As This Upcoming Season Approached We Gave Careful Consideration to Adding Some New Material

COACHING

CURRICULUM

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Newton Youth Hockey on behalf of President Todd Foster, Vice President of Travel Nick Tuozzolo, and members of the board and I, “Welcome aboard”! We are glad that you have taken the time out of your busy lives to help us in getting the Newton Youth Hockey Program underway for another year. We want to thank you for your commitment to the program. Out of all of the youth sports that are available nothing is more demanding than youth hockey. Youth hockey has the longest season lasting from September to early April with practices and games at the minimum of three days a week. There is a lot of time and energy spent from you the coaches in making the season an exciting and rewarding experience for our players. We want you to know that we appreciate and recognize the value of having you as part of our team and look forward to working with you throughout the season in making Newton Youth Hockey the best program it can be.

As this upcoming season approached we gave careful consideration to adding some new material to the program which we feel would be helpful. One of those ideas is this document the “NEWTON YOUTH HOCKEY COACHING CIRRICULM”. The idea of the curriculum is to help our Board of Directors, Coaches and Program as a whole in having a guide and standard that we would be able to use as a navigation tool to creating a more consistent and successful program. This curriculum is meant to be a standard user guide for our coaches that we would like to see implemented throughout the season. We feel that by implementing the aspects of the curriculum we can get each player to the level they need to be at with skills and hockey knowledge before moving to the next level of play. In doing that we can create a stronger player from the bottom up and each player along with their teammates will benefit from that knowledge.

This curriculum is a work in progress and we look forward to any and all of the coaches input or suggestions in ways to make this a better working document. We hope that by all of us working together we can create an environment that will make our youth hockey players the best that they can be.

Sincerely,

Paul S. La Scola

Coaching Director

OVERVIEW

What is a Coach?

An interesting question “What is a coach”? I am sure we all have our own thoughts and ideas as to what a coach is. Pertaining to whichever sport also could play a factor as to how a coach gets defined. According to Webster’s Dictionary the first definition is a carriage drawn by horses. Well that’s not going to work for our endeavors. The second definition is a person who instructs or trains a team or performer. That sounds more like it but for me still not enough. To me a coach is a person who not only is a teacher of the game but also the inspiration of the team. The coach or coaches defines the culture and environment of the team and locker room. We as coaches are looked at by our players as always something more than a definition. We are looked as having all the answers when the questions get asked, we are looked at to provide the guidance and discipline when both need to be applied and we are looked at to be a friend when one is needed. We really are so much more than a definition. As a hockey coach when you step on that ice or behind that bench all eyes are on you each and every player waits for you to lead and instruct them on the ways of the game big shoes to fill no doubt.

Coaching commitment and responsibility

As stated above a coach is so much more than its definition. For us as hockey coaches when we sign up to be a coach we are taking on a heavy commitment and responsibility. We have just signed up for roughly eight months of work. As a coach our commitment cannot waiver. We need to be tuned in to all that is going on with our team and individual players. A lot of responsibility rides on you the coach. You have players, parents and guardians who have entrusted themselves, their child and investment in Newton Youth Hockey in the hopes that they will get a good return on their participation. Coaching hockey is not easy. It’s not for the casual person who wants to give it a try. Too much is at stake for it to be taken lightly. For the Newton Youth Hockey coach to be ready for the challenge, be up for the commitment and be as responsible as you can be because it’s all coming at you whether you want it to or not.

Goal of coaching for NYH

Although we are all volunteers, coaching hockey should always be considered a privilege. The NYH program has given you the right to represent them and the endeavors of the program at practice and at games. By allowing you to be a coach for the organization, we have entrusted you with a handful of young players who want to learn the game of hockey. These players who represent the team also represent the town in which they wear the jersey. The goal for the NYH coach is to make sure the finished product is something that each player and team can take pride in for the town of Newton. All coaches should be striving to put the best product they can on the ice and making sure that all feel pride for the name on the front of the jersey.

What should be the end result?

The ultimate goal and the end result should be that every hockey player is better at their craft in April than they were in September. We want each player to feel a sense of accomplishment thru personal endeavor or as a collaboration of the effort of the team. We should strive to make sure that although the season and practice can be long that each player is having fun playing the game of hockey. Although winning is important it should not be replacing the hockey player’s ability to have fun and be excited to come to the rink. We should hope that the end result will produce a well round athlete, one that cannot only play the game of hockey but also can understand teamwork, discipline, sacrifice, commitment and work ethic. We do not just want to make a better hockey player we want to make a better person as well. When the player leaves the rink in April we want them to be excited to come back next year and continue to work their craft and enjoy the game of hockey.

COACHING PHILOSOPHY

Unquestioned personal integrity

All coaches need to have it. Leadership of any kind demands nothing less, and a lack of integrity will always end up hurting the club and its players, no matter short term success. We can never let our personal goals outweigh the need of the organization and what it stands for. We should always remember our commitment and why we signed up to be a coach in the first place. We should never put ourselves in a situation that will question our integrity no matter what the circumstance.

Knowledge of the game

We are all volunteers and we all come from different hockey backgrounds. Some have played competitively, some have played when they were young, some have coached for a long period of time and some are just starting out. Whatever your category you may fall into, the key to being a successful coach is the knowledge of the game and how to take that knowledge and create an environment on the ice that is conducive to the age specific group you’re working with. As a coach you are never finished learning the game. You can always discover new elements that can improve your overall understanding. If you are a new coach you will need to take the time to research and study the basic aspects of the game so that you have the foundation to build on. Various websites for youth hockey have great information and how to guides, YouTube provides live action tutorials, our website NYH Coaches Resource page has a lot of helpful information and our own coaches are a great resource for each other. As a coaches group we should all be open to sharing and receiving information from each other. Just remember you cannot teach what you do not know.

Great Communication Skills

In order to be successful as a hockey coach you need to be able to communicate orally as well as visually. What players do not understand through your verbal explanation may be picked up better once you demonstrate what you want done. Always keep in mind the audience you are working with. When talking with a young player sometimes less is more. They can easily be distracted so if you become long winded in your explanation they may end up only getting half of it. Coaches should get the facts out in as brief a time as possible. Whether in a game or practice, time is limited so it is of the utmost importance to get your information out on what you want to say quickly, precisely, and on target. Young hockey players are like sponges. They will absorb the information, but the clearer that information is the better their understanding. When talking to your players make sure they are engaged and all eyes are on you having their attention makes verbal/visual communication so much easier. When demonstrating a play or skill continue to explain as you go through the motions. Keeping them engaged while you demonstrate cuts down on the amount of questions during a drill. Always remember everyone on your team is looking to you so what you communicate is what will be put into action.

Ability To Learn

One of the best attributes a coach can have is the ability to learn. No matter what you know, you can always know more. Knowledge is power, so always look to teach yourself new ideas about the game of hockey. In order to be able to teach others about a certain skill or about a certain style of play, you need to learn and know it yourself. As a coach the more we learn the broader our palette which will give us the ability to create on a much bigger canvas. Be open minded and willing to learn.

Visionary

Be a progressive thinker. One of the biggest problems coaches run into is they tend to lose their players if practices and styles become the same old thing. In hockey repetitiveness is an important thing. Only through repetition does a player get better. We the coaches understand this better than anyone. The key is while providing repetition we do not want to create stagnation. For us when we begin to think about the season ahead and our team, we should use our imagination and our wisdom of the game to create the future. Use your original ideas throughout the season in creating a vision for your team. If as a coach you can create a vision for how you want your team to be and what the goals and accomplishments are, the players will find purpose in the meaning and will work as a well-oiled machine to achieve the goal.

Controlled Competitiveness

We all want to succeed, we all want to win. The very nature of the game is dictated by the competitiveness of each and every team involved. Being the best is a great goal to shoot for, and we all should be working to make our team the best it can be. But it is up to you the coach to formulate that competiveness in your team so that it is a positive experience. Your team will reflect your behavior about the situation. If you create an atmosphere of winning at all costs your players will develop that same mental attitude and an unhealthy environment will ensue. Winning is great, it’s a motivator for the players and the team. A win loss record is a gauge for how the team is doing; a place a player can look and be excited about moving up in the standings or holding on to the first position. These are all positive things and should be cultured for team success. The down side if not controlled could be a player’s attitude; their self-esteem could be affected if playing time is limited or if the player is benched. They may develop a trash talking way of thinking, call out other players or yelling at the officials. If practice becomes too demanding and overwhelming the players may be losing the perspective of the fun aspect of the game. It’s a delicate balance that we are responsible to maintain and it is up to us to keep it in check. Win with grace, lose with dignity.

Culture

Coaches have such an impact on the culture of their hockey team. Team culture can create an environment conducive for success or failure, and an environment that makes players want to come to practice and work hard or have a sour feeling about the whole experience. Creating positive culture can be as basic as defining (and limiting) the roles and responsibilities of each player and person involved in the team. Positive culture is reflected in an environment where players and coaches have an understanding about the work and commitment required for success, and feel loyalty and a commitment to the team and its spirit. The coach is the most important person on the team in creating a culture that values and rewards player development instead of a culture that focuses solely on winning.

FOUNDATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Practice Plans

We all know as coaches’ time is limited once you hit the ice. Fifty minutes at times seems like fifteen. There is a feeling of never enough time to get all that you wanted to get done. One of the greatest attributes you can adopt as a coach is a practice plan. Knowing what you want to do prior to hitting the ice will get you to maximize the use of your ice time. Having your ideas put down on paper gives you the ability to use the plan as a reference while on the ice. Creating a plan beforehand also gives you a chance to think about what the skill or drill you might what to work on for that particular practice. Having a practice plan also will help all of your assistant coaches they will know what is coming and how to help with the execution. Practice plans can also be used as a reference tool for future practices a plan from previous practices can help in guiding which direction your next practice should be going in. You will also be able to refer back and see if you should implement a specific drill again in an upcoming practice for continued work. Being volunteers we are all pressed for time as our lives are filled with things to do, but any help you can provide for yourself to make your practices run smoother is worth the time and effort.