Hockey Gains Come When You Least Expect Them

I have a nice young lady to thank for this entry.  For, you see, my video on “Incredible Stickhandling” (plus the bonus video) has made it just about around the world — even to a lady hockey player from the UK.

Sometime near when she purchased and downloaded those videos, she expressed concerns to me.  (I think she was praying they work, and she was even hoping they worked quickly enough for her next game — gulp, I hate that kind of pressure!)

Anyway, checking in with her earlier today, just to see how she was doing, I sensed she needed just a little more advice — and maybe some support — to go along with what is in those videos.

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey Gains Come When You Least Expect Them

Now, I know I could take care of this subject with just one very old and time-worn expression, as in, “Rome wasn’t built in a day!”  Ya, that would do it.  But, not really well enough for me (or my young UK friend).

Actually, my brief conversation with her on Facebook earlier today caused me to think back to some times long ago, when I came to sense the title of this post was true, that “hockey gains come when you least expect them”.

The most memorable of the events I recalled today had to do with a hockey mom and dad who came to me one day all excited about the play their son had made in a recent game.  Paraphrasing the way they explained it to me, I guess their boy went on a rush, got tripped-up, fell to his knees, he kept stickhandling while down on the ice, ultimately recovered to his feet, and then fired a nice shot into the opposition net (which is kinda my description of a highlight reel goal).

I tell this story because the drill we use for practicing dribbling while on the knees was one of probably 25 I used regularly in my weekly skills clinic.  Again, it was just one of a bunch of drills, and it probably only received about 4-minutes of attention each week.

As an aside…  That particular drill happens to be in my regular collection for a lot of reason, beyond helping a player with the possibility that he or she might fall to the ice and need to keep puck possession.  I mean, it’s one of those I group under “asymmetric drills”, in that it forces a player to deal with numerous physical challenges at once (a lot like our game demands).  And I also use it to teach puckhandlers to keep adjusting their hands and arms so that their stick-blades stay flat on the ice no matter what posture they’re in.

What I’m really getting at by bringing-up this old story is that I had absolutely no clue if and when that young player would ever get to apply that stickhandling-on-the-knees skill in a game.  And I mean that.

Next, I believe I wrote recently about my mom’s lifelong want to reduce her body weight.    Ya, and knowing her oldest son kinda knows his stuff in that area, she was forever calling me for advice.  However, the problem has always been that mom wanted the weight off NOW.  So she’d starve herself for about 2-days, only to be disappointed when the bathroom scale told her she was the same as before, she’d gained a pound, whatever.  By about her third call to me for help, I told her to hide the dawgoned scale, continue her exercise and diet, and only go by how she was feeling on a given day.  I probably also told her about the building of Rome, or how “gains come when you least expect them”.

I had a similar (but less frustrating) exchange with a young hockey playing guy this spring, this having to do with his strength program.  I sensed that he was as concerned about how he looked as how much strength he gained.  However, when he asked whether just sticking with his program and not worrying about day to day results was the right approach, I answered, “Absolutely!”  And I can tell you that I went overboard to assure him that, “Gains come when you least expect them.”

Going back to the kids in my skills courses, no matter the level, I can assure you that even I don’t know when the worked on skills will kick-in to their games.  Nor do I know how long it will take for my High School Prep team’s powerplay or forecheck will really take hold.  There just isn’t a scientific law for this kind of thing — like it takes 3 practices for high school guys to learn their defensive zone coverage, it takes 4 clinic sessions for my little guys to master their snowplow stops, or it takes 6 sessions at home for my young UK friend to suddenly toast an opponent with an “incredible stickhandling” move.  (Actually, as a coach overseeing these players, I don’t have any expectations beyond the fact that those “gains will come when we least expect them”.)

Oh, another aside did just come to mind here…  For, I do almost every year or so run across a player with unique capabilities.  I mean, there are the rare athletes who can almost immediately incorporate a new skill in their game.  (I once suggested to an 8-year old on a game bench that he might try practicing a new move when he returned home from our tournament.  He was one of those rare ones, though, because he seconds later jumped over the boards, grabbed the puck, and execute that very move right their in game action.  Wow.)

As for the rest of us mere mortals, all that I can absolutely promise is that sticking with a given discipline is going to ultimately achieve the desired results.  Again, there’s no time-frame; it’s just going to happen when the athlete’s mind and body decide so.

In fact, here’s a tip for my far away student…  Actually it comes from my late-dad’s bag of coaching tricks (he was a very successful baseball coach).  For, dad always said, “Work hard in practice, and then forget everything you learned when you enter the games.”  Of course, baseball and hockey are very different sports.  However, I can buy his idea of removing too much thinking during a game;  it’s far better that a player practice and practice and practice, and then allow reactions — or spontaneity — to dictate once the puck is dropped for real.

I’d suggest that she work at home on those “Incredible Stickhandling” exercises, with little concern for when the different skills will creep into her game.  And I’d further suggest that she go to her games to just have fun, to just play on her instincts, and allow nature to take its course.  For, as I’ve explained to my mom (ugh), to my students and players, and to young athletes who want to get stronger (or better looking), “gains come when you least expect them.”  (Keep plugging away, P.A.  You’ll be glad you did — in no time.)

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By the way, I’ll shortly explain further about the availability of certain videos for download.  For now, however, here’s the promotional video that goes along with the “Incredible Stickhandling” one….

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And here’s a link to where that and a growing list of videos can be purchased…

“Incredible Stickhandling“

Some Hockey Updates…

I hope hockey parents and coaches of younger players take advantage of this month’s free gift (it’s under *Gifts up above).  For, my Model Rink and movable Men have proven awesome for teaching newer hockey players things like face-off positions, off-side and icing rules, as well as basic game playing strategies.  So, if you’re a CoachChic.com member (yes, only members receive these), go grab your downloadable gifts before they’re gone.

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A lot like in the game of Monopoly (“Bank error in your favor” — LOL), some technical glitches on my side of things have prevented me from changing the offer.  Oh, it has to get done, with the price increasing.  But, until I solve those tech problems, you have the benefit of still ordering my “Incredible Stickhandling” video for the no-brainer price of $9.00 (and you can still receive the bonus video entitled “The Best Stick Drill EVER!”).   By the way, I think you might get a kick out of the promotional video I’ve made about this…

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

Only 100 units will be sold under the stated special conditions!

Mites & Squirts Can Change Real Fast!

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

That said, here we go…

– Dennis Chighisola

Mites & Squirts Can Change Real Fast!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some After Hockey Practice Observations

Some After Hockey Practice Observations
By Dennis Chighisola

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Steven Stamkos Incredible Hand Eye Goal

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My HS Prep Hockey Team Returns to the Lab

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

– Dennis Chighisola

My HS Prep Hockey Team Returns to the Lab

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With that, here are the drills…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Readying for My AAA Mite Hockey Team

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

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

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

Readying for My AAA Mite Hockey Team

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

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

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

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

Member (and non-member) Alert!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The the 21 Day Challenge

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

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Shaun and Dawn

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

Parents, Listen Up!

Have You Claimed Your Hockey Gifts Yet?

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

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

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

Spring Has Sprung for Hockey Players!

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

– Dennis Chighisola

Spring Has Sprung for Hockey Players!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jerry Z versus “The Brute”!

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

– Dennis Chighisola

Jerry Z versus “The Brute”!

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

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

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

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

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

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Who is Your REAL Hockey Competition?

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

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

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

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

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

Who is Your REAL Hockey Competition?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Little History to The MOTION Lab

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

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

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

A Little History to The MOTION Lab

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Championship Time for Seniors

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

– Dennis Chighisola

Shaun Goodsell, MA – President and CEO of Mental Edge

Championship Time for Seniors

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shaun

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

Are Hockey Players Being Taught to Dive?

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

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

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

That said, DO let us run with it!

– Dennis Chighisola

Are Hockey Players Being Taught to Dive?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Justin Johnson
Performance Coach, Mental Edge

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For more information, contact Justin@MentalEdgeNow.com

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

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And, as always, we REALLY appreciate your Comments!

Only the Great Hockey Players Take a Beating

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

Only the Great Hockey Players Take a Beating

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My Equipment Cart

By Dennis Chighisola

Okay, you’d better not laugh about this one.  Actually, I introduced my Net Blocks recently just to soften you up for something that’s even more unusual.  Yes, the contraption shown below is Old Coach Chic’s cart.  (And, no, I’m not homeless, as some of my rink buddies suggest!)

Now, if you’ll recall what I said about those Net Blocks, I tend to look for answers that solve problems, and especially if they help me do a better job of teaching/coaching.

That said, let me paint a little picture here…  The other night I pulled into the rink where my team practices on Wednesday nights.  From a couple of hundred yards away, I could see that there had to be a high school hockey game going on in the front rink.  I mean, the parking lot was full, and this was going to mean that I’d have a hard time finding a parking spot very close to the rink.  (At least once per year I tease the rink’s manager about getting my own spot, and more times than that I ask if someone will call me a taxi.  )

Next, appreciate that there’s just one main entrance to that place, and I have to pass through the crowded lobby, then through the front rink, until I reach the rink in the back where we’ll practice.

By the way…  I’ve just described conditions at one rink, and I work there at least twice per week.  However, there’s yet another I go to even more often, and it’s nearly as difficult to negotiate.

Anyway, with that kind of trek in mind, now picture that I STILL want to run the best practice I can.  And this is going to mean I need — at minimum — my usual kzillion pucks, some obstacles for stickhandling around, my fairly large skate bag, my stick, my clipboard, extra practice jerseys, sometimes a big camera with accessories, and oftentimes several other special gadgets.

Now, let me tell you what some guys or gals might do…  They’d likely ditch two-thirds of the pucks, and they’d probably only carry those, their skates and their stick.  As for me, I’m thankful I’m not that way.

No, it seems to me that running a great practice is my first objective.  From there, it’s up to me to figure-out how I can pull that off, or how I can get all I need into the rink.  And, the answer, at least for me, is what you see below.

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I’m guessing I’ve been through about three different models of carts over about the past 15-years.  Actually, I have two right now — the bigger one you see above that’s kept in my SUV, and a smaller one that collapses and stores easily in the trunk of my car (and I have another complete set-up of gear for the car).  That bigger cart was made for toting golf clubs — and the large wheels make it easier to roll through the snow, while my smaller one is more like the light shopping carts that can be purchased in local department stores.

Just to point-out the things I happen to have in the above cart…  Perhaps you can notice my clipboard (and lesson plan) hanging from the front.  At least one Net Block is dangling close by, and so is there a small bag of extra jerseys hidden from view.  Inside the cart are my foam dots (for puckhandling courses), a bag containing about 80-pucks, and my own bag is on the very top, this containing my skates, gloves, some tools, extra whistles, and lots of small teaching necessities.  I happened to take these photos on the night I was running my team’s skills session, so there wasn’t the need for a few other teaching accessories.  However, if I needed my greaseboard or Model Rink, they’d easily affix to that cart.

Oh, there might be an option I haven’t mentioned here, like storing some gear at the rink.  I do that with my SMG, and sometimes with some other larger gadgets.  However, the stuff I carry in my cart is needed at between three and five different facilities each week.

Finally, a carriage like mine is not for everyone, and I didn’t mean to poke fun at anyone who doesn’t use something like that.  My real point — as in many other posts — is that some problems need to be solved in order to run the best training sessions possible.  Some such problem solving gadgets are shown in this section — in the Coaches’ Corner, while others might been found in From The MOTION Lab.

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Okay, joking aside, might you have any ideas to add?  You know I look forward to reading your Comments!

Reflections of a High School Hockey Coach

I actually asked our good friend, Todd Jacobson, to provide this mid-season report for all of us.  Why at this time?  Well, I just sense that it’s about at the midpoint in a season when a coach has a pretty good grasp of the roster, a sense of how things are going — or where they’re going, and it’s also around this time when he or she might wish, “I shoulda done this,” or, “I shoulda done that.”

Now, Todd is in about his 5th or 6th season at the helm of his school’s program.  And, with that, I’d like member coaches to appreciate just how little he leaves to chance.  I mean, he begins his next year’s planning REAL early, he knows exactly how he’s going to early-on screen and then assign players to roles, he’s planned how lines will be formed and then used, he has a picture in his mind about how his overall program will function (between varsity and JVs), and he has a philosophy — or an approach to his overall season — that he totally believes in.

But, enough from me.  This is some really good stuff!

– Dennis Chighisola

Reflections of a High School Coach

I’d like to start off by saying that anyone who wants to coach high school hockey better be prepared and willing to put more than their fair share of time and effort into it, if he or she really wants to make it work.

I also want to say that I absolutely love it. You have about a 13 week season in which you have to fit in tryouts, scrimmages, regular season games, on ice and off ice practices, team meetings, weight room sessions, and that is only the stuff on the surface.  That list doesn’t include all of the administrative work that goes into a successful program.

Believe me, when I say that I start preparing within weeks of one season ending (usually sometime in April). It starts with getting letters out to rinks as I look for quality ice times. It also encompasses numerous league meetings — for scheduling, etc.  I also have to have a balance of practices and games for both the Varsity and JV teams. Then there is the budget and trying to keep the ever skyrocketing prices of ice under control without having to sacrifice the number of practices we’ll have.  Next I have to juggle weight room sessions, off ice training, and team meetings into the off days. So, in any given week, our Varsity team will meet about 6 times, and the JVs about 4 times. (As an FYI, we also have a pay to play fee which I have always been totally against.  But to put a quality hockey program on the ice you need money to come from somewhere other than just the school.  So, about 25% of our budget comes from the pay to play fees.)

Getting started we have about 4 days of tryouts (3 on ice and 1 off ice) whereby the coaches are to look for the standouts at both ends of the roster.  In this way, by the second day, we are really looking at a small group of what I call “bubble” players.  Bubble players are the kids who will make the last couple of spots on our Varsity team and be the top players on the JV roster. We also have what we call swing players and JV-plus players. Swing players may be kids who don’t see a lot of Varsity game time but can fill in when needed, and they get to practice with the varsity all season long, as well as get plenty of game action on the JV team. The JV-plus players are a few JV kids who we bring up from time to time, for practices and for certain games (so we can maybe get them some much needed varsity experience).

Once tryouts are over, we have about 10 days to get ready for the season opener. I purposely start my Varsity games later than most other teams. This gives me time to get the proper amount of practice on our playing systems. We usually play anywhere from one to three scrimmages during these 10 days.

Typically, line combinations are made quickly, based on a number of criteria I use:

• I try to balance my top two lines (that way teams can’t focus on one group or the other).
• I look for a scorer, a grinder, and a playmaker for my first two lines. (When I talk to other coaches, I hear them say it’s tough to play us because we do balance our lines pretty well.)
• My third line is usually a defensive minded one.  I look for kids who will hustle and work hard for 35-45 seconds, which provides the necessary rest for our top two lines. Any offense we get from them is a bonus.
• I personally like to run 3 lines of forwards and 4 to 6 defensemen. I feel our up tempo style dictates that we roll three lines (and I find that all the successful teams do much the same). The teams who don’t usually find themselves tired in the third period usually pull away in the end.

I’m a huge fan of the subliminal (or the “head games” coaches typically play on opposing teams):

• We have a dress code for games; whether it is at home or away, we dress appropriately. I always say, “If you dress with class, you play with class.”
• I also like my team to hit the ice first, regardless of if it’s at home or away. I think when you show that you are eager to be out there it sends a message to the other team.
• I like to have my players at the rink well beforehand, or at least one hour in advance.
• Our players will do some warm up type drills (agility ladders or golf ball stickhandling) to get themselves in a good mindset for the game to come.
• Sometimes I will have a team meeting as soon as the kids arrive at the rink, and then I give a pre-game talk just before we go out to the ice.

Most coaches will tell you that the majority of their coaching is done in practice, and then we bench manage and make corrections during games.

My philosophy has always been to scout all of our opponents (I try to see every team within about 2 weeks of when we play them).  But this can be time consuming and difficult to work into any schedule.  However, with a good sized staff of coaches, sometimes we benefit from an assistant skipping a practice to go watch a team that we will be playing soon.

My other key philosophy has been to plan on taking away something another team does well, this in hopes of frustrating them. If I feel we are the stronger team, we work on setting the tone and making the other team adjust to what we do well.

I also believe in playing a quality schedule. We play some of the toughest teams in our state year every year.  So, when we ultimately do qualify for the state tournament, we have earned it.

To give you an idea of where we stand with four weeks to go in the current season, we have 9 games remaining (8 of them at home) and are we’re just below the .500 mark.  (Like it or not, we play some very tough teams in the next two weeks.)

I have a saying that, “You can’t leave points on the table.” And in two games so far this year, we’ve done just that.  So, now that we’ve dug ourselves a hole, we need to steal some points from some of the better teams we’ll soon play. Last year we left points on the table early in the year, as well, but then knocked off some pretty good teams down the stretch to qualify for the tournament. If there’s one thing in our favor, I feel that we usually peak later in the year, which is when you want your team to be clicking on all cylinders. Some teams come out fast and fade.  But I feel the more important the games are later in the year, the better my teams will usually play.

So as we move toward “crunch time”, and needing to play some pretty solid hockey against some pretty good teams, we continue to work on the things that we need to tighten up. Positional play within our systems has been a struggle, but we are getting better with every practice. We have a group of kids that work hard on every shift.  There are no superstars, but they’re more a collection of kids who have skills that gel well together.  In other words, this year’s squad is a real “blue collar” type team. They’re definitely the definition of a team, they need each other to be successful, and in the end I know that they will do just that.

Your in Hockey,

Coach J.

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Now, I’m not about to put words in my young buddy’s mouth.  However, if you’ll notice how much Todd’s “system” means to his team’s success, you also might realize how little influence he and most other high school coaches have over their players’ individual skills.  But, let me try to explain that better…

I know darned well that Todd works on his player’s skills nearly every day.  I know he holds some great practices, both on-ice and off-ice, and that many of these are geared towards enhancing his kids’ skating, puck-work, passing, scoring, defending, strength and conditioning.  All that said, it’s hard for him — or any other high school coach — to affect huge changes in a player’s overall skill capabilities in only 13 or so weeks.

What am I getting at?  It’s that high school coaches — for the most part — only get to work with the players as they’ve arrived.  So, we’re thrilled if they’ve learned highlight reel skills on their way up through the youth hockey ranks, and even more thrilled if they’ve busted their buns during the very long off-season.  For, once they arrive, the major part of a coach’s job is to pull them together into some sort of system.

The reason I’ve added this particular wrap-up?  I think the onus is really on prospective high school players to prepare well in anticipation of truly competing at that level.  After all, there’s a HUGE difference between the 13-weeks the high school coach will have them, and the 39-ish weeks a player has to really prepare.  (But, that’s just this old coach’s 2-cents worth.)

Unbelievable job, Todd!

– Dennis Chighisola

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What If You Don’t Have an Agility Ladder?

Having lots of posts here in reference to using — and even making — agility ladders, it was just a matter of time before someone would write me about what to do if they don’t own their own ladder.  And, as you’ll soon see, that’s an easy one to answer.

– Dennis Chighisola

What If You Don’t Have an Agility Ladder?

Up front, let me tell you that agility ladders can be a pain in the butt to use.  Laughing to myself here, I should point-out that all the great videos we find around the Internet have most likely been edited — a lot.  And that goes for my videos, as well.  I mean, athlete’s miss-step plenty when they’re first learning, and they frequently get a little tangled in the ladder or at least knock the ladder out of shape.

That said, I use a number of approaches to working on footwork, with most of these depending on the location where my players will work…

For example, there are a lot of places where we need to get our agility work in, and then vanish from that area without a trace.  And for that, it makes sense to just spread a ladder, do our workout, roll it back up, and pack it away.

For another example — this one having to do with agility work in a more permanent location…  I recall numerous hockey (and other sport) parents telling me that they made a ladder for their youngster after having liked the way I work with the one in The MOTION Lab.  Most of those parents told me that they used colored tape to mark-out a ladder on the floor in their basement or den.  I’ve actually done that myself — using good old duct tape, although I’ve discovered that older players and a lot of traffic will ultimately scuff the tape and turn-up its edges.  Really, though, most of my tape-jobs have last a few months, at least.

I’ll sometimes offer that a family can paint the outline of an agility ladder on their driveway or another paved area.  If there’s a caveat here, it’s that frequent work on an unforgiving surface can be rather hard on the legs.  Along this line of thinking — about using paint…  I haven’t sprayed those on grass, but I do use white, water-based spray paint to mark the field area where my NEHI teams do their off-season sprint workouts.

Then, of course, it is possible to use chalk to outline an agility ladder on the right kind of surface.  If there’s a problem here, the chalk isn’t likely to stay very long.

Finally, my experimentation in The MOTION Lab has brought me from using a regular agility ladder to a taped one to the painted ladder that now sits in the middle of the Lab.  There are no ropes or rungs to get tangled in, no set-up time required, and the paint stands-up far, far longer than the tape I’d previously tried.  Better yet, our agility ladder is always there (as shown in the above photo), even though we can ignore it most of the time to perform other types of drilling in the same area.

PS:  If I’ve failed to mention it previously, the standard agility ladder is 18″ wide with the rungs spaced 18″ apart.  But, I see no scientific reason for being exact on those dimensions.

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Do you have any ideas along these lines?  Have you tried something similar but better?  Please tell us in the Comment area below!

The Effects of Growth Spurts on Hockey Players

I sometimes wonder if my friends at CoachChic.com appreciate the unique topics discussed here.  Oh, I don’t mean to sound like I’m patting myself (or our other awesome writers) on the back when I say that.  However, there are some — perhaps not so hockey specific — subjects that I never see mentioned elsewhere, despite the fact that they can impact hugely on a hockey player’s skill development, safety, and more.  Anyway, I think the following topic is an important one.  But, I’ll let you be the ultimate judge of that.

– Dennis Chighisola

The Effects of Growth Spurts on Hockey Players

Right now, a number of my Team NEHI junior high school kids are in a funk.  In other words, while they’re pretty nice players, little things are going wrong in their execution.  (Well, sometimes there are more than just little things going wrong, but…)

Ironically — and despite my having seen this happen for going on 40-years, it always seems to take a few weeks for me to notice.  Thereafter, it might take me even a little while longer to recognize the real problem.

The reason I mention my junior high team kids is because they’re in the rough age group where growth spurts so often take place.  I mean, growth is obviously happening with my littlest students, and also with my high school guys.  But, that group of kids from about 12- to 14-years old is really something else.  And, of course, some of the kids in this age bracket are also experiencing the effects of puberty, which further magnifies what I’m about to discuss.

Now, let me offer a personal story here (and maybe give you another opportunity to laugh at this old coach).  For, probably a good 25-years ago, I was sitting in the stands at one of my son’s pre-season hockey games, and I’m watching a previously highly skilled boy fall all over himself.  I mean, he’d made one of the top high school teams in the country — as a freshman, mainly because he had wheels, he could do tricks with the puck, and he could shoot absolute bullets.  Yet, just prior to his sophomore season, he was now skating like he’d never had a lesson in his life, and he couldn’t handle a puck beyond a couple of dribbles!  Man, I mean to tell you that he was awful.  (You should have heard me whisper to my wife that night, like, “I teach dawgoned skills for a living, and my son can’t even skate!”)

Thank God, in that the effects of his latest growth spurt didn’t last into the regular high school season.  Phew!

Okay, so was it just a short bout he had with this thing?  I’m guessing not.  More likely the effects of that spurt began way back in the spring months, but they just weren’t as obvious during our off-season clinics and hockey camps.

So again, quite a few on my current team are in a funk, some of them looking an awful lot like my son did at the height of his struggles.  Yet, a few of the kids are just a smidgeon off in their body control.  And, my fairly educated guess is that there are a number of reasons why those in my small group are currently facing slightly differing challenges:

1. I’m sure that every individual does experience growth spurts in different ways, and to different degrees;
2. I’m sure that all of the kids are at different points in their current growth spurts;
3. I’m sure that they’ll all struggle through these for differing lengths of time.

I think those three points (and there are probably more) contribute to why it takes me a length of time to recognize what’s happening with any given player.  After all, it shouldn’t be surprising if he or she has a bad game (or two or three).  Hey, even most pros aren’t all that consistent, so pre-teens should be expected to go a little up and down in their play.  However, what catches my attention is when a player is drastically off his or her game for a stretch, or when that rough stretch starts to go on for a considerable length of time.

Okay, so what do we do during such times?

• First, I have to remember that I was in my team parents’ shoes some 25-years ago.  So, I’ve most recently talked to the ones with players who are struggling a great deal.  I don’t want them to overly worry about what they’re seeing, and I especially don’t want them to be overly hard on their kids if those kids aren’t exactly performing up to snuff.
• In the case of the older players who are now suffering through tough times, I’ve actually had short talks with them, and I’ve tried to ease their minds a bit, and even suggest that they’ll be far better players than they were before, as soon as they get used to their new bodies.  (And that’s what the difficulty is, you know, in that such kids are climbing — or falling — out of bed every morning with a totally new body!)
• Because so many on my current roster are in the same boat, I’ve been gradually switching back to a lot of coordination type drills.  (That’s the only thing I’ve sensed that helps at such times.)  So, footwork, puck control, passing and timing their shots have been high on my drills list.  And, we’ve been doing a lot of tumbling and ball-playing activities lately in our off-ice sessions, while I’m going to start getting everyone back to twirling their jumpropes soon, as well.

By the way…  Have you noticed that most of the exercises I’ve prescribed would be good for all of my kids, and not just those who are struggling through growth spurts?  That’s the way I feel about most of my troubleshooting efforts, in that putting a couple of drills or exercises into a given practice or routine for a few doesn’t hurt the other kids at all; in fact, I’ll suggest that approach helps everyone.  (Actually, while some might not yet be into a growth spurt — quite yet, what’s the likelihood they will be very shortly?  I’d say, pretty darn good.)

Now, there’s another concern I want to raise about kids who are experiencing growth spurts, and it just might be as important as all I’ve said to this point.  For, with some players seemingly sprouting inches overnight, there’s the distinct probability that they’re quickly outgrowing various pieces of hockey equipment.  Worst of all, parents may be too close to the situation, and tending not to notice such things.  Also, I think parents get into a rhythm about gear purchases, expecting to make most of the larger ones in the spring or summer.  During their son’s or daughter’s earliest years, there probably wasn’t the need to replace pants, shin guards or gloves mid-season.  However, those are the items I most often notice being too small on kids who have suddenly grown.

Then, a third point…  If you’ve followed things here for very long, you probably recall my concerns when it comes to the effects gear has on skill development.  Tight or restricting equipment can cause a player to perform skills differently, most often in the wrong way.  And, all he or she has to do is practice the movement wrongly enough times, and that becomes the way he or she is going to do it until the muscles are retrained in the right way.

Finally, while I’ve spent a lot of time on the way sudden growth spurts can impact on player performance, and I’ve also brought to light some safety and developmental issues, I think there’s one more thing that’s pretty important to consider.  After all, I’ve noticed that even very good players can get down on themselves during times when their skills suddenly fail them.  That should be as understandable as anything else I’ve said to this point.  Sure, little setbacks here and there are part of the learning process — and I’ll suggest they’re one of the huge benefits to our growing-up in sports.  At the same time, you and I don’t ever want any sort of setback to really devastate a youngster.  So, that in mind, I think we coaches and parents have to first recognize when a growth spurt might be affecting a player.  Thereafter, I believe a combination of 1) explaining things to them and 2) giving them some worthwhile exercises will make all the difference in the world.

Okay, so I’m going to end as I began, wondering if you’d ever find this kind of information anywhere else.  (In a way, I guess it’s an inner drive in me — to be as thorough as possible — that gets me so much into a topic like this one.)  But, of course, I’ll have to leave the value of all that up to you.

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Coach Chic Interviewed on “IslesNation” Blog

A note from Dennis Chighisola…

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

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

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The Broken Hockey Stick (and More)

As always, I warn folks involved at our game’s higher levels not to take something like the following too lightly — I mean, just because my examples happen to involve some young players.  As I’ll ultimately suggest, learning should never stop, no matter the age or experience level.

With that…  I can’t believe I (at least in a way) missed jotting this note during yesterday’s Mighty Mite hockey game.  It’s not like a big deal wasn’t made out of it.  Thankfully, though, good friend Michael G reminded me in an email this morning.  Yes, one of my little guys broke his stick in yesterday’s game, and I’m now going to explain to my friends here why I think it’s necessary for hockey coaches AND PARENTS to make note of such events.

– Dennis Chighisola

The Broken Hockey Stick (and More)

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Now, I’ve mentioned elsewhere here about our need to spot so-called “teaching moments”.  And, to me, such moments usually involve some important event that doesn’t happen often enough to get covered in practices.  Let me give you an example, though…

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When my buddy Anthony Chic was a Mite B, his team played in an exciting holiday tournament at a nearby rink.  A critical point in one of the earliest tourney games was when one of Tony C’s teammates closed his hand on a puck in their crease, with this resulting in a penalty shot for the opponents.  Okay, no big deal, right?

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Well, maybe you saw this coming, but…  A few days later, in the game which was to decide the team’s chance to move-on in tournament play, the very same thing happened.  I mean, a different defenseman on Anthony’s team once again smothered a puck in the crease, and the deciding goal was scored on the ensuing penalty shot.  (Ugh!)

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Hmmmmmm…  Now, one might think that all of the kids who witnessed the penalty days earlier would have remembered the consequences.  Ya, one might think.  But, the fact of the matter is, not all 6- and 7-year olds are noticing — or totally understanding — what’s going on at such a time.

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The rest of that “Hmmmmmm-thing” is that we now know our team’s coach did not use that earlier event as a wonderful teaching opportunity.  (Worse yet, I have to wonder if he ever used the second occurrence to explain what happened to his kids.  ???)

Okay, so yesterday we had that youngster break his stick during the game action.  In a panic, he rushed to the bench, both portions of the stick still in hand.  Since we’re allowed to be on the ice during these Instructional League games, an assistant coach and I both rushed to tell him, “Drop it!  Drop it!”

With that, we might have been able to convey to a few kids the message about it (playing with a broken stick) being a penalty.  But, how many kids really understood that in the craziness of the game?  And, I’d be willing to bet that most of the kids who were involved in the action at that time didn’t even witness what took place.

So, here’s the big deal, as far as I’m concerned…  There were 20-ish kids involved our game yesterday, and probably 30-something playing in those long ago tournament games.  And, since two great teaching moments were missed for the sake of quite a few kids, I’m going to suggest that those kids are (or were) left in jeopardy of committing the same rule infractions sometime down the road, maybe even during a very critical game situation.  And, is it going to make some young player feel pretty badly if he or she gets nailed for such a violation?  I’m thinking that’s so.

Now, at the higher levels I’m going to suggest that the consequences are all the greater.  I’ve seen players benched by their high school or college coach for taking needless penalties.  As a matter of fact, many higher level associations have officials visit member schools during the pre-season, just to talk to the players (and coaches) about recent rule changes.  Ya, they think it’s that important.

Okay, so what should we parents and coaches do about all this?

For sure, I and my fellow coaches have to grab those teaching moments and make the most of them.  A long winter schedule usually provides us a number of these, no matter our level of competition.  In each instance, we want to pick a time or method when every single player can be in on the conversation (which means the team bench is hardly the place to handle these things).  As for me, I think I’m going to compose an email that will direct my Mighty Mite parents to this article, and I’ll also put a link on our team website.

As an aside here…  There will always be a difference in the ways we each communicate with our teams.  When it comes to my two older groups (ages about 12- to 18-years), I can usually present the information directly to my players.  However, if we’re talking about very young kids, it might not be a bad idea to share our advice with both the players and their parents.

Then, as for the beauty of Mike G’s email…  He did something very much like I’ve always done for my son or grandson, in that he took advantage of that teaching moment as a parent.  I was absolutely sure Anthony Chic wasn’t going to close his glove on a puck in the crease immediately after we saw it happen the first time.  And Mike did the same for his little guy.  As he explained it to me, he’d read some bedtime stories to his son last night.  Then, as Mike wrote, “I started to talk briefly about the fun we had skating today…”  Of course, the broken stick issue arose during their conversation, with his little 4-year old actually telling dad exactly what he should do if he breaks a stick. 

This final aside has to do with my sneaking suspicions about why such a young player was/is so sharp…  Oh, I’m sure it helps that Mike played a lot, and that he still plays.  I’m guessing the little tyke has already seen his share of games — watching his dad, or those on TV (yes, a “hockey house” probably has games on the tube more than most others).  Yet, I suspect that the most impactful thing is that they talked often about the game already.  And this causes me to further surmise that numerous little bull sessions have encouraged him — even at 4-years old — to think the game.  So, while Mike ended his email by saying his son “sometimes can surprise me…”, I’m going to suggest that perhaps his growing hockey smarts shouldn’t be so surprising at all!

Now, those parents who haven’t played much (or any) hockey can take heart in the fact that you can still help your very young one with his or her game.  All you have to do, I’ll suggest, is to just stay a hair ahead of him or her in your hockey knowledge.  There’s certainly plenty of information available at your local library and on the Internet.  And, I happen to know that’s why a number of folks spend a lot of time here at CoachChic.com.  And remember, you can always ask for my help whenever you need it.

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Hard Around the Boards (and Dump-ins)

The other night I had to use an extremely conservative forecheck against a pretty strong opponent.  The X’s and O’s of that is a story for another time.

I sensed we had to be very good at a few other things in order for my kids to execute that new forecheck well.  And, while good dump-ins were going to be needed, there was something about those dump-ins that had to be done even better.

What you’ll soon discover is that we needed dumps and some clearing passes to travel rather fast or go hard around the boards.  So, the following is going to show you how I’ve managed to start making my kids aware of certain things having to do with this particular ploy.

– Dennis Chighisola

Hard Around the Boards (and Dump-ins)

Now, I think a lot of coaches take things for granted.  In other words, they might (or might not) notice their players doing some things wrong in games, but they never think to design or search for a drill that will correct those problems.  In a lot of instances, coaches might think players will just “get it” when they get older (or whatever).

By the way, remembering the things I need to help my players with is a huge reason why I take frequent notes.  And this particular area of CoachChic.com is mainly available to you because of the fact that I take so many.

Anyway, that new system needed really good dump-ins (and so does our powerplay entry), and we also needed some unique help getting the puck out of our zone.

I actually started the teaching process by gathering my Team NEHI players so that they could see our off-ice rink just about as it’s shown in the photo to the right.  I then started explaining some things that others might take for granted, or things they might think their kids will ultimately solve on their own.

(Here I go chuckling to myself as I so often do, but…)  It seems that a lot of players don’t think much about the angle in which their dumps have to hit the boards in order to gain speed and travel a good distance.  So I started talking in extremes at first, asking the kids what will happen to a puck if we shoot it directly at the boards (or at an angle perpendicular to the side boards, as in #1 below).  Of course, the puck will pretty much die right there, or it’s surely not going to travel around the boards.  Then, pointing my stick as if it was an arrow, I asked them what would happen to pucks that hit at angles of something like 5-degrees (as in #2), 10-degrees, maybe 50-degrees, and so forth.  What I was doing was trying to convince them that shots closer to the perpendicular weren’t going to travel far, and that shots coming closer to parallel to the boards were going to assist them (with #3 and #4 getting closer to the ideal).  Actually, there is an angle — close to parallel to the boards — whereby the puck seems to whip through the corner and even pick-up speed.

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Did I really need to go into such detail before taking on my intended drills?  Yes, I did.  For, while a few players might have understood already the above concepts, I knew a number of them didn’t.  Besides, I never leave anything to chance, and I don’t take much for granted.  Furthermore, I am not about to leave players in my charge to fend for themselves (at least when I can help it).

Now, as you might notice in the first video (click on the photo below), you’ll see that I placed all of my kids on the side that put their sticks close to the boards (lefties on the left side, righties on the right).  From this positioning, it’s easier for them to get their drives close to parallel to the boards, and easier is what I’m always looking for in a new drill.  (By the way, I just noticed from re-watching these videos that a number of the kids put their heads down or gave some other indication when they erred.  I think that’s good, at least in this case.)  So, take a look at the video and see how some of my youngest players did.

After they got a handle on the first drill, I had lefties and righties switch sides.  I once again preceded the next drill with a short discussion, this time explaining how it might be a little more difficult now for them to get their dump-ins parallel to the boards.  Take a look to see how they did (by clicking on the photo below).

In case you wanted to know, we need our powerplay dump-ins — and the dumps for our new forecheck — to go all the way around the boards and partway up the other side boards.  But I also wanted to clear the puck from our end with very hard passes behind our net and perhaps even out of the zone on the other side.  And this had me altering the above drill as show in the video below (just click on that photo to see it).

If there’s a message in all this, it’s that we need to find ways to explain and then practice the many “little things” that go into making competent and confident players.  We can’t take anything for granted, and we can’t let anything go while the kids are in our charge.

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Coach Chic’s Hockey Net Blocks

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

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

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

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

Coach Chic’s Hockey Net Blocks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Backward Skating Help for Beginners

The following post is in answer to a question submitted by member Jamie L.

Jamie helps coach his son’s Mite C team, and he’s asking for suggestions in aiding the kids on that team with their backward skating speed.

So, with that, let me give this one a try…

– Dennis Chighisola

Backward Skating Help for Beginners

To begin, I have to caution coaches about being overly concerned with backward skating speed.  Oh, for sure, a back-skating defender needs a certain amount of speed — he or she must get off the mark rather quickly, and at least initially reach a decent level of speed.

However — and this is a BIG however, to push lesser experienced players to try for fast backward skating just might introduce a lot of unwanted extra movements.

Trying to explain this better here…  I’d like for a moment for Jamie and other members to put themselves in the role of an attacker…  For, as you’re moving down the ice and approaching an enemy defender, I’m sure you’ll be looking for ways that defender might become vulnerable.  The photo to the right shows a defenseman leaning forward and towards his right, which would suggest to you that you could quickly cut towards your right and leave him hanging there.  (Oh, notice that the player in that photo also makes matters worse, as he looks down at the puck.  Tricky puckhandlers just love that!)  Actually, if you click on that photo you can see the play on video.  The attacker doesn’t take advantage of the D’s mistake (shame on him), but you should see in the slo-mo portion just how vulnerable the defender has made himself.

That established, I want to suggest that any upper body movements by a defender — like bouncing around, lunging forward, or pumping the arms — will put him or her in trouble.  You might imagine how risky it can be for a backwards skater to bounce around (constantly jeopardizing his or her balance), and pumping of the arms is just as dangerous.  And, lunging or leaning forward (like the player in the adjacent photo) makes it virtually impossible for him to be mobile or to react laterally with an attacker.

In much the same way, a very large cross-over step commits a player in that direction, and it would take too long for him or her to react-back should an attacker make a quick cut.

So, too, can wiggling during the skating motion make a player extremely vulnerable.

Now, for my money, the best backward skating drill in the world is the one my in-line student, Jerry Z, is performing in the next video.  While a player is doing this, I’m asking him or her to keep a steady upper body.  As you’ll see, this drill was initially a real challenge for Jerry (he’s far better at this now).  What you might also notice is that he wants to lean forward, but the hopping motion is going to put him on his nose if he doesn’t come up and over his skates.  (By the way, this drill is far tougher on ice blades, since those are rounded on the bottom.)  Carrying one’s body weight over the middle of his or her blades is the steadiest he’ll be, and this posture also offers the best chance for quick lateral movements.  Go ahead and click on the photo below to watch that video, and I’ll add some further thoughts after that.  (Jerry would probably laugh about this now, but you might noticed that I yelled at him early-on, so that he’d switch to holding his stick in just the top hand.  That’s important for a D when he’s playing a 1 on 1 situation.)

Now, anyone who got into my previous post, “Help for Beginner Cross-overs“, has to think there’s a lot of contradiction between my current suggestions and the earlier ones.  But, there are and there aren’t…

For example, the large cross-overs I earlier prescribed for beginners are awesome for learning outside edge control.  They are not useful in playing our game, however, for the reasons I stated above.  In fact, once my students and players become pretty proficient at crossing, I’ll switch them to practicing the 2-step drill also shown in the earlier post.

I might further suggest that a player (and we coaches) separate the defenseman’s backward take-off from his or her actually being involved in playing a rush.  In other words, he or she might use a little extra body movement and larger, more powerful cross-overs to get going off the mark.  Thereafter, though, playing an attacker requires the steadiness I was looking for in the above hopping drill.

Okay, so what should Jamie do with all this?  My suggestion is to use all the drills I’ve shown in these two posts.  Each will satisfy a given need.  I would not make young players push for backward speed, since that’s when all the unwanted extra movements creep in.  In time, the kids’ backward skating should reach a point where I might be able to help further.  I just hope I’ll still be around to offer further advice at that time.

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Well, this post is probably deserving of a lot of questions and Comments.  So, please fire away.  You know I love that.

“Pond Hockey”

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

– Dennis Chighisola

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

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

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

2010 NHL Winter Classic – Marco Sturm OT Goal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To All My Very Favorite Hockey Friends…

Have A Safe and

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

From my family to yours…

– Dennis Chighisola

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And please remember…  This is YOUR HOCKEY RESOURCE SITE, and all you need to do is ask for help, advice or direction and I promise to deliver it promptly!  So, let’s make 2010 awesome — together!

Dealing with "Murphy’s Law"

During my very first year in coaching, I lost my best player for an important tournament game.  Oh, he wasn’t out injured, he wasn’t home sick in bed, and his parents’ car didn’t break-down on the way to the game.  No, it was something more common than any of those things that robbed us of our top scorer.  “Murphy’s Law” is what did us in that day, and I swore it would never put my team in a hole again.

– Dennis Chighisola

Dealing with “Murphy’s Law”

Okay, so here’s what happened on a frigid February morning nearly 40-years ago…  My team was assembled in their lockerroom awaiting their march down the corridor for the start of an exciting holiday tournament.  As the players arose from their seats, one of my guys slightly stumbled and evidently stepped onto some bare concrete.  I thought nothing of it at first, but a few seconds into our pre-game warm-ups we discovered that an edge had been completely stripped from that player’s skate-blade.  (As I recall, he couldn’t cut to his right without the skate going out from under him.)  Believe it or not, the rink’s pro shop wasn’t yet open.  And, believe it or not, this was a time when few coaches or players thought to carry a skate-stone.  And, of course, this was long before the advent of small, handheld skate sharpeners.  So, just by a stroke of luck, and because we were unprepared for such an occurrence, our team lost one of the most dangerous scorers in the region.

Now, I’m sure you know the gist of Murphy’s Law, which basically states that, “If anything can go wrong, it will!”  Still, what you might not know is “Coach Chic’s Law”, in that, “I only need something to happen once before I find an answer to it!”

So, how many times has Murphy’s Law struck me — or one of my players?  Let me count the ways…  A missing helmet screw, a missing mouth piece, a missing neck guard, a missing cup, a broken goalie pad strap, a missing chin strap, a missing…

True to Coach Chic’s Law, however, I learned from the first crisis and pretty much assured myself and my team that at least THAT crisis wouldn’t bite us again.  In other words, every time some little — or large — problem arose, I found a way to deal with it should it ever happen again.  In most instances, that meant adding another tool or small piece of gear to a collection that I ultimately dubbed my “Murphy’s Law Kit”.

You can imagine the things that are now in my kit box (shown in the two adjacent photos)…

• first aid needs
• skate-stone (several)
• scissors
• pliers
• flathead screwdriver
• phillips screwdriver
• awl
• file
• sandpaper
• Swiss Army knife (with various tools within)
• helmet screws
• matches or lighter
• extra skate laces
• tape (various kinds)
• new mouthpiece
• neck guard
• goalie strap
• chin strap
• pieces of foam
• pieces of leather
• several glues

Actually, I’ll oftentimes see a strap or other small item left in a rink parking lot or wherever, and I’ll consider whether that might come-in handy sometime when Murphy thinks he’s going to get me again.  And I’ll do the same thing when discarding sports equipment from home, or when tossing out some old hockey gear from my NEHI equipment room.  In each case I’ll ask myself, “Can something here bail me out in an emergency?  (Sure, call me a packrat if you must.  But, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten a player back into action when Murphy’s Law wanted to send him to the bleacher!)

In more recent years, I’ve been fortunate to receive a lot of little Swiss Army like gadgets as Christmas stocking stuffers or as gifts.  As a matter of fact, I have one beauty of a tool that straps conveniently on the shoulder strap of my skate bag, and that thing is always getting used to tighten some clinic kid’s helmet or facemask.

Is a hockey coach the only one who needs a Murphy’s Law Kit?  Aaaah, far from it.

A number of years ago — when my grandson started going off to the rinks on his own, we thought it a good idea to set him up with a smaller version of my kit.  A small, unbreakable box it was, stuffed with a stone, some extra helmet screws, an extra pair of laces, and a few tools that would help him in a pinch.  Oh, that tool kit has evolved over the years, but it could always be found in his hockey equipment bag — during his high school career, at prep school, at several showcase tournaments, and now at college.  And I’ll suggest other players gather together odds and ends to form their own Murphy’s Law Kit.

As a matter of fact, I don’t think it’s a bad idea for hockey parents to carry something like that kit, even if it’s just safely stashed in the car trunk for when Murphy rears his ugly head.

Finally, I’m thinking that the contents of a fully stocked Murphy’s Law Kit would prove valuable to members.  Ya, imagine if thousands of us put our heads together and kept adding to the list.  So, if you’ll add your ideas in the Comments section below, I’ll find a way to keep our running list somewhere available for all of us to see (and maybe print-out).  Deal?

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Please add any ideas you might have for our Murphy’s Law Kit in the Comments area below!

Hockey Line Changes

Now, this entry was inspired by a coach asking for some guidance when it comes to changing on-the-fly.  More specifically, he was wondering if there is a certain age or level when players can be expected to learn this.  So, let me give that a whirl, and let me add as much as I can about making those kinds of changes…

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey Line Changes

Getting right to that coach’s main question here, my feeling is that the time to teach changes on-the-fly has an awful lot to do with a team’s overall game awareness.  Said yet another way, I’ll suggest that youngsters who have their basic skills under control, and those who are able to understand basic positioning should also be able to learn how to make exchanges while the game is in progress.  So, I’m guessing that decent Squirt or Atom players should be able to learn it.

As an aside…  I asked for some input on this subject, and I received a couple of good suggestions — about things I’d want to be sure to include here.  And first to arrive in my inbox was the suggestion from Mike M, who said, “Do them quickly and often to win games.”

Ya, quickly and often, which brings me to the timing of our shifts.

Now, I have to chuckle a bit as I think about how the earliest levels of our game frequently start-out by playing 2-minute buzzer-hockey.  The reason I’m laughing to myself is that an awful lot of kids, parents and even coaches believe that sort of timing should continue through later years, with the players staying out there on the ice for several minutes at a whack.

Of course, watching just one pro or college hockey game should change that impression.  For, teams at the highest levels probably play something closer to 30- or 40-second shifts.  Yup, go out, bust your buns, and then get-off!

When it comes to the timing of shifts, I’d like to insert this personal feeling, as well…  You see, while most folks are (rightly) concerned about the length of time players are out on the ice working, I’m as concerned for the players who are sitting.  This is a three-pronged thing with me…

• First, players who are sitting for any length of time are physically cooling-off, and I think this gets worse with the length of time they’re off their skates.  So, while there’s definitely a need for players to rest and catch their breath, I believe there is a point where time away from the ice becomes a negative.  (Is there a greater chance for injury as players sit for long stretches?  I don’t know, but I think this ought to at least be considered.)
• Secondly — and this is probably something most members haven’t thought about before…  I honestly believe that a player can get mentally out of the game if he or she is away from the action for very long.  In other words, I think there’s the real danger that a player can lose his or her focus and intensity during a long stretch away from the ice.  Consequently, I think a coach can keep his or her players more alert by quickly getting them back out there — quickly and often, as Mike M says.
• Then, maybe my third point is really a combination of the previous two.  For, I know that players like to stay in a certain kind of rhythm over the course of a period — especially my good players, and it’s hard for them to do this unless there’s a reasonable sort of rhythm to their shifts.

So again, as Mike M might say, “Do them quickly and often!”

As another sidebar when it comes to keeping my players in the flow of things…  It’s always driven me crazy when my team has suddenly taken a string of penalties.  All the above points come into play when that happens, with a number of my guys sitting and getting cold, getting themselves out of the game, mentally, and also getting out of that proverbial rhythm.

Oh, I might add one more thing to the timing of shifts…  I usually like to keep the earliest shifts in a period a little on the short side.  I want to get everybody a quick taste of the action, and I also want to delay the build-up of lactic acid as best I can.  I might lengthen the shifts just a tad in the middle of a period, and then go back to shorter ones as the period winds down.  This approach is really just a personal thing with me, but I’ve sensed through the years that my players have benefited from it.

Now, as for going about the teaching of line changes, I recommend that members next watch my brief video on “Dumping the Puck“.  As you’ll see there, the right kinds of dump-ins provide units the “time” to make changes without getting caught shorthanded.

I also believe bench decorum plays a big part in effectively getting changes on-the-fly.  So, I highly suggest these things…

• During each period, all defensemen should sit on the defensive end of the bench, while all the forwards sit on the offensive end.  Getting our guys (or gals) even closer to their end of the ice, the next defense pair will sit closest to the defensive zone, and my next forward line sits closest to the offensive zone.
• I make it a rule that players who are going out next should keep a very close eye on the man they’ll replace.  In other words, the instant a centerman enters the play, the next centerman must keep focus on him (or her).  Why so soon?  The idea is for us to never get caught shorthanded — should a player limp to the bench with an injury, should he discover an equipment problem, whatever.  The point is, unforeseen things can happen seconds into a shift, and the next player up has to immediately notice if or when he’s needed.

Then, there’s the matter of the actual exchange of personnel…

As much as I like having players go over the boards as they enter the ice, we coaches must take into consideration the height of the boards in comparison to our players.  Under normal circumstances, this probably suggests that those at least below Pee Wees aren’t going to be able to make the climb.  However — and believe it or not, I’ve actually coached at a few rinks where even high school players weren’t able to get over the unusually high boards.  That in mind, I think all players should learn to properly enter and exit through the bench doors.  And for more help in this area, I suggest that members refer to my article on “Buzzer Hockey Line Changes“.  (Don’t let the title fool you; there’s valuable information there about older players changing on-the-fly.)

Next, there’s the matter of when to change.  And for this, I have the following suggestions…

• You’d think that growing-up amid farms would have provided a great atmosphere for a young boy to hone his whistling skills.  Or, perhaps, that the powers that be could have had a course on whistling in my long ago Phys Ed studies.    The truth is, I can’t whistle a lick.  If I could, I’d use that as a signal for my guys to change.  Instead, though, I’ve had to resort to calling-out loudly, “Get a change!  Get a change!”  (Oh, well…)
• Now, the lengths of shifts can’t be totally dictated by the timing we’d like.  No, conditions for a successful change aren’t going to fall exactly every 35-seconds or so.  That said, I’ll usually opt for less than the desired time if it looks like going any longer is going to trap my guys out there.  For example, I have to know there’s the possibility that a unit heading down-ice on the attack is going to ultimately have to backcheck, and then breakout again in order to get a change on-the-fly.  And, presuming they’re not going to have the juice to accomplish all that, I’ll probably call for the early change.
• I might also call for an early change if a unit has been bogged-down in their own end for an extended period of time.  Hey, it’s just better to get fresh legs (and minds) out there, and to give the unit coming-off a little time to regroup.
• Of utmost importance is the need for the players on the ice to be absolutely sure the puck is safe before they turn and head-off. I mean, even though they see the puck being dumped, they mustn’t head to the bench until they’re absolutely sure that it is going to safely get through rival players and land deep in their opponents’ end.

Now, despite the fact that the next players up are supposed to be watching the man they’ll replace, I also like my players yelling their positions as they come-off.  In other words, as the left winger comes to our bench, he yells, “Left wing!  Left wing!”  I don’t know; it’s just a safety measure that makes me feel good.

Then, Deb K inspired the next suggestion…  You see, she’s not only a youth hockey parent and coach, but she’s also a referee.  So it should make sense that she’d joke a bit and offer, “Tell coaches about the changes so refs aren’t having to educate from the ice “

Deb’s comment in mind, this biggie…  From my perspective most of the “too many men on the ice” penalties are caused by the players who should be coming-off the ice, and these usually come about because the man coming-off either changes his mind or he fools the player who is supposed to replace him.  In other words, the guy coming to the bench gives every indication that he’s coming, the new player hops over the boards and onto the ice, and then the player who is supposed to come-off doesn’t.  (I don’t know of any way to actually practice this key communication, but I surely do beat it to death in conversations with my players.  I mean, I make it a very big deal that guys coming-off shouldn’t fool their replacements or change their minds at the last second.)

Finally, if a hockey coach feels that line changes are an important part of his or her team’s game, then it should make sense to practice these as often as other plays.  And, once established, it wouldn’t hurt to review them on occasion, and to also frequently talk about the principles involved.

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A lot of things go into proper line changes, and I almost fear I’ve forgotten a few.  If you think I have, please add a Comment so that this topic is eventually covered as thoroughly as possible!

The Angle of Pursuit

Although I had my share of notoriety and recognition as a young football player, I’ll tell you — right up front — that I wasn’t all that hot.  However, I did have great hands (from my baseball background), and I could run like a deer (from honest to goodness great genes)! 

That said, I always was kind of a “thinker”, even as a kid, and even as a football player.  Oh, by the way, I also had one of the region’s best high school football coaches — far ahead of his time, I think he was, and he later went on to coach a string of championship semi-pro teams before settling in as a game film rater for the New England Patriots.

Anyway, the reason I mention all this is so that I can introduce the topic at hand.  For, one day during a defensive segment of a team practice, my old high school head coach described that “angle of pursuit” thing to his players.

You don’t have to totally understand this, because I’ll explain it better and show you later how this relates to our game.  But for now, what my coach was suggesting had to do with defenders needing to watch a ball carrier’s route — or anticipate where that route would take him, and then meet him at some point along that route.  Again, I’ll explain that far better in a minute.  However, just so you know, I was playing The Thinker again that day, inwardly shaking my head, and wondering to myself, “Does anyone really have to be told this?”  Oh, well…

– Dennis Chighisola

The Angle of Pursuit

Now, the answer to my question actually came by way of a video I watched just a few years ago, this from the Centre for Hockey Excellence in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.  For, in that video, former Canadian National Team coach, Dave King, took quite a bit of time explaining that very concept, and almost in the same way my old high school football coach had.

Okay, so here’s the gist of it, as it relates to our game…  If you click on the adjacent photo, you’ll see one player dump a puck that is destined to go around the boards and arrive near the opposite corner.  What you’ll also see is a skater from the other team chasing the puck in the wrong manner.  Go ahead, and watch that short video before you read on.

Confounding me, but giving validity to Dave King and my old football coach, I’ve come to realize that some athletes actually do follow behind in the pursuit of a puck or opposition player.

That out of the way, I’m sure my late-coach would appreciate the animation I’ve just created to show a little smarter way to pursue that same puck.  So, please click on the (left) photo to watch that video.

Now, it has been a long time since I viewed that piece by Dave King.  But, I recall him suggesting that we (hockey) coaches can run drills to show the merits of pursuing the puck rightly.  So, my next video shows two players taking different routes as they race for the loose puck (click on the photo below to view that).

You’re probably wondering what caused me to raise this “angle of pursuit” issue tonight.  Well, as I’ve been standing back and watching my young Mighty Mites team, attempting to drink-in as much as I can — about their specific needs, and about the way they learn.  And, I’ve been fascinated by a number of things…

- In one instance I watched a little 4-year old race back out of our offensive zone for a puck that had been tossed out to neutral ice.  The little tyke was skating right towards where I stood on the bench that afternoon, so I had a great view of what was to happen.  For, as he began to approach the puck, I saw him turn his head about halfway, this so he could see if anyone was nearby.  He next snatched the puck and made his exit in the direction opposite from the nearest rival.  Unbelievable or what?  The truth is, I actually run drills to ingrain that looking-over-their-shoulder thing in my older players, and most of them take quite awhile to make it a regular part of their game.  ???

- On a number of occasions I’ve seen members of that Mighty Mite team gain the puck along the side boards in their offensive end, and somehow realize they weren’t on the greatest shooting angle.  With that, they kept moving towards mid-ice with the puck, finally sending it on-goal once they reached a better angle.  And again, I felt this to be really good thinking for little guys who had only played a handful of games.

- Then, that old angle of pursuit thing…  I shot the following video really only as an example of how the game action looks in that instructional league.  I’m not sure you can pick-up anything special in this brief clip, but I’m going to suggest that some kids are moving laterally at times, just to keep themselves in the path of a rival puckcarrier, or — as if they knew enough to anticipate it — right in the path of a possible pass up-ice.  Go ahead; click on the photo (below), just so you can see some of their game action (my kids are in black, with our opponents in dark blue).

Now, I’ve written this entry for a number of reasons…

• First, if you never had cause to think about or teach the correct angle of pursuit, perhaps I’ve armed you with some valuable knowledge.
• Secondly, I hope the observations I’m sharing about my youngest team members awakens you (as it has me) to the fact that all of our players are growing organisms.  And, as such, we coaches and parents have the awesome responsibility of guiding them in that growth.
• Then, from what I learned on that long ago football practice field, it’s important to appreciate that some players do certain things instinctively (or seemingly so), while those same things evidently don’t come naturally to others.  And, while it might be easier to coach the gifted ones, I believe the true measure of a “teaching coach” is in our ability to help the players who really need it.  (Come to think of it, it’s only since I’ve grown older that I realized my old high school football coach dealt with us in that way.  So, God bless, Coach, and thanks so much.)

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

"Controlling" Hockey Drills

I know I’ve mentioned “controlling” drills in the past, but probably haven’t explained that very well.  So, I thought I’d take this brief opportunity to tell you why I do this, as well as describe a few of the ways I manage to accomplish it…

– Dennis Chighisola

Controlling Hockey Drills

To begin, I do find it a little difficult to explain exactly what I mean by “controlling” drills.  In a way, there’s my want to organize certain drills a little differently than other coaches might, this so I can keep my player’s focus on specific skills or techniques, and so that we might positively affect muscle memory.

But, knowing that I still haven’t explained myself well, perhaps a few examples will help you far more:

1) One example is the way you so often see me run shooting drills…

The above photos show members of my two NEHI teams staking claim to their own area along the side boards, and armed with a handful of pucks.  We do this at the start of almost all of our off-ice and on-ice practices, and quite often for a good 10- to 15-minutes per practice.  So, how many shots do you think one of my players takes over the course of a season?  My guess is that the number falls somewhere near 5- or 6-thousand.  Ha, little wonder my kids ultimately shoot absolute lasers!

In contrast, just envision the team that practices shooting by having a player circle, collect a pass from someone, and then head towards the net for a shot.  If he or she is on a normal sized roster, that means an individual player probably has to wait for 14 other skaters in order to have a turn.  And that, at least to me, removes the chance for a player to truly develop muscle memory.  If you think about it, there’s a good chance that my kids will get somewhere in the order of 20- to 30-shots in the time a player working in the other format gets one or two.  And, when it comes to muscle memory, my kids get to gradually adjust their technique as they take one shot after another.

As an aside…  I use many of the traditional attacking drills, including something like the one I just described.  The difference is that I’ll run those kinds of drills for other reasons, or to give my kids the chance to use their newly improved shooting skills in more of a game related context.

2) Just recently I described this drill for enhancing my kids’ ability to tap a puck out of the air and towards the goal (or, in this case towards an imaginary goal).  Done in similar fashion to the above described shooting drill, my players are again close to the boards, and pairs have a handful of pucks at their disposal (see the photo below).

Now, here’s how I sense other coaches might run this drill…  I know that a lot of them would have someone flip a puck — off their stick — so that an attacker could swipe at it.  Worse yet, it’s quite likely that some coaches would have players, one after another, head to the net for their periodic attempt at the play.  (I’m chuckling a bit right now, recalling the player who occasionally asks me why we don’t use the nets.  To which I’ll answer, “Because we have 30-players here, and only 2 nets!” )

My method, of course, assures lots of repetition, and it also assures fairly well placed pucks for our attacker to practice on.

3)  Okay, here’s something I haven’t previously shown you…

In the above photo, one of my hockey school coaches is helping a young defenseman with his 1 on 1 skills.  What the coach is doing is pretending to be the attacker on that 1 on 1.  And, he’s controlling everything about the drill, including the most important aspect, skating speed.  (In other words, he’s keeping the speed under control so that he can do the following…)

Throughout the course of this drill, my coach is talking to the young blueliner — about controlling the gap between them, about keeping his eyes up (not down towards the puck), about pokechecking technique, about angling, and about so much more.

Of course, I’m sure you can picture how this way of doing things so drastically differs from typical one against one drilling.  Actually, I’ll suggest that absolutely nothing is learned if attackers and defenders aren’t closely matched.  Moreover, all too often defenders just continue to reinforce the wrong techniques when working at full speed and just trying to survive the drill.

Finally, I don’t want members to get me wrong here…  As I intimated above, I use all sorts of really great game related drills in my practices, many of them described or shown throughout CoachChic.com.  However, when it comes to working for repetition — and working on the good kinds of muscle memory, I’ll suggest that we coaches really do have to find ways to “control” our drills.

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Can you help Coach Chic and other members?  Your Comments and additional ideas really do add value to this site!

Carrying Our Hockey Pucks

Okay, this might not seem like the greatest tip in the world.  However, anything that makes our jobs easier has to be worthwhile.

If you think about it, a typical youth coach — working with his or her team on the average of only twice per week for thirty-five winter weeks — is going to tote his or her pucks into and out of a rink at least 70-times.  And, while I travel to rinks close to 5- or 6-times per week, just 70-ish trips would get me to looking for a better way.

– Dennis Chighisola

Carrying Our Hockey Pucks

All right, so I’ve suggested that toting our pucks around IS a big deal (at least to me).  The reason I feel that way is that they’re a part of the “tools of our trade”, and it would be pretty awkward to try to run a practice or hold a hockey game without any of those little black (and sometimes little blue) things.

Now, the photo below shows a number of aids, including my rather huge, black practice puck bag.  The reason I need something so large is because I like to carry in the neighborhood of about 70- or 80-pucks, and that thing does the trick.  (I like to figure on at least 3-pucks per skater, which would mean about 45-pucks for a roster of 15-players.  The reason I generally carry more than that is because my high school and junior high kids quite often practice together or on the same ice.)

Why so many?  First, a lot of my drills call for players to use anywhere from 3- to 5-pucks at a time.  Furthermore, I dump all of the pucks on the ice once we hit the ice — and I like them to be spread all around, because I don’t want a player to miss more than a couple of seconds without having one on his stick-blade.  Hey, a given drill might be designed for stickhandling, passing or shooting, and I’ve yet to run a drill called “Look Around The Ice For A Puck”! 

Looking at the photo again, notice my smaller white bucket.  That contains my game pucks.  No, I don’t want to continually dig into the big bag — or carry that humongous thing into the games (if I don’t have to).  So, I keep about 20 “pre-game pucks” in that bucket, plus a couple of newer one if they’re needed for the actual game.

Ah, yes, MY kind of pre-game pucks…  If you’ll notice, there’s a silver colored puck in the fore.  All my pre-game pucks look like that one — painted silver or while on the sides, and left black on the top and bottom.  Mean coach that I am, I want my older goaltenders to have to REALLY focus when they face warm-up shots.  And, nothing is going to cause them to focus more than dealing with pucks that are VERY difficult to follow.  (Ought to make the games seem easy, huh?)

Then, as for the other colored pucks in that display…  A few years ago a friend and assistant coach of mine returned from his USA Hockey Level 5 training with a cute game that calls for kids to deal with a whole bunch of differently colored pucks at once.  Actually, it’s a lot like the games I introduced in “Maybe It’s Time for a New Kind of (Hockey) Practice“, in that different rules can apply to different pucks.  Anyway, I usually have a handful of those spray painted pucks in the back of my SUV, just in case I want to use them at a given practice.  These, like my other pucks, are contained in a different type of carrier, a small net bag.

Oops, that picture of the blue puck reminded me that this season I’m now carrying around a collection of those, because they’re required at my Mighty Mite team’s level.   In the beginning I put those in an inexpensive canvas bag.  But, it took only a few weeks for the constant wetting and drying of that canvas to make it fall apart.

And that thing about a bag falling apart (at the very worst time) brings me to one more point…  Most canvas bags won’t last long (I’ve even tried — and ruined — some very heavy duty ones).  My black bag is a heavy vinyl, and it’s elevated on heavy plastic feet that keep it up off the ice.  Plastic buckets get brittle in the extreme cold, and they fall apart if hit by a puck.  My game bucket never touches the ice, though, since it goes from the lockerroom (where kids grab their own warm-up puck) to the top of the game bench (where the kids each deposit their own puck later).  As for the little guys’ blue pucks?  I think I’m going to get another small bucket for those.  Although it may go on the ice at times, the beginners aren’t nearly as apt to break it with an errant puck.

Oh, as for where I’ve come by these aids…  I stumbled across and purchased about a dozen of those huge bags in the baseball/softball area of a sporting goods store.  (I think they were made for carrying softballs.)  The plastic buckets are free at a local company that makes pastries for area doughnut shops.  I know that some coffee shops also sell them for a dollar or so.  The net bags I use for those odd colored pucks are just small launder bags, and they can be found in any department store.  (I generally buy those by the cartload, because I use them for all kinds of small balls and such, especially up in The MOTION Lab.)

Now, again, to explain myself..  Appreciate that I don’t want to have to bring all the different kinds of pucks into a rink if I only need one type.  Nor do I want to have to sort-out pucks from one large container whenever I only need a few.  So, because these ARE part of the tools of my trade, I really do go to at least some small extremes to carry my pucks around as conveniently as possible.

PS:  Talk about the tools of MY trade, wait until you see what I have to show you next!

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Okay, you know how much I love your feedback (and other members do, too).  So, please add your comments below, and even share with us any ideas you might have in this area!

WBV Leads to Coach Chic’s “WakeBoard”

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

– Dennis Chighisola

WBV Leads to Coach Chic’s “WakeBoard”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then, two final things…

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

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

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

Whole Body Vibration Strength Training

One of the things I’ve promised you, my valued member, is that I’ll do all the long, exhausting research, and then pass my findings on to you.

That said, the following excerpt explains a little side project I’ve been into for about the past 5 or so years.  It’s from an article entitled “History of Whole Body Vibration Technology” (from the website History of Whole Body Vibration Technology).  I’d like you to have a read, because it should introduce you to something that I find absolutely fascinating:

“There’s nothing new about the benefits of whole body vibration technology; it’s been around for over 47 years.  The world first saw its effectiveness when the Russians started winning all the Gold at the Olympic Games in 1960.  Then, they started keeping their cosmonauts in space longer and longer — eventually, over a year longer than we could.   However, the Russians kept the technology of whole body vibration a secret until after the Berlin Wall came down in November 1989.  Therefore, the world didn’t learn the secret to the Russian’s superiority at the Olympic Games or in outer space for 30 long years.  It was one of Russia’s key sports scientists, Dr. Vladimir Nazarov, by experimenting with a vibration system, who began the research of this technology.   Nazarov was an active sportsman, a member of the Soviet gymnastics team and occupied a chair for sports biomechanics at the State College in Minsk.  Finding his experiment a success, he introduced this technology to competitive sports, ballet, and medicine in the former USSR.  The Russian Space Program continues to use the technology — while the cosmonauts are in space — as physical therapy to help the cosmonauts overcome the considerable decrease of bone mass and muscle tone that they risk during extended periods of weightlessness.  After the fall of the Soviet Union, Nazarov’s research on whole body vibration made its way to Europe in the early 1990’s…”

Now, the following YouTube video starts out a little corny, but the guest really knows his stuff about WBV benefits and methods.  So give him a minute, and the be prepared to have your eyes opened to what Whole Body Vibration technology promises do…

If you’re interested, here are the final two videos in that Youtube series…

I actually stumbled across this rather new (to the Western world) strength training approach long ago, from an unrelated Internet search.  And as I soon discovered, all sorts of Whole Body Vibration (WBV) machines are currently available.  Professional models can go for well over $10,000, these made for heavy duty use in busy sport clubs, etc.  I actually managed to eventually find and purchase a smaller, far less expensive type more suited to individual or small group use.

Now, I’m not really here to promote this form of training; again, I find it fascinating, and I love the workouts I get from my machine.  However, there are as many studies out there downplaying the benefits of WBV as there are supporting it (so it’s up to you to decide if it’s right for you or your player/s).  Also, while I personally think there’s a huge difference — in the way exposure can be governed and in the way settings can be controlled, we’re all likely aware of the potential for injuries from overexposure to driving heavy equipment or operating some vibrating machines.

So, why have I posted this particular entry — if I’m not really promoting it?  It’s because I needed a way to set the groundwork for my own invention.  For, as you’ll soon discover, my “WakeBoard” came about because of an interest in Whole Body Vibration technology.

Look for that article and related videos to appear here very shortly.

High Intensity Skating Drills – Part 1

The following question was submitted by member Eric S.  It’s a good one, but it can be difficult answering long distance (or without being able to actually see where his players are at a given time).

Nonetheless, I do know that Eric works with a fairly talented teen group, so I’ll approach things from that perspective.

– Dennis Chighisola

High Intensity Skating Drills

Q: Eric states that, “We always spend the first 7-10 minutes on the ice having our boys run some high intensity skating drills without pucks. Currently we have them run overspeed circles, once forward, once backward and once transitioning @ the hash marks. Then they do two sets of iron crosses and then one other high intensity start/stop drill that we developed. They have been doing these for about 3 weeks and we want to replace one of the drills with a new one every few weeks to keep things fresh. Can you suggest a few other drills of this nature that we could incorporate?
Thanks, Eric”

A: First, Eric, when you say that you do these rather intense exercises in the first minutes of a practice, I’m trusting that effective (and long enough) warm-ups are done prior to the hard skating.  As you’ll read in some of what Scott Umberger and I have said, (other than the obvious injury prevention) more growth is gained from a workout if the muscles are properly warmed.

Continuing on that first point for a moment…  Members might like to know that I begin most skill oriented practices with drills that need to be done slowly, and ones that tend to enhance skating technique.  So, instead of using specific warm-up exercises on the ice, I kill two birds with one stone by having my guys do useful drills at a gradually building intensity.

Now, as for some drill suggestions, I’ll first remind Eric to refer occasionally to my video on “29 Must-do Advanced Skating Drills“.  A goodly number of the exercises shown there would likely suit your needs.  You might also check the few entries I’ve done in reference to speed training or over-speed training for some really good tips.

Then, a couple of things come to mind for specific drill ideas…

- It sounds like you’re attempting to satisfy my first suggestion.  I mean, remembering that players need to be able to go quickly in four different directions (forward, backward, and in both lateral directions).  My “2-step Drill” (shown in the above linked video) is a great one for lateral work.

- What I like to do with those directional drills is to also incorporate quick changes in direction.  For example, if I want my players to work at quick, short forward bursts, I’ll begin the drill with the players first skating backwards, then breaking and shifting their weight to go forward.  Sometimes we coaches will run races and oversee the drill with whistles or voice commands.  However, a lot of the time I’ll let my older players work on their own.  In other words, I’ll tell them what to do, and then I’ll allow them to do the drill in their own area (which frees me and the other coaches to move among them and to offer tips or feedback).  Again, these can be done in all four directions, with the players beginning with a movement in the opposite direction.

- Now, I only do this next one with my older guys (because it’s pretty stressful).  Actually, it’s the same kind of drilling I’ve just described, but with a plyometrics component added.  For example, adapting the drill I just explained…  My players will start skating backwards, but then they’ll jump in the air and immediately dash forward upon landing.  Again, it’s pretty stressful, but it’s also pretty effective.  And it can be adapted to use in all directions.  (I’ll try to get some video of this form of training later this week and attempt to update this entry — or do a follow-up one — as soon as I can.)

Oh, by the way…  When left to their own devices, most players will turn towards a favorite side to do their stop and take-off.  Knowing this, I dictate ahead of time how they will stop — with a vee, turned to the right or turned to the left.

- Oops, one more great one just came to mind…  By now, I’m sure you know how I like to adapt ideas from other sports.  Such is the case with a sprinting exercise called “The Towel Drill”.  In the gym or on a track, one sprinter has a towel around his or her waste, while a partner holds the ends of the towel to provide resistance against a short run.  Part way through that brief but intense sprint, the partner lets go of one towel end, thereby letting the runner really burst out.  (I tend to think there’s an over-speed component to going from lots of resistance to no resistance.  ???)  I like to use this drill both off-ice and on.  And, when we’re on the ice, I have my guys hold their mates’ jersey-tails instead of using towels.

Come to think of it, the above drill could be adapted to accomplish a little striding technique work as Jerry Z is shown doing (using a bungee rope) in a recent video (click here).

Finally, Eric, I like the fact that you are attempting to rotate drills (much like I’ve also described elsewhere, or a lot like strength trainers use in “periodization”).  Hopefully these few tips get you started.  However, if there’s anything more specific you’d like me to deal with — or a drill you might want me to invent for you, please don’t hesitate to ask.  Good luck!  (Oh, I just remembered to ask:  When are you going to send me some video footage of that “high intensity start/stop drill” that you developed?  I know I’d love to see it, and I’ll bet others would, too!)

This PS to my members:  Something evidently has (at least on occasion) gone wrong with the submission of questions.  I mean, they sometimes aren’t immediately relayed to me as they should be.  So, if you don’t see your question dealt with in a day or so (and I should answer that quickly), please email me.  I really want those questions, and I especially don’t want anyone to think that I’m not responsive due to some technical snafu.

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On Lopsided Hockey Scores

Today’s entry is just sort of a muse on my part…

You see, besides being an incessant not-taker, I also clip and save a lot of little bits of information from the nightly newspaper or from other on-line sources.  These usually contain ideas I either want to explore more for my coaching, or they’re on subjects I might like to comment on here at CoachChic.com.

Such is the case with a news clipping that just fell from my notebook…  It’s a beauty, as you’ll discover, and something I’d at least like for you to ponder.

– Dennis Chighisola

On Lopsided Hockey Scores

Okay, hold onto your hat as I tell you the headline on an article I long ago clipped from the local Brockton (MA) Enterprise newspaper.  For, it reads:

“An 82-0 score… in hockey”

Yup, you read that right!  And the article begins by saying, “With more goals than minutes in the game, Slovakia’s women’s ice hockey team claimed an amazing 82-0 victory over Bulgaria in Olympic qualifying.”  It further states that Slovakia outshot their opponents — yikes, 139-0!

Now, I know you and I are going to have very different views on that game’s outcome.  I mean, I can image you being outraged that a team would pound on another squad like that, especially if you’re from North America.  Ya, it only seems that we in North Americans get bothered by lopsided scores — I mean, as if a team is trying to run-it-up.  On the other hand, I’ve noticed a lot of really out of whack scores abroad (although none probably as bad as that one), and I don’t think I ever got the sense that the losers felt insulted.

That said, let me offer some thoughts of my own here…

To begin, I thought the idea of a game was for two teams to go out and play to the very best of their abilities.  ???  And, if that’s the case, why should one feel insulted by that game’s outcome?  Again, it’s just two teams playing as hard and as skilled as they can.  From there, you win some and you lose some, and you sometimes either win or lose by a wide margin.

Oh, I suppose that we could enter a game with the idea that we’re only going to play our best if we’re evenly matched or inferior to the other team.  (Wanna read that one again?)  But, somehow that just doesn’t sound right (does it?).  In a way, however, that seems to be the North American mentality:  Only play your best if the game is close or if you’re losing.

If you think about it, a team (or at least a youth hockey team) practices all week to ready for an opponent.  And, pretty likely their hope is to beat the other team with the skills and tactics they’ve learned to that point.  So, what a downer it is — or would seem to be — if a team discovers that it has to play other than it’s very best.  In a way, it almost seems a waste of time (as in, how can we NOT score today?).

Actually, my sentiments are very much like the Slovakian coach, Miroslav Karafiat, who is quoted as saying, “We took it as training.”  Yup, there is nothing better for a team than to get to practice against just a slightly less than equal amount of resistance.  We coaches do this all the time in our practices (perhaps having a shorthanded group play with their sticks reversed so that our powerplay unit’s plays work a little easier than usual).  It’s one way to build confidence in what our players are trying to learn.

Now, I’m not saying that there aren’t times when a lopsided game isn’t badly mishandled by the stronger team’s coach or individual players.  For sure, they can do or say or act in ways that are degrading to the losing side.  But, to be upset because the stronger team keeps playing hard doesn’t seem right to me.

As a matter of fact, many years ago I tried doing off-the-wall things in an attempt to not run-up a score.  And, I ended-up discovering several problems with this…

First, an opponent can be all the more embarrassed if the superior team overtly tries to hold back on the attack.  Secondly, I’ve actually seen some of my teams have difficulty getting untracked in subsequent games after I’ve made them do some odd-ball things.  Thirdly, there is a huge danger in players getting hurt when they’re too relaxed, or not playing with full intensity.  (I think pro teams in most sports feel the same about this one, so they oftentimes pull their regulars at some point.  Of course, I don’t think it would be fair — or even possible — to bench a youth team’s best players once a game gets out of hand.)

Of course, it’s my hope that no member takes me wrongly about all this.  I usually hate being on either end of a lopsided game.  However, if we’ve come to play, we ought to let the kids do it to the best of their abilities.

Actually, I’ve experienced both sides of this as a coach over the past two weeks…  In our big win, I looked for my kids to polish certain areas of their game in preparation for more difficult opponents.  In the one where we got trounced, I used a goodly number of our mistakes (or shortcomings) as “teaching moments”, and I also gathered a boat-load of notes from which to help my kids further at coming practices.

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Okay, no fairs sending firebombs to my NEHI PO Box!    At the same time, I really would like to hear your impressions on this topic!

Maybe It’s Time for a New Kind of (Hockey) Practice

By Dennis Chighisola

Last week I lightened the training for my NEHI High School Prep guys.  Hey, they were in good enough shape (actually, better than good enough), so I just wanted to keep them working some without risking a last minute injury or sending them off to their respective school team tryouts being either physically or mentally drained.

We did plenty of puck work and shooting at our last on-ice skills session, and our last mid-week X’s and O’s practice has traditionally been a fun oriented intra-squad thing I call our Red vs White Game (involving both high school and junior high members).

So, what should we do with our very last get together — the weekly off-ice training session?  Well, over recent years it’s become another tradition that we play all sorts of crazy games, many of these while the kids wear their in-line hockey skates and other gear.  Oh, by the way, the key word in that last sentence is “crazy”. 

Ya, I want everything to be a little off-the-wall.  It just makes sense — to get the guys laughing and feeling loose, while at the same time giving them an opportunity to work-up a good sweat.

Anyway, using the tools at our disposal (like a roller hockey rink complete with hockey nets and even four basketball nets), I organize games of soccer, basketball, and European handball.  Of course, that’s nothing; the real reason the kids laugh so much is that we often have a couple or three games going on at once.  Yup, I might have a b-ball game taking place across the rink, with the handball or soccer game (or both) going on lengthwise while using the hockey nets.  And, if I think the kids need to be shaken-up a bit more, I might tell them that they can play in either game once we get underway.  In other words, a player might be defending in the soccer game, and suddenly take-off with the basketball that just bounced his way.

In effect, there are few rules, no rules, or whatever rules might pop into my (sometimes pretty sick) mind.

With that, click on the photo to see a brief video showing my older and younger teams mixed in a warm-up game of basketball on in-lines.  (Things would get a little crazier after this footage was shot.)

First, I must say, thank God my guys are hockey players, ’cause they sure are terrible b-ballers!

Secondly, though, while I know my friends here come from all ages and levels, and that you’re not all headed towards high school tryouts, I’m really telling you about this for a very different reason.

You see, things can get pretty stale over the course of a long winter.  In fact, the kind of boredom I’m suggesting has a way of sneaking up on us coaches (or parents), with our kids starting to suffer the effects without us even noticing.

So, my real point here is to suggest that we — coaches, at least — look for ways to shake things up before boredom has a chance to rear its ugly head.

Oh, understand that I absolutely hate to waste a minute of valuable practice time.  At the same time, it might be wise to do something a little off-the-wall once in awhile in order to make the next practices all the more effective.

Now, I’ve mentioned elsewhere about using basketballs and soccer balls to practice our breakouts and powerplays.  I’ve done that at times, however, in order to get my kids to be more creative (than they would be with a puck), and to encourage them to think more about the overall principles of our given plays.  Still, here’s an even better idea…

From my long ago Soviet studies, I learned that their hockey teams often engaged in versions of soccer and basketball during the off-season, with these games played mostly by hockey rules.  So, for example, we might choose to have our kids play soccer, but this would be done with five free moving players per side — plus a goalie, and to include rules like off-side and icing.  I can envision even giving extra points if a team is able to execute something we’ve been working on lately (maybe like a regroup or a face-off play?).  Even special teams play could be included, huh?

My point, really, is that a mental break is needed every so often.  And, I’ll also suggest that there is a lot to be gained in the learning process if our players get the chance to mix their hockey tactics with some other form of play.

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Be a friend:  EVERY worthwhile Comment really helps Coach Chic!

New England Hockey Recycles!

Here’s a huge (<= SMILE) right off the bat!

Actually, as Jerry Z and I were standing outside my office after a session in The MOTION Lab, I could tell he was amused by my stories about making some of the training devices I use.  So, while I’m preparing to show you a pretty good drill for working on the skating stride in an off-ice setting, why don’t I share a few of those “recycling” stories with you.

– Dennis Chighisola

New England Hockey Recycles!

Shortly I’m going to be posting some video clips of Jerry training in the Lab.  In those, you’ll see him using an easily made device that really helped him with his striding.  The gist of this article, however, is about some of the devices I use regularly — either in the Lab or out training at the rinks.

Bungee Ropes……….Actually, this whole thing started when Jerry asked me where I got the bungee-like material we used that night.  So, I told him that the late-John Cunniff was a good friend.  For those who don’t remember John, he was a former NHL player (for a long time with the Hartford Whalers), and he was later a coach with both the Boston Bruins and several US National Teams.  Anyway, John gave a presentation in the Boston, MA area many years ago, and one of the gadgets he showed was something I believe he said he’d learned about from the Soviets.  In effect, it was a long bungee-type rope anchored at one end and tied around a player’s waist at the other.  With that, the player gets to work against the resistance of that large elastic for a time.

Now, a lot like this old coach, John wanted to impress upon all the other coaches in attendance that good training gear doesn’t have to cost a lot.  So he passed his bungee apparatus through the audience, pointing out that it was nothing more than a bunch of bicycle tubes strung together.

That was a long time ago, and long before folks were really into recycling such stuff.  What I’ve discovered in recent years was that my local bicycle shop is thrilled to get rid of as many old tubes as they can (my guess is that they actually have to pay to have discarded materials like that removed).  I still have boxes of these up in the Lab, I give them to my players or students when they visit, and I gave an arm-full to Jerry so that he could continue his training back home.

Tow-trainers, et al………. Talking about recycling rubber products, and about merchants being thrilled to unload such things…  Last month I showed you Jerry working with my version of an off-ice and on-ice sled I dubbed the Tow-trainer (and I also provided plans to build your own in the *Gift section).

Well, a lot like bike shops and those inner tubes, I found that the local automobile service station is just as excited to get rid of old, worn tires.  Yup, just ask, and I’m sure a mechanic will point you towards a pile of them.

By the way, I’ve used tires for a lot more than as towing devices…  I store a set of very large tires outside our off-ice facility so that my players can twist and heave them — from the left side and the right, as a means of strengthening their shooting muscles (click here and view this article to see what I mean).  In several other areas of this site I’ve either shown or mentioned my players passing metal or plastic weights so that they get a sense of how to generate good force into their sweeping motion.  However, I have on occasion substituted very small tires (the kind used on small off-road vehicles).  And again, the guys at the local recreational vehicle shop are usually happy to unload a trunk load of those.

Tumbling Mats………. Now, I have a lot of nice, clean tumbling mats in The MOTION Lab.  However, once I decided to have my Team NEHI guys train — indoors and outdoors — at our off-ice practice facility, I also decided to look elsewhere for mats.  No matter where my teams use them, they take quite a beating.  Furthermore, I didn’t want to have to cart mats back and forth between the Lab and the athletic club.

So, thinking long and hard, I ultimately decided to ask a local carpeting installer if I might have any padding he was going to toss-out.  And, while I suspect that the thick rubber material left over from their installation projects is more valuable than old tires or tubes, the store manager was great about supplying me a huge section to take home.

What I did from there was to spread the big piece on my lawn, mark it into smaller sections, and then cut it so I have about 8 good sized mats.  Oh, and while I worried about wear and tear on professionally made mats, that original set looks the same today as it did about 5-years ago.

Now, those are the three types of gadgets I mentioned to Jerry the other night, although I’m guessing I own a whole lot more training aids that have been fashioned from recyclable materials.  (I’m sure I’ll show more as we use them.)

But, there is one last, HUGELY important point I want to make here, and it’s a major reason why I like to use low cost — or no cost — material…  As I’ve said countless times elsewhere, I hate long lines, and I hate seeing my players standing around waiting their turns at a given station.  So, I need a lot of gadgets to run my kind of workouts.  And, while I might not want to invest in something like 4 or 8 professional sleds, I am willing to spend a warm summer day in my backyard making Tow-trainers (or whatever).

Finally — and I’m guessing my old friend John Cunniff would suggest the same if he was around today, in that, “Fancy gear doesn’t make you better; using it does!”

I truly appreciate your Comments!

Off-ice Hockey Tactical Practice

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

– Dennis Chighisola

Off-ice Hockey Tactical Practice

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

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

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

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

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

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

*

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

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

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

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

As for the future…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*

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

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

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

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

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

I Need to Quicken My Players’ Shots!

Although I’ll show you some of my Team NEHI guys working at the drill I eventually created, the inspiration for that drill came from watching my babies (or my little Mighty Mite team).

Oh, you know how I am about taking notes — especially during games.  Well, I’m doing the same at our weekly instructional league contests, and I’m going to gradually fill you in on the things I’ve observed there.

That said, here’s the first problem I noted…

– Dennis Chighisola

I Need to Quicken My Players’ Shots!

My little guys came-out smoking in our very first game, with plenty of action around the opponents’ net.  If there was a problem, they didn’t score nearly enough goals for all the swipes they had at loose pucks.

I wrestled for quite awhile trying to solve that, and one version I arrived at will be shown in the accompanying video.  What I’d like to do beforehand, though, is give you a little insight into what I was thinking…

I’m sure you’ll appreciate how chaotic it can be out in front of the net:  Oops, there’s a puck; oops, then it’s gone!  Ya, one second a player has the chance to bat the puck home, the next second that opportunity has vanished.  And it’s recreating typical game situations (like that) that makes a drill worthwhile (or not).  So, how could I make my players feel that kind of urgency?

Actually, I’m experimenting with a couple of variations right now, and I’ll soon let you know how I feel about each approach.  For the time being, however, here’s what I’m experimenting with:

1. The drill shown in the accompanying video (click on the above photo to watch) has three players in a nearby line each tossing a puck softly to the slot.  As you can see, the forward in front of the net attempts to pull the trigger — three times — as quickly as possible.  If you’ll notice something wrong in this video, my hope was that the pucks would all arrive at close to the same time — to make the forward out front really scramble.  Didn’t happen.    (Honestly, I think I can do better than that drill.)
2. I tried something differently with my little Mighty Mites, this time having a coach drop three pucks from his hand and into the crease area.  This is a little harder to administer, but I think it comes a lot closer to the problem I was seeing in our games.
3. I tried yet another version of that second drill, this time have two offensive players battle to see which could score the most goals from the number dumped into the crease area.  Again, trying to keep a supply of pucks on hand to keep the drill going was a pain.  But, I think this drill comes a lot closer to recreating the urgency of a game.

Now, while I always enjoy your Comments to a post, this time I’m hoping some members might even have a better idea than mine!  (Ya, help!!!)

Olympic Hockey

Talk about getting goose bumps…  That’s exactly what I told my young friend, John Galluzzo, when I read the following article.  Never mind that his brief recap of the Miracle at Placid really touched me, but I know (or knew) many of the characters John mentions here.  Actually, the author’s dad worked with me as an assistant high school hockey coach eons ago, and a young John skated in a few of my clinics way back when.  Then, I worked with Bobby Sheehan, Ed Taylor and Peter Breen, and I even had the chance to watch a young teen named David Silk in his youth hockey days at the old Cohasset Winter Gardens and Pilgrim Arena (where my NEHI Teams still practice).

No matter how you connect with the following, however, I doubt anyone forgets where he or she was the day Al Michaels spouted those magic words (through a snowy, pre-cable broadcast?).

Many thanks to John for sharing this…

– Dennis Chighisola

Olympic Hockey

As originally published in South Shore Living

By John Galluzzo   johnjgalluzzo@hotmail.com

Broadcaster Al Michaels’ final call of the astonishingly unexpected wrestling of the Olympic Gold Medal for hockey away from the juggernaut Soviet Union team by the United States in Lake Placid, New York, in February 1980 still echoes in the minds of hockey fans across the country. “Do you believe in miracles? YES!”

While the victory itself was one for the United States as a whole, and one which had obvious political overtones during the strenuous days of the Cold War, the story of the accomplishment ultimately grew from early morning skating drills and hockey practices in only four states: Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and right here in Massachusetts.

We may never fully understand the effect that Boston Bruins defenseman Bobby Orr had on the development of that 1980 team. Much like the Tiger Woods craze of the late 1990s is responsible for the overabundance of golf courses today in the U.S., the urge to be like Bobby drove kids in the Boston area to beg their parents for skates, pucks and sticks in the early 1970s. Their wishes spurred the construction of ice rinks all over the region which were soon filled to their rafters with town teams of “mites, squirts, peewees and bantams,” sometimes two and three levels deep, organized into leagues that kept the lights burning from pre-dawn until post sunset.

The South Shore already had a love of the game, played until the mid-sixties outdoors on frozen ponds, and more formally in places like the Hingham Skating Club, where a small wooden hut with a wood-burning stove gave players a place to lace up before hitting the pond. “There has always been a strong hockey tradition down here,” said Richard Johnson, curator of the Sports Museum at the TD Garden. “In the late 60′s and early 70′s no less a team than the Montreal Canadiens signed both Larry Pleau [of Lynn] and Bobby Sheehan of Weymouth at a time when you could count the number of Americans in the NHL on the fingers of one hand.” In Pembroke, Hingham, Rockland, Cohasset and elsewhere, indoor rinks became the schooling grounds for the boys whom Johnson calls “the sons of Bobby Orr.”

“Dave Silk started skating at the Winter Gardens at a very young age, 7 or 8 years old,” said Peter Breen, former owner of the Cohasset Winter Gardens, which sat on what is now the site of the Cohasset commuter rail stop on Route 3A. “He skated a lot with Ed Taylor, in his hours,” he remembered. Taylor, a champion of South Shore youth hockey, founded the Scituate Braves program in 1968, coaching, managing and even driving his team from home to the rinks and back. Young Silk, who had just lost his father, found “a surrogate father” in Taylor, he told the Boston Globe years later. And so the road to the Olympics began for the Scituate youngster.

Thayer Academy called first, and Silk answered with an astounding 85 points (goals plus assists) in his freshman year. Boston University’s attention was gained. In his first year there, 1976-77, Silk broke freshman records for goals, assists and points, earning New England rookie of the year honors. In 1978, he and his teammates earned a national collegiate championship, and the National Hockey League’s New York Rangers could wait no longer. They drafted him that year.

But Silk had one final item on his hockey agenda before giving up his amateur status, which, in 1980, was still required to participate in Olympic sports. He skated for the national hockey program through 1979 and into 1980, alongside a final squad composed of twelve Minnesotans, two skaters from Wisconsin, one from Michigan, and three of his Boston University teammates: Mike Eruzione of Winthrop, Jack O’Callahan of Charlestown and goalie Jim Craig of North Easton.

Their story has been told repeatedly through nearly thirty years, most recently notably through the Disney movie Miracle. Silk netted 48 points in international competition, climaxing with two assists in the 4-3 victory over the Soviet Union on February 22, 1980, the penultimate game on the road to gold medal, but, to all true fans of the sport, the gold medal game (the United States beat the Fins two days later 4-2 to officially claim the medal).

As the final seconds ticked off, Al Michaels began his call, giving Scituate and the rest of the South Shore youth hockey community – the coaches, the rink owners, the teammates, the Zamboni drivers, the fans, the pro shop skate sharpeners, the moms and dads who sacrificed early morning sleep to help their kids follow their dreams – a moment they would never forget: “Eleven seconds, you’ve got ten seconds, the countdown going on right now! Morrow, up to Silk. Five seconds left in the game. Do you believe in miracles?”
“YES!”

Eyes-up Puckhandling (or Not?)

Our friend Jerry visited The MOTION Lab tonight.  And, while he warmed to do some new stickhandling tricks, something struck me — that I needed to share with him, and also with you…

– Dennis Chighisola

Eyes-up Puckhandling (or Not?)

As Jerry did a little light dribbling in anticipation of learning some new puckhandling tricks, I noticed that he was trying to keep his eyes-up.  Aaaaah, good for him — that he remembers to work on that often.

At the same time, I mentioned to him that I usually have to emphasize or de-emphasize that stuff, depending on what I’m having a player (or players) do.  And that usually depends on where we are with a given puckhandling skill.

For example, if we’re working on the beginning level of any given skill, that usually requires total attention.  And my feeling is that a player usually has enough to worry about without taking his or her eyes off the puck or ball.

Of course, the time ultimately comes when I feel a player has pretty much mastered that skill.  And, it’s at that time I believe he or she has to start doing it without looking downward.

(Just click-on the photo above to see Jerry working on his ball dribbling while doing a pretty good job of looking out and around.)

Be a friend:  Your worthwhile Comment helps Coach Chic!

What is Consistency?

What is Consistency?

By Brady Greco, Performance Coach — The Mental Edge

A common performance concept that is rarely taught but always referred to by coaches is playing a more consistent game.  You hear coaches all the time say, “play with more consistency day in and day out.”  There is no problem if a coach makes this statement and communicates to the team about what needs to take place in order to become more consistent.  However, the majority of coaches fail to explain in detail what consistency even entails, making it impossible for a player to understand how to become more consistent in their play.

Consistency can be described in the sport’s world as a level of quality play over an extended period of time.  Every competitive athlete has experienced a game where they performed very well. In turn, every athlete has encountered what it feels like to perform poorly, making the concept of consistency very tricky.  Here is a checklist of five keys to focus on as an athlete that will help maintain consistency throughout your personal journey as an athlete:

1. Awareness: Reflect on your performance and determine what areas you did well in and what areas you need to improve upon.
2. Good Habits: Practice good habits throughout the athletic season.  This means staying disciplined and remembering to do the ‘little’ things both on and off the athletic field or arena.
3. Pre-game Routine: For an athlete to become mentally prepared for a game/practice, they must take the proper procedures.  This means an athlete must find a comfortable and effective personal routine they go through on days of games/practice.  Establishing a good pre-game routine will enable an athlete to be prepared mentally which will create a better chance of optimal performance.  Don’t be afraid to ‘mess around’ with your routine if you feel something is not working.
4. Imagery: Imagine yourself accomplishing the task at hand.  Picture yourself already playing the game and making the right plays in every situation.
5. Positive Self-Talk: Don’t be afraid to talk to yourself.  Tell yourself ‘I am the best, I am the best’.  This will create encouraging thoughts to flow through your mind to remain positive.

At the Mental Edge, we can teach you mental toughness skills like these to empower you on your journey as an athlete.  Simply call Dawn to start at 763-439-5246.

Brady

Preventing Odd-man Rushes

One of my NEHI HS Prep assistant coaches called me the other day with something he’d noticed in some of our closer games.  (Actually, anything that goes wrong tends to only become noticeable when we lose or when a game is close.  Seldom can anything be learned from a lopsided win.)

Both of the points made by Mike H were taken seriously, and they’re both worth talking to our players about (over and over and over again).  So, I’ve done just that this week — going over the following, in anticipation of a really tough game this coming weekend.

– Dennis Chighisola

Preventing Odd-man Rushes

Rightly so, Mike feels our next opponents are really quick at transitioning onto the attack.  And both of his observations had to do with our once-in-awhile tendency to allow quick odd-man rushes towards our goal:

• There have been times when our defensemen have headed to their bench before they’ve made sure the puck was buried fairly deep in our opponents’ end.  And that’s an absolute must.  What happens a lot of times is that a D gets it into his head that he’s going to get off the ice at the first opportunity.  With that, he sorta guesses that the time is right, even when it’s not.  Sometimes a teammate’s dump-in initially looks good, the defenseman starts off the ice, and then the puck doesn’t find its way deep into the zone.  At yet other times a defenseman wrongly thinks a teammate is going to carry the puck safely and deep, and he never follows the puck long enough to ensure that actually happens.  In either case, a turn-over in neutral-ice — or high in the oppositions’ zone — provides those opponents the chance for a quick counterattack and a man-advantage rush.

• Actually, Mike’s second point involves the comments I just made about puckhandlers erring in neutral-ice or at the oppositions’ blue line.  But, let me deal with this in two parts…

1. As I point-out in my video on “Dumping the Puck” (I really suggest you watch this), he absolutely must get the puck all the way through traffic and deep into an offensive corner.
2. As importantly, puckhandlers must make wise decisions as they carry through neutral-ice.  Headmanning the puck is always the first option, and carrying further would be the second.  As a player carriers, however, he should only do so if resistance is light.  A player should never try to carry when out-manned by the defenders.  No, the wise thing to do then is to dump the puck.

Be a friend:  Your worthwhile Comment helps Coach Chic!

How Should a Beginner Hold a Hockey Stick?

My Facebook friend (and CoachChic.com member), Kathy C, couldn’t have posed a more timely question.  For, it’s mid-October, beginner hockey players are flocking to learn-to-play type clinics all over North America, and a lot of new hockey parents are scratching their heads as they attempt to outfit their youngsters.

More specifically, Kathy jokes that I get to settle an ongoing debate — between her, her husband and the local pro shop guys — in determining which way her 4-year old son should hold a hockey stick.

Fortunately for Kathy (and any other new hockey parents), I’ve been dealing with this issue for a good 30-years or more.  So, with that, here goes…

– Dennis Chighisola

How Should a Beginner Hold a Hockey Stick?

Up front, I’ll suggest that there is an easy way out of this dilemma, that being to purchase a stick that has a flat blade, and then let the chips fall where they may.  This, however, is not my personal preference.  Over recent years I haven’t seen a decently constructed flat bladed stick, with most of them being hunks of tree limbs that are far too heavy for kids in the toddler to 5-year old range.  Moreover, a slight curve in a stick’s blade encourages my young students to carry the puck just as I’d like them to — between the blade’s midsection and its heel.  Oh, and there’s something else I like about most curved sticks that I’ve held, in that they have a nice (but perhaps undefinable) “feel” to them.

That out of the way, here are two tidbits of background information that really are meant just as FYIs:

1. Quite often, one holds a hockey stick just as he or she might hold a broom or a shovel.
2. Quite often, one will feel more comfortable with the dominant hand holding the top of the stick.  (I get a kick out of new parents who scratch their heads at their kids being right handed while holding the stick to their left side.  But that would be natural, as you see, with the dominant hand used to steer the stick-actions from the top of the shaft.)

Still, notice that I said “quite often” in both instances.  For, although these are relatively common occurrences, THEY ARE NOT RULES.  Every player still needs to seek his or her own comfort in handling a hockey stick.

Now, I actually chuckled to myself as Kathy said something to the effect that one shouldn’t ask her son which way he shoots.  She is right-on about that, since asking a young one how he or she shoots is going to cause him or her to think too much.

That said, I think we have two different situations when it comes to the which-way-should-he-shoot question…

In Kathy’s case, I know that her little guy has been playing around the house with a flat bladed stick for some time now.  So, I’d suggest that she and her husband just quietly observe the boy as he bats at a ball (or whatever).  Whatever he’s doing during that time — not knowing he’s being watched — is pretty likely to be natural.

On the other hand, there are those who find themselves at a local pro shop and suddenly faced with the need to buy a stick.  Hmmmmm…  What I’ll often suggest in that situation is that the parent roll-up a piece of paper into a ball, and then encourage the youngster to shoot it around the shop for awhile.  Then, doing just as I’ve suggested to Kathy and her husband, the parent can step back and quietly observe his or her youngster doing whatever comes naturally.

Finally, although the purchase of a youngster’s first hockey stick seems traumatic, consider the fact that he or she will probably ultimately own dozens upon dozens of sticks through the years.  So, while my suggestions still only give a first-time hockey parent a 50/50 chance at being right, beginner sticks are inexpensive enough that re-thinking things a few months down the road isn’t going to be too painful.

Just so new members appreciate what I’m trying to do here…  Kathy sent me that question this morning and I had an answer posted a few hours later.  I want to do that for my members (and friends), providing you answers when you need them!

Did you know your Comments really help me?  So, please get involved.  Just use the box below to offer your thoughts, questions or suggestions.  (And thanks — a bunch!)

3 Principles Atom Minor Hockey Coaches Should Follow

Carol, a new Twitter friend and a Manager for her youth program’s Atom Division, posed a REALLY tough question for this old coach.

As she put it, “What are the three top principles an Atom minor hockey coach should follow?”

Of course, it would have been easier to troubleshoot a hockey skill problem, or to suggest a solution for some area of team play.  Offering what I might consider to be top principles is yet another challenge.  Not only that but, my guess is that Carol would likely get lots of very different suggestions had she polled other experienced coaches.

That said, I took the better part of today — thinking long and hard — to arrive at what is to follow.

(Oh, by the way, for those who aren’t familiar with the Canadian age level known as “Atom”, it’s basically the same as the “Squirt” designation used in USA Hockey.)

– Dennis Chighisola

3 Principles Atom Minor Hockey Coaches Should Follow

__________________________________

1) Give every player a reason to look forward to the team’s next get-together

I’m not so naive as to think there aren’t a lot of things that go wrong in a typical hockey practice or game.  In fact, I can’t blame coaches of losing teams for feeling plenty of frustration, and I can also appreciate how difficult it can be to stay positive under such circumstances.

Still, there is a time for everything.

For sure, players need to be pushed and prodded.  And when it comes to younger players, I’ve even pretended to be mad at the lot of them.

That out of the way, I choose my parting words VERY wisely.  I mean, I actually delay entering my team’s post-game or post-practice lockerroom for about 5-minutes.  During that time my kids get to partially undress and I get to gather my thoughts.  Oh, there might be nights when I’d like to blast them, and there are surely a lot of nights when I’d like to go into a 20-minute talk — on why we should have done this and how we could have done that.  In reality, though, what’s done is done, and the only thing that’s important at this point is our next game or our next practice.  So, it seems the most productive thing I can do as I send the kids on their way is to give every player a reason to look forward to our next get-together.

2) Continually look for “teaching moments”

Over 40-years of coaching, I have a pretty good outline — or checklist — for readying a team.  My season’s plan is pretty detailed, and my practices are planned to the minute.

Yet, unusual things happen all the time — during practices, and especially during games.  Sometimes it’s a rare circumstance that crops-up during a game, sometimes it comes from a great question posed by a player, sometimes it comes about because of a difficulty experienced by a player, and sometimes it stems from an outstanding play.

No matter, I call these “teaching moments”, and I think they’re worthy of holding a good old fashion bull session.  Actually, I sense that my players (young or old) have enjoyed these.  Better yet, I sense these kinds of discussions stick with a player for many, many years.

3) Think long-term

No doubt we’d all gain a great deal of satisfaction from seeing some of our players go on to do well at the game’s higher levels.  That said, coaches dealing with the youngest players have to realize just how significant their contribution really is to that cause.

On the negative side of things, my work as a skills analyst has me spotting numerous older guys who struggle just because they weren’t helped when they were young.  Not knowing their history, it’s often hard to know exactly what went wrong.  But my educated guess is that some of their earlier coaches either skipped steps in certain teaching progressions, or they didn’t establish in their players a certain kind of discipline or mentality when it came to skill work.

This brief aside…  A lot of years ago I attended a coaching symposium that included a roundtable discussion on skill development.  (If it wasn’t so sad it would have been laughable.  But…)  An NHL executive started by pointing to the other members, suggesting that they had to get the skill development accomplished because his guys couldn’t practice often enough, what with all their games and heavy travel schedule.  The Major Junior coach obviously took exception to that, complaining that he had to concern himself with winning games or he’d lose his job.  And so the buck-passing went, all the way down the line, with each level offering its own excuse and asking the same basic question as the others:  Why don’t you guys down below send me skilled players?

I tell that story because I too often hear coaches at the youngest levels make their own excuses — as in, “Oh, my players will get that when they move-up to the next level.”  Not so, of course, at least from what those guys at the roundtable had to say.

To my way of thinking, the seeds for great skills and playing smarts should be planted early.  And so should the lead-up skills be taught so that players can later skate like the wind, handle a puck wildly, thread perfect passes and fire absolute bullets.  Having your players eagerly looking forward to their next team event will help towards that end.  Finding plenty of “teaching moments” is going to help young players think the game better.  And, thinking long-term tends to help us coaches resolve that age-old win-at-all-costs versus development-first issue.

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2 Ideas We Can Borrow from Ovechkin

For those who may have just joined (or just happened by this entry), I strongly urge you to view the YouTube video I dubbed “Studying Alexander Ovechkin“.  I’ve asked members to run (and re-run) goals #4 and #2 there, just to get a sense of how the The Great OV oftentimes balances on one skate as he readies to unleash a shot.

Oh, and as an FYI…  I doubt Ovechkin is the only player to demonstrate the following skills.  I just happened to use him as an example because I tend to spend so much time studying his moves.

– Dennis Chighisola

1) The Skate Wiggle

As I hinted at in my previous notes, I long ago noticed Ovechkin wiggling his left skate as he readied to shoot from the right side of his body.  And as I also noted, I think this can be a huge distraction to a goaltender.

Just think about it:  The goaler attempts to focus on the puck, but there is this extra movement going on (in the corner of his eye) that must be awfully hard to ignore.  How distracting is it?  I’m not sure (and I’d love for some experienced goalie-types to weigh-in on this).  However, aren’t we all looking for an edge — no matter how slight?

Now, I actually had more than one motive when I decided to have my team players learn this.  For, as I’ve noted in numerous other entries when I’ve talked about shooting, it’s a good idea for players to learn how to pull the trigger in all sorts of off balance postures.  So, while the drills I’m going to show in the following videos will likely help some of my better players add something new to their bag of puckhandling and shooting tricks, I’m going to suggest that every one of my kids has enhanced his skills just from practicing so often on one skate.  (I’ll have a little more to say on this topic a little later.)

Okay, I’ve provided the sketch to the lower right just so you might see the basic posture…  The idea is for the shooter to balance on one skate while slightly wiggling the other.

As an aside here…  Last season, when I first introduced this skill, I had my players wiggle the skate opposite their stick (just as I’d seen Ovechkin do).  As I noted above, I felt this was going to cause the most distraction for the goaltender.  However, because I was adding another skill this season, I had my guys try that wiggle with the skate closest to their stick.  You’ll see why in awhile, though.

I’d like to share a few more tips here, beyond the actual shooting tricks…  For example, I find certain settings better for my Jr HS and HS Prep players to try new skills.  So, as you’ll notice in the videos linked to many of the following photos, we work off-ice a lot (even in The MOTION Lab), and the players also work on their own firing at the side boards (my guys probably get 20-shots to every one they’d have had if they were standing in long lines).  Neither do I allow them to initially shoot on a goaltender when I really want them concentrating on a given skill technique.  (Just click on a photo to see the video.)

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2) The Kick

In the previous post I promised to show you something even more challenging for the goaltender.  So, here goes…

The accompany sketch shows a player’s stick going forward as the leg opposite his stick moves backward.

Now, think “equal and opposite reactions” here — as when a sprinter’s arms pump forward and backward to aid his leg actions, or when a skater moves the hands, arms and shoulders side to side to help the outward thrust of each skate.

In other words, as the shooter pushes his stick forward, he has to simultaneously kick rearward in order to add some extra umph to that forward stick action.  (Click on the photos below to see some of my guys executing what I’ve come to call “The Ovechkin Kick”.)

By the way…  I noticed in putting together the second video that the young lefty shooter is slightly off in timing his kick with his shot.  Can you see it?  The kick appears to be a little too early to really help his shot.  Knowing the player, though, he will get it with a little more work.

Does the direction of that backward kick matter?  You bet!  As a matter of fact, that’s probably been the most difficult thing to convey to my kids.  That kick has to be as close to 180-degrees to the direction of the shot as possible; otherwise a great deal of the force will be lost.

Actually, I’ve started talking to my guys in terms of feeling the extra power, and I’m often heard to ask them, “Can you feel it?” as I move up and down the line of shooters.

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3) Combining the Movements

I initially introduced the above two skills separately, and I had players practice them separately.  Ultimately, though — after probably a good month or more of separate drilling, I had the guys combine the moves.

The videos below show my players putting the two tricks together.

By the way…  You’ll notice that the kids are usually doing a wiggle first, switching skates and then performing their kicks with the other skate.  That kind of order is just for practice purposes, however.  In reality, I’ll want them to do whatever comes naturally once they’re in a game.  I also know how an athlete’s mind works, and I can assure you that each player will grasp for whatever does come naturally in the heat of battle.  Some will actually dare to string the two moves together, some will want to get the shot-off quicker by going to just the kick, some will wiggle a skate and fire, while some won’t dare do anything other than just pull the trigger as fast as they can.  But, for more on this topic, please consider my closing remarks…

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In summary, I want to re-affirm something I just hinted at, in that individuals will tend to get differing results from an unusual type of skills training.

Over 40-years of working with thousands of athletes, I can tell you that a few special ones will put that new skill into their game almost immediately.  It’s just the nature of those very unique beasts.  At the other end of the spectrum, there will always be a few players who will never dare to do anything new in a game setting.

All that said, I’m going to suggest that just working at new skills — like those described above — is going to affect some positive change in every single player.  So, even though those in the lower half of a roster might not dare to purposely pull-off moves like I’ve just showed, they are going to frequently find themselves balanced on one skate or the other in a game, and they’re going be confident about handling the puck or even letting it fly from that posture.

– Dennis Chighisola

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The Mental Component: Another Approach to Hockey Training

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

– Dennis Chighisola

The Mental Component: Another Approach to Hockey Training

By Craig Shaw

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

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

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

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

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

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

In short, want to move forward in a part of your game that is usually overlooked by other players?  Consider the mental/emotional aspect.  Those viewing the Interactive Metronome website (www.interactivemetronome.com) will notice that their focus is on helping those with significant physical or developmental issues, but the applications for athletes and students without these kinds of difficulties are also worth noting.

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Want to see a demonstration video about the Interactive Metronome?  Click here!

And if you’ll Click here, you’ll see another YouTube video featuring a goalie training with a similar device.

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Man, talk about cutting edge.  Yet, Craig has provided us some ideas we can use to “fine tune the neuro-pathways of the brain” at home if we don’t have access to expensive devices.  (And yes, I did say “we” and “us”, because I’m going to see about implementing some of those things myself, most likely in The MOTION Lab.)

Then, this side note…  Years ago, figure skaters used to be required to perform “compulsory figures” in order to move-up in test levels.  Perhaps you used to see them at the rinks, using a huge compass (or “scribe”) to inscribe large circles on the ice.  And with those, an individual skater would practice and aim for absolutely perfect skate edge control, tracing the circles, doing pivots, etc.  At the higher levels of testing, I would see judges actually get down on their knees, use a mitten to dust away the snow, and then inspect the ice for a slightest wobble or loss of edge control.  My point here, is that practice sessions required unbelievable concentration or focus leading-up to the tests.  And I DO mean unbelievable.  I tell this story because — similar to what Craig mentioned above, compulsory figures students were known to jump a full grade in their school work after a season of intense on-ice practice at concentration.

By the way…  I’m going to end by teasing my friend here a bit, suggesting to Craig that he rethink his feelings on computer games.  For, while I also once felt they were mind numbing (LOL), I’m going to soon do a post on some very positive things I’ve seen in that area.

– Dennis Chighisola

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The Most Important Factors in Hockey Shooting

Jerry Z — yes, THAT Jerry Z of CoachChic.com in-line fame — submitted a VERY good question the other day.  As a matter of fact, it might be one of the best ones I’ve fielded to date.   You see, I quite often raise the points noted below as I talk to my Team NEHI hockey players.  And I especially get into this stuff when their offensive efforts are failing.  So, here’s what Jerry asked…

– Dennis Chighisola

Q: What do you consider the most important factor is in shooting?  Whether it’s to be accurate?  Hard?  Quick? (I assume each shooter is different, but how would you prioritize practicing?)

A: Really, I have a very short answer for Jerry.  Before I get to that, however, I’d like to share some information that should help players of all levels, including elite guys and gals.

First, although every player IS different, I probably wouldn’t change the basic advice I’ll be sharing here.  Oh, I do talk to forwards and point-shooters a little differently (which is a topic for another time).  But, no matter what position a player plays, he or she really should be aware of the following…

Now, to really make my point with (head strong?) young players, I’ll use a couple of very familiar subjects — namely, the NHL’s top scorers’ list, and a popular segment of the NHL’s skills competition.

Most often I’ll begin this kind of discussion by asking my guys if they recall who the top scorers are in the NHL.  Once things have settled down, and once they’ve tossed more than enough names my way, I’ll move-on to ask them which guys had the hardest shots in the most recent NHL slapshot competition.  Once again, kids will usually get a little rowdy and argue amongst themselves (I like when they get into it like that), but we ultimately do boil the list down to a couple of really strong shooters.

In a way, my players have played into my hands here.  I mean, I believe they can envision at this point the top scorers and the hardest shooters.  And they’re usually ripe by this time to answer a few of my planned questions.

The first thing I’ll put to them is whether any of the NHL’s extra hard shooters are near the top of the league in scoring.  I’m usually looking at a bunch of open mouths by now, and a whole bunch of players who really want to know what’s coming next.

What’s next?  It’s that most of the guys found near the top in scoring — probably in any league — are those who have moves and put their shots on-goal quickly.

Now, before someone offers the fact that there have been many great shooters at or near the top in NHL scoring, I’m going to say that is absolutely the case.  In fact, all of the guys who tally a lot of points can fire the puck.  But, that’s not my point.

My point IS that top scorers shoot quickly.  Seldom are they one dimensional (with just a big shot).  Again, they have moves — or dekes, and they can usually launch the puck with lightening speed from any spot or any posture.

Before going further let me share some of the keys from another brief conversation I often have with my students and players, this having to do with a match-up between an attacker and the goaltender…

• Please consider that the goaler probably desires two things in such a confrontation.
• He’d like to be able to see the puck (which suggests that screens must prove very frustrating to him).
• A goalie needs time.  I mean, most goaltenders own the best equipment their money can buy, and they spend a lot of their practice time learning how to place that expensive gear in the right place relative to the puck’s location.  And, given enough time to put that gear in the right spot, I’m betting that the hardest shot in the world isn’t going to find its way to the back of the net.

And that, my friends, is the basis upon which I answer most questions having to do with shooting.

That shooting quickness and shooting power belong at opposite extremes should be easy for me to now argue.  Accuracy, on the other hand, will take a little more explaining.

From what I’ve said about the goaler’s needs, you should understand why I see a quick trigger as the most important shooting trait.  It should make sense that the ultra-quick shot has the best chance of catching the netminder out of position.

Now, don’t get me wrong on this next one, because I believe it’s awesome to have a powerful shot, and I work with my guys plenty to develop their hand, forearm, shoulder and core strength.  At the same time, the most powerful shots usually take time to uncork, and that’s often exactly what a goaltender needs to get himself or herself in the right position.  And that’s why power takes a backseat to shooting quickness in my book.

Shooting accuracy is a tricky one…  Frankly, every shot should be on-goal.  (What is it I’ve heard some coaches say?  “You can’t score on 100% of the shots that miss the net!”?)

This short story…  A lot of years ago I read an article about a pro team that had just played our local NHL entry.  The visitors had beaten our guys, and their coach in a post-game interview gave a lot of credit to his point-shooters.  As he described the situation, his team hadn’t been generating much offense from the blue line, so they decided to make a one-game pact.  All the defensemen agreed to not take any slapshots, but to instead just throw pucks on net as quickly as they could.  The result?  Three goals originated from the point.  My assessment?  Those kinds of shots got on-goal fast, there was a better chance they’d be accurate, and the combination of quickness and the screens that took place in front of the locals’ net took-away the two things the home team goaler wanted — as in sight of the puck and time to get in position.

Still, for all I’ve said to this point, Jerry is really asking about how much time HE should devote to each of those shooting skills.  So, my honest answer to that one?  I think he — and all players — should work on all three areas.  As a relative beginner, however, I might suggest that Jerry give his shooting strength a slight priority at first.  Once he’s able to rip some pucks (or balls) fairly well, shooting quickness would come next.  All along, though, he should try to practice hitting spots, and he should always try to put his shots on-goal.

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Heat Illness and Hydration Tips

Although Jason Price has in mind those athletes who will be enduring the likes of some pretty tough outdoor activities under the hot summer and fall sun, I’m going to suggest that the following represents an extremely timely collection of advice for hockey players.  Sure, we play and practice in cooler — often very cold — environs.  But that’s misleading.  Actually, hockey players should have a number of the concerns Jason raises here.  (This article was written last month.  But, it’ll remain timely for hockey players from now until next spring.)

– Dennis Chighisola

Heat Illness and Hydration Tips

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

Athletes Equation

jason.price@athletesequation.com

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With August nearly half over most High School and College Athletes are either back into or on their way to pre-season practice. Where most athletes go into the season prepared from a summer of training they often find themselves getting into trouble with conditions of August two-a-days with decreased performance or far worse.

Most athletes prepare for the season working out in hot conditions and this gives them a false sense of security when approaching preseason practice. They feel they are acclimatized to the conditions but facts are facts. Most athletes may train at the most 2 hours a day and if they go everyday that is impressive. Most are taking days off in between training sessions.

Now look at the facts of the preseason. Multiple hours of multiple training sessions a day, increased stress of fighting to make the team or earn a position, and practices strung together for days at a time. That is a recipe for disaster for an athlete if they do not take the right approach into the preseason.

Heat Illness is one of the only injuries that is 100% preventable. All it takes is awareness, it is that simple. Awareness from the coaching staff, athletic trainer and athlete, and all it takes is one of those people to be ignorant to the dangers of training in heat to cause a potentially tragic situation. The book “Junction Boys”, about the preseason camp run by Paul Bryant at Texas A&M, does a great job of describing how heat illness can ravage a team because of ignorance towards it.

First, let’s discuss heat illness and what can happen from it. There are three heat related conditions of primary concern for coaches, athletic trainers, and athletes. In order by how dangerous the condition is, they are

3- Exercise-Associated Muscle Cramps

2 – Heat Exhaustion

1 – Heat Stroke.

Again these three conditions are 100% preventable. Symptoms of the three conditions can overlap and often one condition will move on to the more serious one. So, athletes who start having exercise-associated cramps will often ultimately put themselves into a condition of heat exhaustion and then even heat stroke.

Failure to treat these conditions can cause serious dehydration and the complications that come with that (even possible death)!

Now, I am not saying athletes should not train in the heat. Most Athletes have no choice.  All it takes to avoid problems is being aware of the dangers and knowing how to keep oneself protected.

So, how can you tell if someone is suffering from heat illness? They will demonstrate signs of thirst, fatigue, lethargy, flushed skin, headache, and visual disturbances. Anyone showing signs of heat illness should be treated as a medical emergency.  For, if the proper treatment isn’t given them, they are in a potential life threatening situation. Again, Heat Illness is 100% preventable.  If someone shows signs of heat illness, and if they are treated appropriately, they have an excellent prognosis for full recovery.

The table below outlines how you can differentiate between heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat stroke is by far the more serious condition, it’s potentially life threatening, and the individual should be transported to the nearest medical facility for treatment.

Who is at risk of heat injury? Healthy individuals, children, elderly, those with excessive muscle mass, the obese, those with low body fat, the poorly acclimatized or poorly conditioned, those with a previous history of heat illness, anyone who is dehydrated, one who is sleep deprived or those with acute illnesses (flu, allergies, colds, etc). Obviously, this includes a good many individuals.

So, how can you prevent the risk of heat related conditions? First and for most, stay hydrated. Hydration is key. If you wait until you are thirsty to drink then it is too late and you are highly at risk. If you wait until practice to hydrate, then you are highly at risk. So, here is the best strategy to fight heat illness:

• Drink 8-12 8oz of fluid at least 24 hours prior to an event
• Drink at least 16oz of fluid 2 hours prior to exercise and again 20 min before exercise
• Have fluid available during training and practices (unlimited water breaks should be given; if an athlete says he or she needs water, let them get it).
• When exercising for more than an hour, drink at least 5-10 oz of fluid every 15-20 minutes.
• Drink cool fluids containing less than 8% carbohydrate.
• Use individual water bottles to monitor fluid consumption.
• Check Urine color for hydration status (see Urine Color Gauge)
• Take weights prior to and after practice to measure loss of fluid in the body.
• Replenish lost fluid with at least 24 oz of fluid for every pound of body weight lost due to exercise.
• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated beverages.
• Allow 10-14 days to get acclimatized
• Reduce intensity of prolonged exercise

*By fluid I am inferring to water or a watered down sports drink. Fruit Juices, energy drinks, and other beverages are not good fluids to hydrate with.

So, with this knowledge of heat illness and a strategy and how to prevent it, you are prepared for taking on the heat as you prepare for the fall sports season.

Reference:   Anderson, Marcia; Hall, Susan; Martin, Malissa. Foundations of Athletic Training. New York: Lippincott Williams & Wilkens. 2005.

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As a wrap-up here, hockey players, their parents and their coaches at least seem not to be as concerned about hydration issues as they should.  No, we don’t usually practice and play under extremely hot conditions.  And, no, we’re probably not in danger of the most severe heat related illnesses.  At the same time, hockey players are very much in danger of reduced performance if they don’t hydrate properly.  After all, while environmental temperatures surely are a factor in water loss, so is exertion, as well as stress.  So again, hydration — or frequent water intake — is important to a hockey player.

Finally, I’d like to emphasize one point Jason made, in that once a player gets thirsty, the fluids he or she takes-in at that point won’t help for a considerable length of time.  That’s the reason he suggests starting the hydration process long before the practice or game.  In other words, stay ahead.

– Dennis Chighisola

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Hockey Success Breeds More Hockey Success

Actually, the above statement would be true if we were talking about academics, our chosen field of work, a hobby, you name it.

– Dennis Chighisola

In fairness, I have to begin by saying that this topic was brought about by an email I just received this morning from a CoachChic.com member.  I’m thankful this guy is with us, because he comments often and thusly provides me a lot of food for thought.

In that email, my friend was saying how his youngster had felt really good about himself upon leaving the rink each time over recent weeks, and that this excited him so much that he wanted to do more hockey related things back home.  That’s not so hard to understand, is it?  After all, we humans avoid pain as best we can, and we gravitate towards things that make us feel good about ourselves.  Again, there shouldn’t be any big surprises about that.

Ironically, I’ve been working on several projects recently…  I have an on-ice puckhandling course starting locally in a few weeks, my Learn-to-skate/Learn-to-play clinics begin in early October, and I’m also working on a new video that will appear on this site’s new sales page (ya, I hate that “Oops, you’re not a member?” page — LOL).

The irony comes with the fact that all I really want to talk to customers about is confidence — be it for my clinics or in the promotion of this site.  I mean, that is absolutely everything.  Every guru who has ever lived has said it in one way or another, and that’s also a key principle in The Bible, in The Secret and in The Law of Attraction.

As this relates to my clinics — and even that new sales page…  I hope long-time members have gotten the sense that the drills and slow, deliberate progressions I offer here are all about confidence.  A player does a given skill progression to the point of mastering it, and he or she is sure to feel good about taking-on the next challenge.  And so it should go, from beginner all the way up to elite execution.

Okay, but now back to my main premise…  My CoachChic.com friend said that his young guy left the rink psyched.  With that, the boy went home to seemingly find ways to continue that feeling.  That’s gonna happen, you know.  The player who is loving the game finds a stick and ball at home and experiments, maybe even reliving some of the recent rink excitement.  In the case of my friend’s boy, he also found a way to spend plenty of time on his in-lines.

This in mind, here are a few suggestions for member parents and coaches…

First and foremost, appreciate that YOU have the most say in whether your kids have either good or bad experiences at the rink.

For example, I know some parents get hung-up on a team’s designation (like it sounds better to the guys at work if you tell ‘em your kid plays on a AAA team).  However, I’ll suggest that the player who is going to be in the lower two-thirds of that high level roster is NOT going to be able to truly execute many of the things he or she would like.  In fact, a lot of kids on any given team will play in what I call “panic mode”, because nearly everything they attempt to do is rushed by the superior talent around them.  Many, in fact, won’t be able to skate 2′ without coughing-up the puck or throwing it away in a panic.  Oh, I know, I’m being a bit rough on some of you by saying this.  But, I feel my lot in life is to offer you the best advice I can.  So, I’m just suggesting that some serious thought has to be given to where a youngster plays for close to 9-months out of the year.

For my next point, let me take you to a rink lobby some 15-ish years ago…  I’m walking into the rink to teach a clinic, and I’m greeted by a whole bunch of my former Learn-to-play students as they’re leaving their game ice.  The kids are smiling and waving to me, and I had to believe they’d just done pretty well.  Once the kids disappeared to their lockerroom, however, I discovered a very different story from the group’s parents and coaches.  Those little guys had actually been beaten by a score of about 17-0, with the grown-ups looking and sounding all down in the dumps.  Again, the kids — not yet influenced by the adults, are laughing and seemingly excited at having just played.  The reason I tell this story?  It’s because some of those youngsters were likely allowed to continue feeling good about that hockey experience on the ride home and thereafter, while others were probably going to be told how badly things went.  My personal answer to this is to suggest that I’m a better “spin doctor” than all those professional politicians you see on TV.  I see a little guy take a tumble in one of my clinics and I rush to tell him, “Awesome fall!” — just as he’s deciding whether to cry or not.  And I can usually think of something positive to say to my team, even when they’ve had bad night.  Hey, I want them eagerly coming to practice in a few days, so there appears no other choice but to give them a reason to do that.  And that’s what I’m suggesting here:  Be a spin doctor yourself, and give your own player or players reasons to feel good about the last hockey experience.

Now here’s the best reason for doing some of the things I’ve suggest here…  No matter how a youngster feels about himself or herself, there’s going to be what I refer to as a snowballing effect — with the enthused kid improving all the more between trips to the rink, and the less excited kid likely going backward.  And it keeps rolling that way, with the gaps often widening over time.  As a matter of fact, that’s what I meant in the title up top, in that “hockey success breeds more hockey success”!

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Opening Night for the ’09 NEHI HS Prep Hockey Team

An introductory note from Coach Chic…

Well, after a long off-season of training, my two NEHI teams have been gearing-up recently for the starts of their new playing seasons.  As a matter of fact, my HS Prep guys opened tonight with a pretty convincing 12-2 win.

So, you’d think I’d be thrilled, huh?  Well, so you’d think…

Actually, I believe it’s good for my guys that I’m seldom satisfied with any game, no matter the outcome.  And I’m almost always able to find a number of things that need fixing, or that need at least a little more work.

Now, I’m likely to later cover a lot of the following in far greater detail.  (In other words, if it’s a skating problem I’m mentioning here, for example, I’m probably going to show you in the Skating section how I ultimately solved that.)  For now, however, I’d at least like to touch upon the things I think need addressing with my older team.  I don’t doubt member coaches, parents and older players will find a few things that’ll also help them (sorta like some food for thought)…

The purpose of my High School Prep team is to ready 17 young guys for their respective high school seasons.  All my kids are headed to different schools, and they range in needs from trying to make their school team to wanting to really excel wherever they’re going.

In Massachusetts, school hockey doesn’t begin until the Monday after our US Thanksgiving.  So, that’s my goal — to have the kids ready on that big day.  And I try to convince them (and sometimes their parents) that our common goal is to have everyone totally ready on November 30 of this year.

What I’m getting at is that nothing but development matters to me until that day arrives.  And, in a way, this takes a great deal of pressure off me and my players.  Oh, I’m intense when it comes to my kids working and learning.  But we should all know that they can’t take their autumn game scores or stats with them when they head to tryouts.

So, I started by sharing this philosophy just so you understand the rather patient approach I’m going to be taking with the following topics.

*

I have my own to-do list as I prepare for games.  And the first game of each new season has a longer list than most others.

I print-up a batch of nice roster sheets so that I don’t have to waste time scratching them out for each new game.  That’s on a smart drive, too, just in case I have to make roster changes at any point during the season.

A one-time deal has me bringing new game socks and our game jerseys to the first game.  (Thank God I have a family who will care for the jerseys from now until season’s end!)

I tote a small plastic bucket (adorned with our logo), this carrying about 20 special pucks meant just for our pre-game warm-ups.  Each year I paint these a little differently, with this season’s pucks remaining black around the sides, but sprayed silver on tops and bottoms.  The goalies hate these (LOL), but those pucks sure do make them focus.  Inside that bucket are also a few tennis balls for my goalers to juggle and do other pre-game work with.

I carry a large loose-leaf book that contains my rosters, official papers, emergency telephone lists and then small items — like chalk, pencils, clear tape, notepaper, small sticky-pads for my game notes, and the likes.

Inside the above book is my team’s lockerroom door sign (as described in the Coaches’ Corner).

Then, there’s what I refer to as my “Murphy’s Law Kit”!  Ya, “stuff” happens when we least expect it, so I’ve collected a ton of odds and ends to bail my kids — if they forget a neckguard, if they strip an edge, if they lose a helmet screw, etc.  Oh, and all the typical first aid items are also in the box.

So, how did yours truly do on HIS opening night prep?  Geeeeeeeze, I left the dawgoned game socks back in the office.  (Grrrrrrr…)

*

I asked the guys to report a little early for this first game.  Unbeknownst to the players, I wanted them to relax as they readied for the first game, and I also wanted some extra time to go over a few important things…

After having a quick administrative discussion — like how the jerseys should be collected at game’s end, how we’d operate in the lockerroom, etc., I went into bench decorum.

• Of course, my defensemen sit on the defensive end of the bench, with our forwards stationed closer to the offensive zone.
• I also pointed-out that I want the next guy up at a given position ALWAYS keeping an eye on the man he’ll replace.
• The kids and I next established in a brief discussion which player might be the most important on line changes — the one leaving the ice, or the one entering the play.  From there, I told my guys that they must clear the way for those trying to get onto the ice.  Ya, if you can just picture players getting tangled in a doorway while a team plays shorthanded…  Ugh.
• I told my guys that I wanted them to only concentrate on a few parts of their game.  I think things come together better when we do it this way.  So, I asked them to mainly focus on our primary forecheck, and to also try to make effective dump-ins.  Hey, if you think about it, solving just those two things over the first few weeks will make it easier for us to gradually add other key elements of our system.

*

We have a neatly timed pre-game warm-up routine I’ll also tell you more about soon.  Of course, things looked pretty ugly and were poorly timed during our first real try at it.  Perhaps more importantly, I sensed my guys had lost their focus on one drill, and poor focus means the kids are learning and reinforcing poor techniques rather than the right ones.

*

During this game, a new situation arose that needed dealing with…  A penalty killer should have what’s referred to as a “strong stick” in his or her own zone.  In other words, if my players get their stick-blade on a puck back in our defensive zone, the puck has to be sent out of the zone (and hopefully HARD down the ice).  Actually, I tell my guys I want pucks to hit the far-end boards.

*

Early in the game, a number of my guys came-off the ice with our opponents lugging the puck towards our net.  (Ha.  Oh no you don’t!)  The time to change-up is when the puck is buried safely in the offensive zone.

*

I thought our goaler played well on this night.  At the same time, I think a few of his difficulties weren’t his fault; they’re mine.  And I have to help him fix them.  So, in one instance I wrote a note to myself that I want to create a drill that forces the boy to fight for pucks in scrambles around the crease.  (A lot like the new guys who hadn’t learned with their former teams how to change properly, I think my goalie had been let-down by his past coaches, since he seemingly never learned to really handle the puck — either passing it, setting-up dump-ins for teammates, or tying-up loose pucks.  Oh, our goaltending coach and I have helped him with these things during the off-season.  But, there’s still lots more work to do — for his sake.)

*

Then, there was one awesome play I just have to discuss with all of my guys as soon as I get the chance…  One of my defensemen was coming back towards our end with an enemy puckcarrier close by, and with another attacker trailing not far behind (sort of a 2 on 1).  A lot of backchecking forwards would have wrongly headed towards the puckcarrier, figuring that’s how they could best help their teammate.  My backchecker, however, immediately grabbed the open trailer, which allowed my D to confidently handle the puckcarrier.  Aaaaah, awesome.

*

In closing, know that the game bench is a crazy place, in that there are lots of things for players and coaches to deal with.  Add to that the fact that players are coming and going — on line changes, and it’s virtually impossible for a coach to truly discuss many of the above points with all of his or her players.  For those reasons, I hold a once-per-week “discussion session” where we’re able to really relax and study the notes I’ve taken at the last game.  There’s no screaming or yelling or embarrassing players in these sessions.  Instead, for example, I might begin this coming week’s get-together with something like, “What do you guys think might be the best time to change-up?”  As I hope you’ll appreciate, I’m encouraging at least a two-way discussion here (and hoping a bunch of kids will chime-in), mainly because I think the information sticks better when players help solve a given problem.

As you should notice, there won’t be a shortage of things to work on during our next three practices.  Actually, a lot of the difficulties we had tonight might even spawn a few new drills.

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Putting A Hockey Parent’s Mind in the Right Place

The idea for this piece actually stems from an exchange I recently had with a good friend from Twitter.  Apparently his son’s hockey team started its new season with a tournament, and my friend was bemoaning the fact that a few games were lost due to some recurring mistakes.  (So, what’s new in the world of youth hockey?  LOL!)

Of course, talking back and forth about the tournament — and hearing my friend’s observations — was fun, except… Ya, I said except…

You see, very soon into our conversation I started sensing that my friend feared his own son’s long-term goals might be hindered by his team’s shortcomings.  Hmmmmm…

Okay, my friend is a really bright guy, and I know he immediately understood the way I put a different slant on this subject.  So, while I’m sure he’s now okay — and he has his mind in “the right place”, I think this is a very worthy topic to share with all my CoachChic.com friends.

– Dennis Chighisola

Briefly, let me re-state the scenario here…

We parents probably get to watch our kids play in a kzillion games over a long hockey season.  And, there’s nothing wrong with the fact that we live a little with the wins, and we probably die a little with each loss.  In a way, that’s at least part of the fun in following a team.

Some of us have probably watched enough hockey to even know where our favorite team’s problems lie when things go wrong.  (No problem with that one, either, as long as we keep those kinds of opinions to ourselves.)

Now, returning to my initial point, I want to suggest that we parents wear at least two hats when we go to the arena.

Of course, we’re moms and dads first, and we want to do everything we can to help our own be comfortable and ready to play.  Ya, that includes helping younger ones get their gear ready, or sending our older guys off with our traditional well wishes — like, “Keep your head-up, son!”  And from there — if you’re anything like me, you probably climb the bleachers and proceed to slide left and right, trying to help your son or daughter avoid a check, make the shot, block a puck, whatever.  Oh, and of course, you have to cheer plenty if your youngster finds success in any way.

Secondly, we should be fans of the whole team.  If you think about it, most of the kids down on the ice are our sons’ or daughters’ friends, and it’s pretty likely our kids care plenty about the successes or failures experienced by their buddies.  So again, cheer loudly for your youngsters’ teams, if only because it’s right.

Okay, where do we go from here?  Is it possible our team’s coming season is going to unveil some real downers?  You bet.  Is it possible some volunteer coaches might not have the answers to their team’s shortcomings?  Ha.  And, is it likely our youngster’s team will be a mix of stronger and weaker players?  That’s a fact — from the local Mites to your favorite NHL entry, so get over it.  And, is it possible any of these things will have an impact on your son’s or daughter’s ultimately making the team of his or choice down the road?  NOT in a million dawgoned years!

In answer to the latter, I do believe very much in the old adage that suggests, “If you’re any good, the scouts (or whomever) WILL find you.”

Realistically, the first major goal for US-based players is to make the high school team of their choice.  (I highly suggest you pause here and listen to my very short audio on A Player’s First Real Goal.)  In Canada — and in some US areas, a junior team is the next step from youth hockey.  In any case, the selection process for these teams involves a tryout.  And, make no mistake about it:  A tryout is purely an individual thing.

Let me say that in yet another way…

Supposing your youngster is a goaltender, and he or she is battling 6 or 7 other netminders for a few limited slots.  During the tryout process, your guy or gal is down there on the ice and in the spotlight, with other tryout candidates firing rockets or attacking in two and three man waves.  And I have to ask you:  Does the coach overseeing these tryouts care one iota what your youngster’s record was back in Mites?  Does he or she care if your child’s team won or lost in the finals of some long ago Pee Wee tournament?  And, does he or she really care what your kid’s goals-against average was as a Squirt or Atom?  Naw, it’s a “show me what you can do today” thing at a tryout, and you can toss-out everything from the kid’s past EXCEPT the skills, work ethic and personality he or she has honed over many years.

And I would say the same for skaters…  In a tryout setting, a coach isn’t watching combinations of players; he or she is watching individuals — for the same aforementioned skills, work ethic and personality.  If a player stinks because he or she hasn’t paid the appropriate dues, there’s nowhere to hide, and there’s no saving him or her from going down the proverbial river.  If, on the other hand, a player demonstrates all the necessary skills, he or she will be hard to miss.  In either case, the kid’s stats back in Bantams aren’t likely to matter, nor are the number of trophies sitting back on the family mantel.  It’s a one time shot — or maybe a couple of days, and the decisions are going to be based solely on what the player can — and can’t — do right then and there.

All right, so let’s go back to my earliest couple of points, in that we have two basic roles — one as a parent, the other as a fan.  And let me add to that one more…  For, I’m here to suggest that we parents are the ones truly responsible for our youngsters’ long-term development.  (Actually, this is where I usually come-in — in local hockey circles, and right here at CoachChic.com.)

Now, from a personal perspective, I always tried to keep some time free during my young guy’s winter hockey schedule.  In other words, I wasn’t going to allow him to be so trapped to someone else’s schedule that it left no time for extra work — on athleticism, on skills, on strength development, or on whatever else he may have needed AS AN INDIVIDUAL.

Over the years, some youth coaches were great, some not so.  Over those years, my own guy was surrounded by players of poor to great skills.  (Did it all matter?  Ya, but only in the quality of team practices.  Good coaches usually run good practices.  At the same time, sometimes poorly skilled players prevented a coach from running a slightly more intense or more upbeat session.)  But, in the long run, and in having been through this over at least two generations, I can tell you that past coaches and past teammates had almost no effect on my two guys’ future chances in the game.

Commenting more on the need to personally oversee our own youngster’s development…  If you think about it, just doing whatever others are doing — or, just entrusting development to a team — is going to put your youngster smack dab in the middle of a huge pack.  And, that does not bode well if he or she plans on attending a really competitive tryout someday.  The answer to that, of course, is for a parent to somehow supplement the youngster’s training with something well beyond what the team offers.

Again, little in the very end is influenced by teammates or youth coaches.  As I stated previously, a player can’t bring his or her newspaper clippings, trophies or stat sheets to a tryout.  Of course, some readers might find the above a drastically different kind of mindset.  But, I’m going to suggest to all my friends here that it’s the type that works for players over the long-run.

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Comparing Hockey, Figure Skating and Speed Skating

I’ve always promised to respond to my members’ needs.  It gives me a great deal of satisfaction when I’m able to do so.  I hope to accomplish that here, responding to a long-time member’s question.

As he explains it, Ravi is considering taking some figure skating lessons in an attempt to improve his hockey play.  Before he does, however, he thought to ask this old coach about the merits of such.

Then, because there are more than two skating sports, please allow me to discuss this topic on a slightly broader scale.

– Dennis Chighisola

It’s probably been close to 20-years since I attended a hockey coaching symposium that included a lecture on skating by former NHL coach Pierre Page’.  As I recall, Page’s college Masters thesis involved a study of the hockey skating motion (actually, I believe it aimed to also determine the factors that make some skaters faster than others).

Pretty obviously, this kind of lecture was scientifically based.  And, all these years later, I notice that numerous other biomechanics experts agree with the points made by Page’.

All that said, he made a comment that day that really struck a chord with me.  Apologizing in advance, that lecture was a very long time ago, and I’m probably not going to get it exactly word for word.  However, the gist of what Page’ said was that, “Some skaters find it easy to make quick movements, while others are better at moving smoothly.”

I think Page’ suggested that the numbers are probably close to evenly split within any group, with about half tending to be quick by nature, the other half tending to be smooth.  (Ironically, I could envision my own players back home as Page’ spoke, and I could immediately identify those two type of players within my own roster.)

Still, what was to come next was something even more profound, and even more appropriate to this discussion…

What Page’ pointed-out — and what I’ve found to be true, is that a player with one strength tends to have difficulty with the other.  In other words, a naturally quick skater quite often has problems with smoothness, and the smooth skater frequently struggles to make quick foot actions.

Now, I have a gut feeling on this subject…  For, what I’ll suggest is that the naturally quick skater is loaded with fast-twitch fibers.  That’s what makes him or her quick.  And, at the other end of the spectrum, the nice, smooth skater is probably dealing with mostly slow-twitch fibers, thus his or her struggle to execute really quick movements.

Are there players who fall in the middle of these two extremes?  I don’t recall Page’ addressing that.  However, I’d answer that in the affirmative.  It just makes sense.  In fact, I’ll suggest we could plot all of a team’s members on a Bell Curve, with small numbers of skaters falling at the two extreme ends, the majority falling in the middle.  The group would still be split on the two sides of the bell — half being smooth and half being quick, but there would likely be only a small number of players who were extremely quick or extremely smooth.

Next, allow me to insert a brief but related personal experience…  Going back to my earliest days of running hockey skills clinics, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen figure skating instructors salivating at the rink’s side boards as they watched my kids fly around the ice.  Inevitably, they seek me out after the class, offering something like, “Wow, would I love to get such-and-such-a-player into figure skating!”

I usually — as politely as I can — shake my head and laugh.  And then I usually follow with, “Little wonder.  You guys start your skaters moving around the ice like little statues, worrying about their form from the very the beginning.  Then, years later, it bothers you that your skaters are boring!”

Quite differently from their approach, my first aim is to create little daredevils in my Learn-to-skate and Learn-to-play clinics.  I’ve always figured it would be easier in later years to tone them down a bit, rather than to do as most figure skating coaches do, later attempting to light a fire under their (robot-like?) kids.

This all brings me to a subject I frequently write about and speak about, or what I call “The Nature of Our Game”.  In general, this study includes our ultimate arrival at what it’s really like for a participant to engage in a given game — be it hockey, figure skating, checkers or Monopoly.

Oh, I could go on for quite some time with this topic.  However, let me cut to the chase…  Hockey, of course, is a game of transition (meaning players must continuously switch between defensive and offensive roles), and it’s quite often referred to as a game of constant reading and reacting.  Figure skating and speed skating, on the other hand, are more like planned events.  In the case of figure skating, a participant usually performs a predetermined routine, with that routine being rehearsed hundreds of times.  Nor are there many surprises in the sport of speed skating.  Skaters in that sport know their always-counter-clockwise route beforehand, as well as the distance they have to travel.

Okay, let’s now return to the earlier line of thinking — in that some players are naturally quick, and some are by nature smooth in their movements.  Let’s next consider the needs of each kind of player.  For, doesn’t it make sense that a slow footed skater could use plenty of work on his or her quickness?  And, does it make just as much sense that the quick but not so coordinated player could use help with his or her smoothness?

Those things in mind, I’m going to suggest that the quick but rough-around-the-edges player would likely benefit from a little work at body and blade control — or the things a figure skating instructor might be able to help with.  As for the hockey player who is already smooth but lacks quickness, I’ll suggest that a figure skating kind of practice would only reinforce the slowness.

Don’t get me wrong here…  The skating segments of my clinics and team practices include a little of everything — from figures-type work to some speed skating drills to exercises borrowed from quickness and agility kinds of sports.  (I even borrow some skate sharpening techniques from speed skaters, but that’s a story for another time.)  My reasoning:  Quite obviously, players within my group have numerous and varied needs, which means that I have to cover all the bases.

Finally, I hope members soon come to know that I like to answer most questions in the way I’ve just done for Ravi.  Oh sure, if I watched him take one twirl around the ice I’d likely know exactly how to advise him.  However, I’d much prefer to arm him and my other CoachChic.com friends with as much information as possible.  In that way, every different type of skater should be able to troubleshoot his or her own needs.

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NHL Birthday Calendar

Coach Chic’s good friend, Tyler, from the NHL Digest is responsible for sharing this fun and interesting collection of National Hockey League birthdays.

Amazingly, it contains “…all players ever to play in the National Hockey League! It currently contains more than 7000 players. It will be updated as the final rosters for the 2009-2010 NHL season are announced.”

So, click on the NHL Digest logo below, enjoy the calendar, and even share it with friends!  Again, enjoy…

CLICK THE LOGO TO GO TO THE CALENDAR

Follow Tyler on Twitter for great hockey updates…  @NHLDigest

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Good and Bad Pain in Strength Training

You can put my good friend Michael Mahony near the top of the list of those I’m constantly referring to as the best and brightest on Twitter.

For those who don’t know, Michael posts frequently in “The Muscle Building Fat Burning Video Blog“.  It’s an interesting place to visit, in that he’s talking to readers (and video viewers) about his personal fitness quest.  (Mike’s videos can also be found on YouTube).

Now, when I saw Mike Mahony’s latest post — concerning pain, I thought to myself that CoachChic.com members just have to consider this stuff.  So, have a read, and I’ll add my own comments a little later.

– Dennis Chighisola

What about pain?
By Michael Mahony

What’s on my mind today?
I’ve been doing some thinking lately and have come up with a few interesting conclusions regarding pain.  I am not talking about the debilitating, unable to walk type of pain.  I am talking about the type of pain you get from an intense workout or how your lungs burn during an extreme cardio workout.

How long?
When you walk barefoot in your house and stub your toe, how long does the pain last?  Generally it passes rather quickly.  You might be left with a bruised toe, but the pain itself subsides as fast as it started.  It is the same way with the pain you get during a lift.  Yes, it hurts to push yourself past the burn, but that pain subsides.  It goes away quickly.

How much?
You obviously need to pay attention to the intensity of the pain you are feeling.  There is the pain of going past the burn during a lift and there is the pain of an injury.  Both are different kinds of pain and they are obvious as to which is which.  Pay attention to pain from an injury because it is an indicator that you need to stop what you are doing.  However, the pain you get while taking a lift to failure is something you want to go beyond.  Push yourself hard and you will see gains.

How often?
Each time you do a lift you are going to feel pain if it is done correctly.  Your job is to push beyond that pain.  Working at this level of intensity is required to get good, consistent gains.  Yes, you are going to be sore after pushing your body this hard, but the results should be worth it to you.  If they are not, maybe this isn’t the right thing for you to be doing?

What is failure?
Finally, you are trying to take the set to failure.  What is failure anyway?  I strongly believe the point of failure is completely influenced by your mental attitude.  Yes, the muscle has a point where it will be unable to move the weight another repetition, but is that where you quit every time?  I am suggesting that most of us quit sooner than we should.  We let our brain stop us before our body does.  Do me a favor.  The next time you are in the gym, do not pick a stopping point (ie. 8 repetitions).  Just pick a weight and do the exercise until you can’t move the weight any more.  I call this “doing all the repetitions.”  That’s right, do them all.  Don’t stop until you can’t move the weight another repetition.  Don’t let your brain stop you, let your body stop you.  You will have to be ready to go beyond the pain that you feel, but it will be worth it.  Give me this favor for the entire workout and then let me know what you think.

Mike mentions some VERY interesting things within his piece…

I have a huge sign posted in The MOTION Lab that states, “No pain, no gain!”  You might find it interesting, however, that I whisper to parents that it’s only partially so; I mainly put that up for the sake of some teenagers who seem to have a need for such stuff. 

As Michael suggests, there’s a good pain and a not-very-good pain, and it’s important for athletes (or those responsible for athletes) to recognize the difference.  In fact, if one of my players or students complains that something hurts, I’ll usually question him until I get to understand which sort of pain he might be talking about.  Hey, it surely is going to make a difference in how we’ll approach the next drill, the next practice or the next game.  And, with a little bit of experience, it might also provide us a pretty good indication about whether the player should seek some medical attention.  (Obviously, it’s best to err on the safe side.)

Now, I can’t for the life of me exactly remember the quote, but…  In a Jerry Kramer book about Vince Lombardi, the late, great Green Bay Packers coach pushed his players with the belief that, “The lesser conditioned player will always quit first!” (or words to that effect).  My interpretation is that Lombardi was really talking about pain — or, a player’s ability to endure it.  Just think about that, if you will:  Two players do battle, and one just finds it easier to quit.  We might also be talking about “mental toughness” here, in that the one able to endure a little (of the right kind of) pain is likely to have more staying power than someone who can’t.

Then, I’ll bet most non-athletes reading all this have still experienced both the good and the bad kinds of pain.  As this relates to our (adult kinds of) labor, I’m often heard to say how much I hate the tiredness that comes from something like stressful paperwork, while I really enjoy the tiredness derived from a day of toiling in my yard.  (Man, I sleep like a baby after a day of getting the good kind of tired.)  Athletes experience something very much akin to this, even very old athletes like yours truly.  I mean, it’s definitely no fun dealing with a real injury, but there’s something still kind of nice about that little bit of soreness gained from some hard work.

Finally, thanks, Michael.  And I look forward to following your progress over at “The Muscle Building Fat Burning Video Blog“!

– Dennis Chighisola

Athletes Just Keep Getting Stronger and Stronger

Two recent news events cause me to bring a few thoughts to members’ minds…

I heard this morning that a new batting helmet is now being tested in Major League Baseball, this in hopes of protecting hitters from 100mph fastballs.  And, of course, the Dallas Cowboys’ new overhead scoreboard is also in the news, this because punters are already dinging it.

Starting with that scoreboard, I wonder if casual football fans know that the one in Big D was hung 5′ higher than the NFL’s rules dictate.  That’s right, the league states that they must be at least 85′ above the playing surface, while the one in Dallas actually hangs at 90′.  What I’ve also heard is that the 85′ rule is a little old, and that it should really be evaluated.  (Why so?)

Then, thinking back to my younger days, it was rare to see a guy throw in the high-90mph range.  Sure, there were the Bob Fellers, the Herb Scores and the Nolan Ryans.  But, on average, I recall that most big league pitchers heaved that rawhide in the mid- to high-80′s.  And, just as I did in reference to the NFL’s need to reassess their scoreboard placements, I have to ask why MLB has to rather quickly rethink their defense of batters.

The answer, I believe, is two fold.

I think the advancement of technology — particularly when it comes to the use of video — has hugely improved player technique.  And computer generated stick-figures can be used to study the biomechanics of any single athletic movement.  I mean, a frame-by-frame analysis can be performed on the likes of a thrower or punter to arrive at the exact motions needed to achieve maximum power.  (I actually own a computer based program that does this, although hockey motions aren’t as easy to define as the ones I’ve noted here.)

Of course, the answer you probably expected is that trainers today really know their stuff when it comes to building speed and strength.  And, do they ever.  Over recent years there have been unbelievable advancements, with many of the latest techniques explained here within the pages of CoachChic.com.

As a quick aside…  Yes, “We’ve come a long way, baby!”  For, I’m recalling my younger years again, about a time when barbells were taboo for skilled athletes.  Having played and then coached a lot of baseball way back when, I can even remember scouts saying that hitters with large shoulders were hampered in their swings.  And I suspect that tennis players, sprinters, wide receivers, most backs in football, soccer players, basketball players and the likes were also steered from touching weights.

Of course, I’m never really talking about those other sports here at CoachChic.com.  But I do believe that it’s right to keep watching what’s happening elsewhere.  Let’s face it:  Whatever is found to work with one kind of athlete is eventually going to aid a lot of others, including ice hockey players.

Then, I might mention one other thing…  Just as I described in my video, “Some Food For Hockey Thought“, I’ll suggest that most major gains in the areas of speed, strength and agility are taking place far away from playing surfaces.  Yup, I’ve seen big-name baseball hitters improve their hand-eye coordination and quickness with computer gadgets, I’ve seen a similar device used with goaltenders, and I’ve watched videos showing baseball pitchers gaining arm and shoulder strength using weighted balls and mini-trampolines.  (Down the road, I’m going to tell you about a new shoulder strengthening device I just came across.)  And, while I know little about it, from interviews with new pitchers who’ve joined the local MLB entry, I’ve frequently caught references to the benefits gained in a special throwing program currently used by the Boston Red Sox.

My point to all this is to recommend that my CoachChic.com friends continue mixing on-ice and off-ice workouts — throughout the year.  Yes, ice-time is needed for certain skills work.  However, I don’t believe a modern day hockey player can move beyond the masses (<= please think about that one) without the benefits of scientifically based off-ice training.

Hmmmmmm…  This late-breaking item…  I was just interrupted by a telephone call from a long-time student.  He’s trained lots before in The MOTION Lab, so he knows the benefits.  Anyway, it seems he’s just received a starting date for his minor league pro training camp, and he wants to get working in the Lab again.  I had to also smile when he said he wanted an old student of mine to be his training partner.  It seems that friend said something to the effect that, “If Coach Chic can’t prepare me for my college season, no one can.”  Ah, nice to hear.  But it’s doubly nice that two young guys appreciate what can be gained through off-ice training.

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Starting the School Year Strong

Starting the School Year Strong

By Kat Hasenauer

Ideally, hockey teams want to come out strong at the start of a game’s first period. The better you come out from the locker room, the better chance you have given yourself to win the game.

The exact same thing can be said for the start of the academic year. Heading into the first weeks of school prepared and with the right mindset will give a young student athlete the best chance at success in a new school year.

As we begin a new school year, how can a young hockey player or his or her parents get into that positive academic mindset? Even if you have already had your first day of school, the following tips can be tried at any point during the school year — especially when you need a refocus.

Visualize the first day of school/first day of the week – Much like coaches use visualization techniques, asking their players to picture making a dynamic play or hitting a skill, visualization can be used to focus on school as a positive experience. If you are approaching the first day of school, take a few minutes to envision walking into your classroom for the first time, meeting your teacher for the first time, seeing your school friends again.

If school has already started, take a few minutes during the weekend to picture walking into school on Monday and having a positive experience with your teacher, acing a quiz, successful answering a question, eating lunch with friends. Framing the school experience as a positive one can go miles towards helping a student face daily challenges that could snowball into longer lasting problems.

Set achievable goals for the school year - Through elementary school, I struggled with spelling tests (which was a serious problem for a young writer in the non-computer age of the early- to mid-1980s). In fourth grade, I set a goal that I would not fail a spelling test all year. I definitely came close at times, but ended up not failing a spelling test all year. Just having stated that as a goal pushed ten year old me to devote more studying towards the subject, and affected my attitude heading into each quiz.

A goal doesn’t have to be massive. Set goals that you think you can actually attain, but that you will still have to expend effort at. It also should be one that will better your academic behavior for years to come. A goal should not be, “I will get an A+ on every single exam this year,” but more like, “I will study more in advance of every test this year,” or “I will write out my test schedule on a monthly calendar in my room, and I will pay attention to it every day to be more mindful of what is upcoming.”

Take advantage of time out of season - Some hockey leagues won’t practice or play for the first week or two of the school year, if not longer. Other hockey teams won’t begin until October or November. Relish that time to devote singularly to academics.

For older students, this will be a good time to attempt to read ahead for English and social studies classes. This is also a good time to fit in any school community service requirements or mandatory extracurricular attendance (for example, if your teacher says you must attend a play at some point during the school year and write a report on it, get it done now).

For younger students, take advantage of the extra time with educational games added onto homework time. Flash cards, family wide trivia games (I have always found the Brain Quest trivia cards, with decks suitable for several grade levels, a fun and convenient tool), reading for enjoyment, are all ways to supplement time without serious hockey practices.

If the season has already started, or if you never have time off from practices, take time on a weekend early on in the school year to make academic enrichment a priority.

*

Parents, I know this might sound daunting, and maybe you’ll have to put off a household task or two to do so, but the above will be helpful to your young hockey player in the long run.

Taking the opportunity to start the school year right will help a student get out ahead and keep him or her better on pace with their classmates when in the thick of a hockey season. Creating balance in school and hockey lives doesn’t always mean that an exact balance exists everyday — devoting more time now to academics will help in those times when the balance is heavier in the hockey direction.

Smiling at the awesome advice Kat just provided us, I thought I’d mention that my grandfatherly advice to Anthony Chic — as he headed-off to college this weekend — was pretty close to what’s noted above.  Truth be known, I was a poor student in my earliest years, but a huge turn-around came when I started doing some of the things Kat suggests here.  Yes, a little prior prep goes a long, long ways to making us feel good about any new challenge.

– Dennis Chighisola

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Help for a Hockey Coach’s Sore Throat or Hoarseness

I’ve just finished a week-long hockey camp with Team NEHI players.  And most of my fellow coaches know what that means…

Most drills need to be explained beforehand, a coach needs to provide constant feedback while the drills are in progress, and then he or she usually needs to offer a brief wrap-up at the completion of each drill.  Of course, this also means competing with the droning sounds of rink machinery, whirring fans and pucks booming off the boards.  So, as you might expect, I’ve been suffering with some serious hoarseness and a really sore throat since about last Monday night.  Worse yet, my fall/winter season is about to begin, which means that things aren’t about to get much better where my voice is concerned.

Obviously, I was thrilled to come across the following video entitled, “Hoarseness:  Save Your Voice”.  Then, knowing you likely suffer as much as I in this area, I thought I’d see about making it available to all my coaching brethren.

– Dennis Chighisola

Now, I’ve said it countless times within the past year, in that one can meet some of the world’s best and brightest over on the social media site called Twitter.  CoachChic.com guest writers — like Scott Umberger, Jason Price, Kat Hasenauer and the folks from the Mental Edge — are great examples, as is our current guest contributor, Dr Talli van Sunder.

Dr van Sunder is a self proclaimed “health fanatic by passion”, but she also possesses the scientific background necessary to provide truly sound advice for her huge following…  Talli is a graduate of the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, later adding to her Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry a Doctorate in Physical Therapy.  And, besides sharing awesome advice through a website I’ll tell you about a little later, Dr van Sunder is a physical therapist by trade.

Now, here’s the advice I’m going to follow for now on.  And, if you like this presentation by Talli, please see below for some other ways she might be able to help us (and even our players)…

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Dr Talli van Sunder runs an awesome website called Being Healthy for Busy People.  (<= Kinda sounds like us ice hockey coaches, huh?)  There you’ll find some written advice, some podcasts you might want to download and listen to on the go, as well as other great video presentations.

Talli also welcomes you to contact her with your health related questions… Click to Email Tali

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Readying for Tournaments and Tryouts

I just received a question from a long-time Twitter and Facebook friend, Sandi, and this topic seems as timely as one can get.  And, although it has to do with tournament prep, I’d have advised much the same if she was headed to an important tryout)…

You see, Sandi and her son are on their way to a hockey tournament a few states away, and she thought she might swing a little out of her way on the drive to have her son’s skates sharpened a little differently than usual.  (Sandi had read elsewhere about my interest in a new sharpening method.)  Thankfully she asked my opinion on this BEFORE venturing off-track.

My advice to Sandi was to NOT do anything differently from the norm as she sends her boy into the tournament fray.  In other words, I suggested that she do everything to make her son feel comfortable, which includes doing everything as usual.

If you can appreciate what I’m saying here, there are times when experimentation can be helpful, and there are times when I would definitely avoid doing anything outside the norm.  Many — or probably most — hockey movements require fine motor skills, and these can only be thrown-off by different equipment or different equipment alterations.

In my humble opinion, the right time to experiment — or to break-in new gear — is when there are several weeks (or even months) to acclimate oneself to a different “feel”.

Ultimately I suggested that Sandi and her son visit that new kind of skate sharpening shop on their way home from the tournament.   At least the boy could try the results of that sharpening at home at a practice.  From there, he could experiment and judge better whether he wants to continue using it in future games.

PS:  I plan on explaining the skate sharpening process in a coming post.  It’ll be pretty in depth stuff aimed at helping my member friends really know their stuff in this area.  My hope is that you’ll henceforth be able to also troubleshoot any blade problems when they arise.  Then, when I’m really sure about the new sharpening process Sandi and I talked about, you’ll be among the first to know my recommendations.

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Build Your Own Off-ice Hockey Training Center

A lot of the content this month has to do with being creative, and Todd Jacobson and I have (and will continue to) suggest ways you can solve problems by actually creating new drills.  At the same time, many good drills require some sort of training aid (I’ve mentioned previously that a lot of pretty good training tools can even be homemade).

Well, what got me started on the current topic was Craig Shaw’s awesome article on “How Training Like an Astronaut Can be Beneficial to the Brain“.  For, in that piece he mentioned a lot of great little training devices that really CAN help a player improve his or her athleticism — a lot.

But, here’s my fear:  It’s easy to read an article such as Craig’s, drink-in the main idea, then gloss-over some of the other (might I suggest equally important?) particulars.  And in this regard, I’m talking about Craig’s mention of rope skipping, juggling, a trampoline, scooters, wobble boards and the likes.  And I’d throw into that mix something like those Bosu aids (or small inflatable disks often used for balance training).

As an aside here, every parent is probably familiar with the oft repeated summertime chant of youngsters, like, “Ma, there’s nothing to do!”  And my answer to this is to always have a few gadgets sitting somewhere nearby (these have often been conveniently located in our back hall or at the end of our driveway).  Ease in grabbing something to play with is key here.  Hey, no one, including us adults, wants to spend a half-hour setting something up, only to have less time to play with it.

All that said, I thought I’d just mention how I’ve come by some of the unique gadgets you’ll often seen used in videos or photos taken up at The MOTION Lab…

– Of course, jump ropes are inexpensive — or, at least the types I suggest using.  Those made from something like a 3/8″ vinyl will whip through the air pretty quickly.

- So is a container of tennis balls fairly inexpensive.  Actually, the lower the quality, the less bounce you’ll get from one that’s dropped.  There are even some great tutorials available on-line that make juggling fairly easy to learn.

- In some of the videos from our Lab, you might notice a goaltender hopping and juggling while wearing a patch over one eye.  These eye patches are also readily available — and only a couple of dollars — at most local drugstores.

– And would you believe I found our first trampoline at a neighborhood yard sale?  I think it went for about $5.  I later discovered that one of the largest department stores in our area carries pretty decent tramps (so the dad of a Lab student tells me) for a little over $20, and these are available on-line if they’re not in stock at the store.

- I know that scooters were a rage when my grandson was about 10-years old, and I still see them frequently offered at low costs in most local department store flyers.  Oh, by the way…  When Anthony was motoring around our neighborhood, I suggested he split his time on that gadget — I mean, thrusting with his left leg as often as with his right.

– Wobble boards (or teeters, as I call them)?  You don’t need to buy one.  Two crossed 2″ by 4″ boards about 2′ long will do just nicely (and store very easily).  Actually, wait until you see my video on “Chop Stix”, whereby I’ll show you how to make a batch of great balancing, puckhandling and core strength gadgets from a single $3 hunk of wood. 

- Then, about those Bosu trainers…  They’re dawgoned expensive.  However, local department stores carry pretty inexpensive (about 12″ wide by about 2″ deep) inflatable disks that go for about $10 to $12 each.  I have a batch of those in The MOTION Lab, and they’re awesome.  But, while you could easily get away with owning one, two disks are all you’d ever really need.

Two final thoughts…

Whether price is an issue with you or not, I like to make it one as I offer this kind of advice.  (I don’t ever want a player’s chances of improving tied to his or her wallet.)  If there was one thing I took away from my long ago studies in the USSR, it was that those folks were dirt-poor.  Yet, while a lot of their gear was old and worn (not shiny and new like you see in most US gyms), it — and the teaching — was extremely effective.  (I somehow sense my old Moscow friends would smile if they visited my Lab today.)  Anyway, seeing what I did back then caused me to forever after adopt the following sentiments…

Yes, I feel the need to repeat something I’ve said quite a few times in other prior posts, in that, “It’s not really the gadget (or weight set) that makes us better; improved skills and greater athletic qualities come from the way we use them!”

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Dustin Pedroia’s Hand-eye Coordination

Dustin Pedroia’s Hand-eye Coordination

By Dennis Chighisola

By now, everyone knows that I’m into keeping an eye on other sports.  I’ll dig into anything that will help me coach our game better.  At the same time, I’m a real baseball and football fan (in particular, a devout Red Sox and Patriots follower), and I usually get into the basketball playoffs if the local Celtics are involved.

So, this being a warm, lazy Saturday morning in August, I spent a little time reading on-line about my beloved Bosox before tackling a more serious todo list.

As you likely know, one article can lead to another, as did the write-up on the Sox’ thrilling win last night eventually bring me to an MLB Pro Blog by Steve Hyder.

Now, I also love ESPN’s Peter Gammons.  So, when I noticed Hyder’s recent blog entry was about his interview with Gammons, I really got into it.  And I really got into the part where Gammons expressed his admiration for Red Sox second baseman, Dustin Pedroia.  As he said, “What makes Pedroia special is his hand-eye coordination.  As a boy, he played a lot of tennis and pingpong.  The other thing that sets him apart is his incredible will to win…”

Oops, back-up…  He played a lot of tennis and ping pong as a boy?  Hmmmmm…  That’s something that deserves some discussion with my friends at CoachChic.com!

So, I hope you’re thinking along with me on this one…

Pedroia has great quickness from side to side, and I’m thinking he really does react in the way a tennis player would.  You learn to be light on your feet in that sport, and you learn to be cat-like in pouncing towards any of four directions.  (I’m reminded of two hockey players I recommended tennis to a few years back.  One was a goalie and the other a forward, and they both lacked that lightness on their feet, or those cat-like reactions.  Both players — or their parents — seemed not to heed my advice, though.  And, since “what we refuse (ultimately) defines us,” both boys are now out of the game.  Ya, I win some and I lose some.  Darn.)

As an aside here…  There’s a difference between speed and quickness, you know.  I mean, speed usually refers to longer distances, while quickness has more to do with one’s reactions.  So, while Pedroia doesn’t possess very good speed on the base paths, I think he’s extremely quick in small areas.  (Someday I’m going to get into the way I see speed and quickness in hockey.  But for now, I’ll suggest that true success in our game has more to do with how well a player deals with short sprints and in-close battles.)

Pedroia also has what I call “hands”.  Yup, he gobbles-up just about every ball he can reach.  Ping pong, huh?  That’s what I’m guessing.  And, if you’ve ever seen a high level match in that sport, you know there’s as much footwork and body control required as there is in tennis.

As yet another aside…  When I was an older teen, handball was at the height of its popularity (on the courts where squash is now played).  I played it often at the local YMCA.  The beauty of handball — and how I see it as being such a great skill enhancer, is that the ball can be hit with either hand.  Consequently, Todd Jacobson and I have our goalies play a lot of this against the boards at our weekly off-ice sessions.

Now, there’s one thing Gammons didn’t mention, probably because it has little to do with Pedroia’s hand-eye coordination.  But, I’m guessing that the young second-sacker’s throwing arm was being strengthened every time he took a swipe with either a racquet or a paddle.

Okay, I have to get on to a lot of other stuff now.  Still, I thought this insight into the little things that might go into an ultimate elite athlete was worth sharing with you (even if it is a warm, lazy Saturday morning in August — !)

PS:  While I hope CoachChic.com will include every bit of hockey and athletic advice you’ll ever need, I really do encourage you to pay attention to what athletes from other sports are doing (or have done).

Oh, if you want to catch Hyder’s blog, it’s at:

http://shyderblog.mlblogs.com/archives/2009/06/youve-gotta-love-gammons.html?obref=obnetwork

Training Like an Astronaut Can Help the Hockey Brain!

It gives me great pleasure to introduce yet another awesome guest writer in one Craig Shaw.  Craig has been involved in hockey for over 30-years — as a player, coach and cognitive trainer (or what he calls a “brain trainer”). He has also worked as an educator, counselor and educational therapist specializing in motor skill and cognitive enhancement.  Craig plans on contributing a series of articles explaining what parents and coaches can do to improve some of the underlying motor and mental capacities of their athletes.  (And, lest you think this stuff is just for youngsters, know that Craig is also currently using a very similar approach with elite level hockey players.)

– Dennis Chighisola

How Training Like an Astronaut Can be Beneficial to the Brain

By Craig Shaw

Have you noticed how Coach Chic uses a variety of off-ice techniques to improve balance and coordination, such as trampolines, wobble boards and skipping? These kinds of exercises are consistent with what researchers are finding out about brain development. Studies have shown that rocking, swinging, bouncing and spinning babies not only helps to soothe them, but also enhances their later motor development. In one study babies were spun in swivel chairs in several positions ten repetitions four times a week for a month. These babies showed more advanced motor development than the control group. Likewise seniors who continue work on their balance in such activities as walking, dancing, skating and yoga show slower mental decline as they age.

Why is this? Balance (or the vestibular system in the inner ear) is integral to our ability to control posture, body movement, arousal, eye movements, and sensory integration. In other words, accurate perception, a much-needed ability in the game of hockey I might add, largely comes down to a smooth running vestibular system. And how we perceive the world has a lot to do with healthy brain functioning and emotional stability.

Can this ability be enhanced? It most surely can. Balance is one of the easiest things to train, and our body responds quickly to this training. The types of movements that help to train balance involve changes of movement in space:

1. Up and down movements – such as jumping, skipping, trampolining or going down a slide.
2. To and fro – such as running, skating, starting and stopping and swinging.
3. Centrifugal force – carousels, doing the ‘circles’ on the ice.
4. Turning movements of the body – movements used in spinning, dancing, rolling or turning somersaults.
5. Depth – riding a scooter, skating forward.

The best ways to develop these abilities is gymnastics (I recommend starting them young), doing activities such as those done in Coach Chic’s Motion Lab, and many and varied sports. Activities that require multi-tasking or divided attention, eye tracking and rhythm are particularly good for the vestibular system and the brain in general. Such drills would include juggling, juggling on one foot, juggling on a balance board or a mini-tramp, dribbling while bouncing on a tramp or balancing on a balance board, skipping, skipping while doing mental challenges or singing songs. Standing on one foot with your eyes closed is also effective. (I once worked with a boy who had little confidence in school and came to me for help. I ended up teaching him to juggle on one foot while reciting the Canadian prime ministers in order. When he did this in front of his school, he got a standing ovation! Did that do wonders for his confidence?)

One last thing: now, I have not read any specific studies on this, but it is just an observation that I believe follows some of the ideas that you have just read about. I once traveled to six different middle class elementary schools in Japan to teach them conversational English and Canadian culture. Well, I boiled it down to maple syrup and hockey. Anyway, one school was miles ahead in many ways – ability to learn English, behavior and so on – and I wondered what was different with that school. The only thing I could find was that they had a well-stocked shed holding about 150 unicycles. And did those kids use them! I don’t recall seeing any obese kids, and do you think they had good core strength?

Readying to post this unbelievable article, I can’t resist the urge to add a little something…

In the “good old days”, it was thought that specializing was the best approach to preparing an elite sportsman.  Oh, for sure, so many individual skills must become ingrained in the athlete (for example, skating, puckhandling and shooting in our sport).

At the same time, however, modern day scientists have discovered that certain foundation qualities (like those mentioned by Craig) have a huge bearing on an athlete’s ultimate chances at success. Just think about YOUR favorite NHL skater (my guy happens to be the great Ovechkin) or YOUR favorite goaltender…  In nearly every instance, these guys are acrobats on ice, or gymnasts on their skates and with their bodies.  They’re not one-dimensional at all.

– Dennis Chighisola

Making A Lockerroom Sign

Although there’s still plenty of summer left right now, I feel it’s the hockey coach’s job to plan far ahead.  For sure we hope our players are doing the same — or doing their off-season training right now.  At the same time, we coaches have to work behind the scenes DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS to ensure a smooth start to the coming season.

I happen to use a lot of aids or gadgets to make my coaching job easier.  And it’s during these off-season months that I can relax and do the job rightly.  As a matter of fact, lots of the little things I do are in answer to problems I’ve spotted in past seasons (and most of them come from the notes I’m constantly taking during the season).

As for the current little helper…  Almost every rink I deal with lately has multiple surfaces.  And, even if my players and parents know which rink we’re skating in on a given night, there’s always the confusion of which lockerroom we’ll be using in that rink.  Ya, if you get my drift, most kids end-up peeking in one dressingroom after another until they discover a familiar face or two.

So, I long ago solved this problem — for my teams, as well as for other teams who wonder the hallways.

What I did was to make the shown sign to be affixed on our lockerroom door.

I first did the artwork on my computer, printed it, then copied that onto a fairly stiff card stock.  (I’ve often doubled or tripled the thickness of the final sign by just gluing extra cards to the back.)

Most rink lockerroom doors are metal.  So, having saved a bunch of refrigerator magnets (the ones that are always arriving via mail to advertise the local real estate agent, whomever), I glue about four of these on the back.

I next protect both sides of the sign with a clear Contact Paper (or you might have the local print shop laminate yours).

As an FYI…  Magnets actually lose their strength if they’re not kept in contact with a metal surface.  So, since I carry a large 3-ring binder to each game (for rosters and other game related materials), I keep an 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of tin in that book upon which I affix the sign for storage.

Sure, this all sounds like a bit of work.  At the same time, it’s awesome to be able to walk into a rink, find a lockerroom, and then slap that sign on the door.  My players get used to looking for it soon enough, and I think they like the idea of not having to drift around to find their mates.

Also as an FYI…  The sample shown here is one sign I’ve used in the past.  Some others have my New England Hockey Institute logo on them, and I’ve even had some that displayed a brief motivational message — ie, “Enter here with…”

How to REALLY Tie Hockey Skates

Actually, this topic should have been one of the very first ones addressed here.  After all, isn’t skate tying part of the foundation for all a hockey player will do once he or she hits the ice?  Thankfully, though, a member recently mentioned his bout with “lace bite”, which caused me to put the following together — for him and for all my other CoachChic.com friends…

Now, we have to begin with a premise (or two) here.  I mean, the greatest skate tying job in the world isn’t going to help a player if his or her skate boots aren’t 1) of good quality and 2) properly fit.  Those things assured, the boots should support a player through the rigors of hockey movements, even with a poorly done lacing.

And that last point is important to keep in mind as we go about tying the skates.  In other words, a quality boot that fits right is already somewhat supporting the feet…

1. So, understand that there is absolutely no need to pull the laces very tightly in the lower to middle eyelet areas.  Worse yet, to tie the laces extra tightly over the arch area of the foot is going to put pressure on the arch, and it’s also likely to cut-off blood flow (since this area contains blood vessels that supply the lower portion of the foot).  My advice then is to tie the lower and mid eyelets as you would dress shoes or sneakers.
2. The real “support” in a skate boot stems from the leather (or more likely the modern day synthetic materials) that surround the ankle.  And it’s the top three or four eyelets that — when pulled pretty tightly — will draw the skate boot snuggly around the ankle.  (The number of holes involved in this can vary, but it is usually in the ball park of three or four eyelets.)

That’s it, folks..  Because there’s no real supportive impact in the lower to middle holes, and because there’s a danger of causing great pain by tying those areas too tightly, the laces down below should be left relatively loose.  And, because the top eyelets are the ones that affect support, these are the only ones that should be pulled snugly.

Then, a few more tips…

After years of video analysis, I can spot from the far end of the rink a player with excess tape or laces wrapped around the ankles.  There’s something unnatural — or rather robotic — to his or her movement, because they’ve lost the ability to really flex or snap the ankle from being so encumbered.  (In a way, they’ve pretty much removed the ankle joint from the skating motion.)

Like the premise that skates should be of good quality and fit properly, it just makes sense that spending $2 for the right length laces is worthwhile.  And, although there’s nothing wrong with using a light wrap of tape to just keep the lace-bow in place, excess tape should not be used in an attempt to gain extra support (hey, good boots and the right lace job take care of that).

Now, I’m always fearful of sharing this last tip, mainly because I don’t want the parents of younger, weaker skaters rushing things (let them first learn to skate and let them develop some foot strength).  However — and this might help that skate bite victim…  A lot of years ago, a pretty stylish skating pro player suggested I try not using the very top eyelets in my skates.  (He was talking about stopping short at the next to last hole on each boot.)  As he said (and it’s the very opposite of what those who bind their ankles with tape or laces achieve), “It really helps to get more flex at the end of each thrust!”  I tried, I loved it, and I’ve ever since I’ve been advising my older players to do just that.

______________

Since this article has brought about some spirited discussion by way of member Comments, I thought I’d add the following picture just so that we could all have a pair of skates in view while pondering various opinions…

Losing Players by the Whistle?

I’m kinda shaking my head as I ready this post for release…  I mean, as much as I’m into improving skating and stickhandling and playing smarts, I’m frequently thinking this website wouldn’t be worth a hoot without the kind of articles that are surfacing in this very special section.  Ya, and it’s YOU writing in this area (not us so-called experts), and I’m thinking YOU are saying some things here that just need to be said.

With that, along to my desk comes the following article submitted by the hockey playing daughter of a long-time charter member.  And, man, does it hit home with me, as it should with other parents and coaches.  So, please pay attention to what young Samantha is saying.  For, without heeding her advice, we never get to teach kids the skating, puckhandling and other stuff…

– Dennis Chighisola

Losing Players by the Whistle?

By Sam Hiller

Discipline has always been an important aspect to the game of hockey, but how much is too much? We’ve all seen good coaches, sometimes even great ones, but usually they can only be spotted in the upper levels of age groups and skill level. This is to say that the players these coaches acquire have made it past youth hockey and the issues that many players go through to get to higher levels of the game. Then I ask myself, just how much influence does a coach have on his/her players?

I believe it starts when the player first joins a team at a young age. They have so much to look forward to and every time they lace up their skates (or have someone else lace them) they just want to have a good time. Rarely can they follow positional hockey because they’re just out there to have a good time and put the puck in the net. For a coach, this could be frustrating and sometimes lead to too much screaming and not enough instructing. All parents should be cognizant of the environment their child is playing in regardless of whether or not they’re in competitive or non-competitive hockey. When a player is just learning how to skate or learning the basics of hockey, there’s no need for them to worry about the complex threads of the game because all they want is to have fun. However, fun doesn’t just stop when you have to learn more technical and physical objectives of hockey. My first year of competitive boys hockey as a second-year squirt was probably the biggest jump for me. My coaches were supportive and never yelled at the team or even remotely sucked the fun out of our game, but I learned a lot and carried that with me to peewee hockey. These were the two worst years of my young hockey career where I almost dropped the gloves for good.

My head coach was terrible and even though I was young, I was intelligent, yet he was always condescending towards me. Sometimes the drills weren’t done correctly (frequent in all levels of hockey) and I was usually the example player for what not to do. He pointed out my faults to the team and it was embarrassing to say the least. I was never the star player for those two seasons but I wasn’t the weak link either. Being the only girl on this competitive team, I was often ridiculed by other players and I usually felt uncomfortable in the locker rooms. When I brought this to my coach’s attention he did nothing. He may have said, “treat her like an equal” once, but he looked at me as a woman in a male dominant sport, not a player. It’s almost shocking how our coach’s attitude rubbed off on the team. The players weren’t like that at the beginning of the season, but they soon picked up on the fact that I was not the favorite and got the idea that these actions were okay. Our coach was also rude to referees and occasionally other coaches. With our impressionable minds, we thought this was okay, too, so we joined in. We were no more than 13-years-old and here we were cussing at referees and cheap-shotting players because we hated the other coach. After those seasons I took about four months off. It was just too much to handle. I thought I was going to quit the game that I once loved and couldn’t stop thinking about. While kids my age were crushing on other kids, I was sitting there crushing on hockey and missing every moment of it.

During the summer prior to eighth grade, I went to a hockey school in Breckenridge, Colorado. This camp made me want to wipe the cobwebs off my equipment and get back on the ice because I realized that I wasn’t going to let one coach get in the way of my dreams. Cammi Granato was a guest coach there and I tried to stay beside her for most of the camp and learn as much as I could from her. One day, for lecture, they brought the girls into a meeting room on the second floor of the arena. The fluorescent lighting with the backdrop of a scoreboard and the mountains that lingered outside was the perfect setting for a story. Cammi began to tell us about youth hockey for her and all the issues she faced as a girl on a boys team with a coach that wouldn’t do anything about it. My eyes watered when I thought of my own experiences and now that I reflect on it, I see why many kids drop-out of the sport. Not only women, but boys who think that their coaches don’t care for them or give them a hard time without purpose.

Boys don’t necessarily get to hear these heart-felt stories about how to recover from a terrible season. They can’t complain to another coach and say, “I’m not being treated fairly” because it’s not the ‘masculine’ thing to do. They’re supposed to just suck it up right? So instead of sacrificing dignity, they’d rather quit the game and waste whatever talents they used to have. I have many friends who played AAA hockey or midget major AA and right before junior hockey, they quit. Not because they couldn’t make it, but because they could no longer have fun with the game. The pressure from coaches saying, “you gotta be the best” and skating them until they puke or from parents showing disappointment dwells in a kid’s mind. An 18-year-old is still out there to have a good time, just like a 9-year-old.

Yes, there is a lot to learn and oftentimes a coach needs to be strict with his/her team if they want to get somewhere. From mini mites to midgets is youth hockey and a coach needs to recognize that. What is it that each individual player wants? Some are college-bound and some are not. Some want to play past the age of 40 and some don’t. I believe it’s the job of the coaches to help the players keep open minds about their future with the sport. Something brought them to it, so don’t take that away from them. Coming from the view of a youth player, all I want is for a coach to treat me as an equal to every player on the team. I want a coach who can crack a joke but be honest and serious when it’s necessary. Coming from the view of a young referee, I think the more a coach can respect the rules and how we choose to execute them, the more respect they gain from their players and everyone in the vicinity. We refs make mistakes, too, but I promise you, I don’t hear a coach any better at three times the volume. Finally, coming from a young instructor/coach, I think it’s important to laugh and smile. It’s important to let a kid know that he or she is the future of the game and give them pointers and praise at the same time. It’s our job as instructors and coaches to teach and share our love for hockey with our players.