Implementing Small Area Games2011 Caps College Hockey Fair

Washington, DCApril 2, 2011

Ed Gosek•Head Hockey Coach – Oswego State

•20 Years of collegiate coaching

•Email: coachgosek@twcny.rr.com

mycoach

Problems with Hockey today

• Less street hockey played• Less pond hockey played• Starting organized hockey too young• Start playing with full equipment too young• One piece composite sticks• Too many games• Too many drills• Too much coaching• Too much pressure

This all equals PROBLEMS in development!

Objectives

• Developing & Understanding ‘Hockey Sense’• How players effectively learn• Quick decision training• Benefits of small games• Examples of small games

Intellectual Skills• Hockey Sense – a players ability to think the game and

execute in a timely manner as to exploit or defend against opportunity.

• Can you train ‘Hockey Sense’?• Repetition• Proper execution• Can you train players to think & execute faster?• Recognition – Opportunism • Awareness • Anticipation & Response time• Decision Making with/without the Puck

Training Hockey Sense

• Decision Training – a players ability to think the game.

• Mindset of Opportunism• Understanding of the game nuances• Anticipation• Problem solving• Awareness• Creativity

American Model vs. European Model

• American Model– Large area full ice drills– Moderate temp or speed– Long duration and distance takes time– Teaching moment – multiple skills

• European Model of Practice– Small area of Ice– High tempo or speed– Short duration– Teaching moment – skill specific

Games are tools to teach…

“If you want to teach people a new way of thinking do not bother trying to teach them. Instead, give them a tool, the use of which, will lead to new ways of thinking.”

Buckminster Fuller

Teaching methods…

“All too often we are giving our children cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow plants. We are stuffing their heads with the products of earlier innovation rather than teaching them to innovate. We think of the mind as a storehouse to be filled when we should be thinking of it as an instrument to be used.”

John Gardner, Psychologist/Educator

Create Independent Players…

“The leadership role of the coach requires that you provide direction, that you help the athlete develop very high standards of performance. Are you also doing this in a way that develops the ability of the athletes to perform independently in competition, to make the right decisions when they are on their own in a game.”

Joan Vickers

September 1996

All in One…

“Speed of foot.

Speed of hand.

Speed of mind.

You must practice them all!”

Anatoli Tarasov

Russian National Coach

“If you want only to win the next game, it is unlikely you

will win the LAST game!”

Cart before the horse!

“Coaches have teams of 9 and 10 year olds playing systems to show off their own knowledge. But systems can not be played until you have the individual skills! What good are systems if you can not skate, shoot or pass?”

Stan Butler

Head Coach

Canadian National Junior Team

Ice Hockey Training…– Skating– Passing– Stick handling– Shooting– Support– Cycling– Scoring– Angling– 1v1, 2v2, etc..

Game Training

– Breakouts– Defensive zone coverage– Fore checks– Face offs– Neutral zone– Power play breakouts– Power play offensive zone– Penalty kill fore checks– Penalty kills defensive zone

Practice Thoughts…

• Variety of activity is vital!

• “Decision Training” should be omnipresent

• Majority of drills are “game oriented”.

• Play for a consequence

• Provide time for skill development drills

• Practice Format• 12 min: 3v3 game

• 8min: Over speed skating

• 8 min: 1v1 Drill

• 12 min: Small Game

• 8 min: Passing drill

• 12min: Small Game

It is not important that all players

think the same.

It is important that all players THINK!

Players figure it out…

“the greatest happiness for us was to find unexpected solutions in any situation, however standard. To me, improvisation for a hockey player is the same as a jazz musician. Bur for a whole line to improvise, it is possible only when every player is strong, well versed in his tactical scope and rich in technical repertoire; when all together they understand one another with half a word and half a glance – and even without one of the other. It seems tedious only to move according to the plan of a hockey textbook.”

Anatoli TarasovRussian National Coach

Implementing Competitive Games

in Practices

Reasons for using games in Practice

• Players learn to function in small areas• Stimulates creativity• Creates more scoring opportunities for players

and goalies• Increases puck possession• Creates defensive and offensive awareness• Creates unity within the team• Great for conditions• Players have FUN

Reasons for using games in practice continued…

• Most competitive environment a coach can create in practice

• Accelerates development

• Creates teaching and learning situations for the coaches and players

• Creates pressure situations for players to perform under

Small Area Games

• Straight 3v3• Off-Sides 3v3• All touch 3v3• Start w/ Passing 3v3• 2v2 Piggy Back• 2v2, 2v1 Activate to

Attack• 3v2 Gretzky Game• Offensive Superior Game• Quick Shot Game

• 2v2 Clear to Coach• 2v2 Gain Back of Net• Puck Control Game• 2v2 Cone Game• Russian Scrimmage• 4v2 Offensive Game• 2v2 Support to Get Puck• Backdoor Game

General Thoughts…

• Hockey is a game, not a drill

• Coaching demeanor is vital

• Positive interaction with players

• Keep score. Win and you will be happy

• Kids come to the rink to ‘play hockey’

• Utilize positive video when possible

Small Area Games

• One Net Games– 1v1 Clear to Coach– 3v2 Clear to Coach– 2v2 two pass game– 1v1 gain back of net– Activate from corner– Two net/two pass

– Possible – tire games

• Two Net Games– 3v3 Nets backwards– 3v3 score both nets– Russian Numbers– Offensive Superior – Gretzky Game– Hi/Lo Game

– Possible: 1v1 2v2 3v3

Let the Kids Play Hockey

* The activity becomes the teacher.

* The coach is the ultimate influence on creating the optimal environment.

* The game looks different for people who stand in different places and have varying degrees of experience both in the game as

well as life.

Perspective is everything…

Mr. Ducks

Mr. Not

Mr. So

Whale Oil

Beefed Hook

Mr. Ducks