“I can’t understand why the coach isn’t playing me more!”
That’s a refrain we often hear from players, along with “How can I get better if he never plays me?” Undoubtedly, there are cases where players are not given a chance to shine, but more often than not, the player is lacking in self-analysis skills.
What are self-analysis skills? We mean objectively evaluating your play and what you do or what you bring to your team. This encompasses many areas, not just the number of points you get in a game. Did you have a positive or negative impact on the outcome?
If you are a centerman, how many key draws did you win; for example, in the defensive zone, late in the game, at the beginning of a power play. If you are a winger, did you effectively get pucks out along the wall, how many shots did you block, how many turnovers did you force by forechecking the opposition’s defensemen?
If you are a defenseman, did you effectively negate any chances off the rush, did you contain their top players down low, did you move the puck quickly and cleanly out of your zone?
If you are a goaltender, how did you play the puck, how was your puckhandling and exchanges with your defensemen and your rebound control? Did you come up with saves at key times?
Regardless of the position you play, the most important question to ask yourself is: How much of a team player am I?
Self-analysis runs much deeper than personal statistics. One of the ways to begin to better analyze your play is to wait to think about it after you’ve given yourself time to cool down after a game and the emotion of competing has washed away.
If you were asked immediately after a game what you thought of your play that night, or how you feel about not getting much ice time, how do you think you’re going to respond? Chances are, you would answer in a negative way.
Another effective way to analyze your play is to watch yourself on video. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Parents can also help in this area by taking a deep breath before they react to what did or did not happen on the ice. Do not explode over your child’s lack of playing time. Don’t spew out venomous words about the coach not knowing what he’s doing, or that your child is better than this player or that one but is getting less ice time. Most of all, DO NOT threaten to pull your kid off the team.
I suppose I’m sticking up for coaches here, but if we all just sit back and think about it, how many coaches try to hold back a player or treat him or her unfairly just “because.”
The same advice for parents applies to coaches. Be objective and think before you speak, and don’t speak immediately after a game. Always have an open door for your players and take time to listen to them. Be consistent in your answers and philosophies.
In the end that’s all that can really be asked of you.
Robert Bouchard is the video coach for the Nashville Predators and participates in all on-ice practices with the team. He also operates a successful hockey instruction group in Nashville called Hockey Dynamics. He will be available this summer for private and group lessons and will conduct his annual Hockey Dynamics High School Summer Instructional League.
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