IN THIS ISSUE
The Secret Ingredient of Great Coaching
Mid-Season Classic Girls Cross-Ice Tournament
Emphasize Skills Over Strategy at 8U
Development Drives New Hampshire Assoc.
10U Q&A: Are Punishment Skates Appropriate
Video: NHL Dedication
Video: Be A Doer
Just for Coaches: On- and Off-Ice Practice Plans
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Volume 2 Issue 12
November 23, 2015
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THE SECRET INGREDIENT OF GREAT COACHING
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Many coaches think that coaching is an X's and O's business, but in reality it is a relationship business. The secret to great coaching and a successful performance by one's team isn't simply technique, or tactics, or fitness.
There is one key ingredient that is missing from so many aspiring championship teams, and so many coaches trying to take their teams to the next level. In fact, this missing ingredient is at the root of many of the issues we see in youth sports today. Want to know what it is?
Be sure to continue to the end, and watch an amazing 8 minute TED talk on coaching. READ MORE>>
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Sponsored by USA Hockey, Chicago Blackhawks and the
Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois
On January 2nd, USA Hockey and AHAI will take over the United Center for a Mid-Season Girls Cross-Ice Classic. AHAI Girls teams will participate in a cross-ice tournament which will include a minimum of 3 games, a championship, lots of giveaways, and awards for the winners.
The United Center ice will be transformed into three ice surfaces with teams competing in three divisions; 8U, 10U, and 12U. The concourse will be hopping - the concession stands will be open and their will be a photobooth, two gaming trucks, face-painting, a craft-making table and more! The younger girls will also have the chance to watch the Sabre Girls 19U team take on the Admirals 19U team. The cost is a flat $600 per team. The event will run from approximately 11:30am until 9:00pm. There is NO requirement to have a current girls team at these levels. You are welcomed to take girls that are within your organization and form a team for this event. The minimum needed is 9 and a goalie. There will be a maximum of 8 teams at each level due to the amount of ice we are able to secure. AHAI and the Blackhawks will review all applicants and make sure each club that wishes to participate has a team at one of the levels. Once that is done we will fill in with clubs that have more than one girls team. To add your team to the registration list, please send an email to Jim Clare at MiteADM@ahai2.org. Deadline to register is December 4. Notifications of which teams are playing will be announced on December 5. We look forward to this awesome event and a chance to celebrate girls hockey!
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 EMPHASIZE SKILLS OVER STRATEGY AT 8U
You see it sometimes when you're watching your favorite professional or college team on television. A color commentator rewinds the tape to show a perfectly executed play that the coaching staff drew up on the whiteboard. Or you see the color guy circling the defenseman who missed his coverage and was responsible for the game-deciding goal.
But don't fall into the trap of thinking that those Xs and Os should be applied to your own 8U child's game. In fact, at the 8U level, ideas of Xs and Os shouldn't even exist. READ MORE>>
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DEVELOPMENT DRIVES NEW HAMPSHIRE ASSOCIATION
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10U Q & A: ARE PUNISHMENT SKATES APPROPRIATE?
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By Mike Scandura, Special to USA Hockey ~ For any hockey association, there typically isn't one secret to success. But for New Hampshire's Hanover Hockey Association, one thing does stand out. According to Girls' Program Director Dan French, it's the association's Development Program. "I look at it as our most important program," French said. "It's simply the most important program we have for the girls. That's our feeder program."
The program is designed for girls ages 8 through 13. French said that in Hanover's part of New England, girls typically become interested in hockey at an older age than boys. But it's never too late. READ MORE>>
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Q: Is it appropriate to skate kids for not listening?
A: Coaches need to have age-appropriate expectations for the kids with which they work. Understanding a little bit about child development, and that young kids have a child-centered approach, is critical to the success of a coach. "Success" at this age shouldn't be defined by wins or losses. Kids participate in practice and games to play hockey and hang out with their friends. Their youth sport experience belongs to them, not the adults running the practices or managing the bench. READ MORE>>
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NHL HOCKEY DEDICATION
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BE A DOER
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A short inspirational video using NHL clips, workouts and commercials, showing some of the NHL players workouts and their dedication and motivation.
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USA Hockey ADM Regional Manager Roger Grillo shares why he believes leaders are doers.
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PRACTICE PLANS FOR ON-ICE
On the Dot 3-on-2 & 4-on-3
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PRACTICE PLANS FOR DRYLAND
Stickhandle Wrist Shot
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Place a net in each corner. A player from each team is placed on the face off dots. The player on the dot cannot move but can pass to a teammate or shoot. Each team has two other players in the game to create a 3-on-2, progress to a continuous 4-on-3 by adding another player to each team. VIEW PLAN>>
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Power of a Wrist Shot comes from lower body strength more than arm strength. Proper weight transfer gives the shot power. VIEW PLAN>>
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