John Russo

Coaching situations

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Last Updated on Sunday, 27 May 2012 23:31

By John Russo

Let’s Play Hockey Columnist

There are a couple of specific coaching situations that I have written about over the years. The two following situations I dealt with in the 1986-88 time frame — long before most of you were trying to coach.  So (revised), here they are:

The Coach’s Child

A large majority of youth coaches, even up into the high school level, have a son or daughter on their team. This poses a unique situation for both the coach and the player. It is very difficult to separate parent instincts from the need to coach each player fairly and without bias.  The bias of a parent/player situation can go in either direction:  from giving the player/son/daughter advantages over other players to being harder on the player/son/daughter than on other players. Often the latter is true.

What is the best way to handle this situation? My feeling is that the parent/coach must consciously make an effort to evaluate the player/son/daughter objectively and to make certain that treatment is simply as a team member when on the ice for games or practices.  It is also important to have a discussion with the youngster before each season begins so that each better understands the unique situation that they are in.

The most difficult situations for the players/son/daughter probably occur after games and practices when possibly subjected to critiques and criticisms that the other players do not have to “endure”. Coaches should take care to keep their frustrations and anger to themselves and to try to maintain a positive and supportive relationship with their son/daughter when not on the ice or the bench.

Coaches’ children are not necessarily the best players on the team and the parent must be able to deal with that fact on a fair basis from a team and individual standpoint.

If you had a son or daughter playing for you last season and/or will have one with you next season, it is worthwhile to take some time to evaluate your performance as a parent/coach.  Can you do things differently that will help the situation for you, your child and the team?  It is worth some thought.

Coaching Exceptional Players

From time to time, most coaches have the opportunity to coach a truly exceptional player.  This is a real challenge —to promote this player’s development, in all areas, and yet maintain team harmony and a good, balanced team philosophy of play.  Teams that depend too heavily on one player seldom do well when the competition gets tougher, such as in playoffs and tournaments.  Even with an exceptional player who is markedly better than most others in the league or state, a good “supporting cast” is critical to successful team performance. Good teamwork and harmony is also important to an enjoyable experience for all players.

Eceptional players must be coached in all aspects of the game so that they will not have critical voids when they reach high school.  A player that reaches high school and has been a 60 or 70 goal scorer for several years must also be a good defensive player, have the right attitude and have developed a good work ethic in games, practices and during the off-season.  Many coaches allow these other critical development areas to slide for the exceptional performer.

Coaches must constantly monitor the exceptional player and provide true across-the-board development.  For the young player, this may include switching positions over a period of years.  That means that big goal scorers at the Squirt and Pee Wee levels should also play defense for all or part of seasons as they progress up through the youth divisions.  It is my opinion that the most impact exceptional players have on games comes from playing the point position – which is the most difficult skating position.  Conversely, an exceptional young defenseman should also play some forward (preferably center because the center is also a defenseman in his own zone) as he progresses up through the divisions.

The coach’s guidance of an exceptional young (squirt or pee wee) player’s attitude and work ethic might well be the most important factor.  Without a good attitude and strong work ethic, the Squirt and Pee Wee level “stars” can easily turn into mediocre (overall) Bantam and high school players.  It is very difficult to predict which players will be very good once they reach high school.  There are so many factors that can contribute.

If coaches will constantly challenge all players to progress beyond their current level of skill, no matter what that skill level is, they can produce good improvements in poor as well as exceptional players.  In all other aspects of the game, from attitude and discipline to proper practice habits, exceptional players must “perform” like any other team player with no advantages given, no special requirements demanded.

John Russo, Ph.D., is founder and director of the Upper Midwest High School Elite League. He was a captain at the University of Wisconsin, and his Coaches Corner columns have appeared in LPH since 1986.