Team Canada Defensive Zone Face Off - Weak Side Winger Post Up Low Near Goal Line

SYSTEM:

Good teams breakout out of their defensive zone quickly. Getting available quickly is the key to effective breakouts.


Team Canada Positioning on Face Off:

• Center on Center
• Defense boards side must pick up wing
• Defense picks up wing middle ice 
• Middle forward through middle between center & defense for loose puck, Go to point or pick up loose puck
• Outside wing moves out to cover point

TACTICS:

• Strong Side Wing going through middle must stop and get loose puck
• Weak Side Winger post up quickly on the boards down near goal line

TECHNIQUE:

• See the puck
• Call for the puck
• Stick should be on the ice as a target for pass

Rules:

• Always face the play

Related Videos & Teaching Points:

Teaching Highlights IIHF World Champiohsips , Division 3

Power Thoughts: 

"Offense is spacing...spacing is offense." -Chuck Daly

"Instead of focusing on that circumstances that you cannot change - focus strongly and powerfully on the circumstances that you can."  - Joy Page 

Sports Psychology Tips:

1969 World Champions, ' Amazin' Mets:

 I wanted advise how to become a great catcher. I was 10 years old.  Jerry Grote, the great New York Mets catcher told me the following:

"Focus on what you want; Not what you do not want. A good catcher tell the pitcher what to do, not what not to do."  -Jerry Grote

Improve Your Passing Game:

Nine Words to Improve Your Passing Game:

MOVE YOUR MOUTH, MOVE YOUR LEGS & MOVE THE PUCK  

Any time you want the puck, pass the puck, it is your responsibility to skate, move & talk with your team mates. Your team mates need to know you are available for a pass. Communication leads to better vision, passing and more goals!

Congratulation to ERZURUM GENÇLİK SPOR U14 for Winning the Group Championship. GENÇLİK SPOR U14 will go to Ankara Turkey to compete for National Championship of Turkey. 

Seven Key to Receiving Passes:

• See the puck
• Call for the puck
• Your stick needs to be out in front of your body
• Your stick needs to be on the ice
• Your stick needs to form a right angle when receiving pass
•  Skate to the puck, do not stop skating and reach
•  Use skates, body and hands to receive bad passe

Terms:

• Control Skate, Communicate & Accelerate

Power Questions:

 Are your players making the most of the space? 

Move the Puck - Use the full width of the rink!  The puck moves faster than any player so get your players to look up and move the puck to a team-mate in space to stretch the opposition!

Players need to learn to move the puck to open space. 

• Soft pass to open space
• No space pass boards
• Board passes

Power Thoughts:

The receivers are an integral part of the passing game.
-Hank Stram,  Hall-of-fame NFL coach, KC Chiefs 

Sports Psychology Tips:

Create a Road Map for Success:  (The map changes year to year)

• Players need to know where they are going
• Player need to know the plan to get them there
• Use visual aids to show the steps
• Identify the big goals
• The bigger the goal the more commitment and motivation is needed
• Identify each step along the way, that must be accomplished
• Identify the performance goals that must be achieved 
• Talk about the obstacles that need to be overcome
• Have players write down the plan and goals

Related Videos & Teaching Points: 

 Keith McAdams Coaching Tips: 3 v 1 Wise Drill (Part 1)

Keith McAdams Coaching Tips: Four "T's" of Passing:

Simple Model For Coaching Ice Hockey

F.B.A. Model breaks coaching down to the simplest form. To be a successful Coach, you have master the strategies to manage your players feelings, behaviors and accountability.  


Feelings: Coaching is about dealing with feelings. Making players feel important. Letting players feel successful. Players need to feel they are developing skills and improving their game. 


Behaviors: Coaching is about getting people to do what they do not want to do. Coaching is about directing and managing players behaviors both on and off the ice. Behavior is the execution of skills, tactics and good health habits.


Accountability: If you do not hold management, staff and players accountable you will lose.

Related Videos & Teaching Points:

Keith McAdams Coaching Tips: Power Thoughts: Lou Holtz ...

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Keith McAdams Coaching Tips: Power Thoughts: Dr. Randy Pausch ...

Intermediate Coaching Check List For Running Successful Hockey Practices

Running A Good Practice:

• Have a yearly plan for practice
•  Have your drill organized with progressions
•  Have a precise plan for every practice
•  Plan each practice down to the minute 
•  Name your drills  
•  If drill is not working, change it!
•  Safety is a must at all times
•  Always take breaks for water
•  Avoid long, drawn out talks
•  Use short precise language
•  Break things down into key points & words
•  Write your practice plan out and post it for your players to see 
•  Have whistle & coaching board
•  Make sure you have cones/pylons
• Have 2-4 sets of colored practice jerseys 
• Make sure your assistants understand practice plan
• Know what your objectives are for the practice
• Know Your teaching points
• Keep your instructions clear and short
• Make sure you keep hockey fun for kids
• Determine your order of  individual & team development
• Decide on your coaching priorities and write them down
• Create written practice plan -  5x8 card
• Maximize reps & touches should be priority
• Practice basic skills development on all levels
•  80-20 Rule - 80% Basic Skills-20% All other Activities 
•  Choose age & ability-Appropriate drills
•  Modify drill to match abilities do not get frustrated make the drill easier
•  Structure your teaching points into drills
•  Don’t do any one thing for too long
•  Know how & when to use pressure to develop skills & tactics
•  When talking to team always put your back to boards and have players form half circle
•  Three whistle means bring it in
•  Two whistle means stop
•  One whistle means start drill
•  Movement is Focus!  If players stand around their mind wonders
•  Progress simple to complex
•  Progress slow to fast
•  Progress short movement to longer movements
•  Progress from one skill to combined skill activities
•  Dynamic Warm-up & Stretches Off-Ice 
•  Start With An Intelligent Warm-Up - Kids Love Pucks
•  Small-Sided Games - Always end with game
•  Stretch & Cool Down Off Ice

Things To Do:

• Use the Internet to learn skills, tactics & systems
• Watch other youth teams practice
• Watch Pro, College or Junior teams practice
• ፝Attend Seminar
• Sign up to take coaching certification program
• Start a drill library
• Record & rate every practice

Common Mistakes:

• Failing to hold a parent meeting
• Failing to set clear expectations with parents & players
• Failing to have a team manager
• Avoiding parents
• Skating team when they do not understand your drill
• Wasting practice time on conditioning that can be done off-ice
• Focusing on low-priority drills
• Failing to fix obvious technical problems
• Failing to videotape games and some practices
• Failing to take work segments
• Doing the same drills over and over again
• Measuring success & failure on wins and losses

Power Thoughts:

• The worst team can become the best team with good practice
• Praise specific & often
• Praise appropriately
• Spread your praise

Related Videos & Teaching Points:

Ankara Turkey Practice #1 Beginners/House League Half Ice Practices

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Team USA Gives Up Ice and Makes Bad Line Change

Defensive Teaching Points:

• Defense must get up over defensive blue line on clears
• The closest forward must pressure the puck carrier
• Defense can not give up ice
• Defense need to play tight gap
• No free shots

Finland Offensive Tactics On Clear:

• 1 forward stays back in offensive zone to draw attention of defense
• Finland passes to forward just at or over blue line
• The tactic catches the defense giving up ice or standing still

Sports Psychology Tips: 

Serious Athletes Keep A Metal Training Log:

• It is a long-established fact that writing things down helps to increase performance, increases the odds on achieving goals and succeeding
•  A mental training log is completed by a player after each training session and game
• Write down all the things you said to yourself that helped you perform better
• Write down all the things you said to yourself that inhibited your performance
• Allow you to recognize negative pattern and replace them with positive behaviors
• Allows you become aware of stress and how to resolve it
• Allows you to recognize muscle tension and learn to relax
• Allows you to identify your own peak performance state and learn to duplicate it
• Allows you to track your progress and goals
• Helps you set short term process goals to improve your mental skill set to succeed

Power Thoughts:

"Obstacles are those frightening things that become visible when we take our eyes off our goals." 

 -Henry Ford

Interesting videos Henry Ford

"If you don’t have confidence, you’ll always find a way not to win."

-Carl Lewis

Related Videos & Teaching Points:

Slovakia Good Gap Control Leads To Quick Transitions in Neutral Ice

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New York Ranger Michael Del Zotto Defends Perfect 2 v 1

Keith McAdams Coaching Tips: PRK-LUX Offensive Rush, Cross ...

New York Ranger Makes Bad Pinch on Forecheck Which Leads to 2 v 1

Definition of Pinch:

Pinching is when the defenceman in the offensive zone moves down the boards to get puck or make a check on winger. The job of the pinching defenceman is to keep the puck in the zone or at least make the body check on the winger.


Reads:

• The defenceman must read when to press and when to back out of zone
• The forwards must read, when to backcheck and lock middle

Four Keys To A Good Pinch:

• There should be pressure by the forwards down low
• There must be a forward in position to support up the middle ice
• The pinching defenceman must get there before or at the same time as the puck
• The pinching defender must get the puck or make the check

Rules:

• The defenceman can pinch when puck is shot around boards
• One forward must always be backchecking up middle ice to support the defender

The New York Rangers have 4 players along boards. The Rangers fail to have a forward backchecking up middle ice to lock the middle and stop the 2 v 1. The New Jersey Devils do a good job out numbering the Rangers and forming 2 v 1's.


Do Not Pinch :

• When the offensive team has clear possession of puck
• When there is no support coming up middle ice
• When the opposition out numbers you
• When you can not arrive first or at same time as the opposition

Related Videos & Teaching Points:

USA Makes Bad Reads On Forechecking & Defensive Rush

Keith McAdams Coaching Tips: John Trvares Forechecking Goal ...

Team USA Failed to Capitalize on Good Forechecking vs. Finland

Power Thoughts:

 A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals.

-Larry Bird

.

Sports Psychology Tips: Model Others to Build Success: Modeling performance can help you in many areas of your life. Modeling can make learning easier. Look to model people you respect. For example, you admire how a team mate skates, or how a NHL player scores goals or plays defense. Identify, what they do best and learn from them. Watching other great performers, is fastest way to learn. You will be surprised how many coaches and athletes are willing to help you succeed. The key is to make contact and ask for advise. Emulate people with exceptional skills Watch people you admire Find a mentor

Updated 8\10\12

Greg Louganis won gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 

Greg Louganis interview with CNN Europe Live August 10, 2012 "said" China has modeled all the best diver in the world. Greg Louganis  is head of Team USA Diving Mentoring program. 

New Jersey Devils Executing Quick Ups & Attacking Middle Seam

Devils execute quick up. A quick up is you move the puck right away up the ice.

 Devils players control skates to boards, acceleration through middle seam.

The middle seam is the space between the two defenders

Tactics:

• Quick Up
• Attacking the middle seam

Teaching Points:

• Control Skate
• Timing
• Communication
• Acceleration

Related Videos & Teaching Points:

New York Rangers Quick Transition On Defensive Zone Face Off

Keith McAdams Coaching Tips: Four Reasons New York Ranger ...

Power Thoughts:

“The most important quality I look for in a player is accountability. You’ve got to be accountable for who you are. It’s too easy to blame things on someone else.”
                                                                                                                 -Lenny Wilkins 

                                                                                              Source: Getty Images

 “The only discipline that lasts is self-discipline.”
-Bum Philip

New York Ranger Michael Del Zotto Defends Perfect 2 v 1

2 v 1 Defensive Read the Rush:

• Good body & stick positioning 
• Quick sticks & anticipation 
• Stick well out in front of you, ready to deflect pass 
• The  'D'  must stay up & in the middle of the ice between the forwards 
• The 'D' should keep the puck wide 
• If a pass be made back to the slot, the 'D' must pressure and attack the slot 
• The 'D' should keep a tight gap 
• Goalie should call I have the shooter

Do Not:

• Do not give up huge gap through center ice
• Do not back up into goalie
• Do not commit to one forward

Teaching Notes:

• At higher levels you can not allow the players to shoot from slot
• Defenders must develop fakes stick checks & checks

Related Videos:

Team USA Gives Up Ice and Makes Bad Line Change

Keith McAdams Coaching Tips: USA - Canada IIHF 2012 Overload ...

Power Thoughts:

Coach George Halas: Brian Piccolo died of cancer at the age of 26. He left a wife and three daughters. He also left a great many loving friends who miss and think of him often. But when they think of him, it's not how he died that they remember - but how he lived. How he did live!

"I don't care to be remembered as the man who scored six touchdowns in a game. I want to be remembered as a winner in life." -Gale Sayers

Brian's Song. Great Movie

Ernest Hemingway once said "Every true story ends in death." Well, this is a true story.

Sports Psychology Tips:

Three Things To Do Now, To Improve Your Performance:

 If you want to practice as good of Olympic Gold Medalist; You need to match his\her attitude, emotionally energy and enthusiasm. You have 100% control over your attitude, emotional energy, and enthusiasm. Great athletes focus on things they can control. You can improve your game now, by focusing on improving your:

1. Attitude
2. Emotional Energy 
3. Enthusiasm

Team USA Failed to Capitalize on Good Forechecking vs. Finland

Principles:

• Force the opposition to make 2 or more passes to breakout.
• Force the opposition to turn back, lets you control the tempo of the game

Rules:

• Always forecheck with your stick on the ice
• First man body, second man picks up puck

Teaching Keys:

• Pressure hard after loose pucks
• Use your Stick to direct the man where you want him to go 
• Take a good angle or circular approach when forechecking
• Stick in passing lanes
• Finish your check

Terms:

Active Smart Stick:  
A smart stick placement forces the puck carrier to pass the puck where you want.

Body, Stick, Puck:
Play the body first, stick second and pick up puck third.



Related Videos:

USA Makes Bad Reads On Forechecking & Defensive Rush

Keith McAdams Coaching Tips: John Trvares Forechecking Goal ...

Power Thoughts:

"Don't let someone else's opinion of you become your reality."
-Les Brown

"Life takes on meaning when you become motivated, set goals and charge after them in an unstoppable manner."
-Les Brown

Sports Psychology Tips:

FLY LIKE A BUMBLEBEE 

• Do not let people or events in your life stop you!
• Do not let your little voice stop you from flying!

According to the laws

of aerodynamics,

the bumblebee is

unable to fly.

This is because

the size, weight, and

shape of its body

in relation to the

total wing-span

makes flying impossible.

The bumblebee,

being ignorant of

these laws,

goes ahead  and flies anyway!   

            -author unknown