Leave the Player Better than you Found Them: Part 1
Part 1 is on the micro-level.
Coaching interventions.
Think about what it is like to be a player before your next coaching session. This is known as the user experience:
What outcome do you want?
What event do you have?
What response do you need?
This is the E+R=O framework. It can be used to reverse-engineer situations to start getting better outcomes.
Let's imagine 2 scenarios. In this situation, the coach will not use ERO and will just react to what he is seeing.
Situation 1
"You can't do that!"
The coach shouts from the bench during the game as the right-winger one touches a wrap between his legs "blindly" to his center supporting in middle ice as 2 opponents converge.
"It's not a blind play if I shoulder check and have scanned the ice from my threats and opportunities."
I say to myself as I skate back to the bench knowing full well that play I just made on instinct ended my night. The coach never said anything after I made those plays but I knew full well he would stop calling my number...
And he did.
This was a regular occurrence for me as a college hockey player. And it gave me a lot of time to think about coaching one day.
If this guy would just ask me what I saw one time... and open a conversation with me, he might realize I'm thinking the game at a pretty high level.
I thought about that a lot while I was warming the bench for the boys.
I thought about how willingly restricting players’ creativity was robbing them of their ability to develop.
I thought about how not talking to me during or after the game about deciding to bench me wasn't ideal.
I thought if the lines of communication could at least be open after the game or even the next day, our relationship might be better because at least he would know why I'm trying to make the plays I'm making.
But he wasn't interested in any of that.
And as a player, I didn’t like that…
Anti-Mentors
But as a future coach, that guy is the greatest gift I could have ever received. Thank you.
He's what the fancy science calls an "anti-mentor."
It means if you're really observant, you can learn a ton of things you don't want to do as a future coach in various situations.
Situation 2
Let's talk about how this all could fit into E+R+O now.
The outcome we want as a team:
A carry/possession exit through the middle of the ice with some speed coming out is a very desirable outcome.
Event:
The right-winger scans and see's F3 leave the middle of the ice when the puck gets wrapped, RW realizes he is vacating the middle of the ice, he hears his center call for a bump, on his strong side the best way to deliver that puck is on first touch which would be on his backhand, through the legs wasn't essential but it happened.
Event for the coach:
He made a blind pass, I hate blind passes. His night is over.
Here's how my current conversations with players go because I was never afforded that opportunity.
Coach to player: What did you see?
Player to coach: I know we would like to exit the zone through the middle with possession if we can, so when I saw F3 come to close on me, I knew there would be middle ice open, I saw my center swinging low and calling for it so I bumped it into space for him to skate into.
Coach to player: What other options did you have?
Player to coach: I had x,y,z as potential options…
Check for Understanding by “Actually Asking Them”
It's amazing the information you can get from players if you just ask them. Some see more than others sure, but if a player is giving me this much information and can scan the ice that well, I'm probably not going to bench him even if the pass doesn't connect, and it immediately ends in a turnover and a puck in our net.
Was he trying to make the right play?
Did he see other options?
If yes, then why should there be punishment?
There is a difference between lack of execution of the skill itself and lack of awareness.
Especially at the youth level. You'll make your players way better by including them in a conversation rather than just telling them you can't do that.
You might have to detach yourself from winning a 14u game first.
What do you value?
Player development over winning.
Player development over stifling creativity.
Player development over everything.
Include them in a conversation, ask them questions, they might just surprise you.