So you are hoping that your son or daughter becomes a great goal scorer who can play anywhere of their choosing? Read this short article to see what they must develop first to become a goal scorer!







Q:Ferd, from the sunny state of Florida, asks for some guidance on the prioritizing of skills for young players.

A:First, his mentioning of "young players" gives me the chance to emphasize how important it is for us, coaches and parents of young kids, to focus on fine motor skills. And, while I'm surely talking about hockey skills here, I'm going to suggest that the earliest years are also the right time to instill all sorts of general athletic qualities. Much like the learning of languages, the human body is more receptive to physical change early-on (from birth to puberty).

Secondly, a lot of years ago I designed a pyramid shaped view of teaching priorities that I called "A Building Blocks Approach to Skill Development".

Readers probably won't find it surprising that I placed "Skating" at the base. After all, skating is the name of the game, and efficient skating enables a player to better carryout either his or her defensive and offensive duties.

What might surprise a lot of people is that I view "Puckhandling" as the second most important individual skill. You see, next on my pyramid comes "Passing & Receiving", then "Scoring" at the very top. But a player can't really make good passes under pressure unless he or she can first handle the biscuit well, and with their eyes up. Nor can he or she gather-in (good or bad) passes without "hands". Actually, I see both puckhandling and passing as prerequisites to "Scoring".

With solid puck-skills, a player can deke the goaltender. In addition, both the forehand and backhand sweeping motions, learned in passing, form the basis for strong shooting.

Finally, while I've prioritized the above skills in a certain manner, with some seen as prerequisites to others, I don't necessarily delay the teaching of higher order skills. No, young players can work on their passing, receiving and scoring skills from the start. However, I will devote a great deal more time to skating, at first, then to moving with a puck. And, a little at a time, things all seem to come together, with enhanced skating and puckhandling skills gradually creeping into a youngster's passing and scoring.

Dennis is President and Director of New England Hockey Institute.A noted author and lecturer, he is also well-known for his problem-solving abilities and his work in motor-skill development.

Previous Article - December 2008

First published in 1989, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is a self-help book written by Stephen R. Covey. It has sold over 15 million copies in 38 languages since first publication. This month I came across an adaptation of Mr. Covey's list for application as a hockey parent, written by a hockey mom. While it is always challenging to be effective in helping our players be there best, maybe the seven habits applied to hockey will make hockey a little more fun for everyone!




1. Be Proactive. Hockey players need the right equipment, training and attitude on and off the ice. Last minute preparation is a bad habit to get into. Not to mention really stressful.

2. Begin with the (realistic) end in mind. Is the reason your child is playing hockey is because you expect him/her to play in the NHL someday. Statistics show otherwise. Too much pressure takes the fun out of the game.

3. Put First Things First. This means to think about what is really important in a youth hockey game. Is it the score or the player?

4. Think Win/Win. Make sure that everyone wins in youth hockey. That means even if your team loses you have to ask yourself did they learn anything. Hockey is a great game on and off the ice if your child learns life lessons from it.

5. Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood. Apply this to coaches, officials, hockey directors, other parents and especially your own child. Do you really know what's going on if you don't listen?

6. Synergize. Yes, this means one plus one can equal much more that two. Get together with other parents and help out the team. Coaches are volunteers. They need help and encouragement.

7. Sharpen the Saw. Learn about the game of hockey. How about learning to skate? Learn the rules by taking a ref's course (it's free). Learn to be a coach. Teach yourself to be a great hockey parent. Everyone will benefit...especially your child!

Previous Article - November 2008

Now with the season in full swing and games underway it is important that we focus on ensuring our players are both happy and healthy. Head injuries frequently occur in hockey and many are unaware of the seriousness of concussions. Although we may tell our players and kids to "brush it off", it is difficult for us to judge the severity of an injury, especially a head injury. This article is a good reference for coaches on the bench and parents in the stands or at home. Head injuries are serious and should be taken care of properly. Players of any age should not "toughen up" and get back into play before medically cleared. Let's err on the side of the safety and truly understand the injuries our players are facing.

A Player & Coaches Guide For the Recognition & Response to Head Injuries
Reprinted from Massachusetts Hockey On-Line

January 04, 2002
NEW YORK (AP) - New York Rangers center Eric Lindros, sidelined with the seventh concussion of his NHL career, took part in an optional skate Friday and remains day-to-day. Lindros, who has missed four games after leaving a game against San Jose on Dec. 28, was placed on injured reserve Wednesday after being examined by a neurologist. The Rangers are at Pittsburg on Saturday, and return home to face Los Angeles on Wednesday night. Lindros, traded by Philadelphia to New York in August after missing all of last season, had six documented concussions between March 8, 1998 and May 26, 2000.

CONCUSSION
Head injury (Concussion) is separated into three (3) distinctive categories known as grades.

GRADE l
Confusion without Amnesia
No loss of Consciousness
Action:
REMOVE FROM EVENT
PERFORM BENCH EVALUATION

GRADE ll
Confusion with Amnesia
No loss of Consciousness
Action:
REMOVE FROM EVENT
PERFORM BENCH EVALUATION

GRADE lll
Loss of Consciousness
Action:
REMOVE FROM EVENT
TRANSPORT TO APPROPRIATE MEDICAL FACILITY IMMEDIATELY!!

If a player receives head trauma, a coach should perform a bench evaluation to determine grade of Concussion. If symptoms are prevalent, seek medical attention immediately. It is dangerous and risky for a player's health to send or allow that player back into the game without a doctor's permission. Head injuries (Concussion) can be fatal if not treated properly.

What you don't know about Head Injuries (CONCUSSIONS) Can KILL you!!

COACHES SHOULD READ AND FOLLOW THESE SECTIONS RELIGIOUSLY

GRADE l

This is the most common yet most difficult form of concussion to recognize. The athlete is not rendered unconscious and suffers only momentary confusion. The majority of concussions in sports are this type. Players commonly refer to it as having their "Bell rung". A player should never return to play until they are asymptomatic (without symptoms) at rest or exertion for a period of one week. Player must receive doctor's permission before returning to play.

GRADE ll

With a grade 2 concussion, the athlete is not rendered unconscious and has amnesia for the events following the impact (post-traumatic amnesia). Player must receive doctor's permission before returning to play.

GRADE lll

It is usually quite easy to recognize a grade 3 concussion. This level of head injury applies to any athlete who is rendered unconscious for any period of time. Player must receive doctor's permission before returning to play. IN ALL INSTANCES, PLAYERS SHOULD RECEIVE MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY PLAYERS MUST RECEIVE DOCTOR'S PERMISSION BEFORE RETURNING TO PLAY

BENCH EVALUATION

All coaches should familiarize themselves with this simple evaluation technique.
Mental Status Testing:

Orientation:
Time, Place, Person and situation (circumstances of injury)
Concentration:
Count digits backwards
10 - 9 - 8 - 7 - 6
Rehearse months of the year in reverse order
Memory:
Names of teams in prior contest, President, Governor, Mayor
Recent newsworthy events, 3 words and 3 objects at 0 and 5 minutes
Details of contest (plays, moves, strategies, etc)
Symptoms:
Any appearance of associated symptoms is abnormal, e.g., headache, dizziness, nausea, unsteadiness, impaired orientation, blurred or double vision, mental status changes and confusion with or without amnesia.
Neurological Tests:
Finger to Nose
Finger to Nose with eyes closed.
Finger from Nose to Examiner's finger (Examiner moves finger around and injured player touches finger to nose to finger)
Check Pupil reaction
Check Motor Skills (Hand strength, foot strength, leg strength)

Previous Article - October 2008

As many of us have seen, all too often during a game the bench becomes shorter and shorter no matter the age of the players. Unfortunately this happens because there is a desire to win the game above all else. As coaches and parents will hopefully realize the real reason we are here is for the player to develop as hockey players, teammates and people. Please take a look at this article to hear what some college and professional coaches have to say about using their players. Hopefully these words will give coaches and parents a reason to pause and think no matter if their child is at the top or bottom of the roster.

"Shortchanged And Shortsighted: A Long List Of Problems Can Arise When Coaches Opt To Play A Short Bench"
By Bob Schaller
Reprinted from January 2006 edition of USA Hockey Magazine

In hockey circles, as in life, what goes around comes around. Call it a case of coaching karma, but a coach who lives by the short bench will ultimately be done in by the short bench somewhere down the line.

Providence College coach Tim Army has coached at all levels of the game. He has seen how a lack of depth can haunt a team, especially at the most inopportune times.

"You certainly want to play and develop your depth, because if you think about it over the course of a year - or even the course of a game - things can roll out where you need more than just a few players or two lines," says Army, who joined the Friars after three years as the head coach with the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League.

"You have to have players who contribute to the team's success, even if it means finding them a role and developing them for it. The more contributors you have on your team is going to work to your advantage in the long haul. It's even going to make the 'best' players on your team more content because you'll be winning more games."

Playing a short bench, while usually done to improve a team's chances of winning, can often have the opposite effect. A short bench can actually hinder a team's chances for success, especially in a situation where the team is playing consecutive games toward the end of the regular season or during a tournament.

Not only will some players get discouraged by a short bench, but the fact that the team is not developing any level of quality depth will haunt it at some point in the future. "At all levels, if you don't develop your bench you are in trouble - you won't be the team that you should be," says Ken Martel, USA Hockey's coordinator of youth hockey, who is also a former coach with the National Team Development Program.

Players who develop their skills and get a fair share of ice time are obviously more likely to be happy and remain in the program.

"We still believe in developing players and trying to get them to the next level," says Jim Marchi, hockey director with Team Illinois who has coached teams at various age groups. "It's important to get them repetitions in both practices and games, otherwise they are not going to get better."

No matter how good a team's top players are, there will simply come a time when that's not enough to win a game.

"Over the course of a season, just playing two lines will lead to burnout," points out Kevin McLaughlin, USA Hockey's director of youth hockey.

"The great coach is the one who runs a great practice and develops players - gets his players to become better. Anyone can figure out the first line - that's easy. But to find out about the rest of the team, and develop the other kids, that's key."

One of the best examples of developing players came several years ago as University of Denver coach George Gwozdecky amazed coaches and fans everywhere by benching a star player who broke a team rule for the 2004 NCAA Championship game. Gwozdecky never built his program around one player or one line, so other players were in a position to step up - which they did, leading DU to the National Title.

"DU's leading scorer gets benched, and if Coach Gwozdecky hadn't developed other players - not only their ability but also their confidence - that could've affected the outcome," McLaughlin says. "George had to go deeper into his lineup to pick up the slack."

The debate over running a short bench has been around as long as there's been winning and losing. However, in this era where kids focus on one sport or are being tugged by other sports to get involved, a "short bench" season could cause a short foray into hockey for many young players.

"My personal opinion is that it is not acceptable as long as you are paying to play," McLaughlin says. "I'm a firm believer that parents and coaches all have an inflated perception of the level we are playing at: We think if we are at Peewee Tier I, it is the NHL. If you are paying, you deserve to play."

The pay-to-play argument is especially compelling in hockey because, compared to many other sports, the cost to participate can be considerably higher. Factor in league and travel costs, and hockey players - and their parents - will want at least a fair and equitable return on their investment in terms of playing time, which does not mean sitting on the bench for the final period.

Coaches can also help avoid the short-bench syndrome: At tryouts and "drafts," coaches should not take players who they don't envision a spot for on the roster - a player they really have no intention of playing.

"You have to confront the issue at tryouts. Don't take more kids than you can play, or plan to play," McLaughlin says. "Don't take more kids to get the team nicer jerseys, stick bags, or coaches' salaries - only take the kids that you will play."

Once a player is selected, it's up to the coaches to develop every player's skills, not just those playing on the first or second lines. The investment in time and effort spent early in the season will pay off as the season heads into the home stretch.

Martel says developing depth can't be overemphasized.

"You won't be as good in the short run or the long run," he says. "If you start shortening the bench in September and October, how good of a team do you really think you're going to have in March when it's playoff time and you need everyone? The bottom line for a coach at any level is to be better at the end of the year than at the beginning of the year. You have to find a way to insert your players - all of them - into the lineup and become better. "It's not uncommon, especially for travel teams, to lose one or even two players at a tournament to injury or illness, and see that team collapse.

"If one of the top guys gets sick or injured, or simply can't make a trip, and you haven't developed other players, you will be in trouble when it really counts," Martel says. "You have to develop the player on the fourth line as much as the one on the first line."

Even if parents don't complain about coaches running a short bench, the problem exacerbates itself.

"The huge problem is when we have parents convinced it is OK and coaches convinced it is OK, because then it trickles down to the kid," McLaughlin says. "That's why they quit. They want to participate, and some end up brainwashed to accept [sitting on the bench]."

Situations will arise - power play, penalty kill and key moments late in the game - where certain players will get more ice time than others. But a coach that is able to throw fresh legs on the ice through the game or the season will be more successful in the long run.

McLaughlin recalls a recent University of Wisconsin team that might have been out-talented against several top teams, but had used its entire roster throughout the season. As a result, other teams simply couldn't keep up with the Badgers late in the third period during tournaments and the post-season.

"Wisconsin had so much depth that they hit teams with waves and waves," McLaughlin says. "They didn't have any superstars. They just wore other teams down."

Previous Article - September 2008

"Over the years, I have worn three hockey hats, those of a player, coach and parent. The way in which this TRIAD works, hopefully together, is extremely important to the success of a season. This month I am providing an article that discusses the responsibilities and the importance of all three roles, enabling them to come together to create a harmonious environment. In the world of physics, the sum of the parts equals the whole. In the game of hockey it is no different in that a negative affect by any one of the three roles will surely detract from the whole. Based on my experience I can say that when the three roles work together we can even defy physics and the parts can create something greater the whole of the parts making the season a magically one. Good luck in creating your magical season!"

Kids, Parents and the Role of Coaches
By Rick Collins

In my travels as a high school coach, I've gotten to know many area high school athletes. We talk about how our seasons are going, and not surprisingly, these kids are very open about their experiences on their teams. So I wasn't necessarily shocked when a group of girls from a valley high school team began complaining about their season and how bad their coach was. They were critical about the style of play he presented to them. They were critical about how he treated them on the field. They hated his conditioning program. They said if they only had a better coach their season would be turning out differently, since they came from a successful youth travel program and they and their parents expected to win.

Imagine the look on their faces when I suggested that the problem rested on their shoulders and they were the reason their season had become negative. "What are you talking about, coach? It's his fault!"

Granted, there are times when coaches make mistakes or aren't qualified to handle the job. A good coach is going to constantly evaluate how she or he is doing with the kids on her or his team. Bad coaches won't do this, and predictably, they don't usually last long. But where is the responsibility for kids on teams and what responsibility do their parents take in making the best of any athletic team situation?

Here's what I suggested to the girls on that valley team. See if this makes any sense. I suggested that they had their perspective in the wrong place. Perhaps because adults have organized and run every activity for children and young adults over the last few decades, these young athletes had no perspective on how it was their responsibility to make their participation on their team a positive experience. They have learned quite clearly from adults in their lives organizing and running everything for them that they really had no say or stake in whether the experience would be a good one. I said that it was their responsibility to do everything they could as being part of a team to make their team the best team possible. I said the only thing they could control on their team was the attitude they decided to bring to practice and games. If a coach used a specific style of play, what could each athlete on the team do to maximize his or her play within that style? If a coach used a particular style of team management, what could they do as team members to get to know the coach and ask him why he used that style and what they needed to do to make it work? I asked them if they had taken the time to ask the coach to explain his conditioning program and how it would benefit the team. I then asked these girls what they could do to maximize their conditioning as a means toward their team's improvement. Finally, I asked them if they understood how each player on any team had specific roles and whether they were willing to accept those roles for the good of the team. Our culture has devolved into a place where we find fault with everyone. TV shows like American Idol glorify humiliating others for the sake of entertainment. We regale in the voyeuristic pleasure of watching people's imperfections revealed weekly during reality TV shows and tabloid TV. We have all but eliminated the pursuit of improvement; replacing it almost entirely with the attitude that winning is everything, in business, in education, in politics, and in youth sports. If you don't win, it's the coach's fault because he has turned you into losers.

Parents, it is your responsibility to support your kid's coach. Otherwise, your kid will get the message that she or he shouldn't support the coach either. It is your responsibility as parents to teach your child that she or he has all the power to make or break a team; simply by deciding what attitude will be brought to practice and games each day. This lesson is a life lesson for your child. If your child learns it now, your child will become productive members of our culture, and perhaps help change our culture for the better.

Kids, it is your responsibility to attend every practice and game with the positive attitude of making your team the best it can be. You have the responsibility to find a way to work with your coach to make it successful.

Here's a quick footnote. I'm very happy to say that the girls did, in fact, turn their season around. Their team ended up playing for a state championship.

Previous Article - August 2008

 
A new group goes through a sorting out process before it becomes a team working together toward common goals. As we begin our new season, whether we have new players or the same returning players, we will most assuredly have a "new group". Hopefully the following article will support you in molding and guiding your players to come together as ONE.

Better Than They Should Have To Be:
Taylor Branch, author of Parting the Waters, and other books about Martin Luther King, Jr., said that leadership often requires followers to be "better than they should have to be." When your team plays a more talented team to a standstill for an entire game, it shouldn't have to play an overtime session at an even higher level. But coaching leadership can and should ask them to try.

Leadership often demands commitments from followers greater than the followers believe they are capable of making. Asking your players to achieve excellence, to become more than they believe they are capable of, is a crucial step in developing a high-performance team.

I am talking here not about coaches browbeating kids into performing for the benefit of adults. I am talking about inspiring players as a group to reach for the stars; asking them to make a commitment to achieve a level of performance that most groups rarely experience; in short, to become a team. But to do that successfully it helps to understand what keeps them from doing that.

Self-Protection Strategies:

Groups are dangerous. Even children realize the power a group has. Groups can make people do things they don't want to do. Groups can embarrass and take advantage of people. When we join a group, we try to protect ourselves. We worry about protecting ourselves until we are convinced the group will not hurt us. There are four self-protection strategies individuals use when entering a new group.

1. "Fight": Some people respond to the anxiety that comes with uncertainty by trying to organize things. They face the threat by becoming aggressive and bossy. Fight-response athletes may give directions for things they themselves don't know how to do correctly. The anxiety tied to the ambiguity of the situtation drives them to take charge regardless of their competency to do so.

Organizing energy when it is focused on the needs of the team is great. When the principal motivation is self-protection, it often will be counterproductive.

2. "Flight": At the other extreme, many of us lie low and get the lay of the land before committing to anything that might make us too vulnerable. I tend to take my time in a new group, testing the waters to see how people respond if I disagree with them. Once I am convinced the group is safe, I become a vocal, enthusiastic member.

As with Fight behaviors, it is useful for groups to have Flight people who look before they leap. But if the goal of the lying low person is self-protection rather than advancement of the group toward its goals, the individual may not speak out when the group needs to hear what she has to say.

3. Alliance-Builder: A self-protection strategy related to the lie-low approach is to look for individuals within the group to ally with. If I support someone, perhaps they'll support me if anyone criticizes me. Thus my goal is not to make the group successful, but to find a friend or two who will protect me.

4. Scapegoating: The most insidious self-protection strategy is to seek a scapegoat to blame for the problems of the group. If we can blame everything on someone else, no one will think to blame us. Or, if they do, we may be able to shift the blame to the scapegoat.

Some coaches try to create a common enemy outside the team. But resorting to external enemies to motivate a team can backfire. The negative emotion brought into play can detract from concentration and overall performance. And, if you don't defeat the external opponent, the bitter feelings return with the group seeking a scapegoat for the losses.

Often a scapegoat is someone who is a little (or a lot) different. It may be the weakest player or an athlete from the "wrong side of the tracks," or someone who wears weird clothes. And, of course, often the scapegoat is someone from a minority group (a lone girl on a co-ed team, the only athlete of color, etc.).

Scapegoats often "nominate" themselves. The athlete may have habits that bug the coach or teammates. She may not seem to try as hard as others on the team. He may fail to make a key play that other players could make with ease.

The bottom line is scapegoats distract people from doing the hard work of trying to get better. It's much easier to blame some poor soul for the failure of the team. If it's "his" fault, then "we" don't have to take responsibility for working harder to get better.

Your players will engage in self-protection strategies until they have confidence that the team will not harm them. When your players and coaches reach this level of confidence, you have the potential to become a team in more than name only.

The Requirements of a Successful Team A new group goes through a sorting out process before it becomes a team working together for a common goal. Four general requirements must be satisfied in the minds of your players and coaches before they can become a real team.

1. Acceptance: Each player must feel accepted by her coaches and teammates before she can devote anything close to 100% of her energies to helping her team win. You can often tell watching practice which players feel they aren't on an equal footing with the others.
   
   
2. Influence: All groups demand something from their members. If I think a team or coach is going to make me do something harmful, or against my values, I will never stop looking over my shoulder: Once I believe I can influence what happens to me on this team, then I can throw myself wholeheartedly into helping the team win. Without influence I will spend much of my energy worrying rather than working to make the team better.
   
   
3. Identity: Am I an important member of the group or am I on the team because they need a certain number of players? Do I have a role that will help the team achieve its goals? If I feel like I do, I will be able to focus on helping the team be successful. If I don't, I may actually be happier when the team fails.
   
   
4. Goal Matching: Each player needs to feel that he wins if the team wins. Here, applying terms from Strategic Selling by Robert Miller and Steven Heiman, the difference between a "result" and a "win" is important to understand. A result is something that is good for the organization, e.g., winning a game. A "win" is something that is good for the individual player; e.g., getting more playing time or getting public credit for helping the team win.
   
   

Often coaches fail to ask what would be a win for each player. A basketball team may benefit by its point guard passing more and shooting less. But if the point guard gets his internal goodies from scoring, the coach would do well to figure out how to convice him that he will benefit more if the team wins, even if that means fewer points.

Ask each of your players about their individual and team goals. Asking players what goals they have to help their teammates (and team) succeed sends a message that this is important to you and the team culture.

Liking Versus Caring

It's rare in any group for everyone to like each other. Some players will be best buddies, and some just won't click with each other: Some players may dislike each other; particularly if they are competing with each other for playing time.

I explain to my players the difference between liking and caring. I tell players that I don't expect them to all like each other. In a sense liking someone is involuntary. You either do or you don't, at least initially. But caring is an act of will. You can decide that you are going to act in ways to help another person (which is what caring is) even if you don't particularly like them. That is the standard I ask my players to aspire to: acting in ways that show we care about each other.

The Portable Home Team Advantage

I ask my players why the home team wins so often. Usually they come up with answers like having the home crowd rooting for them causes players to try harder and play with more confidence. Then I say that we can create a portable home team advantage we can take with us wherever we play.

On most teams, when a player makes a mistake, other players will criticize her. By supporting each other, by saying things like, "It's okay to make a mistake," or "Nice try, now focus on the next play," we can create an atmosphere where we do better because we become our own home court advantage.

Awards That Undermine Team Spirit

There is an old saying. "It's amazing how much you can get done when it doesn't matter who gets the credit." The reverse is also true. It's depressing how little gets done when people focus on who gets the credit.

Team spirit can be fractured by the selection of the most valuable player or other awards that allocate credit for a team's success. Instead of giving pro-style awards, consider giving personalized awards that address the unique contribution each player made to the team.

The Ultimate Coaching High: Beating Better Talent

There are few things in life more exciting than watching a high functioning team in action. It's even more exciting when you are part of that team, as a player or coach. Occasionally in my years as coaching, things have clicked and the individual players have become a unit, functioning as if with a common brain.

My favorite situation as a coach is to have a team that is a little bit weaker than the better teams in the league. I often wonder at coaches who work so hard to get the most talented players on their team, and then win every game by a wide margin. What callenge is there in that?

On the other hand, I relish facing a team with better talent because it gives us the chance to rise to the challenge-as a coach, as individual players, and as a team. In this situation, even losing can be a triumph when you play over your head and come much closer to winning than anyone (except you and your players) would ever have thought you could.

And when you win, it provides a feeling of deep sastisfaction for each member of the team. IT means that you have realized the ultimate for a coach: you've created a team, an organism greater than the sum of the individual parts.