How to Coach Kids

I was watching Canada lose to Finland in the World Juniors and I kept on thinking to myself "call a timeout Sutter." Why? The team was coming unwound and Sutter let them. Sometimes you need a timeout to set up a play at the end, but sometimes it is better to use up your time out to calm your team down and remind them it is alright. They are kids that you are asking to be men. They are not ready for that and Sutter needs to realize that sometimes a timeout should not be saved for a hypothetical scenario that may not even occur.

There is more wrong with Canadian sports system though and it will take a lot to change the mentality. We have a pay to play system which can freeze out kids. Why don't NHL teams sponsor teams to make hockey more accessible, same with companies. I'm not talking about TimBits and AtoMC hockey, I'm talking making hockey cost $100 a year, equipment included. This will make the game more accessible for all.

Goalies have been the downfall of Canada in the past but Fucale looked really good this year. The problem with goaltending is it is so expensive. Someone (Sean Burke) needs to travel around Canada and train dedicated people on how to coach goalies. My dad was able to teach me how to coach water polo goalies and the first one I worked with made a national team. If Burke is in charge of Canadian goaltending he should be working in Canada 100% of the time with goalies of all ages. His NHL coaching should stop.

Finally we should look at how we train kids. Coaching water polo we encouraged many kids to play other sports. Volleyball, basketball, soccer, and track and field were all favourites. This allowed them to have more fun and improve other aspects of themselves. Most of our top players were good athletes not just water polo players. The expectation was that you email if you will be missing or be late for practice and you try not to miss games. This worked out really well for us. At younger ages (until about 15) kids should play other sports, make friends, and develop in more sports than just one.

We should also move kids to "small-sided" games. You split the the rink into two halves and let kids play in a format that makes them touch the puck more. Create balanced teams where stronger kids can help their weaker teammates. Kids love this stuff. If a game is getting out of hand, let the game be a mutual forfeit and balance the teams out. Play in tournaments where fair play is encouraged and scores are not as important. Emphasize skill above all else. Some of the best player I ever coached were smaller, skinny kids who could think the game. Emphasize tactics and kids of all sizes will flourish.

As they get older make nutritionists available through provincial sport organizations who emphasize healthy eating, not supplements. Did you know chocolate milk is an excellent recovery drink? Kids love it and it is cheaper than any sports you can buy. Kids and teenagers don't need fancy supplements, they need healthy food and positive, strong coaching. Once they get older, you can teach them about proper training, how not to overtrain and how to be fit for life. Some kids will be excelled down this path because they are excellent athletes. McDavid would most likely be a year or two ahead of his peer group and that is okay because he belongs there.

Kids are dropping out of sport because it becomes too much. All we should expect from them is for them to have fun. After that is accomplished, focus on all the positives and let kids make mistakes. We need to get back to playing and away from winning until kids are old enough to handle the pressure that comes with winning, probably around 12. Even then, the process should be the bigger picture.