I have a new group member to thank for the inspiration here. Shortly after he joined our group, we connected in a Facebook Chat. And it was then that he mentioned a want to delve through these pages and “…back up a lot of my thoughts.” As he continued, “I think coaches just need some guidance and…
Okay, if anyone thinks they can’t learn something valuable in a discussion about young players, think again. And if we have some high school or Junior coaches as members here, I’m going to suggest this would prove a very worthwhile read for them. Now, Carol, a Twitter friend from long ago, and a Manager for…
Interestingly, this question arrived in my inbox at a time when I really wanted to share a few special thoughts with my members in reference to puckhandling… Q: Susan, the mom of an 8-year old, says that her son is just starting out in a local house league program. And, while he seems to take to…
You’ll often catch me saying that my students and players have gained a lot from my studying star athletes. For example, when it comes to hockey stars, younger students benefited from my dissecting Denis Savard’s spinarama, and then teaching it in several very easy steps; while my studies of the great Ovechkin have surely helped…
Okay, the above graphic is one I’m also using elsewhere right now. But, let me tell you a little story behind that graphic… Throughout my years in the game, I’ve had countless youth coaches ask me if I’d design a lesson plan that they could use for their season ahead. Needless to say, I’d be…
This is obviously an older video, but it was inspired by my ongoing conversations with a sport psychologist many years. She was a coach and college professor, and she specialized in parent-athlete communications. And, we surely hit it off when I told her about my experiences in that area. Now, I’ve pretty much described the…
If you didn’t know by now, there is a lot of bad — or misguided — information out there, when it comes to off-season training advice. Most hockey seasons are winding down right now, so I thought this a good time to offer my two cents worth. Really, I have some great stuff planned…
As I finished typing the above title, it struck me how much of my hockey coaching — and problem solving — has relied on the use of video. This brief aside… My first paid coaching gig was at a rink that owned one of the first video recorders and players ever made. And, while…