RUGBY
HOCKEY
2nd team won 2-1
3rd team won 2-0
16A team lost 1-0
16B lost 3-0
Whether the driving force is a passion for the game of hockey, making a positive impact on kids or providing kids an opportunity to play, coaching is a labour of love.
One of the key ingredients to fuelling that love for coaches and creating a great team environment is having โcoachableโ players.
โWhen I look at kids I like to coach, I like the kids that come to the Astro, and they have a smile on their face,โ says Mr Calvin Beck, Union High Schoolsโ Head of Hockey. โThey want to improve their hockey skills, and they just work hard.โ
Working hard, showing a desire to improve and having a positive attitude are likely on every coachโs description of โcoachableโ kids and are a great start for any player looking to have an impact on their team. Here are four more characteristics players can work on developing this season to become more coachable.
Listen Up
โListening, to me, is very important,โ says Mr Beck. ย โWhen you get kids that are listening and trying to put into action what the coach is saying, it leads to better coaching, it leads to players getting better because they are listening and theyโre engaged and trying to improve their skills.โ
Knowing that their team is listening and trying to implement the instruction is also motivating for coaches.
โIt makes the coach a little sharper because the words coming out of their mouth take on a little more importance,โ says Mr Beck. โIf they see their kids are listening and want to learn, that puts some pressure on the coach, which is good.โ
Learning how to listen and be attentive to others also translates far beyond hockey.
A Two-Way Street
To young players, listening may seem like a one-way street. The coach(es) talk and players listen. How players respond though, even if itโs non-verbal, plays a key role in how coaches perceive their listening.
โI love the kids that you give them instruction and you just see that willingness to listen,โ says Mr Beck. โThey make eye contact with you. Theyโre nodding their head, giving positive affirmation. As weird as it sounds, even though weโre adults as coaches, when you get that feedback, it makes me feel good.โ
There are also situations in which kids listen but donโt understand what the coach is saying.
โPart of being a coachable player is not being afraid to ask a question or if you donโt understand something, ask for clarification,โ says Mr Beck. โWhether itโs how to do a drill or what you are trying to explain while working on a system or concept, to me, when I hear a kid ask any question, thatโs a sign of total engagement and total coachability because it means they care.โ
Coaches also play a key role in this area. Not every player, especially at the younger ages, will have the confidence to ask a question in front of the entire team so itโs helpful for coaches to create an open environment where questions are encouraged.
Understanding Mistakes
โHockey is a game of mistakes,โ says Mr Beck. โNegative stuff is going to happen.โ
The most important thing is how kids respond to those mistakes. Players must learn to, first, take responsibility for their own mistakes and then, be open to feedback on how to improve going forward.
โWhen I talk about it with kids and teams that I coach, itโs easy to say something and for them to nod their heads,โ says Mr Beck. โWhen it actually happens, itโs a totally different situation.โ
The first reaction for kids is often to avoid being the centre of attention when something negative happens. Theyโll look to point fingers or blame others. That type of response leads to compounding mistakes because it hurts the team and limits playersโ ability to learn from mistakes or receive feedback from coaches.
Learning how to properly respond to mistakes usually takes some guidance and direction from coaches and parents.
Support and Encourage Teammates
Just as important as players responding properly to their own mistakes is how they react when a teammate commits an error.
โA coachable kid to me is someone who is unselfish,โ says Mr Beck. โThey encourage their teammates. Theyโre focused on not just themselves. Theyโre thinking of others.โ
A simple act such as giving a teammate a stick tap on the shin pads and a quick word of encouragement can have a huge impact on the entire team.
โIt just creates a whole new environment,โ says Mr Beck. โIt promotes creativity when the kids are playing the game. It discourages โplay it safeโ hockey because kids know itโs okay to make a mistake. I just saw my teammate do it, and I saw another teammate support him.โ
โTo see mistakes made and watch everyone encourage each other, and to watch the better skilled players still make passes to the less skilled players, helping them develop, to me, thereโs nothing better than coaching a group like that.โ