The simple answer is “no” but you can generate an environment that encourages children to naturally develop their creative side. In fact, that is one of the main duties of any coach involved in junior hockey. Producing such an environment can be challenging and this note explores some options available to coaches to make that happen. What kind of hockey players do you develop? Let’s start by defining what is meant by creativity. It’s not just about the skills: dekes, fakes, one-handed-shots, behind-the-back passes or spin-o-rama moves. Creativity also refers to a player’s ability to make different decisions that helps win battles in each game, in each shift and in each situation. It is a frame of mind that a player develops that allows them to consider their options and make more right decisions in a split second regardless of what the game or the opposition throws at them. Here are some actions that every coach could and should consider as part of their role. Enc...

Player pathway is not a new concept in sports. It has been widely adopted as a tool across number of sports: golf, cricket, tennis, football, field hockey etc - see links in the end. However, it is difficult to find any ice hockey related player pathways from any of the UK associations or clubs so maybe it is good time to take a look at what one could look like for hockey players in the UK. What is a player pathway? In short it is a plan or a roadmap for athlete development. It is a framework that aims to maximise a player’s potential and long term involvement in sport whether they participate at recreational, competitive or elite levels. It often outlines the various development stages that athletes complete as they progress through their careers.   Below are a couple of mock ups of what player pathways could look like for the UK ice hockey. A high level player pathway that an ice hockey association could use to describe their elite player development ( in...

Watching the Olympics got me thinking about hockey in the UK and how great it would be to see team GB compete at the highest level. It does feel like a pipe dream considering that UK is a small hockey nation but there are others who have made it, just look at Norway, Korea or Denmark ( http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/the-iihf/survey-of-players/ ). That makes the lower volume of players or ice pads seem like a bit of an excuse. There is no denying that the limited access to rinks and ice time is a disadvantage but there are other things within the UK hockey that could be improved easily with little or no extra cost. The one thing that always surprises me about the UK hockey is just how bureaucratic and siloed everything is. There are a number of governing bodies that appear to be doing similar things, the clubs try to find their own way with relatively little support from the associations and there seems to be limited dialogue to support one another. In business being small ...

I am a hockey player. I am a hockey coach. I have kids who play hockey. I check NHL scores on my phone every morning before I get out of bed. I have played all my life and I love the game. These posts, notes and writings are a collection of my thoughts and experiences especially in relation to ice hockey in the UK. Some of them may have a critical undertone and I make no apologies for that. I don't have smooth mittens in the rink and the same goes for my writing. This is more Bob Probert than Mario Lemieux. You have been warned...