As I watched the winning team celebrate a championship at a recent weekend tournament, a parent turned and asked “How in the world did that team win?” My response? By doing the little things.
In every game there are so many things that can go right for a team, as well as go very wrong. When it comes to winning games, especially at this time of year, coaches will tell players to stay out of the box, work hard, play with passion and to give it their all. And within all of these pieces of advice are details that often determine the outcome of a game. And it’s these little details, that when added together, that often play a large role in the final score.
So what are the little things that matter so much? I used to have a coach that said hockey is a game of ten-foot races. Races to the puck. Races to the net. Races to an open area. Quickness is an important aspect of the game and this type of effort is nothing more than will over skill. Teams in the biggest games that win the races are often times the team that also come out ahead on the scoreboard. It’s amazing how many times you see one team start winning the races, and then the other starts to stand around, and once that happens to the other team, good things start happening for your team!
Getting the puck out of the zone or into the zone. Blue line play is so important, yet often overlooked in the flow of the game. During this championship game that I was watching, the winning team won nearly every battle of the blue lines. When they were killing penalties and in a defensive zone scrum along the sideboards, they found a way to get the puck out of the zone, thus killing more time on the penalty. On the other end of the ice, when they needed to get the puck into the zone to get a change, they didn’t simply get it into the zone ten feet across the blue line, they shot it in deep, and made the other team retrieve it, and start back up the ice. Making a team go 185 feet for a goal can make a big difference, no different than field position in football!
Face-offs. As youth hockey players get older face-offs become super important. While the center hopes to win the face-off, the coverage of players by wings is equally important. I watched a face-off in this championship game where the team won an offensive zone face-off and drew the puck back to the top of the circle, but it was picked off by an opposing wing that skated right out through two players that didn’t tie up. The result? A goal on the other end of the ice!
Another great coach once told me that you have to believe you are going to be good before you ever will be good. And while this may seem like a trivial thing, believing leads to confidence, and confidence leads to momentum. Again during this championship game one team not only looked like they wanted it more, but it looked like they believed more!
Good luck in your own playoffs this year and remember, it’s the little things that matter!
The Ham & Egger: This is for the every day player that isn’t necessarily the standout on the team, but every practice and game is consistently good and you just know what to expect from them. Every team has and needs players who may not have the top end talent and skill, but they have a drive and desire to win the battles in the corner and the races to the puck. Will over skill.
The Pick Me Up Fist Bump: A pick me up player is important to the team. The fist bump is for the player that is always a good teammate and not only loves to celebrate the big moments with a fist bump, but to also use it in the difficult times to say ‘I got your back’.
The Highlight Reel Movie Camera: This is for the players who have the ability to make moves on the ice that other players try to emulate. They are silky smooth with the puck, can stickhandle through a crowd and can deke goalies to score highlight reel goals.
The Exhausted Dog Tongue: This describes complete exhaustion, think of your dog after throwing the ball with him for a half hour. Dog tired! When we run conditioning drills at our hockey camps it’s always fun to see the top players working the hardest. If your hockey emoji is both the highlight reel and the dog tongue, you should be proud of yourself!
The “Whine”, Cheese and Violin: This describes the player who constantly whines about what position they are playing, not getting the puck enough or which line they are on. The violin emoji is often accompanied by the goblet and piece of cheese emoji’s.
The Riverboat Gambler. This is the player with talent and the confidence that the chips are stacked in their favor. A dangerous combination that can win championships, but also a risk factor that puts gray hair on coaches. The Riverboat Gambler is willing to risk it all for the big play, and win they score, they win big. But there is always the chance of losing it all with their mid-ice dangle with no safety valve.
The All-In, All The Time 100: This is for the player that gives 100% in everything they do. They are a good teammate in the locker room, have a 100% positive attitude, are always working their hardest and love the game 100% of the time!