Acquiring the skill and willingness to express your skills and winning
There is no greater joy than working with prospects. I find it interesting to study the mindset of the younger players. First of all, they wouldn't be here if they didn't possess some unique skills. The first question for them to answer in this setting is: Have I mastered the ability to express my talent and skill level? Expressing a skill is an acquired ability that needs to be taught and learned. It is not genetic. This is something you learn; no different than passing, shooting and receiving. It doesn't “just happen”; it doesn't automatically happen; it takes time and hard work; especially during the summer months that give you a psychological edge on your opponent.
Expressing your skills in a critical moment is another level yet. Some are born with it; others have to acquire this by practicing like you play with thousands of repetitions.
While ability to express your skills is a teachable skill that can be acquired, winning is an important skill that can be acquired with the proper teaching. The front of both nets is the priority. Scoring goals in the tough areas and preventing the opponent fm getting goals in the tough areas around the net is more important than goals that are aesthetically pleasing for the fans. Good looking goals get on the highlight films. There is not that many so the dirty goals end up winning games. Get the puck to the net, go to the dirty areas for the rebounds and create traffic in front of the goaltender. This is a good start on becoming a winner and ultimately winning.
Good goaltenders have to be there when the other players are not there.
Hanging in there, or maintaining, is not progress. Every one of these players has one or more unique skills and they have to show them in every game or they will not be part of the program. It starts with the way they professionally dress and act; their mental maturity level. Their desire to compete, and protect all they have worked years for over the years is something to be ingrained in the coaches and players.
They are brought up to respect what each person brings to the team and they willingly accept a lesser role to get results (win) as well as win a job in the NHL with a back up game unlike their 'A' game @ a lower level. This carries over to the ice and they, most all of the time, win by sharing. They are placed in a playground setting, and teams pick what they believe are the 'most real people' out of the player pool. They have enough players, and the stakes are high to represent their organization, there is a ton of “unawareness” in this area, so obviously teams are not 100 percent right. Some of the worst years for pro teams are years with anointed superstars who don't get it, don’t live it, and the teams learn fm that. Players are allowed to express themselves in a playground setting with no entitlement in this business. They are @ a point where they need to make a statement no matter what it takes to make that statement.
If you bring forty (40) players in to a playground with some guidelines and no regard for what people write, say, believe or think, the twenty (20) who come out have a good chance of being the right 20. Skills get you in to the game. Intangibles difficult to measure allow you to express your skills and win the games. Players need the ability to summon energy, boldness, attitude, swagger and the killer instinct, once they reach a certain threshold of belonging, which can beat those blessed with more skill. I have seen a lot of very good players look like ordinary players in these settings and it all stems fm the inability to express oneself.
The best players want to play the best players if they have the right intangibles. The best teams want to play the best teams. The best countries want to play the best countries. It's tough to figure out life when you spend part of it hiding fm your opponent in life. Look them in the eye and get it on. You don't become the player you can be until you figure out how life works.
Expression of your skills and ability is all that matters. I believe putting highly skilled athletes together for short periods of time is a good thing because there will be a best and a worst in every group. Assigning them back to their teams is also good because they learn to lead and excel while others emulate their unique skills with the hopes of catching up and passing them.
There is more than enough evidence to prove this works. If your primary motivation for playing up is 'my child needs to be challenged', there is an argument you are stifling your child's career. Only the best out of the best benefit fm this experience.
Canada's provincial teams @ the 15 and 16 year old levels are another example of what is right. The player pool is this age group is kept around 100 to 120 players. Every one of those players have another team to play on during the season with time set aside to bring them together for special occasions and tournaments. I would have to believe that this player pool changes with regularity in line with training habits of players in and out of the season as each year goes by.
Skills to express skills touch & carry skills in traffic, slot presentation after going out of sight, thru on time with right angle, deception, look offs, false information, tandem play keeping the rink as big as possible, body control to free stick on rebounds and loose pucks are skills that are glaringly missing.
Center forwards dictate the course of the game. If your timing is right, presentation to the puck right, the games becomes easier because the rink stays bigger. If you aren't coming back to the puck when you are about to receive it, the pass is high risk for any transition to defense. Grabbing a piece of the weak side of the rink and maintaining a bigger gap between the center forward and strong side wing is imperative for everything to fall in to place.
Strong side play in your own end needs a lot of work. There were a few examples of players using their body to ensure an easy and safe break out pass guaranteed to move the team up the ice. There were also too many cases of cleared pucks predictably on their way back in to our own end. Strong side point coverage is a unique and teachable skill that works best when the strong side wing forces the strong side defense out to the blue and then comes back to the puck.
Controlling the opponent’s body before controlling the puck is imperative. Strong side point coverage is one underlying reason behind every sustained fore-check, especially when the strong side point gets another shot on net with another loose puck for the offensive team to jump on.
You will hear them say, “I am a detail person and I care about others. I have always put the welfare of those I care about ahead of any personal gain. I am finding more success by sharing than I would have by standing alone. I have a work ethic second to none both on and off the ice.”
-Ole Gringo-
ã copyright Chuck Grillo, Minnesota Hockey Camps
24621 So Clark Lake Rd P.O. Box 90 Nisswa, MN 56468-0090
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