last phrase lightly — a lot is being entrusted to me and to you.  So, with your current hockey season likely winding down, perhaps you can salt the gist of this piece away for when you’re making your off-season plans.   Try to remember that you’re planting trees, some of which you’ll never get to enjoy the shade from.  And, most especially, consider the great feeling you’ll derive from sensing that your work really, really matters.

 

 

 

A Hockey Reputation Matters

I received a phone call yesterday, from a hockey mom wanting to know if I might give her son a recommendation.  Hmmmmmmmm…

So did my email inbox contain a pair of similar requests – one wanting my opinion on a certain hockey coach, and another from a coach asking about a player I’d recently had on my team.  There was another one in there, too, this asking if I could recommend one of my players for a rather exclusive team that was being formed over the spring and summer months.

Even while I was working at the local rink this past week, two different coaches asked my opinion on given players.

– Dennis Chighisola

A Hockey Reputation Matters

Yes, ‘tis the season when a hockey player’s reputation matters more than ever.  And it’s a time when a player’s, parent’s or coach’s track record either helps or hinders his or her next step up the hockey ladder.  Consequently, it’s a time when doors can either open or close for anyone involved in our game.

Actually, I probably shouldn’t make this sound like one’s past history only comes into play at this time of year.  However, with so many organizations looking ahead to the next season right now, it makes sense that a whole bunch of folks are seeking more input – about new coaching applicants, or about potential players.

Unfortunately – at least for some, as one hockey parent put it in a recent Facebook message to me, “Hockey seems a pretty small world.”  And she was right.  Word travels fast in hockey circles.  (As I so often joke, I can sneeze at my desk here in Whitman, MA, and I’ll shortly after receive an email — from somewhere like Rhode Island — offering a, “God bless you!”)  Oh, and while news does travel pretty fast within hockey circles, bad news probably travels faster and stays out there longer than anything good we’ve ever done.

Now, some folks might think this rather unfair – that even young players’ reputations follow them, and likely help or hinder them as they strive to make a higher level team.  However, isn’t that life?  I mean, that’s the way things will go in school as students seek special recognition, and it’s the way things are going to go for them once they’re out in the job market.

What a lot of hockey parents fail to realize is that their youngster’s reputation is pretty much a family affair.  To be honest, in my 40-ish years in coaching, I haven’t known very many bad kids.  On the other hand, I’ve had to deal with quite a few kids who were negatively swayed by their parents, some to the point where they were nearly uncoachable.

Really, I don’t want to go into all the horror stories most of us have already heard enough times.  Still, my sharing the following story just might explain an oft used expression of mine, in that, “the hockey family is a package deal”…

A few years ago, I accepted onto my team a youngster who came with quite a bit of so-called excess baggage.  It wasn’t something I looked forward to, but instead I was doing it as a favor for a friend.

The interesting thing was that the boy reported smiling, he willingly did everything asked of him, and he seemed a pleasure to coach.  Not trusting my own take on the matter, I eventually garnered the same impression from my two assistant coaches.  They felt he was a great kid, and willing to do anything they asked of him.  Hmmmmmmm…  The parents?

As I soon discovered, the mom was the family spokesperson, and I found she was at least a little “rough around the edges”.

As you might suspect, she wanted to lead our first telephone conversation, and I did let her release some seemingly pent-up feelings.  Pretty shortly, though, I asked her if she was ready to do some listening.

Now, I probably had something going for me that a lot of younger coaches don’t (yet), in that I’ve really been around, and most hockey parents at least know where I’ve been and what I’ve done.  (Hey, even if they don’t like me, most know they ought to listen to what I have to say.)

Thankfully, the mom seemed to be with me – as I explained my feelings about a family being a package deal, and that her son’s problems may be her doing.  And she even accepted the fact that others might not like her son – or want him on a team – just because they didn’t like her.

With that, I suggested we try to erase the past, give her son a clean slate, and perhaps help him build a new reputation that would help him in the future.

I can’t leave that last story without mentioning a gut feeling about that whole situation…  You see, while I never had one tiny problem with that boy, I believe the things I heard from past coaches to be true – that he didn’t get along with teammates, that he wasn’t all that easy to coach, and that he took numerous needless or foolish penalties.  What I think happened, however, is that he was being coached behind the scenes at home – and probably on rides to and from the rinks, and that the parents – or the mom – convinced him to play a selfish game.  Oh, the boy didn’t change his stripes when he reported to me; I think he was always a good kid at heart.  But, as I’m trying to warn my faithful friends here, his problems most likely stemmed from someone other than his past coach or team.

I led off with that story to help me make my point when it comes to subtler, but still similar situations, where parents have more influence over players than their coaches.  Hey, let’s face it, we coaches are lucky to have the kids’ attention for a couple of hours per week.  And it’s doubtful we can undo in that short span all that’s been ingrained at home and on those drives to the rink.

For example, when I was recently asked by another coach about one of my players, the first thing that came to mind was that he has been late for almost every team function, practice or game.  And over the course of a season, his game has slipped accordingly.  So, when the other coach asked if he was my best player, all I could say was, “He may have been at the start of our season, but not anymore.”

Another youngster has also been asked about by higher level coaches, and all I could think about as I answered was his unwillingness to share the puck with linemates over recent months.  Oh, and it wasn’t like he was one of our studs – I expect those types to handle the puck a little more, and to even take the shots if they have them.  But he’s a middle of the pack player, who needs to dish the puck off more and then break to an opening for a better scoring chance.

The examples don’t stop there…

I’ve also heard some “cute”(?) things on my youngest team’s game bench over the course of this past season… Take, for example, a little guy mumbling something about ice-time on a team that just rolls two lines.  I mean, first, it would be hard to short-shift anyone when the lines operate that way.  But, can you imagine someone in the neighborhood of 7-years old coming up with that question – about ice-time? Give me a break!

Here’s yet another one…

On a young team, kids go off-side without thinking — errrrrrrr, or do they…  Well, on both of my teams this season, I’ve seen a few instances where I really had to wonder if a player went off-side on purpose.  You know the trick:  get the rush blown dead because you thought your mate should have passed to you.  Is that the kind of thing I’d tell another coach about?  Naw.  However, I can tell you from my perspective that the kid who truly does that on purpose has a larger body of work that falls in the same category.  In other words, if a player is pulling that kind of nonsense, you can be sure the rest of his or her game is also a little on the selfish side.

Anyway, where does the idea of going off-side on a teammate stem from?  Ha.  Few kids think that one up on their own, so you can be pretty sure a parent is behind that (and most of the other selfish play).

Oh, one more beauty…

I’m sure other coaches get bombarded with lots of calls or emails in reference to special teams being put together over the off-season.  I get them often, asking if I might have a player deserving of strutting his stuff in a “showcase” kind of tournament.

Such was the case not long ago, and it caused me to sit back in my chair to envision my roster.  Hmmmmm…  Just one player at the time seemed to have the skills and physical maturity to hold his own in such a format.  But then…  Ya, but then…

In the game freshest in my mind, I recalled that we were trying to mount a comeback with precious minutes remaining on the clock.  With that, I see a game official escort my guy to the penalty box, and I discover that the guy who is supposed to be one of our best weapons has taken a 10-minute misconduct penalty.  Worse yet, the ref coasts by our bench and softly lets me know that the kid took exception to some rough slot play by saying, “Ref, you suck!”

Well, you’d have to know the parents to appreciate that the boy cared more about himself than his teammates or the game they were playing.  Was he a bad kid?  Not really, but…

Okay, these last few points…

As I intimated above, I’ve seen few bad kids in my 40-ish years in coaching.  Instead, I’ve come to realize that kids don’t drive themselves to the rink or plan the day in a way that gets them there late on a regular basis.  And kids – at least usually – care more about being liked by their mates and coaches, so they’re not – again usually – born with the need to hog the puck, take selfish penalties, or not get along with game officials o their coaches.  Nor, I’ll suggest, do they count seconds in their shifts.

I’ve written this piece in hopes of letting parents know that it’s never too late to help their youngster develop the kind of reputation that will get them raves when a new opportunity comes along.

I think members realize that I love kids — of all ages, and I’m not about to purposely hurt anyone.  The problem, however, is a need to be truthful any time I’m asked about a given player.  That’s what I want when I ask the opinion of another coach.  Moreover, my reputation is on the line every time I recommend a player.  I don’t think I’m unique in this matter, either.  No, your son’s or daughter’s coach is most likely going to want to speak honestly when asked about him or her.  So, it seems up to the parents to help mold the kind of player everyone will love to recommend.

Make the Most of Half-ice Hockey Practices

I have my good friend, Seth L, to thank for this entry.

As he explained things, he just coached his first hockey game in 2-years.  And, very much in “Coach Chic-ese” fashion — , he said that he was excitedly, “Decompressing now & expanding on my notes from the game.”

Although his team had lost the game, 7-2, he felt his kids had “outchanced” their opponents by about 3 to 1.

What inspired this post, however, was Seth’s seeming frustration with having only a single half sheet of ice for his coming weekly practices.  As he said, “1/2 ice is tough!”

– Dennis Chighisola

Make the Most of Half-ice Hockey Practices

I partly agree with Seth on that one — that half-ice practices can be inhibiting at times.

However, let me share something from a coach who has been fortunate enough to have lots of full-ice practices over 40-years on the job:

Even at times when I owned the entire ice surface, I’m betting that I’ve spent most of the time in a single zone.  In other words, a majority of my time with older teams is spent on segments of our system — like defensive zone coverage, breakouts, forechecking, powerplay plays in the offensive zone, attack plays, etc.

Sure, there are times when a coach wants to run a series of plays from one zone to the next and to the next.  However, that is something I’m going to address a little later down the page.

As soon as I saw Seth’s concern about half-ice practices, I immediately went back to where he mentioned the level he’s working with.  Why?  Well…

I think his Bantams are older enough to mentally re-orient themselves with each change in drilling.  I mean, I think kids that age can understand that we were just working in the defensive zone for our breakouts, but now we’re going to switch around and work on attacking the offensive zone with some plays.

Littler guys, on the other hand, are a whole ‘nother story…  I can imagine that Mites — and maybe even some Squirts/Atoms? — can have some difficulty adjusting to what I just described above.  They may not even understand the terminology yet (as in our being in the “defensive zone”), never mind be able to make the mental shift from one phase of play to another.

Okay, with all that, I do have some ideas that can help with the lack of regular full-ice practice time.  If there’s something a coach needs, it’s a group of coaches around him or her that is receptive to some new ideas.  Most guys and gals will like what I’ll suggest, while I have come across a few (rather lazy ones?) who aren’t looking to accomplish more with their own kids.

Confused by all that?  Well, what I’m getting at is that the coach you share the ice with may not be interested in sharing it in different ways, or he or she may need to agree with doing some non-traditional kind of things.

That said, here are some things I’ve done over the years to overcome the problem with only having a half-sheet of practice ice:

1) Hoping the group before you hasn’t torn-up the ice too badly, consider gaining an extra 10-minutes per practice by not having the ice resurfaced.  This doesn’t immediately help the half-ice situation, but it does typically gain a team about an extra 300-minutes of practice over a long winter (10-minutes x 30-practices), and it also paves the way for the next ploy.

2) Arrange with the coach of the other team that one remain back in the lockerroom for 10-minutes, while the other gets to go out on the ice early for that amount of full-ice practice.  (I always like to be the one who gets the lockerroom chalktalk time first, so that I can prepare the kids in advance for the way we’ll later use the full-ice.)  The two teams switch roles at the end of practice, with one leaving 10-minutes early, and the other staying out on the full sheet.

3)  Although I haven’t done this, I’ve seen other teams split the ice longitudinally, so that units can start an attack from one corner of the ice and finish with an attack on the far net.  Lines or units from the same team stay together and re-form in the corners so that they can continue attacking both nets in waves.  My guess is that with some imagination, the ice could also be split in other ways.

4) If our two teams aren’t too different in abilities, I’ve arranged with another coach to have a brief — say 15-minute long — controlled scrimmage to work on a specific area of team play.  One example might be to have a team attempt to move the puck up-ice, gain the red line for a dump-in, and then try to apply their forecheck.  Sometimes the two coaches want to do different things, but the idea is for one team to sort of dummy for the other for a time, and then for the teams to reverse roles for an equal amount of time.

In closing, I’ll suggest that Seth isn’t going to have as much difficulty as he thinks coaching his (older) team on half-ice.  Still, there will be times when one or more of the above ideas might help his kids work their plays over the full length of the rink.  (The above measures probably aren’t necessary every week, but probably only on occasion.)  Of course, I’m guessing that I’ve just scratched the surface with my ideas, and I’m hoping some members might having even more good ones.

NBC Brings ‘Science of NHL Hockey’ to TVs and Classrooms

I boast often about the quality of our membership.  I mean, we have some really into it guys and gals here who not only take advantage of this site’s content, but they also contribute a great deal to our hockey discussions, and thereby drastically increase CoachChic.com’s value.

One such member is Tim Taylor, for whom I am hugely grateful.

As it pertains to this post, Tim happened to run across something I hadn’t seen yet, he alerted me about this exciting event, and I thought I’d get the word out to all our members as quickly as possible.

So, thanks, Tim!

– Dennis Chighisola

NBC Brings ‘Science of NHL Hockey’ to TVs and Classrooms

Before going any further, here’s a video clip from that series…

Now, here’s a link to the article Tim sent me (which also includes the above video):

NBC Brings ‘Science of NHL Hockey’ to TVs and Classrooms

It appears to me that NBC wants these videos to get a wide distribution, for the sake of science — this because they’ve included an embed code within this first video.

With that, I’d suggest that each of our members share this (and maybe other videos from this series) with their team members.

As for me — and if it’s permissible by law, I’ll try to post more from the series here.

Build a Backyard Hockey Rink

Freezing cold temperatures have been slow to arrive in the Northeaster United States this winter, which should explain the lateness of this post.  If I’d have had my thinking shoes on, however, I’d have probably helped my member friends all the more by giving them some time to plan.  In other words — for reasons I’ll explain later, perhaps the best time to start thinking about a backyard rink is during the summer or early fall.

Yet another reason I’m posting this right now is because my good friend Christopher has been working on his own backyard rink, and — running into a bit of difficulty with that — he just wrote me seeking some help.

Actually, I’m a bit embarrassed that I don’t have a quick answer to Christopher’s question, despite having long ago built a dozen or so rinks for my son and grandson.  So, I’m thinking that this post might prove a great way for all of us to share ideas or experiences on this subject.

– Dennis Chighisola

Build a Backyard Hockey Rink

This project caused me to scurry through YouTube.com to see what others had done so far in this area.  To be honest, almost all the various videos on backyard rinks are nearly the same, with most of them only varying in extras — like lights, high boards, doors in the boards, etc.

I finally settled on the following video, mainly because it’s a really basic set up, and because it gives a pretty good view of everything.  So, please have a look before we go further on the subject.  (Don’t panic that you don’t hear a soundtrack; there is none for this video.)

Having built a number of these, I can tell you that finding a truly level area is critical to preparing for a backyard rink.  And, that’s part of the reason I suggest planning things earlier in the year, when the ground is still soft and workable.  Truly, spending some time in the warm weather leveling the planned area for your rink might be the best thing you ever do.

I also suggest erecting the boards section of the rink while the ground is still relatively soft, so that some stakes can be driven into the ground to hold the boards in place.

I highly recommend thinking about disassembling the rink as you plan its assembly.  I mean, large screws and metal brackets can make things a whole lot easier to take the boards apart at season’s end, rather than using large nails or spikes.

I might also offer the idea of buying the plastic liner beforehand, just so that you can design the rink’s measurements accordingly.   (There’s nothing worse than discovering you have to piece together several sections of plastic in order to get coverage, knowing full well that there’s a strong chance the thing is going to leak with each thaw.)

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As an aside here, you know I’m all about teaching, or development.  So, let me share a philosophy I’ve held for a good many years…

The kind of discipline I provide in my clinics and practices is essential to players acquiring all the skills and smarts necessary to play at a high level.  Hey, there are proper ways to move on the ice, puckhandle, pass, receive, shoot, check, deal with critical situations, what have you.

Beyond that, however, I’ve always said that the mark of a “real player” is based on what he or she does in his or her spare time.  In other words, gain discipline from proper instruction, but then go freelance as much as possible to truly separate yourself from the pack.

In-lines can help us do that during the warm months, as can dryland training and even floorball.  However, I think the backyard rink is an awesome place for a youngster to really experiment — or hotdog a bit — during the hockey season.

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Okay, from here onward, let’s consider this YOUR post, or a place where anyone can share ideas, ask questions, etc.  I’m even going to leave this available to the public, just so we can gain even more input.

Christopher will actually kick things off, since I’ll post his current problem first.  Hopefully, we can find some help for him and many future rink builders to follow.

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The singer of this song actually stopped by here to suggest that I share his video with other backyard rink enthusiasts.  So, enjoy (and, thanks, Geoff)…

 

‘Tis the Time to Think About Tryouts

Perhaps members recall me getting into and having a little fun with a new video program that allows me to use a couple of robots to get my messages across to YouTube.com and social media friends.

So, at the risk of boring (or maybe slightly amusing) you, I’ve included a recent one down below as sort of a backdrop to a very important topic.

Hopefully, within a few minutes, you’ll discover why.

– Dennis Chighisola

‘Tis the Time to Think About Tryouts

Okay, as I hinted at above, there’s a method to my madness in creating those robot featuring videos for other areas on the Internet.  In the case of the following one, it was produced to: 1) get folks thinking about tryouts far ahead of when most others will, and to 2) let them know about my soon to be leased Skater’s Rhythm-bar.

As a member, you don’t have to worry about the latter, because I’ll be sure to keep you abreast of any such developments.

However, it’s the former — or all that stuff having to do with tryout prep — that I feel the need to expand upon for your sake.  In a way, I think my short video will raise as many questions as it will provide answers.  So, my aim here is to do my very best at explaining everything for you.

That said, let’s have a look at that video first…

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If you know me at all by now, you know I hate the idea of spring tryouts.  Still, I can’t change the (hockey) world, so instead I have to go with the flow and do what’s best for my players.

And, if you do know me, you’ve come to realize that I like to take a long range view on absolutely everything.  I mean, something as important as a tryout isn’t to be taken lightly — heck, a player is going to live or die for an entire season based on the team he or she ultimately makes.  So, I’ve always taken tryouts seriously — for my students’ and players’ sake, and well as for the benefit of my own son or grandson.

As an aside…  I think it absolutely absurd that some local rinks or organizations will advertise a week-long program to be held just days before, these aimed at getting players ready for tryouts.  Geeeeeeeze…  A player is hardly going to be changed much at that point, and I’ll even suggest that more harm can be done than good if players are pushed to their limits and enter their tryouts either bumped, bruised or tired.

And that brings me to the importance of taking the long-range approach instead.  With still months to go, some positive changes can be accomplished.  And so can players even be given a few days off prior to tryouts so that they enter the fray feeling fresh, both mentally and physically.

Now, in that video, it’s said that individual skills are the most noticeable in a tryout atmosphere.  And, think along with me on that one if you will…

If we’re talking about young players, coaches tend to use a lot of skill drills to get a good look at the kids, one by one.  If the coaches go to scrimmaging, there’s little doubt the the best skaters, puckhandlers and shooters will stand out.  Then, if it’s a “small game” — like 3 against 3, a shifty and nifty player is most likely going to really stick out.

When we’re talking about tryouts for older players, most coaches resort to lots of scrimmaging.  And, once again, it’s the great skater, stickhandler, passer, receiver, thumper and scorer who is going to attract the most attention.

Of course, you’re probably wondering about when a player’s smart positional play is going to stick out, and I’m going to suggest that it’s hard for a coach to recognize much of that during a scrimmage atmosphere.  Oh, sure, a coach might spot a little of that, but I can tell you from all my years of experience, that it’s the flashy player who catches the coach’s eye first, and probably makes a lasting impression.

Okay, so what about that stuff I mentioned in reference to the Skater’s Rhythm-bar?  Well, it really is so — that coaches notice the player who cruises nicely around the ice.  He or she can’t help it, really.  There’s just something impressive about the smooth, powerful, seemingly energy efficient skater, because it suggests to a coach that a player has practically lived on the ice, and that all the hockey movements likely come naturally to him or her.

Finally, I’m not saying that any of the above is right or fair.  All I am saying is that it is the way it is.  Coaches don’t get the chance to necessarily know what a player is truly like.  And it’s probable that a coach will only discover if a kid is smart (or dumb as a rock) once the selected players begin working within a team practice setting and then in games.  Until that time, all the coach can go on is how the player “looks” in the tryout setting, or how he or she looks relative to all the other players.

Knowing When Your Hockey Players “Get it”

Talk about a satisfying feeling.   But then, I know this is going to take some explaining.

– Dennis Chighisola

Knowing When Your Hockey Players “Get it”

My AAA Bantam team had about 3-weeks off from games over the recent Christmas through New Years break.  Still, we had our two practices per week, these giving us a chance to polish our act a little in preparation for the rest of our season.

As for the theme of this article, I noticed some things over recent practices that were kinda making me smile a bit.  In actuality, though, these didn’t come at times when my guys were executing perfectly; to the contrary, they happened at times when some of our attack plays went slightly awry.

Okay, so as practice wound down tonight, I decided it was time to tell my kids exactly what I’d been seeing, and to even let them know how pleased I was with them.

First, though, a little background to all this…

Personally, I can’t imagine why this hadn’t hit me a lot of years ago.  However, I think it was about three summers back, when I was working with my NEHI High School Prep team when the idea of my guys “getting it” really struck me.

The squad had a lot of returnees, but we also had a handful of skaters who needed to be indoctrinated in The Old Coach’s way of doing things.  And, in particular, the new guys had to gain an idea of what I saw as good passes and good pass receptions.

And, oh, did I beat it into them, hardly ever letting up, and forever reminding them to make firm, flat passes right on their mates’ sticks, or to find a way to handle any pass that came even close to their own sticks.

The interesting part came late in our training camp when I noticed one new player muttering to himself a few times during a drill, and then sorta banging his stick on the ice in frustration a few other times.  Hmmmmm…

Starting to get a handle on what I was seeing, I whispered to a nearby assistant that the new guy was finally “getting it”.  I mean, he now knew the difference between a good pass and a not so good one, and he was getting a little upset with himself when he made a teammate work a little harder than he should.

Well, almost the same scenario played out tonight.  I mean, I was seeing the same thing happening as my current team went through a series of attacking drills, and I also snuck over to whisper to a current assistant about my belief that this group of kids was finally “getting it”.

Actually, I couldn’t resist going into our lockerroom after practice and telling my kids how pleased I was with them.  And, as I started to tell the story about my old HS Prep guys showing displeasure with themselves in some passing drills, one of my youngest current players said something to the effect that, “That was me, Coach, huh?”

Ya, he was one of the more noticeable ones out there.  And, while I told him I wasn’t thrilled at him banging his stick, I wanted him to know how happy I was that he did finally “get it”.

Okay, so why do I make such a big deal out of this seemingly small turn of events?

Really, that’s because I think it IS a pretty big deal when our players suddenly do “get it” — and I’m talking about any part of their game we deem important to their overall development.

I’m also encouraging other coaching to stick to their guns when it comes to proper execution, or when it comes to playing principles you feel important.

Then, here’s what I consider the biggie, as far as I’m concerned…  For, once a player truly does “get it”, I’m going to suggest that it sticks with him or her for the rest of his or her playing days.

Would you believe that a Facebook Fan Page existed in honor of This Old Coach several years before I even joined that popular social media site?  It’s the truth.  As I discovered, a bunch of my former hockey students and players who by that time had reached their mid- to late-20′s created a page entitled something like, “Coach Chic says to do everything both ways!”    The history behind this is that I have forever harped on my players to discipline themselves, and to make sure they can cut left and right, stop to each side, and perform just about any skill in all the ways possible.  Did my constant reminders to do everything both ways make an impression on my players?  I’m guessing that’s so, and I’m guessing it’s in the backs of their minds today as a lot of them play in adult leagues or pick-up hours.

That “do everything both ways” principle can actually cause me to laugh in the middle of my Learn-to-play clinics and in the ADM program I work in.  Ya, by the midpoint in a season, those 6- and 7-year old little rascals will often stop me before I can get those words out of my mouth — I mean, they’ll all chime in and yell, “Coach, you have to do it both ways!” 

On a more personal level, my son has played about a dozen years of minor pro hockey, and I can hear some of my old, long ago harped upon principles emerge in conversations we have today.  And so can I see the occasional shake of my college hockey playing grandson’s head if failed to do something like put a pass exactly where he’d intended.

So again, I’m suggesting that we all — coaches and hockey parents — stick to our guns, keep hammering at those principles we feel important, and never fear sounding like a broken record, because that’s the only way our players will someday really “get it”.

The Need for a Hockey Coach to Think on His Skates ;)

Okay, that title wasn’t meant to make me sound like a genius.  (Actually, I had to choose something like that to help this subject reach the search engines.)

Really, though, I wanted to share a couple of thoughts with readers, these having to do with a few things that crossed my mind during a recent 3 on 3 league I work with.

– Dennis Chighisola

The Need for a Hockey Coach to Think on His Skates

The number of young (mainly 5- to 7-year old) skaters who frequent our current 3 on 3 cross-ice program dictates that we have two games going at the same time.  Actually, so does the difference in the various ages and skill levels require us to split the kids.

No matter the number of skaters, though, we seldom have enough young goaltenders to man four nets.  So, we usually resort to filling one or two vacant goaler spots with a few old automobile tires.

Such was the case recently, when the group I was overseeing needed a pair of tires in one net while a goaltender did man the other goal.

Perhaps you can imagine the problem already, with kids having an advantage in shooting on the small tires.  That started happening right from the beginning, with some goals being scored from far, far down the ice.  Oh, what to do?

Trying to think of a way to level the playing field, I noticed that a blue line crossed in front of the somewhat empty net, maybe almost 2′ out.  And, after thinking for a moment, I decided to introduce a new rule to our game…

I stopped action at the next buzzer, and announced to the kids that, “In order for a goal to count, the puck must be carried across that blue line.”  Insert some groaning by a couple of little snipers.    (Just so you know, I always have teams switch ends halfway through each game.  So, the other team would ultimately be faced with a similar challenge.)

Now, our game happens to call for great skills, game playing knowledge, as well as the ability to solve problems.  And as players mature, they’re also challenged to keep various things in their heads as they skate — like the game-time, the score, the latest strategies that their coach wants employed, etc.   So, my impromptu rule was going to help these little guys get a head start on learning to skate and think at the same time.

Oh, trust me, that a number of kids forgot themselves, and they were shocked when I announced, “No goal!”  Little by little, however, they all ultimately got the hang of it.

It wasn’t until the game was winding down that something else struck me…

I’ve mentioned elsewhere in these pages that even elite level players can have so-called “brain freezes”.  And in this regard I’m thinking about the times I’ve seen my high school or college players take icing calls on attempted dump-ins, when just another step or so would have brought them across the red line and made the dump legal.

What I’m getting at is a certain “ice awareness”, or the ability to know where one is on the ice.  Totally by accident, really, I’d instituted a challenge into our 3 on 3 game that forced the kids to not only think, but they had to also be overly aware of where they were and where they had to shoot from in order to have a goal count.

Lastly, if you’ve come to know me at all, you probably know that these little revelations aren’t going to end with that one game.  Naw, I see that one teaching moment being just the first of many I’m going to want to try in future 3 on 3 games.

 

 

Should Facemasks Be Made Mandatory in the NHL?

This one falls in kind of a gray area, mainly because it doesn’t really have anything to do with teaching the game.  However, since it comes from a long-time CoachChic.com friend, I’ve made an exception and included it here.

Also, this isn’t the kind of topic I dwell much on.  So, since my grandson is nearly done his undergrad march towards someday working in a pro hockey front office, I’ve asked his input.

– Dennis Chighisola

Should Facemasks Be Made Mandatory in the NHL?

Good friend, Jerry Z, begins with his question, “Do you think there will ever be a change to wearing mandatory facemasks for players in the NHL?”

Offered as ammunition, Jerry continues, “After seeing Chris Pronger, Dan Paille, Nathan Gerbe and countless others go down with severe facial injuries, I think the game has gotten too fast and too dangerous.”

Jerry continues, “When you talk about the NFL, no one even questions the need for facemasks. With hockey, you have a much faster game, with the additional great risks of the composite sticks, quicker booming shots, ricocheting pucks, big bodies zooming in an enclosed area, and flashing skates. It seems like a new era, kind of like when goalies switched to wearing masks with the advent of the curved stick.”

Thoughts from Tony Chic

No flies on my young buddy, he begins by saying, “No they (the NHL) never will change.”  Anthony does, however, sense that, “… they could mandate shields.”

As he explains, “It’s just how the game is.  People know that it is a risk and are willing to take it.  It also polices the game, because when looking at it, when people don’t wear facemasks, they need to be more responsible for their sticks.  So they end up playing the game with less reckless abandonment.  That’s why junior players when transitioning to the NHL have less problems than college players.  The college players have a tendency to stick people by mistake.”

Thoughts from Dennis Chighisola

Now you might know why I dared call in my young buddy, Tony C. 

For sure, I think he’s right on all that stuff — especially the part about the absence of facial protection somewhat helping to police the flailing of sticks all over the place.  (Want to see some false bravado and a bit of madness, just catch a game where everyone is clad as if their grandmothers dressed them.)

I have yet another thought, though…  For, to make a rule change such as Jerry proposes, I’m guessing that both the NHL Office and the players’ union would have to back it.

It took a very long time for helmets to be mandated.  And a big part of the resistance to that was the thought that fans would somewhat lose their connection with the individual players.  I mean, there was nothing like seeing a speedy Guy Lafleur streaking down the wing with his blond mane blowing in the wind.  Helmets now at least partially block us fans from seeing what a player really looks like, but just imagine what covering his face might do.  Oh, I know there’s the football analogy, Jerry, but I still sense an awful lot of NHL execs want the fans to see what a Crosby or Ovechkin really looks like.

As for the players, I suspect they want a choice.  For sure, more and more players who grow up wearing a mask will want to continue doing so.  (Anthony’s mention of the college kids brings this to mind.  However, during his college off-seasons playing in a summer pro/am league, Tony C chooses to ditch his mask, probably in order to be accepted by his pro teammates and opponents.)

I’ve heard it said that some young pros want to wear the mask, but they’re a bit reluctant.  So they’ll wait to get one facial ding, and then they’ll use that as an excuse to keep wearing protection after the injury goes away.

I know of some pros who see the mask as dangerous in its own right, just because it creates some blind spots.

I’m also wondering if there are some players who see their earning power connected to the point I made earlier — in that fans will know them better if they’re easier seen.

Lastly, I will have to go along with Anthony Chighisola in his belief that half-shields might someday be mandated.  A great many stars are now wearing them, and it seems we can see their faces quite well.

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Oh, boy…  My guess is that this subject might bring a host of varying opinions.
So, we invited others to let ‘er rip in the Comments box below.

Fair Ice-time in Youth Hockey

This post is actually a follow-up to an article entitled, “3 Principles Atom Minor Hockey Coaches Should Follow“, and its in direct response to a question asked under that piece.  (I highly recommend that every member read that, and even send it to your favorite coach or organization head.)

For, Phil writes to me about his past experiences in coaching the game, and then he raises something based on his recent observations.  For sure, his question is a tricky one, and it’s caused me to take several days to really think about how to answer.

So, with that, here’s my best attempt (please accept my apologies in advance for jumping around a bit with all sorts of random thoughts on the subject)…

– Dennis Chighisola

Fair Ice-time in Youth Hockey

Phil prefaced things in his Comment, noting that he’d had some success in Canadian youth hockey circles, and that he and others “… have always attempted to roll three lines the best that we could.”

Noting the touchiest of things when it comes to this issue, he adds, “Obviously there are dissatisfied parents when it comes to ice time.”  (Oooooooooh, ya!)

Then, coming to the point, Phil ends with, “This year the coaches are using their top players a lot more than the rest of the team, with certain kids getting only one shift in a period.  My question is, at what age does it become about winning at all costs and development of still young players?”

Ugh.

Now, I’m betting that most readers are going to be surprised that I actually have mixed emotions about this.

On the one hand, I believe that fair ice-time is pretty much a must through at least the Squirt/Atom years.  And if I had my druthers, that would continue right on through Bantams and maybe even Midgets.  So, some random thoughts…

Of course, parents will argue that everyone is paying the same tuition, so ice-time should be distributed in equal fashion.

I also firmly believe that a commitment to equal ice-time — as in Phil’s concept of rolling three lines — forces a coach to be a better teacher — to all of his or her players.  In other words, the coach is going to want to ensure that there are few weak links in those three units, which usually causes him or her to work extra hard to raise the skill levels of the lesser players.

Very much connected to the above concept is the idea of distributing the talent evenly over three lines.  For, in so doing, a coach is less likely to favor one unit over another.  (I do this all the time, and rarely care which line or defense pairing is going over the boards next.)

On the other side of the ledger is a coach’s attempt to win some games.  Ya, I don’t care who the coach happens to be; there is always the inner sense that folks will think you’re a jerk because you can’t help your kids get some W’s.  And, yet more random thoughts…

I think it’s important here to suggest that every organization has it’s own aims, and these might be tapered to its different age and competitive levels.  I know this can also vary within different countries or within different hockey regions, too.  (Some of the Canadian programs I coached against through the years were super-competitive, while most of the “town programs” I see in US-based youth hockey tend to put fun and learning far ahead of anything else.)

On the latter, however…  I don’t care what some (or most) organizational mission statements say, coaches can oftentimes feel as though they’re being judged on how successful their teams are.  So, given the possibility of either winning or losing a given game, just venture a guess as to what’s going to motivate most of their line-up decisions.

Personally, I feel the organization I currently work a lot with wants me to develop players.  At the same time, I know that there’s a great deal of league-wide competitiveness (like, between organizations, and even between owners).  Moreover, because organizations actually compete for players during each off-season, it just makes sense that highly motivated players (or their parents) are likely to seek certain coaches, levels or organizations with winning traditions.

Next, I’m going to introduce something that I doubt many folks have ever considered.  For, from all the observations I’ve made over about 40-years on my side of a clipboard, I’m going to suggest that a lot of youth hockey rosters are too large for the levels they’re expected to compete at.  In other words, an organization deems that a roster should include so many skaters and so many goalies, solely based on an imaginary ideal roster size, or the number of players needed to finance a given team.  And, I’ll suggest, this is where the trouble starts.  I mean, a team might be able to  find 12-skaters who can compete at a given level, but program guidelines dictate that another 3-skaters be added.  And, it’s usually those few less-than-up-to-par kids a coach fears putting out when a game is on the line.  Make sense?

Yet a few random thoughts having to do with the way this old coach tends to deal with fair ice-time, regardless of the players’ ages or competitive levels…

There ARE times when I feel the need to get a point across.

I’ll bet you’ve all seen the little guy (or gal) who acts like they’ve been shot whenever they’re involved in a collision.  You know what I mean:  they stay down on the ice (sometimes with a smile on their faces?), maybe waiting to have everyone cheer when they’re finally deemed okay.  Anyway, a young one only has to pull that once or twice with me before I do him a huge favor.  Ya, I’ll tell him I’m really worried about him, and that I think it best that he sit for awhile.  It can seem like a lifetime to a little guy, but I don’t usually let the sitting last long.  What I will often wait for, however, is for that youngster to squirm a bit, and tell me a few times that he’s really okay.  Again, I feel I’ve done him a favor for the long-run.

As a preface to the next one (and maybe even the previous one?), this short story…  A farmer decides to call in an animal psychologist to work with his very stubborn mule.  Upon arriving and grabbing the mule by his reins, the doc proceeds to drill the mule right between the eyes with a heavy hunk of wood.  The farmer is aghast as the mule buckles and drops to the ground.  With that, the psychologist explains, “First, I have to get his attention!” 

With older kids, it takes something quite different for me to resort to a benching.  One example might be if a young guy has a history of taking selfish penalties, and then pulls the same thing again.  A lot like the noted psychologist, I’ll occasionally feel the need to get that player’s attention.  So I’ll likely growl, and tell the player to take a spot far down the bench, adding that, “I’ll give you a call when your teammates feel the need to kill another stupid penalty!”  Still, much like I do with younger kids, I’ll ultimately let an older guy off the hook.  If there’s a difference in the way I handle the two extremes, I must admit that I’ll ask the older kid for a guarantee that we understand each other well before I’ll let him back on the ice.

Only at the older levels — maybe from strong Pee Wees on up, I’ll have a powerplay unit to use in man advantage situations.  This acts as a bit of an incentive, not always using the best players, but perhaps those who show most often for practices, or those who demonstrate an ability to follow simple directions.

Then, like Phil, I like to keep rolling all my units through most of a game.  Still, there are a couple of times when I might ever so briefly get away from that…  In a close contest, for example, I might gather my best players to go over the boards for the last minute or so of a period, and/or late in a game.  Again, all of my players will usually get tons of ice-time, but I reserve the right to play those I deem most trustworthy for just a few extra minutes or so.  I’ll also often use this as an incentive, employing a number of kids who have to that point played above and beyond.

Oh, and I guess I ought to close by saying that I perceive myself as a teacher first.  That posture makes a lot of what I suggest above more do-able for me than what a so-called “door opener” might accomplish.  I’m also a long-range planner, and that’s why I’ll use certain “benchings” to gradually bring all of my players onto the same page.

Lastly, that thing Phil mentioned about parents is real enough.  Hey, they DO pay the freight, and they DO deserve every consideration within reason.  And that’s why I’ll suggest that communication is a key to dealing with the ice-time issue.  I don’t think I’ve ever had a complaint about owning the last few minutes of a period or a game; most parents probably see how fair I am the rest of the time.  In some instances, parents are annoyed by the same things that bother a coach (like Little Johnny writhing in fake pain after a fall), and I’ve found them to be tickled pink when I whisper to them that I have a way to solve a problem.  As often, of course, parents aren’t as aware of a player’s shortcomings, or what he or she might need to do to contribute more to the team.  So again, communication is the key.

*

Okay, a topic like this is bound to stir some controversy.  It surely is a tricky one.
So, fire away (only figuratively).  Oh, and if you really disagree with me,
just remember that my little buddy Raggs sniffs all my incoming mail!

 

 

About the Skater’s Rhythm-bar

Oh, man, I hope my friends don’t hurt themselves laughing at what I’ve entered down below.  But, here’s a little history to all of this…

A few weeks ago, someone turned me on to an interesting program provided over on YouTube.com.  That program gives anyone the chance to create cartoon videos from a host of characters.  I settled on a pair of robots, and a Facebook friend ultimately named them SlapShot and HatTrick. 

Hoping not to waste my efforts, I thought to use that format to at least share some worthwhile information — first letting folks know how to pronounce my name and nickname (Introducing Dennis Chighisola), and later how the unique spelling of my nickname came about (SlapShot & HatTrick Explain Dennis Chighisola’s Nickname).  I must admit that my earliest works weren’t all that polished (the program is kinda tricky to use).  Oh, I have gotten better at producing the videos, although they’re still probably as stupid today.  (I’ve joked to one Facebook friend that the red robot is my alter-ego!)

As you might gather, however, my eventual thinking was that I could have some fun, perhaps give some social media friends cause to laugh, and also get a little advertising crammed in between the lines.  So, maybe you’ll at least see a little of each within the following video…

– Dennis Chighisola

About the Skater’s Rhythm-bar

My (again, stupid) cartoons somewhat explained, I just posted a new one to My YouTube Channel last night and to Facebook this morning.

At first, I thought to apologize for promoting one of my products within these pages.  However, I then thought it might be just as unfair if I DIDN’T let you know about this…

Over the years, many members have actually written me and asked about the Skater’s Rhythm-bar.  I think that stemmed from my occasional mention of it, or my once in a while showing it in a video.

With that, I am practically going to give this closely held secret away (and I’m serious about the almost giving it away part).  You’ll have plenty of time to consider things, though, as well as learn a lot about skating and my problem solving methods along the way.

All you need to do to be notified of it’s release is to “Like” this page (using the “Like” button up at the top)…  Perfecting the Hockey Skating Stride.

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A Cool Video Gadget for Hockey Coaches & Parents

I feel it at least a small part of my duties here to keep members apprized of new gadgets that may help them, or may ease their learning or teaching experiences.  So, I was psyched that I received an email this morning showing something that should do just that for you.

Actually, this isn’t exactly about a gadget, but instead an app aimed at transforming your iPhone or iPod Touch into what the TechSmith company calls “the ultimate coaching tool”.

– Dennis Chighisola

PS:  I am not affiliated with this product or the maker in any way.  I just figure it’s a neat idea and something my friends here might like to know about.

A Cool Video Gadget for Hockey Coaches & Parents

Here’s some a wording borrowed from this morning’s email…

Coach’s Eye is a coaching app that will transform your iPhone or iPod Touch into the ultimate coaching tool!

Slumps, bad habits and poor technique can be recorded with Coach’s Eye to point out problems, and review as needed.  It’s like having your own, personal coach who never misses a thing.

Sign up to find out when Coach’s Eye is available and you could win a t-shirt cannon for your team, organization, or school.  Then share out the unique URL you get after you sign up to increase your odds – you’ll get an extra entry for each person that signs up using your link!

With that, I’ll share the video showing the Coach’s Eye, just so you don’t have to chase to find it…

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Just so you know, I won’t likely be getting one of those apps, mainly because I love my Flip and other similar cameras, and I’ve become so familiar with using those that I can practically work with them in my sleep (there is something to that “old dog” story, ya know — ).

Oooooh…  Should any member know more about this app, or should anyone get to try it, I think the rest of us would really like to know your feelings or experiences.

The Need to Compete!

Ya know, even after 40-ish years of doing what I do, I still sometimes have difficulty defining the uniqueness of my style — or how my approach to the game tends to be different from most others.

Sometimes reality hits from out of the blue, though, like as I read an article like the following.

– Dennis Chighisola

The Need to Compete!

The article I’m referring to now is about Sweden’s new-look hockey model paying dividends.

As many others have been doing over recent years, the Swedes began looking deeply into the changes needed at their developmental levels to remain among the world’s elite hockey-producing nations.

“It wasn’t too long ago the Swedish Ice Hockey Association was forced to come to grips with the fact its educational and developmental methods had become outdated.”  The Swedes knew they had to make changes in their education system, their coaching, and especially, attitude.  And they’re now believing their ability to improve those areas “… at an early age has played a vital role” in accomplishing their goals.”

Also like a lot of other hockey playing countries, the Swedish hierarchy noticed a point in their history when their players weren’t keeping up with others.  “Realizing this fact, Sweden’s director of youth development, Tommy Boustedt, initiated a Commission of Inquiry on junior hockey in Sweden in 2002. The meeting included 120 people, including junior coaches, club executives and scouts. The professionals were broken down into groups, some working with coaching and education, others critiquing player development.”

“Everyone came up with ideas on how we could change our hockey,” Boustedt told NHL.com.  “Some of the important things we learned were that we had to revise the demands on the coaches and educate much better.  Our education material was old-fashioned … it was built by way of the old Swedish style and the old European style.”

“Boustedt and his group also reached out for the advice of many of the game’s finest Swedish players…”

“The No. 1 reason they provided us was the leadership they had growing up,” Boustedt said. “They all said they had great coaching.  That being said, we had to raise the quality at the youth and junior coaching levels.”

My personal take-away from that article was the Swedes’ huge improvement in coaching, bottom to the top.  And as Devils’ goalie Johan Hedberg noticed about fellow Swedes currently playing in the NHL, “The education level for coaching from a young age to the junior ranks is really, really high.  I think that has a lot to do with there’s a lot of young guys coming in now and being as prepared as they are.  They’re getting great teaching from an early age.”

Ah, yes, “from an early age”.

As I hinted at earlier, the Swedes also began paying more attention to the demands of competing in the current day game, and especially those things they’d need to do better to be successful in the NHL.  Major among these was to improve play around the net and in the corners.

As for my “Aha!” moment, well…

“If you want to be on the elite level, you have to compete in everything you do from the beginning,” Boustedt said. “The best competitor ever was Peter Forsberg. If we could take Peter Forsberg’s mind and put it into all our talented players that would be perfect. Being competitive is more important than skating fast or shooting hard.

“Let’s face it, the word ‘compete’ was obsolete in this country — we haven’t been in a war in 200 years and we have a classic social democratic system that built this society, and to ‘compete’ has historically been a bad word.”

Today, having that competitive spirit in everything associated with Swedish hockey is what has changed most, according to Boustedt.

“The word ‘compete’ is a good word again in Swedish hockey,” he said. “Our message to the kids is what they need to do to become an elite hockey player. It has to do with hockey skills and tactics and all types of physical training. We have psychologists speaking to the kids, explaining what they should and shouldn’t do.”

“North Americans are very competitive, they go to the net, crash and are good along the boards,” Boustedt said. “(North Americans) can body check and take a body check … areas where we have been very soft before, but that we’re now incorporating into our development. The area we need to get even stronger, though, is in shooting and goal scoring.”

Ya, my “Aha!” moment…

Without doubt, the need to “compete” is vital to being successful in our game.  Every critical moment that takes place in a hockey game represents a competition between small groups of players — 1 versus 1, 2 on 1, 2 against 2, etc.

And that brings me to the way I usually develop my drills, as well as the countless posts I’ve offered within these pages having to do with skill progressions.

As if members don’t already know, I like to begin with progressions that one of my social media friends would call “easy peasy” — .  I want them to be do-able, not threatening in the least, and even great confidence boosters.  Thereafter, though, I’m very gradually attempting to make my drill progressions come closer and closer to what it’s really like to play the game.

You’ll even see the above happening if you scan through my three “Must-do Skating Drills” videos…  Kids laugh like crazy as they attempt the drills demonstrated in the Beginners’ video, while there are some pretty touch challenges offered in the most Advanced one.

Over the early part of this winter, I’ve probably overdone the mention of two simple drills I see as key to a hockey player’s ability to “compete”.  What I’m getting at, of course, is isolated games of Tag and similarly isolated games of Keepaway.  In essence, the skills those games enhance ARE the basis for being successful in match-ups like the 1 versus 1, 2 on 1, 2 against 2, etc.  Come to think of it, those drills increase resistance as the players mature.  In other words, using it on some nights provides the challenges two Mites give each other, while on other nights a pair of Bantams provide a very different level of challenge.

However, those drills are only the tip of the ice berg.  I mean, every single skill we can think of should have its own system of progressions — from easily do-able confidence builders to wild and maybe even more-difficult-than-the-actual-game type drills.

And that brings me back to the chance to better define what I do.  Hmmmmm…

For sure, the idea of helping players to better “compete” is one of them.  Still, I don’t rush to accomplish that.  No, I’m very, very care — or methodical — about bringing kids along slowly, mainly because their confidence — and even their love of the game — depends on it.

All this said, any of the posts here that explain my inner feelings are really intended for other coaches (or even member parents).  In other words, I want to share my feelings, so that you may begin to formulate more of your own.  You don’t necessarily have to think exactly as I do.  However, I really would consider incorporating more and more drills within your progressions that have players “competing” in practices, much like they need to do to succeed in their games.

 

 

 

 

To “Skate Up” or Not

The above question is forever gracing my email inbox, or I’m stopped in a local rink lobby and asked basically the same thing.  It most often comes from the parent of a hockey student I’ve taught for awhile, and on occasion from someone I don’t even know.

The reason I’m commenting at this time — and the reason I’ve placed this in the “Timely Advice” category — is because a lot of players in the program I currently work with are being asked to move-up right now.

To be honest, every situation is slightly different.  However, my answer to most hockey parents is usually pretty much the same, and it’s just about the way I’ll describe to you down below.

– Dennis Chighisola

To “Skate Up” or Not

To begin, here’s (a slightly edited) copy of an email I received not long ago…

“Hey Dennis, i think i already know your answer, but i will run it by you.  (My son) is on the 04 elite team as a complete stud scoring just about everytime he gets the puck im really proud of him.  The mite major 03 elite team are looking for a guy, (and my son’s) name came up.  (The 03 coach) is supposed to talk to me.  Do i play him up a year with unbeleivable talent to make him better for next year or do i keep him on the 04 team and probably be the best kid in the league.  (An assistant coach) invited us to practice tommorrow for the 03 team.”

  As an aside here, isn’t it comical how illiterate texting can make us look?  I assure you my friend is far from that.

The following is my (similarly edited) reply, which I submit to CoachChic.com members as at least some good food for thought…

“Hmmmmmm…

My first thought would be to try it for awhile, without losing your son’s spot on the ’04 team.  I’m sure the 03 coach will go along with that — he may even prefer it.  (Check with others, but I believe there’s also a number of games — like 10? — whereby a kid can skate-up so many times before he can no longer go back down.)

Now, the good part of tearing up at his own level…   Your son will gain more and more confidence, and even dare to try things in games that he wouldn’t be able to do at a higher level.  So, his individual skills are also being greatly enhanced where he is right now.

The good and bad parts about playing up…   Probably the best part is being able to practice at a higher level, mainly because the higher level coach can usually run better practices with a more sophisticated group.   Your son would also probably learn to execute things at a faster pace, although it’s not so good if he suddenly starts playing the game in what I refer to as “panic mode”.   Quite probably, the down side to skating up would be that he wouldn’t get to grow in the way I described in the previous paragraph.

So again, maybe asking to be able to go back and forth for a few weeks would help quite a bit, and it’ll also allow you to get a better sense of which level will be the best over the long run.

Let me know if that makes sense.”

Now, back to talking to you, my good CoachChic.com friends…

For, the one thing I want to emphasize from above is the damage that can be done if we just throw a kid into a level where so-called panic mode takes place more often than not.  And, to describe that better…

My friend stated that his son is really tearing up at his current level.  Having seen the boy training with me and playing some here and there, I can define that as his winding in and out of opponents with the puck, picking corners of the net around over-matched goalies, and sometimes undressing those netminders with wild stickhandling moves.

The exact opposite of that is for a kid to be slightly afraid with the puck — sometimes even throwing it away, after having stronger or faster opponents numerous times stealing the puck or bumping him or her off the play.

Make no mistake about it:  Either one of those regular occurrences will eventually get into a youngster’s head.  And, before you know it, the player either thinks himself or herself invincible, or he or she has hardly any confidence with the puck at all.

And, that brings me to ask:  Which would you prefer for your son or daughter?

Then, I noted above that every situation can be slightly different.  In other words, for some kids the choice to move up might be worthwhile, while under different circumstances it can be very, very damaging.  That in mind, here’s my unscientific view on the choice…

IF a youngster’s promotion places him well into the top third of the stronger roster, I might say, “Go for it!”

IF it’s more likely the move up means a kid is suddenly one of the lesser players, I would suggest that he or she is in for a long season, and one that isn’t going to do an awful lot for his or her skills or confidence.

Of course, a parent’s ego can sometimes come into play during such decisions.  I mean, it might be nice to go to the office on Monday morning and brag about your son or daughter being so highly thought of.  At the same time, I’m one of those delayed gratification kind of guys, and I’d rather do my bragging a few years down the road — having done things right, and seeing my own youngster really make it when it counts.

How Many Drills Are Needed Over a Long Hockey Season?

If you happen to be on LinkedIn — but you haven’t engaged in some of their hockey related forums, you really should.  Like many other social media sites, there are plenty of great hockey people to be met there.  And, at least for me, there are a ton of great ideas that can be gleaned from other hockey players, parents and coaches.

With that, I came across a great question there just recently, this submitted by Lance P:

“How many different drills do you think need to be implemented during a hockey season?”

Hmmmmm…  Ya, it is a great question, but one that I felt was going to take a whole lot more work than just a few lines in a forum.  So, I’ve decided instead to do the topic justice, by addressing it here.

– Dennis Chighisola

How Many Drills Are Needed Over a Long Hockey Season?

The reason I jumped on that question was that I could just envision the answers that would soon roll in.  I mean, I can see come coaches quoting numbers — like 15, 25, 40, 80, whatever.  And I can tell you that none of us would be right if we got hung-up on a number.

What I’m going to suggest instead, is our need to constantly troubleshoot our players’ needs, or continuously help them solve problems.

Ironically, I had a brief conversation with a few of my assistant coaches after last night’s AAA Bantam practice, not realizing that it actually hints at some of what I’m going to suggest here.

We’d gone through a tough stretch starting the season, so we’ve only begun making progress after also making some roster changes.  So I was telling my assistants last night that we’d just had the best practice ever, and that we’d begin growing from there onward.

We went back and forth about that for awhile, and then I suggested that a time will come when the kids need a break, and I’ll just blow-up my practice plan for a night and do some wild, crazy things instead.

And that brings me back to that statement about the conversation with my coaches providing “hints at some of what I’m going to suggest here.”

Picture along with me, that I had a plan for my kids as we entered the past summer.  Picture again how that plan had to change as we entered the fall.   Then, imagine the changes we’ve gone through once the roster was upgraded.

Moreover, I said that we’d begin growing from last night’s practice onward.  There’s no specific — or even rough — number of drills that can be estimated for completing that task.  I just have to design a given practice plan according to the way I see my kids’ needs on a given night.  And, as I suggested above, there will even be a time when I’ll sense that the kids have had enough, and they need something totally off the wall to renew their love of the game.

As an aside…  Some might think that a blown-off practice is a huge waste of ice-time.  But, I’ll suggest that there’s a far greater danger in not “reading” my players, and not “reacting” to their on-the-spot needs.  And, let me tell you:  I have found that one totally off-the-wall practice, spaced just right in their schedule, can oftentimes make the next couple of months worth of practices all the more productive.  I truly mean that.

Now, I’m going to let CoachChic.com members in on a four-plus step process I use for designing my lessen plans…

1) Here’s a checklist I use before I begin drafting things.  In other words, I have this list of areas of play off to the side as I scratch some rough notes on what I’d like to cover:

Skills: skating, puckhandling, passing/receiving, scoring and body-checking

Team Defense: forecheck, backcheck, numerical situations, D-zone coverage

Team Offense: breakouts, regroups, attack plays, numerical situations

Special: face-offs, powerplay, penalty-kill

Now, not that every single one of those things gets covered in every practice.  Of course, a lot of them get combined on various drills.  My real point for scanning that list:  so that I don’t forget something important.

2) Long-time members know my penchant for note-taking during games.  Among other purposes, I jot brief messages to myself while a game is in progress for things I’ll want to either work on in a practice or discuss with the kids in quieter confines.

For Pre-practice Discussion: As you might realize, some things can’t actually be treated in a drill, but they’re better handled while either shooting the bull or looking at a re-creation on a greaseboard.  So, since my kids are in tune to meeting for 10- to 15-minutes prior to every practice, I’ll jot my planned topics of discussion up in a corner of a given night’s lesson plan.

For On-ice Work: I don’t attempt to fix everything discovered in the last game during a single practice.  However, I usually can identify one concept that can immediately help the kids, and I’ll build a drill around that idea.

3)  At this point, I usually only have a batch of scratches on scrap paper.  I don’t get to actually plan the practice until I take a look at the very last on-ice session.  Repetition and continuity are important to the teaching process, ya know.  So, while every practice may be slightly different, a lot must remain constant.  Said yet another way…  I’ll use the last practice as kind of an outline for the new one, and then begin slightly changing things.

4)  Very much connected to the last point above, I have for years used something I think school teachers refer to as “blocks” of drills.  In other words, I might use a given drill for something like agility for a stretch of 4- or 5-weeks, and then I’ll substitute that with a different drill that still treats the same skill/s.  The idea is to get the most out of a drill, but then stop using it before boredom creeps in.  This same approach — of teaching in blocks — is actually going on in several different parts of my lesson plan, so that both repetition and my concerns for boredom are being dealt with on a nightly basis.

Outside my degree studies in Physical Education & Coaching, I think one of the best lectures I ever attended was by Dave Dryden (I think it was in Montreal, Canada, at the 1980 NHL Coaches Symposium).  There, Dryden suggested not “running around stamping out brushfires.”  The gist of that approach suggests that coaches stick to an overall plan, and not constantly ditch that plan for the latest game problem.   As Dryden hinted, if we spend all our time tonight fixing our powerplay,  our breakouts will probably falter in the next game, and so on and so on and so on.    So, even though I do plan some brief time to deal with a few problems my kids have recently had, I never abandon my overall plan in any given practice.

Finally, I hope CoachChic.com members can now see why I think it’s pretty difficult to name the number of drills we coaches should use over the length of a season.  Added to all the input I’ve shared above is the need to constantly up the progressions — or challenges — included in a single drill (which means that one drill evolves into another, and so forth).  Moreover, I can tell you from experience that players will get some things faster than we think they will, while they’re going to struggle with some drills or concepts we thought they’d get easily.  And this suggests that we have to constantly make further adjustments to our lesson plans, either slowing things a bit or picking up the pace.

*

Have any further ideas or differences of opinion?  I love to hear both,
so just use the Comments area and let’s talk.

An Open Letter to All AAA Hockey Teams

I don’t think I’ve ever done this before — pointing our CoachChic.com members to a specific blog post.  At the same time, I think the following is rather special, and it should prove to be hugely helpful to some older players, parents, coaches and hockey administrators.

I went on sort of a tear the other day, that leading to a special “Coach Chic’s Hockey Diary” post which ignited some interesting feedback.  So, not only might you read my original entry, but you ought to keep checking back, because the earliest Comments have been as good as my original.  As a matter of fact, I’d love your feedback too!

Just click on the link below to start.

– Dennis Chighisola

An Open Letter to All AAA Hockey Teams

 

 

 

Help for a Discouraged Hockey Goaltender

The following just came in via the CoachChic.com “Ask The Coach” box.  And, although it’s kinda late at night, I felt for the young guy who sent it, and I wanted to offer some thoughts as soon as I could.

With that as an intro, I’ve removed just a few things from the following question, just to protect the young goaltender’s identity…

– Dennis Chighisola

“I need some advice, big time. I played high school hockey as a goalie the past couple of years and did great. this year I tried out for the local junior empire team. Despite playing incredible along with the other top goalies at the tryouts i didn’t make the team, at the the moment I’m at community college part time, thinking i was going to get my big break. but I didn’t. It seems like no one is giving me the chance even though i know i can take my game to the next level. I feel like I’m coming to the end of my career, end of the line and i don’t know what to do, i still want to keep playing competitively but i always feel like the underdog. what should I do?”

Help for a Discouraged Hockey Goaltender

Ironically, I often write or say that, “Others will tell you when your hockey playing days are over.”

That IS usually true.  Yet, I don’t think there’s anyone on the face of the earth who can really tell anyone else his (or her) playing days are over — until the player wants it to be that way.  I mean, even if one is rejected numerous times, there are still usually plenty of other places to play.

I also tend to think that goaltenders can mature later than skaters.  So, there is always the chance that a goalie can get better and better with age, and that he could pass by all the rest a few years down the road.

As an aside…  Obviously, the latter is hardly do-able without a ton of work.   And the kind of work I’d be envisioning would be Rocky Balboa style (if you know what I mean).

As far as future opportunities go, I will suggest that nearly everyone is a “walk-on” at Division II and III college hockey tryouts.  In other words, there are few guarantees at those levels, and it’s more a matter of a player showing what he can do at the tryouts.   Walk-on goalers have been known to make it at Division I schools, although the chances probably aren’t all that great.  Then, minor league professional hockey leagues abound — across North America and abroad, and these provide further opportunities for players to extend their playing days.

All that said, the day comes for all of us when we feel we’ve gone as far as our skills and energies will take us.  And, when that day comes, I always like to see a player leave the competitive game with a good feeling — like he gave it his best, he attained the highest level he could, and he had a hell of a time along the way.  (I’d also like to see him have a college degree in his back pocket.)  For some of us, coming back to coach keeps us close to a game we grew to love, and it at least partially fills a certain void.

*

To be honest, I don’t think I’m any sort of an authority on this subject.  So, I would love for others to jump in here, in hopes you might shed a different light on this subject, and perhaps give this young man some even better advice.

– Dennis Chighisola

 

The Root of Most Hockey Injuries

Okay, I don’t want to come off as if I’m THAT smart that I can totally fulfill what’s suggested in the above title.  At the same time, a lot of what I like to do here is provide my good friends and members some serious food for thought.

You probably also ought to know that I’m a firm believer in The Law of Attraction — partly because it has its roots in the Bible, as well as within the teachings of numerous wise men throughout our planet’s history.  What I’m getting at is that I don’t like to constantly talk about illness until I or those close to me ultimately get sick, and I don’t want to overdo this thing about hockey injuries until readers fulfill that prophesy.

At the same time, I do want to share some observations I’ve made over many years, this in hopes of helping prevent as many lost practices and games as possible.

– Dennis Chigisola

The Root of Most Hockey Injuries

Speaking of The Law, I’ve actually witnessed the children of doctors and nurses being either ill or injured more often than any of my other players.  Honest to God.  This goes back some 30-ish years to when the son of a famous local sports medicine surgeon kept telling me that he thought he just pulled his _________ (fill in the Latin term for some oft injured ligament or muscle).   It wasn’t until I’d seen the same thing happen to other doctors’ kids that I began making the connection.  Ya, quite likely the topic of discussion at dinner often had to do with the latest injury the dad had seen, or the latest operation he’d just performed.  And it wasn’t until years later that I noticed the same thing happening to the children of nurses.  Don’t you know I ultimately got up the nerve to ask those parents if my theory was true, and most of them sheepishly laughed and shook their heads and nodded to the affirmative.  So, going back more than a quarter century, I believe I was seeing the old Law of Attraction in action.

What really got me going on this subject, however, is that we’ve already had several injuries occur with members of my AAA Bantam Minor team — this only a few games into our fall schedule.   Not that there has to be some big connection between these injuries and what I’ll add here.  But…

The Bantam age level is one in which growth spurts happen rather unexpectedly, or they almost creep up on parents until they notice their youngster is 4″ taller today than he or she was a few months ago.  What I’m getting at here is the likelihood that players in this age group can quickly find their gear no longer protecting them very well.  So, just as examples, the slightest leg growth likely leaves gaps between shin guards and pants, and longer arms can leave a lot of open space between the elbow pads and gloves.

So can just the move up from one level to another render certain gear less protective.  In other words, pads that were okay in a non-body-checking level might be totally useless as the heavy hitting starts, or the pads that once were able to protect a kid against easy shots might not be so helpful against absolute rockets.

Thinking about my Bantams again, I know that all of the kids are at different stages of development.   I mean, some are still sort of babes, while a few others are almost the size of an average man.  And those two types of kids have to play against each other over a long season.   Please don’t take this one lightly, either, because some kids in this level are skinny as rails, while some can be pretty hefty.  So, when a collision happens, I’m betting it’s the frail wrist, arm or leg bone that is most apt to snap.

Next, let me tell you that certain players are sitting ducks.  I mean, they’re slow in reacting, so they’re easily lined up to be nailed by a better skilled or craftier opponent.   What I’m also getting at here is a player’s ability to see what’s coming, and then to have the skills to negotiate away from trouble.  A great example of staying out of danger was Wayne Gretzky.  I mean, few opponents ever got a full piece of him — first, because The Great One probably had world class awareness out on the ice, secondly, because he could handle a puck with his eyes up, and thirdly, because he had the great skating and puckhandling skills to maneuver his way quickly out of danger.  (I remember joking back and forth with my late dad years ago…  He’d say, “Why don’t they just hit Bobby Orr?”  And I’d tease back, “Because they can’t catch him!”)

With all this, I’m not implying that any of my current players’ injuries HAVE to fall under any of these headings.   As I said in the start, I don’t want to come off as being so wise as to be able to predict such things.  And, hey, all of us are at one time or another going to take a spill, whatever.

On the other hand, I have mentioned a number of things that might save a lot of kids (or even adult players).

 

 

 

 

Coach Chic’s First AAA Bantam Game

Before I get underway here, I think I ought to remind members about the entries I make under this category, A Coach’s Notebook…

Number One, I’m a notorious note-taker, for reasons you can discover in this category’s first post.

Number Two, I don’t share these with the idea of embarrassing my kids (or others surrounding the team).  My real hope is to share with you the way I view game action, and the things I tend to deem important.  In a way, I’d really like to get older players, coaches and parents at least thinking about the topics I’ve chosen to highlight.

Number Three, the list of observations I made today are specific to older kids, or older youth hockey players who’d I’d like to get playing and thinking like the high school-ers they’ll be fairly soon.  Pretty shortly I’ll do a similar recap of a AA Mite game.

– Dennis Chighisola

Coach Chic’s First AAA Bantam Game

Oddly, the first concern I jotted down resulted in our opponents’ last goal, and it was also the only negative I raised after the game in our post-game lockerroom.

Very early on, I noticed that my guys weren’t covering face-offs properly in our zone.  This isn’t a skill thing at all, but purely a matter of remembering where to line-up, and what to do.  Late in the game one rival sniper fired a point-blank shot past our goaltender without a soul from our team being near him.

After the game, I reminded everyone that:  1) our goaltender is the first guy in charge in this situation, since he has the most to lose; and, 2) our centerman has to be responsible for also looking around to make sure everyone is where he needs to be.

Okay, this note wasn’t about my kids, but to me, instead…

Our home rink has two different surfaces — and they ARE different.  One is a pretty large (regulation) surface, while the other is quite small.

As is always the case, the distance from blue-lines to the goal-lines has to be constant, but where the smaller rink loses is in the neutral zone area and behind the nets.

Adding an even greater coaching challenge is the fact that our bench is almost completely inside the offensive zone during the second period.  So, think about that…

My defensemen have moved to their defensive end door — which puts them just about on the blue line, while my forwards were stationed where they customarily go — at the offensive end door.

And, ugh…  If you can envision the problem, it’s barely possible for my forwards to change on the fly quickly.  They are going to step into the offensive zone, and they’re going to be off-side on a dump-in unless they wait for the puck to enter the zone.  Stated another way, it’s going to be a long skate for my forwards who are trying to get off the ice, and my forwards are always going to be late in trying to apply their forecheck.  (Did I say, “Ugh” yet?)

I’m certainly going to think on this one further, and I’m also going to toss it out to a few guys I know who may have dealt with such conditions before.  At the same time, I would love for us to have a discussion right here (in the Comments area) in hopes a member might think of something I haven’t.

Our first few games have been at arenas where the penalty boxes were right next to our bench.  So there wasn’t much problem with communicating with a guy in the box.  However, it struck me that I’d better later refresh my kids on the hand signals I’ll use when the sin bin is located across the ice…

As I’ve done since, I showed the kids how I’ll be pretty animated in my directions — pointing either down towards our bench or out towards the ice.  Those should let them know that I want them with me or to get right into the action.  However, with the signal for them to come to the bench, I will always follow that with several animated points to my head.   What does that mean?  It means that 1) I do want them to ultimately get to our bench, but that I also 2) don’t want them passing on a chance for a quick breakaway pass, or 3) the need to stop an enemy puckcarrier skating in his path.  In other words, “I want you here, but use your head as you exit the box!”

My last couple of notes had to do with things I’ll want to work on in our next practices.

I noticed our defensemen were a little weak with their forward passes, so I’m going to install a drill that has them skating backwards while passing.  This is the best drill I know for teaching them how to gain strength in an unbalanced posture.

I’ve also noticed that my kids could use a little more physical toughness — along the boards and in the corners.  Hey, they’re still young, so that might not be so surprising.  So, in subsequent practices I’m going to use some basic body-checking drills, and put them in other drill situations where they have to compete a little more vigorously.

Just Some Hockey Musing (About Skills)

This will be a short post.  However, since my two teams kicked-off their seasons this past weekend, I thought I’d share a bit about what’s on my mind.

– Dennis Chighisola

Just Some Hockey Musing (About Skills)

*
My AA (’03) Mites
Following USA Hockey’s ADM recommendations, my young team begins their long winter schedule with a number of 3 on 3 games.  Our league’s format is interesting, in that four teams report to a rink, and they go about playing each other in three 20-minute games.   Scores are kept as games are in progress, but the final stats are recorded as 1-0 wins/losses, or 0-0 ties.

My little guys won their first contest in convincing fashion, they lost the next in a rather lopsided game, and then lost the finale in a fairly close battle.

Now, let me tell you how I view those three different match-ups…

As far as I’m concerned, our convincing win is done, in the books, and totally forgotten as far as I’m concerned.

That last game loss is something to ponder, but not for that long.  Taking care of the next item will solve any problems we had in this one…

No, it’s the middle game — where we kinda got killed — that I’ll use in a ton of ways.  In other words, THIS is the game that will teach me, my players and their parents the most.  For the time being, at least, our opponents in that game are the model for where we want to be down the road.  How long it will take to reach that status I can’t be sure.  But, we are going to keep aiming for that team’s skills, strength, speed and so forth.

My AAA (’98) Bantam Minors
Due to a ton of personal and professional conflicts, I had to miss my team’s first game of the season.  (Darn, I was sick over this, mainly because it’s rarely happened to me over 40-years in coaching, and I feel it as embarrassing.)  I did, however, get a number of what I’d consider reliable reports upon which I can base some early assessments on a 10-2 loss.

Separate from what I really want to get at in the end, is the sense that my older team has not yet grasped the concept of playing together.   I’m not talking about selfishness so much here, but instead, something that seems too widespread in youth hockey circles.

I’ve written often on this subject in numerous other CoachChic.com posts, but there appears to be a sense within the youth hockey community that there is some generic way of playing the game.  In other words, if the puck goes into an offensive zone corner, every team will do the exact same thing (although few youth hockey parents and coaches can tell me how that goes).  Many seem to believe that all breakouts look pretty much the same, etc.

Not so, of course.  In reality, a team must have it’s own plan to accomplish something like regaining the puck in their offensive zone (this referred to as a forecheck).  There must be a plan for what the first player into the zone should do, a plan for what the second and third guys should do, and further plans for what the defensemen should do when they arrive.  And the plans change as players read what happens henceforth, and then react accordingly.

And, contrary to what most folks in the stands can appreciate, everything that goes on depends on how successful each player is in performing his/her own role.  We lose if the first guy doesn’t do his job, we all lose if the second guy isn’t there to do his, and so forth.  So, as I suggested earlier, every single player really depends on those around him or her.  Furthermore, since my kids have seemingly played without purpose for most of their hockey lives, it’s a struggle to suddenly get them skating and thinking the game at the same time.

(Of course, it should be understandable that hockey gets more complicated as I compare my Bantams’ needs to those of my younger team.)

Back to the main topic here…  What I really tried to glean from those who saw the game was how my Bantams compared to their first opponents.  And in this regard, observers seemed to believe that our opening day opponents fit near the top of our league, or somewhere in the top three or four teams.

In a way, that’s good news for me. In other words, I have a sense of where we’re starting out, and a sense of how much we will or won’t be able to close the gap on such opponents.

If there’s some frustration on my part, it’s that our summer practices weren’t nearly as fruitful as I’d hoped they’d be, owning to so many players missing due to other commitments.  Said yet another way, we’re really starting from Square One entering our fall practice schedule, and we’re only going to catch some of our future opponents if we’re able to make up a lot of ground over the next few months.

The Common Denominator

Ah, yes, the common denominator…  CoachChic.com members have no doubt heard me say or seen me write how a team’s players aren’t just a bunch of X’s and O’s scratched on a piece of paper or greaseboard.  Naw, they’re human beings.

In other words, the X’s and O’s don’t win or lose battles, but individual players do.   And a highly skilled player is going to win far more battles than the lesser skilled one.

As suggested above — in the brief review of my Bantams’ game, how well they think and skate is going to ultimately matter.  And, to a slightly lesser degree, so will it matter with my littler guys.  Still the REAL common denominator…

Ya, the real problem right now — and the area that can help us gain the most ground on rivals — has to do with individual skills.  In other words, both of my teams are being beaten in 1 on 1 match ups when pitted against strong teams, and that highlights our shortcomings when it comes to skating and puckhandling.  (Sure, other skills — like passing, receiving and shooting will need honing, too.  But, first things first, as far as I’m concerned.)

Skating oftentimes — or almost always? — boils down to agile footwork and body control.  And, while it helps to skate smoothly during game action, what I’m really getting at is the need for my Mites and Bantams to be able to skate under pressure.

I mean, an enemy puckcarrier may make a number of shifty moves, so our checker is only going to be able deal with him if he can skate — or react — with him.

I see the same kind of match ups occurring with the puck…  In other words, with the latter roles reversed, my players need to be able to out maneuver enemy checkers to advance or protect the puck.

What I’m talking about, of course, is my players’ need to win 1 against 1 battles, or to be able to compete under relatively intense pressure.  And, while I’ll be considering a number of other drills to help my kids, the “Two-step” and “Snaking” drills (both shown in the Advanced Skating Drills video) will be among those I’ll use regularly, as will be some games of tag and keepaway.

Lastly, this post is all about closing the gap on better teams.  In no way do I want to imply that I’ll vary far from an overall plan I have in place for my kids.  The Bantams will still keep working to perfect their forecheck, covering rushes, defending in their zone, breaking out, cycling, and so much more.   I’ll also continue to very slowly introduce my Mites to hockey’s basic strategies and tactics.  However, greatly elevating each kids’ individual skills is going to also ultimately help them better perform those X’s and O’s.

 

 

Reality Check

The following piece was so moving that I couldn’t go without placing it somewhere within this site.  But, where?  Well, I suspect “My Hockey Experiences” is a fairly appropriate spot.

Then, before turning things over to the star blogger, Jeff Chick, I thought I’d tell my own quick story…

For, you see, although Jeff currently resides in Texas, he calls Whitman, MA his hometown.  Yup, he’s from the same tiny town as I.  Jeff and I aren’t related, though.  In fact, we didn’t really know each other until a mutual Whitman friend sent me the link to his article (she knew I’d enjoy the hockey connection).

There IS more to this story, however…   Jeff’s dad, Dennis Chick (can you believe that?) and I grew-up together, we played against each other in Little League baseball, and then we were teammates through higher levels — into high school and American Legion Baseball.  (I can’t recall if we played semi-pro together.)

And, in a town of only about 5,000 people back then, you can just imagine the occasional confusion when folks would mention one or the other — Dennis Chick or Dennis “Chic” Chighisola.  In fact, to this day, I’m always teasing “the other Dennis” about getting me in trouble with all the girls in town. 

That out of the way, the following is a lot more somber, and something we’ll probably remember for a long, long time, mainly because it has to do with the plane crash that just killed members of the KHL’s Lokomotiv hockey team.  Enjoy it — if you can, but have a tissue ready.

– The REAL Chic — Dennis Chighisola

Reality Check

By Jeff Chick

My day was supposed to be over a little after noon today, but as I dropped off my last client, the office asked me if I could do one more run at 2 o’clock. Being the team player that I am, I said I would. I had 90 minutes to drive back to our company lot, switch into a van and then go to the pickup. Plenty of time to stop for some lunch and mess around on my phone. Peace of cake.

After making the vehicle change, sucking down a burger and fries from BK, and washing it down with a Coke Zero, I proceeded to my pickup location, a full 40 minutes ahead of schedule. I am a happy chauffeur……….for the moment.

I locate the residence that I need to be at, but being that the pickup is at 2, and it is only 1:20, I park a couple blocks away, per usual, and pickup my Thunderbolt to check FB and do some surfing.

First check of FB is littered with numerous comments and links about the tragic plane crash in Russia. 40+ people dead. NHL players, past and present, coaches, prospects and flight crew. Very sad news. I had been reading and hearing about it, off and on, all day. The ramifications reaching virtually all parts of the hockey world, and in less than 5 minutes, ME.

After my FB pitstop, I open up the trip ticket info on my phone, to see who I am picking up. Aaaah, another Dallas Stars transfer to the airport. That explains the van. These hockey guys always have big bags because they are usually traveling overseas. The last name, Skrastins. Never heard of him. No first name. I’ll have to google him. Google search: Skrastins Dallas Stars.

The rush that comes over my body is unexplainable. I am just staring at my phone. He was on “that” plane and he is dead. I am sitting 200 yards from his house and I realize what this pickup is all about. I am about to pick up the family of this man. A family that went to bed last night without a care in the world. A family that had no plans to board a Lufthansa flight to Europe when they woke up this morning. This explains why it was added to my schedule at 12:15 today. Is this for real?

It’s finally time to go down the street and pull in the driveway. Within a couple of minutes, a man comes out to let me know that the family will be out in a few moments. He alerts me to the situation, and tells me not to offer condolences because the children don’t know, and then he returns to the house. I can’t even imagine what his widow must be going through. My heart weeps for her. I am so glad this will be a short ride.

Then it happens. 2 girls, about 2 and 5 come running out the door, completely elated about the trip they are about to go on. Long blonde hair, blue eyes and giant smiles. I nearly burst into tears. My body gets tight. Every second feels like an eternity. The pain inside me is almost unbearable. I don’t even know these people and I am on the verge of a breakdown, right in their driveway. Knowing that these girls are utterly oblivious, to the true nature of their trip, is agonizing. I can’t help but think of my own children, and what it would be like if they woke up tomorrow and I was gone forever. Devastating! The wife and mother in law finally come out and we are on our way.

The entire drive the widow is on the phone. She, as well as the rest of the family, are not speaking English. Although, this would seem trivial, it is not. I don’t understand a single word she is saying, but the pure pain in her voice tells the whole story. The mother in law is keeping the kids entertained in the back of the van, while she sits up front and seems to be getting everything in order, over the phone. I sense sorrow, trepidation, confusion, and despair. Just a few of, what I imagine have been, the many emotions that she has experienced since she woke up today. Again, my heart weeps for her.

We finally arrive at DFW airport, and a liaison from Lufthansa is waiting curbside for us, with a security escort. He “quietly” offers his condolences to the widow while the girls are still getting out of the van. Personnel grab all their bags, and they are off. Girls still giddy about the trip. I, however, am a mess.

I barely get 100 feet away from the terminal when I lose it, crying uncontrollably. I feel stupid, but I don’t care. I can’t get the image of those girls out of my head. The idea that they have no clue that they will NEVER see their father again. What’s worse, is that they probably haven’t seen him in a couple of weeks, and expect to see him when they get where they’re going. Utterly heartbreaking. What a way to end the day.

So, as I sit here recapping this gut-wrenching afternoon that I have experienced, I would like to end it with a final thought. It makes no difference to a child what happens to you when you die. They are going to be devastated either way. Just make sure they know what they mean to you. Remind them EVERYDAY. Hug them EVERYDAY. Kiss them EVERYDAY. Most importantly, love them EVERYDAY. Unconditionally. Because, you never know what tomorrow will bring.

Jeff Chick writes a sports related blog called A CHICKS PERSPECTIVE

Challenging Hockey’s Status Quo

I have new member, Gareth, to thank for the inspiration here.

Shortly after he joined CoachChic.com, we connected in a Facebook Chat.  And it was then that he mentioned a want to delve through these pages and “…back up a lot of my thoughts.”  As Gareth continued, “I think coaches just need some guidance and confidences to do what they believe…”

And, ooooooh is he ever so right!  A head coach’s job is a lonely one in some ways.  I mean, the weight of a team falls on our shoulders, and there are usually few people ready and able to counsel us when we reach various sticking points.  Ha, want to talk about the many who second-guess us?  Well, I’ll tell you that we coaches — or at least the good ones — second-guess ourselves even more.

Then, before getting further into this, let me suggest that a parent often feels the same loneliness when his or her youngster meets any sort of crossroad or obstacle.  Oh, the rinks may be filled with opinionated folks.  But, it’s still the parent and his or her kid who lives or dies with a final decision.

– Dennis Chighisola

Challenging Hockey’s Status Quo

What echoes and echoes from my brief conversation with Gareth is that part about needing the confidence to do what he believes.  Oh, man, have I been there, done that.

Of course, back in the dark ages — when I began coaching, there was little in the way of help.  There weren’t even that many hockey textbooks, never mind videos or Internet websites.  Consequently, I second-guessed nearly everything I was doing, skills to X’s and O’s.

My confidence grew with several events that just plain happened (and I’ve documented these in more detail elsewhere).  It was at least comforting when one minor league pro player affirmed my beliefs about defending a 2 on 1, and I got all the more psyched when an NHL defenseman suggested I saved his career with a special skating maneuver.  Some years later, I felt on Cloud Nine when my MP Drill Format was selected as one of the best drills at the 1980 NHL Coaches Symposium.

Those things, however exciting, were only little bumps of adrenaline — positive jolts, for sure, but not all that lasting.  No, the lasting boosts in confidence came with something you’ve probably heard me say before, and it’s something you’ll hear a lot more about in the near future.  What I’m getting at are what I’ve come to call “Coach Chic’s Rules for Winners”.

Here’s how that collection came together…

Maybe in my earliest days as a coach, for example, I started seeing something like a turn over in neutral ice really matter.  In other words, we may have been controlling a game, and then a neutral-ice cough-up of the puck resulted in an opposition goal.  Of course, something like that happening just once only causes a coach to shake his or her head.  However, when it happens every few games, I tend to think there’s more to it than just a rare mistake.

Explaining the problem only briefly, I’ve come to think that a player just exiting his own zone or just trying to enter the offensive zone has his teammates thinking attack.  I mean, most mates — whether they should be or not — are likely leaning forward and they’re not prepared if the puck is suddenly lost.  And off to the races go one or two opponents, walking easily right through our still startled defenders.  Now, I intimated that all our puckcarrier’s teammates shouldn’t be looking to follow the attack.  However, I do believe in human nature, and I do believe it influences even elite players to do the wrong things at the worst of times.  So again, if our puckcarrier isn’t careful near either blue line, there’s a good chance of putting us in trouble.

Okay, so I started seeing something like that happening more often than to believe it’s just a freakish, once in awhile thing.  And I’m thinking also that it’s a principle I need to hammer into the minds of my skaters.

Problem:  I’m maybe a 20-something coach, kinda new on the job, and I’m wondering why I haven’t heard any experienced coaches mention this, never mind suggesting a way to deal with it.  Would there be a confidence problem here?  Think again:  20-something, new at coaching, and not hearing far more experienced coaches address it.  Hmmmmmm…

Well, to me, I could only wait so long — and see that kind of mistake happen so often — before I decided I was right.  Damn other coaches; maybe they know about this, maybe they don’t.  But, I only needed to see my team get burned so many times before I felt the need deal with it.

Now, I think the last time I checked, there were about twenty-one points listed under my “Rules for Winners”.  I don’t think you’d find any of them earth shattering.  If you’d be surprised at all, it might be that I’ve found these kinds of things to be hugely responsible for a team’s success.  As a matter of fact, if a player wants to play smartly at a high level, he or she would be helped immensely by knowing and doing those things instinctively.

Notice, though, how much I anguished over that earlier point.  Ya, that kind of internal wrestling took place often during my earliest years — in coaching, and in parenting a young hockey player.  Like many others here, perhaps, I was constantly asking myself, “Am I right?”  Or, “Am I seeing what I think I’m seeing?”

And that brings me back to what Gareth and I both believe when it comes to the value of the CoachChic.com website.

There’s little doubt that beginners will find enough information here to bring them quickly to higher levels of knowledge.  Hey, there are currently over 500 posts on everything from tying skates to over-speed training.

But it’s the advanced player, parent and coach that Gareth reminds me about.  Ya, all of us need someone to talk with when it comes to troubleshooting a problem.  And we all need someone we can bounce our own ideas off.  Frankly, we’ve had a number of spirited — but fun — philosophical arguments within the Comments area, but I’m dying for more.  (I learn as much from those as our members do.)

Finally, speaking of learning…  I’ve found through the years that I’ve strengthened my beliefs about a given principle just by having to explain it to someone else.  Think about that, and then shoot me your thoughts — on unique skill applications, tactics or strategies.  I’d be loving it!

PS:  Oooops!  Any time you’d like to start a new topic, don’t use the Comments area, but instead give that topic a chance to have its own area.  In other words, use the Ask The Coach link up above, and I’ll begin the new topic for you.  We can go back and forth through the adjacent Comments boxes after that.

 

 

Dealing With A Shortage of On-ice Hockey Practice Time

I can hate myself for not keeping my side of any bargain.  I truly mean that, and you can probably attribute that to my upbringing.

That’s how I’ve been feeling over the past few months, too — kind of embarrassed, knowing a guy put his faith in me, but that I hadn’t yet come through for him.

The reason for this is because I lost an awesome question that came in via our Ask The Coach feature.  Chalk it up to the electronic age, I guess, in that an important email just up and disappeared on me not long after I’d read it.  And again, you can spell that:  E-M-B-A-R-R-A-S-S-E-D.

Then, don’t you know, I just found it minutes ago, buried in one of about 50 folders I use to sort and save various on-line correspondence.  And if you haven’t guessed it, that email was neatly tucked in a folder that had absolutely nothing to do with CoachChic.com business.  Ugh.

Anyway, with egg well displayed on my face, let me first reprint the brief email from John, and then answer it as best I can.

– Dennis Chighisola

“As an adult who’s relatively new to playing the game, do you have any advice on skill development? I have one game per week and usually one on-ice practice per week, so my ice time is limited.”

Dealing With A Shortage of On-ice Hockey Practice Time

Well, John pretty much draws out what this coach is all about.

If my readers will think along with me here, almost ever level of amateur hockey — maybe excluding Juniors and Division I or II college teams — really do struggle for adequate ice-time.  Even with some of those higher level amateur teams, the cost of ice is a strain on the budget, unless the program owns its own rink.  Of course, minor hockey teams battle this problem all the more:  1) because practice ice is costly, and 2) because extra ice-time can’t even be had at a lot of rinks.

With that, I believe one of the greatest advances in hockey over at  least the last quarter century is the knowledge that many alternative training methods exist, and that those methods dawgoned work.

Now, I have to apologize to John in advance, in that most of the following is covered in real depth throughout CoachChic.com, so there’s no way I can go too deeply into each separate idea in this post.  Still, I think I can still provide plenty of help.

Number One, I give much credit to the old Soviets for bringing the idea of off-ice training — or dryland — to a whole ‘nother level.

Secondly, I have to thank the scientifically based teaching methods my textbooks call “The Principles of Motor Learning”.  For, while it’s helpful for us to know all of those proven theories, the one defining the transfer of skills from one training venue to another greatly supports the benefits of dryland.

Next, I’d like to take that “transfer of skills” thing a little further, suggesting that most stuff done on in-line skates will carry over positively to a hockey player’s on-ice game.

For sure, my list could be far longer.  However, I’ve shortened to things I believe can really help John.

Not to be pushing a product here, I still think I’d better refer him to my Hockey Tips & Tricks Store, because there are some scientifically based products there that will especially help with his skating and puckhandling skills.

Still, rehearsing necessary skating skills on in-lines will help a ton, and so will work on a slideboard.

I guarantee that fiddling with a ball as much as possible will help John be a magician with the puck.

Then, firing pucks by the bucket load will ultimately result in a blistering on-ice shot.

Finally, I think John and others who get to see this post appreciate that I run things quite differently if I’m able to control circumstances.  In other words, if John was my student, I’d design a program specific to his very needs, and he’d come along pretty quickly.  I did just that for the group of high school kids shown in the following video.   I produced the video as sort of an advertisement, attempting to show others just how different my kind of training is.  I’m including here, though, so John can grab a few ideas from it.

Once again, I apologize to John for losing his question. At the same time, I’d like to help even more, if he can let me know some specific problems he’d like to solve.

Thinking Ahead For that College Hockey Scholarship

Donna A. dropped a pretty tricky question in the old coach’s lap.   Actually, so have a number of hockey dads with older boys recently posed similar ones.

But, let’s allow Donna, the mom of a relative beginner, ask her question right here:

“Okay, coach, here is a question as I sit here and think about my kid’s future. Where do hockey players get the most exposure for COLLEGE (scholarship/tuition help).  High school hockey or a league like the local Bandits? I know I am a over bearing mom but believe it or not I am already thinking high school.”

With that, let me give this toughie a try.

– Dennis Chighisola

Thinking Ahead For that College Hockey Scholarship

As I intimated above, this is a very tricky question — for ooooh so many reasons.  I mean, there are so many things that can work for a kid, and an equal number of things that can work against him (or her).

Another tricky part about Donna’s question is where I should begin — at the beginning, or…  No, I think I’m going to attack this one from the very end, or at the point where a college looks to give a scholarship to someone deemed worthy.

As an aside here, I think that hockey parents (or parents of any college bound athlete) should appreciate the basic differences in the different college sport levels.  So…

Only Division I and Division II programs may grant so-called “athletic scholarships”.  And it’s even different from D II program to DII progam whether they choose to grant athletic scholarships or not.  (Over the years I’ve talked to a few Division I coaches who actually split their scholarship monies — perhaps bringing two players in for the price of one, by granting a half-scholarship to each player.)

If you’ll notice, I referred to the above as “programs” rather than “schools”.  That’s because a given college or university can sponsor sports that range from Division I to Division III, or even club.  In other words, a certain university might choose to have a scholarship basketball program, but a non-scholarship hockey program.

Division III programs cannot grant athletic scholarships.  (So, if there’s a guy at work bragging that his kid is playing for a D III program on a “hockey scholarship”, it’s a pretty good bet the guy is full of bull.)

None of this is to say that kids in non-scholarship situations can’t be helped with their college tuition bills.  Oftentimes a school can arrange non-athletic scholarships and so many other bits and pieces of a financial aid package that can help a family big-time, but these are usually based on academics and a family’s needs.

Let me also talk here about the probability of an assured roster spot.  For, from a very practical standpoint, this is usually based on the commitment the school has made to the athlete.  I mean, if they’ve given a true athletic scholarship to a player, it’s more than likely that he or she is guaranteed a roster spot (as long as basic player commitments are met).  It’s also a pretty good guess that a player is going to get a fair chance at some playing time if he or she has been helped in other ways by the coach and school.  As for the typical Division III athlete, yearly tryouts aren’t much different than those held in local high schools.  So, like it or not, the start of any D III season is really a matter of, “Show me what you have today, kid!”

Hopefully this makes sense to everyone, in particular the kind of commitment a program owes back to each student-athlete.

Okay, so it’s time for college coaches to wade through all the prospective student-athletes out there in the world — and I do mean “in the world”.  For, although it used to be that US college scholarships were granted mostly to local hockey players and Canadians, we’ve seen an influx of Europeans coming across the pond in recent years.

I raise that last point just to suggest how many hockey players are really competing for a limited number of college scholarships.  As a matter of fact, about a year ago I did a piece for CoachChic.com suggesting that young kids can’t really imagine their future competition.  (In other words, while a kid local to me here in Massachusetts might be working on his or her game, there is likely a youngster in Western Canada doing the same, and another in Sweden, another in Russia…  Ugh.)

Anyway, with scholarships in hand, college recruiters have the unbelievable task of sorting through all the available talent.  And, while you might think they’re just looking for the best players to be had, think again…

Not every teen out there has the academics to meet college standards.  And we’re probably talking three sets of standards here — from passing through the NCAA’s (mandatory) Clearing House to being accepted through the school’s academic screening process to perhaps a coach even considering whether or not a player will be able to succeed and stay eligible over the long haul.  Yes, gone are the days when Basketweaving Majors fill college rosters.

And gone too are the players who could become disciplinary problems.  Ya, there are far more players to chose from nowadays, so coaches just don’t need the headaches.  Moreover, we’re talking about scholarships that are probably worth in the neighborhood of $100,000 over 4-years, so it makes sense that today’s college recruiters spend a whole lot more time researching the kids they’re going to invest that kind of money in.

Size can make a difference, too, whether a coach is right or wrong in the way he views a given kid.  Worse yet, there’s no way of predicting size when a player is young, and there’s nothing that can be done to change a kid’s height once he or she is grown.

Speed has also become a factor in some coaches’ eyes.  Something can be done about that, but it’s going to take a coach or coaches with some scientific knowledge to enhance that area of an athlete’s game.

If you’re getting the sense that the granting of scholarships is a risking business, I’ll tell you that that’s how I feel.  And, while I’ve just pointed out a few important determining factors, let’s not forget what the recruiters have to go through to find the physically gifted players.

Of course, now is when we get into the meat of Donna’s question, and it’s also where I have the most mixed feelings…

Speaking totally based on today’s conditions (because things can change in time), my observations suggest that college scholarship winners come from either Junior hockey or prep schools.  It’s rare that a (male) hockey player today is going to be scooped from a public or Catholic high school.  As a matter of fact, even most of my Division III college coaching friends don’t want to look at a kid until he’s gotten a year of Juniors under his belt.

If you can appreciate it, we’re looking at a pyramid here, with college recruiters basically getting to look at the cream of the crop.  Hey, it’s easier for them to focus on the high school kids who survived to make Juniors and prep school teams, and they’re also getting to look at more physically and mentally developed athletes.

That said, I’m sensing that things have changed in recent years for those who run or participate in all the high profile exposure camps or tournaments that traditionally take place over the summer months.  In other words, where these kinds of programs used to run with the purpose of showing off the top high school players to pro scouts and college coaches, I’m thinking that the Division I recruiters are now probably out of that mix.  Not that they won’t go to get an early read on younger players.  But, I sense they’re not often carrying a college scholarship in their back pockets.

Putting all the above together, it seems to me that the wisest goal for any aspiring young (male) player would be to make a quality high school hockey team, excel there, and thus get the chance to show-off at a prep school or at the Junior level.

Now, I am a long-range-looking kind of guy, and I like to lay things out as I’ve just described.  To me it’s so much easier this way, and I almost always hit my mark with a kid I’ve had the chance to influence for any length of time.  Oh, there might be the dad who has a heart attack because his 8-year old Mite didn’t get any goals tonight, and there might be the hockey mom who is worried her Squirt aged son isn’t the star of the show.  My way, on the other hand, looks past all those little bumps in the road, and keeps a steadier eye on the big picture.

If I had my way, I’d like a kid to graduate Mites from a town program’s “A” team or from some level of “AAA” in a program like Donna described (our local Boston Bandits).  At least in our local (New England) area, it seems probable that the “AAA” organization is the way to go from Squirts up until high school.

Still, I have never been one to get too hung-up on designations (like “A”, “AA”, whatever).  For, if we want our youngster to grow through the years to become truly capable of a college scholarship, that”s going to boil down to a whole lot more than a resume.  No, the recruiters don’t care if you set a Pee Wee scoring record years ago, or if you led your Atom team to a national championship.  What they do care about is how you look on one day (or over a given season) when they are toting a scholarship in hand.  And, what I’m getting at, folks, is coaching.  Said yet another way:  T-E-A-C-H-I-N-G.   Oh, I know some parents cry for, “Ice-time!  Ice-time!  Ice-time!”  And a lot of programs hype just that.  However, ice-time alone doesn’t make a player scholarship ready, not by a long shot; ice-time and the right repetitions will help; so will ice-time and an understanding of basic playing principles.  And, the only way to get those is through good coaching (or CoachChic.com?).

Lastly, you may have noticed that I had to a few times let you know that I was referring to “boys”.  That’s because girls’ hockey does not have the equivalent of Junior hockey.  I also want to remind you that things change rapidly in the recruiting game, oftentimes because of a new NCAA ruling, and sometimes just because coaches change their perspective and begin a new trend.  Consequently, the above is the best advice I can share with Donna and others RIGHT NOW.

Guiding a 4-year Old Hockey Player

We have Erin S to thank for this awesome — and very appropriate — question submitted to Ask The Coach!  (Thanks, Erin!)

Erin mentions some background information — in that her 4-year old son’s dad is a professional hockey player, and that the little tyke has been skating since he was 16-months old.  The lad currently skates about three times per week, and the combination of an early start and regular ice-time seemingly have him “WAY ahead of kids his age…”

In a nutshell, her question is, “… how much is too much for a child his age?”  And Erin goes on with, “… I don’t want to make it a job.”

– Dennis Chighisola

Guiding a 4-year Old Hockey Player

Erin might be interested to know that we actually have a number of folks within our CoachChic.com membership who either are or have been parents of 4-year old skaters.  (Craig from British Columbia and Kathy from New Jersey come to mind right away.)  And, on top of interacting with those wonderful people, I’ve also run arguably the top Learn-to-skate/Learn-to-play clinics in the New England region for about the past 30-years.

Now, I think that just about everything Erin wrote is relevant to this discussion.

The fact that dad is a pro player can be very impactful in all this.  My own son was a long-time minor pro, I’ve been a long-time coach and hockey instructor, and it stood to reason that my son’s young guy would eventually be exposed to the game beyond most other little ones.  Same thing with Erin’s son, in that he probably can’t avoid seeing and hearing about hockey — probably 24/7.  I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all — children of firemen probably want to wear their dad’s work caps, mechanics’ kids probably can’t wait to get their own tool kits, and sons and daughters of hockey players no doubt want to as best they can emulate their dads.  Again, I think this natural, and seldom a bad thing.

Nor is starting one fairly young necessarily a problem.   I really don’t go by ages when I admit kids to my own Learn-to programs, but instead I take into account personalities.  Let’s face it, there are some 10-year olds who won’t let go of the side boards, and some 2-year olds who bust out the rink door hell bent for leather.  And my guess is that Erin’s little boy was much like the latter example.

Personally, I think it’s a plus that the little guy is ahead of most other kids his age (see my later comments on this).  And, while Erin might think this has to do with the boy starting rather early, I’ll suggest that it also has a great deal to do with the boy’s opportunity to watch hockey more than most others his age.  In other words, his young brain and all his body’s signalling devices have likely been memorizing all the game’s movements for a relatively long time.

Okay, now for the more difficult questions…

Number One, I believe that the parent of a 4-year old is totally in charge of everything having to do with his or her youngster’s hockey activities.  And I’m especially talking about the atmosphere surrounding hockey activities.  Some parents have a way of making each one a drudgery (ugh… or a job as Erin puts it).  Others can keep things light, and fun.

Secondly, there’s the issue of whether three skates were week are too much for a 4-year old.  Personally, I’d say that’s borderline.  Are three trips to the rink too much?  No, I don’t believe so.  But then, it all boils down to my previous point — this having to do with the feelings (or atmosphere) associated with each trip to the rink.  What I’m really getting at is that those on-ice sessions not be viewed as compulsory, mandatory, whatever.  (If it ever crosses Erin’s or her son’s mind that, “Oh, I HAVE TO go to the rink today!” I’d say it’s time to take a break.)  In fact, blowing-off an occasional session just might reap some rewards, because I’ve seen lots of kids come back with a vengeance once they’ve missed a session, making the next string of three per weeks all the more productive.

Third, there is something to be said for a youngster feeling good about himself or herself.  And in this regard, I’m talking about a player (of any age) taking a look around and realizing that he or she is better at something than most others.  I even know some psychologists who will tell us that the confidence gained in one area tends to flow over into other areas of one’s life — like from hockey to school work, to self-esteem within friends, and so forth.  So, neither is it a bad thing that we give a kid the chance to excel at something.

Let me now share with Erin and others an analogy I often use…

You see, lobster is a delicacy for me.  Why?  It’s because I love it, and also because I don’t get to have it that often.  Shove it down my throat three meals per day for a solid week, and you can guess how I’d then feel.

In much the same way, I see a very delicate balance between helping a youngster get pretty good, compared to getting him or her so much practice time that they fall out of love with the game.  (And, by the way, that constant monitoring of a delicate balance should take place throughout a player’s years in sport.  There’s little doubt that Erin’s son’s dad still loves hockey, even as a pro.  And, that didn’t likely come about by accident.)

Well, I think that about covers it from this old coach’s perspective, with my main point to highlight how much control Erin and her boy’s dad have over the entire situation.  Make sense?

*

As always, I invite input or other opinions from members, and I also welcome Erin
to Comment in the box provided below.  We can keep an ongoing discussion going right
here if that will help at all.

Predicting Hockey Stardom – Update

Good friend Fred G just challenged me with a pretty tough question.

In essence, he’s asked if I could put all the components that go into the making of a great hockey player into a pie chart, and then assess the various weights or percentages of the pie each of those would have.

Short answer:  wow, that would be almost impossible to do.

Longer answer:  I’ll always try to at least explain myself well for the sake of a hockey friend. 

– Dennis Chighisola

Predicting Hockey Stardom – Update

To begin, you may have noticed that I’ve taken a recent entry title — Predicting Hockey Stardom — and then added the “Update” to it.  My reasoning:  that post is very much related to this one.  In fact, as I thought more and more about Fred’s question, it struck me that nearly every entry topic on this site at least slightly touches upon the qualities that go into the making of a really good hockey player.

Although I can’t necessarily give these percentage weights, I’ve plotted hockey’s basic skills within my Building Blocks Approach to Skills.   The expanded chart can be found within that post, as well as a detailed explanation on how I feel about each skill’s place in our game, and how I believe these skills should be treated in the teaching process.  In general, however, I view skating as the base for both a hockey player’s offensive and defensive game.  Hey, one can’t either elude or catch an opponent without being quick and agile on the skates.  Of course, the other skills — including puckhandling, passing and receiving, and shooting are the offensive skills required to ultimately put the puck past an enemy goaltender.

Individual hockey-specific skills duly noted, there are also quite a few physical traits a good hockey player needs, with this list at least including strength, speed, quickness, agility, and hockey-specific conditioning.

Next, a player absolutely must have knowledge about the game, and he or she must eventually be able to read and react quickly and properly to ever changing game conditions.  Ours is a transition sport, meaning that puck possession changes frequently, necessitating that a player constantly switch his or her role — from offense to defense to offense and so on.  And, when I said that players must react properly, I’ve also implied that they know, understand and be able to apply both tried and true hockey playing principles along with the team’s planned strategies.  Attempting to over-emphasize a point here, please appreciate that reading and reacting require both the mental side of things, and the ability to physically carry out whatever needs to be done.

Now, I apologize that I can’t find a pretty interesting article I ran across just the other day, because it would have contributed further to my premise that there are a kzillion qualities required of a desirable hockey player.  The article was written by a former NHL-er, and it listed all the personal traits one should have in order to reach a high level.  These are the so-called intangibles  — like being a good teammate, being a good citizen, having a good work ethic, etc.  And, as I recall, that list of personality traits went well into the twenties.

Okay, so I’ve now amassed a pie chart that might be nearing a good forty or fifty slices, these including both physical and mental components.  With that, let me at least supply some of my own personal feelings when it comes to assigning importance to each…

In a perfect world, I would like young hockey players to be placed on a timetable that’s aimed at having them ready far down the road.  In other words, with everything geared towards early development, I wouldn’t worry about having young ones totally ready until they are about to enter high school.  In other words, I’d have a completely different pie chart for youngsters.  Of course, youth hockey circles are far from a perfect world, which means that some development may be lost as parents and coaches care as much about their kids looking good and winning games.

I’ll next call upon that old football expression which implies that, “On any given Sunday…”  My twist on that would be, “On any give day, one player may look a whole lot more impressive than others.”  In other words, players can do everything correctly over several years, but a lesser player might just do everything right on the day important people are watching.

In most honest opinion, “the total package” usually matters far more than any checklist we might devise.  In other words, a given player might have certain strengths and certain shortcomings, but his “total package” has him lead the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in scoring.  Yet another youngster may have his own combination of strengths and weaknesses that still allow him to be the best rated defenseman in all of US high school hockey.  So, if you get my drift, this very point suggests that, it probably doesn’t make sense for us to try to place more or less significance on any one area of the game.   It is, after all, the “total package” that determines if a player is effective or not.

Then, as I’ve written more than a few times within this site, ” We coaches and scouts (including yours truly) can be dreamers.”  And what I’m getting at here is that we can be looking at certain players more from a perspective of “potential” than how they actually compare to others.  Said yet another way, we might discount already polished players in favor of the “raw-boned” type who “projects” to be far better than the rest someday down the road.

With all that, I might offer to Fred and all my other member friends that, many scouts and high level coaches speak with slightly forked tongues when they state in public the kinds of skills they’re looking for.  Oh, for sure, they’re going to tell everyone within ear-shot that they like to see great skaters, whatever.  The fact of the matter is, they very frequently select players for drastically different reasons, and they are as often wrong about their choices as they are right.

*

PS:  I felt it necessary to say all I have here, mainly because of the very last few paragraphs — in that final decisions on players don’t always (if ever) make sense, or fit some predetermined checklist.

At the same time — because I know I’m frequently responsible for guiding the fate of my own students and players, I do follow something akin to a checklist.  It begins with my bringing players through the aforementioned Building Blocks Approach to Skills.

As players mature, I’ll then address age-specific physical traits like speed, strength, agility, conditioning and more.

Along the way, I also try to instill in them a firm knowledge of the tried and true playing principles, while at the same time encouraging the kind of character any future coach would appreciate.

A New Hockey Coaches’ Forum

As many of you know, I released my new hockey coaching manual several weeks ago, and along with that came a pair of bonuses.

What I hope proves to be an awesome supplement to the manual is an mp3 audio recording which shares lots of real-life experiences I’ve had over 40-years of dealing with young hockey players, their parents and their coaches.

In addition, I also created a Hockey Coaches’ Forum where manual owners and I might discuss problems, suggest ideas, and so forth.  In other words, while the original manual may be carved in stone, our experiences as coaches can continue to grow with every forum entry.

I’m writing today to let everyone know that the Hockey Coaches’ Forum is out there in cyber space for the world to see.  So anyone can look over our shoulders as the forum grows.  (Would it help to have a manual of your own?  Of course.  But, it’s not absolutely necessary for you to discover some new ideas.)

To date, I’ve added a few entries, mainly because my two next year’s teams have already begun working out.  I’ll continue to do that as I make more observations about my teams that seem to fit a manual owner’s needs.  (Oh, and I’m also into that stuff NOW because this is the time of year when wise coaches get a jump on all their future opponents!)

So, have a look, and let me know what you think.  I’m always seeking for ideas.

If you’d like to know more about that manual, just click the photo above.

A Hockey Chat with Coaches – 3

Tonight I talked about the off-ice sessions I’d organized for both of my new teams — the young AA Mites, and the older AAA Bantams.

I haven’t completely fixed the quality of the audio yet.  However, I do have some ideas that I promise to try shortly.

– Dennis Chighisola

A Hockey Chat with Coaches – 3

As always, just pressing the arrow below will start the audio playing.

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

Oh, and since I was rushed to get into the rink this night, I didn’t get the chance to thank you for keeping me company on an otherwise boring ride.  So, thanks! 

______________________

Just a reminder…

The Bonus audio is still available when you purchase

“How to Assemble & Teach A Basic Hockey System”

Does Coaching Win (Hockey) Championships?

This entry comes about from an article sent me by a really great Twitter friend.  In my estimation, the guy is a real “thinker”, which means nearly everything he sends my way causes me to think (sometimes ’til my brain hurts).

The real article was titled “Does Coaching Win Championships?”, which dealt mainly with pro level sports, and then ultimately with it’s featured team and coach in college lacrosse.  I’ve changed the subject heading here, because I’d like to share some thoughts as this all relates to hockey, and especially as I believe it applies to youth hockey.

– Dennis Chighisola

PS:  I urge you to read the original article.  It may not (necessarily) apply to you and me.  However, it is one of the most thought-provoking I’ve read in a long, long time…  Does Coaching Win Championships? By Dean Robinson

Does Coaching Win (Hockey) Championships?

Dean Robinson begins his article suggesting that pro athletes tend to have more influence on a game’s outcome than the coach (think Dirk Nowitzki and LeBron James here, maybe a Michael Jordan in years past, the stars who comprised the 1927 New York Yankees, the Islanders and Oilers during different parts of the ’80′s).  This isn’t to say that coaches don’t influence outcomes.  But, as Robinson suggests, their contributions aren’t measurable — or there aren’t any stats we can go to for comparisons.  True enough?  I’d say so.

That established, I’d like to look at amateur hockey.  And, no, there isn’t any way to really measure a given coach’s impact on game results.  Sure, we all have our won/loss records, but it’s more than likely those numbers are hugely impacted by the players we had available for any given game or season.

Okay, so let’s take a look at a graph I’ve had in my head for a lot of years…

In other words, I’m strongly suggesting that the coach of a Mite team has far great influence over his or her team’s record than the coach of a college team.

Oh, before you think I’m suggesting that most Division I college hockey coaches aren’t among the cream of the crop, I want you to know that that’s not what I’m saying at all.  However, I’ll bet most guys at that level will admit that recruiting has the greatest impact on their success.  All the guys and gals at that level know their X’s and O’s, and modern day DI coaches are also pretty adept at handling “people”.  What they need, however, is talent to make their X’s and O’s produce the right results.  And, that level’s most successful coaches have usually been top recruiters.

As an aside here, you might notice that I haven’t drawn any vertical lines to specifically separate the influence coaches hold over Mites, Squirts, Pee Wees, etc.  That’s because I believe there is a gray area from group to group.  Or, said another way, I’m only suggesting that there’s a slight — and hard to specify — difference from level to level.

You might also notice that I haven’t drawn anything as “all or nothing”.  In other words, maybe there will be a few players we can’t dramatically change among the youngest group.  And, for sure, the college level coach will be able to change some of his or her players, if only just a bit.

Now, here’s the premise upon which I base my thinking…

The youngest players are by far the most malleable.  I mean, they are wide-eyed and looking to learn, and their bodies are such that kids in that rough age group can be changed within a matter of weeks, and certainly within a matter of months.  That in mind, a really effective “teaching coach” can work near miracles.  And, I’d say that some of his or her game bench ploys can probably work a whole lot more than they would at higher levels

Sadly to say, humans are less changeable as they mature.  So, while I see this starting to become obvious in older Pee Wees and into Bantams, there’s a good chance that a high school and college coach pretty much gets what he or she gets.  If you get my drift here, I’m suggesting that older teens and players in their young 20′s have come pretty close to the players they’re always going to be.  I’m not saying that they can’t get stronger or better conditioned, for example.  But it is very unlikely that the slow, plodding player is suddenly going to become the top skilled guy on an older team.

Not that any coach at any level should stop trying to improve his or her roster, or individual players.  In fact, that’s where our tinkering with the X’s and O’s and working our players harder at the older levels might help us steal a point or two from teams of better skill.  Returning to my premise, though, all our efforts aren’t likely going to turn a less skilled team into the better skilled one.

Two final points…

Please don’t ever forget what I said in that last paragraph — in that we should never stop trying to help our players improve, and we should never stop trying to gain some sort of advantage over other teams.

What I especially want to emphasize here is the importance of those who oversee development for the youngest teams.  There is no time to relax in that job, because every chance you get with a young group is an opportunity to impact hugely on their future.  And don’t take your role as a “teaching coach” lightly.  Oh, I know there are some folks out there who think, “Ah, my players will get that at the next level.”  Please get that out of your mind, and — while being patient, plan to cram as much as you can into those young brains and little bodies.

Being A Good Hockey Teammate

Ravi, one of our long-time and very active members, suggested I address something here at CoachChic.com.

What brought us to discussing this was the flurry of trades that took place before, during and after the recent NHL Draft.  More specifically, some not-so-nice things came to light in the media, once a guy had been traded.  Interestingly, we never seemed to hear those negatives before the given trade.  Once a guy was shipped out of town, however, it seems all his behavioral issues were fair game.

Some of what we’ve recently heard had to do with the players’ off-ice activities, and some of them intimated that a certain player wasn’t as good a teammate as he could have been.

Ravi and I talked on Facebook about that stuff, until he finally asked me to address it here.  I told him that I’d just recently watched a video done by our good friend, Shaun Goodsell.  And, while this doesn’t deal with late-night carousing issues, it offers the best advice I’ve ever heard when it comes to being a good guy or gal in the lockerroom.

– Dennis Chighisola

Being A Good Hockey Teammate

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I don’t know about you but, that stuff really meant something to me.

I don’t think I’ve ever coached a team — youth to college — whereby players didn’t at least somewhat pay more attention to teammates they knew well, and less to those they didn’t know so well.  That, at least to me, is human nature.  So, I can’t necessarily fault kids for doing what comes comfortably to them.  Of course, what Shaun had to say is an awesome way to look at that, and I’d highly recommend that every coach (and parent) make their young player aware of that viewpoint.  Just imagine what a lockerroom would be like if every player took that approach.

Then, just to give you a hint of something I’m working on — and maybe suggest something other coaches might try…  I’m digging through Google right now to find ideas for “bonding”, or “ice breaking”.  A lot of companies are now doing this, calling in specialists who will run all sorts of games that tend to get folks laughing and working together.  A lot of what we’ll find in that regard involves purely mental tasks.  But, what I’m looking for are games involving small groups, these intended to get participants depending upon one another, and cheering for each other.  After all, that’s what we look for during a game.

Anyway, I hope this gets everyone thinking — about how hockey players can be good teammates.

 

Goal Setting in Hockey

The title for this piece might be “Goal Setting in Hockey”.  However, I (and likely Shaun Goodsell) would tell you that the principles contained in the following video would serve one well in any sport, in the classroom, at work, and even in our personal lives.  As a matter of fact, having heard Shaun’s presentation several times already, I came to the realization that his ideas will help me in my coaching, in my business, and in my own personal relationships.

Now, I’d like to think that a huge benefit to this CoachChic.com site is that it contains numerous videos that you can watch over and over again.   Still, you might want to have some paper and a pen available as you watch this one, because some really good stuff is to follow.

– Dennis Chigisola

Goal Setting in Hockey

With The Mental Edge’s Shaun Goodsell

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I think I’ve mentioned several other times how I like to listen to interesting podcasts or audio recordings as I drive to and from the rinks.  And, since Shaun’s presentation lends itself to such, I actually captured the audio portion of that video so that I can listen to it numerous times henceforth.  Ya, if you think about it, there are a lot of good things to be reminded of in there.

I haven’t forgotten you in that regard, though.  In fact, I’ve also made a copy for you, and I’ve placed it over in this month’s *Gift section.  Just go there when you have a minute, and I’ll give you directions on downloading the audio so that you can also listen to it on the go.

“Tommy’s First Pair of Skates”

Oh, boy, do I have a story to tell.  But, let me do that after you’ve had a chance to see the video and hear this special song…

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Please DO share this page with anyone you think would enjoy the video (especially hockey moms and hockey dads?).

And please DO add your Comments below in the provided box.

If you’d like to immediately download the song, “Tommy’s First Pair of Skates” (minus all the crazy sound effects), just CLICK HERE — in the event you’d like to play it lots of times yourself, or if you’d like to give it as a gift to someone special.

Okay, as long-time CoachChic.com members may have gathered, I’m breaking a little with tradition here — because *Gifts are normally reserved for you only.  In fact, if you don’t mind, I’m going to keep this one available to the entire hockey world, mainly because I believe it deserves that kind of attention.

I’m hoping this makes sense to you, because my dream is to give this song a chance to become a hockey standard.

Of course, I couldn’t ever do something like that alone.  So I’m hoping you’ll help, and possibly share this page with anyone you know in our game.  (Come to think of it, you might have the chance to be a part of hockey history here, being one of the very first to hear John’s song, and also being a part of spreading the word.  Actually, you can even go on record as one of the very first ever, just by leaving a Comment below.)

As always, thanks in advance for all your help!

– Dennis Chighisola

As for the Story Behind the Story…

Several years ago my youngest brother sent me a collection of songs he’d written, composed and sung for me to use as background music in some of my videos.  Those who have seen the video featuring me and Chomper (the NEHI mascot) have heard my brother on that soundtrack, and you probably also know that he’s a real pro — using the stage name John Stevens, and entertaining regularly on cruise ships and around Orlando, Florida, at Universal Studios and sometimes at Disney World.

Anyway, the CD John sent me sat for a week or so before I had a chance to browse it for a video I was planning.  So, there I tinkered in my office studio, all alone at about 2 o’clock in the morning, as the third song started to play.

Gulp…  Almost immediately I got a lump in my throat and my eyes began to water.  Ya, it was — it is — THAT kind of song.

It didn’t take long for me to know what I wanted to do with something so special.  However, it has taken me forever (like almost three years) to gather the right video footage and photos, and to envision exactly how things should go together.  And it’s even taken me about the past month to work with all the assembled resources in hopes of releasing something hockey folks will truly enjoy.

As far as your enjoying it goes, well…  That’s for you to decide, and perhaps tell me about.  I know several hockey moms have already written to let me know they cried hearing that song.   So, if you might use the box below, I’d love to hear you impressions, or even how my brother’s story relates to your own.   Again, I’d really, really appreciate hearing from you.

A Hockey Chat with Coaches – 2

I’m hoping members enjoy this new format attempt — it surely helps me kill two birds with one stone, enabling me to add what I hope to be helpful content while also having you keep me company on an otherwise lonely drive to a rink. 

– Dennis Chighisola

A Hockey Chat with Coaches – 2

In this entry, I hope to share with you yet another way we coaches can arrive at ideas for new drills.  In fact, I outline three or four of them here.  (As an FYI…  I mention in the audio that a few of the quick transition drills are actually quite similar to the way my Multi-Purpose Drill Format works.  So, you might want to review that when you get the chance.)

As promised, I also answer fellow member, Craig Shaw, in this one, as I offer my own personal thoughts on USA Hockey’s ADM program.

Like before, the acoustics are great, between my handheld recorder and the noisy SUV.  So, be prepared to maybe wear headphones and adjust the volume.  And, when you’re ready, just press the arrow below.

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

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Okay, everyone, let me know how you feel about this stuff, huh?

 

 

 

A Hockey Chat with Coaches – 1

Well, I take lots of drives to rinks, some short ones, some VERY long.  And I’ve thought often about using that drive-time to chat with fellow coaches (as well as parents and older players).

With that, let me try something new, in hopes you like it.

– Dennis Chighisola

A Hockey Chat with Coaches – 1

Acoustics in my SUV — especially along the pot-hole dotted roads of New England — aren’t necessarily conducive to recording a guy’s voice (and a raspy voice at that).   Also, there were times during this particular drive when I had to turn on my windshield wipers, which added to the noise.  So, a set of headphones and a little volume adjustment might be necessary to hear my first attempt at this.  (I sense I can do better in future recordings.)

As for the theme, it’s about the AA Mite team I’m starting to ready for next season.  Still, as I try to emphasize at the start the recording, you should attempt to listen in a way in which you might be able to read between the lines and apply my current line of thinking to your specific age group.

Okay, when you’re ready, just click on the arrow below…

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

As promised, here are a couple of links I mentioned in that recording…

- Most CoachChic.com members live very far from where my latest course is being offered, so I’m not trying to push that here.  What I would like to do is tell you how my skating invention came about, plus give you a slight sense of what it can do.  (This might actually give you some ideas you can use without an R-bar.)  So, click here if you’re at all interested:   Skater’s Rhythm-bar

- Something I would sincerely push is my newly released coaching manual, especially written for coaches of young players.  I’m using this manual’s outline to ready the team I talk about up above, while I’m also going to use it as a reminder so I don’t forget a thing as I prepare for my AAA Bantams.  So, take a look, and you can even download a free chapter on teaching:  How to Assemble & Teach a Basic Hockey System

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Oh, please don’t forget to let me know if you like this idea of recording on my many rink drives.
And, for sure, I’d love to read your Comments on the topics discussed in this one.

Modern Hockey’s Frantic Pace

Most members know this is the time of year when I’m rummaging virtually everywhere for new hockey training and playing ideas.  And, while I’ve been known to dig through plenty of on-line and off-line manuals, as well as scientific research papers, a site like YouTube.com can prove an equally valuable resource.

In all honesty, I don’t like following what other hockey coaches are doing, mainly because most of them still do stuff straight from the ’70′s or ’80′s.  Still, I will check on them, and maybe borrow something that I can adapt to modern day needs.

Where I get the most inspiration is from checking on what folks in other sports are doing.  Perhaps because of their work environment — amid scientists, the likes of college track, tennis and football coaches are usually on the cutting edge.  But so are many independent martial arts instructors, strength coaches and boxing trainers.

That said, I’ve several times found the videos offered by Coach Miletto to be of special interest.  Take a look at the one below to see what I mean.

– Dennis Chighisola

Modern Hockey’s Frantic Pace

Now, as I’ve watched the recent Stanley Cup playoffs, I’ve come to the realization that older generations of players just couldn’t have ever kept up the frantic pace played today.  Oh, I believe the greats of the past would still be great today.  But then, they’d have different role models before them and around them, and they’d also have science on their side when it comes to training.

And it’s that science I’m really thinking about…  I mean, the National Hockey League guys are unbelievably strong, they are fast, and they’re in remarkable shape.  A lot like the Energizer Bunny, they just keep going and going and going.  And, although many within youth hockey aren’t yet aware of it, most of these traits are owed to some really, really intense off-season off-ice workouts.

With that, I’d like you to take a look at the following video before I make any further comments…

“Suspension training” — as demonstrated in that video — is something relatively new (at least I’ve only seen it taken to this level over the past few years).  And, if I’m correct on this, it’s sudden rise in popularity probably coincides with our want to enhance our athletes’ core strength.  Ya, for sure, anything done hanging from ropes is going to REALLY tax the core muscles.

I might also mention that an athlete’s arms and shoulders and back — and even his or her lower body — can be further isolated when hung in this manner.

Okay, now my personal tips, as I consider adding this type of training to The MOTION Lab…

I’d have to study this form of training for quite awhile to decide on how close the above demonstrated routine would help my hockey players.  I’m pretty certain I WOULD make lots of adjustments — in the exercises I select, their duration, intensity, and so forth.  Remember:  we’re readying our players for hockey.

For God’s sake, be careful when overseeing a program like this.

I’m sure you can search the web to find some fairly expensive suspension devices.  I doubt I’ll do that, though.  Naw, I’m more likely to make my own, just as I have numerous other Lab gadgets.  In most instances, I need to make each new contraption fit with the limitations of the Lab, or with a unique way I want to use it.

As I joke often, “New England Hockey (or CoachChic.com) recycles!”    In the case of building my own suspension devices, I know I can combine some strong rope and used bicycle inner tubes to get the desired training effects.  Trust me, that the owner of a bicycle shop near you is going to be thrilled that you’ll take a box full of old tubes off his hands.

You may not have thought of this before (because I initially hadn’t), but tires and tubes come in all sizes and shapes.  So, it’s likely you’ll have access to long, thin ones, short and fat ones, and several types in between.  It might not be a bad idea to grab a number of each, since you’ll want to test them later to match their elasticity with the strength of a given player or group of players.

As you sort through a batch of used tubes, inspect each one carefully for cuts and holes.  (Hey, there was a reason they were discarded.)  I continue to inspect these prior to each use, because there’s always the possibility one will start to tear as it’s subjected to lots of stress.

When cutting each tube, I usually begin by snipping a few inches to each side of the valve stem.  With that piece gone, what usually remains is a pretty long stretch of rubber.

In closing, one reason I like new gadgets is because of my concerns with the balance between repetition and boredom.  Oh, I love to challenging my older players, and helping them gain the same frantic capabilities their older counterparts now achieve.  And, it’s likely I could get this done with a limited amount of gear.  Still, players like change, and they especially like to fight against some new tool they haven’t seen much before.  So, while science might suggest that one gadget or another can do the job, we coaches have to remember that it’s our artful approach to training that often spells the difference.

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As always, I’d love to hear your feedback on this subject!

We Are An Ice Hockey Family (Thanks To My Dad)

I think it’s really neat all the wonderful people I’ve met in this game.  And I count Cathy Cuff Coffman as one of the nicest of them all.

Actually, we go way back to when her oldest son first attended one of my summer hockey schools in Reading, PA.  Back then, I didn’t know the story she is about to tell, but it would have explained why Cathy knew what she was talking about whenever we discussed the game.

Her boy Tim and my grandson attended that first school together, and ultimately became great little friends over several more summers.  And, while the boys eventually went their own ways in the game (both now starring in college hockey), Cathy and I have attempted to stay in touch.

As you might gather from her style, Cathy Cuff Coffman is a freelance writer (and a very good one).  I know you’re going to enjoy the following, and there’s a pretty good chance that a lot of members will connect with her story.

– Dennis Chighisola

We Are An Ice Hockey Family (Thanks To My Dad)

My Dad did not play hockey. His sport of choice growing up in Brooklyn was baseball.  Ice hockey was always around Philadelphia in one form or another—several minor league teams trekked their way through Billy Penn’s town, and my dad would frequent the games. If there was play by play on the radio, you can be sure our transistor was tuned to the game.

But when Ed Snider gambled and brought the Flyers to Philadelphia, my dad was one of the first to sign up for season tickets.  The year was 1967. I was five years old. And so began, in earnest, our family’s love affair with ice hockey.

I’m the oldest, and grew up as a rough and tumble tomboy. I was, in essence, my dad’s first born son. Sports brought us together. I played softball at a competitive level, and also played field hockey and lacrosse. A rival school had a girl on the field hockey team that also played ice hockey. I wanted to do that. “Learn to skate backwards,” said my Dad. And so I spent my allowance at the local rink, skating and working on cutting “C’s” in the ice to skate backwards.

I told him I learned—and he still wouldn’t let me sign up for the local team, the Springfield Quakers (named after one of the minor league teams that briefly made Philadelphia their homestead). Later on—as an adult—I realized that ice hockey was just too expensive for a truck driver’s salary.

But I digress.

So after a few years of season tickets my Dad and his friend worked their way into the front office of the Flyers—literally. He became Ed Snider’s bartender. He and his friend shared the job, and the job came with two season tickets in Section X of the famed Philadelphia Spectrum.

So while my Dad tended bar just 10 rows away, I and a sibling got to watch Flyers hockey from atop the opposing players’ blue line. After the games we would go to the Superbox—Snider’s private suite—and clean glasses while my dad entertained the players after the game. We were privy to these young heroes as they drank and regaled in stories of the game. This was before they headed out to their favorite watering hole in South Jersey, where most of them lived. It just didn’t get much better than that.

My Dad’s love for the game was infectious in our family—even my Mom, the most non-sporty person there is, watched with intent and knowledge. One of my favorite pictures of my Dad is one where he’s in his recliner, covered by an afghan, watching the Flyers on TV. His hands are raised above his head, and when I look at that picture I can here him yelling “Score!”

Fast forward to 1991. My four-year old son, Tim, decides to trade in all the birthday presents he received for roller blades and a stick. I obliged. No kiddie rollerblades—inline three-wheelers with no brake pad. The little guy—who had seen enough hockey on TV, transferred what he viewed to his feet. The boy could skate. The next year, he was on the ice, skating as if he had been doing it all his life. He went right to the Mite A team. And my Dad couldn’t be prouder.

My Mom and Dad came to as many of Tim’s games as they could. One particular match was against a team coached by Ed “Boxcar” Hospodar—a former Flyer who my Dad had served in the Superbox. Tim’s team was down by two goals, with a minute left to play. Tim, in quick succession scored three goals to put the game away. Dad didn’t have much to say—he was proud—turned to me and said, “That boy is fast.”

The next year Tim made a Tier I AAA team and the realization of travel set in. We had two other children at home and I was afraid the travel would be too much. Not to worry. Dad went out and bought a conversion van and said he’d take Tim to as many games as he could.

That never happened. That summer Dad passed away suddenly. My Mom sold the van. Our daughter Kelly was bitten by the hockey bug, and she turned into a fine Tier 1 boys’ goaltender. Our youngest, Joe, eventually laced up the skates as a happy recreational player.

But it’s my Dad and his infectious love of the skill and effort put out by hockey players that turned my family into a hockey family. My husband is from West Virginia and knew nothing of the game. When he took a job in Philadelphia, my Dad welcomed him to our town with the season tickets in Section X. Dad was tending bar, and snuck us a bread bag filled with jumbo shrimp. My husband felt the energy in the Spectrum, I don’t remember who the Flyers were playing. But I remember the feeling of passing something along to my husband that colored the fabric of my life for as long as I could  remember.

Our involvement in hockey is winding down. Tim is a college player entering his senior year. We make as many of his games as we can. Kelly laces up the skates as a Flyers Skate Girl, working the ice during Flyers’ games. And Joe is a midget defensemen who calls his brother with highlights of his Tier II games. A corner of our basement is filled with used hockey gear. And every once in a while, each of the kids will say, “I wonder what GrandDad would think?”

His hands would be raised above his head, and he’d be shouting “Score!” And then he’d serve up another drink.

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As I mentioned earlier, Cathy is a freelance writer located in Elverson, Pennsylvania.  So, if you’re interested in asking about her services, just email her.

– Dennis Chighisola

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As always, we enjoy your Comments.  Also, if you have a story to tell –
about a special hockey memory, this is the place for it!

 

 

 

 

Introducing A Special Section on Hockey Scouting

Part of what has me adding this new category is a new assignment I’ve just taken on — that as sort of an adviser to young players making their climb up the hockey ladder.  Of course, that often means helping the players’ parents even more than the kids.  And, come to think of it, it’s not such a bad idea if the kids’ current coaches become more aware of the challenges their players will face over coming years.

So, with all that, I think it only fair for CoachChic.com members to have access to every bit of information I put out, including my advice to rising young stars.

By the way, if you’d like to know more about the new job I’ve taken on, I’ll place a link to the company website down below.

In a nutshell, though, I’m urging young players (from about Pee Wees on up) to gain some early exposure through American Junior Hockey.  You can explore AJH on your own, but the gist of it is that the site attracts about 40,000 visitors per month, with a lot of those being scouts, general managers and coaches.  I’ve personally even gone through their “A-list” profiles seeking one more good skater for my AAA Bantam Minor team.

Of course, you probably know that I’m never satisfied with the status quo.  So, I’m taking things a few steps further for those who join AJH through me, by providing “my A-list kids” some extra guidance.

Okay, that site is linked through the logo down below.  If you happen to enroll in that “A-list” program, be sure to do so through the link I’m providing.  Also, be sure to let me know if you’ve enrolled, so that I can start providing your youngster just a little more help.

– Dennis Chighisola

PS:  I wouldn’t normally be crazy about something like this.  However, the cost of membership is so low (at $100 per year) that it seems crazier for a player to NOT get his name, face and stats out there for others to see.  I’ve always had a feeling that name recognition is extremely helpful when it comes to landing any desirable position (ask a politician).  And American Junior Hockey seems to provide that very benefit.

Hockey Coaches: Build a Team Website

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

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey Coaches: Build a Team Website

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Three final things…

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

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

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

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

Winning Hockey Starts Right Now!

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

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

–  Dennis Chighisola

Winning Hockey Starts Right Now!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

 

 

My New Hockey Coaching Manual

I don’t usually like to sell anything within these pages.  At the same time, I’d feel rather badly if I didn’t let my favorite hockey people know about something unique, or something that could save them some money.  So, please allow me to do this just once…

– Dennis Chighisola

My New Hockey Coaching Manual

A number of years ago I wrote what I felt was THE definitive manual for coaches of young players, and I titled that “How to Assemble & Teach a Basic Hockey System”.

That 72-page book sold awesomely, but the loss of a key office worker ultimately put the sale of hardcopies on hold (mainly because I just didn’t have the time to do the physical things involved in the sales and shipping process).  Nor could I take the time to retrain a new office worker.

Let me tell you, though…  That manual was awesome AND THOROUGH.  Hey, if you’ve come to know me by now, I tend to always act like a teacher, so I undertook the writing of that manual as if I was holding a new coach right by the hand, and telling or showing him or her exactly how a young team should go together.  Again, if you know me, you know I over-explain absolutely everything, just so that the information I share is perfectly clear.

Okay, so the world has changed — a lot — since I first wrote that book.  And mainly I’m talking about the arrival of the Internet.

Now, two recent events got me to thinking about that manual again…

First, I was searching for a way to help the young assistant coach who was about to take-over a team I’d coached this past year.  I mean, I wanted to arm him with all the background information that caused me to decide on a given forecheck for our kids, the whys and wherefores of our breakouts, face-off plays and so forth.  In other words, I wanted to share with him how I think when it comes to putting everything together for a young team.  And then it struck me:  almost everything I could ever tell him about is contained in that earlier written manual, “How to Assemble & Team A Basic Hockey System”!

Yet something else struck me as I thumbed through what I was about to give to my young assistant.  “Hmmmmmm…” I thought, “Even I’ve gotten away from a few of the important concepts I’d described in there!”  Not only that, but it also hit me that most of that manual is appropriate to what I’ll need to do with my new Bantam aged team!  Ya, hockey principles are hockey principles, no matter the level, and I knew that the things I outlined in that book apply to almost all age groups.

Anyway, if you want to know more about my new coach manual, you can go hear:

How to Assemble & Teach A Basic Hockey System

There IS some urgency, because the price will go up in a few days
(that’s why I’m tell you about it right now)!

The first discount deadline has passed,
but you can still save by ordering before April 30, 2011.
To be honest, I’m trying to almost give this away right now;
the eventual cost will be $27 by later this spring.

 

Making Indian Clubs

If you don’t know what Indian clubs are, I’ve provided two videos that show one of those in use, as well as a very similar strength training device referred to as a clubbell.  (It appears to me that their use is similar, but I’d love for a member who knows more about this subject to please share your knowledge with me and others.)

Actually, I love finding ways to make new training devices.  First, my students discover that such devices need not be fancy or cost a lot of money in order to enhance their game.  Secondly, homemade gadgets can often be modified to gain new training effects (but, more on that a little later).

– Dennis Chighisola

Making Indian Clubs

This first video shows the basic use of a clubbell…

This next one shows how to make a very similar device to the clubbell, but this one is called an Indian club.  As the guy in this video says, PVC materials are inexpensive, and pretty durable.  Personally, given the option, I usually go for the slightly more expensive grayish material (used for electrical work) versus the sometimes brittle white plastic (used for water or sewerage drains)…

This final video shows how to make a very similar device from metal parts (which are usually as easy to find at your local Home Depot store as the PVC).  At the end of the video, the guy shows how he uses such a training aid.

Now, I mentioned in the start that I like homemade devices — because they can be modified in different ways, and so I might achieve a slightly different training effect.  And, in the case of the two tools shown here, I find it helpful that both can be loaded differently because the screw-off tops allow us access to the inside.

Both of those shown above hold fairly heavy metal tubes to give them greater weight, and it’s also suggested that more weight can be added.

However, I’ve been on a slightly different kick over about the past 2-years…  I like to add water inside a pipe because it moves as the athlete uses it.  Trust me, that this is quite a shock — and quite difficult for the athlete to wrestle with.  And, you may have missed the guy in the middle video suggesting that something like ball bearings can also be used to gain this same training effect.

Lastly, I’m not going to say much more about using either Indian clubs or clubbells — at least right now.  However, I’ll suggest that an athlete wiggle these kinds of devices — much like we do our StickWags, so that you can “Put REAL Muscle In Your Hockey Shot“.   The idea is to isolate the forearms to put real power in the muscles that flick your hockey stick.  Imagine, though, if we could add the element of a moving weight inside our training gadget.  Aaaaah, I kinda like that idea!

———————————————————————————

As I was doing a little research this morning for my new Hockey BootCamp program, I ran across this unbelievable gadget.  I’ve already made something similar to this for The MOTION Lab, but I think it would be easier to make a number of ones like this (because it’s always nice to have several training devices available).

Oh, by the way…  You don’t believe a hockey player would be lean and mean from tossing that sucker around for like 30-seconds (to simulate a shift)?  Ha!

– Dennis Chighisola

Homemade Bulgarian Training Bag

Hockey’s Empty-netter

One of the reasons I like to take game notes is because certain things — or certain situations — only arise once in a blue moon.  Such is the case with the following occurrence (at least where young players are concerned)…

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey’s Empty-netter

As you might have guessed, the empty-net situation just arose — this late in my young AAA Mite Major’s season.  That’s right, it happened for the first time in our very last regular season game.

Okay, there’s the chance that a few members might stop reading here, because they think I’m going to be talking about Mite hockey.  Ha, hardly.  I’ve had plenty of high school players screw-up this situation, and even a few college players.  Moreover, a “brain freeze” at the older levels just might cause worse problems than my young kids experienced.  (So, please DO read on…)

Now, I thought it was good that one of my young defensemen actually noticed that our opponents’ goaltender had been pulled.  However, psyched at the chance to aim for the open net down at the far end, he fired his shot from inside our zone.

Whistle!  Icing!  Face-off back in our end!  (Gulp!)

Well, perhaps the gulp is a little strong, because most of our opponents — being only 8-years old — aren’t likely to take advantage of that face-off in front of our goal, or even the extra attacker.

And that’s the point I was hinting at above, when I suggested that mistakes at older levels can cause us far greater problems than my young kids were about to experience.  Ya, the older guys are likely to have a decent face-off play arranged for such circumstances, and they are more than likely going to make very good use of their extra attacker.  So, my suggestion — if you work with older players:  be absolutely sure they’re aware of the following.

I made sure that my young kids understood the consequences of taking an icing call at that point in a game.  In other words, there’s a penalty of sorts involved, with the face-off being brought all the way back to our end, in front our goal.  Oh, I did encourage the kids to take pop-shots at that wide-open net (we were having fun with a 2-goal advantage), but I reminded them that they had to gain the red line before taking a shot.

I might add here my personal approach on something like this…  I mean, I give my kids a sense of the “penalty” involved in their carelessly throwing the puck from their own side of the ice.  In most instances, young ones don’t put much stock in face-off locations.  Hey, to them, a draw is something they just have to endure before they’re able to get on with the play. 

So again, I explain it in a way that has them understanding a little better the consequences of certain actions.  And, when it comes to the play in question, I try to draw a comparison between that face-off in our end versus their playing with the puck in our opponents’ zone for (perhaps) the remainder of the game.

Lastly, the reason I take my game notes is so that I can remember to deal with certain things at a later date.  In the case of the above situation, it doesn’t necessitate a new drill.  But, it does call for our discussing this at a coming practice or in a pre-playoff game lockerroom.

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A bonus idea for coaches of older players…

In situations where a team’s school or organization owns the rink, players are often allowed to stay on the ice after a formal practice has concluded.  That’s when the really good players work on so-called “little things”.  And, I’ve observed quite a few guys finish their free time by trying to send pucks the length of the ice into a far net.

At other times, I’ve seen coaches finish their practices with some sort of fun competition based on hitting that far away net.

And, as I’m often known to quip in many of my skill related posts…  When you see something pretty nifty take place in a hockey game, there’s a good chance a player has actually practiced it hundreds (or even thousands) of times.

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I wanted to get this post up kinda quickly for you.  At the same time, it bothered me that I was too soon supplanting the previous one — about that important tryout tip.  So, please don’t fail to read that one if you haven’t already.

An IMPORTANT Hockey Tryout Tip

Much to my chagrin, most youth hockey organizations will soon be holding tryouts.  (My feelings about springtime hockey tryouts are well documented — within CoachChic.com and over on my blog, Coach Chic’s Hockey Diary.  Ugh.)

Anyway, while I’ve previously mentioned many suggestions when it comes to prepping for tryouts, there’s one I want to re-emphasize right here and now…

– Dennis Chighisola

An IMPORTANT Hockey Tryout Tip

Without question, I think the Number One thing each player has to know about a tryout is that all the coaches’ (or raters’) eyes are on him or her.  Sounds too obvious, does it?  Or, maybe the grown-ups or older players reading this believe every player already knows this?  Ha.

When it comes to very young hockey players, I’ll suggest that most of them are thinking more about their nearby friends than they are about impressing anyone.  In fact, while their parents may have warned them minutes ago — in the car or in the lockerroom, I’d be willing to bet that the very young ones have forgotten the gist of that on-ice session before they’ve taken a twirl or two around the rink.  That said, I have always constantly reminded Mites and Squirts several times during any drill that I’m supervising to, “Make sure you show those guys (or whomever) up there how good you can do this!”  Again, those of us running the on-ice drills should see it as part of our responsibilities to encourage the youngest players to show themselves well.

Then, in the case of older hockey players…  What I’ve found is that many of those in the Pee Wee through high school ages are as concerned about their buddies as they are about impressing coaches.  In other words, they’ll go easy as they tussle with a friend along the boards, and they’ll even hold back at times in fear of being considered a show-off.  Oh, you don’t believe this to be true?  Well, I know it to be, from both observing and talking to numerous kids in those age groups.  For sure, there are players who are going to take to the ice with the idea of impressing everyone in the building.  But, there are still just as many who will hold back a bit, and really never show all that they have.  Consequently, I think parents and tryout supervisors have to remind the players about this.  And, at the same time they have to let the older kids know that they shouldn’t hold back against supposed “teammates”; naw, they aren’t teammates at all until a coach adds their names to a roster.

About That Hockey Forechecking Poll

I suppose a lot of folks have been wondering why I polled hockey players and parents about whether their teams use a forecheck (or not).

You can see that and other Polls <= by clicking on that link.

Well, I think it’s about time I explained.

– Dennis Chighisola

About That Hockey Forechecking Poll

As it turns out, I suspect that poll is a little out of whack.  I mean, it makes sense to me that most CoachChic.com members (and those who would stop by here) play on teams that actually use a playing system.  On the other hand, I assure you there are far too many teams out there that don’t.

I really mean that…  A lot of times — as new kids have joined one of my teams, I’ve asked them about the system they’ve been playing on their previous hockey team.  (Hey, it helps if they’ve played something close to what I’ll teach, or it helps me if I know what habits I might have to change.)  But, almost every time I’ve asked that question of a player, I get the old deer caught in the headlights look, or just a wide open mouth with nothing coming out.

I can’t tell you how honest I’m being about this.  In fact, even when I’ve tried to simplify things for someone like a young teen — maybe asking him what forecheck his old coach used, I’ll get something like, “Aaaaaah, aaaaaah, I don’t think we had one.”

Okay, so why am I making such a big deal out of this?  It’s because I feel every team should have some system of play.  (Oh, I might not do it with my 5- and 6-year old beginners, but every team beyond that age has some semblance of a system.)

In general, I’m talking about all of my teams having a way of pressuring their opponents and regaining the puck in our offensive end (in other words, a forecheck).  My older teams may have two ways of checking in the offensive zone — one rather aggressive and the other more conservative.  And so will my players learn to defend in their own end, they’ll be taught principles of moving the puck out of their own zone (or executing breakouts), my older teams will learn to “regroup” or counterattack in neutral-ice, and they’ll also have a powerplay as well as learn how to kill penalties.  All of my teams will have offensive face-off plays and ways to defend on draws.  Actually, I’d wear-out this keyboard if I went on with the things I show my kids.

The funny thing is, I’m not the kind of coach who gets overly hung-up on the game’s X’s and O’s when I work with youngsters.  However…  Ya, however…  What I discovered in my first years of coaching is that the various parts of a team’s system are the best way to teach sound playing principles to developing players.

Teaching the elements of a team’s defensive system — from forechecking to backchecking to defensive zone coverage — is the only way to get across the concepts of steering and trapping an enemy puckcarrier, or how to cover an opponent who either does or doesn’t possess the puck.

The offensive side of a system helps a coach teach decision-making with the puck, and it also brings to light his or her abilities (or lack there of) to make and catch passes, and so much more.

All that said, I just may be preaching to the choir here (or raising these points to a bunch of coaches who already agree with what I’m saying).  However, I don’t want to take the chance that even one member isn’t doing this stuff for his or her players.

At last count, I believe there were over 400 posts within CoachChic.com, many of them aimed at helping a coach put together a full playing system.  As I noted earlier, the youngest kids don’t need to have anything too technical.  But, they do need a framework within which to learn basic playing principles.  At the other end of the spectrum, older players need even more of the X’s and O’s, just so they’re ready to move to levels where thinking the game is extremely important.

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Okay, here I go again with something that might be controversial — at least to some.  So, let me have it, or let me know how you really feel.  You know I love it when we get the chance to talk hockey.

Off-ice Hockey Shooting Practice

The following was inspired by a Twitter friend and CoachChic.com member.

He wants to provide a shooting and puckhandling area in his garage for his young son, and he initiated the conversation by asking about those (rather expensive?) commercially made “plastic ice” pads.

– Dennis Chighisola

Off-ice Hockey Shooting Practice

For those who have come to know me, you probably already appreciate my thinking in this area.  In a nutshell, I feel that “improving your game is all in the doing”.  In other words, it’s not the fancy gadget that makes you better, but the actually practice (even if it’s with some homemade device, whatever).

So, I immediately suggested something to my friend that probably wouldn’t cost him $20, and he could probably have it in place for his boy within an hour or so (instead of waiting for a purchased product to arrive via shipment)…

Your local Home Depot (or other building supply store) carries 4′ by 8′ sheets of all sorts.  Most of these are made for paneling walls or other large, flat surfaces.  And, of course, while some have roughened surfaces, some are as smooth as ice.

If you might experience a problem with using this sort of surface for shooting, it might be that the whole rectangle will slide if a lot of pressure is applied across the surface.  In other words, a slapshot might make the board move some, as might a hard wristshot, whereby the shooter really leans on his or her stick.

In answer to this problem, I’ve usually glued a layer of thin foam to the bottom of the panel (although just placing small squares of foam under the middle and ends of the panel often does the trick).  The main idea is to create somewhat of a non-slip surface under the board to grip against a paved surfaced.

Going back to my original premise, just picture my friend’s young lad firing and firing and firing there inside his garage.  Depending on the number of pucks he has available, it’s likely he could get in hundreds of shots in a very short time.  And, while those shots add-up, they also add-up to some awesome power and refinement of his movements.

Oh, and here’s another tip…  I have large mirrors around The MOTION Lab, these so my students can see themselves during a given exercise, and thereby perfect the movements involved.

If you can picture it, a player could be dribbling a puck or ball on the above described panel, and he could practice keeping the eyes up by seeing how long he can watch himself in the nearby mirror.

When it’s come to working on the slapshot in the Lab, my guys don’t even use pucks.  Rather, they face a large mirror, keep their eyes up, and just fire and fire, gradually trying to perfect their movements in that mirror.

Now, the type of mirror I (and the local gyms) use are very expensive.  However, I’ve used inexpensive (normal breakable) ones at home for my son and grandson.  These have never been situated in the path of a puck, but just off to the side.

So, are you — or the young player in your charge — shooting a couple of hundred pucks each day?  It’s possible, you know, and really inexpensive.  Hey, it doesn’t require much in the way of cost, since “it’s all in the doing”!

The Missing Element

Shaun Goodsell, MA

It is probably safe to say that every person has something they want that they do not currently have. For some it boils down to more success. Still others want less stress and heartache. So the question is, what is the critical factor that leads to accomplishment?

The most popular ideas include setting goals, hard work and having confidence in yourself. Although these are important, accomplishment requires that you are ACCOUNTABLE. In other words, you have a commitment to someone else to follow through on your word. Research shows that when you make a statement to someone else and are asked to “ACCOUNT” for what you have done or are doing to move towards that goal an element of “pressure” is present that is crucial for those that are serious about accomplishing their goals. In business it is often stated that what is expected gets inspected. In our day and age we have moved so far from this. Most people have stopped dreaming, and even more problematic, wouldn’t consider sharing their hopes and dreams with a person that would hold them to what they have said. Actually, in some circles if a person would provide accountability they would be chastised and told to mind their own business. The fact is that there is no accomplishment without discipline and follow through on necessary elements of success. The law of cause and effect dictates that effect is the by-product of cause. The concept of cause is what we do and effect is what we get. Mustering up the capacity to DO the things necessary is enhanced in a culture of accountability and a kind of “Peer Pressure” is formed. When this plays out in the right manner success is elevated at high rates.

If you are one that has a goal you want to accomplish here are three simple, but vital, tips in being able to realize your potential and accomplish your goal. First, write your goal down with clarity. Most important here is that you have to be able to measure it. Second, establish the actions and commitment required to accomplish your goal. Third, become part of a group of people that will “inspect” your daily actions to determine whether or not you deserve to accomplish your goal.

The Mental Edge has a new service launching in February to provide you with your own private web page that includes a place to record your goals, track your actions and have a Mental Edge coach overseeing your daily record of your actions and providing immediate feedback. All this can be done on your smart phone or home computer by registering for our Mental Edge Goal Achievement Program.

The Mental Edge is committed to training kids through these types of experiences. For more information and to begin your life training process give us a call today 763-439-5246.

Special Hockey Announcement!

My friends here at CoachChic.com might be interested to know that I had a plan concerning members going into this venture.

I’d set a certain number of early sign-ups that I would refer to as “Charter Members”, and I’d reward them with a special, reduced membership fee.

Having reached that magic number a few weeks back, I then set January 31, 2011 as the closing date for Charter Memberships (yes, the monthly fee goes up as of February 1).

Those currently enrolled at CoachChic.com will remain at the lowest rate as long as they remain members.

Then, always looking to give back to the game I love — and to my favorite people on the planet, members should expect even more within the CoachChic.com website over coming months (and years).

Thanks so much for your support;
I love you folks!

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey Parent:Coach Relationships

Let me begin this entry with the suggestion that I was less than the ideal 20-something hockey parent.  Frankly, I think I was a bit too much — over the top even, and I probably should have taken “the pill” I sometimes recommend to current day parents.

That said, I’ve coached the game now for 40+ years, and I’ve seen lots and lots over several generations.  In other words, I’ve lived, I’ve learned, and I’ve accumulated plenty to share with those who are willing to at least consider what I’m about to say.

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey Parent:Coach Relationships

Okay, so a fresh season got underway a few months back, with a whole bunch of players reporting to their new teams and their new coaches.

Personally, I like to see each of my new players — or my new team — as a blank canvas on which to paint a new masterpiece (okay, so I think I’m a pretty dawgoned good teacher/coach).  In the case of older players, their canvases may already be painted upon, but I can at least hope that I might touch-up things where needed.

Hockey parents, on the other hand, are all new to me, whether they’ve been around the game for years or not.  Going into the season they’re all great people, as far as I’m concerned (while a few of them are at least innocent until proven guilty — ).

Joking aside, I have to state right now that players and parents are a package deal — at least at the youth hockey levels.  In other words, if a kid is a pain but the parents are nice, the coach is still going to have headaches.  And, of course, turning that around isn’t going to change the aggravation factor any — as in the kid being great but the parent/s driving the coach crazy.

I hope that makes sense to you, ’cause it’s a fact, like it or not.  Each hockey family IS a package deal.

Man, do I have a story for you…  I’m aware of an awful relationship that existed between a long ago high school coach and a hockey family.  Actually, the story was famous around these parts.  The coach was a legend.  Evidently the player was also really, really good, and this was on one of the better teams in Massachusetts.  The sad part is that the boy’s dad was an alcoholic, and he could get pretty loud and terribly abusive around the arenas.  So, as I understand it, the deal the coach had with the dad was that, anytime he knew the guy was in the rink, his boy sat.  Was it unfair to the kid?  Ya, I’d have to say so.  But, who caused the problem in the first place?  Frankly, I’d have a hard time hurting a kid just because his or her parent was a jerk.  Still, I’ve never quite been in that old coach’s shoes.  (Ugh…)

So again, let me establish that it’s hard to separate parents and their kids when a coach has a team load of players and grown-ups to deal with.

The above story is of course a drastic example of what I’m getting at.  That story in mind, though, I have to suggest that there’s a far subtler danger hockey parents must consider for the sake of their kids.

And, on my way to explaining that, let me repeat:

that most kids and parents kick-off their new season with something like a clean slate (I’m presuming that every single kid wants to learn, and that every parent is there to support their young player towards that end).  Ya, I’m assuming…

Okay, so what happens to make it all go wrong?

Well, I’m going to share something with hockey parents (and other coaches) that should ultimately make sense.  Furthermore, I’m going to suggest that it’s purely human nature that makes the following possible, actually inevitable…

First, picture that a parent (or two or three) appears to not follow the coach’s lead.  In one instance, maybe a parent outwardly rebels against the coach’s handling of his or her youngster.  In yet another case, appreciate that a coach can sometimes just sense that a parent isn’t supportive or on the same page.  In either type scenario, the coach will likely get the feeling that there’s going to be a problem down the road, at least with certain players or parents.

Why so — or why is the coach likely to keep that relationship in mind?

Is it not human nature for most of us to be wary of negative situations?  And, once he or she is burned, is it possible that leaves at least a slight scar?  You can almost bet on that; it’s only human nature.

Secondly — and here’s the most dangerous part of all this…  Although it may or may not be intentional, a coach just might start treating certain kids differently.

Ya, and it’s that last one I’m here to warn all youth hockey parents about.  For, you see, no human being is into pain — including your youngster’s ice hockey coach, either consciously or subconsciously.  The way this might manifest itself is that the coach might do some extras for most players, while there is the distinct possibility he or she is going to avoid extra interactions with the perceived “trouble family”.

Now, you might at first think a coach is being mean if the latter occurs.  But, I don’t think it’s always done intentionally,  No, again, I have to suggest that it’s often subconscious.

Think about your own circumstances — whether at work, within your neighborhood, or among family or friends…  I’m sure you can immediately identify a handful of folks you’d go out of your way to help.  At the same time, there’s probably that one person in each circumstance who always seems to bring-on problems, and you probably quite often do your best to avoid him or her.  Hey, you may have already been burned once — or you’ve seen them burn someone else, so why go out of your way to get torched again?

And that’s why I’m saying this parent:coach relationship thing is really a matter of human nature, and I’ll also suggest that it should make all the sense in the world to any rational adult.  Moreover, the way I’ve explained it, I hope hockey parents will also see how this same thing can occur away from the rinks — at school, and in a whole bunch of other group settings.

In closing, I’m not saying that parents and coaches shouldn’t communicate.  They absolutely should.  The frequency of those communications might be considered, however — as in How much extra attention do you (or your youngster) really need?  And, by all means, the tone of those communications ought to be seriously pondered.  Like it a not, a hockey coach is human, and he or she is going to ultimately steer clear of problems (as are future coaches when tryouts come around).

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PS:  None of the above absolves a lousy hockey coach.  I deal with that subject, as you’ve probably discovered, in numerous other entries within this site.  That out of the way, the above is the best advice an old and experienced hockey coach can offer parents, whether their youngster’s coach is good, bad or ugly.

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I welcome youth hockey administrators, coaches, parents, and even older players to distribute the link to this page to others who might benefit from my advice.  And, of course, you can express your opinions in the Comments box below.

How Hockey REALLY Began for Coach Chic

I’ll begin this by saying that hockey actually began for me when I was about 9- or 10-years old.  Up to that point I’d been mostly a baseball and football enthusiast, mainly because those were the sports my dad was most interested in.  But then, my mom’s youngest sister married a guy who was all hockey, and he soon got me hooked on that game too.

This entry isn’t about those earliest playing days, though.  No, what I’d like to share with members are my earliest days in coaching, when hockey REALLY began for me.

– Dennis Chighisola

How Hockey REALLY Began for Coach Chic

I’m guessing that those currently into hockey will find this kind of interesting, but when I was very young, most of the really good hockey in these parts could only be found in the big city of Boston, Massachusetts.  And it trickled only slightly outside the major city to close by smaller burgs like Weymouth, Hingham and Arlington (to only name a few).  My point:  that there were no indoor rinks where I grew-up, some 30-miles outside Boston.  So, any of us who really wanted to play would have to do out best at honing skills on the rural ponds and cranberry bogs the bulk of the time, and then commute closer to the big city to get some formal training and perhaps play a weekly game.  A now long-gone rink in Weymouth, MA is where we Whitman boys would go to get the best youth hockey we could.  Ya, so current day kids and their parents ought to appreciate the fact that there is now a rink just around the corner for you.

Thank God, that the Viet Nam Conflict affected me far less than it did some of my childhood buddies, and so many guys in my generation.  Still, a military commitment did cause me — again, a lot less than many others — to alter my schooling and work, and to give-up some semi-pro level play in baseball, football and hockey.

When the chaos of those times did subside a little, I found myself coaching in all three of those sports, which brings me to something else current day sports enthusiasts might find interesting.  For, there weren’t anything like baseball or football camps back in the 1960s, no clinics or AAA-type teams, nor any paid coaching positions outside school or professional programs.  Hockey was different back then, though — probably owing to the local rinks’ needs to fill hours with the likes of summer hockey schools or camps and weekly skill-oriented clinics.  And, fortunate as I’ve so often been, I found myself being hired by several local arenas to run a lot of those kinds of programs.

Now, did I just insinuate that I’ve frequently been lucky?  Ya, and I’m going to suggest that I couldn’t have been more fortunate in my earliest coaching experiences.

You see, I’ve always been inquisitive.  I mean, I like to know how things work, how pieces fit together, what makes things tick, and so forth.  And, if I’m going to get into something, it almost always has to be all or nothing.

Is that good?  Maybe not for my health — , but most surely for my future career in hockey coaching.

I started studying far and wide (and I’ve actually been through the old AHA/USA Hockey coaching certification program three — yes, I said three — times).  And I also started collecting and devouring every hockey (and other related) manual I could find.

I also wrote to a few big-time hockey coaches, asking for their help.  Ha, talk about future influences…  Actually, several pro guys were unbelievably helpful, while a couple of the Division One college guys never even responded (which suggests — at least in my book — who is and isn’t really big-time).   So, you might now appreciate why I answer every email and CoachChic.com question that ever comes my way.  Yes, partly because of those long ago experiences, but also, I think, because I was brought-up dawgoned right.

Anyway, what this piece is really about is my feeling fortunate to be AN EMPTY sponge as I began my hockey coaching career.  I mean, I’d had modest coaching in an equally modest playing career, so my mind was w-i-d-e open to anything and everything I thought could help me, my students and my players.

As an aside here…  If there are some guys I feel a little badly for, they’re the ones who can’t get themselves out of the 1970s.  In other words, they think that’s the way hockey is still played — ’70s style, and they think the kind of training they received way back then is how it should be done today.  Yes, I feel very, very badly for them, and I’m also often frustrated by those types when I try to convince them there are better — more scientific — ways to improve hockey playing qualities nowadays.  Ugh.

Oh, as I’ve mentioned in a few other posts here at CoachChic.com, I felt fortunate to have played for two of our area’s most innovative coaches.  My dad was a creative genius when it came to devising baseball practice techniques, and so was my high school football coach far, far ahead of his time.  In fact, borrowing from what I’d learned from them, I was probably one of the first coaches in our area who thought to use teaching stations within a practice or hockey school atmosphere.

Okay, so I was a sponge…  And I also suggested earlier that I traveled far and wide to gain any sort of help.  So, Canadian based coaching seminars were often on my summer todo list back in those early years, as were family vacations.  In fact, two getaways to the north country helped to forever change my coaching methods…

Ah, I remember it as if it was yesterday, a camping trip we took to Ontario, Canada.  After a day or so on our site, my family became good friends with an older couple who camped right beside us.  Oh, and it didn’t hurt when we discovered we had a love for hockey in common.

Then, talk about luck…  One night our gentleman neighbor announced that he had a TV set with him, and he was planning on hooking it up somewhere in the campgrounds where everyone could watch the start of the big series between a team of NHL all-stars and the Soviet Union’s so-called “Big Red Machine”.  Yes, this was the summer of 1972, and that series now sits in hockey history as The Showdown at the Summit.

Don’t forget that we were in Canada.  So, there was no shortage of local campers to gather in the campgrounds laundry room for the opening face-off of Game One.  Yup, we were crammed-in like sardines, with most folks licking their chops in anticipation of the NHL pros destroying the “amateur” Russians.

Now, the pros didn’t letdown their faithful following, at least at first.  For, they pumped-in a couple of goals right at the start, and it surely looked like the rout was on.  Ya, it looked like it.  However, the Soviets just kept coming — and coming and coming and coming.  And, in no time, they had overcome the Canadians’ lead, and headed-off to their own rout.

Did I say that we were crammed into that small concrete structure?  Ha…  Little by little, the crowd thinned, and only my neighbor and I remained to see the final game action.

As a backdrop to the following video, let me say that the uniqueness of that famed Showdown at the Summit had to do with an anticipated David versus Goliath match-up.  I mean, the pros were expected to kill the amateurs, but the games should have still proven interesting due to the drastically different playing styles, and the fact that pros and amateurs hadn’t been allowed to play each other in recent Olympic or World Cup tournaments.

I remember reading that legendary NHL goaler, Jacques Plante, felt badly for the young USSR netminder, Vladimir Trechiak.  So he provided him some pre-tournament advice about various NHL snipers.

And there were even some other controversies going on behind the scenes…  The great Bobby Hull (among others) was being excluded from the Canadian roster because he’d jumped from the National Hockey League to the new World Hockey Association.  There was even a controversy among Canadian fans over the selection of the announcers who would broadcast the games.  So, to put it bluntly, this tournament was big, and seemingly everything mattered, at least between the land of the maple leaf and the old Soviet Union.

Oh, one more thing…  I grabbed this first video because it tends to depict some of the things I want to talk about here.  I AM NOT INTO TAKING SIDES ON THE SERIES OUTCOME.  (Actually, this video is obviously slanted with old Soviet bias.)  What I was — and still am — very interested in is the impact this series had on hockey training methods.  So, that said, take a peek, just to get a “feel” of things as they transpired back in the summer of 1972…

As a quick recap, Paul Henderson emerged as a true star in this series — at least in my book, ultimately helping Team Canada win the final and deciding tournament game.

Among some of the clips you might notice in that video…

For sure, there was a cultural exchange — and a mutual admiration — taking place over the length of this series.

Insiders were heard to say after the early games that the Soviets showed the NHL defensemen some moves they hadn’t ever seen before.

It shouldn’t have been difficult to spot the Canadians’ frustrations throughout that video.  Actually, this is important to note, because the Russian players were trained to show no emotions (and this sort of goes along with current day psychological theories — about not getting too high or too low, but just staying on an even keel at all times).

You might also notice the Canadians losing a physical confrontation or two…  Well, long ago thinking — for athletes in almost all skill-related sports — was that strength training was taboo.  However, those on the Big Red Machine demonstrated great upper body strength.

Perhaps most frustrating to the North American skaters was the offensive patience shown by their Soviet counterparts.  I mean, the Russians didn’t hurry plays, and would sometimes even pass on one shot in order to gain an even better scoring opportunity.  No dumping and chasing for the Russians, either, but lots of puck control, and even something new in “regrouping” if they couldn’t immediately penetrate the offensive zone.

One thing common to European sport, I think, was the Russians inclination to play the whole game, and to not get too emotionally rapt in the score at any given time.  And by this, I mean that the Soviets fell behind early on several occasions, but just kept playing — for the entire 60-minutes, and they won those games in the end.  (This might be a hard concept to explain.  But, two teams are provided so many minutes to out-score their opponents.  It really doesn’t matter when the extra goals come, only that they do ultimately come.  Get what I mean?)

One humorous time came during an opening ceremony…  Phil Esposito slipped on a rose petal, and he played that to the amusement of the crowd.

Near the end of the video, that’s a young Bobby Orr shaking his head as he watches from the stands.  Yes, one sad part of the tournament was that Orr was recovering from a knee injury, and unable to participate.

Finally, did I suggest there was a bias in that video’s production?  Of course there was.  And I’m sure we could have collected at least as many great plays made by the NHL stars.  (So, apologies to all my Canadian friends.)  Still, that particular production does provide a feel — or flavor — for the many things I need to point-out here.  Then, before continuing, here’s another video that might give you a bit more background info on this series…

Interesting for me were my many trips to Canada over ensuing summers.  Actually, I sensed I was frequently one of the few US coaches in the audience.  So, I got a true feel for what was going on among those hockey leaders, as they seemed to speak Canadian to Canadian.

In the first few off-seasons I traveled up there, CAHA and Hockey Canada lecturers were almost apologizing for their prior training methods.  Reflecting back, this may have been intentional, just to get their audience’s attention (as in shaking the shoulders of the guys and gals who held the future of Canadian hockey in their hands).

Up front, some in Canada knew ahead of time that their pros would be out of shape entering that series in mid-summer.  The Soviets put an exclamation point on that one, though, skating as hard in their last shifts as they did in their first ones.  (In recent years, I’ve advised my older teams to, “Make them skate with you!”  Yes, if I felt we were in better shape than another team — which we almost always have been, I’d want my players to push their opponents to their limit early, and then have some fun after those opponents wilted.)

Of course, thanks in large part to that series, serious hockey players nowadays train nearly year-round, just as the Soviets always have.

Suddenly, the line-up of instructors also changed at most North American hockey symposiums.  Sure, there were still plenty of high level coaches and NHL types speaking, but so were there physiologists, psychologists, strength coaches and nutritionists.  And so were there as many suggestions for off-ice training as there were on-ice drills and systems advice.  Athletic attributes — like speed, agility and the likes — were also mentioned right along with all the traditional hockey skills.

Okay, so I was loading my arsenal of hockey coaching ideas in those first few years after the Showdown at the Summit.  However, another vacation to Canada — this time to New Brunswick — had an even greater impact on my future approach to the game…

My Canadian friends might not appreciate the difference between their bookstores and the ones down here in the US.  However, every time I ventured up north, I’d load-up on pamphlets and manuals I’d never ever find where I live.

Your newspapers — even during the summer — also carry articles that wouldn’t be found down here in The States.  And that brings me to a column I read by the campfire one day, this containing Fred Shero’s impressions after a recent visit to Moscow to study the Soviet’s unique training methods.

What?  The Soviets are entertaining coaches from around the world to come study their methods?  Where do I sign-up?

Well, it wasn’t until 1979 that I could pull-off that one.  But I did.  And let me tell you…  I landed in Moscow thinking I kinda knew my stuff when it came to teaching our game.  By the end of the first day of training, however, I realized I didn’t know a dawgoned thing.  I mean that.

Again, we’re talking 1979, and I’m going to suggest that few back home knew anything about plyometrics.  Nor did they know anything about over-speed training.  (Actually, the Soviets weren’t showing us anything about the latter; I just happened to sneak-off from my study group one day and discover it on my own!)

Okay, so back to my title — “How Hockey REALLY Began for Coach Chic”…

What I am suggesting is that I was lucky to be influenced so much by that NHL versus the Big Red Machine series, and my eventual Soviet studies.

Although I’ve never been one to stay stuck on anything, my head was clear enough (or maybe empty enough — ) to really get into what is now considered the “modern way of doing things”.  Yes, I do still have a tiny bit of my earliest hockey experiences to fall back upon, and I’m still influenced quite a bit by the way my dad and my old football coach did things.  But, that first day of studies in Moscow really did it for:  teaching me to keep my mind wide open for the very latest information.

That open mindedness has further influenced my studies of track athletes, tennis and soccer and rugby players, and I’m willing to look anywhere else if I can steal an advantage.  Yes, I consider myself lucky that my attitude hasn’t changed — from my days as a 20-something beginner coach to my white-haired days today.

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For your enjoyment, I found this clip over at YouTube that tells a little about the USSR philosophy, it introduces the great Anatoli Tarasov, and it also shows some pretty interesting Soviet training methods.  Enjoy (and please leave a Comment below, huh?)…

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Folks, our friend, Tim T, left a link in a Comment below for another awesome video.  I couldn’t help adding it here, because it shows Tarasov putting his squad through their paces on the ice, and those guys are doing a lot of the things my high school players still do.  Oh, by the way…  I swear they’re at the Central Red Army rink in Moscow, a place I visited so many years ago.  Again, this is awesome, once you get past a short Russian introduction…

Hockey Stick Measurement Help

Well, I love it that one of our newest members has taken advantage of my offer to help, any time it’s needed.

I’m talking about Sandy N, asking me a question about measuring a hockey stick…

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey Stick Measurement Help

Sandy began with the following:

Hi Coach Chic,

Sorry to bother you but I’ve been searching your site and have not had any luck on finding the info for sizing a hockey stick.

By now, I hope Sandy knows she wasn’t bothering me at all.  Again, I invite all of my hockey friends to bother me in that way. 

Sandy also gives me the opportunity to point-out the Search box that’s available at the top of each page.  For sure, searches can be tricky.  But I suspect she should have found a lot here within CoachChic.com when it comes to stick measuring.

I found some other web sites say it should come to the players nose but then they conflict by saying it should be when the player has his skates on or off.

No surprise there — that she might find a bunch of conflicting recommendations.  Why?  To my way of thinking, this is one of those areas that gets bombarded by wives’ tales.

I mean, I’ve heard or read that a hockey player should measure his or her stick to the nose, the chin, the mouth, the whatever.  And, like Sandy, I’ve also discovered various authorities(?) suggesting these measurements be taken when the player is either wearing or not wearing skates.  Hmmmm…

Did I suggest these are all wives’ tales?

Just for the heck of it, does holding the stick upright to measure it take into account a player’s unique stance?  And, does it bring into the equation the “lie” of the stick?  (The lie of the stick is the angle at which the stick’s blade and shaft meet, and this varies from stick to stick.)  Oh, in the event you weren’t able to answer those two questions, I’ll give you the answers:  No!  No!

Now, before finishing here, let me say that I spent quite a bit of time searching for a video that might show advanced level players holding their sticks in an upright position.  The best I’ve ever found for doing this is to scan an NHL bench while players are standing for their national anthem.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find many videos that stayed focused on a bench area for very long.  However, I’m hoping the following one will accomplish what I’m aiming for…

Okay, as I said earlier, there weren’t any great views of a bench area, or prolonged shots where we could really study ALL of the players.  Actually, the players I spotted in the above video ran the gamut in the ways they cut their sticks…  A few were up near the chin, while a few were much lower.  And, while we wouldn’t be able to find each team’s “stickhandler”, I assure you they’d be leaning on sticks that came to about the middle of their logos.

Anyway, Sandy ultimately closed with:

Can you clarify or do you suggest a different method?

Thanks and have a great New Year!

Sandy N________

What I did was to send her to a video that shows and tells the viewer just about everything he or she would need to know about a stick — from selecting one to measuring it to eventually doctoring it in various ways.  That video:  “YOUR Stick“.  Within that short film, I explain a simple way to measure a hockey stick that takes into account the player’s unique stance, and the lie of his or her stick.

Oh, in closing, I hope I’ve inspired you to ask me questions.  I love fielding them, and helping you always makes me feel kinda good.

The Gamut in Youth Hockey Emotions

First, the following reminds me of a saying made famous by the great UCLA basketball coach, John Wooden.  For, having seen many of his former players mature to do great things in later life, one of his greatest pleasures was in saying, “I knew him as a boy.”

Ya, I knew the author of this piece as a boy, and I’m proud to see what he’s done with his life.

Then, let me tell you, that I had some difficulty arriving at a title for Frank Johnson’s article.  As you’ll ultimately come to appreciate, though, it does run the gamut in emotions.

Between the lines, there are an awful lot of lessons to be learned from Frank’s long ago experiences, and I’ll suggest that we’ll all want to mimic the good parts and then try our darnedest to avoid repeating some of the not-so-nice ones.

That said, I think anyone who has ever been involved in youth hockey — in any capacity — is going to find the following very, very interesting.

– Dennis Chighisola

After graduating from Whitman-Hanson Regional High School (’87), Frank Johnson entered the health care/emergency services field, serving with fire and EMS departments in Massachusetts, Michigan, California, and Wisconsin.  He now serves with the Pittsville, WI Fire Department as a Firefighter/EMT and also functions as a Cadet Leader in an area youth program (assisting in the training and education of young, aspiring firefighters).  Frank is divorced and the dad of two.

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The Gamut in Youth Hockey Emotions

By Frank Johnson

At the age of 4  my parents both noticed that I seemed to be clumsier than most kids my age, and that my mind and body didn’t seem to be in sync with each other.  They got concerned and consulted my primary doctor to look into this affliction.  He couldn’t find anything physically wrong, and suggested that they get me involved in some type of game or sport to improve my coordination.

Football was out because I was too young, as was baseball.  My dad suggested to my mother that I try hockey.  Of course, being a very protective mom, she was at first against it, but my dad had already asked me if I wanted to play so she didn’t have much more to say about it.  (Unless you count “If anyone hurts my baby, I’m going to be kicking someone’s a–!”)

So my dad brought me to Hobomock Arenas in Pembroke, MA to get me signed up for the Whitman-Hanson Youth Hockey instructional program along with my friend Kevin.  My ankles were bending like hell and I was sore as all get out after my first practice, but I was okay from then on.

Kevin dropped hockey after that season, but I stuck with it and returned for the following year, again in the instructional level.  I was mainly a defenseman, but I  also had two games in goal, with one win and one tie.  But I knew that I didn’t want to be a full time goaltender, so I returned to defense.  There were only two instructional teams, the Maple Leafs (my team) and the Canadiens, and so we saw a LOT of each other.

In 1975 I reported for tryouts with the WH Mites, and it was here that I learned one of the harsher realities of sport.  Ray Sanchez and the rest of the coaches didn’t see me as fit for any of the teams — either A, B or C, and they cut me after the last day of tryouts.  This is in direct contrast to a lot of sports nowadays, hockey and otherwise, where everyone makes the team.

I remember driving home that night as my father ripped me up one side and down the other about my lack of ability and pretty much everything but my shoe size.  I didn’t want him any madder at me, and if he saw that I was crying he would have been, so I just sat with my back to him and listened as his words hit me like a sledgehammer.  He calmed down somewhat as we pulled into our driveway, and he offered at least a little bit of an apology.  I ran inside and went to my room as he repeated everything that had happened to my mother.

I fell asleep shortly afterward, and didn’t hear my father get on the phone. I found out later that he had called my uncle Mike Flaherty (RIP Uncle Mike) and explained what had happened.  Uncle Mike was now a coach in the Rockland Youth Hockey Mite program, and he told my dad that he would talk to a few people to see if “something could be worked out”.  A day later he called Dad back and told him that I was welcome to try out for the Rockland mites, if I could secure a written release from WH Youth Hockey. “Oh don’t worry, I’ll get it,” Dad said.  He then sat me down and apologized profusely for his outburst the night of tryouts.  “It’s ok Dad,” I told him.  “Do you still wanna play hockey?” he asked.  “Yeah,” I said simply.  He then explained that once he had gotten the paperwork squared away that I would be trying out with Rockland Youth Hockey (RYH).  Well, he didn’t waste any time, and by that night he had the release in his hands, freeing me to make the transfer.

That weekend I found myself at the South Shore Sports Center (or Rockland Rink), along with a lot of other hopefuls who were trying to make the cut. Coach Bob Silvia was running the tryouts.  And since I had missed the first day, he asked me who I was.  I told him my name and why I was there, and he didn’t say another word about it.  Well, I must have done enough things right, because my uncle selected me for the “B” team, and after the euphoria wore off, he sat all of us down, issued jerseys, and informed us that our first game would be the following weekend against the Abington Stingers.  He also told me that he was switching me from defense to right wing, effective immediately.  My only thought at the time was “it’s better than defense”.

Game time came and I remember being nervous but excited. That’s when I saw who the referee was.  It was Coach Silvia, who had told us earlier in the week that he wouldn’t be able to make it to our game, but that he would be rooting for us.  I put it out of my mind and concentrated on the game.

About midway through the second period I found myself with the puck on the Abington blue line and no one in front of me except Frank O’Rourke, Abington’s’ goaltender.  Frankie and I would see a lot of each other in our youth careers, and we would go on to become friends, and later teammates. Anyway, I had the puck and I was all alone.  I skated a few strides and “swept” the puck towards the net.  O’ Rourke went down, but just a smidgen too late, and I caught the lower left corner.  I was dumbfounded as I realized I had just scored my first goal.  My dad said he darn near had a stroke when he saw my stick go up.  In a flash, all of the bad memories of cut day were gone and were replaced by complete joy.

When I came out of the locker room after the game, my father grabbed me right there in the aisle and hugged me so hard that I thought he was gonna break a few ribs.  After the game, he started telling everybody who would listen about my goal.  “He beat him cleanly” and  “The goalie never had a chance” were among some of his wording.

The following weekend we found ourselves up against the Stingers again, and I never expected to find myself in the situation I was in during the previous game.  Apparently fate has its way.  There I was on the blue line again, same goalie, same distance, same result!  I can still hear the clang of the back brace where the puck came to rest in the net.  Granted, the rest of the games weren’t that easy, and the goals didn’t always come that often, but I managed to put enough points on my record to be awarded the “High Scorer” award that I shared with my friend and teammate Jimmy Ewell.

The bottom line of that season was our loss in the playoffs to Abington’s premiere Mite team, the Hornets.  We did NOT like each other, and it escalated to conflict both on and off the ice.  The Abington newspaper carried weekly youth hockey results back then, and they took a lot of pleasure in writing about how the Hornets “shellacked” us, or how the Stingers “blanked” us.  Both Abington teams had custom signs made to hang behind their benches, with their team name and logo, and that to us was both strange and intimidating.  Not to be outdone, our coaches had a Rockland Bulldogs sign made up for our bench, and began submitting weekly scores to the Rockland newspaper.

Midway through the season we had a game against the Hornets.  And, not to put too fine a point on it, they handed us our butts by something like 10-3. Ronnie Hedin was the Hornets’ coach, and Paul Mincone handled things behind the bench for the Stingers.  (I would come to respect these men a great deal during my youth hockey days, and I also had the pleasure of suiting up for them many times as either a substitute player during summer hockey, or in the case of Mr. Mincone, as one of 6 Rockland players that joined forces with Abington in the Hobomock League during our Bantam year.)

After the beatdown by the Hornets, the Abington paper had a field day at our expense.  This is where the “shellacking” comment came into play.

We faced them again 3 weeks later.  And although we lost again (3-1), we turned in a much better performance than the previous outing.  The paper even grudgingly showed us some respect in that week’s edition, calling us a “strongly improved Rockland club”.  We did manage to take them down once that season.  And outside of our double overtime win against Sharon in the Snowflake Tournament, that was our high point.

Over the next few years I advanced up through the ranks of youth hockey, playing next at the Squirt level, followed by the PeeWees.  Most times I found myself relegated to playing “B” team hockey, although I suited up my fair share of times at the “A” level in place of an absent player or other such contingency.

As anyone who is familiar with the sport knows, there’s a lot more prestige playing at the “A” level, but with it comes a higher level of intensity and competition.  I found myself overwhelmed at times, but I didn’t let that unnerve me.  In Rockland, we always watched out for each other on the ice.  So there were times when my “A” level teammates looked upon me as their “little brother”, and they’d take anybody to task who dared to mess with me.  Some of the time, I was grateful for my teammate’s actions, while at other times I thought, “Hey, I can handle myself.”  It was only after something like getting my mouth guard knocked out, or my helmet ripped off (more than once), that I realized that having a team full of older “siblings” really wasn’t all that bad.  It also served to better prepare me for the somewhat lesser pace in the B program where I was a regular starter.  My coaches also were pleased that they had a player who could “float” between the two levels and hold his own.

I had developed a reputation during those days, and it follows me even to this day.  I wasn’t the most prolific goal scorer, fastest skater, or hardest checker.  But I always gave 150%, every game and every practice.

I also developed a lot of friendships that would endure for many years.  A good example of this occurred during the early part of the 1978 season, when I was playing in my second year of Squirts.  I was hospitalized for 5 days with a particularly severe form of pneumonia, and I missed two weeks of practices and games.  So one morning while I was lying in my hospital bed, my Uncle Mike and my cousin came in to visit with me.  I asked how the team was doing, and they told me that they were thinking of me and were anxious for me to come back.  It was then that my cousin handed me my stick.  I asked what it was all about, and I was told to look at it closely.  Upon examination, I found that it had been signed by all of my teammates, coaches and pretty darn near everyone associated with RYH.  The inscription really got to me, though, a line written by the captain of the South Shore Braves, a New England Jr. Hockey League team based in Rockland.  My teammates and I idolized a lot of the Braves players, and we hardly ever missed a home game. The Braves found out that I was hospitalized, and all of them signed my stick, along with the greeting, “Waiting for you – from the Braves”.  It was then that I realized that I had a lot of compassionate and loyal teammates and friends, and that made me all the more determined to get back on the ice as soon as possible.

Three weeks later, with the help of the nursing staff at Brockton Hospital, along with my parents and coaches, I was strong enough to rejoin my teammates for a game against Dorchester Lower Mills.  Not only did I get back on the ice at full capacity, but I also scored 2 goals and was voted the game’s #1 star.  Hockey can teach you a lot of lessons that will carry over long after you hang up your skates.  And this point was brought home with amazing clarity during that season.

Our rivalry with Abington continued during the latter part of my youth career.  And if anything, the emotions got ratcheted up a notch during my Peewee and Bantam years.  The games were more intense, and the physical aspect of the game itself was at an all time high.  Skirmishes and fights, both on and off the ice, were a fairly regular occurrences.  And to the casual observer it would appear that we were nothing more than “goons” or “thugs” who were more interested in hurting each other than in playing hockey. Nothing could be further from the truth.  We were fighting for not only wins and points, but for, above everything else, respect.  In this sport, the want for respect is not to be taken lightly.

We won our share of games and lost a few as well, but Abington realized that we were not the same doormat that we were in our younger days.  I suppose it was inevitable, what began to transpire in the latter half of my 1st year in Bantams and into my second.  It’s been said that if you combine two rival teams into one working unit, the results can be surprisingly positive.  The coaches from both sides saw that:  although we were wearing different colors and hailed from different towns, the division between us was really not all that great.  None of us would ever think about turning down a chance to play, and thus, if either Abington or Rockland found itself short a player, kids from the other team were more than willing to step in and help.  Granted, the first few times this occurred were awkward, to say the least.  And under the façade that we would put on was the dominant thought that, “I play for Rockland, not Abington,” and vice versa.  But it allowed us to diversify and at the same time to get to know the players behind the rivalry at a personal level.  Before long, strangers would become teammates, and teammates would become friends. Of course, when we played each other, all bets were off, and the rivalry was burning as brightly as ever. Until the game was over, that is.  The customary muttered profanity and begrudging acknowledgements in the post game handshake line were now replaced by “See you soon,” or “Great effort”, along with a firm hand grasp.  We realized that we were growing as both players and young men.  We would need that newly found maturity and acceptance midway through that year.

Coach Paul Mincone, the Abington Bantam coach, was planning as he had in years past to field a team for a league at the Hobomock Arena.  He didn’t want to deplete either his A or B level teams by utilizing too many players, so he approached the RYH coaches and division director (my own dad) with a proposition.  He had seen the way that we had interacted when we had played together, and the newly found respect that we had for each other.  So he suggested a merger of sorts between the two towns.  He would take 5 of our “A” level players and combine them with 10 of his own athletes to form a team.  “It would be great for both sides,” he explained.  And as he talked, the idea began to appeal more and more to the parties involved. The clincher was when Coach Mincone informed everyone that the regular team practices from the individual teams would count as one for the newly suggested organization.  The response to the proposal was an immediate and enthusiastic “Yes!”  When my dad asked about the selection process, Coach Mincone straightforwardly told him that it wouldn’t be necessary, as he already knew who he wanted from the Rockland ranks.  Among the 5 selected were myself and my two cousins.  I was thrilled when my father told me that I had been chosen, and I realized that we had been given a terrific opportunity.

To commemorate our new status as a team, our name was changed from “Abington” to Abrock”.  We convened the following Sunday at Hobomock.  Coach told us that he wasn’t expecting us to be immediately cohesive, but at the same time he rightfully asked us to give our best effort.  As he gave the line assignments, I looked across the room at our starting goaltender.  It was none other than Frank O’ Rourke against whom I had notched my first and second career goals back when we were Mites.  We were now teammates, and I marveled at how we all seemed to be coming full circle.  Mr. Mincone needn’t have been concerned with how we would play together.

We laid a one sided thrashing on Marshfield, our first opponent.  The scoring was well-balanced, with 3 of Rockland’s players notching at least one tally, (including my own unassisted goal), and my cousin turning the hat trick. When it was over and done, we had an 11-1 victory under our belts.  In just one game we had meshed into a sharp, aggressive and volatile team.

Afterwards, on the drive home, my dad marveled at how well we had come together, and he asked me how we had done it.  I looked over at him and said, very simply, “We know each other, and we know each other well,”  He simply nodded understandingly, and let the subject drop.

The following Sunday we came together again for our second game, this one against Kingston.  Granted, we didn’t light up the scoreboard as we had the previous week, but we still came away with a thoroughly workmanlike 5-0 shutout.  For the first time in a long time, I managed to notch two goals in as many games, putting Abrock’s second goal on the board midway through the second period.  After the noise and banter of the post-game locker room celebration died down, Coach Mincone asked for quiet, and within seconds he had the undivided attention of every one in the room.  “Okay, fellas, great win today, excellent effort, but I’m about to give you a dose of reality.”  He looked up and down the room and told us that the following week’s game was NOT going to be an easy one, and that we would be in for our first real test of the young season.  “We’ll be playing the Hobomock Chiefs,” he said in a flat, calm tone.  “They’ve won the Hobomock title twice in the last 4 years, and they know all about us now.  We won’t get past them as easily as we did Marshfield or Kingston, you can bet on that.  Think about it, have a good week and let’s be back here Sunday ready to play the best game we’ve played so far.”

Coach’s  words stuck with us throughout the week, and by Sunday we were focused, determined and ready for whatever our opponent could throw at us. This was fortunate, because the Chiefs came out flying from the opening face off.  They had obviously done their homework, and they realized that we were primarily a free wheeling, finesse type of team.  They forechecked aggressively, they went after loose pucks like men possessed, and in short, did everything to throw us off our game.  After the third or fourth bone jarring check laid out on an Abrock player, we realized that our game plan wasn’t working, and we decided to take on a “grind it out, hit everything that moves” mindset.  It served us well as we came to the end of the period tied at 1.  Periods two and three were repeats of the first, as the action was non-stop and wall to wall.  I suppose that a game between the two best teams in the league was almost destined to end in a tie, which it did (final score, 2-2).

To this day, it stands out in my memory as the best game that I was ever a part of.  The post game handshakes were those of two quality teams who had given their best and left everything on the ice.  I was in the line behind my teammate Rick Clifford.  And as he shook the opposing captains’ hand, I heard him say, “We’ll see you again.”  His counterpart replied simply, “Looking forward to it.”

Talk about irony.  After Coach gave his traditional pre-game analysis, he told us that our following weeks’ opponent was to be determined, but that he would get back to us ASAP with further details.  Three days later we got some news that we were never expecting.  Evidently several of my teammates’ parents had gone to our coach and complained about the lack of parity in playing time.  Coach tried to explain that playing time was “earned”, and not given out freely.  But his words fell on deaf ears.  The Abington parents said that the Rockland players were receiving more time than the Abington kids, while the Rockland parents felt quite the same.  So, to pacify everyone, Coach Mincone reluctantly disbanded the team.  To say the least, this did not sit well with anyone on the team, and we all agreed that this was one area where the parents should have minded their own business.  However, we had no say in the matter, and with that, the brief but fruitful merger between the two old rivals was over.

We all returned to our normal practice and game routine, but we couldn’t help but feel a genuine sense of loss at what had been taken from us.

In an almost fitting sense of irony, we squared off with Abington in the Bantam “A” finals that year, which would mark the end of our youth hockey careers.  And just like in my first playoff finals all those years ago — in the Mite level, Abington swept us 2 games to none.  I was saddened that it had to end this way, but all of us were looking ahead to the next phase in our hockey journey, playing for our respective high schools.

I would, of course, be returning to where it all had started for me more than ten years before.  I began my tenure in WH hockey with a hard swallow of reality.  Not only was this not going to be the safe confines of the youth hockey world, but it would require more self sacrifice than I ever dreamed of.

High school practices were held on Monday mornings at 5am, which is hard enough to begin with, never mind our having to rush home to get ready for seven hours of school.

As a freshman, I realized that I would have little chance of cracking the varsity team at Whitman-Hanson.  So I settled for playing junior varsity hockey.  My dad told me that it was a stepping stone to bigger and better things, and that I shouldn’t get down on myself.  “Hey, a JV letter as a freshman isn’t bad at all, Frankie,” he said.  “Next year, I can feel it; you’ll have a varsity letter on your jacket.”

My dad would turn out to be right.  I did make the varsity team after investing lots of sweat, blood, battered muscles and sleepless nights.

I’ll never forget the first time I donned the Panthers’ red and black.  It was during Rockland’s annual high school Christmas tournament, and our opponent for the day was none other than the Abington Green Wave.

My dad was up in the stands, and he had no idea what my number was, as I had just been named to the team the day before.   Unlike youth hockey, numbers are assigned at this level, and you don’t have much of a say in it.  I was given #20.  And as we took the ice to a nice round of applause from the W-H fans, my dad craned his neck trying to catch a glimpse of me.  My brother-in-law John looked as well, and then said to my dad, “That’s him!”  Dad asked, “Is that number20?” “Yep!” said John.  Dad told me later that he would never in his life forget seeing me in a varsity uniform for the first time.

The game itself was a lopsided affair, as we routed Abington, 7-3.  As we passed through the handshake line, I was greeted warmly by nearly all of my old Abrock teammates.  Yes, we were opponents again, but we were also friends, fellow competitors, and strongly focused young men.

All of us would have varying degrees of success in hockey during our post-youth careers.  But all of us earned the right to wear our school’s colors, and subsequently earn a varsity letter.  Several of my former teammates went on to play collegiate hockey, or pursued other avenues such as coaching or sports medicine.  But one thing rings true to this day.  A lot if not most of our important lessons in life were taught not in a classroom, but in broken down ice rinks, in locker rooms, and on team buses.  And to tell the truth, even the bad times — in retrospect — weren’t all that bad.  I tried to learn something from everyone I came in contact with, even though I may not have agreed with them or even liked them.  Was it all worth it?  Yes.  And I wouldn’t have traded it for anything.

As a footnote…  Frank moved from Massachusetts to Wisconsin some years ago.  So, as we talked over recent weeks, I came to realize that he wasn’t privy to what had happened to a number of the characters he’s mentioned here.  For sure, a few have passed on, including our mutual friend, Ron Hedin.  Ironically, Bob Silvia still coaches a local high school team, and he also runs a summer pro-am team my grandson plays with when he’s home from college.

Mainly, however, I want to point towards the fact that a guy now in his forties still remembers those who touched his life so many years ago.  And I guess I also feel the need to suggest that many of us are going to be remembered for years to come — in a very positive light, or maybe not so nicely.  That, of course, it seems that’s up to each of us — as a teammate, as an opponent, as a parent, or as a coach.

*

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Talking About the Hockey Skating Stride

I’m lucky if I ever get home from a rink! 

Ya, if I ever get talking to someone interesting — like I did last night after my skills session with the Bridgewater Bandits, someone ought to just get us a table, serve us some coffee, and leave us alone!

– Dennis Chighisola

Talking About the Hockey Skating Stride

Well, what happened last night was that I got hooked-up with the dad of a young Pee Wee level player from the earlier skills session.  And, what made our conversation fun was that we’re both Physical Education guys, he currently coaches a high school football team, and we found it more than interesting to discuss ways the teaching of our two sports relate to each other.

Not that all things are the same when it comes to football and hockey…

For example, I was sharing with him the idea that take-offs would be very different when comparing a running sport with skating.

If you can visualize it, a runner gains absolutely nothing by just turning and taking a step laterally.  No, the best way is to start with a cross-over step.

In contrast, many skating analysts recommend that a hockey player begin with a “T-take-off”, or by pushing-off with one foot and gliding with the other.  (Again, visualizing things, I hope you appreciate that a runner can’t glide in such a movement, while the skater gains quite a bit.)

As I said before, however, there ARE many similarities in our sports…

I happened to play (eons ago) for one of Massachusetts’ top high school football coaches.  So, I’m quite familiar with the expression, “Where your eyes go, you go.”  In other words, if a player has his or her head down (a no-no in hockey, anyway), he or she is apt to too easily fall forward — or be pushed downward — during any confrontation.  To my way of thinking, neither does a player have any mobility if his or her head and body weight aren’t up and over the feet.

I think gaining stability and leverage during confrontations are also identical in both football and hockey, and my new friend and I further agreed that small, mincing steps are the best way to mirror the movements of an oncoming offensive player.

My football friend did mention something that still has me thinking, and I’m going to continue pondering this for some time to come.  For, he questions the oft used phrase in hockey that suggests you, “Keep your eyes on your man’s chest.”  Hmmmmm…  What I he believes is that the player’s hip-area might be a better area of focus.  Again, hmmmmmm…  So, as I said, I am going to have to think a little more about that one, and perhaps study a little video before passing judgment.

Okay, now to return to the title of this entry.  For, the initial reason for our later extended conversation was my friend’s concern for his son’s skating stride.  More specifically, his boy tends not to bend his knees, which quite obviously results in rather short forward strides.

From the start, I suggested that I don’t like to talk too much about knee bend when it comes to addressing this with a young player.  No, I’d much rather reason with him or her that the hips — or “the tops of the legs” — have to be lowered in order for a skate to be able to reach/extend far outward.  In other words, standing upright, one can hardly reach outward at all; on the other hand, sitting very low brings the tops of the legs down to a point where the foot/skate can reach very far outward.

I also suggested that a lot of players lack the leg strength to comfortably sit in a good skating posture for very long.  And that brought me to recommending an exercise that my new friend was surely familiar with.  Yes, it’s an old football exercise, that tends to also serve a hockey player quite well.

Shown above is a photo grabbed from a video I posted here long ago for Megan (a young lady hockey player who is a CoachChic.com member).  As you can see, the above player is using “all legs” to support himself.

I suggested that my friend have his son try this at home for something like 10-second bouts (or until there is a slight burn in the thighs), to have him rest a little between bouts, and to have him do a number of these to get the legs used to supporting him for longer (and longer?) periods.

Oh, in closing…  I’m always talking here about the “art” and “science” of coaching.  And having the above shown player dribble a ball while performing his WallSits is my “artful” attempt to distract him from the pain of just sitting (or taking his mind off the obvious burning in his legs).

After High School Hockey Tryouts

For those outside the United States (and for those who aren’t familiar with at least the way tryouts work in Massachusetts and most other New England States)…

High school hockey tryouts could officially get underway here in MA on the first Monday after the US’s Thanksgiving holiday.  In other words, that’s when the interscholastic fall sports seasons should be completed, and when all winter sports are permitted to get underway.

It’s nail-biting time for a lot of players (and their parents), and it’s also a tense time for me.  I mean, I’ve spent the last 6-months trying to ready a group of local high school hockey players for their respective tryouts, and I’m sweating that everything turns out okay for each of my kids.

Of course, most of them (and their parents) followed my suggestions and our practice schedule to the letter, while a few probably did a little of what I recommended and a little of what made them feel good (oh, well).

So many other factors come into play here…  Not every school team is the same — in competition for slots, I mean.  And, for sure, each of my kids left with their own unique strengths and (hopefully diminished) shortcomings.  Then (as happened with one of my kids, who along with his entire family caught a flu bug last weekend), other crazy “stuff” can happen.

Anyway, all that said as an introduction, let me share some thoughts on life “After High School Hockey Tryouts”.

– Dennis Chighisola

After High School Hockey Tryouts

As yet another preface to what I’d like to share…

Just prior to their leaving me, I took some time to give my guys a pretty valuable lecture on how they should undertake their tryouts.  And I’m talking about how they should prepare ahead of time — at home, upon arriving at the rink, and as they ready for the ice.  I also suggested how they should “show” themselves, and especially when it’s most important to show-off.  Not done there, I offered advice on how to finish one workout in preparation for the next.  (Ya, just based on that one, many other players will return in pain on the second day of tryouts, while my guys should have been as fresh as daisies.)

I mentioned in the introduction about my kids all trying-out under totally different situations.  In other words, some will compete at schools where the talent is pretty deep, while some others are vying for spots where little more than a heartbeat is needed to make the varsity squad.  That said, most of my guys know their fate by now (this being 4-days after the initial tryout).  Or, do they?

The reason I say that is because:  1) it’ll be a given that some of my guys make their varsity team, 2) it might be a given that a very young player of mine is assigned to a lower team, 3) a player could get cut from the entire program (but not one of mine should), and then 4) a few kids could find themselves assigned to a lower level (freshman or junior varsity) team on what most likely is a temporary basis.  And it’s both points #2 and #4 I was referring to moments ago when I said, “Or, do they” (really know their fate).

It’s also the latter point I really want to focus on in this CoachChic.com entry.  After all, the guys who “made it” should be okay.  So now it seems appropriate to help those who find themselves on the proverbial cusp.

I think it appropriate to first point-out how I see most hockey talent pools — and this seems to hold true at every level of our game — from Mites right through to the pros…

You see, all the players who report for a given tryout can usually be plotted on a “bell curve”.

In other words, there will be a few stars at one end, a few obvious cuts at the other extreme, some close-to-stars, some close-to-cuts, and then a whole bunch of players in the middle.

When it comes to tryouts, I think this picture makes some placements pretty obvious (as far as “keepers” and “cuts” go), while it also draws attention to the fact that there are usually a ton of players in a so-called “gray area”.

If I’m conducting a tryout, I know the above, and I focus my attention where it’s most needed — on those players in the middle.

As for the kids who find themselves there — in the middle of the pack, they probably ought to know that they could likely be seen as potential third, fourth, fifth or sixth liners in a deep program.  And, depending on how many lines a given program carriers on the top team, a youngster could find himself (or herself) on a lower varsity line or a higher JV line.

And what I’m really getting at in that last paragraph is that — aside from the jubilation or disappointment experienced by an individual player, there might not be a whole lot of difference between his (or her) making one team or the other.

Again, I’m not suggesting a player has to like being assigned to a lower team.  But, at the same time, I am suggesting that a coach might just have to flip a coin when choosing between a bunch of third, fourth, fifth and sixth liners.

A couple of points in reference to a coach’s decisions — or a coach’s choices between a bunch of fairly similar players…

A lot of times the last few players on a roster are selected based on their abilities to fill certain roles.  In other words, given a lot of players to choose from, the coach might look for so-called “character players” (or certain personalities), for more physical players, for penalty-killing types, and so on.  And, in case you haven’t ever noticed, a lot of pro coaches select their fourth liners for these very reasons.

Of course, no player should want his or her fate to be decided on something akin to a coin toss.  And it troubles me something awful that players — or usually their parents — don’t take measures long in advance to fix that.  I mean, they go with the crowd all through youth hockey and during their immediate preparations for those tryouts, and then they can’t understand why they’re ultimately seen as just one of the crowd once the tryouts begin.  Geeeeeeeeze…

Okay, now for some specifics — as in two of my players currently being assigned to their program’s junior varsity teams.  One is an upperclassman who took ill a few days before the tryouts (ugh, I can just imagine how difficult it was for him to cough and wheeze as he tried to show his best), while the other player is a very young one with tons of promise.  So, let me deal with each of these sample cases separately…

For the upperclassman who attempted tryouts with the flu, I’m going to guess that the varsity coach actually liked him, he knows the boy wasn’t able to show his best, so he assigned him to the JVs to earn his way back to varsity.  Why do I guess this?  It’s because coaches of strong programs don’t usually keep older players if they’re not seen as ultimately helping the big team.  In other words, expendable older players are cut, so that younger players can get the extra ice-time and attention.  This in mind, I’ve advised my guy to get well soon, and to then start blowing away the junior varsity level.  He’s a good kid, he’ll do anything a coach asks of him, he’s pretty skilled, he can finish-off around the net, and I believe he’s at least third line material for the strong program he’s in.

As for my younger student, he is absolutely loaded with talent, he’s huge for a freshman (or for any age), yet he handles his body (and his feet and his hands) with all the grace of a smaller guy.  Ya, I think this youngster is going to be something special within a few years.  And, I sense his varsity coach knows this, too.  In fact, I am guessing that the boy’s coach is actually protecting his prized freshman for the time being, looking to slowly ease him onto the varsity roster.  If there’s something funny — or kinda good — about all this, it’s that my young buddy is ticked that he didn’t make the varsity immediately.    Oh, I know he’ll keep a good attitude as he starts with his program’s JVs, and his parents are sure to keep him grounded.  But, as I mentioned to the boy’s mom yesterday, I’d prefer to see him bothered by the seeming slight, rather than not caring.  (Actually, if there’s one thing that might have been lacking in that boy, perhaps it’s a bit of nastiness.  So, the fact that he’s in a bad mood right now might be just what the doctor ordered!)

Okay, so here’s my wrap-up on this topic, or some points I’d like CoachChic.com members to take away from all this…

1) I only had the older of the two described boys for this past season — from June until late-November.  And, while he DID make major changes in his game over that span, I can only imagine how good he’d be if he was able to take a more serious approach a few years earlier.  The freshman I described is really right on-track, and his assignment to a JV team — at least for now — is totally expected.  I’ve had him for about 3-years, and there isn’t a skill, athletic quality or thinking part of his game that isn’t superior to most kids his age.

2) I hope parents of younger players make note of the above paragraph, along with something I said earlier.  For, it doesn’t make sense to start prepping for important tryouts at the very last minute (or even in just the year prior).  And, as I’ve already stated, going with the crowd is NOT going to separate a player from the rest; naw, it’s going to leave him or her smack-dab in a sea of players, and purely trusting his or her fate to luck or whatever.

3) As much as a junior varsity assignment may seem like a real bummer to some players, I think a player’s ultimate outlook is going to depend on how he or she perceives their future chances.  In other words, it’s how he or she sees their (physical and mental) abilities in comparison to those around them.  So, there are going to be a number of kids who know they’re lucky just to be kept on any team.  At the same time, there will be those — including my two young guys — who know they’re varsity caliber, and that it’s only a matter of time before they get the call-up.

Coaching A Losing Hockey Team

This question came-in just recently from the coach of an Atom team.  Hmmmm…

Thankfully it does involve a young team, because it’s a whole lot easier to deal with such a situation when the kids are young.  (Frankly, I don’t know how I’d answer if I had to pull this off with a Midget or high school team.)

– Dennis Chighisola

Coaching A Losing Hockey Team

First, I’d have to suggest that the coach of a young team do a little soul searching.  I mean, it’s one thing to deal with a team that isn’t quite skilled enough to compete with their typical opponents, and quite another if the coach just hasn’t done his or her job well enough to help the kids compete.  (Sorry to have to say that, guys, but it surely has to be considered.)

Next — with that out of the way, I think it’s necessary to arrive at a few acceptable substitutes for winning.

Communication is key here — with the players, as well as with the parents.

As far as those substitutions go, I think the coach is going to have to do some serious “selling”, again with both players and parents.

When dealing with young ones, I don’t think it would be right to criticize them too much IF a coach knows they’re just not up to their opponents.

As for those “substitutions” (for winning), what I’m suggesting is that it might be a good idea for the coach to give his or her young team some other ways to measure their success.  Maybe it could be for the team to collectively allow fewer than x-number of goals against a given opponent.  Or, perhaps it could be that the kids are asked to execute a given part of their team play to a certain degree of satisfaction.

This aside…  Years ago I had a young goaltender who was playing for my team and for his local hometown squad.  He was getting awfully frustrated and wanted to quit the other team, because they were frequently getting blasted — like 10-0.  So, I convinced him to play a separate game for himself…  What I suggested was that he imagine that his own team started each game with something like a 10-goal lead, and that it was his job to take it from there, and hopefully preserve the imaginary win.  And, son of a gun, my goalie and his parents told me it worked!

As I offered earlier, it’s also a good idea to present a different way for a losing team’s parents to look at things…

This can put an awful lot of pressure on a coach.  Because, what I’m going to suggest is that he or she promise the parents that their kids are going to make slow but sure gains with each passing practice and game.

I know, easier said than done.

If you think about it, however, what parents usually want for their kids is 1) that they feel good about their rink experiences, and 2) that they have a chance of continuing to play after the current season is completed.

So, the main chore — at least to me — is for the coach to keep parents focused on those two things, while also being absolutely sure he or she keeps his or her side of the bargain.

Ya, admitting one has a losing team doesn’t take the coach off the hot seat.  In fact there’s going to be plenty of pressure on him or her to keep the promises he or she makes — to the players and to the parents.  But, the above approach might at least help everyone get along — and keep smiling — during some very difficult times.

Hockey Fights!

Well, I suppose I should ask you to watch the following video before I really get into what I feel compelled to say.  Sooooo, please do…

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey Fights!

Ouch!  Ouch!  And ouch!

Okay, so trust me:  that I can appreciate how countless 20-something fans can really get into hockey fights like the one you’ve just watched.  Frankly, so did I when I was much younger.  In fact, I can totally understand how hockey fans love to see a lot of rough and tumble things as they watch a game and cheer for their favorite team — including the big, bone-crushing body-checks, especially when these come at the expense of a not-so-well-liked foe.  Ya, I can appreciate all of that.

Oh, I’m not about to tell you that I’ve grown-up, and that’s the reason I’m not so enthralled anymore with the likes of fighting or even those big hits.  Naw, it has nothing to do with me turning 30, 40, 50 or the 105-years old am right now. 

No, what happened to me is that I got deeper and deeper into coaching as I got older, and I especially got more into helping players at the developmental levels of our game.

This aside, however…  A lot of years ago I had three minor pro coaching interviews.  And, let me tell you, I’d have turned a pro team loose back then, IF it meant changing a game’s momentum or exciting our hometown fans.  (Make no mistake about it:  the pro game — especially in some smaller minor league markets — is all about putting fannies in the seats and bringing the fans to their feet on a regular basis. And I could have gone along with that way back when, as much as I go for the more stylish flow of an international game nowadays.)

But, as I said moments ago, I’m not coaching the pros.  Instead, my job is to guide young players towards their maximum potential.  And, that means I have to help them be successful through a number of levels before they have the chance to even think about the pros.

I mean, young players have to move through all the youth hockey levels, they have to play high school and/or juniors, and many of them will have to show their stuff at the collegiate level before they get a pro sniff.  And, a player is NOT going to ever get that sniff — frankly, he’s never going to get ice-time at any of the lower levels — if he plays for himself, if he plays without discipline, and if he kills his team with needless penalties.  (Actually, the penalties are so severe at the lower levels that an undisciplined player is going to be suspended or booted from his league in pretty short order.)

Again, this is NOT me being a bleeding heart or anything.  I’ve already stated that I’d have gone for the rough stuff if I was coaching elsewhere.  But, since I coach where I coach, the best thing I can do is to conscientiously guide the guys in my charge, and help them make their ways up the hockey ladder without incident.

I mentioned earlier about the big, sensational body-checks…  Not that I’m against these.  However, as one pro player famous for such told me once, “You can’t run around looking to make the big hit, or you’ll look foolish.  Instead you just take them when they come.”  In further talking on the subject, he mentioned that, “The highlight videos you see weren’t taken from one game.”

Personally, I think that some supposedly big hits can be risky.  In other words, they can be too much of a gamble, whereby a player might win big by completing the check, but he might also lose big-time if he misses.

Oh, and another thing…  I hope players (and parents) appreciate that coaches — at all levels — want control.  Ya, sure, I personally might have an ego that requires my players to toe the mark.  More importantly, however, I and every other amateur coach on the planet has his neck in a noose — as in having to answer to program heads, athletic directors and league authorities.  And, make no mistake about it — and like it or not, every player on a team is representing his coach, his mates, his league and the sport.  Said yet another way:  I (and my program) ain’t going to look idiotic because of a single, loose cannon player.  Ya, if it’s him or me, you can just guess who is going down the river first.

All that said, let me put the amateur level of our game in a slightly different perspective…  You see, I usually look for a “teaching moment” whereby some player (and hopefully one that isn’t mine) does something to disgrace himself.  (It happens often enough.)  With that, I’ll talk to my kids about their love of the game — or, more specifically, their respect for the game they supposedly love.  It’ll be a “shooting the bull” kind of talk, within which I try to draw from them a true feeling for their game, and a sense of how they almost always show their respect — or disrespect — anytime they’re at a rink.

Finally, I’m sure that not everyone will go along with me on the above.  However, it all is stuff I really felt needed saying.

*

Do you have similar or different feelings?  I’d truly like to hear them.  And, don’t be shy if you don’t agree.  I’d really like to know the other side of this issue.

New Poll – About How You Hold a Hockey Stick

You wouldn’t believe how many people arrive here at CoachChic.com having searched Google and elsewhere for help on how to hold a hockey stick!  So, besides having provided some serious answers to this question already, I thought I’d also host a poll on how experienced hockey players HOLD and CONTROL their sticks.

What I’ve done is made it a two-part question, asking where they (YOU) place the dominant hand, and then which hand — dominant or non-dominant — is used to actually control the stick’s actions.

So, if you’ll just look up above for the page link — or click here…  POLL, it only takes a second or two to register your vote.

And, won’t it be interesting to follow the results?  (I’ll say!)

– Dennis Chighisola

Oh, by the way…  Anyone can vote (either as members or non-members).

Recent Hockey Game Notes

If there’s a difference between my coaching schedule and those of most members, it’s that my high school guys started way back in June only to leave me shortly, while my youngest teams are just getting underway now-ish.

However, the slightly different timing of our programs aside, I’m hoping the following observations will still help a lot of you.

– Dennis Chighisola

Recent Hockey Game Notes

My HS Prep Team
We had a nightmarish problem with our high school league this fall…  We’d been set for nearly a decade in the very same, very convenient game schedule, when all of a sudden the league folded.  That made it necessary for me to at least try to piece together some games, mostly as a means of checking a few things.  (If you’ve come to know me by now, you know that our numerous practices are far more important to me than the games.)

Going back to last spring, I’ve chronicled our conditioning and speed work for you, with a lot of the sample videos especially showing my guys working off-ice.  As I so often suggest, a lot more can usually be accomplished away from the ice, partly because of the equipment we can only use in that venue.

That’s not to say that these qualities aren’t being enhanced on the ice — far from it.  But, rather than doing very much of the traditional sprinting up and down the rink’s length, I look to work my kids’ conditioning over the course of a long practice.  In other words, the accumulation of fast paced drills over an hour can really do the trick.  Then, at practice’s end, I’ll usually do something I refer to as “The Finisher”.  And by that, I mean a drill that tends to finish the kids off, or deplete their energy pretty much to the max.

Anyway, what I really want to share with you today has to do with my players’ abilities to bounce back after a pretty tough workout…  You see, we had a game the other night, this played with a rather short roster.  So, when my guys reported to The MOTION Lab the next night — for one of their weekly off-ice workouts, I asked each how they felt that morning (or that “morning after”).  If you can appreciate it, the out-of-shape guy is going to be really, really sore.  But, my guys — to the young man — said they felt fine.  Aaaaah…  I just love it when a plan works.

I might also mention here about my teaching plan for a given night…  Oh, I surely DO stick to an overall plan — this I’ve mentioned countless times within these pages.  At the same time, I want the luxury of reacting to the kids’ needs on any given night.  So, in this regard, I really adjusted the Lab training to go along with the fact that this was the day after a tough game, as well as the fact that we had another game scheduled for two nights later.  What I did then, was mainly aimed at getting my guys to sweat some — to stay active, and to work a little on some skills.  Again, keeping them active was going to be a huge benefit, while beating on them would have been hugely counterproductive.

Finally, our game schedule is complete now, while my guys still have a little more than a week to go before their respective high school tryouts.  Ironically, I know players in this particular age group — soon facing those high school tryouts — have at least three options:

- I discovered recently that the teams we’d placed over the past few weeks are now done.  In other words, with still at least 10-days to go until tryouts, there is nothing for them.  Hmmmmmm…

- Next week — the week before high school tryouts — is a time when the unsuspecting public is going to be fleeced by a number of local high school coaches.  Ya, I’m sorry to have to say that, but…  What will be offered at nearly every local rink will be something called a “high school conditioning camp” (or something close to that).  Now, I have to ask you:  Can a player actually get into top condition in a single week?  Hardly.  In fact, I’d fear that a player attending such a program might just leave his or her best right there on the week-before practice ice.

- My guys are going to stay with me until it’s time for them to head-off to their school teams.  My main aim during our last week together is to keep the kids sharp, to keep-up with their conditioning (somewhat), to protect them from potential bumps or bruises, and to generally send them off feeling rather loosey-goosey.  Ya, in contrast to the previous method, I want to send my kids to their tryouts feeling as healthy as they can be.

My AAA Mite Major Team
Although my young guys have been together since last spring, our schedule has been a little fragmented.  We had some random off-season practice (both on-ice and off-ice, these detailed in some previous posts).  My kids have skated three times per week as part of an ADM program, and we’ve gotten an odd extra full-ice practice together on occasion.

That said, I had no doubt my kids would match well (or better than) most opponents when it came to individual skills.  And this proved so, as we won the fall 3 versus 3 league.  How we’d do in a full-ice game — owing to our limited full-ice practice time — was still to be seen.

Ugh…  We had our first full-ice game last weekend, and the results weren’t anything near our 3 on 3 play.  No, we lost, 6-3, to a team we had beaten (usually handily) over the fall months.

Was it the change in format that made the difference?  Oh, I’m not the type who jumps to those kinds of conclusions — not after just one game.  However, as I always do, I took the some detailed notes from that first full-ice game…

- First — of all things, our first game in this format was almost highlighted by a number of players being away with older brothers at a distant tournament.  I guess this wasn’t much that could have been done about this, but the conflict surely did come at a wrong time.  Not only was our bench short, but all the lines that had worked together for months were pretty much fragmented.  Oh, well…  I guess it’ll be a long winter, and things will be back to normal for most of the remaining games.

- We do a set warm-up prior to every practice and game, this being two fold — 1) to warm the kids, and 2) to give them hundreds (or probably thousands) of repetitions at some very good skill drills.  In other words, performing those over the entire fall and winter is going to really change the kids.  (As an FYI here…  I gradually change those drills as the kids master certain ones.)  Anyway, while the four things I have the kids do will easily fit into the provided 3-minutes of pre-game time, I will have to help the kids pace the drills a bit better.

- I’ve worked quite a few times on backchecking with this groups, but I made a note that I should revert to a standard drill that should help the kids further in this regard.  I like to “shut down” opponents, but that wasn’t really a feasible tactic with all our rather chaotic 3 versus 3 games.  Actually, the drill I have in mind is shown in our Drills section as the “Backchecking Drill (1/2 Ice)“.

- Understandably, some of our young defensemen had difficulty keeping pucks inside the offensive zone.  Again, it’s understandable.  So, I’ll make sure I build some drilling in on that, much like I mention in the earliest part of “Following a Defenseman Through His/Her Defensive Duties“.

- Actually, my kids didn’t do badly dealing with the off-sides rule for the first time.  Ironically, a difficulty I spotted last Sunday was something even older guys struggle with — as in a puckcarrier not hurrying to attain the offensive blueline.  (In other words, a rush is far too often going to be whistled for an off-side if the puckcarrier dilly-dallies with the puck prior to reaching the blueline.)  So, about all I can think to do with this is to organize plenty of rushes while also pressing our puckcarriers to hurry to puck on-side.

- Line changes not being the same in our many previous 3 on 3 games, I’ve failed to prepare my kids beyond the basics.  Oh, we have worked on “5 off, 5 on”.  However, I did NOT prepare my kids for getting an extra skater on the ice for a delayed penalty call.  In this regard, I will have my “next center up” be prepared to take the place of our goaltender on this play.  (Understand that there isn’t time for a coach to search the bench for a capable player, so I usually designate a position I feel is fairly strong.)

- Now, I’m going to group a number of our overall problem on one thing I can only surmise…  I mean, some of my defensemen were absent when it came to guarding their net, while far too many of our rushes gained little because puckcarriers took shots from the worst spots possible.  So, what is it I suspect?  Hmmmmm…  If I had to bet, it would be that a lot of the conversation on the way to our game had to do with parents prodding “young Johnny” to score a batch of goals.  Well, what would you think if you saw some D constantly skate the puck up-ice while a host of teammates were far ahead?  And, what would you think if you saw a number of young attackers take shots from a bad angle while a teammate sat in front of the enemy goal?  Oh, you might chock it up to the new game conditions, but we handled those situations unbelievably in all of our 3 on 3 games (where conditions were all the more difficult).  Ya, parents likely put more emphasis on this one game, it being our first on the large surface.  But, we are in for a long season if they teach the game — from home, in the car, wherever.

Okay, as I intimated earlier, I’m not about to change my whole approach based on one game, and especially one loss.  However, since a loss is usually a lot more telling than a win (where it’s harder to notice mistakes), I absolutely WILL make some practice adjustments over coming weeks.

Already I’ve had my kids work on 2-man rushes on-goal, and this is ultimately going to build towards 3-man rushes.  Darn, but we need to ultimately let the best located player take the shot.

Whether real or imagined, I think I do have to communicate with my parents when it comes to coaching their kids behind the scenes.  As Dr LaVoi and I explain in the post (and video) entitled “Up the Boards, Johnny!“, there are some dangers involved in their doing this.

A Different Kind of Hockey Memory

By Dennis DeFrehn

My story might be a little different than the typical hockey player.  Even though I grew up in New England, there were no local leagues around, or at least none I knew of.  Hockey for me was NHL 94 on the Sega Genesis, or a Whalers game at the Civic Center, even though the Bruins were always my team.

I ended up going to school in Boston, right on The Commons.  When winter descended upon the city the Pond in the Public Gardens froze over, and the Four Seasons would shovel it for their guests’ enjoyment.  While that was all good and well, the Park Rangers didn’t take too kindly to college kids showing up with pucks and sticks.  But, after dark, well into the night, the ice would be open. And it would be Ours.

We called it the Midnight Hockey League.  Pure Pond Hockey, at its roots, in the heart of one of the greatest hockey cities around.  We’d usually have about 6 people, all casual players, all fans of the game.  Every player knows how it feels to step out on the ice, and have it to yourself, whether it’s a rink at 6 in the morning, or a local pond.  There, in The Commons, it was an amazing experience. A mix of the chill of the winter air, paired with the fact that we weren’t supposed to be out there, playing in the shadow of the Prudential Tower in the middle of the night.   A bunch of friends together, enjoying the game  in it’s purest form.  No score. Just the sound of the skates carving the murky ice, the puck coming off a stick, or the laughter that would ensue when somebody took a dive into the snowbank.

Those nights out on the ice are some of my fondest memories from college, and it cemented my love of the game.

What It Takes to Make It in Hockey

I didn’t pick the above title with the idea that every member is aiming towards the NHL.  However, I think everyone here is hoping to enjoy the game more, to have some successes — at his or her own level, and to ultimately feel good about his or her hockey experiences.

That in mind, I happened across this series of videos featuring Steven Stamkos, compliments of Nike Training and YouTube.com.

There’s a story being told here, for sure.  However, what I’d like members to do — besides gaining an appreciation for Stamkos’ dedication — is to make some mental notes about the exercises he’s doing.  Then, just as an FYI…  We actually use most of those training gadgets in The MOTION Lab, outdoors or at our roller hockey facility.

Anyway, enjoy…

– Dennis Chighisola

What It Takes to Make It in Hockey

Video 1

Video 2

Video 3

Knowing What To Do Next

By Dennis Chighisola

I suppose the new USA Hockey ADM program first got me thinking about this topic.  Then again, I guess I have been forced to ponder it a lot of times through my 40-ish years in coaching.

Up front, I want to let you know that I’m currently working in a local version of the ADM, and I can say that I believe I’m seeing some results with the kids in that program.  So, while I might poke a needle at a part of the concept, I am not bashing the overall idea of the program, or the way things are currently going here locally.

My cause to “ponder it (the title topic) a lot of times” over previous years had to do with requests from other coaches to suggest what they ought to be doing with their kids, and that mainly had to do with giving those coaches exact detailed lesson plans for each nightly practice.

Also, as I’ll try to describe in the end, the challenges I’m going to outline from here onward have a lot to do with the way I’ve designed CoachChic.com’s unique format.

So, hmmmmmm…  What’s my problem with all this?  Well, there is always a problem in “knowing what to do next”.  For that very reason, USA Hockey will likely only get to accomplish a percentage of what they’d really like from their new ADM program.   For, you see, it would be impossible for ANYONE — including yours truly — to design a lesson plan in advance that will totally help a far away coach with his or her players.

Okay, as an example of what I’m getting at, let’s consider my current High School Prep team…  You probably know from my recent posts that I’ve had this group since last early June, and that my entire reason for being with them is to help each kid make his own respective high school team.  Of course, I had a plan in place to bring them from June to the end of November.  However, can that plan really be carved in stone?  Not on your life.  Over those many months, individuals and the group will have slight setbacks.  At the same time, they’re going to get the hang of some skills, some tactics and some conditioning exercises that really please me.  What I’m getting at, obviously, is my need to constantly adjust things according to what I’m seeing at any given moment.

I’m sure you also know that I’m coaching a young AAA Mite Major team (that also happens to be part of the local ADM).  Unlike the HS Prep team, though, the entire Mite program, their opponents, and even my own players are new to me.  So, I’ve altered my planning a bit, only designing that little guys’ team according to some shorter term goals.

I’ve also just started my kzillionth year of running a Learn-to-skate/Learn-to-play program.  And, while I have done it for that long, I can tell you that the nature of each new group is slightly different from the year before and the year before.  In other words, while I might enter the first few sessions with an idea of what I want to accomplish with each group, I can’t just stick to some old lesson plans I designed 20- or 30-years ago.

So, when it comes to answering the above question — about What To Do Next, I’m going to state firmly:  that’s where the REAL coaching/teaching comes into play.

No, there’s no formula for any of this.  Instead, as I suggested above in reference to my HS Prep guys, readings have to be taken nearly every time we meet.  And I’m talking about nearly every aspect of the guys’ games.

Going back to some younger kids right now (because the examples might be easier to explain)…  The youngsters in my Learn-to-play clinic should be able to get around fairly well as we take to the ice next Sunday morning, with a number of them even being able to travel backwards, and perhaps do some sort of stop.  So I’ll run several VERY basic skill drills with them, and I’ll be making mental notes on exactly where they are at that time — on things like their forward striding, their cross-overs, their stopping abilities, and their backward skating.  And from those readings I’ll design my next week’s lesson plan.

Here’s the kicker, though…  I can be absolutely sure that this group will do extremely well in given areas, while they will struggle with a few others.   So it’s my job to 1) accelerate the teaching where needed, 2) go slower in certain areas, and 3) even take a step backwards to some remedial drills for a few other skills.

And I’m going to suggest that that exact process has to take place every single time we meet as a group.  In fact, that exact process is taking place with my high school guys, it’s happening with my AAA Mites, and it’s happening with a group of kids I’m currently teaching in a weekly skills class.

Now, although most members are right now thinking they totally understand what I’ve said to this point, I’m wondering if they (you) realize the dangers in not doing it this way.

For example, can you just imagine how many players will be lost if a set lesson plan was put in place long ago, and then adhered to for the rest of the coming winter?  My guess is that about one third of a given group would progress, while quite a few kids would be totally lost — 1) because we didn’t take the occasional backward step when they needed it, or 2) because we didn’t accelerate things when that was appropriate.

A couple of what I think are cute asides…

I’ve had a few parents very nicely express some concerns with their kids’ games or their skills.

One of my assistant coaches has been around the game for awhile, and he’s occasionally expressing some worries about our kids making certain kinds of mistakes.

Another experienced assistant is wishing I’d accelerate an area of the game where his son is concerned.

And in just about every one of those conversations, the parent or coach was dead-on.  I mean, they were right in what they were seeing; it’s just that they were usually wrong as to when it might be appropriate to address their concerns.

I hate going off-track on you again, but here’s another aside, this one an example to make my point even further…

I’m working on puckhandling skills within the ADM program, and as each differently skilled group rotates to my station, I’m teaching that group according to all I’ve described above — from reading where they are at a given time, etc.

=>  There are a ton of young parents watching each clinic, and I’m often thinking to myself that a few of the former hockey playing dads are probably wondering why I’m having kids stickhandle without ever mentioning their need to keep the eyes up.

Ha.  My simple answer to that (if I could hang a banner over center-ice) would be, “Everything in its own time and place.”  In other words, the stickhandling challenges I’m giving those kids right now are overwhelming enough, so I don’t want to complicate matters by tossing an extra challenge their way.  (Down the road, I actually have an easy way to teach eyes up stickhandling.)

Okay, so let’s go back to a few of my opening statements…

I suggested that there’s at least the probability that any given ADM program might only achieve a percentage of its full potential.  And the key words in that last sentence are “any given ADM program”.  In other words, my pretty educated feeling is that each program is going to come closer or further from its true potential according to how well teaching adjustments can be made (ideally on a night-to-night basis).  Let me repeat what I said earlier, though, in that kids ARE going to benefit from the ADM; my worry is just that some will benefit more or less.

Then, let me tell you that the guy or gal who authors a booklet containing perfect lesson plans for an entire season is going to become a millionaire.  Of course, if you’re thinking about purchasing something like that, think again.  As you should realize by now, it’s virtually impossible to create such a thing.

Oh, well…  I actually have created something like the above — that really does work.  And it’s going to be released here someday in the future, when I’ve had a lot of extra time to get it exactly right.

In the meantime, let’s talk about the CoachChic.com format for a few secs…

Most of what you’ll find within the current 400 or so postings are the result of my needing to problem-solve.  In many instances I may have given you an exact way to deal with a given challenge, but I’m just as apt to have given members a few observations I’ve made, thereby allowing you to make some of your own (better founded) decisions.  Yet another thing I’ve done in hopes of benefiting you is to divide a wealth of information into fairly easy to negotiate categories.   Hopefully then, you can quickly find skating help, puckhandling help, help for goalies, important principles having to do with the offensive side of our game, and so forth.

Finally, if there’s one thing I’d like you to come away with here, it’s that there is currently no silver bullet, and no one-size-fits-all.  No, I truly believe the best coaching/teaching is done on a day-to-day or night-to-night basis, and it’s predicated on really “Knowing What To Do Next”.

Naming Your Hockey Lines

The above is a question I recently fielded from a hockey coach, and it’s a good one.  Actually, I sense it’s one of those that I wouldn’t have even thought to address without being asked.  (See how valuable your questions and Comments can be?)  So, with that, let’s get into…

– Dennis Chighisola

Naming Your Hockey Lines

I almost know that the coach who posed this question did so because he didn’t want to designate kids as first-liners, second-lines, and so forth.  Anyway, that’s my thinking.  I’d prefer not to give my kids the impression that one line is any better than the other, and I even like them to battle it out to show which unit can be trusted more than the others.

While on that subject, I like to keep a lot of stats that are based on a unit’s performance.  (In my case, I like to form 5-player units, but this philosophy also works when evaluating forward lines and defense pairs.)

As for my suggestion, it would be to go with colors.  Take my current Mite AAA team, for example…  Three different 5-man units are dressed alike for our practices — in red, blue and yellow.  So, I simply refer to them by their colors.

By the way…  Not every organization can afford extra shirts just for practice sake.  However, I think every family could manage to purchase a t-shirt of a designated color, and these could easily be worn over another jersey.

Up above, my junior high school team wears their color-coded hockey practice jerseys to any practice will include systems work.

No matter which way a team chooses to outfit players and sort them into lines, I’ll suggest that the parents be warned ahead of time that colors may be swapped from time to time.  In other words, it’s quite possible I’ll sometime down the road move a boy from the red unit to the blue, etc.

Okay, that’s the way I happen to handle this little challenge — dressing and referring to my players by color-coded units.  Yet, I am going to bet that there’s a member or two out there who has an even better idea than mine.  So, since exchanging ideas is just one of the many benefits of CoachChic.com membership, I’d really like to hear from others on this subject.  (Just use the Comment box down below.)

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