Coaches Corner
How Children Learn

Using different means to learn and excel is something we can all do. Children learn in many different ways. It's up to us to help them explore their many potentials.

Some children learn using their interpersonal intelligence; that is they can simply watch their coach demonstrate a drill one time and then they will be able to perform it. Others use their bodily intelligence; that is they repeat the drill or skill several times until they can perform it correctly. Others still use their logical intelligence; that is they need to hear or see a drill being explained on a chalkboard before they can understand it. If a coach is going to be effective and allow himself to get through to the whole team, he is going to have to develop the various intelligence avenues of his skaters. That is why coaches use various means of teaching, like repetitive drills, chalk talks, video sessions, diagrams on hockey boards, physical demonstrations and the list goes on and on.

The argument can be made that the only way my kid learns is from actually performing the skill, by repetition. This probably isn't factual. It may be one of the ways your child learns. This may work for your child, but it may not necessarily work for other skaters -- that is why it is important to tap into the various ways of getting youngsters to learn. As teachers, role models, coaches, administrators and parents we must be more conscious of this and act accordingly, with the best interest of the whole team and the whole club in mind. Our emphasis must be on the big picture.

A similar argument could be made with regards to playing a specific position. Some parents feel that their skater is best suited to be a center, for example. The young athlete may also feel that way, but is it best for the kid? And what about what's best for the team and what about what's best for the club as a whole? What's best for the team is to be decided by each team's coaching staff. What's best for the club as a whole when it comes to playing a specific position is a question that has been asked of me a number of times in the past year and the issue has recently been raised again.

Just as a team is only as strong as its weakest link, so to is any large group or organization only as strong as its weakest link. So, to make the club stronger, we must make the individuals stronger and to do this we must broaden each skater's horizons and potential. Having said that, it becomes clear that adding to the amount of situations that we can put our skaters in, is going to give them that much more of an opportunity to experience this great game from different perspectives.

Some would argue that if you want to excel you've got to specialize. Nonsense! Playing soccer, football or running cross-country can be very helpful to a hockey player. Don't get me wrong -- you still must practice hockey! Even within the sport we want to avoid specialization. A kid won't be able to catch a fly ball if he's never played in the outfield. We don't send our kids off to school and tell them to do well in math, but not to worry about reading or writing. That would be absurd! Reluctance to experience the various positions can greatly inhibit the development of a young athlete.

The benefits of playing the different positions are endless. Here are just a few…

• Athletes get stereotyped into playing specific positions by the nature of the game. Quarterbacks are usually tall and fit while linemen are big, 300 pound bohemians. Point guards are small and quick, while centers are tall and lanky. How can we realistically predict the size or stature of our kids when they are only 8 or 10 years old? The benefit of teaching kids and exposing them to various positions early in their sporting life will help them to gain the skills and knowledge to be successful later on. When they are more fully developed they will have what it takes to be placed wherever the nature of the game dictates.
• As athletes move up the ranks, it becomes more and more difficult to stay competitive. As I ascended through the hockey pyramid from house league to 'AA' to 'AAA' to juniors to college, and to the minor pros, it became more and more difficult to compete. The players were bigger, faster and stronger. The pace became quicker and quicker and the skill level from player to player equals out. If you really only know one position and the team happens to have several capable players to fill that role, that leaves you out of the lineup! You still may be able to strut your stuff if you have had the benefit of learning another position. Being versatile can prove to be quite an asset. It allowed me to crack into the professional ranks.
• A big part of this great game, especially as you get to the higher ranks, is the fact that it becomes so predictable. Hockey -- predictable? Sure it is! So are all professional sports, unless you count WWF as a pro sport. Then again, that's predictable too. So, if the skill level equals out and things become predictable, who is going to excel? The answer: THOSE THAT CAN ANTICIPATE!!! Gretzky was great at it. He knew what was going to happen two or three plays before it actually did. Developing the ability to anticipate the play can be directly attributed (at least in part) to having been on the other side of the coin. If we have experience at the various positions, then we can benefit from that, by potentially knowing what our opponent will try to do next because we will have been on that side of the situation in the past.
• One of our bantam players recently played a game at defense. He usually plays the wing. The team had some injuries so he was moved there and did so willingly. As an aside, he had a terrific game! One of the observations he shared with me was how open he was when the puck was deep in the offensive zone and he was standing at the blueline unchecked. If nothing else, I know he benefited from the change of scenery and he learned something about the game that he was not aware of before. He added a new weapon to his arsenal of hockey knowledge that he can now utilize as a forward.

Hockey experts will say that goalies make good coaches. The reason for this is that they see the game differently than the skaters do. Their perspective is unique in that they can see plays developing as they get near. If we can take advantage of being able to experience the game from a different perspective, we should jump at that chance because it will help us learn more about the game. So if playing forward or defense, the right side or the left, goalie or center changes our perspective, we can benefit from it. Whether it's a season or two, a few games here or there or even just taking repetitions at practice, experiencing this great game from different perspectives will prove to be a huge benefit to your skater. In turn, it will benefit your current team, your future team and this whole club!