This is always an interesting topic and one that comes up for discussion. More recently this has been a topic in the Peewee league in which one of my boys play. The discussion is whether we should practice more or play more.
I must start by telling you that it would be much easier for a coach to play more at this level. If we are simply looking at this from a time and commitment standpoint, the case would be for more games and less practice. Why? Well, it takes way less preparation for a game at the peewee level in comparison to a practice.
As a coach for the 2009-2010 season, I usually spend anywhere from 30-90 minutes pre preparation for a practice. This includes looking at the previous week's sessions, reviewing the desired outcomes and goals for the team and reviewing any notes from previous games. When a plan is thought out, it is then placed on drill sheets, reviewed and then scanned electronically to be sent to the other coaches. This alone is a time consuming process. This does not even include the extra equipment that is required for practice (pucks, pylons, etc)
The benefit of the planning and record keeping is that you can go back and review the work that has been done over time and you have a electronic copy of your work to date, which is great to review.
Compare this to preparing for a game. As long as I have my lineup and maybe a good pre game speech, I am set to go. Don't forget, while managing a practice, you need to manage the flow, the movement, the timing of the drills and the time constraints. So for a volunteer, managing practice can be way more time consuming than a game.
Am I advocating that???
Certainly not. I am a big fan of practice. This was something that was instilled at a young age and it has been a part of my coaching philosophy for many years. As a player in Midget, Junior and University, we practiced at least 5 times for every 2 games. It was our routine and it allowed us the max amount of time to work on skills.
This routine is certainly in line with what Hockey Canada is promoting along with Ontario Minor Hockey and USA hockey. It is certainly consistent with what European players are being taught. In fact, they play way less than we do in North America and one can certainly argue that their skills are very advanced, if not superior in many areas.
What does all this mean for kids playing minor hockey. Well, I am not naive to think that players do not want to play- it is one of the fun things to do in hockey. However, we have to look at the facts according to Hockey Canada:
- one well run practice is the equivalent of 11 games.
- the average 12 year old peewee player will touch the puck for only 8 seconds in a game
For me, this is data driven decision making. It is about time on task for these young players. It is certainly more work for coaches and it means that coaches must look at their own reasons for coaching.
I hear comments such as:
"When they reach 11-12, it is only about playing games, as development is over".
This is so far from the truth. If development was over at age 12, why is that at the highest levels of the game, players spend enormous time on the fundamentals of the game.
I am a big proponent of allowing players the opportunity to develop at their pace, but the evidence is that up until Midget age, the gap between the highest skilled players and those below them is not as great as some would think. At the developmental level, I have witnessed many young people who have closed that gap and become elite level players because of the commitment of associations, coaches and parents to development. I have also worked with elite junior and pro players who spend signigicant time in the off season, not on games, but on skill development (skating, passing, shooting).
So for me, I love to watch the kids play, but also love to be involved in helping them to develop their skills in a fun environment.
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