Anyway, while the kind of stuff Cynthia proposes is right for all ages, perhaps it’s even more appropriate for those goalies who are extra competitive, and motivated to play at higher levels.

With that, here’s yet another in her series of outstanding off-ice, off-season exercises for goaltenders.

– Dennis Chighisola

Goalie Specific Off-ice Exercise 3

BOSU BALL SINGLE LEG DEAD LIFTS

with Cynthia King

BOSU balls are perfect for balance and stability exercises.  Although I use them for goalies, I suggest all players incorporate them into their workout for engaging the stabilizing muscles.

Stand on one foot in center of inverted BOSU (flat sided surface).   Make sure foot is centered.  Holding a medicine ball, bend at the waist and slowly lower ball along base leg to foot.  Raise back leg as you lower medicine ball.  Return to a standing position, only touching back toe to BOSUl.  Incorporate the hamstring of base leg as you rise to starting position.  For added stretching, wrap a resistance band around back foot and hold taunt the entire set.  Make sure to breathe and hold in the abs.  This will help with stability.  Make movements slow and controlled.

Happy Training!

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

Six Words Hockey Parents Need to Say

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

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

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

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

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

A Variation on My Russian Half-stick

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

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

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

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

Goalie Specific Off-ice Exercise 2

BOSU Balls for Goaltenders

With Cynthia King

I love BOSU balls.  They really force you to use your stabilizers and core muscle groups.  Balance will be greatly improved.

Place 2 BOSU balls, flat side down, next to each other.  Stand in the center of each one.  Hold one kettlebell (lighter weight than you would use if standing on ground) in both hands.  Keeping your upper body upright, lower into the squat position.

The swing will start low, between the legs at the squat.  As you rise to standing position, swing bell to shoulder height.  Make sure to hold in abs.  You will notice your inner thighs engaging as you hold BOSUs together.

If you do not have BOSUs or a kettlebell, hold a dumbbell and stand on your toes as you squat and swing.  The idea is to use your stabilizers, core and inner thighs as you control your swing

– Dennis Chighisola

Effects of Birth Dates on Hockey Success

If anyone is scratching their head about that one, let me say what that brilliant guy said, but in terms we grassroots hockey folks deal with every day…

Starting right from the earliest tryouts, coaches of the better teams in each organization obviously pick what they perceive as the most talented kids they can find.  Malcolm Gladwell defines them as the biggest, but I’m going to suggest that they are also the most mentally mature of the group.  In other words, it’s likely that the light comes on a little sooner for the slightly older kids, so they tend to grasp instruction and concepts better than their younger counterparts.  If we’re talking about kids up through 7- or 8-years old, appreciate that a few months difference in age is really quite a lot.

Anyway, next picture that those slightly more advanced kids get placed on a better team, and they more often than not also reap the benefits of a better coach (I mean, usually A Team coaches are more experienced than those handed the reins of a C Team).

Over the course of one season can mean quite a difference in development.  However, envision that the same thing tends to happen, season after season, with the only slightly older or slightly sharper kids getting the best of practices, games and so much more.

I have to chuckle a little, in that I arrived at the answer to the problem before Gladwell mentioned it…  Yes, a wise hockey federation would create a two-tiered system within each age group, so that kids born in the second half of each year would have as good a chance at developing.  For example…

Majors – those born between January and June
Minors – those born between July and December

What they’d call those different age groups could be different — it’s unimportant.  But, a country might just reap all the more talented players by bringing them along through such a split.

As I was putting the final touches on this article, and readying to publish it, something struck me.  I don’t think the above described two-tiered system would have to go all the way up through youth hockey.  No, because I have a sense that most of the damage is done — and it could be undone — in the ages from Mites through about Pee Wees.  So, that’s what I’d suggest:  splitting the ages through the early years, and then going with traditional setups from Bantams on upward.

Of course, the big problem with huge organizations is that they are usually extremely slow afoot.  In other words, I can’t picture federations the size of USA Hockey or Hockey Canada making such changes without a decade of discussions.

Maybe something like that would be better taken on by another (AAU?) or new organization?  I mean, it seems to me that just changing their birth date requirements — to start each group with July 1 birth dates — might steal half the players from the established federation.

Okay, short of all that, what might you do as the parent of a youngster who was born in the second half of the year?

First, it’s probably helpful just to understand the circumstances described above.

Secondly — at least if you live in the US, where high school hockey is big…

My son was born in May, so he never had a problem in that regard.

My grandson, on the other hand, was born in late July.  Actually, perhaps due to some good behind the scenes training, he always seemed to do very well within his hockey and baseball age groups.  Where he struggled was in elementary school, mainly because he was always the youngest in his class.  So, as he moved to middle school, we moved him to a Catholic school and also had him repeat the 5th grade.  It took some time for him to make the transition from a public education to the private one, but from high school through college he has never failed to make the honor roll or dean’s list.  As for sports, that was a huge bonus.  Once he moved from the USA Hockey date-of-birth system to being one of the oldest in his school grade, he’s gained the benefits of being comparatively physically and mentally mature.

No matter, or whether you need to dwell very much on all the above…  What I do like to do, is be sure my CoachChic.com members are at least aware of these kinds of things.

To be honest, I can’t recall what caused me to turn some heads with a long time observation, but I think it was in answer to, “Anything else we might include in the lesson plans?”

What caused others in our small group to snap around was my want to warn youth coaches that, “Most drills help one area while causing a problem in another.”

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey Drills Bring Both Good and Bad

My decade or so in coaching caused me to know that to be true back then, and the many years ’til now just convince me all the more.  Yes, it’s true, that almost every drill we ever use brings about some positive results, while also causing our players to practice something we’d prefer not to introduce.

Want a great example of what I’m talking about?

We all have our players do a ton of drills that call for them to attack a defender and/or attack the net (aren’t there a thousand or more of these kinds of drills out there?).  The problem arises when the drill seemingly ends, with the attacker turning off towards a corner to return to his or her line.  And, you know that turning away from the net is not exactly what you’d like him or her to do in a game.

Recognizing that many years ago, I created another step to such drills, by having an assistant coach immediately toss a loose puck in the crease, so that our attackers could get used to stopping and going for a rebound.

Still, the drill has to end at some point, which calls for the attacker to ultimately relax and return to line.  Some “flow drills” have players attacking, quickly defending, doing something else, whatever.  However, in the end, everyone does eventually turn from the play and return to line.  :/

Now, the above might suggest that the good and bad influences of drills only occur when we’re doing things like match ups, or attacking and defending drills.  Not so, though…

The same can be said about skills work, and especially about cross-training.  In fact, if you ever take advantage of my free video series, “You Don’t Need Ice!”, I spend a little time explaining how I happen to deal with that.  Actually, I speak there in reference to the Theory of the Transfer of Skills, which governs when slightly related exercises or skill drills transfer either positively or negatively to our main sport.

I do plan to comment more on the latter in a few secs.  However, I’d like you to view the following video as kinda of a backdrop to my later comments.  If you would, keep an eye on the little goaltender who is playing in a 3 on 3 small game…

Okay, what YOU probably saw was an undisciplined little netminder, roaming far from his crease, flopping and diving around, and sometimes seeming rather lazy when shots weren’t imminent.  I took that video because that’s what all of us would see — from the exterior.

A year or so ago, I went back and forth with a CoachChic.com member about his little guy, also a young goalie who was at the time playing in a 3 on 3 league in the UK.  The dad’s concern had to do with water breaks, because he found the pace of an almost non-stop small game pretty demanding for the one player on each team who doesn’t get to leave the ice.  (We discussed attaching a waterbottle to the net for quick sips when the boy could grab them.)

My point here, however, is to let you know what a goaler goes through in such a game, and to suggest that the sometimes laziness we see in the video is totally understandable.

Getting back to the main premise — about what’s really happening in the video…

The reason I took those clips is because of what I was really seeing.  I mean, I witnessed that little guy performing a lot of really athletic movements that he wouldn’t ordinarily try in a league game.  And, just so you know, he was arguably the best goalie in our AA Mite league last season, and he’s more recently been promoted to the Elite team at the Mite level.  So, he does play with decent discipline, while also daring to come out for loose pucks, and he’ll even dare to make passes up-ice to open teammates.

Where did all that daring come from?  I’ll suggest that it stems from three things:  1) the boy participates as a skater in two weekly skills sessions, 2) he’s a smiling but daring personality who takes to physical challenges, and 3) he seems to practice his athleticism in those weekly 3 on 3 games.

Now, for my personal take on all the above, or the fact that drills tend to bring with them both good and not so good results…

In my estimation, it’s often worth it to allow some negative things to transfer into a youngster’s game, so long as there are more positives coming along with it.  That’s how I felt about my little goalie, and it’s also how I feel about teach younger players to body-check and take slapshots — at the expense of occasionally taking a penalty or losing a goal.  Personally, I care more about long term development than I do any one game right now.

And I think the same can be said about a given match up drill and some forms of cross-training.  As that free video series points out, we should be able to live with a little negative influence, as long as there’s plenty of positives going on.

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

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

YOUR Hockey Coaches Inner Circle

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

Hoping you might join me,

– Dennis Chighisola

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

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

Some Hockey Tryout Advice

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*

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

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

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

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

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

That said, I do have to show you a video I’ve been getting around to others, mainly because there’s some important stuff in it I’d like you to know.

So, right after you watch the video, let’s have a conversation about a game you may or may not have heard about.

– Dennis Chighisola

(Re-)Introducing “Box Hockey”

Although that game — box hockey — may be new to you, you should have discovered that it’s actually been around for about 100-years.  Only recently has there seemed to be a re-emergence, maybe because several companies have decided to mass produce nice looking game boards like the one shown in that video.

As for me, I stumbled across the game some 15 or so years ago — and I can’t for the life of me remember how that came about.

Anyway, at a time when my hockey schools were booming around the New England area and beyond, I carried a trailer full of unique training equipment to each venue.  I had wild off-ice gear, equipment to run two different video stations, and even a ton of on-ice stuff that I occasionally try to show my members.

Better than a decade ago, then, I built my own box hockey game that we used in an outdoor station.  And, let me tell you, kids of all ages fought to get their turns on that.

My kids’ enthusiasm for that game wasn’t the only thing I noticed, however.  No…  For, what I saw each day was kids really battling — I mean REALLY battling — to move the puck up the box hockey surface.  And I’d stand back to be really fascinated by how much that game encouraged aggressiveness.  (Actually, my grandson was only a young Mite when we used that gadget a lot, and I now have to wonder how much that had to do with him being so aggressive for the puck through his older youth, high school, prep and college years.)

As an aside here…  You can imagine how many questions I get from hockey parents and coaches over the course of any given week.  What you really need to know, though, is how helpless some moms and dads sound when it comes to dealing with their kids’ lack of aggressiveness.  I mean, I feel badly for them — partly because they usually live too far away for me to personally help, and partly because the only thing that would really help is if a coach ran some drills that specifically encourage the youngster at that.  Even with all the troubleshooting I’ve done for such things, I can’t for the life of me think of a drill that can be done at home to help that area of a kid’s game.

Hopefully, you can picture how excited I was when I connected with the people at HBox.  I mean, I knew that game would help anyone who wanted to instill a hunger for the puck in their youngster.  And now, I am able to point them right to the gadget that will help get that done.

As yet another aside…  My homemade box hockey board was busted a few years ago by some workers who had access to my equipment storage room (Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!).  Fortunately, I have a new HBox version right now, and I’m itching to use it.  I’ve just picked my new AA Mite team for next year, and I’m just beginning to design plans for our off-season and beyond.  And I’m just thinking, how difficult my little guys will be to deal with, IF they all get lots of work at that game.  I’m talking about all of my kids here, too, top of the roster to the bottom, being willing to fight you tooth and nails for the puck.  Oh, and I’m also thinking something else…  I know it’s always difficult to get everyone to practice on time.  However, if they have the incentive to play box hockey before each on-ice practice, I have a feeling my little guys will be driving their parents nuts to get them to the rink rather early! 

Okay, I said from the start that I’m not trying to sell you anything.  So instead, what I am suggesting is that you do as I once did, and make a box hockey game of your own.  One sheet of plywood would probably do it.  And, there aren’t any dimensions that are critical, other than to make sure the puck fits through the various holes — in the dividers, and in the end goals.

Then, just in case you would prefer to take the easier route, an HBox game can be purchased through my affiliate link (which means I get credit for the sale):  Just Click Here

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

– Dennis Chighisola

THE Most Important Hockey Season Is Coming Up?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Actually, I’m thinking just how lucky we are right now, in that these exercises come just as most goaltenders are finishing their hockey seasons and looking for new ideas to ready them for next fall.  For sure,  these exercises are going to ultimately give goalers of all ages the basis for an awesome off-season routine, and I’ll further suggest that these exercises could be used right through next season and for many seasons to come.

Oh, and if you missed Cynthia’s opening article, I highly recommend you give it a read:   “Goalie Off-ice Training (from an unlikely source)!“

– Dennis Chighisola

Goalie Specific Off-ice Exercise 1

By Cynthia King

One of my favorite goalie specific exercises is the Medicine Ball V’s.  This will target the lower back, glutes, inner thighs, obliques, shoulders and stabilizing muscles.  You will need a mat and a weighted medicine ball (although a dumbbell will also work).

Use the weight of your choice for the medicine ball, or no ball for beginners.  Place the ball at the top of your mat.  Position yourself about halfway down the mat with your knees the width of the mat.   For the most benefit, lift your toes off the mat so that your stabilizing muscles really participate.  For beginners, rest toes on the mat.

Bend over as low as you can and hold the ball in both hands, arms outstretched.  Deeply bend to the left and tap the ball, rising only high enough to make the movement.   Keep knees stable and hips squared and facing forward at all times.   Move back to the center (at the top of the mat) and tap, then to the right and tap. Continue back to the center, left, center, right, center, etc.  This forms the “V”.

Make sure that you hold in the abdominals at all times.  This will help strengthen the core.  It is very easy to protrude the abs.  Remember that they are muscles and can be trained in a direction we do not want.  Never relax them.

I created this exercise with the lower back in mind.  However, I quickly found many muscles engaged.  MOVEMENTS SHOULD BE CONTROLLED!  FORM IS CRITICAL!

1. CHALLENGE MOVE :  Take knees out farther than width of mat
2. CHALLENGE MOVE :   After center tap, rise upright and back down, then continue V

Although I did develop this for goalies, I believe that skaters benefit as well.  Lower back and core are important to everyone.

Wishing y’all a healthy, successful season!

Cynthia

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

– Dennis Chighisola

Plant a Tree — for Hockey

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

A Hockey Reputation Matters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The examples don’t stop there…

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

Here’s yet another one…

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

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

Oh, one more beauty…

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

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

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

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

Okay, these last few points…

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

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

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

And, while I suspect that Shaun is talking to hockey parents in the following television interview, my feeling is that we coaches can also use this information to get more out of a team full of players.

– Dennis Chighisola

5 Performance Keys

Actually, this article kicks off a special series Cynthia has in store for us…  Each month, henceforth, she’ll provide a new exercise specific to goaltender training.

With that, the following acts as an introduction to Ms King, along with a basic philosophy that should carry over to those future monthly articles.

– Dennis Chighisola

Goalie Off-ice Training (from an unlikely source)!

By Cynthia King

As I was gathering my thoughts to write this article, my first concern was, “Who is going to listen to goalie off-ice training advice from me?”.  There are a few reasons why I asked myself this question.  The first is that I am from Mississippi originally and had never seen hockey until 2004.  I reside in the Atlanta area now, and a family friend is the majority owner of our local ECHL team.  He introduced my sons and myself to the game, courtesy of the Gwinnett Gladiators (www.gwinnettgladiators.com).  The second reason is that I am a 45 year old Southern mom.  The third reason is that I am just a personal trainer.

However, when you combine all 3 of my concerns, you get 3 very important pieces to a puzzle that is still being assembled.

Shortly after seeing our first hockey game, my youngest son gave up being a baseball catcher and became a hockey goalie. Simply having said son explains concern number 2.  Concern 3 was eased a bit as I train, and have for years at a fantastic fitness center, Body Plex of Newnan, GA and I spent 2010 training with one of TV’s current Biggest Loser trainers.  Concerns 2 and 3 led me to an amazing opportunity which gets me here.

In July of 2011, I was offered a chance to help with off-ice training at Pro Tek Goaltending Camp in Montreal, Canada (www.protekgoaltending.com).  My son was participating in the camp.  My mind was in overdrive trying to figure out how in the world was I going to prove myself around the professionals that I was about to join.  Yet from day 1 of camp, I knew I was just given a gift and realized that THIS is just what I wanted to do.

My first order of business was getting 70 French speaking goalies to say “Bonjour y’all”.  They complied and that became our greeting everyday.  After that, I knew that talking to these goalies and asking them questions was my best way of understanding exactly what their specific training issues are.  As a trainer, I already had an idea of what needed to be strengthened and stretched.  Watching them on the ice and discussing their specific, or lack of, training methods, allowed me to tweak some of what they already do and introduce them to new goalie specific workouts.  I particularly enjoyed working with players at the Junior level.  They were eager to learn and apply the new techniques to their training program.

An obvious point of concern for goalies is the lower back and core.  I was rather shocked to learn that so many do not realize the importance of good core strength.  With so much emphasis placed on legs, goalies may not understand the role of stabilizing muscles in their often sudden, quick bursts of play.  I use medicine balls, BOSU balls, bands, and ropes to help improve balance and engage the core.  If your core routine only consists of sit ups, then you are severely limiting the power and stability that is afforded with solid core strength.  Conditioning the lower back is IMPERATIVE  to a goalies overall performance and injury reduction.  I incorporate all of the equipment listed above when targeting the lower back.

I like to work on different stretching movements for inner thigh.  As you know, groin injuries are prominent with goalies.  They can be reduced or heal faster if inner thigh regions are properly stretched and strengthened.  I like to use certain cable exercises that can help target some of the harder to reach muscle groups that are so easily injured.  There are several variations of lunges that I also prefer to help engage inner thigh muscles.  Each muscle group must be utilized during a session to give a goalie his best defense at warding off the dreaded groin injury.

As I continue to learn this sport, I am in awe of the athleticism that is required.  Even as I watch the youngest on the ice, I appreciate the fact that I could never be even a mediocre hockey player.  To achieve professional level astounds me.  I congratulate you all who have.  As a trainer,  I truly enjoy learning and improving  hockey specific training…especially goalie specific.  I really love talking to coaches and players and understanding their needs.  I must say that I do smile when I, of all people, can show a coach or a player a new move and they realize the value of that move.  I always enjoy exchanging ideas and thoughts with those coaches and players and working together on ways to improve their longevity in this sometimes brutal sport.  Learning from those who actually play, helps me as a trainer to gain more insight into their off-ice needs.

It is my hope that you understand the importance of core conditioning.  A strong core is vital to your performance as a goalie.  Even though I’m just a hockey mom from Mississippi and at first glance, an unlikely source, I am always happy to help any way that I can.  Until then, Bonjour Y’all!

See our Goalies section for all of Cynthia’s drills! * * *

Cynthia King – NFPT Certified Personal Trainer/NFPT Certified Advanced Weight Training Specialist

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

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

Make the Most of Half-ice Hockey Practices

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So, thanks, Tim!

– Dennis Chighisola

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

Build a Backyard Hockey Rink

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With that, she’s going to help me reinforce a couple of principles I’ve stated over and over again within these pages.

– Dennis Chighisola

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Our Facebook dialogue began with my friend asking me if I’d seen the penaltyshot goal scored by a member of her favorite team, the Montreal Canadiens.  No, I hadn’t caught Lars Eller’s sensational move, but CoachChic.com members have to know that I’m always dying to see any kind of new and exciting offensive play.

Once you watch this video, we’re going to discuss it on two levels — one from a quick philosophical perspective, and the other from a fairly close look at what really went into Eller’s play working.  (Oh, as my lady friend said, “Look at this shot… amazing !!!!”)

Okay, so here’s where that “out of the mouths of babes” thing comes into play.  For, my friend followed the sending of that video with the observation that, “…that is exactly what the HABS need… there’s not enough of twist like that with the hockey stick.”  Ya, her terminology isn’t quite the same as we’d use to describe the move — or the difference in Eller’s approach to many other players.  But, at the same time, I think you’re sensing exactly what she was trying to say.

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

‘Tis the Time to Think About Tryouts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

Knowing When Your Hockey Players “Get it”

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

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

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

First, though, a little background to all this…

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

The squad had a lot of returnees, but we also had a handful of skaters who needed to be indoctrinated in The Old Coach’s way of doing things.  And, in particular, the new guys had to gain an idea of what I saw as good passes and good pass receptions.

And, oh, did I beat it into them, hardly ever letting up, and forever reminding them to make firm, flat passes right on their mates’ sticks, or to find a way to handle any pass that came even close to their own sticks.

The interesting part came late in our training camp when I noticed one new player muttering to himself a few times during a drill, and then sorta banging his stick on the ice in frustration a few other times.  Hmmmmm…

Starting to get a handle on what I was seeing, I whispered to a nearby assistant that the new guy was finally “getting it”.  I mean, he now knew the difference between a good pass and a not so good one, and he was getting a little upset with himself when he made a teammate work a little harder than he should.

Well, almost the same scenario played out tonight.  I mean, I was seeing the same thing happening as my current team went through a series of attacking drills, and I also snuck over to whisper to a current assistant about my belief that this group of kids was finally “getting it”.

Actually, I couldn’t resist going into our lockerroom after practice and telling my kids how pleased I was with them.  And, as I started to tell the story about my old HS Prep guys showing displeasure with themselves in some passing drills, one of my youngest current players said something to the effect that, “That was me, Coach, huh?”

Ya, he was one of the more noticeable ones out there.  And, while I told him I wasn’t thrilled at him banging his stick, I wanted him to know how happy I was that he did finally “get it”.

Okay, so why do I make such a big deal out of this seemingly small turn of events?

Really, that’s because I think it IS a pretty big deal when our players suddenly do “get it” — and I’m talking about any part of their game we deem important to their overall development.

I’m also encouraging other coaching to stick to their guns when it comes to proper execution, or when it comes to playing principles you feel important.

Then, here’s what I consider the biggie, as far as I’m concerned…  For, once a player truly does “get it”, I’m going to suggest that it sticks with him or her for the rest of his or her playing days.

Would you believe that a Facebook Fan Page existed in honor of This Old Coach several years before I even joined that popular social media site?  It’s the truth.  As I discovered, a bunch of my former hockey students and players who by that time had reached their mid- to late-20′s created a page entitled something like, “Coach Chic says to do everything both ways!”    The history behind this is that I have forever harped on my players to discipline themselves, and to make sure they can cut left and right, stop to each side, and perform just about any skill in all the ways possible.  Did my constant reminders to do everything both ways make an impression on my players?  I’m guessing that’s so, and I’m guessing it’s in the backs of their minds today as a lot of them play in adult leagues or pick-up hours.

That “do everything both ways” principle can actually cause me to laugh in the middle of my Learn-to-play clinics and in the ADM program I work in.  Ya, by the midpoint in a season, those 6- and 7-year old little rascals will often stop me before I can get those words out of my mouth — I mean, they’ll all chime in and yell, “Coach, you have to do it both ways!” 

On a more personal level, my son has played about a dozen years of minor pro hockey, and I can hear some of my old, long ago harped upon principles emerge in conversations we have today.  And so can I see the occasional shake of my college hockey playing grandson’s head if failed to do something like put a pass exactly where he’d intended.

So again, I’m suggesting that we all — coaches and hockey parents — stick to our guns, keep hammering at those principles we feel important, and never fear sounding like a broken record, because that’s the only way our players will someday really “get it”.

Truly, this topic might deserve a tome-sized answer some day down the road.  For now, however, let me deal as best I can with a very insightful guy’s question in this relatively short post.

– Dennis Chighisola

Skating for Ice Hockey

Ron actually included a lot of questions within a larger one, so I think it best for me to at least try to answer each one at a time…

“I’m curious what your opinion is about all the hockey skating instruction on the market today. I’ve watched quite a few of the DVDs and videos on the market…including yours.  You have a very simplified approach to hockey skating and as you said the rules of the game and the dimensions of the rink make hockey skating different from figure and speed skating. A lot of the other hockey skating instructors have different opinions on knee bend, arm swing, how to start, and so on.”

In all honesty, I don’t like bashing other skating instructors.  At the same time, I can’t go without suggesting that most of those who run clinics or sell DVDs and videos have very little training in the sciences surrounding our game.   In some instances, former figure skaters have done okay with a portion of what they teach, but they’re often missing the scientific background, and a knowledge of what I refer to as “the nature of our game” — or the challenges our players really face in the heat of battle.  Of course, some have great marketing talents that get their opinions seen more than the PhDs who really know their stuff, with a lot of their methods getting so much exposure that they’re taken as gospel, whether there is any true basis to their claims or not.  Then, for sure, there are those who climb down off telephone poles or slide out from automotive lube jobs to conduct so-called powerskating clinics at your local rink.  Ugh.  This doesn’t mean that a lot of guys and gals don’t do some good things; but it might mean that they can’t be taken too seriously when a debate arises involving skating mechanics, etc.

Al that said, one just can’t believe the naked eye — beyond a point.  Instead, we have to trust what has been discovered in the lab by very qualified biomechanical (and other) specialists.

But does all this matter if you score tons of goals and win every race to the puck. I mean I watched this one russian’s hockey skating DVD and his theories on skating were much different then the other hockey skating instructors but man he was an awesome skater.

  Oh, boy, does Ron have a good one there!  Actually, I try to make it a very big point in my video about skating analysis, that a beautiful stride doesn’t mean a player can play the game.

If you can appreciate it, the nice stride is about having balance within the body, and thusly expending a lot less energy and covering quite a bit more ice than one who is rather out of sync.  In contrast, an effective hockey player performs his or her duties in short, all-out bursts that are quite often out of balance.  In other words, a player is quite often doing things like tussling along the boards with an opponent, dashing only a matter of a few steps for a loose puck, teetering off balanced and batting in a rebound.

As for that Russian skating instructor, I think I know the guy, and believe he and I have even spoken on hockey matters separate from skating technique.  As Ron says, though, that guy surely can skate.  Does that mean the guy can be a productive player?  Absolutely not.  Would his kind of skills help him be even better if he could play the game?  Absolutely!

So again, skating skills — and especially proper skating mechanics — don’t necessarily mean someone can play the game.

Also, what do you think of the term “power skating” or should that term be phased out.

Once again, …  My very first “clinic” was dubbed “powerskating”, only because several before me had used that term.  We’re talking nearly 40-years ago, now.  It wasn’t too much later, however, that I realized two things:

1) that wasn’t what I did at all — teach only skating, I mean.  No, I mixed in almost an equal amount of puckhandling, and then I started to add the basics of passing, receiving and shooting.  Then, even later, I incorporated a little bit of body-checking into the mix;

2) to use the word “power” in there is to suggest that that quality is more important than any others when it comes to effective hockey skating.

In summary, I believe there are a few things to consider when it comes to skating for hockey…  First and foremost, we should rely on the many scientific studies that have been done on this movement (or trust me to do that for you).  Next, consider how hockey skating differs from other sports, and what it’s really like for a player to deal with all the challenges within our game.  Then, realize that — while skating is extremely important to hockey, it’s far from the only skill or quality that goes into the making of a solid hockey player.  Lastly, while I may have expressed some negative feelings toward some so-called skating experts, I do believe that most of them do a great deal of good.  Where they may overstep their bounds is in trusting too much their own observations over what’s known by true scientists.

Really, though, I wanted to share a couple of thoughts with readers, these having to do with a few things that crossed my mind during a recent 3 on 3 league I work with.

– Dennis Chighisola

The Need for a Hockey Coach to Think on His Skates

The number of young (mainly 5- to 7-year old) skaters who frequent our current 3 on 3 cross-ice program dictates that we have two games going at the same time.  Actually, so does the difference in the various ages and skill levels require us to split the kids.

No matter the number of skaters, though, we seldom have enough young goaltenders to man four nets.  So, we usually resort to filling one or two vacant goaler spots with a few old automobile tires.

Such was the case recently, when the group I was overseeing needed a pair of tires in one net while a goaltender did man the other goal.

Perhaps you can imagine the problem already, with kids having an advantage in shooting on the small tires.  That started happening right from the beginning, with some goals being scored from far, far down the ice.  Oh, what to do?

Trying to think of a way to level the playing field, I noticed that a blue line crossed in front of the somewhat empty net, maybe almost 2′ out.  And, after thinking for a moment, I decided to introduce a new rule to our game…

I stopped action at the next buzzer, and announced to the kids that, “In order for a goal to count, the puck must be carried across that blue line.”  Insert some groaning by a couple of little snipers.    (Just so you know, I always have teams switch ends halfway through each game.  So, the other team would ultimately be faced with a similar challenge.)

Now, our game happens to call for great skills, game playing knowledge, as well as the ability to solve problems.  And as players mature, they’re also challenged to keep various things in their heads as they skate — like the game-time, the score, the latest strategies that their coach wants employed, etc.   So, my impromptu rule was going to help these little guys get a head start on learning to skate and think at the same time.

Oh, trust me, that a number of kids forgot themselves, and they were shocked when I announced, “No goal!”  Little by little, however, they all ultimately got the hang of it.

It wasn’t until the game was winding down that something else struck me…

I’ve mentioned elsewhere in these pages that even elite level players can have so-called “brain freezes”.  And in this regard I’m thinking about the times I’ve seen my high school or college players take icing calls on attempted dump-ins, when just another step or so would have brought them across the red line and made the dump legal.

What I’m getting at is a certain “ice awareness”, or the ability to know where one is on the ice.  Totally by accident, really, I’d instituted a challenge into our 3 on 3 game that forced the kids to not only think, but they had to also be overly aware of where they were and where they had to shoot from in order to have a goal count.

Lastly, if you’ve come to know me at all, you probably know that these little revelations aren’t going to end with that one game.  Naw, I see that one teaching moment being just the first of many I’m going to want to try in future 3 on 3 games.

Among the players I believe I influenced quite bit were current and former hockey players, several who ultimately steered towards big-time college lacrosse, and even one humongous guy who got a shot as an NFL lineman.  (Among the lacrosse players, a few of them or their dads actually told me that all the off-ice work I’d done with them was the difference in them making it.)

Little wonder I kinda smile when a parent brings a big, hulking kid to me for some quickening.  And, little wonder I shook my head when Rik C recently wrote me for help with his pretty big son.

– Dennis Chighisola

Quickening A Big Hockey Player’s Feet

Let’s begin with some of Rik’s message to me, received through our Ask The Coach option up at the top of this page:

I’ve got an 18 year old that is 6’4 220. He is playing Tier 3 Jr.’s in the US. He has great hands is a 3/4 point per game player but the area of his game where he needs work is his skating…he is too upright and he doesn’t have explosive ability. Once he gets going he is fast and eats ice…as long as he keeps moving his feet. I’m hearing he should be on the Skate Speed ramp for 10 to 12 ups per session and on slide boards for about 5 reps to complete a session. My question is do you believe this will help? And how long does it take for muscle memory to take over?

Well, can my CoachChic.com friends appreciate why I shook my head and smiled as I scanned Rik’s question?  Oh, I’d like it all the more if the family lived close to me, so I could make an in-person evaluation and even work with Rik’s son.  However, he did an awesome job of describing the boy, and I can just see similarities in past students of mine as I read each part of that description.

With that, let me consider Rik’s real question — at the end…

I found it interesting that he described exact routines for a speed ramp device and for the use of a slideboard.  The problem I see with each of those types of training, however, is that they both tend to help in an area that doesn’t seem to need all that much improvement.  (After all, Rik does say that his son “… is fast and eats ice…” once he gets going.)  Oh, I’m not saying that a player wouldn’t benefit from using either of those contraptions.  Still, to do so right now seems to be wasting time that could be better spent doing some other things.

What I’m really hearing from Rik — and what I’ve discovered in dealing with numerous other big-bodied players — is a need to “get going” quicker.

Just as an aside here, I feel the need to introduce the distinction I make between being “fast” or “quick”…  For, to me, speed — or being fast — is usually measured over a relatively long distance, perhaps like a race down the ice.  On the other hand, I see quickness as being cat-like or agile, and being able to react in the blink of an eye within a few steps in either of four directions.

As yet another aside…  I’ve found it interesting that over many years, most bigger or taller players do tend to skate rather upright.  I haven’t a clue why this is.  I will, though, try to make one suggestion below.

All that said, here’s what I would recommend for Rik’s son, as well as any other bigger players.  Perhaps not so surprising, all of these recommendations are described in some detail within the CoachChic.com site…

1)  Some sport psychologists have already agreed with my belief that there is a mental component to quickness.  In other words, it helps greatly if an athlete first “thinks quickness”.  With that, I like to have a player stand relaxed and with feet spread a bit, and then attempt to move the feet up and down as quickly as possible for about 8-seconds.  The player should hardly bring the feet off the floor or ice.  Sensing how that felt, I’ll ask him or her to see if he or she can do it again and feel the feet moving even faster.  I’ll also often introduce the thought of running on a flaming hot surface (like a hot pavement), whereby it would hurt to leave the foot down very long.  Said another way, I’d almost like to hear the feet tap lightly like a very fast drum roll.

2) Work on an agility ladder is exactly what this kind of player needs.  Not only does it help enhance the above described quick feet, but it also helps quicken changes in direction (and quick take-offs).

3) Over time, rope skipping can be one of the best ways to improve footwork or foot quickness.  (Just envision the way pro boxers ultimately move their feet while skipping.)

4) At 18-years old, Rik’s son should already be doing some plyometrics.  The very idea of this form of training is to enhance explosiveness.

5) I usually resort to WallSits (sitting against a wall for about 20-seconds as if sitting in a chair), as well as some skating in an exaggerated sitting posture.  A slideboard could also help here, if the player concentrates on that aspect of his or her posture.

As I’ve previously stated, there’s nothing wrong with the recommendations others may have made.  If there’s a problem with those, the ramp device and slideboard would probably only help enhance areas Rik’s boy is already fairly good at.  The ideas I’ve provided about should instead help with take-offs, and they should especially help his son to win many of the more consequential battles that take place in our game, these including quick, agile movements.

As for a timeline, I dare not guess.  All I might suggest is that improvement is going to come from the above prescribed methods.  And, I’ll offer, ’tis better later than never.

Hoping that helps, Rik, I also hope you’ll get back to me once you’ve had the chance to drink this all in.

PS:  All the exercises I’ve described above are covered in much greater detail within this website.

Also, this isn’t the kind of topic I dwell much on.  So, since my grandson is nearly done his undergrad march towards someday working in a pro hockey front office, I’ve asked his input.

– Dennis Chighisola

Should Facemasks Be Made Mandatory in the NHL?

Good friend, Jerry Z, begins with his question, “Do you think there will ever be a change to wearing mandatory facemasks for players in the NHL?”

Offered as ammunition, Jerry continues, “After seeing Chris Pronger, Dan Paille, Nathan Gerbe and countless others go down with severe facial injuries, I think the game has gotten too fast and too dangerous.”

Jerry continues, “When you talk about the NFL, no one even questions the need for facemasks. With hockey, you have a much faster game, with the additional great risks of the composite sticks, quicker booming shots, ricocheting pucks, big bodies zooming in an enclosed area, and flashing skates. It seems like a new era, kind of like when goalies switched to wearing masks with the advent of the curved stick.”

Thoughts from Tony Chic

No flies on my young buddy, he begins by saying, “No they (the NHL) never will change.”  Anthony does, however, sense that, “… they could mandate shields.”

As he explains, “It’s just how the game is.  People know that it is a risk and are willing to take it.  It also polices the game, because when looking at it, when people don’t wear facemasks, they need to be more responsible for their sticks.  So they end up playing the game with less reckless abandonment.  That’s why junior players when transitioning to the NHL have less problems than college players.  The college players have a tendency to stick people by mistake.”

Thoughts from Dennis Chighisola

Now you might know why I dared call in my young buddy, Tony C. 

For sure, I think he’s right on all that stuff — especially the part about the absence of facial protection somewhat helping to police the flailing of sticks all over the place.  (Want to see some false bravado and a bit of madness, just catch a game where everyone is clad as if their grandmothers dressed them.)

I have yet another thought, though…  For, to make a rule change such as Jerry proposes, I’m guessing that both the NHL Office and the players’ union would have to back it.

It took a very long time for helmets to be mandated.  And a big part of the resistance to that was the thought that fans would somewhat lose their connection with the individual players.  I mean, there was nothing like seeing a speedy Guy Lafleur streaking down the wing with his blond mane blowing in the wind.  Helmets now at least partially block us fans from seeing what a player really looks like, but just imagine what covering his face might do.  Oh, I know there’s the football analogy, Jerry, but I still sense an awful lot of NHL execs want the fans to see what a Crosby or Ovechkin really looks like.

As for the players, I suspect they want a choice.  For sure, more and more players who grow up wearing a mask will want to continue doing so.  (Anthony’s mention of the college kids brings this to mind.  However, during his college off-seasons playing in a summer pro/am league, Tony C chooses to ditch his mask, probably in order to be accepted by his pro teammates and opponents.)

I’ve heard it said that some young pros want to wear the mask, but they’re a bit reluctant.  So they’ll wait to get one facial ding, and then they’ll use that as an excuse to keep wearing protection after the injury goes away.

I know of some pros who see the mask as dangerous in its own right, just because it creates some blind spots.

I’m also wondering if there are some players who see their earning power connected to the point I made earlier — in that fans will know them better if they’re easier seen.

Lastly, I will have to go along with Anthony Chighisola in his belief that half-shields might someday be mandated.  A great many stars are now wearing them, and it seems we can see their faces quite well.

*

Oh, boy…  My guess is that this subject might bring a host of varying opinions.
So, we invited others to let ‘er rip in the Comments box below.

For, Phil writes to me about his past experiences in coaching the game, and then he raises something based on his recent observations.  For sure, his question is a tricky one, and it’s caused me to take several days to really think about how to answer.

So, with that, here’s my best attempt (please accept my apologies in advance for jumping around a bit with all sorts of random thoughts on the subject)…

– Dennis Chighisola

Fair Ice-time in Youth Hockey

Phil prefaced things in his Comment, noting that he’d had some success in Canadian youth hockey circles, and that he and others “… have always attempted to roll three lines the best that we could.”

Noting the touchiest of things when it comes to this issue, he adds, “Obviously there are dissatisfied parents when it comes to ice time.”  (Oooooooooh, ya!)

Then, coming to the point, Phil ends with, “This year the coaches are using their top players a lot more than the rest of the team, with certain kids getting only one shift in a period.  My question is, at what age does it become about winning at all costs and development of still young players?”

Ugh.

Now, I’m betting that most readers are going to be surprised that I actually have mixed emotions about this.

On the one hand, I believe that fair ice-time is pretty much a must through at least the Squirt/Atom years.  And if I had my druthers, that would continue right on through Bantams and maybe even Midgets.  So, some random thoughts…

Of course, parents will argue that everyone is paying the same tuition, so ice-time should be distributed in equal fashion.

I also firmly believe that a commitment to equal ice-time — as in Phil’s concept of rolling three lines — forces a coach to be a better teacher — to all of his or her players.  In other words, the coach is going to want to ensure that there are few weak links in those three units, which usually causes him or her to work extra hard to raise the skill levels of the lesser players.

Very much connected to the above concept is the idea of distributing the talent evenly over three lines.  For, in so doing, a coach is less likely to favor one unit over another.  (I do this all the time, and rarely care which line or defense pairing is going over the boards next.)

On the other side of the ledger is a coach’s attempt to win some games.  Ya, I don’t care who the coach happens to be; there is always the inner sense that folks will think you’re a jerk because you can’t help your kids get some W’s.  And, yet more random thoughts…

I think it’s important here to suggest that every organization has it’s own aims, and these might be tapered to its different age and competitive levels.  I know this can also vary within different countries or within different hockey regions, too.  (Some of the Canadian programs I coached against through the years were super-competitive, while most of the “town programs” I see in US-based youth hockey tend to put fun and learning far ahead of anything else.)

On the latter, however…  I don’t care what some (or most) organizational mission statements say, coaches can oftentimes feel as though they’re being judged on how successful their teams are.  So, given the possibility of either winning or losing a given game, just venture a guess as to what’s going to motivate most of their line-up decisions.

Personally, I feel the organization I currently work a lot with wants me to develop players.  At the same time, I know that there’s a great deal of league-wide competitiveness (like, between organizations, and even between owners).  Moreover, because organizations actually compete for players during each off-season, it just makes sense that highly motivated players (or their parents) are likely to seek certain coaches, levels or organizations with winning traditions.

Next, I’m going to introduce something that I doubt many folks have ever considered.  For, from all the observations I’ve made over about 40-years on my side of a clipboard, I’m going to suggest that a lot of youth hockey rosters are too large for the levels they’re expected to compete at.  In other words, an organization deems that a roster should include so many skaters and so many goalies, solely based on an imaginary ideal roster size, or the number of players needed to finance a given team.  And, I’ll suggest, this is where the trouble starts.  I mean, a team might be able to  find 12-skaters who can compete at a given level, but program guidelines dictate that another 3-skaters be added.  And, it’s usually those few less-than-up-to-par kids a coach fears putting out when a game is on the line.  Make sense?

Yet a few random thoughts having to do with the way this old coach tends to deal with fair ice-time, regardless of the players’ ages or competitive levels…

There ARE times when I feel the need to get a point across.

I’ll bet you’ve all seen the little guy (or gal) who acts like they’ve been shot whenever they’re involved in a collision.  You know what I mean:  they stay down on the ice (sometimes with a smile on their faces?), maybe waiting to have everyone cheer when they’re finally deemed okay.  Anyway, a young one only has to pull that once or twice with me before I do him a huge favor.  Ya, I’ll tell him I’m really worried about him, and that I think it best that he sit for awhile.  It can seem like a lifetime to a little guy, but I don’t usually let the sitting last long.  What I will often wait for, however, is for that youngster to squirm a bit, and tell me a few times that he’s really okay.  Again, I feel I’ve done him a favor for the long-run.

As a preface to the next one (and maybe even the previous one?), this short story…  A farmer decides to call in an animal psychologist to work with his very stubborn mule.  Upon arriving and grabbing the mule by his reins, the doc proceeds to drill the mule right between the eyes with a heavy hunk of wood.  The farmer is aghast as the mule buckles and drops to the ground.  With that, the psychologist explains, “First, I have to get his attention!” 

With older kids, it takes something quite different for me to resort to a benching.  One example might be if a young guy has a history of taking selfish penalties, and then pulls the same thing again.  A lot like the noted psychologist, I’ll occasionally feel the need to get that player’s attention.  So I’ll likely growl, and tell the player to take a spot far down the bench, adding that, “I’ll give you a call when your teammates feel the need to kill another stupid penalty!”  Still, much like I do with younger kids, I’ll ultimately let an older guy off the hook.  If there’s a difference in the way I handle the two extremes, I must admit that I’ll ask the older kid for a guarantee that we understand each other well before I’ll let him back on the ice.

Only at the older levels — maybe from strong Pee Wees on up, I’ll have a powerplay unit to use in man advantage situations.  This acts as a bit of an incentive, not always using the best players, but perhaps those who show most often for practices, or those who demonstrate an ability to follow simple directions.

Then, like Phil, I like to keep rolling all my units through most of a game.  Still, there are a couple of times when I might ever so briefly get away from that…  In a close contest, for example, I might gather my best players to go over the boards for the last minute or so of a period, and/or late in a game.  Again, all of my players will usually get tons of ice-time, but I reserve the right to play those I deem most trustworthy for just a few extra minutes or so.  I’ll also often use this as an incentive, employing a number of kids who have to that point played above and beyond.

Oh, and I guess I ought to close by saying that I perceive myself as a teacher first.  That posture makes a lot of what I suggest above more do-able for me than what a so-called “door opener” might accomplish.  I’m also a long-range planner, and that’s why I’ll use certain “benchings” to gradually bring all of my players onto the same page.

Lastly, that thing Phil mentioned about parents is real enough.  Hey, they DO pay the freight, and they DO deserve every consideration within reason.  And that’s why I’ll suggest that communication is a key to dealing with the ice-time issue.  I don’t think I’ve ever had a complaint about owning the last few minutes of a period or a game; most parents probably see how fair I am the rest of the time.  In some instances, parents are annoyed by the same things that bother a coach (like Little Johnny writhing in fake pain after a fall), and I’ve found them to be tickled pink when I whisper to them that I have a way to solve a problem.  As often, of course, parents aren’t as aware of a player’s shortcomings, or what he or she might need to do to contribute more to the team.  So again, communication is the key.

*

Okay, a topic like this is bound to stir some controversy.  It surely is a tricky one.
So, fire away (only figuratively).  Oh, and if you really disagree with me,
just remember that my little buddy Raggs sniffs all my incoming mail!

A few weeks ago, someone turned me on to an interesting program provided over on YouTube.com.  That program gives anyone the chance to create cartoon videos from a host of characters.  I settled on a pair of robots, and a Facebook friend ultimately named them SlapShot and HatTrick. 

Hoping not to waste my efforts, I thought to use that format to at least share some worthwhile information — first letting folks know how to pronounce my name and nickname (Introducing Dennis Chighisola), and later how the unique spelling of my nickname came about (SlapShot & HatTrick Explain Dennis Chighisola’s Nickname).  I must admit that my earliest works weren’t all that polished (the program is kinda tricky to use).  Oh, I have gotten better at producing the videos, although they’re still probably as stupid today.  (I’ve joked to one Facebook friend that the red robot is my alter-ego!)

As you might gather, however, my eventual thinking was that I could have some fun, perhaps give some social media friends cause to laugh, and also get a little advertising crammed in between the lines.  So, maybe you’ll at least see a little of each within the following video…

– Dennis Chighisola

About the Skater’s Rhythm-bar

My (again, stupid) cartoons somewhat explained, I just posted a new one to My YouTube Channel last night and to Facebook this morning.

At first, I thought to apologize for promoting one of my products within these pages.  However, I then thought it might be just as unfair if I DIDN’T let you know about this…

Over the years, many members have actually written me and asked about the Skater’s Rhythm-bar.  I think that stemmed from my occasional mention of it, or my once in a while showing it in a video.

With that, I am practically going to give this closely held secret away (and I’m serious about the almost giving it away part).  You’ll have plenty of time to consider things, though, as well as learn a lot about skating and my problem solving methods along the way.

All you need to do to be notified of it’s release is to “Like” this page (using the “Like” button up at the top)…  Perfecting the Hockey Skating Stride.

Actually, this isn’t exactly about a gadget, but instead an app aimed at transforming your iPhone or iPod Touch into what the TechSmith company calls “the ultimate coaching tool”.

– Dennis Chighisola

PS:  I am not affiliated with this product or the maker in any way.  I just figure it’s a neat idea and something my friends here might like to know about.

A Cool Video Gadget for Hockey Coaches & Parents

Here’s some a wording borrowed from this morning’s email…

Coach’s Eye is a coaching app that will transform your iPhone or iPod Touch into the ultimate coaching tool!

Slumps, bad habits and poor technique can be recorded with Coach’s Eye to point out problems, and review as needed.  It’s like having your own, personal coach who never misses a thing.

Sign up to find out when Coach’s Eye is available and you could win a t-shirt cannon for your team, organization, or school.  Then share out the unique URL you get after you sign up to increase your odds – you’ll get an extra entry for each person that signs up using your link!

With that, I’ll share the video showing the Coach’s Eye, just so you don’t have to chase to find it…

Just so you know, I won’t likely be getting one of those apps, mainly because I love my Flip and other similar cameras, and I’ve become so familiar with using those that I can practically work with them in my sleep (there is something to that “old dog” story, ya know — ).

Oooooh…  Should any member know more about this app, or should anyone get to try it, I think the rest of us would really like to know your feelings or experiences.

Carole Lockwood Taylor, of Tyler, Texas, is such a find for me, a really nice lady I happened to meet through Facebook.   More interesting, though, is the way Carole and I really got to know one another.  More fascinating still, is her connection with our game, ice hockey.

– Dennis Chighisola

Transitioning from In-line Hockey to Ice Hockey

Over a week or so, I’d noticed that a lady named Carole had “Liked” my different Facebook posts, and she’d even made some brief comments on a few rather general observations or comments I’d made.  What really got my attention, however, was the day she added her feelings on a video I’d posted, this highlighting my summertime Mite & Squirt (primarily off-ice) Hockey School.  I mean, after evidently watching it, Carole said about my video message, “THIS IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE !!!”

Huh?  Why in the world would a young lady from Texas be telling me so absolutely that the principles I’d noted in the video — about how in-line skating can help hockey players — were true?

You have to know that I wrote right back to Carole and asked if she was involved in hockey, or if she was a hockey mom.  And she quickly responded, “Being a former Inline Speed Skating Coach, I can tell you THIS IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE !!!”

We went back and forth from there, and I at some point let her know that I kinda pioneered the use of in-lines for ice hockey players here in my home area, and that I’d seen the miracles those efforts had produced.

The real shocker came in a later message from Carole, however…

My son won many awards, even at Nationals, speed skating on inline skates…  Then some coach called me and asked if Jeff could play on an inline hockey team…  he could out skate anyone, keep his head up, and all he had to learn was the finesse  of stick handling.  WHICH HE DID.   In the driveway, in the house, in the street…  he slept with the stick and puck.  He would play 4 age divisions at Inline Hockey tournaments…  12u,14u,16u,18u adult, when he was 12 years old.  That continued until he was 18 and now coaches atoms, mites, bantams, and the Pro Inline team he is on.  He tried out for and made an Elite AAA Ice Team from Houston when he was 13, having only been on the ice for the first time about 4 hours prior. I would drive him to practice in Houston from Tyler (4 hours one way)…

Carole went on to say that the extreme costs and some personal matters ultimately ended those long trips.  However, she finished with an update on her son, Jeff, in that “… he lives in Houston doing what he loves!!!

Now, I know there’s a danger that some readers will scan that first paragraph and miss what truly took place.  Oh, for sure, Carole’s son was obviously unique in his desires to do well in hockey, and he was also pretty lucky to have a mom like her.  At the same time, the things he accomplished would seem pretty unrealistic to anyone who doesn’t believe that in-line training can — and surely does — transfer to the ice.

Then, while Carole ultimately thanked me… “for pioneering the way for inline skaters transitioning to ice,” I think my CoachChic.com friends might find it even more interesting how I actually lucked into the earliest stages of in-line training.

Actually, my son was given the first pair of in-line skates I’d ever seen — I think by a college coach or a local pro scout.  They were an Erect-a-set (if that’s how it was spelled) kind of contraption, with an ugly frame, nuts, bolts and wheels that had to be riveted onto the bottom of hockey boots.  Genius that I was(n’t), I never paid much attention to those skates, except to think that they might be useful for conditioning during the summer months.

Next, a young lady named Nancilee entered the picture…  In fact, she’s become famous in many of my writings, mainly because she was the inspiration for my invention, the Skater’s Rhythm-bar.

Telling the short version of the story here, a 21-year old Nancilee called my office to see if I would give her private lessons and take her from an absolute beginner to making a local ladies’ hockey team a few months down the road.  Hmmmmm…

Hardly looking forward to our first meeting, Nancilee in advance had told me that she’d never been on the ice before.  (Ugh!)  Yet, she left the doorway onto the ice that first day and promptly twirled a quick loop around the rink surface.  Whaaaat?  ???

Scratching my head, I called her in, and Nancilee almost ran over me.    Explaining it all — including her ability to stride — as well as her inability to stop, she simply giggled, “I in-line a lot!”

Yup, that was my REAL indoctrination to in-line skating.  And, man, did my mind race from that day forward…  I mean, I’d seen for myself that someone could train exclusively off the ice and at least fairly well be able to skate on the ice.  So, what if a combination of wheels and blades could be used to better train my hockey students?  Hmmmmm…

By now, most long-time members know about my studies back in the old USSR.  That’s where I learned about the true value of off-ice training.  But that’s also where I discovered that the old Soviets HAD to train away from the ice because of their drastic shortage of indoor rinks.  The more I thought about that, though, the more I realized that most North American amateurs have nearly the same problem.  Ya, it’s hard to make headway as a youth player in our game if we’re not able to practice regularly.  For sure, off-ice training — or dryland — can help immensely with that.  But, then, how about being able to actually skate without the need for costly or hard-to-get ice-time?

Well, sadly, the so-called in-line craze ultimately subsided in many parts of North America.  However, it’s my understanding that roller hockey is alive and well in many southern and western areas of the US.  In fact, a number of recent NHL Draft choices over the past few years have grown-up in California, and they’re on record as having spent a great deal of time in their formative years on wheels.

So, I’m not saying that in-line training is dead, by any means.  I know if I wanted to hold a roller practice with my ice hockey players this weekend, I could be pretty sure they all have a set of in-lines at home.  And one of the reasons I hold that little guys and gals hockey school each summer is for all the reasons Carole and I have mentioned to this point.  In the case of those little ones — and their young parents, however, I want to be sure I’m starting them off right, and making sure they appreciate the benefits of in-line training, and how much that actually does transfer to their on-ice game.

*

PS:  Over the last 2-ish years, I’ve become similarly fascinated by another cross-over sport called floorball.  No, that game doesn’t involve skating, so it’s not going to totally make slideboards, wheels and ice blades obsolete.  However, floorball does promise to help develop a number of other important hockey qualities.  So, who knows…  Maybe I’ll someday soon pioneer yet another great way to train without the need for costly ice-time.

*

PPS:  For those wondering about my occasional mention of the Skater’s Rhythm-bar, I’d like you to know that I’ve been working for months on how to get you all the information you’ll need to make your own.  It’s not an easy process for me, so please be patient.   “Like” this page if you want to be alerted when it’s ready:  Perfecting the Forward Skating Stride

Actually, a pro hockey coach called me the other night to tell me about this (he likes to share such things with this old coach).  Evidently the team he works with has used this questionnaire and others like it.

So, with that, let’s get into…

– Dennis Chighisola

A Guide to Hockey Learning Styles

Long-time members would likely recall that I’ve written a few posts on this subject, especially for the sake of other coaches.  The real point to all this is that all humans have different learning styles, and it’s important that these be known.

Probably better than a decade ago I worked with a mental training specialist for the St Louis Blues organization.  He’d developed a test for individual athletes, to discover how each of them learned best.  At the time I was corresponding with that good doctor, it was known that there were at least three different ways we learn, while there was also a belief that there might be more than three.  (The last I heard there are at least seven, but I believe they’re mostly a combination of three main ways.)

I’ve always been of the belief that the more we know about ourselves, the better we function in this world.  So, while CoachChic.com is geared towards athletes — and especially hockey players, I think the current subject could prove extremely useful to member businesspeople, homemakers, students, or just anyone.

Getting back to the ways we learn…

I can tell you that I hate to be inundated with words — .  I mean, don’t stop me in a busy and noisy rink lobby and expect that I’m going to retain specific details about our conversations (in other words, don’t expect that I’ll remember that Johnny is going to miss our practice three Mondays from now).  In most instances, I’ll ask you to, “Please email me.”  Why?  It’s because I’m a “visual” guy, and I need to “see” things in order for them to register.

For that very reason, I’d rather deal with a sketch or chart or watch a video in order to learn a new hockey play, assess statistics, etc.

Oddly enough — and despite the fact that I hate being bombarded with auditory stuff, I do very much enjoy listening to taped recordings or podcasts.  ???  How could this be?  My guess is that I have control over the situation — like my car’s CD player, so that I can re-listen to the information countless times until I get it.

Yet a third type of learning has to do with our opportunity to interact during the learning process.  Actually, my grandson took the previously noted test (also given to the Blues), and it was discovered that he fell in this category.  Little wonder, I thought, that Anthony Chic seemed to love my team’s weekly discussion session, and that he was almost always the first player to raise his hand or blurt-out an answer.

Now, before sharing a little gift with you, here’s what I see as the implication to all this…

As a parent, I don’t believe we should assume that our young hockey player either thinks or processes information in the same way we do.  No, while you might enjoy seeing new information as I do, your son or daughter might be more like Tony C, or he or she may rather read through long text or listen to the information.

There is a HUGE message in all this for us coaches.  For, we don’t deal with just one type of learning preference, but it’s more likely that we have a sprinkling of all types of learners within our squad.  How do we satisfy such a wide variety of needs?  Well, my suggestion is to constantly rotate the way we describe things to our kids — sometimes using a greaseboard, sometimes providing handouts or written materials, sometimes doing a physical demonstration, and sometimes holding brief bull sessions.  (Hey, nobody ever said our job would be easy!)

With all that, I’m going to direct you to a site that provides a free questionnaire aimed at helping the quiz taker discover his or her own learning preferences.  (I just took the test, and the results were dead-on — or exactly what I’ve come to know about myself after a kzillion years on this planet.)  If there’s a problem here, the quiz seems a little beyond young hockey players (bummer), but I’m wondering if an adult might possibly help his or her youngster with the questions.  As for older humans, I think the test can be hugely beneficial.  As I suggested in the start, “… the more we know about ourselves, the better we function in this world.”  (Now, just click the graphic to the left to take the test.  You’ll also notice that there are some other great options you can also explore on that website.)

PS:  As can happen with a lot of outside links, the one above might not be there forever.  And, if you do discover it no longer works, please Email Me to let me know.  Enjoy.

And a good question it is, since it’s one that arises throughout the winter as I deal with my own Learn-to-skate/Learn-to-play clinics.

– Dennis Chighisola

Helping A New “Hockey” Mom

Just so you know, I placed the term Hockey in quotation marks because this is probably more about learning to skate — and a lot of other things — than about really playing the game. With that, let’s deal with Natalie’s question in small parts, with hers being indented as follows:

I need some advice about my 4 year old son.  At 3 we started skating lessons for him.  He really didn’t get much out of these, except learning how to get up from falling.

If there’s anything I can get bummed about, it’s that a mistake may be made before I can really do anything about it.  And in this regard, I’d like everyone to know that the two levels of my program run back-to-back, and I control the movement of each student from level to level.  It might surprise readers that I have only a few physical requirements when it comes to moving a youngster up to my Learn-to-play group.  On the other hand, I make absolutely sure that a little one is mentally up to the new challenges before a promotion is in order.  As a matter of fact, I may even let a borderline kid stay in the Learn-to-skate group for a few more weeks after I think he or she is ready to move, but let him or her stay for a few minutes into the next group as a way of testing things and letting him or her get their feet wet.  Not so surprisingly, perhaps, I’ve had better luck with kids I’ve held back a few extra weeks than with those I’ve moved up too hastily.

He is 4 1/2 now and he started Ice Mites.  Looking at all the kids he is probably below average.  He doesn’t need a chair, but he barely moves!  He just won’t even try!  After 30min. of the lesson he moves his way to the door and wants to be done.  He’s been told how to hold his stick many times but won’t hold it the right way for more than a couple seconds.

I think Natalie’s comments here pretty much support what I hinted at above.  For sure, the little guy seems as though he could have used another season (or part-season) back in the basic skating clinic. She also brings into this discussion the age issue, which is something that really should be highlighted here.  So, with that, I’m pasting in a piece from the FAQ section of my Learn-to website…

- About player ages… A lot of new parents wonder about the proper ages for these programs, to which Coach Chic usually responds, “There probably really aren’t any.”  In most instances it has a lot more to do with a youngster’s personality.  In other words, a daring 2 1/2-year old might do better than a 9-year old who won’t let go of the boards.  So again, it usually has a lot more to do with whether a child will come out onto the ice — and just give things a try, versus there being a set age limit.

That piece was actually written for parents who were considering entering their very young one into the clinic.  However, the concept — of focusing more on personality than age — is very appropriate to the discussion at hand.  And this should at least help Natalie appreciate why a lot of 4-year olds in her son’s clinic approach the lessons very differently. It’s quite likely that Natalie’s little guy is less mature than some of the others in his hockey group, but I’m not saying that as a bad thing at all.  (It’s conceivable that some of his more aggressive on-ice friends will have issues later in a classroom environment.)

When they bring the nets out he wants to be the goalie. I think it’s just a way for him to stand and not try.  He says he likes it, but it sure doesn’t seem that way.

This could very well be a good thing.  I mean, it seems like the tyke is “into it”, at least somewhat; it’s just that he’s a bit overwhelmed by the hockey group right now.

So, as a parent, how do I handle this??  I’ve been told he’s just too young, but there are plenty of 4 yr olds zipping around out there.  Maybe he’s just not ready?

There’s not a lot more to be said in this area right now.  However, I may have more positive suggestions to make in awhile.

Fine, but he should learn to honor a commitment.  I am just getting way too stressed and frustrated about this.  I know that’s not right.

  Oh, I am not at all teasing about Natalie’s pain, or the fact that she’s getting stressed over all this.  Actually, I was a 20-something and 30-something hockey parent a kzillion years ago, and I was a jerk.

I do think it nice that Natalie wants her son to ultimately learn to honor a commitment — emphasis on “ultimately”.  At 4-years old, it’s not really his commitment yet.  However, I will suggest that she keep that philosophy in mind for a few years down the road, and I’ll further suggest that coaches like me will love her and her son for that type of sentiment.

I feel like it will be more fun for him once he really starts to skate well, but that’s not going to happen if he doesn’t try.

Okay, now for some positive advice… That thing about Natalie’s son being too quickly rushed out of the skating clinic and into the hockey one is water over the dam.  It’s done, we have to somewhat forget about it, but we sure do have to make some amends.

Only Natalie would know whether withdrawing the boy from his current clinic would be right.  I am thinking NOT.  And that brings me to the suggestion to blend in some supplemental opportunities for the youngster to play catch-up.  Here are a few things that come to mind:

1) Another go-round in a learn-to-skate clinic wouldn’t hurt.  Actually, it’s possible — at a year older — the boy would do quite well with that kind of instruction, he’d probably blow through some of the progressions, and likely gain some needed confidence.

2) My own boy got to play some minor league pro hockey, and I think back to the things we did as a family that just may have helped him as much as all the formal instruction he received.  In that regard, I’m talking about some time on nearby ponds, and the times we’d go as a family to a local rink for public skating sessions.  In both instances, there was no pressure, and the chance to kinda free-wheel-it.  Best of all were the public skating sessions when my son and some other 5- or 6-year old buddies would chase each other in and out of the crowd.  If you folks get my drift here, I’m talking about fun, no pressures, and the chance to actually gain confidence.

3) Every week before my Learn-to-skate kids go onto the ice, we spend about 10-minutes in the lockerroom doing what I call SkateDrills.  I’ve made a science out of that kind of training with my oldest students and players, but with the little ones this short session is a chance to rehearse some of the things we’ll later do on the ice.  And, make no mistake about it:  learning to get up and down, march, jog and jump with the skates on has absolutely nothing to do with ice.  No, it’s about handling the body, and handling the body over a pair of thin stilts.  That said, I’m suggesting that Natalie find a place at home where her son could wear his skates for something like 10-minutes per day, and perhaps she could allow him or encourage him to try some of the tricks I just mentioned.

Are there kids who acted this way when his age and turned out to be great hockey players?  Please tell me what to do?  I’m desperate for some advice on how to handle this.

Thanks Name     Natalie C

A big right back at ya, Natalie, plus some good news… I make it a big deal over on my Learn-to website about the fact that my son’s son was a “snow eater” during his first winter in my program (at about 4-years old).  Truthfully, I didn’t care if he became a hockey player, but I did want him to learn to skate, to swim, etc.  Truth also be known, we had to sometimes bribe him with doughnuts to keep him on the ice.  In a sec, I’m going to direct Natalie and others to see a clip of how well my grandson ultimately developed.

In the meantime, here’s one last, super-important point… Perhaps the one term I’ve used here more than any other is “confidence”.  Honest to God, one can’t do anything well without it, and it’s my main underlying aim as I work with every one of my students or players — no matter their age.  And I’m suggesting that Natalie do the very same for her little guy.  In most instances, holding a youngster back until he’s mastered a given skill is the best way to instill confidence.  For, with that, the youngster increasingly dares to take on new challenges.

Okay, thanks again for that awesome question, Natalie!  Take heart; there’s plenty of hope for your son if you just go slowly with him for a time.  Then, look for the first video on my Learn-to Home Page, to see a slightly older boy feeling pretty good about himself.

Sometimes reality hits from out of the blue, though, like as I read an article like the following.

– Dennis Chighisola

The Need to Compete!

The article I’m referring to now is about Sweden’s new-look hockey model paying dividends.

As many others have been doing over recent years, the Swedes began looking deeply into the changes needed at their developmental levels to remain among the world’s elite hockey-producing nations.

“It wasn’t too long ago the Swedish Ice Hockey Association was forced to come to grips with the fact its educational and developmental methods had become outdated.”  The Swedes knew they had to make changes in their education system, their coaching, and especially, attitude.  And they’re now believing their ability to improve those areas “… at an early age has played a vital role” in accomplishing their goals.”

Also like a lot of other hockey playing countries, the Swedish hierarchy noticed a point in their history when their players weren’t keeping up with others.  “Realizing this fact, Sweden’s director of youth development, Tommy Boustedt, initiated a Commission of Inquiry on junior hockey in Sweden in 2002. The meeting included 120 people, including junior coaches, club executives and scouts. The professionals were broken down into groups, some working with coaching and education, others critiquing player development.”

“Everyone came up with ideas on how we could change our hockey,” Boustedt told NHL.com.  “Some of the important things we learned were that we had to revise the demands on the coaches and educate much better.  Our education material was old-fashioned … it was built by way of the old Swedish style and the old European style.”

“Boustedt and his group also reached out for the advice of many of the game’s finest Swedish players…”

“The No. 1 reason they provided us was the leadership they had growing up,” Boustedt said. “They all said they had great coaching.  That being said, we had to raise the quality at the youth and junior coaching levels.”

My personal take-away from that article was the Swedes’ huge improvement in coaching, bottom to the top.  And as Devils’ goalie Johan Hedberg noticed about fellow Swedes currently playing in the NHL, “The education level for coaching from a young age to the junior ranks is really, really high.  I think that has a lot to do with there’s a lot of young guys coming in now and being as prepared as they are.  They’re getting great teaching from an early age.”

Ah, yes, “from an early age”.

As I hinted at earlier, the Swedes also began paying more attention to the demands of competing in the current day game, and especially those things they’d need to do better to be successful in the NHL.  Major among these was to improve play around the net and in the corners.

As for my “Aha!” moment, well…

“If you want to be on the elite level, you have to compete in everything you do from the beginning,” Boustedt said. “The best competitor ever was Peter Forsberg. If we could take Peter Forsberg’s mind and put it into all our talented players that would be perfect. Being competitive is more important than skating fast or shooting hard.

“Let’s face it, the word ‘compete’ was obsolete in this country — we haven’t been in a war in 200 years and we have a classic social democratic system that built this society, and to ‘compete’ has historically been a bad word.”

Today, having that competitive spirit in everything associated with Swedish hockey is what has changed most, according to Boustedt.

“The word ‘compete’ is a good word again in Swedish hockey,” he said. “Our message to the kids is what they need to do to become an elite hockey player. It has to do with hockey skills and tactics and all types of physical training. We have psychologists speaking to the kids, explaining what they should and shouldn’t do.”

“North Americans are very competitive, they go to the net, crash and are good along the boards,” Boustedt said. “(North Americans) can body check and take a body check … areas where we have been very soft before, but that we’re now incorporating into our development. The area we need to get even stronger, though, is in shooting and goal scoring.”

Ya, my “Aha!” moment…

Without doubt, the need to “compete” is vital to being successful in our game.  Every critical moment that takes place in a hockey game represents a competition between small groups of players — 1 versus 1, 2 on 1, 2 against 2, etc.

And that brings me to the way I usually develop my drills, as well as the countless posts I’ve offered within these pages having to do with skill progressions.

As if members don’t already know, I like to begin with progressions that one of my social media friends would call “easy peasy” — .  I want them to be do-able, not threatening in the least, and even great confidence boosters.  Thereafter, though, I’m very gradually attempting to make my drill progressions come closer and closer to what it’s really like to play the game.

You’ll even see the above happening if you scan through my three “Must-do Skating Drills” videos…  Kids laugh like crazy as they attempt the drills demonstrated in the Beginners’ video, while there are some pretty touch challenges offered in the most Advanced one.

Over the early part of this winter, I’ve probably overdone the mention of two simple drills I see as key to a hockey player’s ability to “compete”.  What I’m getting at, of course, is isolated games of Tag and similarly isolated games of Keepaway.  In essence, the skills those games enhance ARE the basis for being successful in match-ups like the 1 versus 1, 2 on 1, 2 against 2, etc.  Come to think of it, those drills increase resistance as the players mature.  In other words, using it on some nights provides the challenges two Mites give each other, while on other nights a pair of Bantams provide a very different level of challenge.

However, those drills are only the tip of the ice berg.  I mean, every single skill we can think of should have its own system of progressions — from easily do-able confidence builders to wild and maybe even more-difficult-than-the-actual-game type drills.

And that brings me back to the chance to better define what I do.  Hmmmmm…

For sure, the idea of helping players to better “compete” is one of them.  Still, I don’t rush to accomplish that.  No, I’m very, very care — or methodical — about bringing kids along slowly, mainly because their confidence — and even their love of the game — depends on it.

All this said, any of the posts here that explain my inner feelings are really intended for other coaches (or even member parents).  In other words, I want to share my feelings, so that you may begin to formulate more of your own.  You don’t necessarily have to think exactly as I do.  However, I really would consider incorporating more and more drills within your progressions that have players “competing” in practices, much like they need to do to succeed in their games.

What I mean by tricky — at least in this case — is that there’s probably no exact answer to it.  But, let me explain…

– Dennis Chighisola

A Hockey Defenseman’s Decision-making

I’ll begin by including Stefano’s question here:

“It often occurs in our practice games that when my team is into the offensive zone, one of the opponent’s forwards is roaming in his neutral zone (in order to get the pass and break free) instead to stay in the zone, covering one of the d-men.  That forces me (or my linemate) to take a step back and cover the guy, in order not to be caught out of position in case of a quick transition or a breakaway pass.  I realize this backstepping is taking me out of the offensive contribution and I’d rather be productive on both ends of the rink.  As a blueliner, I’m primarily supposed to stop players and pucks, but in modern game a solid offensive contribution is necessary as well.  What should I do?  Cover the guy or focus on the offensive?

As an aside, I’d like to let other coaches know that I’ve actually used the roaming forward option as an offensive ploy.  What caused me to resort to that was a long ago opponent of my old college team.  That team was relentless in their forecheck, they pinched their defensemen in ways that just got my wingers hammered, and they would often keep us trapped in our own end for minutes at a time.  So, what I ultimately did was to designate a forward on each line to roam the neutral zone, and I asked my defensemen to look for that guy as their first option on the breakout.  My thinking was to make the enemy D worry about my breakaway man — much like Stefano describes, and to at least somewhat make them hesitant to pinch.  And, if we got just one breakaway early-on — whether we scored on it or not, the chance it would happen again would weigh heavily on our opponents’ minds.

With that, you ought to have a sense of what Stefano is now going through.   And, while I’ve already said that there’s no exact answer to this problem, here’s what I’ve had my defensemen do…

First, it’s obviously important that our D be aware of roaming forwards.  (There’s nothing worse than our blueliners being surprised by a long bomb pass to a man behind them.)

Secondly, remember the old hockey principle, “Head on a swivel”.  I mean, while in their defensive roles, every one of our players should be quickly glancing back and forth — at the puck location, at the man they’re supposed to cover, back to what’s happening with the puck, and so on.

While they’re keeping their heads on swivels, I’ve had my defensemen also keep sliding along their offensive blue line to always stay in-line between their man and the puck.  In other words, if the enemy does try to launch a long pass towards neutral ice, there’s a good chance one of my men will knock the pass down so we can quickly transition to offense.

If we’re able to pull that play off, we actually have a powerplay within the offensive zone.  And, just like I tried to do against our old college rivals, making our opponents pay for a given tactic can oftentimes result in their abandoning it.

In closing, let me state again, that this isn’t any sort of rule, and it’s quite probable another coach out there may have a different and even more successful way of handling this somewhat tricky challenge.  That’s one of the benefits I see here at CoachChic.com, in that there are apparently lots of great hockey minds within our membership.  So, please do chime in!

At the same time, I’m kind of a “movement specialist”, and I’ve also coached hockey teams for about 40-years.

So, it’s in the latter capacity that I feel the need to share the following.

– Dennis Chighisola

Goalers as Part of a Team System

In the modern day game of hockey, coaches often refer to team play as “Six on the attack, six in defense of our net!”

In other words, all six players — from our goaltender to defensemen to forwards — have to be involved in moving the puck down-ice, and all six players have to band together to defend our goal.

In most instances, that expression is probably used to motivate skaters — for example, to let our forwards know how important they are to coming back and helping the D and their goalie in their own zone.  At the same time, I don’t think it’s used often enough to remind our netminders of just how important they are in numerous aspects of their team’s playing system.

“Six on the attack!”

For sure, today’s game is FAR different from its earliest days when goalers stayed at home and mostly worried about minding their net.  For a good decade or more, advanced netminders have roamed far from the safety of their crease to gather in loose pucks, and to even engage further in their team’s offense.

Really strong skating goalies can act almost like third defensemen on a penalty kill, and I’ve seen many a young youth hockey goalers become good enough with the puck to fire long, breakaway passes to teammates up-ice.

Even if a young goaltender isn’t confident enough to roam far or fire long passes, he or she should be adept at helping the team on breakouts.   What I’m getting at here is that retreating defensemen have lots to worry about as they attempt to pick-up a dumped-in puck.

With enemy forecheckers fast coming, the D can be helped by the goaler communicating things like, “Plenty of time!  Plenty of time!” or “On you!  On you!  On you!”

As importantly, a retreating defenseman can be helped immensely if he or she doesn’t have to dig the puck off the boards or net, or deal with accumulated snow.  So, as shown in my video on “(Teaching and Troubleshooting) Basic Breakouts“, I ask my goalies to “tee-up” the puck about a stick’s length off a post and just a hair behind the goal line.  This not only makes the puck easy for a D to grab, but it also allows him or her to take an exit route of choice.  (Again, this is covered in greater depth in my video on breakouts.)

Then, before leaving this section, I’d like to suggest that there can be more ways a goaler can help his or her team, especially when it comes to communicating with nearby teammates.

“Six in defense of our net!”

It goes without saying, that a goaltender is hugely responsible for defending the net.  What’s not often considered at the lower levels of our game is the goalie’s need to be incorporated into the numerous parts of a team’s defensive game.

Now, I don’t want to turn this particular entry into an X’s and O’s session.  However, as an example, I work frequently on combining my goaltenders and defensemen in the defense of a 2 against 1 attack.   My team’s aim, in the end, is to achieve two 1 on 1′s, with my netminder handling the shooter, and the D taking away the open man.

And there are, quite obviously, other areas of our defensive game where the coordination of goalers and skaters can help quite a lot, this probably depending on a given team’s age and experience level.

In closing, I feel the need to suggest that all the above really needs to become “a mentality” or “mindset” for a goaltender.  In other words, he or she has to look beyond just his or her own netminding responsibilities, and see himself or herself as a part of the team — both offensively and defensively.  And, I’ll further suggest that, the earlier this takes place, the better.

The reason I’m commenting at this time — and the reason I’ve placed this in the “Timely Advice” category — is because a lot of players in the program I currently work with are being asked to move-up right now.

To be honest, every situation is slightly different.  However, my answer to most hockey parents is usually pretty much the same, and it’s just about the way I’ll describe to you down below.

– Dennis Chighisola

To “Skate Up” or Not

To begin, here’s (a slightly edited) copy of an email I received not long ago…

“Hey Dennis, i think i already know your answer, but i will run it by you.  (My son) is on the 04 elite team as a complete stud scoring just about everytime he gets the puck im really proud of him.  The mite major 03 elite team are looking for a guy, (and my son’s) name came up.  (The 03 coach) is supposed to talk to me.  Do i play him up a year with unbeleivable talent to make him better for next year or do i keep him on the 04 team and probably be the best kid in the league.  (An assistant coach) invited us to practice tommorrow for the 03 team.”

  As an aside here, isn’t it comical how illiterate texting can make us look?  I assure you my friend is far from that.

The following is my (similarly edited) reply, which I submit to CoachChic.com members as at least some good food for thought…

“Hmmmmmm…

My first thought would be to try it for awhile, without losing your son’s spot on the ’04 team.  I’m sure the 03 coach will go along with that — he may even prefer it.  (Check with others, but I believe there’s also a number of games — like 10? — whereby a kid can skate-up so many times before he can no longer go back down.)

Now, the good part of tearing up at his own level…   Your son will gain more and more confidence, and even dare to try things in games that he wouldn’t be able to do at a higher level.  So, his individual skills are also being greatly enhanced where he is right now.

The good and bad parts about playing up…   Probably the best part is being able to practice at a higher level, mainly because the higher level coach can usually run better practices with a more sophisticated group.   Your son would also probably learn to execute things at a faster pace, although it’s not so good if he suddenly starts playing the game in what I refer to as “panic mode”.   Quite probably, the down side to skating up would be that he wouldn’t get to grow in the way I described in the previous paragraph.

So again, maybe asking to be able to go back and forth for a few weeks would help quite a bit, and it’ll also allow you to get a better sense of which level will be the best over the long run.

Let me know if that makes sense.”

Now, back to talking to you, my good CoachChic.com friends…

For, the one thing I want to emphasize from above is the damage that can be done if we just throw a kid into a level where so-called panic mode takes place more often than not.  And, to describe that better…

My friend stated that his son is really tearing up at his current level.  Having seen the boy training with me and playing some here and there, I can define that as his winding in and out of opponents with the puck, picking corners of the net around over-matched goalies, and sometimes undressing those netminders with wild stickhandling moves.

The exact opposite of that is for a kid to be slightly afraid with the puck — sometimes even throwing it away, after having stronger or faster opponents numerous times stealing the puck or bumping him or her off the play.

Make no mistake about it:  Either one of those regular occurrences will eventually get into a youngster’s head.  And, before you know it, the player either thinks himself or herself invincible, or he or she has hardly any confidence with the puck at all.

And, that brings me to ask:  Which would you prefer for your son or daughter?

Then, I noted above that every situation can be slightly different.  In other words, for some kids the choice to move up might be worthwhile, while under different circumstances it can be very, very damaging.  That in mind, here’s my unscientific view on the choice…

IF a youngster’s promotion places him well into the top third of the stronger roster, I might say, “Go for it!”

IF it’s more likely the move up means a kid is suddenly one of the lesser players, I would suggest that he or she is in for a long season, and one that isn’t going to do an awful lot for his or her skills or confidence.

Of course, a parent’s ego can sometimes come into play during such decisions.  I mean, it might be nice to go to the office on Monday morning and brag about your son or daughter being so highly thought of.  At the same time, I’m one of those delayed gratification kind of guys, and I’d rather do my bragging a few years down the road — having done things right, and seeing my own youngster really make it when it counts.

So, since I’m trying to infuse a bunch of new plays into the games of both my AA Mites and AAA Bantams, I thought I’d share some of my thoughts on the subject.

– Dennis Chighisola

When Will New Hockey Skills Kick-in?

I begin here with a story that might just frustrate some members…

Some 30-plus years ago, I happened to be coaching a local Mite A team in what was billed as the Massachusetts Mite State Championship.  We were probably the least known of all the teams there, but we were peaking at just the right time.  Little did I know then that I was also coaching a couple of kids amid those 7- and 8-year olds who would go on to play quite a bit of pro hockey.

Honestly surprising to me, we managed to knock-off each opponent in the preliminary round, we won our semi-final match, and then found ourselves facing an undefeated “big city” team in the tournament finals.  Even more surprising to me was that we flip-flopped the lead with the tourney favorites — either leading or trailing by a goal throughout the 60-minutes of regulation play.

Okay, so here’s the more interesting part…  With only minutes to play in regulation, my top scorer sent the game into over-time with a beautiful “wrap around” goal.  Man, did our fans go nuts.  Shortly after that kid scored, I found him sitting in front of me on the bench, and I kinda thought out loud to him, suggesting, “That was a beautiful goal.  Over the summer, though, you ought to practice faking towards one post on that play, and then quickly coming back and tucking the puck in on the other side.”  My thinking was that the goaltender would go all-out to protect against the initial move, and never have time to react back to the other side.

You know what I’m thinking here…  The summertime was the right time to add something new to a youngster’s game.  I’m even thinking now that I was out of line distracting an 8-year old from the unbelievable pressures at hand.  I mean, we were heading into OT in what was probably the most exciting atmosphere my little group of country kids had ever experienced.

Still, if you haven’t guessed it already…  That youngster found himself with the puck behind the enemy net on his first over-time shift, he makes a mad dash towards one post, the opposition goaler dives to make the stop, and my little guy comes back to tuck the tournament winner into an almost empty net.  Un-be-lieve-able!

Now, I tell that story as an example of the exception, definitely not the norm.  Few mere mortals would have been able to clearly think like that in what I’ve already described as a pressure cooker.   Just imagine.

At the same time, I’ve elsewhere in these pages described Wayne Gretzky and a few others as being so highly skilled that they could think on a different plain than most others.  In other words, while most 8-year olds in the above described game were in varying degrees of panic mode when they touched the puck, my young forward skated and lugged the biscuit with such confidence that he was able to devote more energy to thinking things through out there.  Or, as you’ve probably often read about some top performers in numerous sports, the game probably slowed down around him, and he was actually able to relax and think at a level most other youngsters couldn’t.

Then, having suggested the above story might frustrate many of you, what I meant is that we coaches and parents can’t usually expect the same kind of results with all our kids.  No, for most it’ll take time to bring a new play into their game.

Okay, what got me on this subject is that it’s relatively early in the season for my young Mites and Bantams.  And, back in practice, each group is working on a number of plays that I want to ultimately kick-in to their games.  Actually, a lot of what we’re doing back at practice is planned in this way.  However, knowing you’d like a hint at some of these, well…

A couple of times per week, I’m having a Mite puckcarrier move back and forth behind a net, while a teammate moves similarly out in front — stick down in readiness for a pass.  You can imagine how sloppy my kids looked in our earliest practices, but how much better things are clicking in recent attempts.  Still, no one has come close to trying that play yet in a game.

There are two things that quickly come to mind when I’m thinking about my older Bantams…  I’ve given them several attack plays to use on 3 on 2 rushes, and I also have a special play I like to use with older defensemen on our breakouts.  (I call the latter play the “drop-off”, because one D swings behind the net to draw an enemy forecheck, and then he forcefully drops the puck back to his partner who is swinging in the opposite direction.)

I said earlier that none of my Mites have come close to using their special play yet in a game.  Well, that’s only partly so.  Just yesterday, one of my little guys did carry the puck behind our opponents’ net, but he either ignored or didn’t see his teammate waiting out front for a pass.  So, when he returned to the bench, I asked him if he had a better option in that situation, to which he responded, “Pass to the guy out front?”  Bingo.

And I’ll suggest that the little discussion with that forward is one of the natural steps on the way to all of my kids ultimately getting it.  In other words, that forward just might remember to look for an open teammate the next time he holds the puck in that situation.  Or, it might be another kid I talk to who finally nets us a big goal.  And, when that happens, I’m going to make a really big deal of it.  My hope is that other kids will see it, and likewise make the connection between our practice drill and the live game action.  Of course, they’ll also be looking for me to make a similarly big deal out of their play.

I’ll be attempting to do the same thing for my Bantams.  I mean, we’ll do certain drills countless times in practice, I’ll talk to them as games are played — trying to connect the practices to their games, and I’ll make a big deal out of the earliest times the plays finally kick-in.

And that’s pretty much how things have to work for most players.  For sure, the more individual skills they have on automatic, the better they’ll be able to think during the heat of battle.  However, I see my role as a coach being to teach all of my kids, not just the advanced ones.

Again, the progressions are kinda natural, meaning that I have to just stick with the repetition, keep talking to the kids — before, during and after games, making a big deal out of the times when the plays start working, and then move on to new plays.

Lastly, while I’ve mostly described this process through the eyes of a coach, I’ve also used this method as a hockey parent and grandparent.  Consequently, I’ve never been impatient at all as I watched my own work on something at home in hopes of having it later kick-in during a game.  I know it will come, so long as I just allow the natural process to play out.

With that, I came across a great question there just recently, this submitted by Lance P:

“How many different drills do you think need to be implemented during a hockey season?”

Hmmmmm…  Ya, it is a great question, but one that I felt was going to take a whole lot more work than just a few lines in a forum.  So, I’ve decided instead to do the topic justice, by addressing it here.

– Dennis Chighisola

How Many Drills Are Needed Over a Long Hockey Season?

The reason I jumped on that question was that I could just envision the answers that would soon roll in.  I mean, I can see come coaches quoting numbers — like 15, 25, 40, 80, whatever.  And I can tell you that none of us would be right if we got hung-up on a number.

What I’m going to suggest instead, is our need to constantly troubleshoot our players’ needs, or continuously help them solve problems.

Ironically, I had a brief conversation with a few of my assistant coaches after last night’s AAA Bantam practice, not realizing that it actually hints at some of what I’m going to suggest here.

We’d gone through a tough stretch starting the season, so we’ve only begun making progress after also making some roster changes.  So I was telling my assistants last night that we’d just had the best practice ever, and that we’d begin growing from there onward.

We went back and forth about that for awhile, and then I suggested that a time will come when the kids need a break, and I’ll just blow-up my practice plan for a night and do some wild, crazy things instead.

And that brings me back to that statement about the conversation with my coaches providing “hints at some of what I’m going to suggest here.”

Picture along with me, that I had a plan for my kids as we entered the past summer.  Picture again how that plan had to change as we entered the fall.   Then, imagine the changes we’ve gone through once the roster was upgraded.

Moreover, I said that we’d begin growing from last night’s practice onward.  There’s no specific — or even rough — number of drills that can be estimated for completing that task.  I just have to design a given practice plan according to the way I see my kids’ needs on a given night.  And, as I suggested above, there will even be a time when I’ll sense that the kids have had enough, and they need something totally off the wall to renew their love of the game.

As an aside…  Some might think that a blown-off practice is a huge waste of ice-time.  But, I’ll suggest that there’s a far greater danger in not “reading” my players, and not “reacting” to their on-the-spot needs.  And, let me tell you:  I have found that one totally off-the-wall practice, spaced just right in their schedule, can oftentimes make the next couple of months worth of practices all the more productive.  I truly mean that.

Now, I’m going to let CoachChic.com members in on a four-plus step process I use for designing my lessen plans…

1) Here’s a checklist I use before I begin drafting things.  In other words, I have this list of areas of play off to the side as I scratch some rough notes on what I’d like to cover:

Skills: skating, puckhandling, passing/receiving, scoring and body-checking

Team Defense: forecheck, backcheck, numerical situations, D-zone coverage

Team Offense: breakouts, regroups, attack plays, numerical situations

Special: face-offs, powerplay, penalty-kill

Now, not that every single one of those things gets covered in every practice.  Of course, a lot of them get combined on various drills.  My real point for scanning that list:  so that I don’t forget something important.

2) Long-time members know my penchant for note-taking during games.  Among other purposes, I jot brief messages to myself while a game is in progress for things I’ll want to either work on in a practice or discuss with the kids in quieter confines.

For Pre-practice Discussion: As you might realize, some things can’t actually be treated in a drill, but they’re better handled while either shooting the bull or looking at a re-creation on a greaseboard.  So, since my kids are in tune to meeting for 10- to 15-minutes prior to every practice, I’ll jot my planned topics of discussion up in a corner of a given night’s lesson plan.

For On-ice Work: I don’t attempt to fix everything discovered in the last game during a single practice.  However, I usually can identify one concept that can immediately help the kids, and I’ll build a drill around that idea.

3)  At this point, I usually only have a batch of scratches on scrap paper.  I don’t get to actually plan the practice until I take a look at the very last on-ice session.  Repetition and continuity are important to the teaching process, ya know.  So, while every practice may be slightly different, a lot must remain constant.  Said yet another way…  I’ll use the last practice as kind of an outline for the new one, and then begin slightly changing things.

4)  Very much connected to the last point above, I have for years used something I think school teachers refer to as “blocks” of drills.  In other words, I might use a given drill for something like agility for a stretch of 4- or 5-weeks, and then I’ll substitute that with a different drill that still treats the same skill/s.  The idea is to get the most out of a drill, but then stop using it before boredom creeps in.  This same approach — of teaching in blocks — is actually going on in several different parts of my lesson plan, so that both repetition and my concerns for boredom are being dealt with on a nightly basis.

Outside my degree studies in Physical Education & Coaching, I think one of the best lectures I ever attended was by Dave Dryden (I think it was in Montreal, Canada, at the 1980 NHL Coaches Symposium).  There, Dryden suggested not “running around stamping out brushfires.”  The gist of that approach suggests that coaches stick to an overall plan, and not constantly ditch that plan for the latest game problem.   As Dryden hinted, if we spend all our time tonight fixing our powerplay,  our breakouts will probably falter in the next game, and so on and so on and so on.    So, even though I do plan some brief time to deal with a few problems my kids have recently had, I never abandon my overall plan in any given practice.

Finally, I hope CoachChic.com members can now see why I think it’s pretty difficult to name the number of drills we coaches should use over the length of a season.  Added to all the input I’ve shared above is the need to constantly up the progressions — or challenges — included in a single drill (which means that one drill evolves into another, and so forth).  Moreover, I can tell you from experience that players will get some things faster than we think they will, while they’re going to struggle with some drills or concepts we thought they’d get easily.  And this suggests that we have to constantly make further adjustments to our lesson plans, either slowing things a bit or picking up the pace.

*

Have any further ideas or differences of opinion?  I love to hear both,
so just use the Comments area and let’s talk.

I went on sort of a tear the other day, that leading to a special “Coach Chic’s Hockey Diary” post which ignited some interesting feedback.  So, not only might you read my original entry, but you ought to keep checking back, because the earliest Comments have been as good as my original.  As a matter of fact, I’d love your feedback too!

Just click on the link below to start.

– Dennis Chighisola

An Open Letter to All AAA Hockey Teams

Anyway, I happened upon the following graphic on Facebook yesterday.  And, although I shared it with my many friends on that site, I thought I’d try something a little bit differently for my CoachChic.com faithful.

With that, I’ll show the original graphic down below, and then I’ll do what I can to better explain each of the ten listed points.

– Dennis Chighisola

The 10 Commandments of Hockey

Those 10 Commandments of Hockey — Coach Chic Style

1) Without doubt, face-offs ARE important.  For sure, young players tend to dismiss them as necessary evils — like, “Come on, ref, just drop the puck so we can play!”  Still, I sometimes see that same mentality carrying over to older guys and gals, almost as if a given face-off isn’t important.

Of course, draws become more crucial the closer they’re held to our own net.  However, every face-off quickly determines who is going to control the puck next.  And, since the object of a game is to score more often than our opponents, it makes sense for us to want to control the puck more often than they do.  So, yes, thou SHOULD concentrate on every drop of the puck — from the centerman to every other player on the ice for us.

2) In general, this one is obviously correct.  If I had to question it — just a hair, it would be that a player usually needs to coast at times, then burst all-out, with a typical shift being a series of alternate coasts and bursts.  By all means, though, shifts should be kept short, with players staying intently focused for something like 30-seconds or so.

Personally — when it comes to keeping shifts short, I’ve always had as much concern for players on my bench as I do for those on the ice.  In other words, if players stay out too long, there’s the chance that the guys who are sitting are getting cold, and they’re especially getting out of the flow of the game.  (This is never so evident as when a team takes a series of penalties, forcing some players to sit for a very, very long time.)

3) Ha.  Penalties can just kill a team.  I’ve noted one way this can happen in the previous paragraph, but needless penalties can also be huge momentum killers or shifters.   Of course, some penalties can’t be avoided.  At the same time, I’ve written elsewhere within this site how most penalties can be categorized — as showing a lack of discipline or selfishness, or demonstrating a mismatch in skills between two players (in other words, if a player is slow or out of shape, he or she is very likely to take penalties like tripping, holding or hooking).

4) Obviously, this one relates more to those levels where body-checking — or at least some body contact — is permissible.  And it’s as important a principle as any for a player who finds himself or herself closest to a rival puckcarrier.  In fact, if you want to play right into a fancy puckhandler’s hands, just look down at the puck for a second and see how he or she turns you inside out.  Ya, focus on the man’s body if you’re the closest player to a puckcarrier.

5) I don’t have a lot to add to this thing about forechecking, except to share some points I often talk to my older players about…

If you think about it, our opponents want to do what they want to do as they gather a puck in their own end of the ice.  An enemy defenseman might want to feed a nice pass up to a near winger, and that winger might want to relay that pass to the centerman swinging by.  Yup, all neat and clean, and a nice way for them to begin a rush towards our net.

My guys, on the other hand, want to force the enemy out of their comfort zone — and make ‘em do what we want them to do, until we’re able to gain the puck back.

For sure, there has to be a design and a purpose to our forecheck, and that’s the job of a coach.  From there, all 5-skaters have to know the different roles by heart — or apply them by instinct, knowing each teammate depends on the success of others.  Yes, forechecking is a 5-man job, with its true success depending on each player being able to do his or her own job exceedingly well.

6) Without question, a successful team protects its goaltender, and gives him or her freedom to move in the crease area and a clear view of the puck.  I tend to get really into this aspect of play, adding these pretty important principles…

First, “enemy sticks score goals”.   Consequently, any enemy stick not somehow negated around the goal is very likely to catch a pass, deflect a shot, bang home a rebound, or prevent your goaler from covering up a loose puck.

Secondly, our guys covering in front of the goal must do so according to the location of the puck.  In other words, if an opponent controls the puck in a corner, the main danger is a pass to his mate out front.  On the other hand, when the puck is located out at a point, our defenders must clear the area — to prevent deflections, and to allow our netminder to  see the puck.

7) Ugh (because this one has already happened several times in my Bantam team’s first few games)…   I’m kinda surprised, in a way, that this happens too often in older level games.  I’d have thought the principle of not making cross-ice passes in front of ones own goal would have been taught very early-on.

No matter, I actually take that a step further, by borrowing from the great Anatoli Tarasov, who suggested that straight-ahead and lateral passes are safest in your own zone, while long diagonal passes are rather dangerous.  In other words, that long diagonal pass crosses too many lanes and likely goes by too many enemy stick-blades.

Oh, ya, Number 8…  Thou shalt dawgoned backcheck!  In fact, every player coming back should realize how important he or she is — from the first backchecker to the very last one coming into our zone (I think we’ve all seen a fourth or fifth attacker go to the net and whack home a rebound).  And, going back to an earlier point, let me suggest that any one of our checkers who nears our net should be negating the stick-blade of their man.  Again, enemy sticks score goals.

9) You’d think it would be instinctive for our players to crash the net when they see the puck move that way.  Ya, you’d think.  Yet, I see far too many supposed attackers sit back as observers and miss some great scoring opportunities.  Of course, we coaches wish our players would react in the right way.  However, I accept part of the blame here if my players don’t.  I mean, I’m the coach, and it’s up to me to create drills that instill the proper reactions.

10) Hmmmmm…  Finish thy check…

For the longest time, I’ve blamed television commentators for confusing this issue, mainly because they tend to use that “finishing the check” expression when a big hit occurs, or when the hitee is knocked down.  To my way of thinking, though, the idea of finishing a check is to tie up the former puckcarrier so that some other things may or may not happen.

If the puck is still nearby, the body-checker’s job is to focus on his man’s body, and to keep him momentarily tied up so that a teammate may grab the loose puck.  On the other hand, if your man just dished off the puck to a mate, finishing the check — or staying on your man for an extra few seconds — prevents him or her from jumping back into the play for a return pass.

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Okay, that’s my two cents worth when it comes to these important playing principles.  Do you have any further ideas, or can you expound on what I’ve said?  I won’t be offended in the least if you can add to (or argue with) any of these.

With that as an intro, I’ve removed just a few things from the following question, just to protect the young goaltender’s identity…

– Dennis Chighisola

“I need some advice, big time. I played high school hockey as a goalie the past couple of years and did great. this year I tried out for the local junior empire team. Despite playing incredible along with the other top goalies at the tryouts i didn’t make the team, at the the moment I’m at community college part time, thinking i was going to get my big break. but I didn’t. It seems like no one is giving me the chance even though i know i can take my game to the next level. I feel like I’m coming to the end of my career, end of the line and i don’t know what to do, i still want to keep playing competitively but i always feel like the underdog. what should I do?”

Help for a Discouraged Hockey Goaltender

Ironically, I often write or say that, “Others will tell you when your hockey playing days are over.”

That IS usually true.  Yet, I don’t think there’s anyone on the face of the earth who can really tell anyone else his (or her) playing days are over — until the player wants it to be that way.  I mean, even if one is rejected numerous times, there are still usually plenty of other places to play.

I also tend to think that goaltenders can mature later than skaters.  So, there is always the chance that a goalie can get better and better with age, and that he could pass by all the rest a few years down the road.

As an aside…  Obviously, the latter is hardly do-able without a ton of work.   And the kind of work I’d be envisioning would be Rocky Balboa style (if you know what I mean).

As far as future opportunities go, I will suggest that nearly everyone is a “walk-on” at Division II and III college hockey tryouts.  In other words, there are few guarantees at those levels, and it’s more a matter of a player showing what he can do at the tryouts.   Walk-on goalers have been known to make it at Division I schools, although the chances probably aren’t all that great.  Then, minor league professional hockey leagues abound — across North America and abroad, and these provide further opportunities for players to extend their playing days.

All that said, the day comes for all of us when we feel we’ve gone as far as our skills and energies will take us.  And, when that day comes, I always like to see a player leave the competitive game with a good feeling — like he gave it his best, he attained the highest level he could, and he had a hell of a time along the way.  (I’d also like to see him have a college degree in his back pocket.)  For some of us, coming back to coach keeps us close to a game we grew to love, and it at least partially fills a certain void.

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To be honest, I don’t think I’m any sort of an authority on this subject.  So, I would love for others to jump in here, in hopes you might shed a different light on this subject, and perhaps give this young man some even better advice.

– Dennis Chighisola

You probably also ought to know that I’m a firm believer in The Law of Attraction — partly because it has its roots in the Bible, as well as within the teachings of numerous wise men throughout our planet’s history.  What I’m getting at is that I don’t like to constantly talk about illness until I or those close to me ultimately get sick, and I don’t want to overdo this thing about hockey injuries until readers fulfill that prophesy.

At the same time, I do want to share some observations I’ve made over many years, this in hopes of helping prevent as many lost practices and games as possible.

– Dennis Chigisola

The Root of Most Hockey Injuries

Speaking of The Law, I’ve actually witnessed the children of doctors and nurses being either ill or injured more often than any of my other players.  Honest to God.  This goes back some 30-ish years to when the son of a famous local sports medicine surgeon kept telling me that he thought he just pulled his _________ (fill in the Latin term for some oft injured ligament or muscle).   It wasn’t until I’d seen the same thing happen to other doctors’ kids that I began making the connection.  Ya, quite likely the topic of discussion at dinner often had to do with the latest injury the dad had seen, or the latest operation he’d just performed.  And it wasn’t until years later that I noticed the same thing happening to the children of nurses.  Don’t you know I ultimately got up the nerve to ask those parents if my theory was true, and most of them sheepishly laughed and shook their heads and nodded to the affirmative.  So, going back more than a quarter century, I believe I was seeing the old Law of Attraction in action.

What really got me going on this subject, however, is that we’ve already had several injuries occur with members of my AAA Bantam Minor team — this only a few games into our fall schedule.   Not that there has to be some big connection between these injuries and what I’ll add here.  But…

The Bantam age level is one in which growth spurts happen rather unexpectedly, or they almost creep up on parents until they notice their youngster is 4″ taller today than he or she was a few months ago.  What I’m getting at here is the likelihood that players in this age group can quickly find their gear no longer protecting them very well.  So, just as examples, the slightest leg growth likely leaves gaps between shin guards and pants, and longer arms can leave a lot of open space between the elbow pads and gloves.

So can just the move up from one level to another render certain gear less protective.  In other words, pads that were okay in a non-body-checking level might be totally useless as the heavy hitting starts, or the pads that once were able to protect a kid against easy shots might not be so helpful against absolute rockets.

Thinking about my Bantams again, I know that all of the kids are at different stages of development.   I mean, some are still sort of babes, while a few others are almost the size of an average man.  And those two types of kids have to play against each other over a long season.   Please don’t take this one lightly, either, because some kids in this level are skinny as rails, while some can be pretty hefty.  So, when a collision happens, I’m betting it’s the frail wrist, arm or leg bone that is most apt to snap.

Next, let me tell you that certain players are sitting ducks.  I mean, they’re slow in reacting, so they’re easily lined up to be nailed by a better skilled or craftier opponent.   What I’m also getting at here is a player’s ability to see what’s coming, and then to have the skills to negotiate away from trouble.  A great example of staying out of danger was Wayne Gretzky.  I mean, few opponents ever got a full piece of him — first, because The Great One probably had world class awareness out on the ice, secondly, because he could handle a puck with his eyes up, and thirdly, because he had the great skating and puckhandling skills to maneuver his way quickly out of danger.  (I remember joking back and forth with my late dad years ago…  He’d say, “Why don’t they just hit Bobby Orr?”  And I’d tease back, “Because they can’t catch him!”)

With all this, I’m not implying that any of my current players’ injuries HAVE to fall under any of these headings.   As I said in the start, I don’t want to come off as being so wise as to be able to predict such things.  And, hey, all of us are at one time or another going to take a spill, whatever.

On the other hand, I have mentioned a number of things that might save a lot of kids (or even adult players).

So, as always, I’m psyched that Shaun shares his stuff — with me, and with all CoachChic.com members.

– Dennis Chighisola

A Message to Hockey Parents: Training versus Trying

By Shaun Goodsell

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I see a trend emerging in our young people that is troubling. Actually, I see many trends that are troubling but for purposes of this article I want to highlight one.

If you study athletics it doesn’t take long to understand that one vital aspect of becoming more skilled and a more experienced athlete is you HAVE to TRAIN. Training involves repetitively immersing yourself in the components of the sport to progressively improve and prepare oneself in an attempt to meet the demands of the sport. The focus here is on a process that involves ongoing discipline, commitment, sacrifice, and yes, deep struggle. Training is not a quick fix, it often has many ups and downs and these ups and downs provide opportunities for learning that build the solid baseline of learning for long term growth and self mastery. To truly improve and see that improvement stick when tested requires a mindset and lifestyle of training. To engage in this style of life you have to give up the addiction to comfort and embrace a lifestyle of struggle which provides the underlying basis for TRAINING.

Contrast this against the short term cramming effect that encourages people to believe they can make up for lost time by simply trying hard. We even have an education system that would rather have kids memorize facts, details, and formulas than to teach them how to think. Many kids live lazily for 5 days during the week and then “CRAM” for the final in an attempt to pull out a grade. Our athletes do this as well. They eat junk food constantly, practice relaxation continually, miss practices because they had too many sleepovers, and then wonder why they couldn’t meet the demands of the sport. Once this has occurred then excuses come. “My son or daughter is over worked”, “To much on the plate and coach expects to much” are all part of the masterful system to protect our young people from the sacrifice, dedication, and training that is required to legitimately cultivate a deep unshakeable confidence. I am not talking about those few that truly are over committed and need to learn the art of rest and relaxation. However, I see many young people that believe they can live comfortably in the summer and some how expect that they will have the “spot” they had last year. In my mind every young person, athlete or not, should be training themselves in some manner. They should have to be accountable, push themselves to be uncomfortable. The world does not allow you to cram. Success requires a “Training Program”, a strategy for helping you earn through dedication and sacrifice those accomplishments that are most purposeful and embedded in your being.

Let’s engage in long-term training. Put yourself in situations that force you to deal with disappointment, failure and doubt. This is when you build confidence that is unshakable. When this happens you have truly trained yourself for long-term success.

If you would like to provide your young person with the gift of confidence that is unshakable, call us today at 763-439-5246 or click here to sign up for a free consult. You will not be disappointed.

PS: We have designed Parent Challenge Questions to accompany this article to help you have quality conversations with your kids. Click here for the questions.

Number One, I’m a notorious note-taker, for reasons you can discover in this category’s first post.

Number Two, I don’t share these with the idea of embarrassing my kids (or others surrounding the team).  My real hope is to share with you the way I view game action, and the things I tend to deem important.  In a way, I’d really like to get older players, coaches and parents at least thinking about the topics I’ve chosen to highlight.

Number Three, the list of observations I made today are specific to older kids, or older youth hockey players who’d I’d like to get playing and thinking like the high school-ers they’ll be fairly soon.  Pretty shortly I’ll do a similar recap of a AA Mite game.

– Dennis Chighisola

Coach Chic’s First AAA Bantam Game

Oddly, the first concern I jotted down resulted in our opponents’ last goal, and it was also the only negative I raised after the game in our post-game lockerroom.

Very early on, I noticed that my guys weren’t covering face-offs properly in our zone.  This isn’t a skill thing at all, but purely a matter of remembering where to line-up, and what to do.  Late in the game one rival sniper fired a point-blank shot past our goaltender without a soul from our team being near him.

After the game, I reminded everyone that:  1) our goaltender is the first guy in charge in this situation, since he has the most to lose; and, 2) our centerman has to be responsible for also looking around to make sure everyone is where he needs to be.

Okay, this note wasn’t about my kids, but to me, instead…

Our home rink has two different surfaces — and they ARE different.  One is a pretty large (regulation) surface, while the other is quite small.

As is always the case, the distance from blue-lines to the goal-lines has to be constant, but where the smaller rink loses is in the neutral zone area and behind the nets.

Adding an even greater coaching challenge is the fact that our bench is almost completely inside the offensive zone during the second period.  So, think about that…

My defensemen have moved to their defensive end door — which puts them just about on the blue line, while my forwards were stationed where they customarily go — at the offensive end door.

And, ugh…  If you can envision the problem, it’s barely possible for my forwards to change on the fly quickly.  They are going to step into the offensive zone, and they’re going to be off-side on a dump-in unless they wait for the puck to enter the zone.  Stated another way, it’s going to be a long skate for my forwards who are trying to get off the ice, and my forwards are always going to be late in trying to apply their forecheck.  (Did I say, “Ugh” yet?)

I’m certainly going to think on this one further, and I’m also going to toss it out to a few guys I know who may have dealt with such conditions before.  At the same time, I would love for us to have a discussion right here (in the Comments area) in hopes a member might think of something I haven’t.

Our first few games have been at arenas where the penalty boxes were right next to our bench.  So there wasn’t much problem with communicating with a guy in the box.  However, it struck me that I’d better later refresh my kids on the hand signals I’ll use when the sin bin is located across the ice…

As I’ve done since, I showed the kids how I’ll be pretty animated in my directions — pointing either down towards our bench or out towards the ice.  Those should let them know that I want them with me or to get right into the action.  However, with the signal for them to come to the bench, I will always follow that with several animated points to my head.   What does that mean?  It means that 1) I do want them to ultimately get to our bench, but that I also 2) don’t want them passing on a chance for a quick breakaway pass, or 3) the need to stop an enemy puckcarrier skating in his path.  In other words, “I want you here, but use your head as you exit the box!”

My last couple of notes had to do with things I’ll want to work on in our next practices.

I noticed our defensemen were a little weak with their forward passes, so I’m going to install a drill that has them skating backwards while passing.  This is the best drill I know for teaching them how to gain strength in an unbalanced posture.

I’ve also noticed that my kids could use a little more physical toughness — along the boards and in the corners.  Hey, they’re still young, so that might not be so surprising.  So, in subsequent practices I’m going to use some basic body-checking drills, and put them in other drill situations where they have to compete a little more vigorously.

As for the drill, I tend to teach basics first, but then I look to make the next progressions of the same drill closer and closer to the real game action.  In other words, I feel we coaches have to prepare our players well for the challenges they really face out there in the heat of battle.

With that, let’s use the following simple drill as an example.

– Dennis Chighisola

Adding Game-like Pressure to Hockey Drills

At one time or another, I think all of us coaches send our skaters on goal for mock breakaways, or we hold a shoot-out competition for fun at the end of a practice.  That’s okay, I guess, considering that players need some time to practice their moves, while our goaltenders also need the chance to practice defending in those situations.

Is the typical breakaway drill like a real game, though?  I tend to think not.  The attackers usually take all sorts of liberties, they move to the net too slowly, and I could probably think of a handful of other things that are wrong with that kind of drilling.  And, hey, it’s also rather unfair to our goalers if the skaters can get away with things they can’t do in a game.

In reality, attackers don’t have much time when it comes to working around the net.  As I’ve said often within these pages, they don’t usually get the chance to stand prettily to make their play.

No, real game conditions force players to deal with all sorts of pressure when they have the puck.  And, when it comes to breakaways, they’re likely worrying about defenders breathing down their necks, or even someone almost mauling them as they try to make a play on-goal.

With that, take a look at what my assistant coaches and I are doing with our AA Mite skaters during some recent practices (apologies for the few flickers in the video)…

Now, I’m thinking that this form of drilling is going to pay-off big time later in our season (and I think we coaches will be able to even increase the pressure as time goes along).   This video was taken on only our second attempts at the drill, so my little guys haven’t totally solved the problems yet.  They will, however, and that’s when they’re going to know how to go to the net with some toughness and some purpose.  (To be honest, I can’t see our opponents progressing if they’re not practicing under similar conditions.)

Okay, I said at the start that this drill is good for just about all levels.  Well, I’ve found it to be so, having used it previously with my high school teams and my college players.  Here’s how things had to be adjusted, however…

In the above video, it’s obvious that we coaches can act as the chasers (and, ya, I take my turn in there, too).  Just as obviously, though, there comes a time when the coaches can’t keep up with the attackers.  No problem.

What I’ve done with my older guys is to have teammates act as chasers.

If there’s a problem with that, some ground rules have to be set, or a pretty good explanation has to precede the drilling.  And in this regard, I’ll usually say something like, “Listen, you don’t want to hurt a teammate.  At the same time, you want to help him get better.  So, aggravate him as much as you can, but use your head.”

Lastly, let me emphasize something I mentioned earlier, in that some drills allow our players to cheat.  And, it’s often our drill selection that causes players to be lazy or not really concentrate.  That in mind, I’m only using the shown drill as an example of how a very basic drill can be made far more game related.

– Dennis Chighisola

Just Some Hockey Musing (About Skills)

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My AA (’03) Mites
Following USA Hockey’s ADM recommendations, my young team begins their long winter schedule with a number of 3 on 3 games.  Our league’s format is interesting, in that four teams report to a rink, and they go about playing each other in three 20-minute games.   Scores are kept as games are in progress, but the final stats are recorded as 1-0 wins/losses, or 0-0 ties.

My little guys won their first contest in convincing fashion, they lost the next in a rather lopsided game, and then lost the finale in a fairly close battle.

Now, let me tell you how I view those three different match-ups…

As far as I’m concerned, our convincing win is done, in the books, and totally forgotten as far as I’m concerned.

That last game loss is something to ponder, but not for that long.  Taking care of the next item will solve any problems we had in this one…

No, it’s the middle game — where we kinda got killed — that I’ll use in a ton of ways.  In other words, THIS is the game that will teach me, my players and their parents the most.  For the time being, at least, our opponents in that game are the model for where we want to be down the road.  How long it will take to reach that status I can’t be sure.  But, we are going to keep aiming for that team’s skills, strength, speed and so forth.

My AAA (’98) Bantam Minors
Due to a ton of personal and professional conflicts, I had to miss my team’s first game of the season.  (Darn, I was sick over this, mainly because it’s rarely happened to me over 40-years in coaching, and I feel it as embarrassing.)  I did, however, get a number of what I’d consider reliable reports upon which I can base some early assessments on a 10-2 loss.

Separate from what I really want to get at in the end, is the sense that my older team has not yet grasped the concept of playing together.   I’m not talking about selfishness so much here, but instead, something that seems too widespread in youth hockey circles.

I’ve written often on this subject in numerous other CoachChic.com posts, but there appears to be a sense within the youth hockey community that there is some generic way of playing the game.  In other words, if the puck goes into an offensive zone corner, every team will do the exact same thing (although few youth hockey parents and coaches can tell me how that goes).  Many seem to believe that all breakouts look pretty much the same, etc.

Not so, of course.  In reality, a team must have it’s own plan to accomplish something like regaining the puck in their offensive zone (this referred to as a forecheck).  There must be a plan for what the first player into the zone should do, a plan for what the second and third guys should do, and further plans for what the defensemen should do when they arrive.  And the plans change as players read what happens henceforth, and then react accordingly.

And, contrary to what most folks in the stands can appreciate, everything that goes on depends on how successful each player is in performing his/her own role.  We lose if the first guy doesn’t do his job, we all lose if the second guy isn’t there to do his, and so forth.  So, as I suggested earlier, every single player really depends on those around him or her.  Furthermore, since my kids have seemingly played without purpose for most of their hockey lives, it’s a struggle to suddenly get them skating and thinking the game at the same time.

(Of course, it should be understandable that hockey gets more complicated as I compare my Bantams’ needs to those of my younger team.)

Back to the main topic here…  What I really tried to glean from those who saw the game was how my Bantams compared to their first opponents.  And in this regard, observers seemed to believe that our opening day opponents fit near the top of our league, or somewhere in the top three or four teams.

In a way, that’s good news for me. In other words, I have a sense of where we’re starting out, and a sense of how much we will or won’t be able to close the gap on such opponents.

If there’s some frustration on my part, it’s that our summer practices weren’t nearly as fruitful as I’d hoped they’d be, owning to so many players missing due to other commitments.  Said yet another way, we’re really starting from Square One entering our fall practice schedule, and we’re only going to catch some of our future opponents if we’re able to make up a lot of ground over the next few months.

The Common Denominator

Ah, yes, the common denominator…  CoachChic.com members have no doubt heard me say or seen me write how a team’s players aren’t just a bunch of X’s and O’s scratched on a piece of paper or greaseboard.  Naw, they’re human beings.

In other words, the X’s and O’s don’t win or lose battles, but individual players do.   And a highly skilled player is going to win far more battles than the lesser skilled one.

As suggested above — in the brief review of my Bantams’ game, how well they think and skate is going to ultimately matter.  And, to a slightly lesser degree, so will it matter with my littler guys.  Still the REAL common denominator…

Ya, the real problem right now — and the area that can help us gain the most ground on rivals — has to do with individual skills.  In other words, both of my teams are being beaten in 1 on 1 match ups when pitted against strong teams, and that highlights our shortcomings when it comes to skating and puckhandling.  (Sure, other skills — like passing, receiving and shooting will need honing, too.  But, first things first, as far as I’m concerned.)

Skating oftentimes — or almost always? — boils down to agile footwork and body control.  And, while it helps to skate smoothly during game action, what I’m really getting at is the need for my Mites and Bantams to be able to skate under pressure.

I mean, an enemy puckcarrier may make a number of shifty moves, so our checker is only going to be able deal with him if he can skate — or react — with him.

I see the same kind of match ups occurring with the puck…  In other words, with the latter roles reversed, my players need to be able to out maneuver enemy checkers to advance or protect the puck.

What I’m talking about, of course, is my players’ need to win 1 against 1 battles, or to be able to compete under relatively intense pressure.  And, while I’ll be considering a number of other drills to help my kids, the “Two-step” and “Snaking” drills (both shown in the Advanced Skating Drills video) will be among those I’ll use regularly, as will be some games of tag and keepaway.

Lastly, this post is all about closing the gap on better teams.  In no way do I want to imply that I’ll vary far from an overall plan I have in place for my kids.  The Bantams will still keep working to perfect their forecheck, covering rushes, defending in their zone, breaking out, cycling, and so much more.   I’ll also continue to very slowly introduce my Mites to hockey’s basic strategies and tactics.  However, greatly elevating each kids’ individual skills is going to also ultimately help them better perform those X’s and O’s.

Then, before turning things over to the star blogger, Jeff Chick, I thought I’d tell my own quick story…

For, you see, although Jeff currently resides in Texas, he calls Whitman, MA his hometown.  Yup, he’s from the same tiny town as I.  Jeff and I aren’t related, though.  In fact, we didn’t really know each other until a mutual Whitman friend sent me the link to his article (she knew I’d enjoy the hockey connection).

There IS more to this story, however…   Jeff’s dad, Dennis Chick (can you believe that?) and I grew-up together, we played against each other in Little League baseball, and then we were teammates through higher levels — into high school and American Legion Baseball.  (I can’t recall if we played semi-pro together.)

And, in a town of only about 5,000 people back then, you can just imagine the occasional confusion when folks would mention one or the other — Dennis Chick or Dennis “Chic” Chighisola.  In fact, to this day, I’m always teasing “the other Dennis” about getting me in trouble with all the girls in town. 

That out of the way, the following is a lot more somber, and something we’ll probably remember for a long, long time, mainly because it has to do with the plane crash that just killed members of the KHL’s Lokomotiv hockey team.  Enjoy it — if you can, but have a tissue ready.

– The REAL Chic — Dennis Chighisola

Reality Check

By Jeff Chick

My day was supposed to be over a little after noon today, but as I dropped off my last client, the office asked me if I could do one more run at 2 o’clock. Being the team player that I am, I said I would. I had 90 minutes to drive back to our company lot, switch into a van and then go to the pickup. Plenty of time to stop for some lunch and mess around on my phone. Peace of cake.

After making the vehicle change, sucking down a burger and fries from BK, and washing it down with a Coke Zero, I proceeded to my pickup location, a full 40 minutes ahead of schedule. I am a happy chauffeur……….for the moment.

I locate the residence that I need to be at, but being that the pickup is at 2, and it is only 1:20, I park a couple blocks away, per usual, and pickup my Thunderbolt to check FB and do some surfing.

First check of FB is littered with numerous comments and links about the tragic plane crash in Russia. 40+ people dead. NHL players, past and present, coaches, prospects and flight crew. Very sad news. I had been reading and hearing about it, off and on, all day. The ramifications reaching virtually all parts of the hockey world, and in less than 5 minutes, ME.

After my FB pitstop, I open up the trip ticket info on my phone, to see who I am picking up. Aaaah, another Dallas Stars transfer to the airport. That explains the van. These hockey guys always have big bags because they are usually traveling overseas. The last name, Skrastins. Never heard of him. No first name. I’ll have to google him. Google search: Skrastins Dallas Stars.

The rush that comes over my body is unexplainable. I am just staring at my phone. He was on “that” plane and he is dead. I am sitting 200 yards from his house and I realize what this pickup is all about. I am about to pick up the family of this man. A family that went to bed last night without a care in the world. A family that had no plans to board a Lufthansa flight to Europe when they woke up this morning. This explains why it was added to my schedule at 12:15 today. Is this for real?

It’s finally time to go down the street and pull in the driveway. Within a couple of minutes, a man comes out to let me know that the family will be out in a few moments. He alerts me to the situation, and tells me not to offer condolences because the children don’t know, and then he returns to the house. I can’t even imagine what his widow must be going through. My heart weeps for her. I am so glad this will be a short ride.

Then it happens. 2 girls, about 2 and 5 come running out the door, completely elated about the trip they are about to go on. Long blonde hair, blue eyes and giant smiles. I nearly burst into tears. My body gets tight. Every second feels like an eternity. The pain inside me is almost unbearable. I don’t even know these people and I am on the verge of a breakdown, right in their driveway. Knowing that these girls are utterly oblivious, to the true nature of their trip, is agonizing. I can’t help but think of my own children, and what it would be like if they woke up tomorrow and I was gone forever. Devastating! The wife and mother in law finally come out and we are on our way.

The entire drive the widow is on the phone. She, as well as the rest of the family, are not speaking English. Although, this would seem trivial, it is not. I don’t understand a single word she is saying, but the pure pain in her voice tells the whole story. The mother in law is keeping the kids entertained in the back of the van, while she sits up front and seems to be getting everything in order, over the phone. I sense sorrow, trepidation, confusion, and despair. Just a few of, what I imagine have been, the many emotions that she has experienced since she woke up today. Again, my heart weeps for her.

We finally arrive at DFW airport, and a liaison from Lufthansa is waiting curbside for us, with a security escort. He “quietly” offers his condolences to the widow while the girls are still getting out of the van. Personnel grab all their bags, and they are off. Girls still giddy about the trip. I, however, am a mess.

I barely get 100 feet away from the terminal when I lose it, crying uncontrollably. I feel stupid, but I don’t care. I can’t get the image of those girls out of my head. The idea that they have no clue that they will NEVER see their father again. What’s worse, is that they probably haven’t seen him in a couple of weeks, and expect to see him when they get where they’re going. Utterly heartbreaking. What a way to end the day.

So, as I sit here recapping this gut-wrenching afternoon that I have experienced, I would like to end it with a final thought. It makes no difference to a child what happens to you when you die. They are going to be devastated either way. Just make sure they know what they mean to you. Remind them EVERYDAY. Hug them EVERYDAY. Kiss them EVERYDAY. Most importantly, love them EVERYDAY. Unconditionally. Because, you never know what tomorrow will bring.

Jeff Chick writes a sports related blog called A CHICKS PERSPECTIVE

In preface to this entry, I’d like you to watch (or review) the video on Sprint Training for Hockey Skating Speed, because it provides some great background, and because there is an overlap in the drills I incorporate in both sprint training and agility ladder work.

With that, there isn’t much need for me to say more in type — the two videos that follow will explain everything.

– Dennis Chighisola

Using an Agility Ladder for Hockey Quickness

Video 1 — Introduction…

Video 2 — Ladder Training – Coach Chic Style

From there, there’s nothing to it but to do it!

Drill Category: Shooting, Screening, Deflecting, Rebounding, Defending Slot and Goaltending

Rebound Control Drill
*

Drill Description:

Thinking about most drills — the ones that aren’t expressly designed for
goalkeepers often aren’t very helpful for them. When most drills involve
the goalkeeper, it’s only to stop an initial shot, and nothing else, but
what’s just as important as making the initial save is getting in the
habit controlling where rebounds go. Too often, drills designed for
forwards will allow goalies to leave ugly rebounds. Why not design a drill
that helps forwards and defensemen work on important skills and forces the
goalkeeper to do the same all at once?

To that end, this simple drill will help goalies with rebound control as
well as two other important skills, seeing through screens and dealing
with deflections. At the same time, it will help your forwards with
attacking rebounds and creating tips and deflections, and your defensemen
with protecting the crease in such situations. I call this the “Rebound
Control Drill.”

Set up your goalie in his/her crease with two forwards at the top as well
as a defenseman. Everyone else should be set up in an arc around the
offensive zone, with one puck each. (see diagram of set-up below)

Now, as with a normal warm up shooting drill, the players will shoot one
at a time. However, we have bodies in front this time. The forward nearest
the puck will attempt to tip the shot, and both will go after rebounds if
there are any. The defenseman’s job is to prevent the forwards from
grabbing the rebound if a bad one does come back. Once the puck has been
knocked out of the front of the crease, reset and the next player shoots.
Repeat until everyone has shot.

What you’ll hopefully find is that the goalie will learn to either put the
rebound out of reach of the players in front (i.e. deflect it to the
corner) or catch the puck, rather than kick a rebound out into the middle
where a second chance can be had. If you do this at both ends of the rink
and have four or five shooters per end, you can rotate through and have
everyone work on defending and attacking pretty quickly.

No video is available for this drill.

Shortly after he joined CoachChic.com, we connected in a Facebook Chat.  And it was then that he mentioned a want to delve through these pages and “…back up a lot of my thoughts.”  As Gareth continued, “I think coaches just need some guidance and confidences to do what they believe…”

And, ooooooh is he ever so right!  A head coach’s job is a lonely one in some ways.  I mean, the weight of a team falls on our shoulders, and there are usually few people ready and able to counsel us when we reach various sticking points.  Ha, want to talk about the many who second-guess us?  Well, I’ll tell you that we coaches — or at least the good ones — second-guess ourselves even more.

Then, before getting further into this, let me suggest that a parent often feels the same loneliness when his or her youngster meets any sort of crossroad or obstacle.  Oh, the rinks may be filled with opinionated folks.  But, it’s still the parent and his or her kid who lives or dies with a final decision.

– Dennis Chighisola

Challenging Hockey’s Status Quo

What echoes and echoes from my brief conversation with Gareth is that part about needing the confidence to do what he believes.  Oh, man, have I been there, done that.

Of course, back in the dark ages — when I began coaching, there was little in the way of help.  There weren’t even that many hockey textbooks, never mind videos or Internet websites.  Consequently, I second-guessed nearly everything I was doing, skills to X’s and O’s.

My confidence grew with several events that just plain happened (and I’ve documented these in more detail elsewhere).  It was at least comforting when one minor league pro player affirmed my beliefs about defending a 2 on 1, and I got all the more psyched when an NHL defenseman suggested I saved his career with a special skating maneuver.  Some years later, I felt on Cloud Nine when my MP Drill Format was selected as one of the best drills at the 1980 NHL Coaches Symposium.

Those things, however exciting, were only little bumps of adrenaline — positive jolts, for sure, but not all that lasting.  No, the lasting boosts in confidence came with something you’ve probably heard me say before, and it’s something you’ll hear a lot more about in the near future.  What I’m getting at are what I’ve come to call “Coach Chic’s Rules for Winners”.

Here’s how that collection came together…

Maybe in my earliest days as a coach, for example, I started seeing something like a turn over in neutral ice really matter.  In other words, we may have been controlling a game, and then a neutral-ice cough-up of the puck resulted in an opposition goal.  Of course, something like that happening just once only causes a coach to shake his or her head.  However, when it happens every few games, I tend to think there’s more to it than just a rare mistake.

Explaining the problem only briefly, I’ve come to think that a player just exiting his own zone or just trying to enter the offensive zone has his teammates thinking attack.  I mean, most mates — whether they should be or not — are likely leaning forward and they’re not prepared if the puck is suddenly lost.  And off to the races go one or two opponents, walking easily right through our still startled defenders.  Now, I intimated that all our puckcarrier’s teammates shouldn’t be looking to follow the attack.  However, I do believe in human nature, and I do believe it influences even elite players to do the wrong things at the worst of times.  So again, if our puckcarrier isn’t careful near either blue line, there’s a good chance of putting us in trouble.

Okay, so I started seeing something like that happening more often than to believe it’s just a freakish, once in awhile thing.  And I’m thinking also that it’s a principle I need to hammer into the minds of my skaters.

Problem:  I’m maybe a 20-something coach, kinda new on the job, and I’m wondering why I haven’t heard any experienced coaches mention this, never mind suggesting a way to deal with it.  Would there be a confidence problem here?  Think again:  20-something, new at coaching, and not hearing far more experienced coaches address it.  Hmmmmmm…

Well, to me, I could only wait so long — and see that kind of mistake happen so often — before I decided I was right.  Damn other coaches; maybe they know about this, maybe they don’t.  But, I only needed to see my team get burned so many times before I felt the need deal with it.

Now, I think the last time I checked, there were about twenty-one points listed under my “Rules for Winners”.  I don’t think you’d find any of them earth shattering.  If you’d be surprised at all, it might be that I’ve found these kinds of things to be hugely responsible for a team’s success.  As a matter of fact, if a player wants to play smartly at a high level, he or she would be helped immensely by knowing and doing those things instinctively.

Notice, though, how much I anguished over that earlier point.  Ya, that kind of internal wrestling took place often during my earliest years — in coaching, and in parenting a young hockey player.  Like many others here, perhaps, I was constantly asking myself, “Am I right?”  Or, “Am I seeing what I think I’m seeing?”

And that brings me back to what Gareth and I both believe when it comes to the value of the CoachChic.com website.

There’s little doubt that beginners will find enough information here to bring them quickly to higher levels of knowledge.  Hey, there are currently over 500 posts on everything from tying skates to over-speed training.

But it’s the advanced player, parent and coach that Gareth reminds me about.  Ya, all of us need someone to talk with when it comes to troubleshooting a problem.  And we all need someone we can bounce our own ideas off.  Frankly, we’ve had a number of spirited — but fun — philosophical arguments within the Comments area, but I’m dying for more.  (I learn as much from those as our members do.)

Finally, speaking of learning…  I’ve found through the years that I’ve strengthened my beliefs about a given principle just by having to explain it to someone else.  Think about that, and then shoot me your thoughts — on unique skill applications, tactics or strategies.  I’d be loving it!

PS:  Oooops!  Any time you’d like to start a new topic, don’t use the Comments area, but instead give that topic a chance to have its own area.  In other words, use the Ask The Coach link up above, and I’ll begin the new topic for you.  We can go back and forth through the adjacent Comments boxes after that.

First, I didn’t find the following information; actually, a good friend who knows my unique interests sent me the initial link, which led me to many more interesting pages on this subject.

Secondly, the device demonstrated in this post — and the scientific thinking behind it — is pretty typical of the stuff I like to get into.  Do I tend to run ahead of the curve?  Ya, I think so.

Lastly, although I like to make sure all the basic hockey concepts are covered within these pages, I have an equal need to keep you on the cutting edge.

With that, get a load of the device and theory shown below.

– Dennis Chighisola

Vapor Strobe Training

Let’s begin with a video that ought to really get you thinking…

What do you think?  Is Nike onto something here?  You bet!  Just common sense says it’ll work to enhance a number of athletic qualities — for goaltenders and for skaters.

If you’re interested in buying your own strobe glasses, they’re easy to locate through a Google search.  I think the ones I found for sale were about $280.   (For the time being — at that price, they’re on my wish list — LOL!)

Urging members to purchase these is not my point here, however.  What I do want to do is expand your thinking, or open your mind to what’s out there.

I also want to suggest to you that the competition will soon be using these and other pretty sophisticated gear and training methods to jump ahead of you, your child or your team.  That’s the way it’s best over recent years — everyone seeking just the slightest edge.

With that, I’ll leave you with a couple of videos I located over at YouTube.com, these showing the strobe glasses in use…

That’s how I’ve been feeling over the past few months, too — kind of embarrassed, knowing a guy put his faith in me, but that I hadn’t yet come through for him.

The reason for this is because I lost an awesome question that came in via our Ask The Coach feature.  Chalk it up to the electronic age, I guess, in that an important email just up and disappeared on me not long after I’d read it.  And again, you can spell that:  E-M-B-A-R-R-A-S-S-E-D.

Then, don’t you know, I just found it minutes ago, buried in one of about 50 folders I use to sort and save various on-line correspondence.  And if you haven’t guessed it, that email was neatly tucked in a folder that had absolutely nothing to do with CoachChic.com business.  Ugh.

Anyway, with egg well displayed on my face, let me first reprint the brief email from John, and then answer it as best I can.

– Dennis Chighisola

“As an adult who’s relatively new to playing the game, do you have any advice on skill development? I have one game per week and usually one on-ice practice per week, so my ice time is limited.”

Dealing With A Shortage of On-ice Hockey Practice Time

Well, John pretty much draws out what this coach is all about.

If my readers will think along with me here, almost ever level of amateur hockey — maybe excluding Juniors and Division I or II college teams — really do struggle for adequate ice-time.  Even with some of those higher level amateur teams, the cost of ice is a strain on the budget, unless the program owns its own rink.  Of course, minor hockey teams battle this problem all the more:  1) because practice ice is costly, and 2) because extra ice-time can’t even be had at a lot of rinks.

With that, I believe one of the greatest advances in hockey over at  least the last quarter century is the knowledge that many alternative training methods exist, and that those methods dawgoned work.

Now, I have to apologize to John in advance, in that most of the following is covered in real depth throughout CoachChic.com, so there’s no way I can go too deeply into each separate idea in this post.  Still, I think I can still provide plenty of help.

Number One, I give much credit to the old Soviets for bringing the idea of off-ice training — or dryland — to a whole ‘nother level.

Secondly, I have to thank the scientifically based teaching methods my textbooks call “The Principles of Motor Learning”.  For, while it’s helpful for us to know all of those proven theories, the one defining the transfer of skills from one training venue to another greatly supports the benefits of dryland.

Next, I’d like to take that “transfer of skills” thing a little further, suggesting that most stuff done on in-line skates will carry over positively to a hockey player’s on-ice game.

For sure, my list could be far longer.  However, I’ve shortened to things I believe can really help John.

Not to be pushing a product here, I still think I’d better refer him to my Hockey Tips & Tricks Store, because there are some scientifically based products there that will especially help with his skating and puckhandling skills.

Still, rehearsing necessary skating skills on in-lines will help a ton, and so will work on a slideboard.

I guarantee that fiddling with a ball as much as possible will help John be a magician with the puck.

Then, firing pucks by the bucket load will ultimately result in a blistering on-ice shot.

Finally, I think John and others who get to see this post appreciate that I run things quite differently if I’m able to control circumstances.  In other words, if John was my student, I’d design a program specific to his very needs, and he’d come along pretty quickly.  I did just that for the group of high school kids shown in the following video.   I produced the video as sort of an advertisement, attempting to show others just how different my kind of training is.  I’m including here, though, so John can grab a few ideas from it.

Once again, I apologize to John for losing his question. At the same time, I’d like to help even more, if he can let me know some specific problems he’d like to solve.

As you’ll soon discover, Dom is a very bright young guy, and I can’t thank him enough for agreeing to share his study on the benefits of jump rope workouts for “hockey” players.

Okay, why did I use those quotation marks up above?  It’s because Dom’s study was done with and for in-line hockey players.  However, if you trust this old coach, you’ll appreciate that most skating techniques are identical, be they on wheels or blades.

So, enjoy, CoachChic.com members, and let’s thank Dom once again for his really high level contribution.

– Dennis Chighisola

Jump Rope Training For Hockey

By Dom Browne

I often get asked by hockey players I coach the best way to improve their speed. When I ask them what exercises they do I get the same response; “squats, lunges and deadlifts”, all of which are very good exercises and are fundamental for building strength in the legs. However, when I suggest jump rope training, I get the same reply; “Skipping?” I will explain the reason for my answer, using the study carried out for my dissertation as reference.

There are several different facets involved in skating and many skills are needed for each different movement. The forward start, crossover start, forward skate, crossover, pivot, backward start, backward skate, backward crossover, two foot parallel stop, one foot stop, backward stop and t-stop are the main skills involved in skating during a inline hockey game. During a game, players incorporate each of these to move around the rink and to gain a positional advantage over an opponent. With all these different movements being demonstrated in a game, it is necessary for the players to be agile… the pace of the game is also relatively high compared with other team sports such as soccer, rugby and field hockey, so players need to be fast and have extremely good acceleration, especially at higher levels.

Speed, agility and power are important components of sport performance. Acceleration and speed could be considered the power components of skating, they are consistently predicted by off-ice power tests such as vertical jump and the 40 yard dash. Although jumping, running and skating are biomechanically different, it is the power component of each movement that is very similar. Power is the amount of work done in a given time, the players skate very fast for short periods of time, giving a high power output. Hockey also involves significant balance or stability challenges because of the small surface area in contact with a reasonably low friction surface. An individual may be capable of sprinting at 27 or more miles per hour, but lack the explosive power to accelerate rapidly or to change direction rapidly.

Research investigating the effects of plyometrics on speed in ice hockey players is somewhat limited. Rimmer and Sleivert (2000) conducted an eight-week study to determine the effects of a sprint-specific plyometrics program on sprint performance. Results showed that the plyometric group significantly reduced both their 10m and 40m sprint times. Polhemius and Osina (1980) investigated the effects of weighted plyometric exercises had on conventional sprint training practices in university level track athletes. Pre and post measures of 40 metre sprint times revealed that those who performed plyometric exercises, three times per week for six weeks in addition to their conventional training programs, decreased their 40m sprint times. In both studies, plyometric training was assumed to have resulted in an improved acceleration phase due to a specificity training response, where ground contact times decreased and force production rates increase. It is reasonable to suggest that as ground contact times and stride force production rates are also critical components in skating at top speed, plyometric training may provide similar benefits to skaters as for sprinters. If players are able to decrease contact time with the ice while improving stride force production, the result is likely to be increased skating speed and, therefore, improvement on overall performance.

Plyometrics is very similar to rope jump training in terms of the type of load imposed upon the body. The main objective of the jump rope exercises is to convert elastic energy generated by both the force of gravity and body mass during eccentric or lengthening muscle contraction into an opposite force during the concentric or shortening contraction. A lengthening or eccentric contraction followed by a concentric contraction utilizes the elastic energy stored in that muscle during the stretching phase. When released this elastic energy can make a substantial contribution to the efficiency of the muscle contraction resulting in greater power output (Koutedakis, 1989). Muscle spindles located within the muscles react to sudden stretch by sending signals to the spinal cord, resulting in muscular contraction to resist the sudden stretch.

Buddy Lee is the official jump rope conditioning consultant to 25 U.S. Olympic teams and has published books explaining and discussing the use of jump rope training in sports. The U.S. Figure skating association made Lee’s jump rope training their number one off-ice conditioning technique for all levels of skaters. Lee (2003) states that rope jumping can be used to increase the aerobic capacity of an athlete when used for 10 minutes or longer, but the greatest benefits of jump rope training can be achieved when used to enhance the anaerobic energy system. This is done by using the training in short explosive cycles of 30 seconds, improving speed, agility, quickness and explosiveness, all of which are important in sports that require explosiveness and quick acceleration.

In 2007 I carried out research into the affect of jump rope training on inline hockey players of varying ages. The four timed tests carried out were the same as those used by Bracko (2001); agility cornering S-turn, 6.10m acceleration, 47.85m speed and 15.20m full speed. The control group undertook a simple 6-week training programme involving simple weight lifting based exercises focusing on the major muscle groups used in skating (quadriceps, leg adductors, hamstrings and rectus abdominus) along with some other basic muscular strength exercises. The experimental group also carried out this weekly schedule, but also a 30-40 minute jump rope training programme was carried out four times per week.

Figure 1. Skating tests: (a) agility cornering S turn, (b) 6.10m acceleration,
(c) 47.85m speed, (d) 15.20m full speed. Adapted from Bracko (2001).

Jump rope training at it’s best

At the end of the 6-week training programme, the experimental group showed marked improvements in their times for all four tested variables. The jump rope training improved agility by 2.95%, acceleration by 13.23%, speed by 3.17% and full speed by 11.85%. All of the improvements were significant. This indicates that jump rope training has a positive effect on speed and agility in roller hockey players.

An example of the jump rope training plan that can be used in my study can be found at the bottom of this page:  Jump Rope Training for Hockey

See other works by Dom Browne:  YGH Clinics

But, let’s allow Donna, the mom of a relative beginner, ask her question right here:

“Okay, coach, here is a question as I sit here and think about my kid’s future. Where do hockey players get the most exposure for COLLEGE (scholarship/tuition help).  High school hockey or a league like the local Bandits? I know I am a over bearing mom but believe it or not I am already thinking high school.”

With that, let me give this toughie a try.

– Dennis Chighisola

Thinking Ahead For that College Hockey Scholarship

As I intimated above, this is a very tricky question — for ooooh so many reasons.  I mean, there are so many things that can work for a kid, and an equal number of things that can work against him (or her).

Another tricky part about Donna’s question is where I should begin — at the beginning, or…  No, I think I’m going to attack this one from the very end, or at the point where a college looks to give a scholarship to someone deemed worthy.

As an aside here, I think that hockey parents (or parents of any college bound athlete) should appreciate the basic differences in the different college sport levels.  So…

Only Division I and Division II programs may grant so-called “athletic scholarships”.  And it’s even different from D II program to DII progam whether they choose to grant athletic scholarships or not.  (Over the years I’ve talked to a few Division I coaches who actually split their scholarship monies — perhaps bringing two players in for the price of one, by granting a half-scholarship to each player.)

If you’ll notice, I referred to the above as “programs” rather than “schools”.  That’s because a given college or university can sponsor sports that range from Division I to Division III, or even club.  In other words, a certain university might choose to have a scholarship basketball program, but a non-scholarship hockey program.

Division III programs cannot grant athletic scholarships.  (So, if there’s a guy at work bragging that his kid is playing for a D III program on a “hockey scholarship”, it’s a pretty good bet the guy is full of bull.)

None of this is to say that kids in non-scholarship situations can’t be helped with their college tuition bills.  Oftentimes a school can arrange non-athletic scholarships and so many other bits and pieces of a financial aid package that can help a family big-time, but these are usually based on academics and a family’s needs.

Let me also talk here about the probability of an assured roster spot.  For, from a very practical standpoint, this is usually based on the commitment the school has made to the athlete.  I mean, if they’ve given a true athletic scholarship to a player, it’s more than likely that he or she is guaranteed a roster spot (as long as basic player commitments are met).  It’s also a pretty good guess that a player is going to get a fair chance at some playing time if he or she has been helped in other ways by the coach and school.  As for the typical Division III athlete, yearly tryouts aren’t much different than those held in local high schools.  So, like it or not, the start of any D III season is really a matter of, “Show me what you have today, kid!”

Hopefully this makes sense to everyone, in particular the kind of commitment a program owes back to each student-athlete.

Okay, so it’s time for college coaches to wade through all the prospective student-athletes out there in the world — and I do mean “in the world”.  For, although it used to be that US college scholarships were granted mostly to local hockey players and Canadians, we’ve seen an influx of Europeans coming across the pond in recent years.

I raise that last point just to suggest how many hockey players are really competing for a limited number of college scholarships.  As a matter of fact, about a year ago I did a piece for CoachChic.com suggesting that young kids can’t really imagine their future competition.  (In other words, while a kid local to me here in Massachusetts might be working on his or her game, there is likely a youngster in Western Canada doing the same, and another in Sweden, another in Russia…  Ugh.)

Anyway, with scholarships in hand, college recruiters have the unbelievable task of sorting through all the available talent.  And, while you might think they’re just looking for the best players to be had, think again…

Not every teen out there has the academics to meet college standards.  And we’re probably talking three sets of standards here — from passing through the NCAA’s (mandatory) Clearing House to being accepted through the school’s academic screening process to perhaps a coach even considering whether or not a player will be able to succeed and stay eligible over the long haul.  Yes, gone are the days when Basketweaving Majors fill college rosters.

And gone too are the players who could become disciplinary problems.  Ya, there are far more players to chose from nowadays, so coaches just don’t need the headaches.  Moreover, we’re talking about scholarships that are probably worth in the neighborhood of $100,000 over 4-years, so it makes sense that today’s college recruiters spend a whole lot more time researching the kids they’re going to invest that kind of money in.

Size can make a difference, too, whether a coach is right or wrong in the way he views a given kid.  Worse yet, there’s no way of predicting size when a player is young, and there’s nothing that can be done to change a kid’s height once he or she is grown.

Speed has also become a factor in some coaches’ eyes.  Something can be done about that, but it’s going to take a coach or coaches with some scientific knowledge to enhance that area of an athlete’s game.

If you’re getting the sense that the granting of scholarships is a risking business, I’ll tell you that that’s how I feel.  And, while I’ve just pointed out a few important determining factors, let’s not forget what the recruiters have to go through to find the physically gifted players.

Of course, now is when we get into the meat of Donna’s question, and it’s also where I have the most mixed feelings…

Speaking totally based on today’s conditions (because things can change in time), my observations suggest that college scholarship winners come from either Junior hockey or prep schools.  It’s rare that a (male) hockey player today is going to be scooped from a public or Catholic high school.  As a matter of fact, even most of my Division III college coaching friends don’t want to look at a kid until he’s gotten a year of Juniors under his belt.

If you can appreciate it, we’re looking at a pyramid here, with college recruiters basically getting to look at the cream of the crop.  Hey, it’s easier for them to focus on the high school kids who survived to make Juniors and prep school teams, and they’re also getting to look at more physically and mentally developed athletes.

That said, I’m sensing that things have changed in recent years for those who run or participate in all the high profile exposure camps or tournaments that traditionally take place over the summer months.  In other words, where these kinds of programs used to run with the purpose of showing off the top high school players to pro scouts and college coaches, I’m thinking that the Division I recruiters are now probably out of that mix.  Not that they won’t go to get an early read on younger players.  But, I sense they’re not often carrying a college scholarship in their back pockets.

Putting all the above together, it seems to me that the wisest goal for any aspiring young (male) player would be to make a quality high school hockey team, excel there, and thus get the chance to show-off at a prep school or at the Junior level.

Now, I am a long-range-looking kind of guy, and I like to lay things out as I’ve just described.  To me it’s so much easier this way, and I almost always hit my mark with a kid I’ve had the chance to influence for any length of time.  Oh, there might be the dad who has a heart attack because his 8-year old Mite didn’t get any goals tonight, and there might be the hockey mom who is worried her Squirt aged son isn’t the star of the show.  My way, on the other hand, looks past all those little bumps in the road, and keeps a steadier eye on the big picture.

If I had my way, I’d like a kid to graduate Mites from a town program’s “A” team or from some level of “AAA” in a program like Donna described (our local Boston Bandits).  At least in our local (New England) area, it seems probable that the “AAA” organization is the way to go from Squirts up until high school.

Still, I have never been one to get too hung-up on designations (like “A”, “AA”, whatever).  For, if we want our youngster to grow through the years to become truly capable of a college scholarship, that”s going to boil down to a whole lot more than a resume.  No, the recruiters don’t care if you set a Pee Wee scoring record years ago, or if you led your Atom team to a national championship.  What they do care about is how you look on one day (or over a given season) when they are toting a scholarship in hand.  And, what I’m getting at, folks, is coaching.  Said yet another way:  T-E-A-C-H-I-N-G.   Oh, I know some parents cry for, “Ice-time!  Ice-time!  Ice-time!”  And a lot of programs hype just that.  However, ice-time alone doesn’t make a player scholarship ready, not by a long shot; ice-time and the right repetitions will help; so will ice-time and an understanding of basic playing principles.  And, the only way to get those is through good coaching (or CoachChic.com?).

Lastly, you may have noticed that I had to a few times let you know that I was referring to “boys”.  That’s because girls’ hockey does not have the equivalent of Junior hockey.  I also want to remind you that things change rapidly in the recruiting game, oftentimes because of a new NCAA ruling, and sometimes just because coaches change their perspective and begin a new trend.  Consequently, the above is the best advice I can share with Donna and others RIGHT NOW.

Erin mentions some background information — in that her 4-year old son’s dad is a professional hockey player, and that the little tyke has been skating since he was 16-months old.  The lad currently skates about three times per week, and the combination of an early start and regular ice-time seemingly have him “WAY ahead of kids his age…”

In a nutshell, her question is, “… how much is too much for a child his age?”  And Erin goes on with, “… I don’t want to make it a job.”

– Dennis Chighisola

Guiding a 4-year Old Hockey Player

Erin might be interested to know that we actually have a number of folks within our CoachChic.com membership who either are or have been parents of 4-year old skaters.  (Craig from British Columbia and Kathy from New Jersey come to mind right away.)  And, on top of interacting with those wonderful people, I’ve also run arguably the top Learn-to-skate/Learn-to-play clinics in the New England region for about the past 30-years.

Now, I think that just about everything Erin wrote is relevant to this discussion.

The fact that dad is a pro player can be very impactful in all this.  My own son was a long-time minor pro, I’ve been a long-time coach and hockey instructor, and it stood to reason that my son’s young guy would eventually be exposed to the game beyond most other little ones.  Same thing with Erin’s son, in that he probably can’t avoid seeing and hearing about hockey — probably 24/7.  I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all — children of firemen probably want to wear their dad’s work caps, mechanics’ kids probably can’t wait to get their own tool kits, and sons and daughters of hockey players no doubt want to as best they can emulate their dads.  Again, I think this natural, and seldom a bad thing.

Nor is starting one fairly young necessarily a problem.   I really don’t go by ages when I admit kids to my own Learn-to programs, but instead I take into account personalities.  Let’s face it, there are some 10-year olds who won’t let go of the side boards, and some 2-year olds who bust out the rink door hell bent for leather.  And my guess is that Erin’s little boy was much like the latter example.

Personally, I think it’s a plus that the little guy is ahead of most other kids his age (see my later comments on this).  And, while Erin might think this has to do with the boy starting rather early, I’ll suggest that it also has a great deal to do with the boy’s opportunity to watch hockey more than most others his age.  In other words, his young brain and all his body’s signalling devices have likely been memorizing all the game’s movements for a relatively long time.

Okay, now for the more difficult questions…

Number One, I believe that the parent of a 4-year old is totally in charge of everything having to do with his or her youngster’s hockey activities.  And I’m especially talking about the atmosphere surrounding hockey activities.  Some parents have a way of making each one a drudgery (ugh… or a job as Erin puts it).  Others can keep things light, and fun.

Secondly, there’s the issue of whether three skates were week are too much for a 4-year old.  Personally, I’d say that’s borderline.  Are three trips to the rink too much?  No, I don’t believe so.  But then, it all boils down to my previous point — this having to do with the feelings (or atmosphere) associated with each trip to the rink.  What I’m really getting at is that those on-ice sessions not be viewed as compulsory, mandatory, whatever.  (If it ever crosses Erin’s or her son’s mind that, “Oh, I HAVE TO go to the rink today!” I’d say it’s time to take a break.)  In fact, blowing-off an occasional session just might reap some rewards, because I’ve seen lots of kids come back with a vengeance once they’ve missed a session, making the next string of three per weeks all the more productive.

Third, there is something to be said for a youngster feeling good about himself or herself.  And in this regard, I’m talking about a player (of any age) taking a look around and realizing that he or she is better at something than most others.  I even know some psychologists who will tell us that the confidence gained in one area tends to flow over into other areas of one’s life — like from hockey to school work, to self-esteem within friends, and so forth.  So, neither is it a bad thing that we give a kid the chance to excel at something.

Let me now share with Erin and others an analogy I often use…

You see, lobster is a delicacy for me.  Why?  It’s because I love it, and also because I don’t get to have it that often.  Shove it down my throat three meals per day for a solid week, and you can guess how I’d then feel.

In much the same way, I see a very delicate balance between helping a youngster get pretty good, compared to getting him or her so much practice time that they fall out of love with the game.  (And, by the way, that constant monitoring of a delicate balance should take place throughout a player’s years in sport.  There’s little doubt that Erin’s son’s dad still loves hockey, even as a pro.  And, that didn’t likely come about by accident.)

Well, I think that about covers it from this old coach’s perspective, with my main point to highlight how much control Erin and her boy’s dad have over the entire situation.  Make sense?

*

As always, I invite input or other opinions from members, and I also welcome Erin
to Comment in the box provided below.  We can keep an ongoing discussion going right
here if that will help at all.

– Dennis Chighisola

Multitasking and Hockey Coaching

To begin, understand that Mr Carr is talking about ALL human beings here. And I mention that because it often seems to me that we grownups (like hockey parents and coaches) don’t translate such knowledge to young (or even older) hockey players. The truth is, the very challenges Nicholas Carr describes in the video impact greatly on a hockey player’s ability to focus — in skills training and in game related tactical execution.

Far too often I’ll witness coaches inundating young students with a host of things to consider when they’re attempting to try a new skill. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Give young players a batch of things to think about and they’ll accomplish none of them! In fact, in my motor learning studies, I was taught to begin with the “grossest” or largest problem, help an athlete overcome that, and then move on to the next grossest problem.

I’ve also adapted Mr Carr’s line of thinking to the early part of my team’s hockey season, only asking my players to concentrate on one or two areas of our system or game-play technique during a given game. In other words, while we might be practicing a wide array of tactics and strategies behind the scenes, I’ll ask my players in an early game something like, “Let’s just concentrate on our breakouts tonight.”

Again, any new information we discover having to do with all mankind really does have to do with the way we should handle hockey players.

In my estimation, it’s revolutionary.

With that, there really isn’t much for me to say in print form, because the history to this unique type of drilling is spelled out in the video — how I arrived at the idea, how Todd Jacobson finally took the proverbial bull by the horns, and so forth.  There are even several versions of this goalie’s exercise routine included, as well as an in-line application.

– Dennis Chighisola

The Goaler’s Dance

*

As always, Todd and I really appreciate your questions and feedback!

In essence, he’s asked if I could put all the components that go into the making of a great hockey player into a pie chart, and then assess the various weights or percentages of the pie each of those would have.

Short answer:  wow, that would be almost impossible to do.

Longer answer:  I’ll always try to at least explain myself well for the sake of a hockey friend. 

– Dennis Chighisola

Predicting Hockey Stardom – Update

To begin, you may have noticed that I’ve taken a recent entry title — Predicting Hockey Stardom — and then added the “Update” to it.  My reasoning:  that post is very much related to this one.  In fact, as I thought more and more about Fred’s question, it struck me that nearly every entry topic on this site at least slightly touches upon the qualities that go into the making of a really good hockey player.

Although I can’t necessarily give these percentage weights, I’ve plotted hockey’s basic skills within my Building Blocks Approach to Skills.   The expanded chart can be found within that post, as well as a detailed explanation on how I feel about each skill’s place in our game, and how I believe these skills should be treated in the teaching process.  In general, however, I view skating as the base for both a hockey player’s offensive and defensive game.  Hey, one can’t either elude or catch an opponent without being quick and agile on the skates.  Of course, the other skills — including puckhandling, passing and receiving, and shooting are the offensive skills required to ultimately put the puck past an enemy goaltender.

Individual hockey-specific skills duly noted, there are also quite a few physical traits a good hockey player needs, with this list at least including strength, speed, quickness, agility, and hockey-specific conditioning.

Next, a player absolutely must have knowledge about the game, and he or she must eventually be able to read and react quickly and properly to ever changing game conditions.  Ours is a transition sport, meaning that puck possession changes frequently, necessitating that a player constantly switch his or her role — from offense to defense to offense and so on.  And, when I said that players must react properly, I’ve also implied that they know, understand and be able to apply both tried and true hockey playing principles along with the team’s planned strategies.  Attempting to over-emphasize a point here, please appreciate that reading and reacting require both the mental side of things, and the ability to physically carry out whatever needs to be done.

Now, I apologize that I can’t find a pretty interesting article I ran across just the other day, because it would have contributed further to my premise that there are a kzillion qualities required of a desirable hockey player.  The article was written by a former NHL-er, and it listed all the personal traits one should have in order to reach a high level.  These are the so-called intangibles  — like being a good teammate, being a good citizen, having a good work ethic, etc.  And, as I recall, that list of personality traits went well into the twenties.

Okay, so I’ve now amassed a pie chart that might be nearing a good forty or fifty slices, these including both physical and mental components.  With that, let me at least supply some of my own personal feelings when it comes to assigning importance to each…

In a perfect world, I would like young hockey players to be placed on a timetable that’s aimed at having them ready far down the road.  In other words, with everything geared towards early development, I wouldn’t worry about having young ones totally ready until they are about to enter high school.  In other words, I’d have a completely different pie chart for youngsters.  Of course, youth hockey circles are far from a perfect world, which means that some development may be lost as parents and coaches care as much about their kids looking good and winning games.

I’ll next call upon that old football expression which implies that, “On any given Sunday…”  My twist on that would be, “On any give day, one player may look a whole lot more impressive than others.”  In other words, players can do everything correctly over several years, but a lesser player might just do everything right on the day important people are watching.

In most honest opinion, “the total package” usually matters far more than any checklist we might devise.  In other words, a given player might have certain strengths and certain shortcomings, but his “total package” has him lead the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in scoring.  Yet another youngster may have his own combination of strengths and weaknesses that still allow him to be the best rated defenseman in all of US high school hockey.  So, if you get my drift, this very point suggests that, it probably doesn’t make sense for us to try to place more or less significance on any one area of the game.   It is, after all, the “total package” that determines if a player is effective or not.

Then, as I’ve written more than a few times within this site, ” We coaches and scouts (including yours truly) can be dreamers.”  And what I’m getting at here is that we can be looking at certain players more from a perspective of “potential” than how they actually compare to others.  Said yet another way, we might discount already polished players in favor of the “raw-boned” type who “projects” to be far better than the rest someday down the road.

With all that, I might offer to Fred and all my other member friends that, many scouts and high level coaches speak with slightly forked tongues when they state in public the kinds of skills they’re looking for.  Oh, for sure, they’re going to tell everyone within ear-shot that they like to see great skaters, whatever.  The fact of the matter is, they very frequently select players for drastically different reasons, and they are as often wrong about their choices as they are right.

*

PS:  I felt it necessary to say all I have here, mainly because of the very last few paragraphs — in that final decisions on players don’t always (if ever) make sense, or fit some predetermined checklist.

At the same time — because I know I’m frequently responsible for guiding the fate of my own students and players, I do follow something akin to a checklist.  It begins with my bringing players through the aforementioned Building Blocks Approach to Skills.

As players mature, I’ll then address age-specific physical traits like speed, strength, agility, conditioning and more.

Along the way, I also try to instill in them a firm knowledge of the tried and true playing principles, while at the same time encouraging the kind of character any future coach would appreciate.

I took the link Joe provided, sat back and watched, then found my mind racing with lots of random thoughts.  Perhaps, though, you should watch the same video before I get into all that.

– Dennis Chighisola

Predicting Hockey Stardom

To begin, my feeling is that the cute little guy featured in that piece is awesome.  And I mean that in many ways — from his poise on camera to the way he seemingly handles himself on the ice.

I also want to reaffirm something you should have caught me saying over and over within these pages, in that a certain “mentality” is required in order for a player to be a dangerous offensive threat.  The move he made in that video more than hints at this little guy having that kind of mindset.  But so are there a number of other cues I gathered from his brief interview.

The dad also hinted at this in his mention of a backyard rink.  Ya, that’s the kind of atmosphere where creativity is fostered.  You know what I mean — where a kid can just fiddle and fiddle and fiddle with a puck.

All those established, I now feel the need to switch about 180-degrees in order to deal with that “Predicting Hockey Stardom” issue.  Ya, predicting…

Well, would you believe that NHL clubs aren’t thrilled with having to make decisions on teenage players?  That only came about after Wayne Gretzky’s representatives began legal wranglings when he was a teen, these basically suggesting the NHL was depriving the soon to be Great One from making a living by not considering younger players than they had been drafting.  My point:  National Hockey League teams would much rather make their decisions based on far more data, and the amount of data increases greatly with each year they get to see and evaluate a player.  Said yet another way, practically anyone could better judge a player’s pro readiness at age 20 or 21, rather than at 18-years of age.

I’ve mixed plenty with NHL scouts through the years.  And, while most I’ve met have been pretty savvy guys, I know that they know their evaluations are not part of an exact science.  Anything but, since there are as many player intangibles to be guessed at as there are seeming obvious physical qualities.

And that brings me back to 9-year old Oliver, who isn’t 21, 20, or even 18-years of age.  Just how many things can change for that young man in the next 9-years or so?  Ha, trying to list them here just might blow this site’s server.

Just on the physical side, injury or illness could shortcut his progression, and so could his fortunes change depending on whether he matures to be 5′ 3″ or 6′ 5″.  So could the speed of his movements ultimately help or hamper the boy’s worthiness to play pro.

As for those so-called intangibles, let me at least mention a few…  Probably Number One on that list would be Oliver’s eventual coachability.  And I think a very close second will be his willingness to work (listen to my short audio, “A Lot Of Things Change As A Player Gets Older“, for more on this).  And, slightly related to the previous point, I’ll suggest that kids often do change their priorities as they get older — think cars, girls, jobs.

A given class of future recruits changes from year to year also.  In other words, while someone may have had young Oliver at the top of their list last year, a kid named Walter from Alaska might claim that spot now, and a young Russian boy named Igor could grab it the next.

Summing up this part — while that has to seem like a lot of negatives, I’ll suggest that that isn’t my intent.  All I’ve attempted to do is be a little realistic.  And I’m trying to just point out the near futility in trying to project talent too many years in advance.

That out of the way, though, let me suggest that Oliver has several things working in his favor.

As I mentioned earlier, he seems to have the right mentality.  And this, in turn, tends to bring many successes, which should only encourage him to work all the more (in other words, it snowballs — from a want to work to successes to a want to work more, etc).

Oliver’s dad — if he’s not overbearing, also seems a huge asset.  Of course, some might think his college playing experiences may help, while I’m not so sure about that.  However, I suspect the dad’s development within the Swedish hockey system may help him be a little bit more creative in comparison to a lot of North American hockey dads.

Then, of course, there’s that backyard rink.  Ya, I love that idea, and I count it as a biggie in Oliver’s favor.

What I hope proves to be an awesome supplement to the manual is an mp3 audio recording which shares lots of real-life experiences I’ve had over 40-years of dealing with young hockey players, their parents and their coaches.

In addition, I also created a Hockey Coaches’ Forum where manual owners and I might discuss problems, suggest ideas, and so forth.  In other words, while the original manual may be carved in stone, our experiences as coaches can continue to grow with every forum entry.

I’m writing today to let everyone know that the Hockey Coaches’ Forum is out there in cyber space for the world to see.  So anyone can look over our shoulders as the forum grows.  (Would it help to have a manual of your own?  Of course.  But, it’s not absolutely necessary for you to discover some new ideas.)

To date, I’ve added a few entries, mainly because my two next year’s teams have already begun working out.  I’ll continue to do that as I make more observations about my teams that seem to fit a manual owner’s needs.  (Oh, and I’m also into that stuff NOW because this is the time of year when wise coaches get a jump on all their future opponents!)

So, have a look, and let me know what you think.  I’m always seeking for ideas.

If you’d like to know more about that manual, just click the photo above.

Henceforth, we’re going to be on the lookout for special deals on hockey related products.  And, you have our promise that these will include substantial savings in comparison to what others might pay.

x – A new product is coming

x- A new product is coming

x- A new product is coming

x- A new product is coming

When you see a product you’d like to purchase, please do the following:

1.  copy this Password to paste into the next page:   650Member

2.  click on the INSTANT ACCESS! button to be taken to the next page.

I haven’t completely fixed the quality of the audio yet.  However, I do have some ideas that I promise to try shortly.

– Dennis Chighisola

A Hockey Chat with Coaches – 3

As always, just pressing the arrow below will start the audio playing.

Oh, and since I was rushed to get into the rink this night, I didn’t get the chance to thank you for keeping me company on an otherwise boring ride.  So, thanks! 

______________________

Just a reminder…

The Bonus audio is still available when you purchase

“How to Assemble & Teach A Basic Hockey System”

The real article was titled “Does Coaching Win Championships?”, which dealt mainly with pro level sports, and then ultimately with it’s featured team and coach in college lacrosse.  I’ve changed the subject heading here, because I’d like to share some thoughts as this all relates to hockey, and especially as I believe it applies to youth hockey.

– Dennis Chighisola

PS:  I urge you to read the original article.  It may not (necessarily) apply to you and me.  However, it is one of the most thought-provoking I’ve read in a long, long time…  Does Coaching Win Championships? By Dean Robinson

Does Coaching Win (Hockey) Championships?

Dean Robinson begins his article suggesting that pro athletes tend to have more influence on a game’s outcome than the coach (think Dirk Nowitzki and LeBron James here, maybe a Michael Jordan in years past, the stars who comprised the 1927 New York Yankees, the Islanders and Oilers during different parts of the ’80′s).  This isn’t to say that coaches don’t influence outcomes.  But, as Robinson suggests, their contributions aren’t measurable — or there aren’t any stats we can go to for comparisons.  True enough?  I’d say so.

That established, I’d like to look at amateur hockey.  And, no, there isn’t any way to really measure a given coach’s impact on game results.  Sure, we all have our won/loss records, but it’s more than likely those numbers are hugely impacted by the players we had available for any given game or season.

Okay, so let’s take a look at a graph I’ve had in my head for a lot of years…

In other words, I’m strongly suggesting that the coach of a Mite team has far great influence over his or her team’s record than the coach of a college team.

Oh, before you think I’m suggesting that most Division I college hockey coaches aren’t among the cream of the crop, I want you to know that that’s not what I’m saying at all.  However, I’ll bet most guys at that level will admit that recruiting has the greatest impact on their success.  All the guys and gals at that level know their X’s and O’s, and modern day DI coaches are also pretty adept at handling “people”.  What they need, however, is talent to make their X’s and O’s produce the right results.  And, that level’s most successful coaches have usually been top recruiters.

As an aside here, you might notice that I haven’t drawn any vertical lines to specifically separate the influence coaches hold over Mites, Squirts, Pee Wees, etc.  That’s because I believe there is a gray area from group to group.  Or, said another way, I’m only suggesting that there’s a slight — and hard to specify — difference from level to level.

You might also notice that I haven’t drawn anything as “all or nothing”.  In other words, maybe there will be a few players we can’t dramatically change among the youngest group.  And, for sure, the college level coach will be able to change some of his or her players, if only just a bit.

Now, here’s the premise upon which I base my thinking…

The youngest players are by far the most malleable.  I mean, they are wide-eyed and looking to learn, and their bodies are such that kids in that rough age group can be changed within a matter of weeks, and certainly within a matter of months.  That in mind, a really effective “teaching coach” can work near miracles.  And, I’d say that some of his or her game bench ploys can probably work a whole lot more than they would at higher levels

Sadly to say, humans are less changeable as they mature.  So, while I see this starting to become obvious in older Pee Wees and into Bantams, there’s a good chance that a high school and college coach pretty much gets what he or she gets.  If you get my drift here, I’m suggesting that older teens and players in their young 20′s have come pretty close to the players they’re always going to be.  I’m not saying that they can’t get stronger or better conditioned, for example.  But it is very unlikely that the slow, plodding player is suddenly going to become the top skilled guy on an older team.

Not that any coach at any level should stop trying to improve his or her roster, or individual players.  In fact, that’s where our tinkering with the X’s and O’s and working our players harder at the older levels might help us steal a point or two from teams of better skill.  Returning to my premise, though, all our efforts aren’t likely going to turn a less skilled team into the better skilled one.

Two final points…

Please don’t ever forget what I said in that last paragraph — in that we should never stop trying to help our players improve, and we should never stop trying to gain some sort of advantage over other teams.

What I especially want to emphasize here is the importance of those who oversee development for the youngest teams.  There is no time to relax in that job, because every chance you get with a young group is an opportunity to impact hugely on their future.  And don’t take your role as a “teaching coach” lightly.  Oh, I know there are some folks out there who think, “Ah, my players will get that at the next level.”  Please get that out of your mind, and — while being patient, plan to cram as much as you can into those young brains and little bodies.

What brought us to discussing this was the flurry of trades that took place before, during and after the recent NHL Draft.  More specifically, some not-so-nice things came to light in the media, once a guy had been traded.  Interestingly, we never seemed to hear those negatives before the given trade.  Once a guy was shipped out of town, however, it seems all his behavioral issues were fair game.

Some of what we’ve recently heard had to do with the players’ off-ice activities, and some of them intimated that a certain player wasn’t as good a teammate as he could have been.

Ravi and I talked on Facebook about that stuff, until he finally asked me to address it here.  I told him that I’d just recently watched a video done by our good friend, Shaun Goodsell.  And, while this doesn’t deal with late-night carousing issues, it offers the best advice I’ve ever heard when it comes to being a good guy or gal in the lockerroom.

– Dennis Chighisola

Being A Good Hockey Teammate

I don’t know about you but, that stuff really meant something to me.

I don’t think I’ve ever coached a team — youth to college — whereby players didn’t at least somewhat pay more attention to teammates they knew well, and less to those they didn’t know so well.  That, at least to me, is human nature.  So, I can’t necessarily fault kids for doing what comes comfortably to them.  Of course, what Shaun had to say is an awesome way to look at that, and I’d highly recommend that every coach (and parent) make their young player aware of that viewpoint.  Just imagine what a lockerroom would be like if every player took that approach.

Then, just to give you a hint of something I’m working on — and maybe suggest something other coaches might try…  I’m digging through Google right now to find ideas for “bonding”, or “ice breaking”.  A lot of companies are now doing this, calling in specialists who will run all sorts of games that tend to get folks laughing and working together.  A lot of what we’ll find in that regard involves purely mental tasks.  But, what I’m looking for are games involving small groups, these intended to get participants depending upon one another, and cheering for each other.  After all, that’s what we look for during a game.

Anyway, I hope this gets everyone thinking — about how hockey players can be good teammates.

Make no mistake:  rope skipping is beneficial to just about every athlete, and it can help a hockey player in a number of extra ways.

– Dennis Chighisola

Rope Skipping Benefits for Hockey Players

I think it best that I show you a very short video before we get into a discussion on the benefits of rope skipping, this to act as sort of a frame of reference…

You ought to know that my AAA Bantams arrived at that same rink parking lot right after my young Mites left.  And, although I may have presented and run the drills just a tad differently, my older guys did the same rope skipping sequences.

So, basically, both groups began with their individual skipping in place, I had all the kids jog across the parking lot — forward and backwards — as they skipped, they next tried jumping a long rope swung by two teammates, and they ultimately even tried holding their sticks in a hockey posture as they jumped.

Okay, so about that video, and the benefits of rope skipping…

I hope you recognized that those little guys are still growing into their bodies, and they’re only gradually gaining real coordination.  So, I’d like you to appreciate how much the simple act of rope skipping is forcing them to really handle their entire bodies.   If we think about it, just twirling the individual rope calls into play an athlete’s fingers, hands, wrists and arms.  And, once the rope gets moving, he or she has to coordinate the rest of the body with a jump.

One can’t jump at just any old time, so timing is an important part of this exercise.  Actually, timing will be crucial in their game as my kids mature.  If you can picture it, clumsier skaters tend to miss-time a lot of things, while the better skilled ones do almost everything at precisely the right moment.

Of course, there will ultimately be some other benefits to skipping rope, including a little bit of strength and a lot of endurance (the type of conditioning to be determined by the intensity and duration of each bout).

Now, I could have just as easily shown you some clips of my older guys skipping.  However, I believe extremes make better examples.  I mean, the above video shows a group of very young human beings as they struggle with a new physical problem.  And watching them tends to exaggerate each of the challenges they face — as in coordination, timing, etc.

With that, I’d like you to appreciate that there is a learning curve to everything, including athleticism.  So is there a learning curve to hockey specific skills — like skating, puckhandling, passing, receiving, shooting, and all the rest.  And, make no mistake about it:  the better athlete has the chance to be the better hockey player.

Man, I can’t emphasize that point enough.  Much has been written within this website about the so-called “failed experiment”, whereby, during a period in North American hockey history, overall athleticism was neglected in favor of sport-specific training.  That period produced less creative players, players who couldn’t handle their bodies well in 1 on 1 match-ups, and players who were more prone to injury.  (My personal opinion is that that period also opened the door for far more athletic European players to make their marks in the game.)

Of course, I’m a hockey coach, and I’m not about to abandon hockey-specific training.  It’s just that the ideal is to begin with an “athlete”, and then build from there.

Over the years, I’ve also found numerous ways to combine rope skipping with hockey training.  Or, said another way, I like to keep building on my players’ basic rope skipping abilities with all the more difficult challenges.

The latter in mind, consider that we hockey types play on blades that are rounded on the bottom, and a great deal of our mobility on the ice is based on our ability to handle our body-weight over those rounded blades.  Just jumping while in skates enhances our balance, while skipping rope calls into play all the previously described challenges and ultimate benefits.  What also happens with the rope skipping version of jumping is that a player’s landings are almost all unpredictable.  There’s a lot going on as the body twists and deals with the rope in mid-air, so that the landings can be on one foot or the other, or on absolutely every part of a skate’s blade.  Or, as I can joke at time, “It’s a new thrill every time a player lands!” 

There is also much said within this site about a hockey player needing to deal with lots of other problems as he or she handles the puck.  And that’s why I ultimately took long rope jumping to a new level.  I mean, as partners twirl the long rope, my more advanced players must dribble a ball (off-ice) or a puck (on-ice).  Imagine the challenge:  timing the jumps with the dribbles, keeping the stick from tangling in the rope, and then also dealing with all the odd ways one can land.  Ya, I’d call that a challenge, and I’d also suggest it very nearly matches the kinds of challenges a player faces in real game action.

In closing, a few months ago, I gave members of both my teams homework assignments (with the parents of my younger kids asked to help their little ones).  I wanted them to get a head start on skipping (among other things), just so we could have the feeling-out stage out of the way before we met as teams.  Of course, human nature being what it is, some kids did, some didn’t, and it was obvious the other night.  No matter, I think patience is one of THE most important virtues a coach can have.  Anyway, the important thing is that my kids are on their way.  Now all I want is for them to just keep growing — in overall athleticism, and then in hockey-specific skills.

Free gifts will usually only be available for one month, then they’re gone.  So, since you won’t want to miss a single extra, be sure to check this section at least once per month.  Better yet, click the NEWS FEED button up in the right corner, and never miss a new post again.

FYI… If you’ve just recently joined, you’ve probably already missed some truly valuable gifts.  Have no fear, however…   I promise to occasionally rerun these at times when they’d best suit your needs. Promise!

– Dennis Chighisola

Audio:  Goal Setting in Hockey

You can listen to the audio portion of Shaun Goodsell’s talk by clicking the arrow below…

You can download that audio recording by right clicking on the following link and the Save As…

Goal Setting in Hockey

Now, I’d like to think that a huge benefit to this CoachChic.com site is that it contains numerous videos that you can watch over and over again.   Still, you might want to have some paper and a pen available as you watch this one, because some really good stuff is to follow.

– Dennis Chigisola

Goal Setting in Hockey

With The Mental Edge’s Shaun Goodsell

I think I’ve mentioned several other times how I like to listen to interesting podcasts or audio recordings as I drive to and from the rinks.  And, since Shaun’s presentation lends itself to such, I actually captured the audio portion of that video so that I can listen to it numerous times henceforth.  Ya, if you think about it, there are a lot of good things to be reminded of in there.

I haven’t forgotten you in that regard, though.  In fact, I’ve also made a copy for you, and I’ve placed it over in this month’s *Gift section.  Just go there when you have a minute, and I’ll give you directions on downloading the audio so that you can also listen to it on the go.

How it started was that the guy Messaged me through Facebook, suggesting that, “The hockey invention no one has come up with yet would be priceless.”  That new invention, gleaned from his having watched the Bruins win the Stanley Cup this week, was something that would “instill heart and desire in a player…”  He ended with, “Someone could make millions!”

  Okay, if you know this old coach by now, you know that got me going.  And, when I was done answering my friend, I just knew I had to share my thoughts with you.

– Dennis Chighisola

Instilling Heart and Desire in a Hockey Player

Now, believing in myself as I do, I wrote back to say that I see it as relatively easy to accomplish — with a couple of IFs.   Ya, a couple of dawgoned IFs…

My first need would be to get the players rather early, or while still young and mold-able.  (No way could I change the playing personality of a kid who is 10 or 12 or 15 or older.)

Secondly, I’d need the parents to be a help and not a hindrance.  (You don’t think that matters?  Well, last year while I tried to enhance certain skills with a group of Mites, I had three  sets of parents tell me they didn’t like the way I prodded their kids to try harder.   Now, to survive all these years as a coach, I have to be a pretty compassionate guy, and a pretty good teacher.  So the real problem, I’ll suggest, is that the boys’ moms were bothered a whole lot more by my methods than their kids.   My prediction:  all three boys will be out of the game within a few years — or at least out of very competitive levels, IF they’re not allowed to grow with their teammates.)

Okay, so I’m boasting a bit as I write back to the former pro, telling him I know exactly how I like to start infusing a little heart or desire into the young players in my charge.  And, reverting back to a few drills I’ve mentioned previously in these pages, I suggested that I’d do it with some combative-type games…

I always begin with 1 on 1 keepaway.  Hey, how much closer to real game conditions can you get than to ask two youngsters to compete against each other for possession of the puck?

The second game I like to play is very similar to keepaway, except I’ll send two young players into a corner after a dumped puck, and ask the kid who gains the puck to as quickly as possible put a good pass right onto my stick.

As you should appreciate, 1 against 1 games — of any kind — tend to really magnify the participants’ desire for the puck.   Oh, sure, it can boil down to skills, too.  So, I have an answer for that…

Although every player on a roster should be able to ultimately do well against most teammates, I think we both know that the best skilled players will win most of the earliest contests.

This in mind, I’ll suggest that it would be a good idea to purposely arrange match-ups in the early going.  Picture it, for example, that we pit the weakest two players against each other.  Both should feel they have a chance at winning, and both are more likely to give their all than if either was matched again a far more talented player.  At the other end of our roster, I’ll suggest that the two best players probably won’t act lazily if paired in such a game.  Ya, the last thing I want is for a player to either just go through the motions or totally give-up before the drill even starts.

As I intimated earlier, my friend was writing me with some Boston Bruins forwards in mind.   So I suggested to him that such guys — having reached that level of play, had had lots of successes as they climbed the hockey ladder.  In other words, it’s pretty likely they won lots of battles along the way, many of them just like I’ve described above.

I raise that point to suggest that no one learns from failing more than they succeed.

I also felt the need to mention the numbers game that tends to take place in sport.  I mean, for every player we see competing at a high level, there were literally thousands of others he or she passed by.  The reasons athletes drop by the wayside can be pretty varied.  But, my thinking is that a lot of kids drop-out once they feel they can’t compete anymore.  And, once again, we’re talking about the kind of competing that takes place in my little 1 against 1 games.

Now, although I probably should have addressed a couple terms from the outset, I purposely decided to handle them at the end.

Actually, we in sport tend to toss terms around rather loosely, perhaps not exactly using the right words, or not explaining ourselves as well as we should.  Anyway, with that…

I think we all have a sense of what my young friend meant when he cited the importance of “desire”.  In other words, he (and I) feel that it’s extremely important for a player to want the puck — badly, to desperately want a certain valuable position on the ice surface, etc.

All I’ve suggested above is that we can start relatively young players on a path towards believing in themselves when it comes to battling opposition players.  And, to accomplish that, tasks must be do-able, at least in the start.  (If I challenge you to jump the Grand Canyon, you’re going to walk away, and I haven’t done a thing to help your self-confidence.)  Fairly even match-ups like I’ve described above give at least half a roster the chance to be successful, and it’s quite likely even more than half of the kids will win some of those battles.

Along the way, even young players will start to sense that they accomplish more with added effort, and that the occasional extra grunt often spells victory.  At least that’s what we should be hoping as we supervise those little battles.

I’m also going to suggest that even a single season spent doing these types of combative drills can stick with individual players for a very long time.  Little by little, the lessons learned mount-up, as does the confidence.  And, it will take a lot of setbacks in subsequent years to undo the belief a kid has in himself (or herself).

Oh, ya, there’s one more term to address here.  And that’s the matter of “heart”.   Hmmmmmm…

I know my friend at the other end of this discussion had the best of intentions when he used that word.   And, it might even be appropriate to use if we’re discussing professional players (although I even doubt it).  For my money, every youngster who goes out to try his or her hand at the game has heart.   I dare anyone to argue with me on that.

As a matter of fact, I’m guessing most kids also initially take to the ice with a batch of desire, too.

If there’s anything that can go wrong with all this, it’s probably that we adults — we parents and coaches — leave the kids to their own devices, and don’t use methods that enhance their skills and confidence.

Secondly, I like to use drills that sorta force players to deal with problems, consequently forcing them to solve those problems on their own.

Thirdly, I’ll quite frequently just toss players into a set of conditions and let them initially sink or swim without any help.  However, once they experience the challenges — as a frame of reference, the advice I’ll then provide tends to mean all the more to them.

– Dennis Chighisola

The Value of Keepaway Games in Hockey

I hope the above sequence makes sense to hockey coaches and parents.  I mean, I don’t think players truly appreciate the value of our advice until they’ve experienced the problems we’d like to help them solve.  Make sense?  If not, I will take some time to re-explain that line of thinking a little later.

For now, let me suggest that a game of keepaway (as shown in the following video) very much simulates conditions players regularly deal with in real game hockey action.  Hey, hockey is all about 1 against 1 and 2 against 1 battles!

In keeping with my second point above, I’ve thrown some of my young students into the drill you’ll see without much of an explanation at all.  In other words, I pretty much just told them, “Go keep the puck away from the other guy for as long as you can!”

With that, see if you can identify some of the things these kids are learning on their own.  I’ll add my own thoughts after you’ve had a chance to watch the video…

Perhaps not evident in these clips, one of the things I noticed was that the little puckhandlers frequently looked over their shoulders to locate the checker.  Good for them, because this is an extremely important hockey principle.

Similar to the latter point, I think we can see evidence that a puckhandler at times could almost “feel” or “sense” the location of the checker.

I also spotted times when a puckcarrier would realize he had a better chance of keeping the puck if he skated for open ice, or far from his checker.  To be honest, too many kids remain right along the boards, thusly giving the checker an advantage.

Please appreciate that the video shows my kids’ second attempt at this 1 on 1 keepaway game.  So, they are still just feeling their way, and perhaps only gradually arriving at some ideas for handling the challenges at hand.  Still, I noticed several youngsters starting to get the idea of keeping their body between a checker and the puck.  In other words, they’ve already begun learning to “protect the puck”.

Then, while we probably all tend to watch the kid with the puck during these kinds of confrontations, a review of that video might show how a checker is also learning certain basic defensive skills — like pokechecking, angling his man, etc.

Okay, I said in the beginning that I just threw the kids into this drilling without any real advice.  And I’m going to do things that way for another practice or so.  However, that previously noted protecting the puck skill is one I’m going to emphasize pretty shortly.  As for examples of this, notice a kid usually losing the puck as he turns towards the checker, thereby exposing the puck, or putting it within easy reach of that man.  On yet other occasions, a little guy has kept the puck because he cut away from his check — again, protecting it by placing his body between the man and the puck.

By the way, here’s how I’ll usually approach things when I’m ready to help my kids solve a problem…

I’ll gather them after a bout with a given drill, and then begin with something like, “Has anyone here had THIS problem?”  When it comes to that puck protection thing, I’ll explain — and probably demonstrate — how turning into the checker allows that guy to swipe at the puck.  With that, I might even ask the kids to help me find an answer, my hope being that they’ll tell me to cut away from the checker.

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Okay, any thoughts, questions or Comments on all this?
You know I love talking the game with you guys!

Two things made me pull those R-bars out of mothballs, however:

1) a former student and long-time pro player reminded me recently just how awesome that device is;

2) I’d noticed that a lot of my youngest students — both in the ADM program and in my own Learn-to clinics — were really flailing their arms and legs, and getting almost nothing for their efforts.

Anyway, I finally advertised a short course which has run for the past 5-weeks.  And I thought I’d show you a few things that are almost always evident whenever I get into the issue of balance in the forward stride.

– Dennis Chighisola

Balance in Hockey’s Forward Skating Stride

I shot the following video on the first night my students and I gathered.  I wanted to expose all the worst things that can be observed at a time like this (and I’ll explain more in awhile what I mean by “a time like this”).

Among the things I hope you’ll spot…

The hockey stick is terribly inhibiting to any skater, and especially so to a relative beginner.  So, see if you can spot instances where a youngster’s stick hand moves through a very short, abrupt pattern, while the free hand travels through a relatively full range of motion.

On occasion, you might notice a player pumping the stick hand forward-to-backward while the free hand moves side-to-side.  (Talk about wrestling within oneself, and really expending a lot of energy to get almost nowhere!)

I hope you’ll also notice how a youngster will sometimes restrict his hand, arm and shoulder movements to only a slight side-to-side action.  And, calling into play the law of equal and opposite reactions, it’s important for us to know that such upper boy movements translate to equally abrupt skate thrusts to each side.

As for that thing about “a time like this”, well…  Any “Before” shot (in a “Before and After” sequence) has to include the worst possible conditions, just so we ultimately get to see the extremes.  And, in this case, the kids haven’t worked with my Skater’s Rhythm-bar yet, and THEY ARE FORCED HERE TO SKATE WHILE CARRYING THEIR STICKS.  Ya, the sticks do cause a problem, as you should see.

Okay, so let’s take a look…

Actually, there were a couple of decent arm pumps within that footage, but there were also a ton of other mechanical problems I’ll deal with at another time.  Hopefully you have seen the things I mentioned above, though.  And, while I might apply a lot of science to the actual analysis of a player’s skating motion, I’m sure you realize now how easily the naked eye (or a very simply shot video) can expose a lot.

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Now, it’s been about a month since my kids have trained with the Skater’s Rhythm-bar, as well as spent plenty of time skating without a stick.  So, take a look at how they’ve come along (I’ll add some further comments later)…

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Man, I’m getting such a great feeling, just watching that footage…   I’m sure you’ll admit that the kids look FAR better than in the first video-taping.  They are traveling much better, they’re more at ease in their movements, their left and right hands (and arms and shoulders) are moving through similar patterns, and aaaaaaah…

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Down the road, I think I’m going to release a program that tells coaches, parents and older players how to make and use their own Skater’s Rhythm-bar.  (I used to sell the R-bar and an accompanying hard copy training manual, but I don’t think that’s really necessary in this day and age.)

Really, though, a lot can be accomplished towards the desired end without a Rhythm-bar.   I mean, I have all of my players (goalies included) train for brief times by striding without a stick.  And, while you might be thinking of beginners here, I am going to suggest that the most advanced players will benefit from this sort of training.

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Okay, questions or Comments?  Let’s get a conversation going!

Please DO share this page with anyone you think would enjoy the video (especially hockey moms and hockey dads?).

And please DO add your Comments below in the provided box.

If you’d like to immediately download the song, “Tommy’s First Pair of Skates” (minus all the crazy sound effects), just CLICK HERE — in the event you’d like to play it lots of times yourself, or if you’d like to give it as a gift to someone special.

Okay, as long-time CoachChic.com members may have gathered, I’m breaking a little with tradition here — because *Gifts are normally reserved for you only.  In fact, if you don’t mind, I’m going to keep this one available to the entire hockey world, mainly because I believe it deserves that kind of attention.

I’m hoping this makes sense to you, because my dream is to give this song a chance to become a hockey standard.

Of course, I couldn’t ever do something like that alone.  So I’m hoping you’ll help, and possibly share this page with anyone you know in our game.  (Come to think of it, you might have the chance to be a part of hockey history here, being one of the very first to hear John’s song, and also being a part of spreading the word.  Actually, you can even go on record as one of the very first ever, just by leaving a Comment below.)

As always, thanks in advance for all your help!

– Dennis Chighisola

As for the Story Behind the Story…

Several years ago my youngest brother sent me a collection of songs he’d written, composed and sung for me to use as background music in some of my videos.  Those who have seen the video featuring me and Chomper (the NEHI mascot) have heard my brother on that soundtrack, and you probably also know that he’s a real pro — using the stage name John Stevens, and entertaining regularly on cruise ships and around Orlando, Florida, at Universal Studios and sometimes at Disney World.

Anyway, the CD John sent me sat for a week or so before I had a chance to browse it for a video I was planning.  So, there I tinkered in my office studio, all alone at about 2 o’clock in the morning, as the third song started to play.

Gulp…  Almost immediately I got a lump in my throat and my eyes began to water.  Ya, it was — it is — THAT kind of song.

It didn’t take long for me to know what I wanted to do with something so special.  However, it has taken me forever (like almost three years) to gather the right video footage and photos, and to envision exactly how things should go together.  And it’s even taken me about the past month to work with all the assembled resources in hopes of releasing something hockey folks will truly enjoy.

As far as your enjoying it goes, well…  That’s for you to decide, and perhaps tell me about.  I know several hockey moms have already written to let me know they cried hearing that song.   So, if you might use the box below, I’d love to hear you impressions, or even how my brother’s story relates to your own.   Again, I’d really, really appreciate hearing from you.

At the same time, I’m hoping that by now my CoachChic.com friends have come to trust me as I search high and low for information that can put them far ahead of others.

So, with that, the following video should prove both entertaining and humorous.  You might even see a little of yourself or a child as you watch and listen.  Truly, though, Sir Ken Robinson’s line of thinking has much to do with the way I happen to view young, developing hockey players.  I’ll save my own thoughts until after you’ve had a chance to see the video, however.

– Dennis Chighisola

Do Schools Kill Creativity?

Okay, I’m hoping by now you’ve gotten the sense that creativity can be stifled within our educational institutions.  That established, however, I wonder if you’ve ever considered the possibility that a rather old sport — with so much tradition — can also squelch unique spirits and ingenuity.  Huh?

Just think…  If it wasn’t for the stubbornness of a Jacques Plante, goaltenders nowadays might still be facing ferocious shots without a mask.  One has to wonder if Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion was at all deterred along the way as he experimented with his new offensive weapon, the slapshot.  And, we have to really think about the chance that an overbearing hockey coach way back in their earliest years could have totally discouraged the creativity of a Gretzky, a Lemieux, or an Ovechkin.

As for me, I’ll share this brief story…  A few years back, I tried a highly skilled little guy on the powerplay with some slightly older players.  Right off, that little guy started freelancing with our plays, which just as immediately drew some concerns from one of my assistant coaches.  I kinda chuckled at that, as I whispered to my assistant, “That’s what I’ve been looking for all along!”  Our plays weren’t meant to be regimented; they were just ideas for what we could do in various circumstances.

Oh, you or I might not be coaching a future Great One.  But, then, who knows.?  The point I’m trying to really make here is that our sport needs creativity.  So, we ought to think twice before making all of our youngest players conform to every old standard.

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PS:  Addressing this issue just now with a Facebook friend, I was reminded of something I’ve always felt…  Ya know, when we have a roster full of good, hard working people, we always long for that one unique player who can seemingly pull rabbits out of a hat.  (I think you know what I mean:  a real magician when the chips are on the line.)  The sad part comes when some coaches get that one special player, beat on him or her for being creative, and seemingly try to turn him or her into an ordinary one.

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Oh, boy, I know I’ve caused you to think more than a little on this one.
So, would you mind offering those thoughts?  I’d love to hear them!

Dr Norris isn’t introduced until about the 23-minute mark of the video, so you might want to fast-forward to that point.  Also, the audio doesn’t improve until after awhile but, it does ultimately improve.

As for the information in this video, I think long-time members will discover that a lot of its content has been covered within this site.  Norris’ version, however, is an even better, more condensed approach to a lot of what you’ll find under Highlight Reel Skills.

Anyway, find a time when you’re not distracted, turn-up your speakers (or headphones), and enjoy!

– Dennis Chighisola

Dr Steve Norris Speaks on the ADM Hockey Program

I’m hoping members enjoy this new format attempt — it surely helps me kill two birds with one stone, enabling me to add what I hope to be helpful content while also having you keep me company on an otherwise lonely drive to a rink. 

– Dennis Chighisola

A Hockey Chat with Coaches – 2

In this entry, I hope to share with you yet another way we coaches can arrive at ideas for new drills.  In fact, I outline three or four of them here.  (As an FYI…  I mention in the audio that a few of the quick transition drills are actually quite similar to the way my Multi-Purpose Drill Format works.  So, you might want to review that when you get the chance.)

As promised, I also answer fellow member, Craig Shaw, in this one, as I offer my own personal thoughts on USA Hockey’s ADM program.

Like before, the acoustics are great, between my handheld recorder and the noisy SUV.  So, be prepared to maybe wear headphones and adjust the volume.  And, when you’re ready, just press the arrow below.

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Okay, everyone, let me know how you feel about this stuff, huh?

With that, let me try something new, in hopes you like it.

– Dennis Chighisola

A Hockey Chat with Coaches – 1

Acoustics in my SUV — especially along the pot-hole dotted roads of New England — aren’t necessarily conducive to recording a guy’s voice (and a raspy voice at that).   Also, there were times during this particular drive when I had to turn on my windshield wipers, which added to the noise.  So, a set of headphones and a little volume adjustment might be necessary to hear my first attempt at this.  (I sense I can do better in future recordings.)

As for the theme, it’s about the AA Mite team I’m starting to ready for next season.  Still, as I try to emphasize at the start the recording, you should attempt to listen in a way in which you might be able to read between the lines and apply my current line of thinking to your specific age group.

Okay, when you’re ready, just click on the arrow below…

As promised, here are a couple of links I mentioned in that recording…

- Most CoachChic.com members live very far from where my latest course is being offered, so I’m not trying to push that here.  What I would like to do is tell you how my skating invention came about, plus give you a slight sense of what it can do.  (This might actually give you some ideas you can use without an R-bar.)  So, click here if you’re at all interested:   Skater’s Rhythm-bar

- Something I would sincerely push is my newly released coaching manual, especially written for coaches of young players.  I’m using this manual’s outline to ready the team I talk about up above, while I’m also going to use it as a reminder so I don’t forget a thing as I prepare for my AAA Bantams.  So, take a look, and you can even download a free chapter on teaching:  How to Assemble & Teach a Basic Hockey System

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Oh, please don’t forget to let me know if you like this idea of recording on my many rink drives.
And, for sure, I’d love to read your Comments on the topics discussed in this one.

In all honesty, I don’t like following what other hockey coaches are doing, mainly because most of them still do stuff straight from the ’70′s or ’80′s.  Still, I will check on them, and maybe borrow something that I can adapt to modern day needs.

Where I get the most inspiration is from checking on what folks in other sports are doing.  Perhaps because of their work environment — amid scientists, the likes of college track, tennis and football coaches are usually on the cutting edge.  But so are many independent martial arts instructors, strength coaches and boxing trainers.

That said, I’ve several times found the videos offered by Coach Miletto to be of special interest.  Take a look at the one below to see what I mean.

– Dennis Chighisola

Modern Hockey’s Frantic Pace

Now, as I’ve watched the recent Stanley Cup playoffs, I’ve come to the realization that older generations of players just couldn’t have ever kept up the frantic pace played today.  Oh, I believe the greats of the past would still be great today.  But then, they’d have different role models before them and around them, and they’d also have science on their side when it comes to training.

And it’s that science I’m really thinking about…  I mean, the National Hockey League guys are unbelievably strong, they are fast, and they’re in remarkable shape.  A lot like the Energizer Bunny, they just keep going and going and going.  And, although many within youth hockey aren’t yet aware of it, most of these traits are owed to some really, really intense off-season off-ice workouts.

With that, I’d like you to take a look at the following video before I make any further comments…

“Suspension training” — as demonstrated in that video — is something relatively new (at least I’ve only seen it taken to this level over the past few years).  And, if I’m correct on this, it’s sudden rise in popularity probably coincides with our want to enhance our athletes’ core strength.  Ya, for sure, anything done hanging from ropes is going to REALLY tax the core muscles.

I might also mention that an athlete’s arms and shoulders and back — and even his or her lower body — can be further isolated when hung in this manner.

Okay, now my personal tips, as I consider adding this type of training to The MOTION Lab…

I’d have to study this form of training for quite awhile to decide on how close the above demonstrated routine would help my hockey players.  I’m pretty certain I WOULD make lots of adjustments — in the exercises I select, their duration, intensity, and so forth.  Remember:  we’re readying our players for hockey.

For God’s sake, be careful when overseeing a program like this.

I’m sure you can search the web to find some fairly expensive suspension devices.  I doubt I’ll do that, though.  Naw, I’m more likely to make my own, just as I have numerous other Lab gadgets.  In most instances, I need to make each new contraption fit with the limitations of the Lab, or with a unique way I want to use it.

As I joke often, “New England Hockey (or CoachChic.com) recycles!”    In the case of building my own suspension devices, I know I can combine some strong rope and used bicycle inner tubes to get the desired training effects.  Trust me, that the owner of a bicycle shop near you is going to be thrilled that you’ll take a box full of old tubes off his hands.

You may not have thought of this before (because I initially hadn’t), but tires and tubes come in all sizes and shapes.  So, it’s likely you’ll have access to long, thin ones, short and fat ones, and several types in between.  It might not be a bad idea to grab a number of each, since you’ll want to test them later to match their elasticity with the strength of a given player or group of players.

As you sort through a batch of used tubes, inspect each one carefully for cuts and holes.  (Hey, there was a reason they were discarded.)  I continue to inspect these prior to each use, because there’s always the possibility one will start to tear as it’s subjected to lots of stress.

When cutting each tube, I usually begin by snipping a few inches to each side of the valve stem.  With that piece gone, what usually remains is a pretty long stretch of rubber.

In closing, one reason I like new gadgets is because of my concerns with the balance between repetition and boredom.  Oh, I love to challenging my older players, and helping them gain the same frantic capabilities their older counterparts now achieve.  And, it’s likely I could get this done with a limited amount of gear.  Still, players like change, and they especially like to fight against some new tool they haven’t seen much before.  So, while science might suggest that one gadget or another can do the job, we coaches have to remember that it’s our artful approach to training that often spells the difference.

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As always, I’d love to hear your feedback on this subject!

Anyway, I don’t want to spoil things by getting into that now; Bruce will do the job even better than I.

Then, just so you know, Coach Turpin knows his stuff.  He holds a Masters Degree in Physical Education, and he’s one of the best to ever work within my hockey school staff.  So, enjoy, and especially learn from a very bright man.

– Dennis Chighisola

With summer right around the corner, are you being S.M.A.R.T. ?

Summer is quickly approaching! Do you have a plan? Do not miss out on a great opportunity to prepare yourself for next hockey season. You have 10-12 weeks from the end of the school year to the start of a new one, leaving plenty of time to work on developing your game (both physically and mentally). Will you use this time wisely? Do you know how to use this time wisely?

Can you tell me what are you doing today to become a better player (or a better person)?

The above is a pretty robust question if you don’t have an understanding of where you are and where you want to go (ie. what you want to accomplish). How will you know if you ever get there? How will you even know how to get there?

As your summer gets underway, what paths will you take? If you haven’t begun to do so, you need to start thinking about what you want to accomplish this summer and what you want to accomplish next season. Not only thinking about it, but writing it down in the form of clear, concise goals. These written goals will help guide you toward your destination and in times of difficulty can be used to re-focus your efforts and get you back on track.

Your goals should be straightforward and focus on what you want to happen. As you go about creating your goals, you should incorporate the SMART model for goal-setting.

S — Specific: think about what you want to accomplish, why you want to accomplish it, and how you are going to accomplish it

M — Measurable: you need to be able to gauge your progress

A — Attainable: you need to set goals that you can achieve, nothing to easy, nothing too hard, but they need to be outside your comfort zone

R — Realistic: can you realistically achieve this goal (within the availability of your resources, knowledge and time)

T — Timely: have you set a time frame and end point for this goal

Goal-setting can be a powerful tool if used appropriately and consistently. Every college coach I worked with last summer conveyed the importance of goal-setting within their own programs. They stressed the need to accomplish this, not only on a team basis, but on an individual-player basis as well.  Some of the many benefits derived from the goal-setting process include providing you with something to strive for, motivating you to take action, creating benchmarks for success, and building up your self-esteem.

I encourage you to take time to think about what you want to accomplish this summer, why you want to accomplish it, and how you will go about accomplishing it. Remember to create clear and concise goals following the SMART protocol;  create daily or weekly goals that can be used as stepping-stones along the pathway towards your overall (or long-term) goals; set goals that are attainable, but outside your comfort zone, as they will feel much more rewarding and satisfying when they are achieved.

Let me finish this post, by re-asking the following questions:

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TODAY TO BECOME A BETTER PLAYER
and ARE YOU BEING S.M.A.R.T. ABOUT IT?

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Bruce Turpin just began a blog you might want to follow…  Functional Training for Hockey

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If you have questions or Comments — on this topic, or for Bruce, please leave them below.

Actually, we go way back to when her oldest son first attended one of my summer hockey schools in Reading, PA.  Back then, I didn’t know the story she is about to tell, but it would have explained why Cathy knew what she was talking about whenever we discussed the game.

Her boy Tim and my grandson attended that first school together, and ultimately became great little friends over several more summers.  And, while the boys eventually went their own ways in the game (both now starring in college hockey), Cathy and I have attempted to stay in touch.

As you might gather from her style, Cathy Cuff Coffman is a freelance writer (and a very good one).  I know you’re going to enjoy the following, and there’s a pretty good chance that a lot of members will connect with her story.

– Dennis Chighisola

We Are An Ice Hockey Family (Thanks To My Dad)

My Dad did not play hockey. His sport of choice growing up in Brooklyn was baseball.  Ice hockey was always around Philadelphia in one form or another—several minor league teams trekked their way through Billy Penn’s town, and my dad would frequent the games. If there was play by play on the radio, you can be sure our transistor was tuned to the game.

But when Ed Snider gambled and brought the Flyers to Philadelphia, my dad was one of the first to sign up for season tickets.  The year was 1967. I was five years old. And so began, in earnest, our family’s love affair with ice hockey.

I’m the oldest, and grew up as a rough and tumble tomboy. I was, in essence, my dad’s first born son. Sports brought us together. I played softball at a competitive level, and also played field hockey and lacrosse. A rival school had a girl on the field hockey team that also played ice hockey. I wanted to do that. “Learn to skate backwards,” said my Dad. And so I spent my allowance at the local rink, skating and working on cutting “C’s” in the ice to skate backwards.

I told him I learned—and he still wouldn’t let me sign up for the local team, the Springfield Quakers (named after one of the minor league teams that briefly made Philadelphia their homestead). Later on—as an adult—I realized that ice hockey was just too expensive for a truck driver’s salary.

But I digress.

So after a few years of season tickets my Dad and his friend worked their way into the front office of the Flyers—literally. He became Ed Snider’s bartender. He and his friend shared the job, and the job came with two season tickets in Section X of the famed Philadelphia Spectrum.

So while my Dad tended bar just 10 rows away, I and a sibling got to watch Flyers hockey from atop the opposing players’ blue line. After the games we would go to the Superbox—Snider’s private suite—and clean glasses while my dad entertained the players after the game. We were privy to these young heroes as they drank and regaled in stories of the game. This was before they headed out to their favorite watering hole in South Jersey, where most of them lived. It just didn’t get much better than that.

My Dad’s love for the game was infectious in our family—even my Mom, the most non-sporty person there is, watched with intent and knowledge. One of my favorite pictures of my Dad is one where he’s in his recliner, covered by an afghan, watching the Flyers on TV. His hands are raised above his head, and when I look at that picture I can here him yelling “Score!”

Fast forward to 1991. My four-year old son, Tim, decides to trade in all the birthday presents he received for roller blades and a stick. I obliged. No kiddie rollerblades—inline three-wheelers with no brake pad. The little guy—who had seen enough hockey on TV, transferred what he viewed to his feet. The boy could skate. The next year, he was on the ice, skating as if he had been doing it all his life. He went right to the Mite A team. And my Dad couldn’t be prouder.

My Mom and Dad came to as many of Tim’s games as they could. One particular match was against a team coached by Ed “Boxcar” Hospodar—a former Flyer who my Dad had served in the Superbox. Tim’s team was down by two goals, with a minute left to play. Tim, in quick succession scored three goals to put the game away. Dad didn’t have much to say—he was proud—turned to me and said, “That boy is fast.”

The next year Tim made a Tier I AAA team and the realization of travel set in. We had two other children at home and I was afraid the travel would be too much. Not to worry. Dad went out and bought a conversion van and said he’d take Tim to as many games as he could.

That never happened. That summer Dad passed away suddenly. My Mom sold the van. Our daughter Kelly was bitten by the hockey bug, and she turned into a fine Tier 1 boys’ goaltender. Our youngest, Joe, eventually laced up the skates as a happy recreational player.

But it’s my Dad and his infectious love of the skill and effort put out by hockey players that turned my family into a hockey family. My husband is from West Virginia and knew nothing of the game. When he took a job in Philadelphia, my Dad welcomed him to our town with the season tickets in Section X. Dad was tending bar, and snuck us a bread bag filled with jumbo shrimp. My husband felt the energy in the Spectrum, I don’t remember who the Flyers were playing. But I remember the feeling of passing something along to my husband that colored the fabric of my life for as long as I could  remember.

Our involvement in hockey is winding down. Tim is a college player entering his senior year. We make as many of his games as we can. Kelly laces up the skates as a Flyers Skate Girl, working the ice during Flyers’ games. And Joe is a midget defensemen who calls his brother with highlights of his Tier II games. A corner of our basement is filled with used hockey gear. And every once in a while, each of the kids will say, “I wonder what GrandDad would think?”

His hands would be raised above his head, and he’d be shouting “Score!” And then he’d serve up another drink.

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As I mentioned earlier, Cathy is a freelance writer located in Elverson, Pennsylvania.  So, if you’re interested in asking about her services, just email her.

– Dennis Chighisola

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As always, we enjoy your Comments.  Also, if you have a story to tell –
about a special hockey memory, this is the place for it!

So, with all that, I think it only fair for CoachChic.com members to have access to every bit of information I put out, including my advice to rising young stars.

By the way, if you’d like to know more about the new job I’ve taken on, I’ll place a link to the company website down below.

In a nutshell, though, I’m urging young players (from about Pee Wees on up) to gain some early exposure through American Junior Hockey.  You can explore AJH on your own, but the gist of it is that the site attracts about 40,000 visitors per month, with a lot of those being scouts, general managers and coaches.  I’ve personally even gone through their “A-list” profiles seeking one more good skater for my AAA Bantam Minor team.

Of course, you probably know that I’m never satisfied with the status quo.  So, I’m taking things a few steps further for those who join AJH through me, by providing “my A-list kids” some extra guidance.

Okay, that site is linked through the logo down below.  If you happen to enroll in that “A-list” program, be sure to do so through the link I’m providing.  Also, be sure to let me know if you’ve enrolled, so that I can start providing your youngster just a little more help.

– Dennis Chighisola

PS:  I wouldn’t normally be crazy about something like this.  However, the cost of membership is so low (at $100 per year) that it seems crazier for a player to NOT get his name, face and stats out there for others to see.  I’ve always had a feeling that name recognition is extremely helpful when it comes to landing any desirable position (ask a politician).  And American Junior Hockey seems to provide that very benefit.

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

Never Miss Another Hockey Post — Again!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey Coaches: Build a Team Website

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Three final things…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

How Pro Hockey Scouts Think

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

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

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

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

Awards and achievements

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

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

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

–  Dennis Chighisola

Winning Hockey Starts Right Now!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

– Dennis Chighisola

My New Hockey Coaching Manual

A number of years ago I wrote what I felt was THE definitive manual for coaches of young players, and I titled that “How to Assemble & Teach a Basic Hockey System”.

That 72-page book sold awesomely, but the loss of a key office worker ultimately put the sale of hardcopies on hold (mainly because I just didn’t have the time to do the physical things involved in the sales and shipping process).  Nor could I take the time to retrain a new office worker.

Let me tell you, though…  That manual was awesome AND THOROUGH.  Hey, if you’ve come to know me by now, I tend to always act like a teacher, so I undertook the writing of that manual as if I was holding a new coach right by the hand, and telling or showing him or her exactly how a young team should go together.  Again, if you know me, you know I over-explain absolutely everything, just so that the information I share is perfectly clear.

Okay, so the world has changed — a lot — since I first wrote that book.  And mainly I’m talking about the arrival of the Internet.

Now, two recent events got me to thinking about that manual again…

First, I was searching for a way to help the young assistant coach who was about to take-over a team I’d coached this past year.  I mean, I wanted to arm him with all the background information that caused me to decide on a given forecheck for our kids, the whys and wherefores of our breakouts, face-off plays and so forth.  In other words, I wanted to share with him how I think when it comes to putting everything together for a young team.  And then it struck me:  almost everything I could ever tell him about is contained in that earlier written manual, “How to Assemble & Team A Basic Hockey System”!

Yet something else struck me as I thumbed through what I was about to give to my young assistant.  “Hmmmmmm…” I thought, “Even I’ve gotten away from a few of the important concepts I’d described in there!”  Not only that, but it also hit me that most of that manual is appropriate to what I’ll need to do with my new Bantam aged team!  Ya, hockey principles are hockey principles, no matter the level, and I knew that the things I outlined in that book apply to almost all age groups.

Anyway, if you want to know more about my new coach manual, you can go hear:

How to Assemble & Teach A Basic Hockey System

There IS some urgency, because the price will go up in a few days
(that’s why I’m tell you about it right now)!

The first discount deadline has passed,
but you can still save by ordering before April 30, 2011.
To be honest, I’m trying to almost give this away right now;
the eventual cost will be $27 by later this spring.

Actually, I love finding ways to make new training devices.  First, my students discover that such devices need not be fancy or cost a lot of money in order to enhance their game.  Secondly, homemade gadgets can often be modified to gain new training effects (but, more on that a little later).

– Dennis Chighisola

Making Indian Clubs

This first video shows the basic use of a clubbell…

This next one shows how to make a very similar device to the clubbell, but this one is called an Indian club.  As the guy in this video says, PVC materials are inexpensive, and pretty durable.  Personally, given the option, I usually go for the slightly more expensive grayish material (used for electrical work) versus the sometimes brittle white plastic (used for water or sewerage drains)…

This final video shows how to make a very similar device from metal parts (which are usually as easy to find at your local Home Depot store as the PVC).  At the end of the video, the guy shows how he uses such a training aid.

Now, I mentioned in the start that I like homemade devices — because they can be modified in different ways, and so I might achieve a slightly different training effect.  And, in the case of the two tools shown here, I find it helpful that both can be loaded differently because the screw-off tops allow us access to the inside.

Both of those shown above hold fairly heavy metal tubes to give them greater weight, and it’s also suggested that more weight can be added.

However, I’ve been on a slightly different kick over about the past 2-years…  I like to add water inside a pipe because it moves as the athlete uses it.  Trust me, that this is quite a shock — and quite difficult for the athlete to wrestle with.  And, you may have missed the guy in the middle video suggesting that something like ball bearings can also be used to gain this same training effect.

Lastly, I’m not going to say much more about using either Indian clubs or clubbells — at least right now.  However, I’ll suggest that an athlete wiggle these kinds of devices — much like we do our StickWags, so that you can “Put REAL Muscle In Your Hockey Shot“.   The idea is to isolate the forearms to put real power in the muscles that flick your hockey stick.  Imagine, though, if we could add the element of a moving weight inside our training gadget.  Aaaaah, I kinda like that idea!

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As I was doing a little research this morning for my new Hockey BootCamp program, I ran across this unbelievable gadget.  I’ve already made something similar to this for The MOTION Lab, but I think it would be easier to make a number of ones like this (because it’s always nice to have several training devices available).

Oh, by the way…  You don’t believe a hockey player would be lean and mean from tossing that sucker around for like 30-seconds (to simulate a shift)?  Ha!

– Dennis Chighisola

Homemade Bulgarian Training Bag

I’ve struggled with doing this entry — but only because it’s rather difficult to address the needs of all the different levels of our game within one post.  Yet, I thought I might talk a little bit, in general here, about the things I’ve been working on with one of my youngest teams this week.  And, while it might not be appropriate for all, perhaps it still can provide everyone some food for thought.

– Dennis Chighisola

Playoff Hockey Preparations 1

I’ve been fortunate to actually have my young AAA Mite Majors skating five practices this week.  Oh, they’re not all traditional practices, because two of them are skill-oriented ADM sessions where I only have my kids rotate to me in a station for about 10-minutes.

Now, I thought long and hard about what I’d do with my players during those ADM sessions.  For several months now I’ve built-in drills for them that would support (or plant seeds for) the things we’d do in our regular practices (and hope to ultimately do in our hockey games).  So, what I did was to sketch a rough idea of what I planned for the practices, and then I went from there…

I continued a drill that has my forwards feeding a puck from behind the opposition goal to a mate who fires a quick shot on-net.  (If you can picture the Mite level, good passing, a quick shot, and a hunger to bury the puck can really make a difference.)  In our regular practices — where we have more space, the boy behind the net also feeds to a defenseman who is sliding into the slot from his point position.

My team — although finishing in third place overall — led our league in the lowest goals-against.  And I think that’s a pretty good sign.  From the season’s start, I attempted to put together and nurture six pretty good young defensemen, our goaler has developed well, our forwards backcheck better than most young kids, and we also possess the puck a lot with our offense (hey, if we have it a lot, the bad guys don’t — ).  With that, I abbreviated a larger (5 on 5) practice drill in the ADM sessions by having one of my players keep covering another for about 8-seconds (as I hold a puck for a possible pass).   All the while I’ve been yelling, “Backcheck!  Backcheck!”  The idea is to connect that drill to what the kids frequently hear from us coaches on the game-bench.

I also tossed in a quick game of keepaway, sending pairs of kids off in our designated area, all at the same time.  Again, asking you to think about this a bit, a lot of the Mite game is almost a game of keepaway, with the best players holding the puck lots longer than the lesser ones.  Oh, my kids pass the puck to each other — plenty.  But, not panicking and not just throwing the puck away is what I’m aiming for with this kind of drill, as well as developing their skills to protect the puck.

Our three more traditional practices this week — one each on a full sheet of ice, on half-ice, and then in one zone — cover most of the basics, from skills to our strategies in each zone.

However, over the past few weeks — and especially this week, I’m focusing more on the so-called “little things” that tend to sway games…

I think there is one opposition goaltender who can stop our attack if we meet this weekend (he’s a pretty nice little butterfly netminder with a quick right-hand glove).  So, without yet connecting that boy with what I’m doing, I’ve hung two targets to the right side of a practice net — one just over where that boy’s pads would be in the butterfly position, and the other up over his blocker.  Both of these are aimed at shooting away from the boy’s quick glove-hand.  To get my kids to focus, I’ve promised to start the line that hits the targets most often this week.

Over the past few months, I’ve slowly built-in three offensive face-off plays the kids have become very good at executing.  We’ve had a few goals off these, but more than anything, we’ve gained possession of the puck on most offensive draws, and we’ve had tons of near-misses.  My thinking here is that offensive face-off plays are almost like “free kicks” in soccer — it’s especially true with little kids, and not all that untrue with older players.

Just this week I’ve installed a defensive face-off coverage, and this also has the potential of giving the fastest forward on each of our lines a breakaway.  Ya, if there’s a loose puck around the circle, there’s a good chance one of my kids is going to be roaring through, splitting the enemy D, and on his way to the opposition goal.

If you get my drift on those last two paragraphs, I believe that some trick plays will work — in a playoff, and (at least) in the youngest levels of our game.

Believe it or not, I have actually built a little powerplay unit over the past few month, too.  Oh, we haven’t had enough full-ice to really practice it a lot, and I can’t expect 8-year old to really execute like my older guys would.  However, there are two benefits I see in this:  1) I have some of my best offensive players on the ice (or I have kids in “role positions” where they should do excellent jobs); and 2) I’ve also given them a structure in which they should get plenty of shooting opportunities.  On the latter…  Again, not that they’re going to execute a basic “umbrella” like older players.  However, just the layout of diggers-for-the-puck, the movement of the puck around penalty-killers, and the placement of all shooters on their “off wings” should get us some scoring chances.

Oh, and since a few powerplay kids have been selected because they fit certain roles well, that leaves us still a very strong line to come-out right after that unit exits.  In other words, there should be no let-down or drop-off in talent right after a powerplay expires.

Not that the above special situations mean I won’t be working on the basics of our system.  Far from it.  We’ve brought our forecheck to a point where we smother most opponents in their own end for long stretches, and we do a pretty good job of moving the puck out of our own zone.  Honest to God, my young kids now even gain the red line, dump the puck, and get changes on-the-fly as well as most of the older teams I’ve coached.  I mean that!

Then, a reflection on what had to transpire earlier in our time together…  For sure, some of the kids often came to the games having been instructed by their moms (or whomever).  I mean, Johnny initially arrived for the games forcing plays and trying to satisfy someone other than his teammates and coaches.  So was there a little (I hate this term) “puck hog” or two in the crowd during our earliest weeks.  A coach has a choice when he or she recognizes such, so I did what I believed to be best 1) for the team and 2) for each boy.  I sat them for a shift or two (which seems an eternity to an 8-year old), and I managed to bring most of them in with the rest of their team.  (God only knows what still goes on in the different family cars on the way to our games, but that will be a topic for one of my soon-to-come blog posts!)

Well, I guess that’s it.  And I hope this sheds at least a little light on the way I view readying for our coming playoffs (I’ll let you know more on how we did after this weekend is over).

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A funny thing happened on the way to my team’s last practice tonight…

You see, I’ve been negotiating with a guy named Doug Bench in reference to some unbelievable audio programs he has for coaches (more on that later).  Anyway, I slapped into the deck of my SUV a CD of the program I ultimately want you to hear, and it totally altered my approach for later.

Playoff Hockey Preparations 2

Okay, just so you have a sense of what I’ll ultimately be getting at, I have a little treat for you, this being a short video featuring the grandfatherly (but very sharp) Mr Bench…

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Now, while that video isn’t exactly on the topic of this entry, I think it might have given you a sense of how far science has come in recent years when it comes to the brain and learning.

With that, maybe you can also appreciate my hanging on every word Doug uttered on that CD.  I mean, he was suggesting ways to get more out of practices, how to really send our players into competition, and he was making me rethink tonight’s practice with every mile I drove.

This aside…  I wouldn’t say these were earth shattering ideas — after all, he sounds (and espouses) many of the things my dad used to say), and I’ve also had the benefit of learning from the likes of Shaun Goodsell and other great sport psychology guys and gals.  But, I would say Doug Bench put a lot of what I already knew in a brand new context.

As I unloaded gear in the rink’s parking lot a little later, one of my assistant coaches stopped by for a sec.  And, as we were about to head inside, I mentioned that I was going to go with a lot of the things we’d done in the previous practice, but with a slight twist.

Ya, a slight twist…  What I did was to convert almost all of the drills on my clipboard to little competitions.  We played lots of keepaway, and then we did tons of attacking drills that were treated more like shoot-outs.  In other words, we attacked the net in 1 on 0′s, 2 on 0′s and 3 on 0′s, with successful scorers (or groups of scorers) returning to attack again, while those who missed were eliminated from the competition.

I had two things in mind as I did these, both stemming from Mr Bench’s program on coaching:  1) the slight pressures of those contests were closer to game conditions; and 2) the kids were laughing a lot and bantering back and forth in friendly ways with each goal, near goal or miss.

Not that I didn’t sprinkle in a few serious things we needed to refresh — like our face-off plays or coverages and our powerplay.

Finally — trying to think of a way to end things with a lot of laughing, I decided to hold a competition for the wildest attacking move.  And, man, you should have seen the crazy stunts the kids tried (and you should have heard the cackles each crazy move brought from teammates).  Yes! 

Oh, I almost forgot…  I huddled the kids in a corner of the rink at the very end, just to ask who they thought had the wildest moves (which brought more cackles and lots of friendly barbs).  Then, I suggested that tomorrow’s playoff game should be fun, and that our opponents ought to be worrying that we’d beaten them in our last meeting.  Do I know those things to be true?  Of course not.  But, I sense that’s how Doug Bench would have handled things.

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Okay, as I said at the top, I felt it right to continue adding to the original entry, now providing you the final one…

– Dennis Chighisola

Playoff Hockey Preparations 3

Well, after coaching my little Mighty Mite team in an early game in Bridgewater, MA, I had plenty of time to take a leisurely drive to Rhode Island for my AAA Mite Majors’ first playoff game.  And, don’t you know, I continued listening to Doug Bench’s audio series in what would be about a 40-minute ride.

“Stay positive!” I had to keep reminding myself as I arrived at the rink (even if a few of my families  ultimately sauntered into our lockerroom about 30-minutes later than everyone else).

Over the past few days I’d done some note-taking…

Owing to the above mentioned audio programs, I’d listed four things I wanted to reinforce with my kids, and I’d also visualized how I’d give each a very positive spin.  So, I tried to relax everyone in our pre-game lockerroom, and then I reminded them about their duties on our offensive face-offs, how the offensive plays should go, how our forecheck should look, and the way they needed to cover as they backchecked.

I also had made some notes in readiness for special situations that just might occur in a playoff game — like the attackers I’d want out if we entered a shoot-out, or which players I might want on the ice should we need to pull our goaltender in the end for an extra skater.

Although I thought we played well during the initial period, we trailed, 1-0, at the end.  I kinda thought we had the win as we ended the second frame up, 2-1.  However, we lost in the end, 3-2, not being able to muster the game-tier with the goalie off.

As with any meaningful game, there were some things that could have gone better for us.  Perhaps the kid who was our biggest offensive threat had been ill over the few days, and he wasn’t himself for this game.  And, with the refereeing being rather lax all season long, it was sort of a shock that they called everything extremely tight on this day.  Still, a coach can’t cry about such things; he or she can only coach in the moment — with the talent he or she has on hand, and with any unique conditions that arise.

Speaking of crying…  I entered our post-game lockerroom to find a lot of my kids in tears.  Hmmmmmm…  I hadn’t expected a group of 8-year old to take a loss so hard.  (Doug Bench to the call here…)  So, I grasped very quickly for some things that might at least help change a few of those wet faces to grins.  I especially pointed to the great games we had over the long winter, as well as the great friendships they’d all developed with the kids that sat around them on this day.  Was I bummed?  You bet.  However, that didn’t seem to matter at this time.  I want these kids still playing — and still loving the game — long after I’m gone.

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I (and I’m sure lots of other members) would love to hear what YOU are doing or have done in readiness for your final push!

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey’s Empty-netter

As you might have guessed, the empty-net situation just arose — this late in my young AAA Mite Major’s season.  That’s right, it happened for the first time in our very last regular season game.

Okay, there’s the chance that a few members might stop reading here, because they think I’m going to be talking about Mite hockey.  Ha, hardly.  I’ve had plenty of high school players screw-up this situation, and even a few college players.  Moreover, a “brain freeze” at the older levels just might cause worse problems than my young kids experienced.  (So, please DO read on…)

Now, I thought it was good that one of my young defensemen actually noticed that our opponents’ goaltender had been pulled.  However, psyched at the chance to aim for the open net down at the far end, he fired his shot from inside our zone.

Whistle!  Icing!  Face-off back in our end!  (Gulp!)

Well, perhaps the gulp is a little strong, because most of our opponents — being only 8-years old — aren’t likely to take advantage of that face-off in front of our goal, or even the extra attacker.

And that’s the point I was hinting at above, when I suggested that mistakes at older levels can cause us far greater problems than my young kids were about to experience.  Ya, the older guys are likely to have a decent face-off play arranged for such circumstances, and they are more than likely going to make very good use of their extra attacker.  So, my suggestion — if you work with older players:  be absolutely sure they’re aware of the following.

I made sure that my young kids understood the consequences of taking an icing call at that point in a game.  In other words, there’s a penalty of sorts involved, with the face-off being brought all the way back to our end, in front our goal.  Oh, I did encourage the kids to take pop-shots at that wide-open net (we were having fun with a 2-goal advantage), but I reminded them that they had to gain the red line before taking a shot.

I might add here my personal approach on something like this…  I mean, I give my kids a sense of the “penalty” involved in their carelessly throwing the puck from their own side of the ice.  In most instances, young ones don’t put much stock in face-off locations.  Hey, to them, a draw is something they just have to endure before they’re able to get on with the play. 

So again, I explain it in a way that has them understanding a little better the consequences of certain actions.  And, when it comes to the play in question, I try to draw a comparison between that face-off in our end versus their playing with the puck in our opponents’ zone for (perhaps) the remainder of the game.

Lastly, the reason I take my game notes is so that I can remember to deal with certain things at a later date.  In the case of the above situation, it doesn’t necessitate a new drill.  But, it does call for our discussing this at a coming practice or in a pre-playoff game lockerroom.

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A bonus idea for coaches of older players…

In situations where a team’s school or organization owns the rink, players are often allowed to stay on the ice after a formal practice has concluded.  That’s when the really good players work on so-called “little things”.  And, I’ve observed quite a few guys finish their free time by trying to send pucks the length of the ice into a far net.

At other times, I’ve seen coaches finish their practices with some sort of fun competition based on hitting that far away net.

And, as I’m often known to quip in many of my skill related posts…  When you see something pretty nifty take place in a hockey game, there’s a good chance a player has actually practiced it hundreds (or even thousands) of times.

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I wanted to get this post up kinda quickly for you.  At the same time, it bothered me that I was too soon supplanting the previous one — about that important tryout tip.  So, please don’t fail to read that one if you haven’t already.

– Dennis Chighisola

Periodization in Hockey Strength Training

Let me begin by once again providing you an oversimplification of this term…

Appreciate that our bodies adapt to training over a span of time.  And, as a body gets used to the training, that training tends to have less and less impact.  In other words, gains stall, or the athlete hits a plateau.  It should make further sense that some staleness (or boredom) can also result from sticking to the same routine for very long (and this goes for any sort of training, not just strength related).

Personally, I’d learned this in my younger years as I engaged in strength training, ultimately reading that the best way to avoid plateaus was to occasionally — or, should I say “periodically” — change my training routine.  Back then, the idea was to rotate exercises that worked similar muscles or muscle groups, thereby forcing the body to continually adapt to new conditions.

I said that was an oversimplification, because modern day periodization has been taken to whole new level.

Okay, so what got me going on this topic is the release of a new hockey readiness program being offered by my buddy, Jeremy Weiss.  (Jeremy and I have known each other for a few years now, we come from similar Phys Ed backgrounds, and we’ve shared a lot of ideas when it comes to hockey training.)

Now, as many of us start to turn our attentions toward off-season training, Jeremy will ultimately offer a special program aimed at helping hockey players work at home without the need for costly ice (and you ought to know how strongly I feel about that).  You don’t have to purchase his program, however, to have access to several awesome videos…

The first video has just been released, and it deals with the above noted strength-training concept called periodization.   (As Jeremy describes it, “Periodization is a really effective way to keep consistent strength gains and to avoid plateaus.”)

Okay, here goes, on periodization…

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Some time has passed since the above post, and all of the introductory videos have been taken down.  However, I’ve grabbed them for you, with the ones on cardio training for hockey and  nutrition to follow…

At this point, Jeremy has a new video posted on his site, this one explaining the off-season training program he’s offering.  Actually, I thought it would be extremely expensive but it’s not.  So, if you can’t get this old coach, Scott Umberger or Jason Price to train you live, Jeremy provides a different option by helping you train at home…

Click here to view more details

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Please let me know what you think about those free videos, and about the idea of me sharing such within the CoachChic.com website.

Anyway, while I’ve previously mentioned many suggestions when it comes to prepping for tryouts, there’s one I want to re-emphasize right here and now…

– Dennis Chighisola

An IMPORTANT Hockey Tryout Tip

Without question, I think the Number One thing each player has to know about a tryout is that all the coaches’ (or raters’) eyes are on him or her.  Sounds too obvious, does it?  Or, maybe the grown-ups or older players reading this believe every player already knows this?  Ha.

When it comes to very young hockey players, I’ll suggest that most of them are thinking more about their nearby friends than they are about impressing anyone.  In fact, while their parents may have warned them minutes ago — in the car or in the lockerroom, I’d be willing to bet that the very young ones have forgotten the gist of that on-ice session before they’ve taken a twirl or two around the rink.  That said, I have always constantly reminded Mites and Squirts several times during any drill that I’m supervising to, “Make sure you show those guys (or whomever) up there how good you can do this!”  Again, those of us running the on-ice drills should see it as part of our responsibilities to encourage the youngest players to show themselves well.

Then, in the case of older hockey players…  What I’ve found is that many of those in the Pee Wee through high school ages are as concerned about their buddies as they are about impressing coaches.  In other words, they’ll go easy as they tussle with a friend along the boards, and they’ll even hold back at times in fear of being considered a show-off.  Oh, you don’t believe this to be true?  Well, I know it to be, from both observing and talking to numerous kids in those age groups.  For sure, there are players who are going to take to the ice with the idea of impressing everyone in the building.  But, there are still just as many who will hold back a bit, and really never show all that they have.  Consequently, I think parents and tryout supervisors have to remind the players about this.  And, at the same time they have to let the older kids know that they shouldn’t hold back against supposed “teammates”; naw, they aren’t teammates at all until a coach adds their names to a roster.

– Dennis Chighisola

Spotting the Real Goal-scorer Early

Actually, I didn’t realize what I was seeing at first, as I observed my grandson playing and practicing at about 5-years old.  At the time, I thought he was just a real pain in the butt. 

Now, long-time CoachChic.com members have probably seen some highlight reel footage of my young buddy, Anthony Chighisola.  If you haven’t, just let me say that he has probably led every team in scoring he’s played for — from Mites right through to his current college team.  In fact, putting a puck in a net seems almost a compulsion with him.  Ya, I said it’s almost a compulsion, which brings me back to that thing about seeming like a real pain in the butt…

You see, even going back to beginner clinics, I noticed that Anthony would never end an attacking drill until he’d put a puck in a net.  And, I’m talking about him taking this to an extreme.  All the other little 5-year old knobheads seemed to be doing the drills right — skating towards the net, making a move or taking a shot, and then going to a line right after.  Not Tony C, however.  I’ve already said it:  that he wouldn’t go back to a line until he finished the drill by putting a puck in the net.  Sometimes it wasn’t even the puck he’d carried towards the goal; naw, it didn’t matter which one he finished with, so long as he tucked something away.

Now, about 15-years later I’m coaching an 8-year old team and I’m noticing I have another pain in the butt on my hands.  I mean, this youngster is just as compulsive about putting biscuits in the basket as Anthony ever way, almost to the point of driving me nuts in some drills.  Hey, I’m trying to keep attack plays moving at a good pace, and that little guy is not getting out of the way until he’s put a puck in the net.  (Grrrrrrrrrrr…)

Oh, but wait…  After all these years, I’ve come to realize that THIS young forward — much like Tony Chic — is most likely going to be the best attacker on every team he’ll ever play for.   Again, it’s a compulsion that he puts pucks in the backs of nets, and it doesn’t matter if we’re talking about games or practices.  In fact, I’m going to suggest that his scoring in the games is a direct result of his need to finish attack plays in our practices.

As an aside, I hope you can picture what I was seeing many years ago, with Anthony constantly going back to a net because his original attack didn’t result in a goal.  And, what made me think he was such a pain in the butt is that sometimes his second and third and fourth and fifth swipes at a puck didn’t go in.  So he’d stay right there, and continue whacking at a puck until he ultimately deposited it where he felt it belonged.

Same thing with my current budding sniper.  I mean, neither will he leave the dawgoned goal-mouth until he’s completed his mission.

All that said, I guess we both know that those two aren’t really pains at all.  In fact, even though they might foul-up the timing of some drills, they should be the models for all other young players.

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Just wondering…  Have you ever had (or observed) a player like I’ve just described?  I’d love to hear more about him or her.

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Talk about precious!  Craig Shaw mentioned this video in a Comment below, and I just couldn’t resist showing it to everyone.  Awesome (and an awesome penalty shot goal by young Sammy Shaw near the end)!

– Dennis Chighisola

Great Hockey Plays Come From Practice!

Before getting further into this topic, I’d like you to view the following video (it’s short and fun to watch)….

Ya, as my title suggests, that was no accident — that the highly skilled forward reacted so quickly and batted that puck towards the goal.  As the color commentator said, it required “magnificent hand-eye coordination”.

Long ago I posted a drill that specifically enhances this skills (please see “Bunting the Hockey Puck“).

However, I’ll offer here that real stick and eye coordination comes from players sort of freelancing with a puck — or especially with a quick reacting ball.

If you can appreciate it, plays like that shown in the video can’t usually be planned.  No, the situation just occurs — in an instant, and a player either reacts properly or doesn’t.  And such (positive) reactions quickly revert back to hundreds if not thousands of times when a player dealt with pucks or balls in the air.

So, I’m talking about some of the tricks that have been posted within CoachChic.com — when it comes to floorball moves, my kids jumping a long rope while dribbling a ball or puck, and the many videos I’ve included that depict pro players performing some pretty nifty moves by keeping a puck or ball in the air with their sticks.

No, it’s no accident when a player reacts as shown in that video.  I mean, all the hours a player spends just fiddling and being creative with a puck or ball surely will pay-off sometime down the road.

– Dennis Chighisola

Mental Training Interview Series

Thanks to my good friend Shaun Goodsell and his Mental Edge staff, CoachChic.com now has available a series of interviews with a number of extremely insightful National Hockey League players.  I mean, these aren’t your typical interviews (for the fans’ sake), but instead they’re loaded with ideas on how various professional players prepare for hockey and keep themselves mentally in the game.

Now, the following is an interview the Mental Edge’s Justin Johnson did with the New Jersey Devils’ Paul Martin.  Then, if you like that as a sampling, click on the link provided below to gain access to numerous more great interviews.

Now, gain access to more great (and FREE) interviews by clicking the following link…  Mental Edge Insider Interviews

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With most hockey leagues around North America now nearing playoff time, I thought I’d treat members to a special *Gift, this being Shaun Goodsell’s advice on Mentally Preparing for Playoffs.  It’s this month’s free *Gift, and you can access it (if you’re a member) by clicking either of those links.  Enjoy.

You can see that and other Polls <= by clicking on that link.

Well, I think it’s about time I explained.

– Dennis Chighisola

About That Hockey Forechecking Poll

As it turns out, I suspect that poll is a little out of whack.  I mean, it makes sense to me that most CoachChic.com members (and those who would stop by here) play on teams that actually use a playing system.  On the other hand, I assure you there are far too many teams out there that don’t.

I really mean that…  A lot of times — as new kids have joined one of my teams, I’ve asked them about the system they’ve been playing on their previous hockey team.  (Hey, it helps if they’ve played something close to what I’ll teach, or it helps me if I know what habits I might have to change.)  But, almost every time I’ve asked that question of a player, I get the old deer caught in the headlights look, or just a wide open mouth with nothing coming out.

I can’t tell you how honest I’m being about this.  In fact, even when I’ve tried to simplify things for someone like a young teen — maybe asking him what forecheck his old coach used, I’ll get something like, “Aaaaaah, aaaaaah, I don’t think we had one.”

Okay, so why am I making such a big deal out of this?  It’s because I feel every team should have some system of play.  (Oh, I might not do it with my 5- and 6-year old beginners, but every team beyond that age has some semblance of a system.)

In general, I’m talking about all of my teams having a way of pressuring their opponents and regaining the puck in our offensive end (in other words, a forecheck).  My older teams may have two ways of checking in the offensive zone — one rather aggressive and the other more conservative.  And so will my players learn to defend in their own end, they’ll be taught principles of moving the puck out of their own zone (or executing breakouts), my older teams will learn to “regroup” or counterattack in neutral-ice, and they’ll also have a powerplay as well as learn how to kill penalties.  All of my teams will have offensive face-off plays and ways to defend on draws.  Actually, I’d wear-out this keyboard if I went on with the things I show my kids.

The funny thing is, I’m not the kind of coach who gets overly hung-up on the game’s X’s and O’s when I work with youngsters.  However…  Ya, however…  What I discovered in my first years of coaching is that the various parts of a team’s system are the best way to teach sound playing principles to developing players.

Teaching the elements of a team’s defensive system — from forechecking to backchecking to defensive zone coverage — is the only way to get across the concepts of steering and trapping an enemy puckcarrier, or how to cover an opponent who either does or doesn’t possess the puck.

The offensive side of a system helps a coach teach decision-making with the puck, and it also brings to light his or her abilities (or lack there of) to make and catch passes, and so much more.

All that said, I just may be preaching to the choir here (or raising these points to a bunch of coaches who already agree with what I’m saying).  However, I don’t want to take the chance that even one member isn’t doing this stuff for his or her players.

At last count, I believe there were over 400 posts within CoachChic.com, many of them aimed at helping a coach put together a full playing system.  As I noted earlier, the youngest kids don’t need to have anything too technical.  But, they do need a framework within which to learn basic playing principles.  At the other end of the spectrum, older players need even more of the X’s and O’s, just so they’re ready to move to levels where thinking the game is extremely important.

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Okay, here I go again with something that might be controversial — at least to some.  So, let me have it, or let me know how you really feel.  You know I love it when we get the chance to talk hockey.

I’m kinda chuckling to myself about this title, and this topic.  I mean, I’ve been coaching hockey for over 40-years, which ought to suggest that I’ve just about seen it all by now, and I’ve pretty firmly established all of our game’s playing principles.  Ah, so one would think. 

In reality, however, I never stop learning, and I never stop making adjustments to the way I teach or coach.  And, with that, let me tell you about my latest revelation, this having to do with introducing young players to breakaway goal-scoring techniques.

– Dennis Chighisola

A Hockey Goal-scoring Revelation

To provide a little background to this story, members might read my entry and watch the video I provided in “Scoring on Breakaways or Shootouts“.

Then, because that particular post was part of a *Gift I was offering that month, I also shared a few additional tips beyond the main entry.  And, among those tips was the suggestion that most advanced level attackers like to carry the puck off to the sides of their bodies — in a shooting posture — as they moved in on the goaltender.  Ya, their thinking is that this somewhat freezes a goalie, while an attacker knows he can shift the puck at any instant to either shoot or deke (according to what the goaler shows).

I also have to draw the parent or coach of a young skater to yet another video that should provide even more background to what I’m about to propose, this being the one on “Creating the Early Goal-scorer“.  For, within that post I hammered away at the idea of focusing all our attentions on whatever will help a young player be successful at his or her current level of play.

Okay, so with those ideas as a backdrop, picture me standing on the ice a few weeks ago and watching little one after little one attack a beginner goalie…  What I was seeing is that the rather new netminder basically stood in the middle of his crease and hardly did anything but put his stick in front of the puck.  And, because most of my really new skaters haven’t yet mastered hitting open strings with lifted shots, nearly every one of them hit the goalie — right where he liked the shot — dead-center on his stick.  Hmmmmmm…

By now, of course, you know that I’m an inquisitive type, and I like to really get at the root of what’s happening.  And, what I saw was that 1) most of my young attackers were carrying the puck off to their sides in readiness to shoot, and 2) the goalie was basically just putting his stick in front of where the skater held the puck.  So, one after another it was Splat!  Splat!  And Splat!  In other words, my little guys were just hitting that goalie’s stick, time after time after time.

Enter that idea about helping a player be successful at his or her current level…  Ya, the idea of their holding the puck off to their sides wasn’t working — at their level.  No, instead this technique was playing right into the equally young goalie’s hands, mainly because he wasn’t old enough or experienced enough to take THAT kind of fake.  (The reason that kind of posture works against older goaltenders is because they are experienced, and because they are doing their own thinking and reading of the play as an attacker approaches.)

Anyway, once all this stuff started to register with me, I called a halt to the drill, I left the goaler with his own coach, and I gathered all of my little attackers in another area of the ice.  And, what I showed them was the idea of carrying the puck out-front and in the middle of their bodies.  From there, I had them practice making side to side movements with the puck — ultimately making a rather large deke towards one side of the net, and then tucking the puck into the opposite side.

Once we went back to attacking a live goalie, the idea worked for those kids who got the hang of the new move (while the slightly younger and less experienced kids still tended to shoot into the goaler’s stick).  More practice is what the kids now need, of course, and that’s exactly what we’ve been doing lately — off the ice, on the ice, sometimes against my plastic simulated goalie, and sometimes against a live one.

My main point (or points) to all this, though, is that we really must study what’s happening with our players, and we have to find the best ways to help them be successful where they are at the moment.

Then, just in case you’re questioning my idea of initially teaching something wrongly, I’d like you to consider this…  My belief is that a number of my little guys are going to soon catch fire with the new move, and they are going to start pouring pucks into rival nets.  On the other hand, those kids who continue to attack in the big guys’ posture are likely to get stuff more often than not.  I’ll further suggest that the ones who are filling nets pretty soon will gain a huge boost in confidence, and that it will be plenty easy to show them the other way of attacking when the time is right.

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Okay, so here I go with what some might consider a controversial approach.  So, want to argue, or at least share a different thought on this subject?  You know I love it when members get involved!

Exploring further, I wondered if the youngster was getting enough fluids.  I mean, my thinking was that the skaters would be able to replenish their fluids as they took frequent trips to the bench, but what about our friend’s goalie son?

As it turned out, not only did the youngster not have water nearby, but his dad wasn’t aware of the water bottle arrangements most older netminders usually use.  Hmmmmm…

– Dennis Chighisola

A Goalie’s Water Bottle

Oh, one thing I failed to mention up above is that our CoachChic.com friend is from the United Kingdom.  Not that it should necessarily make a difference here.  However, I’m sure it’s possible that some trends take time to travel the globe.  And, it was certainly possible that other goalers in that family’s home rink weren’t affixing bottles to their nets, or my friend maybe wasn’t noticing some of those who did.

Anyway, I’m not the type to let any details go unexplained, no matter how small.  So, calling upon both YouTube.com and another great CoachChic.com friend, I share the following with all our goaltender members (and the team coaches who work with them).

Actually, while the TV cameras gave us a pretty good glimpse of that goaltender’s water bottle, it probably didn’t show the arrangement as it really should be.  No, quite obviously the outer foam part is (rightly) affixed to the net, while the bottle itself should be stored inside that foam outer liner.  My guess is that the goalie had left the bottle loose on top of the net.

Okay, and the following photos are courtesy of Mike Mahony (his son Matt is a topnotch teen goalie in California)…

To the left you see Matt’s water bottle as it sits alone, and to the right is shown the bottle affixed to the top of Matt’s net.

Then, as I talked to various older goaltenders and the parents of goaltenders, I came to understand that bottles are now made specifically for those unique positional players.  I wasn’t able to find any on-line to show you, although I think the ones depicted in both the video and the photos provide a couple of good examples.

Finally, when goalies first started tying their bottles to nets, they’d wrap a skate lace around the bottle, secure that with several wraps of hockey tape, and then tie the lacing to the net’s webbing.

]]> http://www.coachchic.com/a-goalies-water-bottle/feed/ 4 http://www.coachchic.com/olympic-motivational-speaker-ruben-gonzalez/ http://www.coachchic.com/olympic-motivational-speaker-ruben-gonzalez/#comments Fri, 18 Feb 2011 01:50:44 +0000 Dennis Chighisola http://www.coachchic.com/?p=7019 Well, if you guessed I’m busy at researching again, you’d be right about that.

Anyway, take a look at what I found for you (it’s really good stuff)…

– Dennis Chighisola

Olympic Motivational Speaker Ruben Gonzalez

Actually, I wasn’t looking for goaltending ideas as I surfed the Net today.  However, when I ran across the following video, well…

— Dennis Chighisola

Let’s “Think” Goaltending!

Now, you ought to know that our resident goalie coach, Todd Jacobson, is off with his Notre Dame Academy ladies’ hockey team for a few months.  So, while he’s away, I thought we might start a little interaction among members.

In other words, what I’d like us all to do (including myself) is to watch this video once or twice, and then see how we feel this kind of training might benefit a hockey goaltender.   So, take a look, and I’ll comment more right after…

Now, if you felt that some of the shown training would be helpful, but some of it wouldn’t, I’d totally agree with you.  (More on that later.)  And, if you feel some of the above could be adapted to help quicken a goaler’s feet as well as his hands, I’d similarly agree.

Okay…  All that said, how about if we use the Comments section to make any suggestions — in the ways we might be able to borrow from this form of training for a netminder’s sake.

Ready…  Set…  Let’s think (like a Nutty Professor)!

I have my good Facebook friend Frankie S to thank for pointing me towards the following video.  (Hey, I can’t do all the research by myself!  )

As you’ll soon see, it contains a pretty good example of an important hockey principle (or the violation of such), as well as another suggestion for high level play.

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey’s Last Man Back

Okay, before I get into any sort of discussion on this topic, I think it best for you to first watch the video.  It’s short…

Now, as I so often do when analyzing a pro level game-tape, I need to say that every player you can spot in that video is among the tops in the world –  I mean, the absolute cream of the crop.

That said, everything is relative within a given playing level — as Mites match with other Mites, Pee Wees with other Pee Wees, and worldclass players vie with other wordclass players.

I needed to say the latter, you see, because the mistakes made by the mistake made by that poor defenseman probably wouldn’t have even been noticed had the checker (and ultimate goal-scorer) been of lesser skill and guile.

Okay, so the main principle that may have been violated here, plus another to at least be considered…

1) If you can picture it, a forward far up-ice with the puck has the luxury of taking some risks.  Hey, we have to figure that he has four skating mates and a goaltender capable of covering-up for him should he lose the puck.

Not so for the defenseman in that video.  He is the last guy back for the offensive team, and one of the most important principles in hockey states that he must protect the puck and move it to a teammate up-ice as soon as possible.

Again, I’ll ask you to picture something — that the D’s skate-lace came undone, he tripped on a rut in the ice, or the puck just took a crazy bounce off his stick…  I don’t care if someone opened a door to the arena and a strong gust blew him off his feet.  The problem is, the last guy back should not be handling the puck for very long, or especially if an opponent is closing-in or within striking distance.

2)  I wouldn’t necessarily say that this next one is a well accepted tenet in hockey, but I know it is a choice among a lot of high leveler coaches…

What I’m getting at is that a lot of coaches would prefer that their deep guys — like the defensemen on breakouts — not send passes from their backhands.  If you think about it, almost every skater’s forehand is more accurate or more trustworthy than the backhand.  And, of course, if ever there are critical passes made during a high level game, they’re ones that take place deep in one’s own end.

Let me temper this part of the discussion a little, however…  I have not asked my players to do this — even through high school and college.  I noticed that most of my college guys used mostly their forehands, anyway.  Down through the lower levels, though — from Mites through my high school kids, I figured (and still do see it this way) that their overall skill development was far more important.  In other words, better that they be able to originate their passes equally well off either side of their sticks, instead of taking shortcuts.

Hopefully members got my main point, though:  that the last guy back had better be VERY protective of that puck, and move it up-ice — safely — as soon as possible.

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Have anything to add to this discussion — or any other thoughts?  My main aim here isn’t to dictate, but to instead encourage every CoachChic.com member to think the game better.

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As I’m so often saying (or writing), our sport is filled with all sorts of terms that aren’t well explained.  Plyometrics is probably one of those terms.  (Actually, I saw samples of this form of exercise in the old Soviet Union long before most coaches in North America knew about it.)

Anyway, while I (and a good friend) will be showing you one great plyometric exercise, this post is really aimed at just explaining the meaning and benefits of this awesome form of training.

– Dennis Chighisola

Hockey and Plyometrics – Part 1

Special thanks to Maryse Senécal
from Myo-precision for her
awesome video and demonstration
of just one form of plyometrics training.
(Please see below for much more
about Maryse and Myo-precision.)

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To get the ball rolling, I did a quick Google search for the term “plyometrics”, and here are two of the best (least confusing) ones I found:

Plyometrics is a type of exercise training designed to produce fast, powerful movements, and improve the functions of the nervous system, generally for the purpose of improving performance in sports. …
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plyometrics

Plyometric – refers to those activities that enable a muscle to reach maximal force in the shortest possible of time. A practical definition of plyometric exercise is a quick, powerful movement using a prestretch, or countermovement, that involves the stretch shortening cycle (SSC).
www.gk22.com/resources/glossary.html

Hmmmmm…  Did I say those were the least confusing I could find? 

Okay, I always get a little nervous as I try to explain such things to average moms and dads, hockey coaches and older players, because I know at the same time there might be another Phys Ed type reading this, or even a doctor or two.  So, in advance, I’m going to state that the following is my attempt at explaining plyometrics without too much Latin or anatomy class terminology included.

To make that point a little more, this very old story from my college days…  Ya, I had just finished taking an anatomy quiz and I began joking with my professor, in that, “I’m going to have to forget all this stuff as soon as I get out of here!”  He sorta squinted, not understanding my meaning, so I further explained that part about my working with regular folks, adding that, “I’m not about to snow my customers or try to impress them with all those fancy terms…  My job is to help them.”

That said, here’s my VERY basic explanation and some ideas when it comes to plyometrics…

Some forms of this exercise are pretty stressful.  And, while I’ll provide a few suggestions for parents and coaches of younger players later, I want to begin with the types of plyometrics that are most often used with more mature athletes.

Based on the exercise my good friend Maryse is going to eventually show you, let’s consider strengthening the chest muscles in a hockey player (as well as the other muscle groups that work the arms, shoulders and chest).  Actually, a bench press is a great exercise for increasing strength in the chest area, and it’s the kind of exercise that can gradually be challenged with more and more resistance (or more weights) as the athlete gains strength.

Machines or free weights (like dumbbells or barbells) are most often used for bench presses, with increased muscle size, strength and stamina usually resulting.  Ya, muscle size, strength and stamina…

Which leads me to the big “but” you’re likely expecting.

Well, a bench press might be almost like the way a hockey player uses his or her hands, arms and chest during a game — but, not exactly.  Naw, the most common movement that comes to mind is when two players are about to collide, and one or both have to suddenly push-off against the other.  It’s kind of an “explosive” movement, which is one term frequently associated with plyometrics, or (borrowing from both earlier definitions) it’s “a quick, powerful movement”.  In effect, it’s a quicker recruitment of all those muscles we’ve previously developed in a somewhat slower form of exercise.

All that said, picture a typical bench press movement.  Or, envision a push-up, which is similar to a bench press, just not loaded with extra weights.  Then, take a look at a variation on those exercises as demonstrated by Maryse…

As you should have recognized, the plyo push-up is very similar to a bench press, except that it’s necessary for the athlete to recruit muscles faster — into an explosive movement — in order to blast-off into the air.  Yup, much like a hockey player has to do in a game, huh?

Now, I mentioned earlier that I approach different age groups differently when it comes to plyometrics, and this is so.  And, I believe most medical types would agree with the following…

Plyometrics for Older Players I save the really stressful types of plyos for players in their mid-teens and older.  I’d like to know that their bodies are fairly well developed, and that they’ve had time to build the muscle mass that plyometrics are meant to call into play.  Twice per week is the most I’ll have my older guys do such exercises, although it’s believed by some that even once per week might be enough.  (If I’m going to have my players work-out more than once per week, the second session would not include very stressful exercises.)

Plyometrics for Younger Players Although some might frown upon younger kids doing so-called plyometrics, let me remind them that young people have forever skipped and hopped.  And, skipping and hopping ARE milder forms of plyometrics.  So, while I’d never let my younger kids do any of the stressful stuff, I encourage them to skip rope and otherwise bound around in schoolyard games type fashion.  (I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed it or not, but the most athletic youngsters always seem to be awesome at skipping and jumping.)

Okay, I wanted to end this entry with yet another fairly good description of plyos:

Plyometrics are drills or exercises aimed at linking sheer strength and scope of movement to produce an explosive reaction type movement
www.taylorhooton.org/Glossary-of-Terms

So, having set-out in the beginning to roughly explain the meaning and benefits of plyometrics, I’d say that either of those three definitions ought to give my CoachChic.com friends a fairly good understanding.

Finally, I can’t thank Maryse Senécal enough for helping us (you and me) with her expertise and that awesome sample video.  Search Maryse’s name here on this site to find other great contributions she’s made for members.  Then, if you’d like to see a little more of her work, she welcomes you to visit her site: Myo-precision

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How lucky can a guy be?  I mean, shortly after I published the above article and video, our friend Maryse offered to add a little of what she’s discovered when it comes to using plyometrics with different areas of the population.

So, with that, let’s turn-over Part 2 to Maryse!

– Dennis Chighisola

PS:  Maryse apologizes often for the fact that French is her native language, and that (at least she thinks) she struggles sometimes with English.  Ha, I should do so well. 

Catch Maryse on Twitter ********** Catch Maryse on Facebook

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Hockey and Plyometrics – Part 2

Dennis, you’ve done a great job describing plyometric training.  In fact a simpler way of putting it for the layman is just a (jump) move with a specific goal.

The technique is used first and foremost to train in explosive power, which we know athletes use every moment of their game.  Often, it’s what can make or break athletic performance.

I’d like to take this opportunity and expand on technique and tactics.

Children are plyo geniuses; they do it every day in play.  If we took a moment and analyzed 5 year olds, we would see that they do this naturally, without thought, without training — just pure abandon of movement in velocity.

We naturally love these feelings.  When shaping young players, as in children under the age of 12, plyometric training can be fun and easy to do. The tactic we must remember to use in this case is not one of power but of endurance.   For example, I would never use a box jump at that age.  Instead, I use fast foot hops, looking for absorption, accuracy and stability on the landing.  Their joints and surrounding soft tissue are not yet steady enough to withstand high jumps in an endurance environment.  The growth plates in the bones are not yet fused enough to withstand the load long term.

As we see them grow into adolescents, this is when we can start using plyos to teach them to recruit power in their sport.  But again, we have to be careful of injury.

We must now address the issue of strength training.  At that age, strength training can be as easy as using their own body weight if they are not yet ready for true strength training in the weight room.   For example, if I wanted to introduce them to box jumps at that age, I would start by using squats — unweighted, as a stepping stone.  Isometric holds (as in holding that squat position for 30-60 seconds), into 4 squats, into hold again, combining both moves to help build the leg, the hip, the hammies and the glutes.  And yes, it’s a burn.

As we progress that load, I would start introducing the box.  Teaching first and foremost the landing skills.  And again, in this environment, I would increase the duration of the jump drill, and I would begin combining squats and jumps in a drill.  Playing is fun, and kids even at adolescent age love to play.

Older adolescents start taking this all more seriously.  This is an important part of athleticism.  My guys train in the gym, they push weights and they feel powerful in that moment — until plyometric drills come into play.  They are often discouraged by the lack of endurance. This is how I explain it to them:

1) to be able to sustain a plyo drill on the leg, we must be able to squat 1.6 times our body weight.
2) to be able to sustain a plyo drill on the upper body as the one that we demoed above, we must be able to press 1.2 times our body weight.

This is not an easy feat!  In order to recruit pure power from the body, strength MUST be developed.  These are my tactics:

Phase 1 – pure moves in strength (the usual stuff we see every day in the gym)
Phase 2 – strength in movement (combination strength moves, i.e. lunge and press)
Phase 3 – intro to plyo drills
Phase 4 – pure moves in strength, immediately followed by a plyo drill (weighted squat for 12 reps right into box jumps for 12 reps)
Phase 5 – increase plyo drill difficulty and duration
Phase 6 – weighted plyo drills

For my athletes, following this system has helped them stay on task as the progression is continuous and fun.   I try to keep things light yet serious, and I try to keep things fresh by introducing new and exciting moves to try.

Muscle memory is at the very foundation of their training, yet it can become tedious and boring.   I try to keep it all fresh by changing up the way in which they do the pure move, I try to put it in different environments in the gym.  And, as for plyo drills, the crazier the better!

Thank you for the opportunity to speak on what I love to do!

Maryse

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Hockey and Plyometrics – Part 3

It just so happened that I was doing a little research today for a new program I’m about to announce (it’s my Hockey BootCamp), and I ran across the following video.  In it, one of the US’s top authorities on this subject gives a description of plyometrics that might fill-in the gaps for many members.  I hope you also enjoy the history of plyos as provided by Dr. Michael Yessis…

By the way…  Although I wouldn’t visit the old Soviet Union until about 20-years after plyometrics were initiated, it would be about another 20-years after I returned home for that term to even be heard by the average coach or athlete.

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Now, since we have here yet another enthusiastic guest instructor, I don’t think Maryse would mind a bit answering your questions, or trying to clarify a sometime confusing subject.  So, why not take advantage of her generosity, and fire a few questions to her via the Comment box?

He wants to provide a shooting and puckhandling area in his garage for his young son, and he initiated the conversation by asking about those (rather expensive?) commercially made “plastic ice” pads.

– Dennis Chighisola

Off-ice Hockey Shooting Practice

For those who have come to know me, you probably already appreciate my thinking in this area.  In a nutshell, I feel that “improving your game is all in the doing”.  In other words, it’s not the fancy gadget that makes you better, but the actually practice (even if it’s with some homemade device, whatever).

So, I immediately suggested something to my friend that probably wouldn’t cost him $20, and he could probably have it in place for his boy within an hour or so (instead of waiting for a purchased product to arrive via shipment)…

Your local Home Depot (or other building supply store) carries 4′ by 8′ sheets of all sorts.  Most of these are made for paneling walls or other large, flat surfaces.  And, of course, while some have roughened surfaces, some are as smooth as ice.

If you might experience a problem with using this sort of surface for shooting, it might be that the whole rectangle will slide if a lot of pressure is applied across the surface.  In other words, a slapshot might make the board move some, as might a hard wristshot, whereby the shooter really leans on his or her stick.

In answer to this problem, I’ve usually glued a layer of thin foam to the bottom of the panel (although just placing small squares of foam under the middle and ends of the panel often does the trick).  The main idea is to create somewhat of a non-slip surface under the board to grip against a paved surfaced.

Going back to my original premise, just picture my friend’s young lad firing and firing and firing there inside his garage.  Depending on the number of pucks he has available, it’s likely he could get in hundreds of shots in a very short time.  And, while those shots add-up, they also add-up to some awesome power and refinement of his movements.

Oh, and here’s another tip…  I have large mirrors around The MOTION Lab, these so my students can see themselves during a given exercise, and thereby perfect the movements involved.

If you can picture it, a player could be dribbling a puck or ball on the above described panel, and he could practice keeping the eyes up by seeing how long he can watch himself in the nearby mirror.

When it’s come to working on the slapshot in the Lab, my guys don’t even use pucks.  Rather, they face a large mirror, keep their eyes up, and just fire and fire, gradually trying to perfect their movements in that mirror.

Now, the type of mirror I (and the local gyms) use are very expensive.  However, I’ve used inexpensive (normal breakable) ones at home for my son and grandson.  These have never been situated in the path of a puck, but just off to the side.

So, are you — or the young player in your charge — shooting a couple of hundred pucks each day?  It’s possible, you know, and really inexpensive.  Hey, it doesn’t require much in the way of cost, since “it’s all in the doing”!