Making Mistakes is OK

A friend of mine who works with young players as a skills coach relates a story about a 11 year old defenseman that has learned to reverse the play behind the net in the d zone and drag the blue line in the offensive zone to open up more passing options and improve his shot opportunities. The problem is that the boy’s team coach insists that he simply dump the puck down the wall into the corner and that he never reverse the play in the d zone. The coach reportedly tells the boy to throw the puck up to the wings without looking because it is the wings responsibility to get there. The player is very frustrated. This situation is systematic of coaching to win games rather than allowing players to use their skills and experiment with moves that will make them better players when the skills are mastered. Even at the squirt level players should be taught these basic fundamentals and be encouraged to use them in games. They will not always be successful but over time the players will improve.

Frequently I see a player attempt a play that shows that he or she is trying to make a play and is looking at opportunities on the ice. If the play does not work however I am discouraged to see the player get disapproving comments from the coaches when he gets to the bench.

The good news for this youngster above is that the season is soon over and he will hopefully have a more enlightened coach next year. Great coaches encourage players to make plays and advance their skills regardless of the win loss record of the team. In the long run, skills win games.

The next piece is an excerpt from Barry Sanders speech when he was inducted into the Football Hall Of Fame.