John Russo
Coaching defensemen
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- Last Updated on Thursday, 21 February 2013 17:34
By John Russo
Let’s Play Hockey Columnist
Note: This will be one of the articles (Chapter 5; Position Development) in John Russo’s soon to be published new book “Best of Coaches’ Corner – 26 Years.” Watch for it in 2013.
Over the past years, this column has dealt with the defense position several times. The Golden Rules for Defensemen has been included annually because it has been the most requested subject from coaches.
Most coaches are naturally forward- or overall team-oriented. That means that few coaches concentrate on the defense or goaltender positions as much as forward positions. Over the past years there has been a move toward proper handling of and concentration on goaltenders. That leaves the defense position, in many cases, as the one that most lacks orientation and understanding.
The goalie has IT!
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- Last Updated on Thursday, 14 February 2013 17:01
By Peter Samargia
Finding ways to help your goalies during a season as a coach with little technical understanding of goaltending is a possibility as long as you focus on the right areas! Areas that coaches should feel able and willing to work on are: Angle, Tracking and Depth. Speaking with coaches over the years, however, has proven to me that almost all coaches who want to help their goalies state that one of the biggest game breakers can be a goalie’s confidence.
The super tool in goalie coaching
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- Last Updated on Thursday, 24 January 2013 16:46
We are all at times challenged as players, coaches and parents as to how we can help our goalie. Too often the stigma of “better left alone” has been applied. The result can be years of false assumptions and lost opportunity for growth.
Attitude before technique
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- Last Updated on Thursday, 07 February 2013 18:00
By Peter Samargia
As a goalie we are constantly tested both mentally and physically. It is a great challenge that brings even greater reward. Great goalies have the opportunity to take all the opponent’s negative chatter (and sometimes their own teammates) and process it in a way that motivates them in a positive way and gives them an attitude that is courageous and unassuming.
Changing how we teach – Part II
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- Last Updated on Thursday, 17 January 2013 17:43
By John Russo
Let’s Play Hockey Columnist
Note: This will be one of the articles (Chapter 4); Effective Practices) in John Russo’s soon to be published new book “Best of Coaches’ Corner - 26 Years.” Watch for it in 2013.
Last week I laid out the reasons why I believe we need to do things differently in practices for our youth teams. This increased self learning (lower coach involvement) philosophy harkens back when kids learned most of their hockey by themselves on outdoor rinks. It was also when individual hand and head skills were better and the youngsters had, I believe, more fun.
I would like to go to any arena for a day and watch Mite, Squirt, PeeWee and Bantam practices that don’t include:
