Over the past 3 years, I have run dozens of elite player development camps with teams and players from all across North America.  In these full-day camps, we go on the ice for skills sessions and on-ice testing, we do off-ice fitness testing and go through off-ice speed and strength training, as well as workshops on hockey-specific performance nutrition, goal setting and how to get noticed and recruited by women’s college hockey teams.   By the end of the camp, the entire group been assessed, they know what they need to improve on and they have the resources that will help them take their performance to the next level.  I truly believe every girls hockey players deserves the same level of access and the opportunity to learn exactly what it takes to become an elite female hockey player.  But they don’t have it - yet.

 

The truth is that we are not doing a very good job of developing elite female hockey players in North America.  Sure, we’ve won all the gold medals and continue to dominate on the world stage, but much of this success can be attributed to the sheer number of girls playing the game and the opportunity to compete and train against the “best” on a consistent basis.  But are we really giving all girls hockey players in North America access to the opportunity to reach all of their hockey dreams?

 

For the most part, we rely on a very Darwinistic approach when it comes to player development.  We have far more girls playing and the “cream of the crop” naturally rises to the top.  When this top 3% of players between the ages of 14-18 emerge, we give them access to the resources they need to make it to the elite level.

 

But what about everyone else?  Why are only the “best” given the information and the opportunity? It is irresponsible and unfair for us to cater only the “elite” players.

 

I recognize that not every girls hockey player in North America aspires to play women’s college hockey or make the Olympic team.   But there are many who do who don’t make the “right” team or are not from an association, team or area that has the access to development resources both on and off the ice.  Are we really giving players who aren’t “elite” quite yet the opportunity to move on to the highest levels of female hockey?  I always tell players to, “Work Hard and Dream BIG”, but the truth is that those 2 things are not enough to make you a great player.  You need to have access to the resources that will allow you to get there and be able to put together your plan to get you where you want to be.

 

I am not exactly sure what the answer is to this problem.  We can’t clone elite coaches, mass produce elite teams so that every girl has the chance to see what elite level girls hockey really looks like, or invite them all to selection camps that run across North America every spring and summer.

 

But we can empower them with information.  We can let them know exactly what it takes to get to that elite level and allow them to make the decision as to whether they want to pursue those dreams.  That is how we will create a culture of excellence in women’s hockey - where every girl has the opportunity to fulfill her dreams.  I truly believe that this type of widespread education and empowerment in girls hockey is not only possible, but absolutely necessary. 

 

 

I read an amazing article recently that explained in great deal why hockey is the smartest game in the world.  To be honest, it’s a very nerdy article. That’s probably why I liked it so much.  It basically talks about 2 of the key components of what we typically call “GAME SENSE” and how they are more important in hockey than in any other sport. 

 

Those components are:
::: Spatial intelligence
::: Situational awareness

 

 

Spatial intelligence is the ability to take in all the things that are happening in a particular time and space on the ice and anticipate what might happen next.  This kind of split-second decision making is made at every position.  We see it in defensemen trying to read what the opponents are going to do in a 2-on-1.  We see it with goalies trying to stop a breakaway and with forwards trying to read what the goalie is giving them on said breakaway.  Those are just a few basic examples of spatial intelligence.  Keep in mind that these decisions are being made in reference to all the other players on the ice, where they are and what they are doing.  Not to mention the fact that you’re standing on knife blades, people are  probably yelling at you and someone is likely trying to hit you.

 

The best example of a player who excelled at spatial intelligence would be Wayne Gretzky.  He seemed to have eyes in the back of his
head and knew where he wanted to put the puck before he even got it.  He had an amazing ability to read the game and make decisions that no one else on the ice had even dreamed of making. 

 

Situational awareness is very closely related to spatial intelligence.

 

While spatial intelligence boils down to knowing everything that’s going on around you, situational awareness centers more on being conscious of all that’s going on in the context of the what the other players intend to  do and anticipating their next move. 

 

Have I lost you yet? To simplify it even further:

Spatial intelligence is knowing what’s going on all around you.

Situational awareness is understanding how the intentions and actions of those around you effect what’s going on around you.

 

The players with the best “game sense”  excel at both of these. When you couple these high-level mental components with tremendous individual skill, you get a fantastic all-around player who can both skate and think the game at high speeds.

 

Now to the untrained eye, hockey can sometimes seem like a brutal series of random collisions in which the puck somehow sporadically ends up in the net.  To some, hockey appears to be a game of wild improvisation.  We know better.

 

That’s why coaches put systems and tactics in place.  To bring some degree of order to the chaos. We put these in place not because we want players to do everything “to the letter” every time.  The systems and tactics are simply a framework for the game - a starting point for execution of a game plan and something to come back to when things get messy out there.  What every coach wants are players who can take what they’ve learned about systems and tactics in practice, couple that with their individual skills, and also be able to “think” the game at high speeds.   Spatial intelligence and situational awareness are 2 of the toughest things to teach players.   That’s why those who posses those traits are so valuable out on the ice. 

 

Needless to say, to have a group of players with great spatial intelligence and situational awareness, along with great skill, attitude and work ethic,  would be a coach’s dream.

 

Work Hard.  Dream BIG.

 

Your friend and coach,

 

Kim

 

PS:   Every player needs to improve their individual skills
but that can be hard to do in the context of team practices.

 

That’s why I am running a Total Female Hockey Skills Session on
Saturday October 29th from 8:30-10:30am at Canlan York in Toronto.

 

We will be working on:

:: Speed - especially quick feet and quick puck movement
:: Shooting, Stickhandling, Passing, Checking
:: Position Specific Skills - splitting up forwards and defensemen

 

We will have 2 groups on the ice at the same time -
a bantam and midget group (at one end of the ice)
and an atom and peewee group (at other end of the ice).

 

And we can only take a maximum of 20 players in the session.
And as of this morning, I’ve only got a few spots left.

 

This will be a high-tempo session with lots of instruction.
The cost will be $60+HST for the 2 hour session.

 

CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO REGISTER NOW:
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/SecureCart/SecureCart.aspx?mid=D0EE400E-B774-4402-9667-F341B2106AA0&pid=f0d9897f84ac4a24a57d631404e1b5b9

 

 

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS
Director, Total Female Hockey
Girls Hockey Director, PEAC School For Elite Athletes

 

If a player wants to drive their coach crazy, they should completely avoid doing “stops and starts”.  We’re just a few weeks into the season, and it is very apparent that this is the concept that most players struggle with. Stopping and starting is a skill. And it’s also a habit. So while every player can perform the skill of stopping and the starting again on the ice, not every player chooses to stop and start during the game.  Nothing makes a coach more frustrated than watching players “loop around”, “circle” or do “fly-bys”.  It doesn’t matter what you call it or if it’s in the offensive zone, neutral zone, or  defensive zone (which is the worst time to loop around by the way), it drives every coach crazy.

 

So why don’t players choose to stop and start?  Because, in the beginning, it is much more tiring.  When you are used to looping around and circling, then stopping and starting can be very taxing on the body.  Stopping and starting requires a lot more work by your muscles and lungs in the short-term.  But the truth is stopping and starting is far easier than looping around, once you’re used to it.

 

The reason “looping around” drives coaches crazy is because players quite often turn their backs on the play when they do it.  It takes much longer to recover when you loop and you are usually in a horrible position to receive a pass.   You are wasting time, space and energy when you’re looping around.

 

Stopping and starting allows you to execute “straight line skating”. We all know the shortest distance between point A and point B is a straight line. So it is much more efficient to stop and start, and it also allows you to be able to watch the play and be in a better position to support the puck.

 

Like with any new habit, going from lazily looping around to stopping and starting is going to be hard.  You’re going to find that you’ll be more tired after your first few shifts of stopping and starting than you were when you circle.  But once your body gets used to it, you will have made the game much easier for yourself - and for your coach.  No more missing passes because you were facing the wrong way.  No more getting stuck in your own end because you did a  “fly-by” in the in-zone, instead of stopping right in front of your check.  You will be much more explosive and much more efficient. 

 

So do the work and focus on stopping and starting early in the season.  It may be tiring in the short term, but it will certainly pay off in the long term. 

 

 

Your friend and coach,

 

 

Kim

 

 

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS

Director, Total Female Hockey

Girls’ Hockey Director, PEAC School For Elite Athletes

 

Never underestimate the power of feedback. Whether positive or negative, it is absolutely critical to the success of every player and every team. We all want to know how we “stack up” so that we know how to improve. And when this feedback comes from people we not only respect, but also want to perform well for, like our coaches and college scouts, it can make or break our season and sometimes even our career.

 

 

Let me give you an example of feedback from my own hockey career that not only transformed my performance, but my entire team’s…

 

In my third year of college, our team was ranked #1 in the country for the entire season. We were a team of great players who started the year off on a 20-game winning streak.

 

 

Although we were a great team, we didn’t really have any true superstars. What I mean by that is that the majority of our players played a significant on-ice role in our team’s success and we didn’t rely on two or three players to carry the load. All three of our lines were legitimate scoring threats - our top three scorers all played on different lines. We had 3 defensive pairs that were equally strong and saw equal time on both the power-play and penalty-kill units. Our goalies rotated in the starting position - not because our coach wanted them to have equal ice time - but because they were both equally as good.

 

 

What a problem to have, right?

 

 

As you can imagine, most teams had a lot of trouble matching up with us because of the depth of our talent.

 

 

Our problem wasn’t our performance. It was that most players were having difficulty defining their role on the team and weren’t getting the feedback they needed to know how they stacked up.

 

 

For example, if you are the leading scorer on the team, you generally think that you will be out on the ice for every power-play situation and every time you are down a goal at the end of the game. If, as a goalie, you got a shut-out the night before, you expect to have the chance to play the next day.

 

 

It turned out that our greatest strength - depth - was also the biggest problem for us players, as well as for the coaches.

 

 

We continued our winning ways, but as we were getting closer to the playoffs, there was a strange feeling in the air. Some players were frustrated that they weren’t getting the opportunities to play that they felt they deserved. Others were nervous that they would lose their precious playing time once the playoffs began. We were no longer the happy, go-lucky #1 team that we had been at the beginning of the year, even though we were still ranked #1.

 

 

Our coaches could have just called each one of us into their office and asked us what we thought our role was and then told us what they believed our role was.  But they did something really great.  They turned our personalized feedback session into a team event.

Before practice, the coaches called us over to the boards. They told us that they realized we were struggling with identifying our individual roles on the team and wanted to take this opportunity to share their thoughts about each of us in front of the team. They pulled out cue cards with individual feedback on each player and proceeded to read each player’s card aloud right then and there.

 

 

Now before you get all worried about players getting embarrassed about hearing what the coaches really thought in front of the entire team, we were given the option of not having them read out the card. But no one took that option.  It was actually pretty neat to hear what the coaches really thought about each and every player on the team. The cards were very positive and focused on each player’s individual strengths and how those abilities benefited the team as a whole.

 

 

We all of a sudden knew exactly where each and every one of us stood, what we brought to the table and what we were going to be counted upon to do as we went into the playoffs so that the team would succeed. For the most part, the comments confirmed what we already knew and believed about each other. But the act of the coaches not only addressing the issue in front of the team, but doing so on an individual level, was transformative.

 

 

Long story short - I still have that card on my wall in my office. It is undoubtedly the most powerful piece of feedback I ever received in my entire hockey career. Every time I read it, it makes me so proud of what I was able to accomplish in my first 3 years at school, but even more proud of what our team achieved.

 

 

So never underestimate the power of feedback.

 

 

I would really appreciate if you could take a moment and give me a little bit of feedback about how Total Female Hockey can help you get to the next level? Whether you are a player, parent or coach, I want to help you achieve all of your goals for next season.

 

So HOW CAN I HELP YOU?

 

 Email me at kim@totalfemalehockey.com. 

 

Your friend and coach,

 

 

Kim

 

 

 

In order to be an elite level hockey player, you’ve got to be able to skate, shoot, pass, stickhandle and check effectively at high speeds. (Sorry goalies - I’m not going to pretend that I know exactly what you need to do to play at the elite level. But I will ask an expert and find out for you!)  There are lots of players out there who have the skills…But do they actually know how to play their position effectively?

 

For both forwards and defensemen, there are 5 position-specific abilities that you must excel at in order to play at the elite level. I’m not talking just about “game sense” here - although game-sense is critical to being to able to excel at the abilities below.  These are much more specific than that.  I played both forward and defense at the elite level and it took a lot more than just general “game sense” to allow me to compete at that level - I had to learn the nitty-gritty details of each position.

 

**** ANNOUNCING… BRAND NEW POSITION-SPECIFIC CAMPS ****

For the first time ever, I will be running Total Female Hockey POSITION-SPECIFIC CAMPS for forwards & defenseman.  On Sunday April 3rd, we will be working on the 5 critical abilities you’ll find listed below. 

 

To find out more and reserve your spot, click on the link below:

 

==>  http://totalfemalehockeyclub.com/camps-schools/position_specific_camps/ 

 

 

DEFENSEMEN:

:::: Moving The Puck:  The ability for a defenseman to make a quick and smart first pass is critical.  It is the key to an effective breakout and one of the things that coaches at the elite levels are looking for from every defenseman.  Your ability to use your partner effectively and keep multiple passing options open are also crucial. And your ability to move the puck without telegraphing where you’re going to pass it is absolutely critical. 

 

:::: Board Play:   Are you able to gain and maintain control of the puck and player along the boards by using your stick and body effectively? 

 

:::: Net Front Play:  Can you use your body and stick effectively protect your goalie and move the screen from the path of the shot?  Can you tie up the player without getting out of position?  And the one that is most critical in my mind:  can you clear loose pucks without turning the puck over to the other team? 

 

:::: Neutral Zone Play:  Are you able to read the other team’s attack and adjust to different situations (1v1, 2v1, 3v1, 2v2)?  Do you understand when to “step-up” and hold the blue line?  Are you able to play the body effectively - without taking a penalty?  Can you control the puck and initiate the attack - instead of just throwing the puck back to the other team?  That last one is a HUGE pet peeve of mine - when defenseman just throw the puck back into traffic instead of controlling the play. 

 

:::: Point Play:  Do you know when to pinch and when to back off?  Can you play the body without taking a penalty?  Can you read when you can jump in for the attack?  Do you know what shot to use when - or when you should just throw it in the corner?

 

FORWARDS:

 

:::: Playmaking:  Do you know when to move the puck and when to hang on to it (in the defensive, neutral and offensive zones)?  Do you know how to support your teammates when they have the puck so they can make a play to you?  Can you make a play without telegraphing where the puck is going?

 

:::: Ability To Break Into Openings:  In my opinion, your ability to read time and space on the ice is the one ability that separates good players from great players.  Do you understand when you should be going full-speed and when you need to slow down and “save” ice?  Being able to do this effectively is absolutely crucial if you want to get to and play at the next level. 

 

:::: Defensive Play:  This isn’t about more than just how you play in your defensive zone (which is absolutely critical by the way).  Do you understand how to forecheck and backcheck properly?  Are you a reliable 2-way forward? 

 

:::: Puck Protection:  This is really important for defensemen as well, but it is especially critical for forwards.  Can you protect the puck along the boards on the breakout to make sure you get it out?  Can you win battles in the corner in the offensive zone?  Do you know how to drive around a defenseman without putting the puck in a position where it can be taken away? 

 

:::: Scoring Ability:  Not everyone is a 50 goal scorer.  You don’t have to fill the net, but do you know how to use the right shot at the right time?  Do you know how to get your body in the right position to put the puck in the net? 

 

So there you have it - the most critical “position-specific” abilities for defensemen and forwards.  Just like you need to be taught how to skate, shoot, pass, and stickhandle
properly, you also need to learn the secrets of how to execute these 5 key position-specific abilities effectively and at high speeds.

 

 

That’s why we’re running our POSITION-SPECIFIC SKILL CAMP on Sunday April 3rd - to help you learn exactly what you need to do to play your position effectively so that you can get to (and excel at) the next level.

 

To find out more and reserve your spot, click on the link below:

==>  http://totalfemalehockeyclub.com/camps-schools/position_specific_camps/

 

 

Please feel free to pass this email along to anyone who might be interested in the information.

 

Keep Working Hard and Dreaming BIG.

Your friend and coach,

Kim

 

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS
Director, Total Female Hockey
Girls Hockey Director, PEAC School For Elite Athletes

Originally I was going to title this week’s newsletter: “Choosing A Team For Next Season”, but as I was writing it out, I realized that when it comes to deciding where your daughter should play next season, the most critical factor is coaching. 

 

Sure, girls want to play with their friends, they want to have fun and the logistics of getting to and from practices and games are all critical factors in your ultimate decision.  But whether you are just starting rep hockey or are starting to make choices about college hockey programs, coaching should be the single biggest factor you consider when making your decision on where to play next season.

 

Every coach you speak to is going to try to sell you on the unique features of their program.  For the most part, every team will have a few practices a week, will play between 30-60 games, and enter a handful of tournaments.  Some programs will include off-ice training, specific skill and goalie training, and address the areas of nutrition and mental performance. These details will not differ too greatly between teams that are competing at the same level.

 

Everyone wants to play on the “best” team possible.  But what does “best” mean for you?  Does it mean the team with the best record this season?  Because there is no guarantee that they will be able to repeat that kind of success next year.  Does it mean the team with the best players?  Because we’ve all seen teams that look terrific on paper and have the most individually skilled players on paper, but they can’t put it all together as a team.  Does being on the best team mean choosing the team with the best coach? 

 

I believe it does…

 

… But what not every coach is going to be the best choice for your daughter.

 

 

Before you choose a coach, make sure you do the following:

 

1)  Ask other parents and players if they know about that coach.

This is especially helpful if you can speak to someone who has played for that coach before.  This will likely provide you with  the greatest insight into what this coach is like and how they treat their players and work with their team.

 

2)  Meet with/speak with the prospective coach to find out what their philosophy is with respect to team & player development.

 

This should be done well in advance of tryouts.  Although I realize that not every player is going to have a great deal of choices for teams to play on next season, here in Toronto, there are typically 5-8 different choices for teams at each age and ability level.  Not every “AA”  or “B” team is going to offer the same program.  You have to make sure you get your questions answered from the coach themselves. 

 

I would suggest sending the coach an email to set up a time to talk.  In your email, include 3-5 of your biggest questions so that they have the chance to prepare and you can keep the conversation to a reasonable length (us coaches are doing a lot of talking these days).  Also ask them if they have an outline of their program plans for next season that they can send you - this might actually help answer many of your questions in advance of your conversation.

 

3)  Watch the coach in an actual hockey practice.

I cannot overstate how critical this is.  The team’s program may look great on paper and the coach may have said all the right things in your conversation, but don’t make any decisions until you see them in action on the ice.  Practices are where your daughter is going to learn new skills, concepts, and strategies and it is very eye-opening to watch how the coach instructs and interacts with their players on  the ice.  You will learn a great deal about the coach and their staff in a relatively short period of time this way.

 

4)  Watch the coach in an actual game.

You should make an effort to watch this coach on the bench during a game.  You will see how they manage their players and staff, what the atmosphere surrounding the team is like and how the team responds to instruction.

 

That shouldn’t seem like too much work - especially since your daughter will be spending 6-8 months of the year under the guidance of this individual. You need to do your homework on the coaches just in the same way that they are doing their homework on players. 

 

And always remember, this choice is about more than Xs and Os and who wins the most games.  You want to have a coach who has all the required technical knowledge and the ability to run an effective practice and game.  But most importantly, you want to work with a coach who is going to encourage, develop, “push” and inspire your daughter to become the best she can possibly be and create the best possible environment for the team and players to succeed.

 

Your friend and coach,

Kim

 

PS - I’ve still got a handful of spots left in my Total Female Hockey 2-Day March Break Camp. All the details are included below - make sure to sign-up soon if you want to guarantee your spot in this high-intensity camp.

 

When Is It?
Saturday March 19th and Sunday March 20th, 2011

 

What Is It?
A 2-day high intensity ON and OFF ice training camp for dedicated players who want to get an advantage at the end of the season. You will be working on your speed, skills and conditioning ON the ice and you will also work on your speed, strength, quickness, and conditioning OFF the ice so that you head into your final games of the season feeling and performing your best.

 

 

Where Is It?
Chesswood Arena  (4000 Chesswood Drive, Toronto, Ontario)

 

 

Who Is It For?
Dedicated players who want to work hard while learning and developing their skills on the ice.  This is NOT an “easy” camp.  You will work hard, learn new skills and have a lot of fun in the process.

 

We are splitting skaters into 2 groups based on age:

 

Group 1 - Atom & Peewee:  ON-ice 9:00am-11:00am, OFF-ice 11:30am-1:00pm

Group 2 - Bantam & Midget:  OFF-ice 9:00am-10:30am, ON-ice 11:00am-1:00pm

 

We’ve only got 5 spots left in each group - so please make sure to take action quickly if you want to secure your spot. 

 

 

What Is The Cost?

The cost for the camp is $100 CDN per player (plus HST).

 

::::  HOW TO REGISTER  ::::

 

=>  ATOM & PEEWEE group: Click on the link below to register - Only 5 spots left!

 

http://www.1shoppingcart.com/SecureCart/SecureCart.aspx?mid=D0EE400E-B774-4402-9667-F341B2106AA0&pid=1b12cf59b9c54ceea97ba7788310eba8

 

=>  BANTAM & MIDGET group:  Click on the link below to register - Only 5 spots left!

 

 

http://www.1shoppingcart.com/SecureCart/SecureCart.aspx?mid=D0EE400E-B774-4402-9667-F341B2106AA0&pid=8f50f072b50249ca822e4021974979b5

 

 

 

Here’s what determines the level of success a girls’ hockey player achieves:

 

It’s NOT…

::  The team you play for
::  The camps you go to
::  Or the coaches you listen to

 

And it’s NOT…

::  How hard you shoot
::  How fast you skate
::  Or how fit you are

 

What truly separates good from great ones is mental.  I’ve talked a lot about confidence and focus in the past, but today I want to talk about something even bigger than that…

 

Your EXPECTATIONS.

 

A great player doesn’t wish, hope, want or strive for success.

 

She EXPECTS it.

 

She 100% believes in her ability to successfully achieve her goals.

 

This doesn’t happen overnight - it is a process. Success breeds success.  And it’s the accumulation of small victories over time in practice, in the gym and in games that lead to bigger victories and help you to believe that you can achieve any goal you set your mind to.

When I think back to my final year of high school, I realize that I expected to be the best player every time I hit the ice.  Whether I always succeeded in being the best player or not, I expected that I would be and that’s what drove my success.  I didn’t just want to be the best - I expected it.

 

So what are your expectations for yourself when you hit the ice?

::: Are you holding yourself to a high enough standard?

::: Or are you letting yourself off the hook? 

::: Are you stepping outside your comfort zone?

::: Or are you just barely playing up to your potential? 

::: Are you consistently making the hard choice to be great?

::: Or are you making the easy choice and just going along with the crowd?

 

 

As we head into the second half of the season and a new year, you need to start setting higher expectations for yourself and holding yourself accountable to meeting and exceeding your goals.  You’ll be amazed at what can happen when you believe in your ability to achieve all the success you’ve dreamed of.

 

Work Hard, Dream BIG and Expect Success.

~ Coach Kim

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS

Director, Total Female Hockey

Girls Hockey Director, PEAC School For Elite Athletes

I received a great response after sending out last week’s message about the "5 Mistakes That Drive Coaches Crazy", so I decided I would add to the list.  This is for all you coaches out there who are frustrated by these mistakes and for you players who want to stay on your coaches’ good side for the rest of the  season.  There’s no room for these mistakes especially with holiday tournaments  and playoffs just around the corner.

 

1.  NOT Stopping and Starting

This drives EVERY coach crazy.  I must yell out "stop and start" at least 10 times in every single practice and game.  And yet no matter how many times I yell it, players still commit this cardinal sin over and over again. 

 

It’s true that doing a tight turn or making a big circle is not nearly as tiring, or as hard on your legs, as stopping and starting.  But circling means that you are turning your back to the play and giving your opponent more space and time.  This is especially dangerous in the defensive zone where losing your player for a second can lead directly to the puck ending up in the back of your net. But it  is also critical out in the neutral zone and the offensive zone.  An effective forecheck and penalty kill also rely heavily on your ability to stop and start  effectively.  It is hard and it is tiring - but you have to do it. 

 

This is especially critical if you want to play at the university level.   An inability, or unwillingness, of a player to stop and start sets off alarm bells for scouts.  Stopping and starting shows that you are defensively responsible and are willing to work a little harder than a player who takes the easy way out and circles.  These are two qualities that don’t show up on the score sheet, but are things that elite coaches are always looking for.

 

 

2.  Giving Up On A Play

 

This might even be worse than not stopping and starting.  Watching a player give up on a play drives me crazy.  It is one of the biggest things that separates the elite players from the rest.  You see when you make a mistake and stop moving your feet (or even worse, shrug your shoulders or bang your stick), you eliminate your ability to recover and get back into the play. 

 

When I watch the best young players here in Toronto, I always notice how they never give up on a play.  They are the forwards who don’t just back-check to the centre line and coast into their zone - they skate as hard as they can all the way back into their own zone, even if they think there is no way they are actually going to catch the player from the other team.  They are the defensemen who chase down the opposing team’s forward when she has a breakaway and makes that spectacular diving play to stop them, knocking the puck off their stick just as they go to shoot.   They are the goalies who make that last-ditch effort to dive across the net when they are completely out of the play and happen to save the puck with the knob of their stick right before it crosses the goal-line.  That’s what it means to NEVER give up on a play. 

 

That level of effort and hustle isn’t something that can be taught - it’s just something you do because of that small chance that you might be able  to recover and do something spectacular. 

 

3.  Trying To Be Too Fancy

 

OK - I have to admit, out of all the mistakes I’ve mentioned, this is probably the one that makes me the most mad.   I watch so many games where I see girls try to be spectacular instead of keeping things simple.  My two biggest pet peeves in this regard are the slap-shot and the toe-drag.

 

Let me first say, that I have no problem with slap-shots or toe-drags - when they are used at the right time.  It makes me cringe every single time I see a player do a toe-drag right at the blue-line and turn over the puck, instead of taking an extra stride or two to gain the zone.  I hate seeing a defenseman fire a "boomer" off the opponents shin-pads on the power-play, when a simple wrist shot from the point would have done the trick.  Fancy moves are fine - but you’ve got to do them at the right time and be able to execute them at full speed.

 

I always tell my players that it doesn’t say on the score sheet what the goal looked like - it just says "Goal".  It’s nice to score a pretty one every once in a while, but every coach would agree that they just want the puck in the back of the net. 

 

 

 

Like I said last week, these mistakes aren’t huge by themselves - but they add up over the course of the game and the season.  Keep things simple and focus on the "little" details to have a great second half of the season.

 

Keep Working Hard and Dreaming BIG.

 

Your friend and coach,

 

Kim

 

PS - Speaking of fancy moves, if you want to take your shooting and stickhandling to the next level over the holiday season, you can use the Total Female Hockey Elite Stickhandling & Shooting Video Series. I created these off-ice instructional videos to help you make all your shots (including the slap-shot and wrist-shot) as well as your moves (including the dreaded toe-drag) more effective. Now is a great time to revisit these critical individual skills - with big tournaments and the playoffs just around the corner.

 

Click on the link below to get started:

 

http://totalfemalehockeyclub.com/products/elite_shooting_stickhandling/

 

It makes a great holiday gift - especially if you are getting a new stick and need to break it in quickly over the holidays.

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS
Director, Total Female Hockey
Girls Hockey Director, PEAC School For Elite Athletes

 

Now that we are deep into the regular season, I have to admit that I’m finding myself getting frustrated by the fact that some of my players  consistently make the same mistakes over and over again.  I’m sure there are more than a few coaches out there who are feeling the same frustrations.  Players - we don’t mind if you make mistakes every once in a while, but when you continue to repeat those same mistakes over time, we start to question your coachability and consistency. Being coachable and consistent are two critical qualities for all players especially when you are looking to play at the elite levels of girls’ hockey.

So to help you avoid getting on your coach’s bad side at the midpoint of the season, here are the top 5 mistakes that drive me crazy as a coach:

 

 

#1 - Making mistakes at half-speed

I don’t mind if players make mistakes - in fact, I expect them to.  Hockey is a game of mistakes after all.  Plays rarely work out perfectly and more often that not, scoring chances and goals result from a bad bounce or a miscue by a player.  I tell all my players at the start of the season that I expect they will mistakes, but I will not tolerate them making mistakes at half-speed.  When you make a play at half-speed (or even worse, without your feet moving) you take away your ability to recover if you make a mistake.  Aggressiveness and confidence are extremely valuable qualities for girls hockey players to have - so go full-out all the time and use your speed and determination to recover if you do make a mistake.

Also - when you do make a mistake, play it off as if nothing happened.  Instead of banging your stick, rolling your eyes or yelling, just keep going.  Pretend as if nothing happened.  This is a huge thing for scouts from the college and university level - they don’t want you wasting your time or energy dwelling on mistakes, they need you to get right back in the play immediately.

#2 - Turn-overs within 5 feet of the blue-lines

This is the biggest one for me.  It drives me crazy when a forward makes a move right outside the blue-line that throws their teammates off-side.  Similarly, turning the puck over on the breakout just 5 feet inside the blue-line is infuriating.  Defensemen are equally as guilty here too - they back off the blue-line in the offensive zone and keep their team from maintain puck possession on the attack.  The rule of thumb is to keep things simple within 5 feet of the blue-line.  No cute drop passes and no trying to make a fancy move. Carry the puck in deep or chip it off the wall to get it out of the zone. Simple.

 

#3 - Throwing the puck back into traffic

Puck possession is a very hard thing to maintain in boys’ hockey because of body checking, but it is much easier to maintain in girls’ hockey and is absolutely critical to a team’s success.  Finding open space when you don’t have the puck and moving the puck to an open player when you do have the puck are two very important skills for players to master - and they are also quite hard to teach.  Too often players panic when they get the puck and are under pressure and simply throw it back in the direction it came from.  This is when your ability to know where you want to put the puck before it even gets to you and your teammates’ ability to provide good close support is critical.  Be patient, keep your feet moving and remember that the puck doesn’t always need to move forwards down the ice.  Don’t be afraid to pull the puck back and regroup it back in towards your own zone so that you can maintain control and wait for space to open up. 

 

#4 - Over-passing the puck

This is a big difference between boys’ and girls’ hockey.  On a 2-on-1 rush in boys’ hockey, the player who carries the puck in over the blue-line is more often than not the shooter.  In girls’ hockey, the players usually make one or two too many passes as they come in on the net, which results in a shot from too tight or no shot at all.  Over-passing the puck takes away space and control which lessens the chance you will score.  I have heard players say that they pass on the 2-on-1 because they don’t want their teammate to get mad at them if they don’t.  Trust me - your teammate will not be mad at you if you score.  One or two smartly placed and timed passes are OK - but trying to make 4 or 5 passes once you get over the blue-line is very unlikely to work.  The closer you get to the net, the less options you have to move the puck.  So shoot more, and pass less.

 

#5 - Taking everything too literally

This is a another huge difference between the boys’ and girls’ game.  Girls’ tend to get very focused on executing the system exactly as the coach teaches it. This is not bad thing - but quite often it results in “paralysis by analysis”.  You get so focused on being exactly where you are supposed to be that you miss out on chances to create turnovers or capitalize on the other team’s mistakes. You need learn the system, be a responsible player in both ends of the ice, and then look for opportunities to play “outside the box”. 

 

Those five mistakes aren’t huge by themselves - but they add up over the course of the game and the season.  So focus on these details to help your team have a very successful second half of the season.

Please pass this email along to any friends, teammates, players, parents and coaches that you think might benefit from the information.

 

Keep Working Hard and Dreaming BIG.

 

Your friend and coach,

 

Kim

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS
Director, Total Female Hockey
Girls Hockey Director, PEAC School For Elite Athletes

 

Face-off plays are definitely not something I get excited about as a coach.  Teaching them usually involves a lot of standing around and it’s hard to run through them at game-like intensity with your own team since everyone knows the same plays.

 

All that being said, they are absolutely critical to the success of any team, so we spend a good amount of time working on them.

 

Face-off plays aren’t as fun and exciting as playing 5v5. They don’t get the same glory as the power-play.  But they are a very necessary evil.

 

Because the game of hockey is all about gaining advantages all over the ice. It’s about gaining as much control as possible at every opportunity.  Set plays like face-offs give you a great chance to gain a quick advantage over your opponent and to capitalize on the opportunity that advantage creates.  That’s why we spend so much time on them at practice. Because that one play can have a dramatic effect on the game.

 

 

Winning a key face-off in your own end with 30 seconds left in a tied game gives you an opportunity to get the puck out and down the ice. Winning a key face-off in the other team’s end with 30 seconds left in a tied game gives you an opportunity to score and win.

 

In a game that is all about capitalizing on the mistakes of your opponents, you need every advantage you can get.  Even if that means spending more time than you’d like to working on a play that may only get used once or twice during a game.

 

 

The same is true OFF the ice as well. 

 

 

Taking care of your off-ice training, nutrition and mental game takes time.  And you aren’t going to see an instantaneous change in the way you play from a single workout, change in your eating habits, or the way you get focused before the game.   All of these things can have a dramatic effect on your performance - over time.  But you have to consistently spend the time and energy on them in order for them to have any kind of effect at all.

 

Drinking enough water, stretching every night, working out and setting goals aren’t nearly as fun and exciting as working on your skills or playing games.  We can all agree on that.  But they are absolutely critical to your success as a player.

 

You need to focus on the details in order to be the best.  And whether that’s getting your pre-game routine of nutrition,hydration, mental preparation and physical preparation down to a science, or perfecting your face-off plays, every little bit counts.  It’s focusing on the details that will give you that small advantage that you need over the competition that will allow you to pull away when the opportunity arises.

 

 

So take the time to be more prepared than your opponent on and off the ice.   The more prepared you are, the better your chances of capitalizing on your opponents’ mistakes.  That means you’ll have to spend the time and energy focusing on the little things. But remember - it’s the little things that make a huge difference.

 

 

Keep Working Hard, Dreaming BIG and Taking Action.

 

 

Your friend and coach,

 

Kim

 

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS

Director, Total Female Hockey
Girls Hockey Director, PEAC School For Elite Athletes