The "Artistic" Side Of The Equation

Is it possible that three different coaches could run the same exact drill, yet one coach could get more from that drill than the others? I mean, one coach's players would actually learn and improve, while the other two squads might not? You bet.

Since all the coaches were running the same drill, we have to assume that the same amount of science was involved. However, what's likely very different is the "artistic" approach used by each.

It's quite probable that each coach will introduce his or her drill in a unique mannner. Of course, this could include the kinds of tools they might use (like a greaseboard), but it also has to do with how well each explains himself or herself, and it even has to do with how a coach demonstrates and describes what he or she is looking for in the form of acceptable execution.

Artful approaches also carry-over to the way the coaches will observe a given drill, and then how they'll provide effective feedback during the drill.

As a tip in this area, I don't confine myself to babysitting the front of a line. Hey, I figure I'm too valuable for that. So, rather than wasting a coach to tell the players when to start a drill, I tell everyone to go on their own when the player in front of them reaches a given spot in the drill. (You know, I could probably bribe a chimpanzee with one banana to have him toot a whistle every few seconds!) Then, with the drill underway, I like to station myself right in the middle of the work-area. And, I hardly get a chance to catch my breath as I bark short, quick phrases of feedback to each player as he or she passes by.

At the conclusion of a drill, the artful coach will provide a worthwhile wrap-up, informing the players on how they did, and suggesting how they might improve in future practice sessions.

Actually, you should know that the above techniques can be found in most "Principles of Motor Learning' textbooks. They're tried and true ways for getting the most from any type of movement training. Still, I've noticed that most really effective coaches develop their own artistic teaching methods beyond those outlined above.

The Nature of Our Game - Part 2

In my previous post, I suggested that a close study of our game helps us define the true demands placed on our players. This is so. And, I also suggested that it helps us determine the physical and mental characteristics required to play the game well. Then, a little later in this entry, I'm going to describe how the nature of our game even dictates what might be proper when it comes to equipment selection.
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Let's start with the challenges players typically face as they attempt to play this game called hockey...
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To begin, forwards usually work and rest in something close to a 1:2 ratio. In otherwords, on most teams, a wave of forwards normally skate a shift, and then that group goes to the bench and rests as two other lines skate their shifts. The same can often be said about defensemen, although lots of teams primarily use 4 regular D, thereby working and resting them in a 1:1 ratio. (Please allow me to deal with goaltenders at another time, and in quite a lot more depth.)
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At the youngest levels of play, it might be difficult to drag skaters off the ice until they've logged several minutes out there. However, at more competitive levels, shifts are often kept closer to 30- or 40-seconds. (Hey, work your buns-off and get off!) That said, following any high level player for the duration of a shift will show that his or her tempo constantly changes. I mean, the skater will likely cruise for several seconds as he or she watches some far away action, and then he or she will quickly burst -- all-out -- for the time required to get a particular job done. In effect, then, a characteristic shift is usually composed of a series of alternating coasts and bursts.
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Furthermore, we have to take into account the overall length of a hockey game -- in that a regular skater is going to take quite a few shifts in each of three periods.
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So, how do we use this information to prepare a skater for the workload he or she will have to ultimately face in a game? First, most physiologists will suggest that hockey players should train in something close to a 1:2 or 1:3 work:rest ratio. Secondly, a player can simulate a typical shift -- both on-ice and off-ice -- by alternately going easy and working hard at a given exercise. (This sort of bursting and coasting simulation can even be accomplished while performing an activity like rope skipping.) Third, it's highly recommended that players give even more attention to the explosive portion of a typical shift, and this can be accomplished with short sprints, as well as weightlifting, plyometrics and the likes. Fourth, some aerobic endurance is helpful to get a hockey player through the long game. How much of this kind of conditioning is good for a player is open to some debate. (If there's a question about this type of training, it might be the fact that aerobic workouts have to be done for a relatively long time, and at a reduced pace, so that the player's body might learn to work slower than is really desirable.)
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In my long ago Physical Education classes, I learned a formula that works rather nicely when it comes to designing a conditioning program, the gist of which adjusts three factors to achieve drastically different results. That said, let's use the three variables (listed below and to the left), and adjust them to the activity of rope skipping to achieve exactly what we want:
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..............Simulate Shift..... Simulate Burst........ Simulate Game

..........................(Anaerobic)....................... (Aerobic)

Intensity....Alternating......... All-out.................. Moderate

Resistance.. None............... Use weighted rope?... None

Duration.... 30-seconds........ 8- to 12-seconds....... 20-minutes+

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Then, while the above helps a player ready for hockey game action, I said previously that the nature of our game dictates the physical and mental qualities that are likely to be the most desirable.

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So, when it comes to the ideal physical make-up, I'm going to point to the size of the rink and the rules having to do with all the rink lines as huge determining factors. For, one only has to consider the fact that a player hardly ever gets to impact the game by racing from one end of the ice to the other. Rather, most critical plays are really characterized by short sprints, quick reactions in either of four directions, and tussles in fairly confined areas. That said, I'll suggest that, while some straight-ahead speed is great to have, the best players are usually quick, agile and fairly strong in closer quarters.

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As an aside here, my guess is that more than a few readers will want to debate two of my suggestions to this point -- namely the characterization of a typical shift, as well as the claim that quickness is more important than straight ahead, rink-long speed. If you do have an argument, though, all I can suggest is that you grab some game video-footage, and spend a little time trying to discern what seems to matter most.

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I'm guessing you or I could fill a book on the most desirable mental qualities required to really play our game well. But, just to make my point -- about how the nature of hockey influences even this area... Could we agree that players in our game need to be unselfish, mentally tough, able to skate with the team's game-theme or tactical plan in their heads, and able to read plays and react with the proper hockey principles?

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Then, about gear selection... My previous post drew some contrasts between two fictitious games played on drastically different surfaces. So, alluding to the extremely small rink that seemingly suited Sumo-sized players, does it make sense that they would probably need to be protected with knight-like armor? And, in contrast, wouldn't you agree that those "motor scooters" playing on the football-sized field -- where little contact is possible-- would only require minimum protection? All that agreed upon, I'll suggest that hockey players -- competing on a rink that's somewhere between those extremes -- require gear that both protects them well from frequent contact, but that also allows them to be quick and agile. Furthermore, I advise my players to be especially concerned with the gear that affects their footwork and hand movements. In other words, light skates, light gloves and light pads in certain areas are especially helpful in facilitating quick feet and quick hands.

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Just to make my point (to the nth degree), let's consider the way the natures of three different skating sports influence the skate-blades used in each... In speed skating, where straight-ahead speed is the main objective, long and flat blades suit the sport just right. Figure skating lies at the other extreme, where smaller radiused blades best accommodate lots of turns, spins and such. Then we have the blade that's ideally matched to a hockey skater's unique needs, in that it's curved enough to allow quick cuts and turns, but flat enough to propel the player on some long, straight bursts.

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Lastly, for now, I'm going to leave with the suggestion that the most desirable skating motion might not be exactly as some might currently see it. So, stay tuned for some ideas that should really get you thinking.

The Nature of Our Game - Part 1

You know, every sport has a certain "nature", or some things that make it different from any other. Sumo wrestling is quite obviously different from hockey, and so is downhill skiing, basketball, figure skating, and so forth. (Yes, it's always possible that there are some similarities between sports. But, no two are ever exactly alike.)

What spells the difference in the nature of each game? Mainly, the rules.

In the case of ice hockey, its rules dictate that contests be played on an ice surface, that that surface be of certain dimensions, that it be surrounded by boards, and that it be divided by lines that have further rule applications. Rules also govern the tools to be used (like sticks and a puck), the time allotted to play, the number of active players permissible per team, how substitutions may be made, and especially how a winner should be determined.
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As a first aside here, I believe that coaches also have -- and continue to -- greatly influence the nature of our game. I mean, ever since the first puck was dropped, tacticians have been seeking ways to give their teams an edge within the rules. So, we can only thank some pretty bright coaches for ultimately refining things like the length of a typical shift, the way players actually achieve changes on-the-fly, and what most now considered smart playing principles. Come to think of it, have you ever wondered who initiated strategies that are now known as forechecking, breakouts, cycling, powerplays, penalty-killing and the likes?
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So, what's the big deal about this nature of our game? Well, I'm going to suggest that a close study of our game helps us define the true demands placed on our players. And, it further determines the physical and mental attributes required to play the game well.
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As yet another aside, I always have some fun asking a group of hockey school kids what their game would be like if it was played under some extreme new conditions... For example, what kind of players would they recruit -- and what attributes would they seek in those players, if the game was played in a 10' x 15' room? Amid the giggles, someone would likely recommend sumo-types or football linemen, and players with more brawn than skill. (Hey, how well do you have to skate or puckhandle under those kinds of conditions?)... At the other extreme, I ask the kids to then build their team to play on a rink the size of a football field. Ah, now we're talking about there hardly ever being a body-check -- so size won't matter, and we're also probably going to recruit players who can absolutely fly, puckhandle and pass really well. Would there be a difference in the way we'd want to condition the two different types of athletes? You bet!
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So, why did I choose to make this the subject of my first real post? It's because nearly everything else we'll ever want to discuss here needs to be evaluated according to the nature of our game. What it's like to really play the game will often immediately tell us if a given drill or conditioning method will help or hinder our players. So can we usually measure the real effectiveness of a new training gadget.
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Finally, you should know that I do, from time to time, slightly temper this approach... First, there are occasions when a player (or a group of players) needs a change of pace, or a slightly different approach to training. Especially if the next season is far-off, it might not be a bad idea to briefly take one step backwards in order to eventually gain two or more steps ahead... Secondly, believe it or not, each level of our game has it's own slightly different nature... But, those topics are best saved for another day.

Coming To You With High Hopes

Hockey... That's what I do... Pretty close to 24/7, as the saying goes.

A typical day finds me writing a lot -- either for a video script, an audio lecture series, or for one of my advice columns (in "Pure Hockey Magazine" or "Hockey/USA").

There's also a lot of lesson (or practice) planning to do...

I run a small but unbelievably effective off-ice training facility dubbed "The MOTION Lab". (It looks nothing like your typical gym, instead loaded with gear that most of you wouldn't even recognize.) I'm usually found there in the Lab on weeknights, helping some dedicated athletes become better skilled, and leaner and meaner than they could have ever become from traditional on-ice training.

I also coach two teams under my New England Hockey Institute banner... One is a teen group I spend 7-months with, prepping them for the high school hockey season that usually begins right after Thanksgiving. The other squad is composed of junior high school aged players who'll be with me from May through the end of next April. The beauty of both programs is that I'm able to take a fairly patient, methodical, long-range approach to training, with our relatively long time together making it possible for me to really change the kids' athleticism, skills and knowledge of the game.

So, what are my hopes for this current undertaking?

Number One, I look forward to sharing my experiences from the above endeavors, especially as I work with and troubleshoot the needs of my players and Lab students. I use methods that are unheard of in most hockey circles, so I suspect parents and coaches are going to enjoy gaining some fresh ideas. (There's also a good bet that I'll be teaching a Learn-to-skate/Learn-to-play clinic this winter, as well as working with some adult men and women.)

Secondly, while my work and studies keep me current with the sciences, I know that most players, parents and coaches -- rightly so -- prefer a simplified, common sense and plain talk presentation. Then, like you, I get around the rinks plenty, and I hear the same nonsense you likely hear -- about this or that form of training being the best thing since the advent of sliced bread. And, nearly every week someone comes-up with a new training aid that promises to turn Little Johnny (or Janie) into the next Ovechkin. Of course, some of the new training ideas and gadgets are really good, while some just aren't. So, a major aim here will be to help you sort through the good, the bad and the oh-so ugly.

Number Three -- and you can file this under "Little Known Facts"... Believe it or not, hockey gear -- like skates, pads, sticks, gloves and even tape -- can have a HUGE impact on a player's skill development, speed, agility and so much more. And, although the game appears to be the same from one tier to the next, I'm going to suggest that the things required to be successful at one level can be drastically different from what it takes to do well at another. Really, these are just samples of some need-to-know things, they're things that cause some kids to become discouraged and quit, and they're things that I promise to share as time goes along.

Fourth, as I intimated earlier, I'm into video -- big time. As a matter of fact, I'm into the use of all sorts of media. So, I plan on sharing some tips in this area. And, if Google and I become a little friendlier, I might ultimately be adding some video, audio and other media to this project.

Number Five, you'll likely discover over time that I'm a free thinker and somewhat (or even more than somewhat) opinionated... One reason for this is that I ultimately tired of traditional methods not working to my satisfaction, so I set out to devise ones that would. (Honest to God, some of the drill methods I was forced to invent years ago are now used by pro and National Team coaches, and by so-called powerskating instructors around the world.) Even today, hardly a month goes by that I don't concoct some new training aid to suit a special purpose, and hardly a week goes by that I don't create a new drill or strategy to help my players. So, needless to say, I'm going to share some ideas in those areas, and perhaps even give you the confidence to think for yourself when others can't (or won't) help you.

Finally, I'll start the ball rolling tomorrow with my first real installment. Thereafter, I won't mind if others dictate the path.