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This week's cover: March 6, 2013

Details: Last Updated on Thursday, 14 March 2013 16:06

Click the image above for a PDf of this week's edition of Let's Play Hockey.

Multi-sport players face uphill battle

Details: Last Updated on Wednesday, 06 March 2013 19:20

By Tom Lynn

When most hockey people are “on record” about hockey prospects playing other sports, they encourage it. Our factory for Minnesota college players and NHL picks, the Upper Midwest High School Elite League, has an explicit policy protecting the status of its players who also participate in Fall high school sports.

Further, recent scientific research has shown that playing multiple sports decreases injury risk and increases performance levels. Injury risk is reduced because different sports stress the development of different parts of the body, and an athlete’s performance is heightened both by the more balanced musculature and as well as brain development, where exposure to differing perceptual challenges (as opposed to those of just one sport) promotes development of better motor skills, peripheral vision and cognition (what we might call “hockey sense”).

Game coaching – Part 1

Details: Last Updated on Wednesday, 06 March 2013 17:22

By John Russo
Let’s Play Hockey Columnist

Note: This will be one of the articles (Chapter 8: “The Game”) in John Russo’s soon-to-be published new book “Best of Coaches’ Corner – 26 Years.” Watch for it in 2013.

This article is the first of a two-part series on game coaching the “unique and critical situations” that I developed in the 1990s.

Most coaches prepare their teams to deal with normal games, not the abnormal. Very few games are normal, however. It is performance in these critical or unique game situations that helps make or break most coaches. The best way to handle them is to confront them in advance and to know what a good choice (we never know what will be successful for sure) response will be. In the frenzy of a game, it is difficult to come up with high impact decisions on short notice. Coaches that put some emphasis on the unique or critical situations (the list will come soon!) will not only have better game results but will also be educating their players in how to better analyze and respond to shifts in the game – and at what points in the game special efforts will pay off best.

Quickness and agility: High priorities for the offseason

Details: Last Updated on Wednesday, 06 March 2013 17:14

By Jack Blatherwick
Let’s Play Hockey Columnist

Strength training for skating is most effective if it is combined with drills for explosive acceleration of your own body weight. ACCELERATION TRAINING takes the form of: (a) rapid increase (or decrease) in speed, (b) explosive jumps (weight vests, sand bags or body weight) and (c) quick changes of direction (agility).

Season end: Time to reflect

Details: Last Updated on Wednesday, 06 March 2013 17:01

By Hal Tearse
Minnesota Hockey

At the end of each season, all players should take some time to review their performance and quality of experience playing the game. This process transcends the win-loss record of the team and looks at individual development and overall quality of the experience. There are no so-called “life lessons” on the scoreboard and only through intentional review and discussions in the proper context can the real benefits of playing athletics be realized.

What are you entitled to?

Details: Last Updated on Wednesday, 06 March 2013 16:58

By Kim McCullough, M.Sc, YCS

If you read any recent articles and books about raising kids, the issue of entitlement comes up. By far the best book I’ve read on this subject is “The Entitlement Trap.”

And while it is more of a parenting book, I found it had some awesome insights into developing today’s young athletes that I can definitely use as a coach.

It seems that now, more than ever, players and kids feel entitled to have what they want when they want it – no questions asked. It’s like they think the world owes them something and they don’t need to put in the time and effort to get what they want. I know that not all kids are like this. But I have seen more and more players like this in recent years.