2000 Pan American High Performance Coaching Course February 10 – 15, 2009

Hamilton, BermudaCourse Conductors: FIH Coach Grade 1 – ShiazVirjee (Canada)

• FIH Coach - William (Bill) Gaudette (USA), FIH Coach• Olympian - Jorgelina Rimoldi (Argentina)

Skill Acquisition Pathways

High Performance Player Development

William F Gaudette 111 PhD

Spotlight on Hockey

• Today many people are looking at Field Hockey and it’s ability to transition to another level.

• In the men’s and women’s game, highly skillful players are emerging from a wide and diverse range of backgrounds and cultures from around the world. These players demonstrate a base of talent that enable them to master a variety of skills. Many of these players are able to make good decisions by selecting decisions based on their cultural base, their understanding of the game and the techniques they have amassed.

Pathways to Excellence

• How to achieve elite performance

• Key – effective decision making processes

• Path – training sessions, pick up games, just playing without coaches, casual hockey just for fun vs. games, tournaments and competitions.

• Now the choice: Players in Different continents make different decisions.

Cultural Impact

• Diverse backgrounds to similar destinations

Structural Influences

• Imposition of structure –

• Who is the coach – who is the teacher

• The professional coach, the parent, the game

• Field Hockey limited only to the turf pitch?

• Process to turn the clock back so anyone can participate / Value or not

Possibility

• Cultural, financial, political, water?

Highly Structured

• Contrast with hockey cultures of Holland vs. the soccer culture of Brazil

• 8,000 hours – where?

• Pathways through coaching programs, structured club programs, drills as the early teacher of the game.

• Decision making appears to come after the drills are understood and ingrained.

Highly Structured

• This concept assumes that by providing a sound structural base the player will be possess the ability to make better decisions and perform the necessary skills when called upon.

• A very narrow concept of learning: measuring success by match results, favoring content over process and over-coaching over self discovery

• Structured vs. Guided approach

Let him think

• Questions …. Answers

Genetics

• Searching for the “genetically” best player.• Who takes control of development – the

player - the coach – the program?• Maximumizes the potential of the player

whose genetic limits are not high enough – is this valuable?

• Spread our base or maintain growth only through structured programs for the genetically better player.

Genetics

• Sound body, prepared mind………..

Genetic Limits

• Is genetics enough?

• Behaviors have impact. Value of players behavior on scale verses players genetics.

• Which way?

• Do you know an elite level hockey player who genetics are just high and not elite? What has built the players foundation – behaviors?

Youth Coaches

• Primary role of youth coaches in professional programs:

• Develop Elite Players. Develop players who have the skills demanded by the game at the highest level of hockey.

• Who coaches the coaches to develop these players

Elite Players

• Exposure to solid foundation building where players experience appropriate challenges and where expectations are realistic and acceptable for conditions, genetics, and behaviors

• Focused on age level activities but engrossed in ability at specific skill levels.

Areas of Development

• Technical

• Physical

• Psychological

• Social

Age Criteria

Stages Fundamental Learning Training to

Train Training to Compete Training Training to Win Training to Win  

  stage to Train Growth Level 1 to Compete Level 1 Level 2  

      Development Level 1        

               

age Chronogical Biological Biological Biological Biological Chronological Chronological

  Biological Development Development Development Development Development Development

  Development 6 - 11 yrs 10 - 14 years 13 - 16 years 16 - 18 years 19 - 21 years 22 years

  6 - 9 yrs            

               

Develop- Fundamental Fundamental Building Building & Optimizing Maximizing Maximizing

mental Movement Hockey Hockey Optimizing Hockey Hockey skill & Hockey skills & Hockey

stage Skills Skills Skills skill & position position specific skills & Performance

        skills & fitness specific skills position specific Skills

            skill & fitness  

               

Hockey Environment

• The environment produced by hockey is surrounded by problem solving activities. Developing the mind as well as the body.

• Learning: how

• Results: what impact do the decisions have on outcome when favorable? When unfavorable?

Standardized needs

• By a thorough comprehension of the 4 aspects of development: Technical –Physical - Psychological & Social; we are more likely to be able to provide the foundation needs of the developing player. The degree that we are able to subject the player to, will be dependent on how much challenge the player is realistically able to accept.

Who is There

• A comprehension of who is building and directing the building of the players foundation is vital as a great structure built on a weak foundation will not wither the storm. Who is there, how can you be attracted to work in this environment? No attraction, no media, no contracts.

• Are we risking our future?

Foundation Building

• Look at the plans for a new building, details, checks and approvals, inspections, licensed professionals even looking into the soil we build upon, the process has no end. Is there a correlation? How much time do you spend in the basement of your home looking at how great it is and how comfortable you feel because the foundation is so great?

• At what age do we begin to pay attention to the foundation 8 – 12, 12 – 17, beyond, before?

Specialist Contractor

• Smaller building contractor

• Jack of all trades in one

• Great finished curb side appearance

• Compare to Hockey – a coach who is jack of all trades, a coach who has lots of support from a variety of experts.

• Which is better – Which is lesser?

Hockey Foundations

• Do we reward our top level coaches who take time to work with Developmental players?

• Can a pathway be established for high performance coaches to work with younger players in the area of skill acquisition.

• Is there: Time? Money, Desire?

Specialization

• Where are we planning to specialize:• 7 – 11 years old, 11 – 16 years old, 16 – 20

years old, Clubs, Junior National Teams, Senior National Teams.

• Must we choose, educational programs for all ages in a particular age group or a broader incorporation of several groups.

• Key: a strategy and coaching philosophy aimed at improving the basic skills of players 7 – 11 years old: these players need a sustainable learning experience

Maximize Potential

• Key factors influencing this development

• Where are we planning to take this player

• Consideration of:

• Genetics – how far can he/she actually go and understanding this limit

• Behaviors- how does the environment impact the players behavior and desire

Maximize Potential

• Skill enhancement devices to maximize incorporation of behavioral training platforms aimed at establishing the base for building a high performance structure

• Theory to application

Destination