Having watched many games, I concluded that players do not learn or develop skills in the games. They just execute what they have been trained to do to the best of their ability. On-going training or skill development activities are important as it brings more fun and enjoyment for the players when they play games. There are more than 40 individual skills that a player can use in a game. Being able to do these skills or improve on the skills they know will build their confidence and help them find their full game-potential for their age.
Games are also opportunities for the coach to evaluate their players’ skills and think to them self, “what are you bringing to the game?” Coaches constantly evaluate the team performance during games and then design practices to correct or progress on plays and skills. However, it's hard to devote the high cost of ice time to teach specific skill techniques and practice them. While many skills are incorporated into drills, coaches would rather not work on wrist shots, as an example, for the whole team when only 5 of 15 players need help with this. Another example would be teaching face-offs. These skills and many others can be taught in smaller lower cost facilities. (Side note: all 15 skaters should take 100 wrist shoots at home each day regardless).
The availability of player development services is growing. Growing to a point that the future of player development will go beyond the traditional practice at all levels of minor hockey. The term ‘practice’ itself will be replaced with a more defined name or objective. ‘Hockey development’ or ‘hockey training’ or maybe one day ‘an 80 Hours activity’ will be used more commonly.
Development will include:
- association assigned and team purchased ice time for coaches to run drills
- association assigned and team purchased ice time for hired instructors to run drills for players and/or goalies
- local independent training facility sessions that feature hockey skills, muscle conditioning and nutrition guidance.
- association designated physician, therapist, and nutritionist that the members can access (made possible through the insurance companies that represent the association).
Associations will allocate fewer dollars to ‘practice ice’ and more to independent training facilities in an effort to raise the skill level of its participants. This in turn will free up municipal ice time for other user groups or add more games to existing minor hockey programs.
Much of this change will be driven by coaches, parents, established minor hockey associations, new associations and governing bodies of minor hockey and of course the players’ desire to improve their skills.
The role of the coach is already making change. At the rep level, the coach is more of a GM. Most commonly, they select parents or other hockey community volunteers to manage scheduling, budgeting and accounting, communications and marketing (sponsorship and fundraising). They select parents to coach forwards, defence, and goalies and have a trainer and on ice instructors.
Soon, many coaches will select someone to be in charge of player development or play more of a fundamental role in player development. The player development role will evaluate the skill of each player and then source skill development training facilities and even hire instructors to run or design a few on ice hockey development activities. Some coaches might hire a team consultant to assess the competitive nature of the team and make recommendations for improvement.
The importance, benefit and participation of hockey skill development activities will be so strong that the young hockey stars will not only be bragging or proud of their wins, goals, assists, shut-outs or which team they play for, they will also compare and boast to other players about where or who they get their skill development from.
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