I'm praying as I write, that no members will dismiss this post, based purely on my mention of "a hockey system". I know some have influenced a negative connotation when it comes to our game's X's and O's, but please hear me out on this topic, at least through the intro.
-- Dennis Chighisola
Building A Hockey System
As far as that intro goes, let me ask the skeptic something...
If you were to teach a youngster how to play checkers or chess, would you not teach him or her as many of the rules as he or she could absorb? Of course you would. You'd make it be known how the little pieces need to be placed on the board as a game is to start, I'm sure you'd teach how the players move -- according to the rules, and I'm just as sure you'd provide the ultimate aims of the game -- either in capturing all the opponent's checkers, or in capturing the opposing chess player's king. Then, once you're sure the student has a grasp of the basics, I suspect you'll attempt to do the right thing, and help him or her start learning their game's strategies.
I can't imagine any grownup doing differently in introducing a newcomer to baseball or football. For sure, you'll put a game's skills first. However, I also can't imagine a player being successful without pretty quickly learning the nuances of the game. Hey, even beginner baseball players start learning signals, the strategies of bunting, baserunning, throwing to the proper base, etc. And even beginner footballers learn offensive "plays" right off the bat, as well as how to defend against those plays.
Oh, one other thing before ending this tirade... The only semi-sane argument I ever hear in reference to teaching X's and O's has to do with an over-emphasis on winning. Hmmmmm...
I don't know about you, though, because I only play Monopoly, Scrabble, cribbage or chess if the challenge of striving for something is present. I'm not sure it would be fun for me to get demolished by a Russian chess master, and I'm absolutely positive it wouldn't be fun playing tennis against my 89-year old mom. So, to clarify what I'm saying about winning or losing, I think most of us play games -- of any sort -- with an eagerness to succeed.
Then, here are two other reasons I believe it's important to implement a hockey system...
Our game is such that the strategies and tactics we use influence greatly the skills we need to develop. Speaking foolishly here for a moment, let me suggest that a player who can't skate backwards, who is slow afoot, and who can't handle a puck is going to suffer a lot in a game that is all about transition, reading and reacting. In fact, that's what it says in my book (and article) on "The Nature of Our Game". Moreover, when we're teaching skills -- maybe like cross-overs, we'd better teach them in the way that they need to be used in the context of our game, or in applying a given part of our game's tactics. (This is where a lot of youth coaches fail, in teaching a pretty form of a skill versus a truly game-related one.)
Like it or not, some coaches in your area are doing a great job of putting together a hockey system for their players. Where that's so, I see their kids gain at least four huge benefits: 1) their teams are probably going to be more successful than others; 2) their players are going to have an advantage when moving to higher levels; 3) their players are likely to have more fun playing; and 4) their players are likely to have more confidence than those who don't really understand the game. (I've seen the latter among young teams, where the unprepared teams look in awe at the teams that obviously know what they're doing.)
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Okay, if everyone is with me on this, let's start building a hockey system...
As a start, here's a video I put together long ago as part of my "You Don't Need Ice" course. It gives an overview of a hockey system, having to do with which team controls the puck and which zone the play is in. It's super-basic, which is the way I like to approach such things...
https://coachchic2.s3.amazonaws.com/You%20Dont%20Need%20Ice/BreakingDownTheGame-Part6-BreakingDowntheGame.flv
Forechecking
That established, I have a few more videos outlining the forechecking side of a system...
This first video describes the "L" Forecheck, which is a very basic one, and perfect for young players. In fact, I've always felt as though this one helps to teach many important defensive principles to newer players.
This one is better for older, more advanced teams -- like at least fairly advanced Pee Wees, and it's called "The 2-1-2 Forecheck".
Then, here's something that's on the higher level side -- it's pretty interesting, and it's having to do with a "A Flexible Hockey Forecheck".
For sure, there are other forms of forechecking, and every coach can even make his own adaptations to the ones I've described above. These are the best ones I've found for teaching the game, however, without taking the game away from our kids.
Personally, I believe the leftwing lock and the neutral-zone trap are examples of forechecks that tend to overly stifle players (including pros).
Defending Over The Whole Ice
A few years ago I put together a video series that I dubbed as "checking". Or, as members will discover, the two terms -- checking and defending" -- are interchangeable...
In closing this section -- on team defense, I thought I'd add an article I just published recently. Aimed at helping coaches to make a major decision (based the a team's age or level), it's called "How Much Hockey Defense?" Breakouts Switching over to the offensive side of our game, let's begin with our team controlling the puck in its own zone, or performing Breakouts. Once again I have a video for you, this one called "(Teaching & Troubleshooting) Basic Breakouts". And, while I might use the term "basic" in the title, I assure members that there's plenty of good points in there for advanced players -- including goalies -- and teams. Not wanting to forget our goaltenders, even though they're trapped at one end of the ice, I thought I'd add this post on "Goalers as Part of a Team System".
Then, as a last video, this one happens to include a special form of drilling that was eventually borrowed by coaches from around the world, including NHL coaches and guys in European leagues. If you haven't heard its story already, members should find it interesting, while coaches might find "Coach Chic’s MP Drill Format" an awesome way to teach every area of their system.
Finally, let me return to where I started... For, truly, I don't see how anyone can suggest that hockey players shouldn't learn the ins and outs of their game. Personally, I think we're doing kids at most levels a disservice by not teaching them how to pursue an enemy puckcarrier, how to attack on various rushes, or how to more effectively move the puck down the ice. Oh, some might have an excuse (like not knowing how to teach this stuff), but that shouldn't be your problem.
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