Often we are in a hurry before games and practices and simply don’t feel we have the time to stretch and warm up.
But we have a minute or two, even when we are running late. Take that minute and make the most of it!
Before you step on the ice… here’s a one-minute warm-up/dynamic stretch to get your muscles warm and your heart rate going:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRi61WNikeQ
Keep your feet moving!
Coach Joyce
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
One Goal for Hockey Skills Sessions-- 100% Attendance!
Our goal with hockey skills sessions should be more than just teaching the children. We should simultaneously be teaching our coaches to be better coaches and stiving to achieve 100% attendance by both the young players and the coaches.
Experienced skills coaches can train certain of us coaches who are particularly motivated to learn and improve our skills. We too are excellent teachers and can offer high quality skills sessions at more flexible hours.
We are wise if we broaden our thinking about how to implement hockey skills sessions so that we maximize the number of players attending with our goal being 100% attendance. At the same time we must maximize the number of coaches trained to teach the skills sessions to give us 100% flexibility as clearly if only half our players are attending skills, no matter how good the skills sessions are, we are falling far short of achieving our goal.
Experienced skills coaches can train certain of us coaches who are particularly motivated to learn and improve our skills. We too are excellent teachers and can offer high quality skills sessions at more flexible hours.
We are wise if we broaden our thinking about how to implement hockey skills sessions so that we maximize the number of players attending with our goal being 100% attendance. At the same time we must maximize the number of coaches trained to teach the skills sessions to give us 100% flexibility as clearly if only half our players are attending skills, no matter how good the skills sessions are, we are falling far short of achieving our goal.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Wasted Coaching Resources
In a discussion with a coach about youth hockey skills I suggested that coaches attend skills sessions to observe and record drills being carried out by their colleagues. The coach, who has a tendency to try to shade everything in its best light said, "Well, this won't be the only coaching resource our coaches won't take advantage of." Was that supposed to make me feel better?!!!
Friday, September 19, 2008
Coach Kasie and Coach Ryan
Coach Ryan and Coach Kasie worked in our 2008 summer camps (The Edge and Strong Dynamics Hockey) and they are now in Germany where Ryan is playing for Rosenheim Starbulls! They send their regards to their students and look forward to seeing everyone again in the spring!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
CHALLENGE! LET THEM (AND US) STRUGGLE!
By Coach Joyce Strong
September 13, 2008
In watching some practices so far this season it occurs to me that we often spend too much time working on skills that our players are already pretty good at doing while we AVOID skills that are challenging for them (and us). It is hard for us to watch them struggle. They roll their eyes at us and we have to work harder to engage them. But that is our job as coaches. And we, as coaches, won’t get better if we always do the same safe things that we are already pretty good at. We have to struggle too.
In order to learn to skate (or coach) BETTER, STRUGGLE is exactly what we all need to do. I don’t mean struggle to the point of frustration and giving up. I mean try something we’ve never done before and be bad at it and have it be okay. That is Step 1.
Get your players jumping, skating on one leg, doing BACKWARD+BACKWARD crossovers, open-hips skating, high-tempo crossovers and lots of stickhandling drills. Pressure all the edges of the skates! Stop on all edges. Do awkward agility drills to get your players off balance.
Skating and hockey starts in our heads. We have to learn to do many things at the same time. We have to challenge our minds as well as our bodies. We learn first with our brains… our eyes and all our senses take it in and then we process the information and then we get our bodies to do it. Too often I see skaters trying to do complicated drills without the advantage of FIRST WATCHING, analyzing and understanding the fine details of the maneuvers. The same with coaches. We have to first SEE and understand the purpose of all the parts of the drills.
So, please slow down first. Make your players be still and quiet while they watch and learn first in their heads… then let them try it. Once you know they have the idea correct in their heads then they can and should speed it up.
Take the time to explain the drills clearly while your players take a knee and listen and watch. It takes a little longer to explain things, but unless you take the time the drill won’t be worth doing.
And as coaches… watch other skilled coaches at work: observe, analyze and learn. Ask questions and don’t be afraid to try something new! We are also a team!
Here are the steps for trying something new… go slow first and let them speed it up when you see they have the idea correct in their heads.
Step 1
Explain it
Demonstrate it
Let them try it (they will struggle if the drill is challenging… let them struggle)
Step 2
Explain it again
Demonstrate it again
Try it again and offer small corrections and encouragement
Step 3
Repeat step 2
September 13, 2008
In watching some practices so far this season it occurs to me that we often spend too much time working on skills that our players are already pretty good at doing while we AVOID skills that are challenging for them (and us). It is hard for us to watch them struggle. They roll their eyes at us and we have to work harder to engage them. But that is our job as coaches. And we, as coaches, won’t get better if we always do the same safe things that we are already pretty good at. We have to struggle too.
In order to learn to skate (or coach) BETTER, STRUGGLE is exactly what we all need to do. I don’t mean struggle to the point of frustration and giving up. I mean try something we’ve never done before and be bad at it and have it be okay. That is Step 1.
Get your players jumping, skating on one leg, doing BACKWARD+BACKWARD crossovers, open-hips skating, high-tempo crossovers and lots of stickhandling drills. Pressure all the edges of the skates! Stop on all edges. Do awkward agility drills to get your players off balance.
Skating and hockey starts in our heads. We have to learn to do many things at the same time. We have to challenge our minds as well as our bodies. We learn first with our brains… our eyes and all our senses take it in and then we process the information and then we get our bodies to do it. Too often I see skaters trying to do complicated drills without the advantage of FIRST WATCHING, analyzing and understanding the fine details of the maneuvers. The same with coaches. We have to first SEE and understand the purpose of all the parts of the drills.
So, please slow down first. Make your players be still and quiet while they watch and learn first in their heads… then let them try it. Once you know they have the idea correct in their heads then they can and should speed it up.
Take the time to explain the drills clearly while your players take a knee and listen and watch. It takes a little longer to explain things, but unless you take the time the drill won’t be worth doing.
And as coaches… watch other skilled coaches at work: observe, analyze and learn. Ask questions and don’t be afraid to try something new! We are also a team!
Here are the steps for trying something new… go slow first and let them speed it up when you see they have the idea correct in their heads.
Step 1
Explain it
Demonstrate it
Let them try it (they will struggle if the drill is challenging… let them struggle)
Step 2
Explain it again
Demonstrate it again
Try it again and offer small corrections and encouragement
Step 3
Repeat step 2
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