Hockey Skills vs IQ | Are Young Hockey Players Missing the Point?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ธ.ค. 2024
- Is there too much ‘skill development’ in youth hockey? Coach Andy and Coach Eric cover why today’s young players are struggling with game sense.
(Clip from PowerTech Development Podcast Episode 159 | A to AAA: The Differences Between Levels)
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I totally agree… I’ve been coaching a whole range of players… I’ve seen many players that skate and stick handle through players yet they don’t make the TEAM better. Usually, players that don’t understand the game, can be limited by teams that focus on the fundamentals like back checking, forecheck, manage time and space, understand your role, keeping your feet moving, driving the net, shots on goal, defense, stick placement and knowing what to do without the puck.
One of my nephews plays in the Amhertburg Admirals “A” level team. I went to a practice to watch him last season and saw them do a bunch of drills that seemed completely erroneous. I’d never even seen these drills before. For the life of me I could not seem to understand how any of the things they were doing was game appropriate.
“…I don’t think they’re correctly identifying the problem.”
Bingo!
First step to problem solving is identifying what, in fact, is the root cause of the issue. I see this as a golf instructor all the time - people making adjustments to their clubface (for example) when their club face is fine, it’s their club PATH that is the issue.
Hockey seems to become dominated by a “skill development” narrative. I thought it was just USA Hockey’s “ADM”, but apparently the same is true of the narrative handed down by Hockey Canada as well. I think both governing bodies have fallen into a bit of an “echo chamber” pattern in which they convince themselves they’re the smartest on the subject and follow a course of action - in this case, tipping the balance away from teaching the game, not just the skills - because they assume a predetermined outcome. To me, this is foolish.
Hearing that a high level U18 team from Canada can’t execute something that basic is disheartening, and it’s obviously a case that those responsible for developing that recognition skill failed. But, I’ll bet all those kids can do Michigan’s and their toe drags are sweet. I say all the time that playing within a system/structure is just as much a skill as fancy stick work or a skating mechanic. Further, it’s the system/structure that puts the player into position to use those other skills effectively.
You guys have amazing conversations!
I disagree... I got 2 kids and i stick them on the ice and let them do whatever they want but only after they complete skating drills then skill drills, if they complete those and still got energy and want to play i let them do what they want on the ice together and with friends. I never simulate real game scenarios or make them do scrimmage but they will naturally fool around and play some kind of competitive game around the skills and skating they are learning. They both don't seem lost in their team's games and can feel their way around the play though i never trained them nor does their coaches it's just their natural instinct you have or you don't but the skating and skills isn't natural and building those can then be where those instincts can be harnessed within the game but your understanding of what to do in the moment is purely instinctual and too fast to be broken down and applied as a system taught in practice, i've seen coaches try and they totally mess with their players natural game calibration it's eerie how some kids can just tap into the moment and know what to do in a game and some are clueless but if they can't they can't and nothing can be done about it. So build skating and skills and if they have any natural ability they will know what do to and figure out how to use the acquired skills when the game calls upon it, naturally!
Also if i may, i also don't break down how they should shoot they both shoot differently and that was developed overtime and they both got pretty good accurate hard shots for their young ages so i don't think there's one way to do anything i think everyone will find the way that suits them and then become a master at their specific way, and in the NHL that holds true cause lots of all-time shooters not one of them shoots exact same way with the same technique- Messier had that funny flamingo shot- and what coach ever taught that in their right mind- it was natural for him and was something that came to him without thinking about over time and he learned how to get better in those slot situations with using his special trademark shot. But my point is that which made it his own cannot be taught and how he developed it was over time not based on coaching or training methods.
I guess i'll sum it up- cause this was way longer- too long- then i intended for it to be:
I think youth hockey as with all sports these days is way too overanalyzed and science-based these days... I see alot of other kids going through this super system training programs and they are no better than my kids and certainly don't look like they are enjoying themselves on the ice like my kids do! I think it's bunk and the best players play for the love and fuel their passion for the game and work on their skills and skating but mostly just play for fun with friends and family and then later on maybe they focus on training when their mid to late teens and looking to make more competitive leagues but when their young and growing i think this lack of method works better than any method i'd seen so far so i'll stick with that for my kids you do what you will with your own. Just make sure they enjoy whatever they are doing and not made to feel like they have to do it or anything they don't want to. That always backfires 100% of the time in my experience!
This is why parents are holding their children back (reclass). I don’t agree, but this is the world we live in now.