Game Sense/Player Empowerment Approach to Hockey Coaching

Coach the Coaches Development Program

What is a game sense/player empowerment approach to coaching?

The game sense/player empowerment approach to coaching is best summed up in four key words-

1.   Engage: players in modified game strategies and concepts where they have an opportunity to develop both their skills and understanding of tactics.

2.   Promote: developing players to have a 3 dimensional hockey brain.

3.   Encourage: through game modification (easier or harder) to accommodate varying abilities thus maximise inclusion and challenge

4.   Modify: game rules, playing area and equipment for purpose of highlighting aspects of the game.

GAME SENSE

·      Fun

·      Playing

·      Thinking

·      Challenging

·      Communicating

·      Inclusion

·      PLAYER CENTRED AT ITS HEART

Player Centred

At the heart of the Game sense/player empowerment approach to coaching is the player. As a coach your role is to facilitate, you are there to guide rather than direct the players in their understanding of hockey. The players should be encouraged to think about the WHY rather than being told about the WHAT through asking questions like-

·      Why should we be running into space?

Instead of telling the player where they need to stand, if you follow this approach I guarantee you will be surprised at the responses you get from your players, no matter what age or ability.

How do we apply a game sense/play empowerment approach to training?

Well this starts be re-defining what a hockey skill is, by using this simple equation-

HOCKEY SKILL = DECISION MAKING + TECHNIQUE

The biggest thing to remember is that anyone can stand in partners and pass the ball between two, but where in a game of hockey does this practical apply, so why do we practice it? The game sense/player empowerment approach is, when boiled down to it practicing the skills of hockey in a game situations that progressively challenge and motivate our players to acquire the strategies, skills and rules required to succeed. It’s giving your players ownership of the game.

GAME SKILLS PRACTICES

We start by shifting away from static hockey drills, to Game Skills Practice’s (GSP’s), that are engaging and keep everyone involved in the training session. These GSP’s also need to as we said previously progressively challenge and motivate your players.

TRAINING MUST HAVE A PURPOSE

Every training session you run, must have an objective or purpose to it, if it doesn’t then your players simple we get nothing out of it and it will be nothing more than busy work.

ESTABLISHING ROUTINES FOR GAMES & TRAINING

As a coach it is vital that you establish routines for both training and game day, an give responsibility to your player for these routines that then free you up as coach to focus on the all important player development.

As Coach you can have routines for-

·      Putting out the equipment and packing it away at training.

·      Warming up and cooling down before training and games.

Also as a Coach I highly recommend you develop a consistent routine for moving from coaching instruction to activity to reduce management time. If your players know where to go and what they need to do when they get there then this will mean more time for GSP.

ENGAGING PLAYERS

For the Game Sense/Player Empowerment Coaching approach to work at its best it is vital that you engage every single player, adopting the following strategies can do this

1.   Voice and Expression

2.   Eye Contact

3.   Signal for attention (AVOID WHISTLES)

4.   Asking questions

5.   Praise and compliment

6.   Quality instructions

7.   Increase participation

FINAL TIP

·     You are the facilitator at training and games/not the centre of attention.