Here's a great collection of resources for coaches, like you, who care....
Hockey Canada - Minor Hockey Development Guide -
"Helping Athletes become Better People. Which of the following are parts of your coaching strategies?
- I discuss my plans for the number and duration or practices with my athletes or their parents.
- I am reasonable in my demands on their time.
- I teach my athletes to obey the rules of the game.
- I ask my athletes what they want from the sport experience. Studies have shown that most children play for fun and would rather play for a losing team than sit on the bench of a winning one.
- I teach my athletes to treat the officials and other participants with respect.
- I make an effort to learn new skills and improve myself as a coach.
- I recognize and reward achievements other than the scoring of points. Fair play, teamwork and improved performance are also vital and deserve recognition.
- I allow all participants equal playing and practice time.
- I am a positive role model for the athletes I coach. Setting a positive example is the best way to encourage positive behaviour in others. "
Be a better coach, be a better person. Years from now, they may not remember the score, but they'll remember how you made them feel.
from the FAIR PLAY CODE FOR COACHES as set by the Canadian Hockey Association :
"I will ensure all athletes receive equal instruction, discipline, support and appropriate, fair playing time."
"I will ensure all athletes receive equal instruction, discipline, support and appropriate, fair playing time."
International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) - Level II Coaching Manual - Bench Management (35k .pdf ENGLISH)
"Shift length is another area to be considered. The generally accepted rule is between 35 seconds and a minute. This is the ideal shift length for players of all ages...Unfortunately in youth hockey the thinking seems to be keeping your best players on the ice for as long as possible sometimes up to 5 minutes."
"Shift length is another area to be considered. The generally accepted rule is between 35 seconds and a minute. This is the ideal shift length for players of all ages...Unfortunately in youth hockey the thinking seems to be keeping your best players on the ice for as long as possible sometimes up to 5 minutes."
Learn the fundamentals of line changes (from Hockey Plays and Strategies)
"Timing of changes is critical. Timing is everything in sport. The timing of how long players stay on the ice and at what point of the shift players change or don’t change tells experts a ton about that team’s character and identity."
"Timing of changes is critical. Timing is everything in sport. The timing of how long players stay on the ice and at what point of the shift players change or don’t change tells experts a ton about that team’s character and identity."
USA HOCKEY Level II Coaching Manual (3.0 MB .pdf ENGLISH)
"STATISTICS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PREPARATION
The use of statistics is very helpful for you in your game preparation:
• Gives valuable information to coaches during the game:
"STATISTICS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PREPARATION
The use of statistics is very helpful for you in your game preparation:
• Gives valuable information to coaches during the game:
- to modify strategy
- shift time of players
- line matching /combinations
- scoring chances
- specialty teams"
http://www.arcticicehockey.com/2010/2/11/1305245/optimal-even-strength-shift-length
http://coachnielsen.wordpress.com/2011/09/28/line-changes-during-a-game-2/
Line Changes During a Game How can you get your team to execute line changes during a game without looking like a Keystone Cops routine? Too many coaches seem to think that players inherently know how and when to make line changes when, in fact, they don’t. During a game there are going to be many times when your team has to execute an On-The-Fly line change and it is very important that they know how to accomplish that task.
At every level the entry to and exit from the bench will tell a lot about your teams cohesiveness and team chemistry. If you can execute timely line changes you can very easily catch your opponent with tired players on the ice. In hockey you want your players skating hard during their entire shift. That expenditure of energy will take a lot out of a player so a shift should be 40 to 60 seconds and no more. Getting your team to understand that concept is one of the hardest jobs any bench coach will face because every player thinks they still have something in the tank at the end of a shift. How often have you seen a player skate slow on the backcheck at the end of a shift only to have him turn on the gas when he picks up a loose puck? Now when he gets into the offensive zone he is completely out of gas and unable to backcheck and causes your team to defend an odd man rush. What about the right wing who doesn’t come to the bench when the center and left wing come? Now your lines are out of whack and the next right wing is on the bench getting angry at the player still on the ice because he is being selfish. Team cohesiveness is an essential part of hockey and the line change is a place where you can make or break that cohesiveness.
As a coach you need to set boundaries of what you feel is the appropriate length of a shift and how to exit the ice without putting your team in jeopardy. A few points to consider
Quality line changes can keep your team tempo at a high level and put pressure on your opponent. Don’t forget to include this often overlooked part of every game in your practice plan.
http://www.northernfreezehockey.com/2011/11/appropriate-hockey-shift-length.html
http://builtforhockey.com/5-tips-to-last-longer/
5. Keep the shifts short!
This one is pretty straightforward. Keeping your shifts between 30-50 seconds is the ideal time length. When you start to hit the one minute mark, you lack oxygen and you don’t have fresh legs. This is when you make bad decisions and lose your battles along the boards.
Everyone wants to stay out for that one minute or more shift, but it’s just going to kill your performance level in the end. You will have no juice in the 3rd period, and if it goes into overtime you can forget about being an asset to your team.
A general rule of thumb is to never do more than 2 lengths of the ice. In other words, when you hop on the ice, you would forcheck, backcheck, and then once the puck is out of your zone you should change. Reason being that if you decide to go up the ice and attack again, you’re already tired and you’ll never be able to follow the play back and cover your man,
A lot of goals are scored because players stay out too long and run out of gas to backcheck, leaving an open opponent in the slot. Don’t be that selfish player!
Now, if you’re on a breakaway, obviously don’t dump the puck in and change…but make sure you change as soon as you can.
And remember, it’s ALWAYS better to backcheck than to change if you’re tired. You should never change on a backcheck! If you feel like this happens to you a lot, then maybe you should be changing earlier!
http://coachnielsen.wordpress.com/2011/09/28/line-changes-during-a-game-2/
Line Changes During a Game How can you get your team to execute line changes during a game without looking like a Keystone Cops routine? Too many coaches seem to think that players inherently know how and when to make line changes when, in fact, they don’t. During a game there are going to be many times when your team has to execute an On-The-Fly line change and it is very important that they know how to accomplish that task.
At every level the entry to and exit from the bench will tell a lot about your teams cohesiveness and team chemistry. If you can execute timely line changes you can very easily catch your opponent with tired players on the ice. In hockey you want your players skating hard during their entire shift. That expenditure of energy will take a lot out of a player so a shift should be 40 to 60 seconds and no more. Getting your team to understand that concept is one of the hardest jobs any bench coach will face because every player thinks they still have something in the tank at the end of a shift. How often have you seen a player skate slow on the backcheck at the end of a shift only to have him turn on the gas when he picks up a loose puck? Now when he gets into the offensive zone he is completely out of gas and unable to backcheck and causes your team to defend an odd man rush. What about the right wing who doesn’t come to the bench when the center and left wing come? Now your lines are out of whack and the next right wing is on the bench getting angry at the player still on the ice because he is being selfish. Team cohesiveness is an essential part of hockey and the line change is a place where you can make or break that cohesiveness.
As a coach you need to set boundaries of what you feel is the appropriate length of a shift and how to exit the ice without putting your team in jeopardy. A few points to consider
- A shift should be 40 to 60 seconds
- You should change when entering the offensive zone, NOT when returning to the defensive zone.
- On a “Dump and Change” the far side wing and defenseman should hold their ground to make sure the opponent doesn’t have the ability to breakout up the far side. Once they know that the puck is deep and not coming right back out they should finish the change.
- Officials will give a team a 10 foot cushion near the bench when changing. Take advantage of that and have the players entering the ice over the boards as the players exiting the ice reach that 10 foot line. Keep in mind that this is best when the puck is deep in the opponents end, not when the puck is in the neutral zone and able to be knocked over toward your bench.
- When changing lines with the puck near your bench make sure your entering player waits for the exiting player to get to the boards or you could get a “Too Many Men” penalty.
Quality line changes can keep your team tempo at a high level and put pressure on your opponent. Don’t forget to include this often overlooked part of every game in your practice plan.
http://www.northernfreezehockey.com/2011/11/appropriate-hockey-shift-length.html
http://builtforhockey.com/5-tips-to-last-longer/
5. Keep the shifts short!
This one is pretty straightforward. Keeping your shifts between 30-50 seconds is the ideal time length. When you start to hit the one minute mark, you lack oxygen and you don’t have fresh legs. This is when you make bad decisions and lose your battles along the boards.
Everyone wants to stay out for that one minute or more shift, but it’s just going to kill your performance level in the end. You will have no juice in the 3rd period, and if it goes into overtime you can forget about being an asset to your team.
A general rule of thumb is to never do more than 2 lengths of the ice. In other words, when you hop on the ice, you would forcheck, backcheck, and then once the puck is out of your zone you should change. Reason being that if you decide to go up the ice and attack again, you’re already tired and you’ll never be able to follow the play back and cover your man,
A lot of goals are scored because players stay out too long and run out of gas to backcheck, leaving an open opponent in the slot. Don’t be that selfish player!
Now, if you’re on a breakaway, obviously don’t dump the puck in and change…but make sure you change as soon as you can.
And remember, it’s ALWAYS better to backcheck than to change if you’re tired. You should never change on a backcheck! If you feel like this happens to you a lot, then maybe you should be changing earlier!
