Rookie Coach,
I have put a lot about skating lately because at this time of year where I live it is specialty camps and skill camps that are happening that I am involved with and that is what I have filmed.
As far as skating well I have a little story that may emphasis why it is so important.
When I was an assistant coach at university we had a player named Jason. He had just completed his last two seasons of major junior hockey. He scored 135 and 162 points. His last season 81 goals and 81 assists and I think he still has the most power play goals in the history of major junior.
We had a lot of players that scored only a fraction of his points who would go to NHL camps and come late to school when they didn't get a good pro contract. Jason never attended an NHL camp. In 95 during the strike we played a game vs the NHL players who were skating in the city. Jason walked through their entire team twice during that game.
Problem was that Jason was 5'9" and 165 lbs. in an era of giants but he was not a great skater. The pro's decided he couldn't produce at that level and never gave him a chance to prove them wrong.
Jason was a straight A student and the last I heard about him he was doing just fine.
I always think it must have killed him to think he was the Western player of the year and Daigle who got far fewer points than him that season signed for about 5 mil in Ottawa while he paid a lot of his fees at university.
So yes. Skating is critical.
By the way. You never commented on the last half of the book. What did you think?
Tom,
I just finished off the book yesterday. I was at a point where I was spending so much time going through drills and understanding the book that I needed some time away from hockey. Sounds weird eh !
The book was great. I will be going back over the book again , mainly the first half just to get a better understanding on the roles and the phases of reading the game. Just want a better understanding on the ABC's part.
I understood most of the section on playing principals (Team Play). But your book gives a different look and a different understanding in this area. This is a book that a coach can refer back too , when he comes across a game situation he doesn't understand or needs to learn how to counter against the opposing team.
A coach can learn a number of options for his team structures such as , power play and PK.
You talked about when in trouble get the puck up off the glass and out in the defensive zone.
I had the privilege of watching many London Knights (OHL) games a few few years ago when they had players like , Perry,Bolland Schemp, Wideman, etc. What a team to watch. This team did exactly what I mentioned above. I think their game plan was simple up off the glass and out when pressured and battle with speed in the Neutral Zone. Easier battling in the NZ than your own DZ.
In your book you also went over the five most common power plays.
This London team mastered the overload. They played with Perry , Shremp ,Hunter up forward and Bolland and Wideman on D, (four forwards and one D-man)
They played with Perry at the half boards and the other two forwards on or below the goal line one behind the net. when the pass went low corner , Perry would penetrate the middle looking for a return pass. The look was too Perry but the pass was across the crease to the forward who stepped out from behind the net for the one timer. They scored it seemed like once a game with this play. A team would adjust and they would throw something different at you. You couldn't stop them .
One major difference with your book is you have the Modules at the end for all the levels from beginner to at advanced levels. It also contains practice cards for the different levels. You get the theory part in this book but are also given drills to follow up with.
Understanding the Coaching ABC's method will take time and some patience for coaches. Things are set up differently than most (not all) coaches are used too. But when you put it all together I think it would be a valuable guide for many coaches.
I am used to coaching or instructing and was taught a different way. But I'm open to learning new ways of teaching the game of hockey to young players. Keeping an open mind as a coach and adding new things big or small can only help you get better.
I am looking forward to trying out a good number or the DT drills or games. One puck drills or games that teach the game. .
Rookie Coach
Rookie Coach,
Nice to hear you are open-minded and your brain is evolving! With more time, you will come to the 'light side' and escape the clutches of the 'dark side' (old school, repetitive, traditional drills that have little relativity to 'the game'.) Reminds me of the definition of insanity, "Doing the same thing and expecting different results."
I had a four hour meeting with an NHL coach two weeks ago. (I bought him a copy of Tom's book for his 50th birthday.) We have known each other for twenty years and he has seen my own personal 'coaching evolution' occur after I had the good fortune to meet "The Colombian" in 2003 - my friend John.
This NHL coach and I have met several times each year to discuss philosophy. He has always been somewhat skeptical of my approach - about the game being the best teacher - and playing so many 1 vs. 1 games, incorporating elements of transition wherever possible; trying to make the old 'drills' into competitive, measurable, game-like scenarios - after all, to play the game, we need to 'play' the game!
I hate the word 'drills' now and shy away from doing anything that isn't game like. Bye bye horseshoe! See ya flow drills! Everything is focused on letting the player experience the game-like situation and make decisions. They will figure out what works and what doesn't. By holding them accountable, their learning is accelerated. Plus this builds intensity and enjoyment into the sessions... not to mention improved fitness because of the competitive nature of the games / activities / scenarios!
Below are his comments:
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Dean,
Very enlightening meeting yesterday. I was thinking about your philosophy and belief in the way the game is played: one vs one with transition. I have often felt this to be the case and with your passion for the "activities" in the way of teaching the concepts of hockey, both offensively and defensively, bring more clarity to my thinking. Unfortunately I have been 'dumbed down' over the past number of years to believing what has become a generalized thought process in the National Hockey League.
When _____ coached he would often say defensively to the players: either no one has the puck; we have the puck; or they have the puck. He was quite cerebral in this regard, but _____ make players better from a development perspective. At the elite level as my experience tells me, a lot of players have the ability - as adults - to internalize what they see without a lot of on ice rehearsal or activities. I am sure that your activities would be better received, with more excitement and enjoyment than the mundane and very uninspired practices at this level.
Have a good day
Dean
I will stay on this theme instead of posting more material. I found a 8 gb thumb drive for $10 at the Source so I have spent the last few days gathering all of the videos from the two computers and portable hard drive and putting them all on this little drive. I think I have done it. I also put on an ebook that a Finnish coach made for Juuso of Book 1. It is handy having everything in one little and very portable tool. About 300 short videos and also a few of my favorites like Bob Murdoch as a guest speaker at my college coaching class.
Some Thoughts.
I decided it was time to make a decision after waiting for the Czech club to get funding to pay for me to be the U20 assistant and coach mentor for the youth coaches. I accepted the head coach position for the girls U18 team. I am wondering if they will have the simple mechanics of holding the stick properly.
I coached the college women for 5 years and the elite league for 2. I found that a lot of the college girls were bottom hand dominant. There is a video with my asst Jim leading small groups handling the puck around their body and only a few could do it well. If you control the stick with your bottom hand you can only handle the puck on the forehand and things like a toe drag are nearly impossible.
So this simple mistake of poor early instruction on the mechanics of holding the stick impaired their development in all of the stick skills - puck handling, passing, shooting. Which means they can never become elite; no matter how hard they workout or how great they skate.
Here are some thoughts on the essential building blocks. I will expound on the obvious but the old saying "common sense is a most uncommon thing" applies to hockey as well.
1. Players need solid mechanics to learn stick skills and skating skills.
2. When learning individual technique everyone should have a puck and not wait in line for their turn. Reps are the key. (with correct mechanics). This applies to shooting skills as well.
3. Every individual skill learned should move into a gamelike situation.
4. Partner skills such as passing should be done with one partner and then multiple partners all at the same time and all over the ice. Not waiting for a turn in a lineup where you make a few passes then move onto the next drill. These skills should also move to a competitive situation so they can be performed under pressure.
REPS with proper technique.
In other words there are NO LINEUPS with individual and partner skills. The coach has to create situations where everyone is active at the same time. Develop ROUTINES like the skating routing Gaston uses at the start of each session. Do this for all the individual and partiner skills. Give them a name and let the players "get at er" I am thinking of setting routines to music (guys wouldn't like that but I think the girl's would)
The only time players should line up is when they need recovery time between reps. Hockey is an anaerobic game and the w/r ratio in drills, games and transition games is very important. If players are waiting longer than the recovery time needed then the activity is a poor coaching choice.
A.I.M.
Activity 80% (if the activity is anaerobic the recovery is part of this)
Instruction 10%
Maintenance 10%
We are teaching a game, so smaller games that isolate situations we want the players to experience and understand how to solve are the essential building block to development of the "Complete Player."
We are competing with video games which give the kid's competitive situations that demand instant problem solving or they are kicked back to the beginning. We need to make practice exciting for them so they want to come to the rink instead of more "screen time."
That is our challenge in hockey and other sports. It isn't to produce elite athletes, (some will always rise to the top where that can become the focus.) It is to produce good citizens who are fit and who have learned to work with other people toward a common goal. Sports can help do that and video games can't.
Tom
Your comments above are perhaps the best I have read on this site to date. Where does one start...
1. "common sense is a most uncommon thing" applies to hockey as well.
I call it "UNCOMMON SENSE" as it isn't that common...
2. When learning individual technique everyone should have a puck and not wait in line for their turn. Reps are the key. (with correct mechanics). This applies to shooting skills as well.
Agreed 100%. Eliminate 'down time' and make it useful - as long as you are practicing the proper mechanics!
3. Every individual skill learned should move into a gamelike situation.
Halleluiah brother! Game-like = MORE FUN!
4. Partner skills such as passing should be done with one partner and then multiple partners all at the same time and all over the ice. Not waiting for a turn in a lineup where you make a few passes then move onto the next drill. These skills should also move to a competitive situation so they can be performed under pressure. REPS with proper technique.
Competitive situations expose the true character of people. It would be simplistic to say that it brings out the best in people - mental focus, intensity, the desire to get better, fun, etc. - as it also can bring out the worst in people (disrespect, quitting, cheating, etc.) But it least it shows one's true colours.
In other words there are NO LINEUPS with individual and partner skills. The coach has to create situations where everyone is active at the same time. Develop ROUTINES like the skating routing Gaston uses at the start of each session. Do this for all the individual and partner skills. Give them a name and let the players "get at er" I am thinking of setting routines to music (guys wouldn't like that but I think the girl's would.)
The only time players should line up is when they need recovery time between reps. Hockey is an anaerobic game and the w/r ratio in drills, games and transition games is very important. If players are waiting longer than the recovery time needed then the activity is a poor coaching choice.
This is the challenge we all face as coaches. Take the time to get better at it as your individual players will enjoy the development process and ultimately, the team will play better. Naming ROUTINES is an excellent idea as it cuts down on explanation time and helps one achieve the 80% AIM goal. Besides, it helps with training the fitness levels to replicate the hockey situation.
I have seen even pro men use music during a bag skate (Mike Keenan) and it helps take the pain / edge off - the players seemed to like it. I used music with the Dino girls for parts of practice, not a bag skate as I don't use these anymore... too 19th cy. for me) and it was a hit.
A.I.M.
Activity 80% (if the activity is anaerobic the recovery is part of this)
Instruction 10%
Maintenance 10%
We are teaching a game, so smaller games that isolate situations we want the players to experience and understand how to solve are the essential building block to development of the "Complete Player."
Yes - more timing 'doing' and less 'time filling' should be the goal. Practice scenarios should reflect game realities - this is where decision training is nurtured (of of our athletes have the capacity to become Gretzky's... it's the situations we place them in and how we encourage / inspire them that makes the difference! We teach defense and kill creativity / dash the hopes and dreams of far too many kids - way too early. Imagine if we just shut up and stand back and let the game be the best teacher... we would have more Gretzky's!)
We are competing with video games which give the kid's competitive situations that demand instant problem solving or they are kicked back to the beginning. We need to make practice exciting for them so they want to come to the rink instead of more "screen time."
That is our challenge in hockey and other sports. It isn't to produce elite athletes, (some will always rise to the top where that can become the focus.) It is to produce good citizens who are fit and who have learned to work with other people toward a common goal. Sports can help do that and video games can't.
Video games, especially the handheld ones on the phone, and the internet to some extent, are the 'new TV' and suck the brain power out of our youth (and some adults, too.) I used to play video games - actually I was of the era of pool rooms before pinball machines - and have played computer games, but have never owned an X-box / Playstation, etc. I think I am better for it. I read and it is way better for my mind! (Full disclosure, I do have an iTouch that I play games on sometimes while I am waiting, though... if I don't have any books.)
As a centreman who was known to be exceptional at winning face-offs, I would like to believe that playing video games helped improve my reflexes (as a partial justification for playing them - but can't prove it!) but I feel that by playing pool (my 'mispent youth') and having a pool table / air hockey at home helped me learn about angles - how to bank the puck or anticipate the bank - which certainly seems to be a 'lost art' while teaching today's kids...
Our goal should be to develop citizens who will give back to society; rather than become parasites and take - or develop an entitlement mentality and expect things to be given, not earned. By so doing, we create a positive contribution to society and strengthen the fabric of our communities. Our players become our legacy. Only a few will ever make the NHL and really, the focus should be on creating good citizens and teaching them how to deal with problems (problem solve and behave) in regards to real life - teach life skills through sport. Although it seems neat to be able to say, "I coached so and so who are / were in the NHL," I know I feel just as good, if not more so, when I talk about 'my' old players who went on to succeed in whatever field they choose - because 'a real job' is far more likely than the NHL!
Thanks for posting your opinions Tom... maybe this should be moved into it's own thread? "Coaching Philosophy"?
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Dean
Thanks Dean,
I will rearrange things and start a coaching philosophy thread when I am done putting everything of the thumb drives. I am just about done. About 280 practice video clips and pdfs outlining everything plus a digital copy of book 1. I have finally finished it and the one small drive basically has everything that is on the site and a little more. The videos don't need an internet connection and play smoothly.
It will make finding everything easier.I have coded everything so it is easy to find.
A lot of your article postings just appear as titles on my computers.
Good chance the site will reach 3 million hits tomorrow.
I think I will make the thumb drive available to anyone who donates $75 or more to the upkeep of the site. The pdfs have the diagram with descriptions and links that open videos on the site if they have internet access. Otherwise they can play the on the drive. I will include a short explanation on how to use the material and coaches can add by downloading the new material from the site.
The thumb drive mail and pay is a good idea Tom!
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I posted how to get the drive on the homepage. I will mail a compimentary USB Thumb Drive to anyone who donaltes $75 or more and sends me their address. They can donate by clicking on the donate button and use Paypal. A cheque would also work.
Tom,
I have noticed that you have posted a number articles regarding Dr Gaston Schaeffer and his skating techniques.
Just how important is it for a young player to be a strong skater and have good mechanics ?
How high on the list is skating for scouts when they are looking at potential draft picks?
I have studied power skating or the mechanics that go with it. However it is for my own personal interest , and the odd time i am able to give advice to young players if need be. I am not a expert , but just enjoy it, and just adds to my coaching.
I see many young players with lots of talent , but you see that short choppy stride with only a partial leg recovery. No weight transfer from leg to leg , just poor mechanics , and it gets worse as they get tired during a game.
Players should work a few edges every time they step on the ice and feel each motion. Get rid of that stiffness and think and feel each movement even if it's for a few minutes.
It seems to be more fun to grab that puck and fire it at the net or the goalies head than work on the skating.
But this is only my opinion , maybe it's because I enjoy watching a great skater and how they move across the ice and turn on a dime.
Tom , I know you have seem some great skaters over the years.
Would you agree how enjoyable it is to watch a player skate , and knowing this player has put in the time to become a great skater ?
RookieCaoch
'Enjoy the Game'