It's that time of the year again. You have already started into this year's season or you are about to get started soon. Either way, it's probably a great time to make a self assessment and make some plans to become a new improved player or begin to lose ground to the players that are being pro-active on this front. An other factor to consider on this idea, is that your coaches in the beginning of the year, usually have some preconceived views on where you might fit in their plans. Those plans, however, could change quickly if you prove you are capable or ready to take on larger role than in the past. The danger here is the longer you reinforce a coach limiting their views of what you might handle, the tougher it becomes to change the coaches mindset. The ideas below will give you some food for thought on how to take on this challenge.
First and foremost is getting a true assessment of your strengths and weaknesses from a source that is knowledgeable and willing to give you an honest take on where you are as a player today. This source might be one of your coaches or could be someone who you can trust that truly knows the game. Many coaches are more than willing to sit down with you and help you map out a strategy for improving, especially a player that gives them the sense they are willing to pay the price to improve. Occasionally though, you might have a coach that perceives this tact as a negative or is unwilling for some unknown reason to give you this extra time. Personally, my inclination would be get an outside opinion or ask an assistant coach I trusted and hope to surprise my head coach with my improvements. But this too, would be reversed if I felt the head coach was one of those truly fair coaches that viewed each and every player as equally important.
The first assessment to get is on your skill set. I put this first for a couple of reasons. #1 With a creative and committed plan to
improve in these areas you will have the opportunity to work both on and off the ice to improve in the needy areas. Skills ranging from puckhandling skills or your shooting skills can be improved quickly, especially if you haven't dedicated a good amount of practice in these areas in the past. The challenge of improving your skating can be a little more challenging as it will require ice time. However, there are many coaches out there that have skills in addressing those needs and again having a plan to improve on specific aspects of skating will allow you to focus on these at the unstructured times that tend to happen at the beginning and end of most practices. You might even have a coach on your team give you some extra attention in this effort. There are also numerous skating specific coaches that run year long skating clinics and sessions in hockey rich areas for all age levels. This area is especially important if you are falling behind in this critical skill.If your a goaltender you might need to put a special emphasis on rebound control, moving in the crease, or making better decisions when to challenge or stay deep in the goal, etc. Having a plan and spending extra time on your specific needs can pay huge divedends. #2 If your greatest needs are on the tactical end of the spectrum, starting with a plan on skill improvement will only make this adjustment all the easier.
Tactical changes for many reasons are the most difficult to improve upon. You must have a plan and be an open minded student of the game and be willing to get outside your comfort zone. The starting point on this task, however, is something you can make immediate improvements on right away. First and foremost you must challenge yourself to see more of the ice to assess options away from the puck more than in the small area around the puck. Many players get hypnotized on focusing on the puck which limits both their tactical decision making and the time they have to make those decisions. One of the greatest tactical players ever in the game, Wayne Gretsky, was said to have "eyes in the back of his head". Nice saying but totally inaccurate. In reality, Gretsky was one of the best at looking off the puck and planning ahead for what might unfold next. Add to that ability a high level of skills and anticipation that was uncanny and you had one of the greatest to ever lace them up. The most difficult challenge of improving in looking off the puck is how often you must scan the ice. Many players seem to feel they are making strides in this area by looking around twice as much as they have in the past, when in reality, they need to up this rate to 10 times as much to make much of an impact. The best players understand that looking off the puck is something they constantly look to do and taking as many peeks over their shoulders as possible is the real key to be effective players.
The other area where you can make an immediate improvement on both your game and your teams is upping your communication level. By providing more verbal cues for your teammates, you provide them with the extra resource to make better and better decisions. You must also encourage the entire team to adopt this strategy. This skill is especially helpful for players that are under high pressure from opponents and looking for help to make the next play. On the other end of the spectrum, letting your teammates know they have "time:" by using that exact term gives them the comfort level to get full control of the puck and their eyes up ice to make a great decision instead of a sloppy rushed one when in fact they had that extra time without realizing it.
The last piece of this puzzle is making sure you are fully aware and have a good understanding of the tactical strategies your coach is trying to imprint on your team. By studying where all your teammates are supposed to be in all facets of the game you are more prepared to execute effectively, especially under duress. Also, knowing the tactics your coach wants the team to use will put you in much higher regard than a player who seems to be on a different page than the rest of the squad. Adding to idea is making sure you are tuned into the facets of the game where your coach puts added emphasis. Regardless of wether you might think these stressed points best fit your game; if the coach is pushing hard with certain tactics, you better be prepared to march in formation with the rest of the team.
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