A Magic Word in Coaching: “Do-able”!

In the realm of youth hockey coaching, the concept of “do-able” drills is paramount for effective skill development and motor learning. Whether you’re a parent, coach, or hockey enthusiast, understanding the importance of selecting age-appropriate drills can significantly impact the learning curve of young players. This post delves into why drill selection tailored to the skill level and age group of players, particularly 8-year-olds and up, is crucial for fostering motor skills, confidence, and physical safety in hockey training. Explore the principles of motor learning and how to adapt advanced hockey drills to make them accessible and beneficial for beginners, ensuring every practice session is both productive and enjoyable…

I know I touched upon this term elsewhere.  However, it’s THAT important for me to go into yet more detail here.

Also, although this topic might be appropriate under the General Skills section, there are two good reasons why I’ve chosen to introduce it here and at this time.  First, I know I’m going to address it in other ways — and to all members — at numerous times in the future.  Secondly, though, I find that parents and coaches of very young players seem to wrestle the most with it.  So…

When I say “do-able”, I’m suggesting that those with the say make sure that drill selections are really attainable for a given player or group of players.

For example, here’s something I’ve far too often seen or heard at rink-side or at a coaching clinic…  A couple of guys are huddled and observing a high school or college-type drill, and I’ll hear one say to another, “That’s beautiful!  I can’t wait to use it!”  A little later, however, I’ll discover that the coach who intends to use that drill is actually working with 8-year olds (or the likes).

And, I’m going to suggest that subjecting very young players to advanced or elite level drills goes against everything known about motor skill development.

When it comes to using advanced X’s and O’s drills, here’s the difference I see in advanced versus lesser experienced players… More experienced guys or gals can usually cover a great distance in a short period of time.  Experienced players also tend to make fewer skill-type mistakes.  So, the combination of those two things help make the advanced drill function fairly well.

As for what I’ve seen happen when very young kids are asked to perform a NOT-so-do-able drill?  First, it takes forever for each player’s little legs to negotiate the length of the ice, or even the length of one zone.  Secondly, passes hardly ever connect — as in some being far off the mark, and others not being caught.  And the result is that players seldom get to step #2 of a drill, never mind to steps #3 or #4 or whatever!  And what usually happens is that young kids end-up standing in long lines as they wait for a couple of teammates to complete the drill.

Of course, the need for drills to be do-able also pertains to ones geared towards physical skills — like skating, puckhandling, passing, shooting, checking, speed, strength, conditioning and a whole lot of others…  In some cases, safety is an issue, or some physical harm can be done to a young body.  However, even if that isn’t a real concern, frustration quite likely is — as in the player or players trying to do something that just plain ISN’T “do-able”!

As soon as you can, please check out an extremely important post entitled “principles of motor learning”.  In the meantime, though, let me at least provide a tip for dealing with those supposedly non-do-able drills…

A little later this month, I’ll be posting a related article titled, “The Best Advice I Could Ever Share”.  But, for now, let me clarify things just a little more.  For, you see, almost everything IS do-able; it’s just a matter of how we — those in charge — introduce a given drill.  For example, when it comes to an individual skill, the advanced level of execution we desire for our kids might be something like a 9th or 10th progression.  In other words, it would take our young players that many steps to reach such a level.  So, the answer — or my way of dealing with this problem — is to study the higher level skill, and then reduce it to something very, very basic.  I mean, it would be something akin to step #1 in the line of progressions, and it would be very, very do-able!  Thereafter — or after step #1 is mastered, the learned skills and confidence should then make step #2 do-able.  And so it would go: stretching the player to the next do-able step, the next and the next.