Big Win Bad Habits

It's tough being a coach. Your team has just demolished its opponent, a lot of players scored points, parents were happy, fans were cheering, and you got the win. On the way out you are greeted by all who are elated with the win and the score, even receive a few pats on the back for a job well done. The atmosphere is very positive with fans, parents, and players, all going home happy.

As you cross the parking lot to your car you already know that despite the win, you're not happy! On the way home you analyze the game. Your wife is waiting for you when you get home, greets you at the door, and congratulates you on the win, only surprised to see that you don't seem to be too happy! She shakes her head having been through this before and tells you supper is ready.

Sound familiar?

I know!

Your team won, but, as their coach you felt that they did not play well against an inferior opponent. Your team systems broke down as the game got out of hand, too many individual efforts, and not enough team efforts. Yes, you scored and won but your team picked up a lot of bad habits along the way. Your players got excited and veered out of the team systems, took chances, and were sloppy at times. You know, that against a more solid opponent, that your players never would have gotten away with it.

The best advice is to let your players have their moment, but, at the next practice you need to explain to them the downside of their victory and reinforce the system once again. Explain to them that against the better teams that they cannot veer away from their assignments and pick up bad habits that will hurt the team later. It's all about getting better each practice and game and not take any steps back even in victory.

Cheers

Play with Passion!

Give your players this message, and if they do it, you're going to be a tough team to play against! The only problem is that not every player can do it and there's nothing you can do coaching wise, to get them to play with passion.

All you can do is to challenge them!

I like passionate players, they never quit, they play hard, and it means something to them. It's important! Combine this passion with raw talent and look-out; they'll make you look good. They are ultimately your competitors! But there are some pitfalls that as a coach you need to control.

It can be a double edged sword and you can live and die with them!

The key is to be able to keep your player emotions under control; otherwise they will veer away from your systems and become more a liability more than an asset. As well, they can lose focus and become undisciplined, and take bad penalties. Not good! The good thing is that they will compete game in and game out! Preach to them to play on the edge but not over it, and to maintain control of their emotions.

Sometimes it's a trade-off and you hope that because of their passion they do more good things than bad. You'll just have to deal with it as it comes. Either way I'd rather have a passionate team.

Cheers

Holding Players Accountable

Within your team system there are many positional assignments. Players are coached up to be responsible within the system and are expected to execute their assignments. By doing this they put the team in the best situation in order to be successful. Breakdowns occur usually when a player veers out of his assignment and as a result the team is exposed or out manned giving your opponent the advantage. Usually what happens is that when one veers out, another player will veer out as well in order to cover the mistake. Now instead of just having one player miss his assignment, you now have two players and things begin to unravel in a hurry as the system breaks down. Your players now are running around and the end result is usually a penalty, foul, or a score.
As a coach its important that you as the administrator of this system hold each and every one of your players accountable to it and their assignment. When break-downs occur its usually the result of one player making a mistake and another player trying to cover it for them.

Now instead of dealing with one mistake your dealing with two mistakes.

Its important that you point this out to your players, they need to be disciplined within the system and their assignment. Mistakes will occur at all levels. Its bound to happen. But, if you can limit the mistakes and play within your assignment, you increase your chances of being successful.


Cheers

Team Goals

Now that you have your system in place, its time to set up some team goals with your players. Team goals are basically minimum standards that you set as the coach in order to challenge your players to play and compete at a high level at all times. Team goals could be the number of shots you have on goal or the number of shots you give up on your own goal. It could be the number of penalties, the number of yards gained per run or given up or even the percentage of power play opportunities that you capitalize on in your games. It could be the percentage of points scored from the foul line or even the number of wins you need to make the play-offs or to secure first place overall.

Whatever it is, they are set by you as the coach and set the bar as far as how you want your team to compete each and every game.

For the most part, if you meet your team goals every game, chances are that you have had a good day. As well, team goals can be motivation for your players and a great coaching tool. It can keep them focused and motivated to play within the system and not take plays "off" which can happen frequently at the youth level.

It builds a sense of pride within the team to meet the challenge of the team goals. The main thing is not to set the standards too high or unrealistic, otherwise it can back-fire on you.

In other words don't ask your players to do something that their not capable of doing.

Cheers