For anyone who has played hockey at any level, you already know that each coach along the way has had a different philosophy. At the end of the day, the most important of the coach’s job is player development. The development of skills, knowledge of the game, and sportsmanship.
Coaching is usually broken down into three distinct styles: authoritarian, democratic, and holistic or laissez-faire. It is a bit of a generalization, but for the most part, all coaches fall under one of these types. Is there a right or wrong way to coach youth hockey? Definitely not. With kids, it is more likely that a less authoritarian style would achieve a better connection with the players.
At the same time, players at an early age need help staying focused and the basics of the game need to be instilled. Perhaps an authoritarian coach would find it easier to get this message across.
In this article, we’ll examine each of these coaching types and the pros and cons of applying them to minor hockey.
Authoritarian Coaching
Typically seen as the strictest form of coaching, authoritarian coaches are like drill instructors. They have complete control over practices and expect to have the full attention of their players. This is far from a two-way conversation and these coaches generally rule with an iron fist.
Pros of Authoritarian Coaching
Hockey is a sport where players need to be focused, especially during games. An authoritarian coach would be able to help younger players stay on task and provide an added shot of discipline as well.
If the coach is well-respected and the team is succeeding, the players will usually buy in. Authoritarian coaches are usually feared and seen as authoritative figures by players which can lead to a well-disciplined team that is cohesive on and off the ice.
Cons of Authoritarian Coaching
Authoritarian coaching is a little outdated and can often be considered too harsh for younger players who are new to the game. While it might help younger players focus, it can also turn them off from hockey altogether if it is a negative experience.
Authoritarian coaches are usually not liked by parents as well. This style of coaching can receive pushback from both players and parents and can result in a divided dressing room. Finally, even if it works, it has a chance of taking some of the fun out of hockey for younger players.
Democratic Coaching
Democratic coaching is the style that is most frequently used with youth hockey players. As the name suggests, this coaching style includes the players almost as equals when it comes to the team achieving its goals. This usually results in a friendlier, although not always more successful experience for players.
Pros of Democratic Coaching
The coach is still involved but allows the team to share in goal-setting and learning. There is usually a strong two-way relationship between players and coaches, and parents are also encouraged to join in the discussions.
For younger players, this is definitely a more positive environment to learn in. They do not need to fear punishment like from an authoritarian coach and can build confidence if they make a mistake. This style also builds a strong connection between the players and the coach and often leads to a positive team experience.
Cons of Democratic Coaching
Democratic coaches often cross the line between being an authority figure and being a player’s friend. There needs to be that divide in order for the team to succeed. This can often be difficult for coaches especially when it comes to younger players.
While team goals can be established and worked on by everyone, a democratic coaching style can also lead to a loss of focus. Without fear of punishment or failure, players may not develop as fully. It creates a friendly environment but there may not be enough emphasis on winning and overcoming challenges to succeed as a team.
Holistic Coaching
Holistic or Laissez-Faire coaching is the most hands-off approach. Laissez-faire refers to the French saying that means “let them be” or “leave them alone”. As you might expect, this isn’t a great coaching strategy to use when it comes to minor hockey.
Pros of Holistic Coaching
Leaving the players alone can be a way for them to figure things out on their own. Hockey is a game that is usually determined by the players and coaches do not have as big of a direct impact, especially at the youth level.
Holistic coaching is a non-complicated way to ease players into their first couple of seasons of hockey. After all, these young players are still learning the basics like staying on their skates.
Cons of Holistic Coaching
The cons of this style of coaching are fairly obvious: the coach is entirely missing as an authority figure for the players. The players are mostly left to their own devices and it is difficult to build cohesiveness as a team.
For younger players, it can be a difficult way to develop the skills needed to learn the game. It’s almost as if there isn’t any coach at all. Not having enough authority for the team can also be a negative experience for younger players.
Conclusion
Is there a right way to coach youth hockey? It really is up to the coach and how they apply their style on and off the ice. For developing players, the best coaching style is likely a hybrid of authoritarian and democratic.
Authoritarian coaching can help with player focus and discipline. Democratic coaching can help players develop team-building skills and reinforce that hockey is the ultimate team game.
Whether you are a first-time peewee coach or a Jack Adams Trophy winner, hockey coaches should never stop trying to learn more about the game and their craft. There is so much more to coaching than drawing up X’s and O’s or choosing the best line combinations. It is a constant battle to maintain leadership while providing equal opportunities for all of your players.
As if hockey itself was not complicated enough, coaching the sport brings an all new type of understanding and analysis. When you are a player, you only really have to worry about your own position. As a coach, you have to know every position and how each of them affects the overall game plan for the team. Regardless of what level of hockey you coach, here are five reasons to never stop learning, no matter how successful your team is.
The Game Evolves
What worked one season might not work the next. This is especially true for coaches at higher levels of competitive hockey and even in the NHL. Opposing teams can find out your strategies and create a game plan against them. Every good game plan works in the league, until it doesn’t. Hockey has likely already changed since you were a player, so keep on top of how the game is evolving and learn how you can adapt that to your coaching style.
The overall sport evolves as well which makes outdated strategies stale and useless. As a coach you always need to keep up with the new ways that hockey is played. Just always remember that before exciting, offensive hockey in the NHL, coaches thought that the neutral zone trap was a viable strategy and a great way to play the game. Sure, it worked for a time, but as with most strategies, other coaches caught up and created a system to counteract it.
Personal Development
Learning new skills for your personal development is an underrated part of being a hockey coach. Sure, it’s usually a volunteer gig for parents, but there are plenty of things you can learn from it. It is an excellent way to spruce up on your leadership skills and a great way to work on speaking in front of groups. Most youth hockey coaches even know that there is plenty of on the job training for how to handle confrontations with hockey parents.
Being the coach of a hockey team is also an important role in a child’s early life. The things you learn from your players can help you be a more patient and empathetic person, and is a good reminder that winning isn’t everything when it comes to sports. For as much time as you work on drills at practices, take the time to learn more about yourself and how you perform in a leadership role.
To Learn More About Your Players
This goes hand in hand with personal development, but as a coach you should want to learn more about how to get through to your players as well. At the NHL level, people often talk about how a coach can ‘lose a dressing room’. This means that anything the coach says simply doesn’t resonate with the players anymore. It could be as simple as not feeling motivated by what the coach says, or as complex as losing confidence in the team’s system on the ice. Whatever the case may be, coaches need to constantly be learning how to stay connected with their players.
Establishing a strong bond with your players is a great way to build team rapport. Remember, players are often a reflection of their coach on the ice. If you are positive and supportive, players will want to play and win for you. But if you are negative behind the bench, players will pick up on that energy as well.
Learn to Adapt to Your Players
Every team at every level of competition has a team full of players with different skill sets. As a coach, each new season can be a challenge, and even every game if the same players aren’t there all the time. A great coach will know the strengths and weaknesses of each player on the team and accommodate for that depending on the personnel they have to work with. Adapt your game plan to your players rather than force your players into the game plan.
At the NHL level, it is usually apparent when a coach is trying to force players to play a different style than what they are used to. A good coach won’t force Alex Ovechkin into a defensive role because it simply isn’t how he is effective on the ice. As a coach you need to learn your players strengths and know how to apply them to help the team succeed on the ice.
Winning and Success Are Never Easy
That’s right, you read that correctly: winning and success are never easy. Success always takes hard work so if you want to be a successful coach, you need to be committed to putting in the effort. It starts with doing the little things like showing up first to practices and games or establishing a personal relationship with each of your players. An active coach is always trying to learn more about their players, and a better relationship means it is more likely they will listen to what you have to say from behind the bench.
Not only is winning difficult, but you have to keep re-learning how to win as well. What worked in one game won’t always work in the next game, so refining your craft and making adjustments is something you’ll have to learn to do. Never be satisfied with a victory, because the next one will always be a new challenge. It is always helpful to take a look at what worked, but it is even more important to learn from what didn’t work. Hockey is a challenging game to play and at times, it can be just as challenging of a game to coach as well.
Are you a new Youth or Minor Hockey Coach? Preparing for a new hockey season may not be as easy as you think. There are plenty of things that need to be taken care of before you can get to coaching, like preparing for practices, organizing your staff, and getting in touch with the parents. Below is a list of the seven most important things you need to do to prepare for next season as a minor hockey coach.
Organize the Staff
You can’t run an entire hockey team by yourself. That’s why you’ll need a team of talented coaches, Team manager and other staff helping you along the way. One of the first things to do to prepare for the next hockey season is to choose your coaching and managerial staff. This can include positions like assistant coaches, managers, a treasurer, specialized trainers, and more. If you previously coached, you may decide to keep the same staff as last season, or you may need to make some changes. Once you have your staff chosen, you’ll also need to delegate tasks. Some responsibilities can be shared, like the assistant coach helping you develop some drills and exercises. Other responsibilities can be completely taken care of by your staff, like the management team planning the fundraisers and other off-ice bonding activities.
Book Ice Times
You’ll need to get a move on and book ice times at your local arena for weekly practices. This can be done yourself or delegated to someone on your management team. No matter who does it, you need to make sure it gets done; it’s the next most important step in preparing for a hockey season after having an actual team. Be sure to share the schedule online for parents to see and remind them that ice times can always change…so to keep checking frequently.
Hockey Drills
Once you have your staff and the ice is booked for practices, you need to know what you’re going to teach at those practices. In other words, you need to have good hockey drills ready to keep your team busy and learning during their practices. There are thousands of drills available online, some for free and some you need for sale. If you are a returning coach, you probably already have plenty of drills that you can use again for the coming season. You may find that some drills were very successful, and others weren’t. Make the appropriate cuts and find or create new drills if needed.
Rules
Every good coach should set some boundaries for their team. Yes, hockey is focused on competition, excitement, and fun. However, it’s still important that every player feels included, safe, and happy when they play with their team for the season. Of course, the league itself will have their own rules which include topics such as harassment and bullying, however, feel free to add a few yourself if needed. You may have experienced something in the past that you feel should have been a rule or maybe you’re feeling that one or more of your rules are outdated and can be removed. Either way, having an up-to-date, fair list of rules can help keep your team both safe and happy.
Communicate with Parents
Once you have your team roster set, you’ll need to contact the parents of each player to let them know the plan for the season. This can be done by phone call, email, or even a live meeting where you sit all the parents down together to go over the outline. Some typical information conveyed to the parents at the start of the season are: practice times, Arena location, the schedule for any special activities, the game schedule, contact information of the coaching and management staff, how you will maintain contact throughout the season, etc. Just include any information that is important enough to keep the parents well-informed and happy. Remember, a lot of non-crucial information can be given to the parents via phone or email later in the season if necessary.
Plan Training
You may do a fantastic job as coach, able to teach your players everything they need to know and make them all superstars by the end of the season. Chances are, however, that you will need some help. Of course, coaches are “qualified” to teach their players, so they know what they’re doing, but extra instruction from an expert can be very highly helpful to any hockey team. That’s why most coaches book development training for their hockey team. This may be in the form of a specialized trainer to work with the team or a camp that focuses on specific skills. While it may cost a pretty penny, it can be well worth it for the development of the players. This is another example of a task that can be done by either the head coach or delegated to another staff member to look after.
Self-Assessment
If you’ve coached before, take a few hours to sit down and really think about all the things you did well as a coach and all the areas that could use some improvement. Afterwards, plan for next season to focus on your areas of strength and improve your areas of weakness.
Let’s say your season just ended and you sit down to do your self-assessment. You figure you did well at communicating with your players, pinpointing their weaknesses, and motivating your team. But at the same time, you lost your patience a little too easily and had a few incidents where you forgot players’ names. Brainstorm possible ways to improve on your weaknesses and then work on them. Also, keep your strengths in mind and highlight them; use them to your advantage for the next season. Doing this only contributes to making coaches better at their job, which will translate to the players becoming more skilled, more quickly because of better instruction.
There you have it. Remember that a lot of these tasks can be shared between you and your team members. Look forward to all the joys that coaching brings and don’t forget to have fun!
Anyone who has ever been to or even watched a professional hockey game on television has some idea of how difficult coaching hockey is. The coach is responsible for managing the actions of many players and developing their skills and teamwork, all while competing against other coaches and their teams. They need to come up with effective drills and meticulously watch each of their players to be able to deliver effective feedback on how they are playing.
This is very similar to coaching minor hockey, despite the players being a bit younger. True, coaches of minor hockey teams don’t have the pressure of being in the public eye and millions of fans counting on the success of their team, but it is still a tough position. Coaching minor hockey requires a lot of time and effort, and it can be crushing when all that effort results in a loss for your team. However, it can also be extremely rewarding when your effort results in a win, and you notice the skills of your players improving.
Whether you’re the current coach of a minor hockey team or are thinking of becoming one, you should know that the position comes with tremendous sacrifices, but also tremendous benefits. Below are a few of the most common pros and cons that come with being the coach of a minor hockey team.
Pros
1. Pride in improving the lives of kids
The main reason why people get into coaching in general is to make a difference in the lives of their players. As a minor hockey coach, you will feel great pride throughout your season in knowing you are helping your team have a fun experience and become better hockey players as well as better people. It’s that pride that often carries coaches through the rough times as well. You’ll feel it every time a parent thanks you for the difference you’ve made in their child’s life. Or, when you witness the happiness on a player’s face when they realize they’ve gotten better using the skills you’ve taught them. It’s moments like those which make coaches thankful for their jobs.
2. You’ll become a better person too
Ironically, while your role as a coach is to develop your players’ skills and character, you’ll do the same for yourself. As you get more experience coaching, you’ll find you’ll become better at public speaking, teaching, planning, multitasking, compassion, and a whole bunch of other skills. While a lot of coaches take the position for the satisfaction of developing their players, another big benefit of coaching minor hockey is the personal development that comes along with it.
Cons
1. You need to deal with parents with opinions
Everyone has an opinion on everything. Even worse, many parents of kids on a minor hockey team will often think they know more about hockey than the coach. One of the most frustrating things as a minor hockey coach is dealing with parents arguing with you: not giving their child enough ice time, teaching them “ineffective” or “useless” drills, not focusing on their child enough, etc. To combat this, you need to have a fantastic ability to let things go in one ear and out the other. Of course, this doesn’t mean ignoring everything parents are saying; a lot of times they have legitimate concerns. Just be selective.
2. It takes a lot of time and effort
There are a lot of hours throughout the week that need to be dedicated to coaching a minor hockey team. First, you need to host a weekly practice and attend your team’s games. Then, there’s the time spent planning your practices as well as how to distribute ice time and positions at the games. Finally, you also need to dedicate time and effort to planning (or, at least, helping to plan) extra activities for your hockey team, like fundraisers and travel tournaments.
This time commitment is in addition to anything else you have going on during the week, like working a full or part-time job, volunteering, etc. So, if you want to get into minor hockey coaching, make sure you’re ready to give up the necessary amount of time, or else you risk being very stressed or doing a poor job.
3. You need to constantly keep your emotions in check
After you’ve finished spending your time and energy creating drills, planning practices, and coaching your players, it’s time to watch your team perform during their games. Sure, you might go into the games thinking: I’ll just coach them along, and so long as they demonstrate the skills I’ve taught them, I’ll be happy. However, you’d be very wrong.
You’ll get frustrated when you see any of your players not utilizing the skills they learned in practice. You’ll feel like shouting at the ref for making poor calls against your team. And, most prominently, you’ll want your players to destroy the other team. Being a successful hockey coach involves keeping your emotions in check and reminding yourself that the minor hockey experience shouldn’t be about winning for you, or your team. It should be about turning your team into better hockey players, and everyone having fun in the process. Well, it should be about that, but everyone enjoys winning, at least a little.
The main point to remember is that so long as you are willing and able to face the cons listed above, then coaching a minor hockey team will be a very rewarding position. The pride you’ll get in improving your players as well as yourself is invaluable. That is, if you can keep from ripping your own hair out in the process!
