Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1042121
NOVEMBER 2018 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 33 puck? They play. What happens when you have four kids, a puck and a coach? They drill." It was an overriding theme over the course of the four- day symposium as NHL a n d c o l l e g e h o c k - e y c o a c h e s w e r e joined onstage by top developmen- tal experts from various sports to challenge coaches to find new ways to reach their players. I n a r o o m f i l l e d w i t h 4 5 0 h i g h - l e v e l h o c k e y c o a c h e s w i t h years of experience in the game, creating a new way of think- ing may be easier said than done. But through the presentations and inter- active breakout sessions, coaches were encouraged to look at the game through a new set of eyes. "The most dangerous phrase in the English language is 'we've always done it this way,'" Kessel said. "There is no better training than actu- ally participating in the sport. You learn the skill by doing the skill. We don't drill volleyball, we play it." That's where small area games come into play. And there's no one better to teach these types of competitive games played in confined spaces than the father of the concept, Bill Beaney. Wo r k i n g f a r f r o m t h e g l a r e o f t h e hockey spotlight in the small Vermont school of Middlebury College, Beaney incorporated small area games into his practices to increase the skill level and the competitive nature of his players. The proof of their success can be found in the eight Div. III national champion- ships, including a record five in a row, they won over the course of Beaney's 28 years at the helm. "Small area games are a great way to instill a pond hockey mindset in your players," Beaney said. "They allow for players to become good decision makers, forcing them to think independently and creatively to solve the problems in their own game." Beaney is encouraged by how well these principles have been embraced by coaches at all levels of the game, includ- ing in the National Hockey League. "My players love small games," said Je f f B l a s h i l l , t h e h e a d c o a c h o f t h e Detroit Red Wings. "We usually open up our practices with some of them. They are great at working on not only skills but concepts we want to get across to them. Plus, they're a lot of fun." A s t h e g a m e c o n t i n u e s t o evolve, so too has a coach's role. It's no longer about throwing out a bucket of pucks, blowing a w h i s t l e a n d h a v - ing players skate around cones in a full-ice practice. I t 's a b o u t s o m e - thing much bigger than that. Even at the high- est level of the game making things fun is an important ingredient in devel- oping individual skill as well as a cohesive team. And if that's the mindset at the highest level of the game, where a coach's fate is tied to the team's success on the ice, then it should be a no-brainer for those coaches at the youth hockey level. "You have to create an environment for success," said Jon Cooper, the head c o a c h o f t h e Ta m p a B ay L i g h t n i n g . "Championship teams aren't made in games, but in how they practice." P "Championship teams aren't made in games, but in how they practice." "The most dangerous phrase in the English language is 'we've always done it this way.'" – J O H N K E S S E L Mike Sullivan, the head coach of the two-time Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, focused his presentation on team-building, culture creation and the leadership aspects of coaching. Coaches received hands- on training during several interaction breakout sessions.