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YOU ARE A KEY MEMBER OF THE HOCKEY TEAM.

THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING FOR THIS IMPORTANT JOB!!

 

CEP Materials & Resources

Coaching Materials from USA Hockey

http://www.usahockey.com//Template_Usahockey.aspx?NAV=CO_07&ID=19650

http://www.usahockey.com//Template_Usahockey.aspx?NAV=CO_07_02&ID=19686

Materials Distributed at USA Hockey Coaching Clinics:

Manuals for level 1,2,3

Practice Plan Manuals

Heads Up Hockey Kit

Responsible Sports Program

Official Rules of Ice Hockey

Small Area Games Manual and Disk

Checking the Right Way Manual

Red White and Blue Coaching Plans

Additional Materials Available On Coaches Website

http://www.usahockey.com//Template_Usahockey.aspx?NAV=CO_07_05&ID=275670

6 & under mini-Mites

                Basic Structure for 6U practices

                6 sample practices

8 & under Mites

                Basic Structure for 8U Mite practices

                Off-ice Mite practice philosophy

                Off-ice Mite practice plans

                20 sample (on-ice) practice plans

10 & under Squirts

                8 Goaltender practice plans

                40 sample (on-ice) practice plans

Goaltending Content

http://www.usahockey.com/usahgoalies/default.aspx?NAV=AF_11&ID=265716

Downloadable practice plans with drill explanations and embedded video links (Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced levels)

Warren Strelow Goaltender Mentor Program

Articles, drills and related goaltender content

NTDP Stick Skills

http://www.usahockey.com//Template_Usahockey.aspx?NAV=CO_07_03&ID=193748

20 downloadable videos

Body Contact & Checking Materials

http://www.usahockey.com//Template_Usahockey.aspx?NAV=CO_07_04&ID=270654

http://www.usahockey.com//Template_Usahockey.aspx?NAV=ET_03&ID=299508

                Introduction to Body Contact

                Advanced Body Contact

                Checking the Right Way for Youth Hockey

                Off-Ice Checking Drills (video)

                USA Hockey Magazine podcasts (audio)

                On-Ice Clips, PDF files, audio links

Age Specific Module Content

http://www.usahockey.com//Template_USAHockey.aspx?USAHockeyType=ICE

Modules include workbooks for each chapter for the coaches to print and download to assist in season planning and execution. Modules also include practice plans and other materials.

Parent Education Information  

Hockey Parents: Make a Difference (video)

Zero Tolerance Policy (PDF)

How to Turn Difficult Parents into your Best Volunteers (Power Point)

2004 Parent Education Seminar (Power Point)

Disabled Coaching Manual

ADM Materials

www.admkids.com

Printable ADM Guide (PDF)

ADM Stage Breakdown documents (PDF)

ADM ‘FAQ’ page

Windows of Trainability chart

 

The Numbers’ Game

Top Players Touch the Puck for 1+ Minute in Games

Puck Skills Developed in Practice

Repetition Turns Skill into Instinct

 

The Numbers’ Game

 

Possession, as they say, is nine-tenths of the law. In hockey, it may be worth even more. That’s what a comprehensive USA Hockey study suggests, adding statistical muscle to back the belief that puck skills are learned in practice, not games. From the smallest PeeWee to the most-talented Olympic player, the ability to effectively handle the puck is in short supply these days. Many coaches within USA Hockey attribute these diminished skills to a mindset that advocates more games and less practice.

To back up this opinion, USA Hockey commissioned a comprehensive study to calculate how much time the best players in the world had the puck on their sticks at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. While most people were glued to the Olympic hockey for pure viewing pleasure, members of USA Hockey’s Coaching Education Program were keeping a closer eye on the action. Perched high above center ice at the E Center in Salt Lake and the Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, coaches paired up to observe and record the action of players competing in 31 men’s and 24 women’s games.

Prior to each game, three players who were expected to be key performers for their teams were selected for the study. The coaches calculated the length of each player’s shift, how long the player had the puck on his or her stick, how many passes were received and made and how many shots on goal he or she attempted. They also counted the number of un-timed touches—those when the puck hit their stick if only for a brief moment.

Top Players Touch the Puck for 1+ Minute in Games

Canada’s Joe Sakic, who dominated play in the gold-medal game, touched the puck for only 1 minute, 19 seconds. In that time, he did tally two goals and two assists along with four shots in Canada’s 5-2 victory.

The purpose of the study was to determine the best way to develop puck possession skills with youth players. It also provided information when it comes to puck possession in checking and non-checking situations. On the women’s side, Cammi Granato slightly outdid her Canadian counterpart Hayley Wickenheiser, touching the puck for a little more than one minute (1:02.2 to 1:00.9) during their gold-medal outing. But when even the best player only touches the puck for one minute, what are other players doing?

When you factor in that we chose the players who handle the puck more than others on the ice, you could argue that the numbers we came up with were inflated compared to the average Olympic level player, said Mark Tabrum, director of USA Hockey’s Coaching Education Program. To follow up the Olympic study, USA Hockey volunteers brought their clipboards and stopwatches to the Youth Hockey Tier I National Championships in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Puck Skills Developed in Practice

While the skill levels varied, the results were pretty much the same. Even the best players, the statistics showed, don’t handle the puck as much as you might think. These studies validate what a lot of people have been advocating for a long time, said Kevin McLaughlin, USA Hockey’s Senior Director of Hockey Development.

The numbers showed that stick and puck skills can’t be developed in a game. It proves you can accomplish a lot more in practice with the puck than in a game. It also showed that you get so few opportunities with the puck in the game that you have to be proficient when it does hit your stick. USA Hockey hopes the results of the Observation Project will serve as a reference for coaches, parents and players as they set up their future practice and game schedules. I think we can safely say that games are not the environment to develop puck skills in our youth players, McLaughlin said.

Obviously, in practice, players will get a lot more ice time, will carry a puck a lot longer than one minute, can give and receive a lot more passes and will take a lot more shots.

Not everyone may agree with the statistical conclusions provided by the study. As Mark Twain once wrote, there are three kinds of fallacies: lies, damned lies and statistics. There will always be those who believe that letting a PeeWee play the equivalent of an 82-game NHL schedule is the best way to develop a hockey player.

The dilemma that virtually every coach of developmental-age hockey players is faced with is: How much ice time does he devote to practice and how much to games? Observation Project Chairman Rob Bruendl addressed this in his final report: Ice time is getting more expensive every year. Parents enjoy watching their children play and urge the coach to schedule more games. So coaches and parents try to convince themselves that their players are learning skills during the games.

Repetition Turns Skill into Instinct

USA Hockey’s National Coach-in-Chief Bob O’Connor disagrees with the idea of using games as a learning tool, and he says the numbers prove it. Having demographics of the Olympics with the best players in the world and then following it up by studying our National Championships just goes to show that you only have limited time to handle the puck and when you have it you better learn to handle it right, said O’Connor.

We’ve been saying this over and over. The more quality repetitions you get with any given skill, the easier it will be to turn that skill into instinct. If you only have the puck two minutes, you’re not going to get that practice of receiving it and controlling it.

George Kingston, a member of the physical education department at the University of Calgary, conducted a similar study back in the 1970s. Kingston looked at skill development in Sweden, Finland, the former Czechoslovakia and the former Soviet Union and compared their techniques to how players were developed in Canada. According to Kingston, Europeans typically had two to five practices for each game they played, compared to North American players, who played two or three games for each practice. Kingston said that in order to get one hour of quality work in practicing the basic skills of puck control, it would take approximately 180 games.

Our emphasis on a great number of games, in part, reflects the problem faced by minor hockey associations—namely, that they only get a restricted amount of ice that is primarily given to scheduling of games, wrote Kingston, who went on to become an assistant coach with the Florida Panthers. O’Connor has been leading the charge to reverse that trend in this country for an equally long time. We’ve been telling coaches and parents for a long time that the repetition of skills is the foundation of hockey, O’Connor said.

Ice time could be the best coach there is. The more often your son or daughter handles the puck, the more skill and confidence they will have. So what effect will these numbers have on the hockey community in the United States? Armed with this statistical ammunition, USA Hockey will continue advocating a 3-to-1 practice to game ratio in future coaching clinics in hopes of persuading coaches to use their ice time more wisely when it comes to skill development.

We’ll use these figures to preach the importance of skill development and practice-to-game ratios, Tabrum said. I think it’ll grab the attention of some people who have never stopped to think about it. Games are a measuring stick where you evaluate skill development, but its not where you teach it.

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Harry Thompson, Editor-in-Chief of USA Hockey Magazine, for this story.

 

Training

All,

 

Dan Muccio will be doing a clinic on Friday 12/9 at Richfield 7:00pm (2 hours) and Pleasant 12/10 at 3:30 and 5:00. Cost is $40.00 Level 1, level 2, level 3. Reminder that Levels1& 2 are good for 1 year; Level 3, is good for 2 years. Age appropriate module must be completed also. Please let him know if you will attend.

 

 

All Edgcumbe Hockey coaches

 

All Edgcumbe Hockey coaches-

As you may have heard, Minnesota has enacted a new law related to youth athletic activities and concussions.  Minnesota Hockey has provided guidance for coaches to comply with their obligations under the statute.

All coaches must follow the Minnesota Hockey Concussion Management Protocol and Requirements.  This document can be found at MN Hockey Guidelines

Please obtain and review the entire document.  It includes the following concise statement of your obligation as a coach:
 

Minnesota Session Laws

If you suspect a player has a concussion, you should take the following steps:

1) Remove athlete from play, keep him/her supervised, and alert the athletes parents of their signs and symptoms.

2) Ensure athlete is evaluated by an informed health care professional. Do not try to judge the seriousness of the injury yourself.

3) Inform athlete’s parents of MN Hockey suggested “Return to Play” guidelines, and give athlete’s parents the “Parents Fact Sheet”.


In addition, provide a copy of any return to play document for Edgcumbe Hockey's records.  For now, any such document can be sent to Steve.

What is a Concussion?
A concussion is a brain injury. Concussions are caused by a bump or blow to the head. Even a “ding,” “getting your bell run”, or what seems to be a mild bump or blow to the head can be serious. You cannot see a concussion. Signs and symptoms of a concussion can show up right after the injury or may not appear or be noticed until days or weeks following the injury.

 

 

Edgcumbe 
Hockey 
Sweatshirts
 
Edgcumbe coaches and managers

Greg Schmitz has volunteered to coordinate an order for Edgcumbe Hockey
sweatshirts. Please do the following:

- Have one person from your team be a sweatshirt contact. Let Greg know who
that person is. 
- Distribute order forms to your team. 
- Collect a check for each order.
- Return the order forms and checks to Greg by 
January 15, 2011.
Sweatshirt order form
District Coaches Meeting This is your chance to come and hear about all the new standards.

@ Arlington H.S. Date and Time TBD

ALL COACHES Certification  expires in December.

 

Are you trained?

Level 1 Mites

Level 2 Squirts

Level 3  Peewees and Bantams

 
CEP cards do expire and coaches must obtain the next level on renewal (except Level 3 carriers can get recertification at that level).

Coaches must make sure they have the proper certification to coach in the age group they plan to work with this year.

Click here for training sites and times.

 

USA Hockey: Newest coaching modules launched 

The online age-specific modules are now up and running. Each week in September will feature the launch of a new age level, beginning with the 8 & Under Module. The full schedule is as follows:

  • Sept. 6: 8 & Under (Mites)
  • Sept. 13: 10 & Under (Squirts)
  • Sept. 20: 12 & Under (Peewees)
  • Sept. 27: 14 & Under (Bantams), and 16/18/19 & Under (Midgets)

Modules must be completed before Dec. 31 of the current playing season. Once you register you have 30 days in which to complete the module. All modules started after Dec. 1 still must be completed by Dec. 31. Click hereto get started.

 

 
USA Hockey Coaching Education Program
Central District


Level 4 Clinic


Dates:          Friday November 11, 2011        4 p.m. - 10 p.m.
                     Saturday November 12, 2011    8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
                     Sunday November 13, 2011      8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Location:     Renaissance St. Louis Airport
                     9801 Natural Bridge Road
                     St. Louis, MO 63134
                     314-429-1100

Prerequisite:  Level 3 Completion (Bring USA Hockey Coaching Card to Clinic)

Topics:  Offensive and Defensive Player Development, Special Teams, Ethics, ADM, Teambuilding, Goaltending, Small Games, Bench Management, Practice Efficiency, Off Ice Development.

Clinic Fee:  $ 240.00
                    Includes: Clinic Materials
                    Coaches Gifts
                    Door Prizes
                    Reception - Friday Night
                    Lunch - Saturday

Registration: All registration is done at www.usahockey.com under the coaches section. Click on clinics and search for Level 4 clinics.

All inquiries may be directed to Matt Walsh at Walee0514@aol.com.

 

 

Communicating effectively with athletes

Goalie_Camp

Coaches give a great deal of time and energy to providing a worthwhile life experience for young athletes. To optimize coaching effectiveness, coaches must be aware of the importance of skillful communication in achieving their objectives. Read on for how to establish effective communication with each player on your team.

 

Mark your calendars
Score Books

 

 

Player Stickers  in Microsoft Word format for Score Books (requires Avery 5263 or 8163 - 2 inch x 4 inch stickers)

Coach Stickers in Microsoft Word format for Score Books (requires Avery 5263 or 8163 - 2 inch x 4 inch stickers)

Computing Fair Play (HEP) Points

 

Rink Clock How To Manuals Highland Clock Manual
Reporting District 1  Boys Game Scores District One Information:

Reporting District 1 Boys Game Scores: 

Bantam, PeeWee, and Squirt (all levels) League game reports, for District 1 League games, must be e-mailed to tburk@visi.com within two days of completing the game by the winning team; the visiting team is responsible for reporting games that end in a tie. The e-mail should include the date, time, arena, total goals for each team, and whether each team earned their Fair Play point (see Minnesota Hockey Handbook for Fair Play rules).
The top copy of the signed score sheet for all league games must be mailed to:

Tom Mickus

700 Parkview Avenue

St. Paul, MN 55117

Score sheets may be mailed in batches, but no less frequently than every two weeks.

League game standings will be posted on the District website  http://district1.pucksystems2.com The STANDINGS and SCHEDULE buttons on the page will not be used. Instead, look for links on the page for the League Schedule and League Standings

  District 1 Governing Rules

Name: Tom Mickus
Title: District Director
Email: tojmick@aol.com

Phone Number: (651)489-3394
 

COACHING COMMANDMENTS “Never lose sight that we coach for the players ~ not for the parents or for ourselves.”
Dennis Freed

1.  HAVE FUN 
This is the sole reason why the players and coaches are brought together.  It’s simple, if you’re not having fun coaching then it is a good bet that your players are not having a good time either.  Players will develop quicker and reach higher levels if they enjoy your coaching.  This does not infer that you don’t work them hard.  You and your players can still have fun while working very hard.  A true indication of a fun and productive practice is when the players leave the ice dripping with sweat and brimming with a smile. (Thank you Armand!)
 
2. THINK LIKE A PLAYER
Actually, think like a kid!  Would you be having fun at your practices or games?  Would you have understood the drill or play the way you just explained it?  Is the play or drill too hard or simple for your players at their current level?  Ask yourself these questions before you begin.  Then remember – offer advice, praise and discipline on their level, not yours.   Follow the Platinum Rule, “DO ONTO OTHERS AS THEY WANT”.  Analyze the difference between the Platinum Rule and the standard Golden Rule.  If you apply the Platinum Rule you will create a team which is having fun and winning.

3. TEACH BY GAMES - LET THEM LEARN ON THEIR OWN
Part of your practice should consist of themed games which teach the skills you are targeting during the practice.  They learn & practice the skill on their own thus reinforcing it.  Juhani Wahlsten and Tom Molloy's book "Hockey Coaching - The ABC's of International Youth Hockey" describes in detail this method of teaching and gives many examples.  It is a suggested addition to your hockey library.
 
4. BY THE INCH IS A CINCH - BY THE YARD IS HARD 
This is the Golden Rule of coaching, teaching and learning anything!  Teach new concepts and skills in pieces. Break down each skill into individual components; and teach the entire skill over the course of one or more practices.  It is easier to digest small bites than large chunks.
 
5. SINCERE AND HONEST PRAISE 
Right out of Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People: Pointed, detailed, short praise to a player is more valuable than hours of condemnation.  Always praise a player for a proper action before correcting them of an improper action.  If you must discipline a player, QUICKLY follow it up with praise once the player acts correctly.  Remember, children do not have the same tolerance for, and understanding of, criticism as adults (most adults).
 
6. CHALLENGE 
Adding challenge to the most basic of drills will motivate your players tremendously.  Athletes, at all levels, are competitive by nature.  Find unique ways to integrate challenges into all aspects of your coaching.  For example, the so-called “Suicide” drills demand the most from your players – physically.  Add a “rabbit” to the drill.  The last player(s) to finish the drill becomes the next “rabbit.
 
7. KEEP THE PLAYERS MOVING 
Most line drills are BORING!  Plan drills that keep the players moving; or standing around as little as possible.  In the event line drills are absolutely necessary, divide the players into as many lines or sections possible.  Remember a good indication that your players are bored or standing idle too long is that they are shooting pucks at the boards or fooling around as they wait their turn to perform the drill.  Added bonus: your players’ endurance will benefit from constant movement.
 
8. REPETITION
An average mite/squirt player must repeat a skill hundred, sometimes thousands, of times before they can perform the skill automatically. An average mite/squirt player must repeat a skill hundred, sometimes thousands, of times before they can perform the skill automatically.  The more difficult the skill – the more it has to be repeated.  Repeat the skill in several forms both during a single practice session, and over the course of several practices.
 
9. 20-SECOND EXPLANATION
Most mites/squirts lose interest after 20 seconds.  Therefore, it your responsibility to be concise in your explanation of a drill/skill so as not to lose the players attention.  Because the playing surface is so large, it is difficult for players to hear or understand you if you are moving and talking. Begin by explaining the drill in a stationary position; then, follow it up with a demonstration.  Also, address your players with your back to the boards.  This will prevent the players from being distracted by other happenings taking place on the ice.

In addition: Try to keep drills to a maximum of eight minutes.  After eight minutes, drills become tedious and the players will stop having fun.  Occasionally, I will schedule several simple three-minute drills to drive home a specific skill point.  This approach keeps practices moving and maintains the players’ attention levels.
 
10. DO NOT MAKE NEGATIVE COMMENTS TO PLAYERS IN FRONT OF TEAMMATES OR PARENTS 
Never put down or ridicule a player in front of other players or parents – especially when that player is not present.  Likewise, do not allow other players or parents to make the same mistake.  Other players are keen to negative remarks made by coaches such as  “that player stinks”,  and it reduces their trust and confidence in you.  Simply put:  Give a dog a bad name and the dog will bite.  Give a dog a bone and it will perform tricks.
 
11. ESTABLISH A CODE OF CONDUCT EARLY
Establish a code of conduct and administer it equally (i.e. the best player and the coaches’ sons/daughters).  Lack of control will be inevitable if favoritism is evident.  Let your players’ parents know the code also.  If a player is not conforming to the team’s code let their parents know promptly.
 
12. OLD DOGS CAN LEARN NEW TRICKS
As coaches, we should constantly seek out new ideas and methods. Swap drills with other coaches, watch and read skills videos and books, attend coaching clinics and keep abreast of the latest developments.  Hockey is played differently today than it was in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.  Players are motivated differently too.  A knowledgeable and informed coach is a good coach – so keep learning new tricks!
 

YOU ARE A KEY MEMBER OF THE HOCKEY TEAM.

THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING FOR THIS IMPORTANT JOB!!

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