Introduction: Preamble on Coaching

Coaching is a complex job. We have found through experience and in our previous book, Simply the Best—Insights and Strategies From Great Coaches (ryanwalter.com), that coaching is both an art and a science. The “art” refers to instincts and feel, and the “science” refers to technical and physiological elements. This book deals primarily with the technical side of the game, but we would be remiss if we didn’t highlight a few more key details on the art of coaching that are directly linked to the systems and strategies in the book. Developing your team identity, understanding teaching and learning, and conducting good practices all fit into being a well-rounded coach.

The game of hockey is constantly changing. Rules change. Tactics change. Players are becoming faster and stronger. Coaches talk about taking away their opponent’s time and space. This area of our game has experienced huge change. Because overall player speed has increased in today’s game, the puck carrier is under increased pressure to make a next-move decision. Over these past five seasons, coaches have also done a great job of teaching the stick-on-puck concept. Players in today’s game take away passing options better than we did when we were playing. Both of these changes have generated more puck turnovers, and turning the puck over creates much more offense.

Over the past five years, the core parts of the game have remained constant, but the edges of the game (the way we teach the game) have changed. That is one of the reasons we wanted to update and add to the book that you are reading.

All great organizations and great teams have a clear identity. Teams are recognized as being hard working, dynamic offensively, gritty and tough, fast and young, or sound defensively. You know what the identity of a team is simply by observing how they operate. The saying that a team is a reflection of their coach is true. The coach and management impart an identity on the team through which players they select, what system they play, how they practice, and generally, how they behave on and off the ice. Unfortunately, many coaches miss this step in preparing for the season, so the team does not really have any identity. They look different from game to game. They have no foundation that defines who they are to fall back on in tough times, and the coach will constantly be reacting to situations with quick-fix solutions but never really getting anywhere. Remember, if your team doesn’t know your identity, you are in trouble. A team is much like a corporation or business—those with a clear identity and purpose that everyone buys into tend to flourish, and those without tend to struggle. Therefore, establishing an identity is one of the most important things you can do in preparing for a successful season. Is it difficult? No. Basically, you need to follow just three steps to identify what type of team you want to be.

  1. Picture yourself watching your team in late January; see them on the ice for practice, in game action, training off the ice, at a restaurant for a team meal, and possibly even in the classroom.
  2. Now write down everything you want to be observing five months from now. What personal and physical qualities do you want to see? How does the team behave? How do they train? How do they treat each other? How do they handle pressure? How does your team play? We all want a big, fast, skilled, and sound defensive team, but we all know that having everything is not realistic. What is most important to you? Discuss this with your staff. What values do you want to impart to your team?
  3. After you have thoroughly developed your identity with your staff, you need to share it with the team as well as other parties who are close to your team (e.g., parents, manager, support staff, and media). Constantly reinforce the identity throughout the season by repeating it over and over. This is how we practice, this is how we play, and this is how we act. Your players will get it over time and eventually take on this identity. More important, they will take ownership of it. Challenge your staff and team to come up with a slogan, logo, or song that exemplifies your identity.

Teaching and Learning

As a coach, you may find yourself asking, Why aren’t my players learning? Why does he always do that? Doesn’t he get it? The first place to look for answers is your coaching strategy, because if no learning is occurring, no coaching is taking place. This book is all about teaching. At times you will get frustrated with your players’ progress, but you need to recognize that coaching has many challenges. Don’t get caught in the cycle of looking at reasons why you can’t win. Instead, challenge yourself and your staff to find a way to win.

No matter what level you are coaching, you must never make assumptions. If you believe that players should know certain things because of their age, you may be eager to start at a higher level, but you should always start with the basics. When using this book, choose a system or strategy and then review the key teaching points. Teach the system or strategy to your team by using basic drills and then progressing to more complicated or involved drills. Be careful to resist the urge to change when your process is not working well. Progress at a pace appropriate for the team and age level. We suggest you use a checklist so that you can monitor the progression of the team and of specific positions. A checklist involves all aspects of your team play written down one side of the page. Then as you practice each item, you note the date beside it. This checklist will keep your coaching staff focused on what has to be done. Additionally, it will keep you from moving too fast. You can even note the date by which you would like to have taught that particular system or strategy to the team. For instance, with the power play, early in the year the priority will be on breaking out and zone setup for a five-on-four power play. As the year moves along and team competency progresses, you will start to focus more on the five-on-three and four-on-three power-play options. Accept that with only so much practice time, you can’t do everything at once, so you’ll need to develop priorities.

The basic skills or teaching points within a system are often what separate the top players and teams from the others. Most players are motivated and willing to learn or develop in any area that will help elevate their play or create longevity in their careers. Show them a plan to be successful, work on developing it, and stay strong when your plan is challenged. The particular system that you use is not what wins championships; winning is all about quality of execution.

Practices

Although many players would much rather play the games, remember that you develop through practice. Statistically, the average player in a game takes one or two shots on goal, makes 15 to 20 passes, and is on the ice for 20 out of the 60 minutes. According to one of the more revealing statistics from the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, elite players had the puck on their sticks for less than 90 seconds for the whole game. Most players were under a minute. During a well-run practice, a player should be able to take 30 or more shots, make 50 passes, receive the puck 50 times, and have the puck on his stick at least 25 percent of the time. Therefore, approximately 15 games would be needed to simulate the amount of skill repetition that takes place in an effectively run 60-minute practice.

Listed here are eight keys to maximizing your practice time. Ice sessions are expensive and difficult to obtain, so you need to get the most out of each one.

  1. Prepare yourself and your coaching staff.
    • Use a set practice form that has room to explain the execution of the drill, teaching points, and length of time. Keep your practice forms in a book or file them away.
    • All coaches on the ice should know the drill sequence and teaching points. The head coach should outline who is responsible for teaching the drill to the team and where the coaches will be positioned when the drill begins.
    • Come to the rink with energy and energize your staff. Players look forward to these sessions all week and will feed off your enthusiasm.
  2. Provide practice rules.
  3. Create a positive learning environment.
    • Use positive talk and positive gestures.
    • Talk to every player every practice. Even if you talk about the movie that the player saw last night, your staff should never leave the arena without having touched base with every player.
    • Provide feedback throughout practice. Try to do it constructively and do not stop the drill. Get to the players while they are waiting in line. Bring the group together only for key points or messages.
  4. Balance individual skill with small-group and team-play work.
    • Vary the drill formations and alignments to work on team play and individual skills.
    • Use stations for small-group skill work. This approach is effective for concentrated effort and high repetition.
  5. Repeat, repeat, and repeat again.
    • Players develop through the “agony of repetition”—that is the fact.
    • Keep the players moving throughout practice; activity is key. This approach will develop endurance and ensure that they’re making the best use of practice time by always working on skills.
    • Have a set bank of practice drills to teach your system’s plays.
    • Repeat drills often but change the focus or teaching points.
    • Constantly push the team for better execution.
  6. Incorporate challenges and fun games.
    • Open and close practice with a bang.
    • Challenge yourself to come up with drills that are fun but that also work on key skills.
    • Incorporate competitive challenges. Keep score during drills.
  7. Have teaching aids available.
    • Use ropes, tires, balls, spray paint, chairs, and pylons to add to the practice environment.
    • Make sure that a rink board is also available so that players can visualize what you’re explaining. Practice drawing the drills clearly.
  8. Conduct your warm-up and conditioning off the ice.

The key to developing players is to catch them doing something right, and the practice environment provides many opportunities for you to do this. Strive to achieve practice perfection and good habits. Coach the players to “think the game”; they will enjoy the game more and get more out of it.