Nov. 25, 2023

Developing Young Talent & The Power Of Video Analysis: Insights from NHL Development Skills Coach Sumeet Wareh on Youth Hockey Training

In this week's episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, we dive into the intricacies of developing youth hockey skills with NHL developmental skill coach Sumeet Wareh.

Sumeet is a renowned NHL Development Skills Coach known for his innovative approach to youth hockey training. With a unique background that spans from finance to professional hockey coaching, Sumeet brings a wealth of knowledge and a fresh perspective to the sport. His expertise in utilizing video analysis and technology to enhance player skills has made him a sought-after figure in the hockey community. Sumeet is dedicated to nurturing young talent, emphasizing the importance of skill diversity, strategic game play, and the crucial balance between individual performance and teamwork. His passion for the game and commitment to player development continues to inspire and shape the future of youth hockey.

Our discussion focuses on the importance of diverse skill sets for young players, the role of effective communication in achieving a player's goals, and the balance between individual skills and teamwork. We also explore the impact of video analysis and technology on coaching techniques.

We cover various aspects of hockey, including the benefits of engaging in multiple sports and detailed game strategies like stick positioning and route planning. The episode emphasizes the importance of video analysis as a tool for improving player skills. Additionally, we highlight Sumeet Wareh's career transition, demonstrating the dedication needed to pursue a passion in sports.

Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team!

We're powered by NHL Sense Arena!

NHL Sense Arena, is a virtual reality training game designed specifically to improve hockey sense and IQ for both players and goalies. Experience the next generation of off-ice training in VR with over 100+ drills and training plans curated from top coaches and players.

Use Code "HockeyNeverStops" at Hockey.SenseArena.com to score $50 off an annual plan!

Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know!

Please Be Sure To Subscribe & Leave A Review For Us On Apple Podcasts, doing so helps our show grow!

Follow Us On Social Media:

00:52 - Developing Hockey Skills for Youth Players

09:25 - Developing Players' Roles in Hockey

15:55 - Importance of Communication in Player Development

21:36 - Skill Development and System Integration

25:41 - Youth Athlete Skill Development and Inspiration

31:26 - Youth Hockey Training

37:12 - Coaching and Feedback in Youth Sports

47:33 - Video Analysis Enhances Player Skills

52:46 - Creativity in Hockey Development

01:00:49 - Success and Passion in the Game

01:08:23 - Interview With Meet Waray and Promotion

WEBVTT

00:00:08.053 --> 00:00:18.251
Bring on NHL developmental skill coach today to talk to you and your kids about the things we need to be doing as coaches, parents and kids to better develop through all ages of hockey.

00:00:18.251 --> 00:00:25.167
And again, this person's worked with NHL players high level teenage players and we really have a great conversation with Samit Waray.

00:00:25.167 --> 00:00:33.670
He's our guest today about the things that you can do or we should be thinking about as youth hockey people to really get our kids to where they need to be.

00:00:33.670 --> 00:00:34.945
So that's who our guest is today.

00:00:34.945 --> 00:00:40.718
On our kids play hockey, we remind you as we head to those holidays, head over to hockeywraparoundcom.

00:00:40.718 --> 00:00:43.368
Use the code OKPH at checkout.

00:00:43.368 --> 00:00:45.808
It's going to give you 20% off your purchase.

00:00:45.808 --> 00:00:46.865
I know this is the time of year.

00:00:46.865 --> 00:00:49.167
A lot of you get new sticks for your kids.

00:00:49.167 --> 00:00:51.226
A lot of you have equipment drying needs.

00:00:51.226 --> 00:00:56.881
Well, they sell the world's top off ice hockey blade protector so your kids don't destroy those sticks On the outside.

00:00:56.881 --> 00:01:04.789
We also sell the dry stick, a patented portable equipment dryer that attaches right to those sticks with no damaging the stick.

00:01:04.789 --> 00:01:09.572
So, again, head over to hockeywraparoundcom hockeywraparoundcom, hockeywraparoundcom.

00:01:09.572 --> 00:01:11.879
And use the code OKPH.

00:01:11.879 --> 00:01:15.245
It stands for our kids play hockey All caps at checkout.

00:01:15.245 --> 00:01:17.106
I get your 20% discount today.

00:01:17.106 --> 00:01:21.861
But without further ado, let's dive right into the episode with Samit Waray on our kids play hockey.

00:01:21.861 --> 00:01:28.644
Hello hockey friends and families around the world, and welcome to another edition of our kids play hockey.

00:01:28.644 --> 00:01:35.025
I'm Leo Elias with Mike Benelli, and today we are joined by an NHL player and development coach, samit Waray.

00:01:35.025 --> 00:01:48.878
Samit is the player development consultant of choice for many of the NHL's best young prospects and has worked with skaters on several NHL teams, including, but not limited to, the New York Rangers, columbus Blue Jackets, dallas Stars and the Buffalo Sabres.

00:01:48.878 --> 00:01:50.344
That list will continue to grow.

00:01:50.344 --> 00:02:07.850
Samit is also a certified skills and high performance coach and has coached at the world professional, junior and high level youth levels, and his work has led him to become the founder of lab nine player development, which is a high performance coaching and video analysis program for elite level athletes.

00:02:07.850 --> 00:02:18.431
While Samit's hockey resume is very impressive and demands our attention, you're also going to find in this interview that his personal journey is very insightful and inspiring.

00:02:18.431 --> 00:02:20.746
Samit, welcome to our kids play hockey.

00:02:21.007 --> 00:02:21.909
Thank you so much, guys.

00:02:21.909 --> 00:02:29.683
I really appreciate you having me and I'm excited to make an impact at your podcast and in the game.

00:02:29.683 --> 00:02:30.768
So thank you again.

00:02:31.180 --> 00:02:36.929
Well, Samit, I can already say you've done one of those things in terms of having impact in the game, and I already know you're going to have one on the podcast.

00:02:36.929 --> 00:02:43.580
I love reading intros like that, not just from a qualification standpoint, but as a coach, as a parent.

00:02:43.580 --> 00:02:48.192
You just know you're going to uncover a lot of you know gold in an episode like this.

00:02:48.192 --> 00:02:49.784
I do want to start with this.

00:02:49.784 --> 00:02:52.407
You actually have a very unique upbringing.

00:02:52.407 --> 00:02:54.004
You grew up in British Columbia.

00:02:54.004 --> 00:02:55.764
Your parents immigrated from India.

00:02:55.764 --> 00:03:09.085
Your father was a truck driver and, as you've said many times on interviews, he was gone for days at a time, so not the most ideal situation for hockey, but in spite of that, you started hockey at two and a half years old.

00:03:09.085 --> 00:03:15.388
You also played other sports growing up and I can tell from those interviews that I watched that your father had a major influence on you as a child.

00:03:15.388 --> 00:03:22.048
Can you tell us about that relationship a little bit and maybe some of the hardships that he went through that inspired you to work the way you have?

00:03:23.222 --> 00:03:25.868
Yeah, I think my dad was a really important piece.

00:03:25.868 --> 00:03:28.829
Elkford BC was a pretty small town.

00:03:28.829 --> 00:03:31.301
It was a coal mining town, so there wasn't.

00:03:31.301 --> 00:03:33.849
There was only about 3,500 people there.

00:03:33.849 --> 00:03:37.883
Didn't have ice in the summer, so my dad preached a lot of.

00:03:37.883 --> 00:03:46.264
I did a lot of rollerblading as a kid especially in the summer we love that, yeah, he put me in different sports.

00:03:46.264 --> 00:03:49.909
He put me in Taekwondo, track and field.

00:03:49.909 --> 00:03:51.063
I did all the sports.

00:03:51.063 --> 00:03:53.302
Growing up we had a basketball court.

00:03:53.302 --> 00:04:04.688
Especially in a small town like BC, you get a pretty big yard so you end up getting a whole driveway and it was day and night we'd be playing outside and my dad was just a, he was just a hard worker.

00:04:04.688 --> 00:04:14.811
He was a pretty hard-nosed guy, I would say, worked for everything and he really pushed me to focus on skating.

00:04:14.811 --> 00:04:18.591
That was like the biggest thing when I was at a young age.

00:04:18.591 --> 00:04:25.293
It was skating and all the kids were skating in public, skating forwards, and I'd be skating backwards.

00:04:25.293 --> 00:04:36.132
Everyone's skating forwards on rollerblades during the summers and I'm skating backwards, and so, yeah, no, he loved the game, loved the flames as well.

00:04:36.132 --> 00:04:39.704
That was his biggest, I would say, passion.

00:04:39.704 --> 00:04:54.709
Watching Theo Fleury and Pat Walburay, I think he really understood the game in a way, in a sense of skill and how, the importance of it at a young age for me.

00:04:54.709 --> 00:05:11.048
I had an older brother as well and so he first you know, you had my brother there and then I think he took pieces that my brother didn't have and started working on me as the younger child and, honestly, it made a really big impact for me.

00:05:11.048 --> 00:05:29.630
Definitely the work, ethic piece and just the passion I think came from my father and you know he's still passionate about the game right now but you know he still talks about you know me playing as a kid and we would drive to Vancouver.

00:05:29.630 --> 00:05:37.721
You know, pack the car and drive to Vancouver, go to tournaments, come back through you know blizzards and it was.

00:05:37.721 --> 00:05:37.942
It was.

00:05:37.942 --> 00:05:45.468
It's pretty like inspiring and you know I think it inspires me for me to be a parent like my dad one day.

00:05:45.468 --> 00:05:47.425
So it was pretty cool, honestly.

00:05:49.199 --> 00:05:57.702
It's always amazing when you hear stories like that, how certain things imprint on us as coaches and players, and I love that.

00:05:57.702 --> 00:06:01.543
You said yeah, I was skating backwards and everybody else was skating forwards, and Mike can tell you too.

00:06:01.543 --> 00:06:24.067
One of the things we talk about is just fundamental skill sets and how we are not focused on them like we used to be and that there's other fun advanced skill sets now that kids that are fighting don't get me wrong, but you know they'll learn how to take a Michigan before they learn how to take a risk shot and I think that you know it's an important part of the puzzle of what you're saying right now is that, like you know, he made me skate backwards.

00:06:24.067 --> 00:06:28.605
I remember hearing the stories about Gretzky's dad making him follow the play the play on a piece of paper with.

00:06:28.605 --> 00:06:29.850
It's a very well known story now.

00:06:29.850 --> 00:06:37.591
But just kind of tracking the puck in these basic skill sets that I think too many people assume now that kids are just going to pick up.

00:06:37.591 --> 00:06:39.084
It's not the case.

00:06:40.319 --> 00:06:45.250
No, no, I think I think that's I mean picking up those little things.

00:06:45.250 --> 00:06:48.826
I think now it's it's a lot of it's highlights.

00:06:48.826 --> 00:06:56.451
They look at the highlights, right, and they don't watch the game as much as I think our generation did.

00:06:56.451 --> 00:06:57.273
When we were kids.

00:06:57.273 --> 00:07:05.314
We were watching the game talking down in Canada and I'm playing mini stick with my brother while the game is on, and now you've got kids on their phones and then they're.

00:07:05.314 --> 00:07:16.605
You know they're seeing the highlights, but they don't see the intricacies of the game and the face softs the the Darcy Tucker going over the bench trying to beat up Chris Neil, right, like that kind of stuff.

00:07:17.141 --> 00:07:17.824
You know it's funny.

00:07:17.824 --> 00:07:18.788
You make me remember this.

00:07:18.788 --> 00:07:24.122
I remember talking about this is both a compliment on how the games evolved but also supporting your point.

00:07:24.122 --> 00:07:30.911
When I was a teenager, the high skill, like the skill that everybody wanted, was Joe Sackack's wrist shot.

00:07:30.911 --> 00:07:34.103
Yeah, because he had the best wrist shot and that was like the.

00:07:34.103 --> 00:07:36.951
I got to find video of Joe Sackack's wrist shot.

00:07:36.951 --> 00:07:42.867
Nobody wants to see a wrist shot nowadays, right, we're all out the toe drag, release and and these advanced skills.

00:07:42.867 --> 00:07:44.831
But it's funny how the games evolved.

00:07:44.831 --> 00:08:06.591
And again, I think I think this leads perfectly into my next question, because we got to strike a balance with all this and we've commented and had guests on the show, um, the talk about this fact that young athletes are probably more skilled than ever but often lacked the tactical awareness, uh, or those other aspects of the games needed to make it to higher levels.

00:08:06.591 --> 00:08:11.190
Now in your work, you're training a lot of these extremely high level athletes.

00:08:11.190 --> 00:08:14.127
How do you strike a balance for that as a coach?

00:08:15.942 --> 00:08:18.189
Yeah, I think that's a really good question.

00:08:18.189 --> 00:08:40.908
Um, I think it goes back to the player identity and what a coach wants within his team system, cause I think a lot of players are focused on their skill set and how I got a score and how and that's going to impact the game, and how I'm going to make this play that's going to, you know, result in a goal.

00:08:40.908 --> 00:08:57.629
But I think now we have to start to teach players that things outside the goals, like checking how hard you check the puck, what your positioning is like, where's your stick, um, maybe you can develop into a really good penalty killer.

00:08:57.629 --> 00:09:00.969
Uh, when you're a little bit older, that's reliable.

00:09:00.969 --> 00:09:16.648
Um, I think those are the big things that I think that where you can find a balance is like, hey, like you might not have the toe jig release that Johnny has, but you got real good skating ability, right, you're you're, you know you're physical on the puck.

00:09:16.648 --> 00:09:21.210
You can strip the puck, um, and you got, you got the IQ to make the pass.

00:09:21.210 --> 00:09:58.543
So I think those things I think need to be communicated to the players at a young age, that you don't need to be this type of player that's scoring goals, but you can make the impact for our team in a different way and I think that's something that's needs to be shown, it needs to be taught and I think I think in the game it needs to be celebrated more and you can see all the you know at the highest level in the NHL you have, like Colorado winning, for example, they had legging in, they had all of these guys that people don't really know that are third, third, fourth line players.

00:09:58.543 --> 00:10:04.525
That makes such an impact for McKinnon have success to McCarr to have success.

00:10:04.525 --> 00:10:25.105
So I would say that's probably the biggest thing is making sure that we're shedding light as coaches and you know, stating um, I would say the strengths outside of scoring goals and how a player can still impact the game and really try to tie it to their identity as a player, because not everyone is a goal scorer as per se.

00:10:26.182 --> 00:10:35.224
Yeah, mike, I'm going to throw it to you too on this, because I want your thoughts on this, because something I think we fail at largely as coaches and parents is the awareness of what you just said.

00:10:35.224 --> 00:10:40.029
Um, because I think we kind of assume that kids know that and I can.

00:10:40.029 --> 00:10:42.124
In my experience they don't write.

00:10:42.124 --> 00:10:46.489
In my experience it's it's hey, I want to be McDavid and again, look, there's nothing wrong with dreaming like that.

00:10:46.489 --> 00:10:49.328
I never tell a kid don't try and do something.

00:10:49.328 --> 00:10:57.708
But I think that as coaches and parents, we need to do a better job of explaining what you just said, which there are many roles in this game.

00:10:57.708 --> 00:10:59.865
There are many skill sets in this game.

00:10:59.865 --> 00:11:00.720
You know.

00:11:00.720 --> 00:11:09.530
There there is a difference between a defensive forward and an offensive forward, and if your team doesn't have one of those defensive boards, that's a role you can fill.

00:11:09.530 --> 00:11:16.847
And the more roles you can build within your repertoire a, you'll start to realize which roles you succeed at which I have a question about that later.

00:11:16.847 --> 00:11:20.086
And then, b, you'll start to learn new roles.

00:11:20.086 --> 00:11:21.149
You'll see the game.

00:11:21.149 --> 00:11:33.448
But I think we don't do enough to teach offense how to play defense, and defense how to play offense, cause the wider your breadth of knowledge of the game, the better of a player you're going to become.

00:11:33.448 --> 00:11:35.321
And again, mike, I am going to throw this to you, I promise.

00:11:35.321 --> 00:11:44.695
But one of the things that boggles my mind is when I see coaches start to implement systems, probably at the appropriate age, and that's like the Peewee Bantam age.

00:11:44.695 --> 00:11:45.663
You really start to get into that.

00:11:45.663 --> 00:11:51.009
But they tell a player okay, you're going to be at the top of this one one, three, and that's it.

00:11:51.009 --> 00:11:52.999
They never let them play anywhere else on the one one, three.

00:11:52.999 --> 00:12:01.869
And it's like how are you expecting them to play a cohesive system when the kid only knows the one aspect, that you have to play every position on the system to understand the system.

00:12:01.869 --> 00:12:07.932
So, mike, let me sauce it to you, because I'm talking a lot and then we'll.

00:12:07.932 --> 00:12:09.155
So I do have a question about this.

00:12:09.255 --> 00:12:10.198
I think it all makes sense.

00:12:10.198 --> 00:12:25.739
I mean, when we talk about this a lot on the show, but we also talk about, you know, off the show, just in skill development areas, where you know really good skill developers don't change the player, they enhance what the player has right.

00:12:25.739 --> 00:12:27.798
So it's like this is what you're really good at.

00:12:27.798 --> 00:12:34.530
I'm not going to turn you into this guy because that's not only a lot of work but it's just not in your skill set, you know.

00:12:34.530 --> 00:12:53.337
I think the era of players and this is not everywhere and it might be too general, but the era of players understanding that they have certain roles and they should embrace those roles and that not every player is a first line centerman has become like it's really hard because of the highlight world we're in.

00:12:53.337 --> 00:12:56.144
Like it's just people forget about, like they don't.

00:12:56.144 --> 00:13:13.820
They see the goal and they see the guy doing the thing and you know five feet in front, but they don't see the hard back, check the quick up, the pivot out, the finding the lane, the moving the puck, the not, you know not brushing the puck off six times before they get it.

00:13:13.820 --> 00:13:15.556
Like they don't see all those pieces.

00:13:15.556 --> 00:13:30.140
And I think the great skill developing coaches, you know, find what players do well and then make them better at that, and then now you can start playing, now you can get inserted to Lease Point really into any place.

00:13:30.140 --> 00:13:32.818
Like I remember the story I mean we're in New York here, right.

00:13:32.818 --> 00:13:43.192
So when, when, when Chris Crier had Torrierella coaching him, it was like well, chris, you got to get down and block shots and you got to do this, and I go, but he's like, well, that's just not him, that's not who he is.

00:13:43.192 --> 00:13:45.977
Like, you can't make that player do that.

00:13:45.977 --> 00:13:46.652
And then what happens?

00:13:46.652 --> 00:13:47.917
He's in a different system.

00:13:47.917 --> 00:13:58.253
Next thing, you know, he's scoring 50 goals and it's a whole different world for him, because somebody tried to stick around, you know, peg in a square hole, and I think that's the.

00:13:58.253 --> 00:13:58.695
You know.

00:13:58.695 --> 00:14:09.780
But that's where I think the world of skill development coaches and head coaches, especially at the youth level, like at the, at the develop, you know, I know there, I know we're all in development.

00:14:09.780 --> 00:14:19.157
But at the youth level, at the nine, 10, 11 year olds, that's where that cohesion has to take place, because I think skill coaches are saying no, no, no, you got to do this.

00:14:19.157 --> 00:14:22.412
And then the head coach is like no, no, no, you got to do this and I don't know why.

00:14:22.412 --> 00:14:32.154
I can't imagine what that does to an 11 year old kid and that has to fight those two, you know, the paid coach or the paid instructor and the and the volunteer coach.

00:14:32.154 --> 00:14:37.798
Having this, you know, and not being able to be in a symbiotic relationship is really one of the things that hurts.

00:14:38.210 --> 00:14:40.755
I think a lot of you forces a choice where there shouldn't be one.

00:14:42.057 --> 00:14:43.461
Yeah, right, we got to find a way.

00:14:43.461 --> 00:14:47.789
So maybe you know, maybe you could just mention that a little bit like, how do you work within that metric?

00:14:47.789 --> 00:14:54.956
Like you know, obviously you're working with guys that are getting paid a lot of money to perform at certain levels.

00:14:54.956 --> 00:15:06.496
Are you just saying, okay, what you give me, what I need to, you know, you give me what your role is expected and I'm going to help enhance that, or we're going to turn you into this player so that you can get a bigger paycheck.

00:15:06.517 --> 00:15:10.979
Yeah, that's a great question, mike.

00:15:10.979 --> 00:15:28.821
I think the way I put it is I have to have a conversation with the player because we could we could communicate our understanding of what he should be, but the player really needs to believe in what he can be or what he should be for his team.

00:15:28.821 --> 00:15:45.902
You know, like I saw, I think the first thing is to have a conversation and then for me I always go through the video of the player and highlight things that I think that he needs to understand that what is the strengths and weaknesses?

00:15:45.902 --> 00:15:52.421
He might think he's a skilled player or is a guy that you know can be a macar.

00:15:52.421 --> 00:15:55.416
But that's the first conversation.

00:15:55.416 --> 00:15:56.458
Is who do you think you are?

00:15:56.458 --> 00:16:09.258
The second conversation is I got to come up with my perspective and identity for him and then have a conversation with him about that and then from there we got to meet halfway.

00:16:09.258 --> 00:16:18.796
And so I think at the level that with the higher level players, I think they already know a lot of them.

00:16:18.796 --> 00:16:28.976
But for me it's to take what his skill set is and how can we first come to an understanding of what your identity is, what your goal is.

00:16:28.976 --> 00:16:36.890
That's the first thing, because then I can take his game and add to it and slowly progress into.

00:16:36.890 --> 00:16:43.263
If he's a fifth defenseman, can we make him into a fourth defenseman for the team?

00:16:43.263 --> 00:16:50.952
What are the skill aspects of the game that I can enhance within his skill set currently to get to the fourth?

00:16:50.952 --> 00:16:51.916
Maybe the third?

00:16:51.916 --> 00:17:03.962
That's probably the biggest thing is the communication and, like I said, there has to be, there has to be chemistry within those conversations.

00:17:03.962 --> 00:17:10.678
If he's thinking one thing and I'm thinking one thing, that's where it's like I don't know if this is going to work.

00:17:10.698 --> 00:17:23.595
Yeah, so, mom and dad's, pause this right now and understand that if you have a skills coach that you ask at the rink, you go to the rink, say, hey, I want you to work with my kid, and he says, yeah, great, bring him out, I'm going to start working with him.

00:17:23.595 --> 00:17:29.513
And there's zero conversation about who the player is, what the player does, what the commitment level is.

00:17:29.513 --> 00:17:31.214
There's no conversation with the player.

00:17:31.214 --> 00:17:31.958
It's the parent.

00:17:31.958 --> 00:17:33.413
Okay, I dealt with the parent.

00:17:33.413 --> 00:17:35.118
The kid shows up, we do a lesson, he goes home.

00:17:35.118 --> 00:17:46.541
If that's your skills coach, run away, run as fast as you can, and or, unless you just want to pay 125 bucks an hour to have your kid get a workout, fine.

00:17:46.541 --> 00:17:51.000
But I think your point is exactly what this audience is.

00:17:51.000 --> 00:17:58.038
That's a crucial piece of the development is understanding what the player thinks he wants, what everybody else thinks the player is.

00:17:58.038 --> 00:18:06.678
And then somebody say, okay, well, this is who you are, this is what you want, this is how we got to get there, or you can't get there, you cannot do this because it just is not who you are.

00:18:06.678 --> 00:18:08.633
So I think that's a great point.

00:18:08.633 --> 00:18:24.625
I think for any parent to understand that that is a conversation the trilogy of the parent, the player, the coach and then this skills person who's going to try to navigate that whole thing and not just a like.

00:18:24.625 --> 00:18:31.297
I get very upset when I hear skills coaches working with players that don't have a syllabus, don't have a plan, don't have a point of action.

00:18:31.297 --> 00:18:41.897
They just say they go out every week and then they do some stick handling through deviators and they all shoot the score, obviously because that's you know, they get one scoring shot a year and that's all they work on.

00:18:41.897 --> 00:18:49.909
And then I never see anybody dish and passes off or looking, plays or recycling or just finding other options.

00:18:49.909 --> 00:18:51.958
But I think that's a really cautionary tale.

00:18:51.958 --> 00:19:01.512
Right For parents is that if you have a skills coach that doesn't have a conversation with you and your child and doesn't have a plan, it's very difficult for me to advocate for that person getting paid.

00:19:02.309 --> 00:19:03.394
It's just it.

00:19:03.394 --> 00:19:06.818
I've been writing notes here, guys, and a few things.

00:19:06.818 --> 00:19:13.335
Number one I wrote this down great skills coaches are paid to challenge you, not appease you, right?

00:19:13.335 --> 00:19:15.877
And I think that that could be across the board.

00:19:15.877 --> 00:19:17.054
That's not even limited to hockey.

00:19:17.054 --> 00:19:21.653
That could be a business coach, that could be a trumpet coach, right, they got a.

00:19:21.653 --> 00:19:22.557
They're trying to challenge you.

00:19:22.557 --> 00:19:28.742
And then also you said this too a large part of it is discovery helping that player discover what they're good at.

00:19:28.742 --> 00:19:32.920
I'm going to speak a little bit from personal experience, because I haven't thought about this in a while.

00:19:32.920 --> 00:19:49.116
You know, when I got a skills coach when I was a little older in my teenage years, that coach his name was Stephon challenged me heavily and he was very upfront of you're not good at this, you're not going to get the shot where you want it in time for college, like, we can get that a little bit better.

00:19:49.116 --> 00:19:53.616
But we uncovered, discovered you are really good at face offs, right.

00:19:53.616 --> 00:19:54.493
So we worked on that.

00:19:54.493 --> 00:20:00.301
We realized that I had a playmaking ability that was so raw, but I could see the path.

00:20:00.301 --> 00:20:04.940
And again, I'm not bragging, I'm saying I didn't realize a lot of this because I was a teenager.

00:20:04.940 --> 00:20:07.289
I wanted to be Joe Sackack, right.

00:20:07.289 --> 00:20:08.548
I wanted to be Eric Lindross.

00:20:08.548 --> 00:20:11.940
I'm not six, five, it turns out, you know, but you start to discover these things.

00:20:11.940 --> 00:20:22.721
So we worked on my playmaking ability, my face off ability, several other things, but that is how I got recruited, because colleges at the time were looking for players that could do that.

00:20:22.721 --> 00:20:25.357
There were not many of them, right?

00:20:25.357 --> 00:20:34.317
So I benefited greatly from being challenged, that discovery process and also being told stop trying to be this player.

00:20:34.317 --> 00:20:35.550
Right Now.

00:20:35.550 --> 00:20:49.538
And I should also say it was communicated to me in a way that, like I understood, he met me where I'm at, and so I imagine that is a huge part of this process of being able to meet these players where they're at, because if they don't agree with you, they don't agree with you, right?

00:20:49.538 --> 00:20:51.355
It's helping them to understand that.

00:20:52.471 --> 00:20:57.382
Yeah, I think that's the biggest thing for me is you have to be on the same page.

00:20:57.382 --> 00:21:04.982
You know, and I still am a firm believer, that this all skills should be worked on at a young age.

00:21:05.830 --> 00:21:05.991
Like.

00:21:06.051 --> 00:21:12.196
I think, that when you're when you're working with a skills coach, I think it's important to have a skating coach as well.

00:21:12.196 --> 00:21:17.161
You know, and I know, the game is expensive and you can always go into group sessions.

00:21:17.161 --> 00:21:33.113
Like I know people in Calgary up here and Northern Alberta have you know they're skating coach but they do group skating and I think that's like a really key piece because that, to me, is like an important piece to add skill.

00:21:33.113 --> 00:21:42.359
So, yeah, like at a young age, you want to work at your strengths and build on your weaknesses but at the same time, just making sure that you're doing things overall.

00:21:42.359 --> 00:21:48.040
But the overall skill development has to tie to like the game system.

00:21:48.040 --> 00:21:58.115
Like I think that's a really important piece that needs to be like just just, I would say, practiced more.

00:21:58.115 --> 00:22:04.336
You know like what skills are we doing and how does it relate to a system?

00:22:04.336 --> 00:22:08.019
I think is what will progress a player quicker.

00:22:08.549 --> 00:22:09.493
That's a great statement.

00:22:09.493 --> 00:22:10.871
That really is.

00:22:10.871 --> 00:22:22.057
I haven't actually have not heard it said like that before, and I think that skill development has become so individualistic about giving my son or my daughter the best advantage.

00:22:22.057 --> 00:22:23.511
You're making a great point.

00:22:23.511 --> 00:22:28.342
When you get to the elite levels, skills important, but everyone's got it Right.

00:22:28.342 --> 00:22:32.862
It's it's can I, can I put you into this system effectively and can you adapt to that effectively?

00:22:32.862 --> 00:22:33.904
It's a tremendous point.

00:22:34.907 --> 00:22:38.759
Yeah, like I give you an example, like on a four check.

00:22:38.759 --> 00:22:45.142
Right Like you teach the kids to go hard on the four check, but where's their stick position?

00:22:45.142 --> 00:22:49.799
What are the routes that they're going to face at the next level?

00:22:49.799 --> 00:22:51.535
It's, it's everything's the same.

00:22:51.535 --> 00:23:02.058
Right Like, everything is the same it's and I think that's important to teach that to the young kids Right Like, what are the routes for a four check system?

00:23:02.058 --> 00:23:05.357
Where should your feet be?

00:23:05.357 --> 00:23:07.054
Where should your hands be?

00:23:07.054 --> 00:23:09.733
Where's your recovery point?

00:23:09.733 --> 00:23:10.877
Like those things.

00:23:11.349 --> 00:23:21.396
I'm having like flashbacks of every conversation every weekend that happens, yeah, Cause, like your point is like you're saying, okay, yes, you're working hard, yes, You're, you're the first guy on the puck, I get it.

00:23:21.396 --> 00:23:23.696
You're busted your ass.

00:23:23.696 --> 00:23:28.114
But your, but your stick is not in the lane to help you and you're getting beat because of this.

00:23:28.114 --> 00:23:34.657
Or like I deal with a lot with the fenceman and just you know taking ice first instead of you know that.

00:23:34.657 --> 00:23:36.602
I'm not a big reader react fan.

00:23:36.602 --> 00:23:39.198
I'm like no, no, you react and let the player read you.

00:23:39.198 --> 00:23:45.334
Like you take your ice, you know you establish where you want to go and then make that player go somewhere else.

00:23:45.334 --> 00:23:47.755
And that those are the little nuance things.

00:23:47.755 --> 00:23:49.579
That doesn't take skill.

00:23:49.579 --> 00:23:54.118
It takes using the skill you have and then working within a system.

00:23:54.118 --> 00:24:03.038
And then and the good and the best players that last the longest are the ones that kind of find the area of saying, okay, this is what I'm good at.

00:24:03.038 --> 00:24:16.000
Yeah, here's how I'm going to establish zone coverage, here's how I'm going to dictate where players come against me, and then I can maximize, instead of being the guy like we all see those players right that go through tryouts.

00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:17.680
They're like oh my God, look at this kid.

00:24:17.680 --> 00:24:25.005
He went through three cones in six seconds and you can stick candle backwards and he can do flips and he can spin a drama, but yeah, but he didn't go anywhere.

00:24:25.005 --> 00:24:26.063
Like, what did he do?

00:24:26.063 --> 00:24:28.044
There was no end result.

00:24:28.044 --> 00:24:32.825
So I think that is a perfect point of when a parent says why didn't my kid make the team?

00:24:32.825 --> 00:24:36.444
He was the best player at tryouts and he did this, this and this.

00:24:36.444 --> 00:24:41.425
Well, because he can't play within a structured system, He'll be a great adult league player someday.

00:24:41.425 --> 00:24:45.667
He'll be the player you see in adults and like my God, what division one college is that guy play at?

00:24:45.667 --> 00:24:51.784
And like he didn't play anywhere Because there's no hitting, there's no system, there's no forecheck, there's no back check.

00:24:51.784 --> 00:24:56.608
So he's able to do all these kind of things that we love about seeing really high skilled players.

00:24:56.608 --> 00:25:09.210
But when it comes down to playing on a team, you're working with kids saying and men and players that say, ok, I need to inject myself in here.

00:25:09.210 --> 00:25:13.403
What's the best way for me to be as efficient as possible within that structure?

00:25:13.403 --> 00:25:15.645
That's going to help me build my game.

00:25:15.645 --> 00:25:25.471
And I think we lose not we, but a lot of people lose that piece by just looking at the pure, raw skill of a player.

00:25:25.471 --> 00:25:31.429
And then and I don't want to use the word hockey IQ, because I don't think it's I don't know if it's much hockey IQ.

00:25:31.901 --> 00:25:32.544
It's aptitude.

00:25:32.544 --> 00:25:34.025
I think aptitude is a fair word.

00:25:34.099 --> 00:25:34.602
Understanding.

00:25:34.602 --> 00:25:39.507
There's certain roles and there's certain areas in the ice where you need to play a certain way to have the most success.

00:25:40.299 --> 00:26:16.127
Yeah, yeah, and for the podcast itself, like for the parents, like it happens at a young age, and that's where, like, yeah, like we're talking systems, but it has to be taught at a young age for them to progress, to become better, versus learning it later, right, like for my dad, like never knew any systems, so I was learning it on the spot, but then I saw, like the players, that where their dads played at a high level, they just they were just better than everyone.

00:26:16.127 --> 00:26:18.247
They just they just picked up things quicker.

00:26:18.247 --> 00:26:38.327
And so I'm starting to realize now that, if, if and that's where, like Lab 9, I think I want to make an impact at a younger age, is that, like now, I can teach these kids at a young age, right, and now it's like exciting to see, like how much quicker a player can progress if the parents, you know, maybe just don't know about the game as much.

00:26:38.327 --> 00:26:46.987
And that's where, like I think you know, we as a program can support that player and and maybe, you know, get him to reach his goals quicker.

00:26:47.640 --> 00:26:47.941
Sameed.

00:26:47.941 --> 00:26:52.288
I love it when a guest leads into the next question perfectly, and you've done that.

00:26:52.288 --> 00:27:20.509
I just want to say a large portion of our audience you just alluded to this our parents and coaches of that, you 12 age down to mites, and one of the aspects of training that we preach is the importance of practicing fundamental skills before moving on to more advanced skills, and I'm not just talking physical skills when I say that, as you just said, and again, it's everything from attempting a Michigan before knowing how to do a one-timer correctly, before knowing how to catch a pass and then just shoot.

00:27:20.509 --> 00:27:22.846
So this is kind of a two-part question.

00:27:22.846 --> 00:27:36.965
What are and you mentioned skating what are the most essential skill sets that youth athletes should be working on in your opinion, and how can coaches and parents inspire kids to learn them while keeping it fun?

00:27:36.965 --> 00:27:43.905
Because I think we also lose a lot of kids during drills because they're not crafted well right or they're not explained well.

00:27:43.905 --> 00:27:48.384
It's OK, do this, this and this because I want to work on our forecheck, but they don't actually say that.

00:27:48.384 --> 00:27:54.265
They just go do this, this and this, and naturally kids just do this, this and this with no understanding of why.

00:27:55.920 --> 00:28:00.023
Yeah, that's a again a really good question that I'd love to answer.

00:28:00.023 --> 00:28:04.631
I think the first thing I think is to play multiple sports.

00:28:04.631 --> 00:28:18.266
I really think that's number one, because you start to work on your coordination and balance, which affects your skating, and it's going to help your skating.

00:28:18.266 --> 00:28:26.071
So that's the number one thing in terms of skill development, I think, is the base has to be started, not just skating.

00:28:26.071 --> 00:28:34.585
Yeah, power skating is great, and I hear a lot of news articles of like, oh, you just need to be on the ice.

00:28:34.585 --> 00:28:40.645
A lot Like, yeah, you got to be on the ice, but at the same time, a lot of these players that are on the ice are really good athletes.

00:28:40.645 --> 00:28:56.633
So I think playing multiple sports, having a real good importance or plan on skating and learning your edge control, ability to transfer weight, I think is one thing.

00:28:56.633 --> 00:29:09.367
So a lot of players will go into skating, but then their weight shift and weight transfer isn't there, and so I think those two things are really important Handling the puck on and off the ice.

00:29:09.367 --> 00:29:14.527
But then again you got lacrosse, which I think is great for puck control.

00:29:14.527 --> 00:29:20.865
Basketball, handling a ball those kind of things I think are going to help your hands.

00:29:20.865 --> 00:29:54.982
And so at the young ages I think you can do those different sports to enhance your puck skills, your skating skills, and then for a young kid, I think games are great and showing video but then turning it into a game, like small area games are great Because I've learned that younger kids they go so fast and so if you can start to, I would say, turn it into a game and show.

00:29:54.982 --> 00:30:11.307
Like I said, I'm a firm believer on showing some video Because at a young age you see an NHL player do something, I think they can process it quicker and actually start to want to do it that way and really try and impress the coach as well.

00:30:11.307 --> 00:30:18.467
And so NHL is like a really, really good way for players to be inspired.

00:30:18.467 --> 00:30:25.930
The younger players, because now they're looking at McDavid, do it and they're like, ok, I can do it or I want to do it.

00:30:26.921 --> 00:30:35.464
You know, sumi, what's funny about what you're saying is that 40 years ago the idea of video review was almost scoffed at.

00:30:35.464 --> 00:30:41.606
It was actually Roger Nielsen, famous coach, that brought that into the foray, but before him it was like I don't want to watch the video.

00:30:41.606 --> 00:30:43.663
Now fast forward to today.

00:30:43.663 --> 00:30:51.031
Every child, every one of them, is trained to watch video because of the amount of screens that they have.

00:30:51.031 --> 00:31:00.246
So I think you're making a great point is that if it's done the right way like you can't force a kid to do it but if it's done the right way, kids can watch that and really respond.

00:31:00.246 --> 00:31:12.602
And I can tell you one right now when I look at some of the ages I'm coaching in youth right now, which is kind of like a 10 down common thing, we say hey, move your feet, move your feet and they'll come off.

00:31:12.602 --> 00:31:17.505
And they say I am moving my feet and it's like but you're not, you're drifting on the ice.

00:31:17.505 --> 00:31:20.903
So it's like I need to show them that on the video In a positive way.

00:31:20.903 --> 00:31:25.046
Like look, I know you think you're moving your feet, but this is what it looks like.

00:31:25.046 --> 00:31:25.903
Do you see that now?

00:31:25.903 --> 00:31:27.103
Then it clicks.

00:31:27.103 --> 00:31:29.865
Another one to reinforce your point.

00:31:29.865 --> 00:31:37.930
I have a lot of beginners on one of the teams that I'm coaching right now and it's a mix of really experienced players with beginners.

00:31:37.930 --> 00:31:41.066
It's a school team and so I gamified everything.

00:31:41.066 --> 00:31:48.200
So, like most young players who are newer at skating, a lot of them are just a little bit afraid to fall down, so you can make that OK.

00:31:48.200 --> 00:31:55.244
So what I did was I threw 50 pucks on the ice, put a bag in the middle of the ice and I said pick them up and whoever gets the most wins.

00:31:55.244 --> 00:32:03.263
They didn't care at all about falling after that and really the improvement after the one drill was pretty dramatic.

00:32:03.263 --> 00:32:07.012
Just by making it fun Can't get lost.

00:32:07.012 --> 00:32:10.150
And let me tell you the mechanics of bending down and standing up.

00:32:10.150 --> 00:32:12.086
Now there's some creativity here.

00:32:12.086 --> 00:32:16.430
You have to let kids know, as you said, playing other sports, letting them figure it out.

00:32:16.430 --> 00:32:25.807
I have found one of the best teachers from a creative standpoint for skating is to let your kids go to public session and don't get off their back.

00:32:25.807 --> 00:32:27.084
They'll figure it out.

00:32:27.084 --> 00:32:28.583
Kids do that.

00:32:28.583 --> 00:32:33.328
I imagine there's an aura of creativity in your work too.

00:32:33.328 --> 00:32:37.502
You got to let these players figure things out on their own sometimes, right.

00:32:38.666 --> 00:32:40.603
Yeah, yeah, I think that's.

00:32:40.603 --> 00:32:44.952
You can't be micromanaging their game.

00:32:44.952 --> 00:33:03.505
I think you can give them little tidbits of what you think that they can improve on, but I think, when it all comes down to it, you have to add some creativity to your practice and even for you, as in the podcast, you want creativity in it.

00:33:03.505 --> 00:33:06.507
Unpredictability sometimes is fun.

00:33:06.507 --> 00:33:49.411
And so I think, within our practices and with Lab 9, I like to teach and that's why I actually like to do the video prior to my sessions a lot, and even sometimes even before that, not even on the session day before, because when we get on the ice sometimes I like to step away, because now they have their clips that they've seen themselves in their mind already and so, and now they're seeing the drill that's tied to the video, and so now I can actually step back and and view them versus teach them all the time.

00:33:49.411 --> 00:33:51.886
The teaching is kind of done before.

00:33:52.819 --> 00:33:53.462
That's a great point.

00:33:54.079 --> 00:34:00.826
And I think that's a huge focus on I know Hockey Canada, but USA Hockey for sure is that constraint-based learning environment.

00:34:00.826 --> 00:34:06.845
Because the kids, you put the five cones out there and they do it, and then you take one cone away and then they do something different.

00:34:06.845 --> 00:34:08.184
I go well, why would you do something different?

00:34:08.184 --> 00:34:12.106
Well, the cone wasn't there, or that wasn't.

00:34:12.106 --> 00:34:13.831
I thought, why would I do that again?

00:34:13.831 --> 00:34:16.228
Like, well, you got to read and react to the situation.

00:34:16.228 --> 00:34:21.809
But I think the creativity part is important, but also the ability to think and understand the game.

00:34:21.809 --> 00:34:30.067
Like I talk to coaches, probably sometimes too much, about their small area of games and I'm like well, why are you doing the small area game?

00:34:30.067 --> 00:34:30.967
What's the point of it?

00:34:30.967 --> 00:34:34.788
Like, do the kids know what the point of it is and do they know what the result you want out of it?

00:34:34.788 --> 00:34:55.101
Like they can't just play three-on-three cross-eyes and think you're going to get better, and I think that's in my opinion and again, it might not mean much, but like, even at the cross-eyes level, for the little mites and even you know, the younger kids, that what we've failed to realize is now a kid makes a move and their only job because of cross-eyes, because we want.

00:34:55.101 --> 00:34:59.824
The action is they can make a move and they're on the net and their only option is to shoot.

00:34:59.824 --> 00:35:14.963
And instead of looking up ice and seeing, and all of a sudden they get to a place where they got to like they've got to see the ice, and we wonder why our kids have no vision outside of the 10-foot radius, because we've been teaching them for three years that once you make a move on a kid, you're there to shoot and you can try to score.

00:35:14.963 --> 00:35:16.378
But that's not the game of hockey.

00:35:16.378 --> 00:35:28.050
The game of hockey exists 200 feet down the ice and I think that's a really fine piece to start teaching kids that it's not all about making a play and then scoring a goal.

00:35:28.050 --> 00:35:29.384
It's about making a play.

00:35:29.384 --> 00:35:34.360
Making a play, making a play, getting in the zone, defending, you know.

00:35:34.360 --> 00:35:38.677
So I think that's where you know coaches, like you know yourself.

00:35:38.677 --> 00:35:47.108
You know it's great that you're not only showing video but then you're letting the kids go in there and then explore what that video meant to them.

00:35:47.108 --> 00:35:54.847
Like I'm not gonna tell you you need to go here, you just got to say well, listen, remember when we watched this, and this is where players went and they got open.

00:35:54.847 --> 00:35:58.601
Well, you didn't do this and that's why it resulted in this, and that's it.

00:35:58.601 --> 00:36:01.681
And to Lee's point, this is where our kids are, you know.

00:36:01.681 --> 00:36:03.239
This is why they love playing video games, right?

00:36:03.239 --> 00:36:11.346
Because they can make a mistake, they get killed and then they come back again, and then they make a mistake and they get killed and they come back again and they just continue.

00:36:11.480 --> 00:36:13.539
Mike, you got to say respawn if you want to keep the kids listening.

00:36:13.659 --> 00:36:15.153
Oh, respawn, yeah, respawn, there you go.

00:36:15.153 --> 00:36:15.759
I just made it.

00:36:15.840 --> 00:36:17.606
Make sure we're being accurate here for our audience.

00:36:17.606 --> 00:36:18.088
Go ahead.

00:36:18.108 --> 00:36:21.909
You're respawn and I think I don't know if coaches allow players to respawn enough.

00:36:22.159 --> 00:36:23.164
That's an listen.

00:36:23.164 --> 00:36:24.568
That's a great quote right there.

00:36:24.568 --> 00:36:26.567
I would have write that one down.

00:36:26.586 --> 00:36:27.047
Take that one.

00:36:27.047 --> 00:36:28.585
But I just don't think.

00:36:28.585 --> 00:36:35.547
I think we say we want you to be creative, then you make a creative move and it's wrong, and then you sit the kid Like, well, no, no, you respawn.

00:36:35.547 --> 00:36:37.724
You can do it again and make the same mistake.

00:36:37.724 --> 00:36:45.731
And do it and make the mistake again, and I hope that the and I you know I often use the term with the parents like either they're going to get it or they're not.

00:36:45.731 --> 00:36:48.748
If they're not, they're not, I don't know what to tell you.

00:36:48.748 --> 00:36:49.905
They're just not going to get it.

00:36:49.905 --> 00:37:06.545
So if you, if you just continue to make the same mistake over and over again, and the only way for me to fix that mistake is to is to joystick you into not making it and you're not doing it on your own, at some point that ends for the player, and it might be next month, it might be next year, unfortunately, it might be when they're 18.

00:37:06.545 --> 00:37:14.751
And they've run out of joystick coaching and all of a sudden they're at a place that they got to think by themselves and then it's over.

00:37:14.751 --> 00:37:26.431
So I think it's just a matter of you know what can we do at the earliest ages to allow that player to not only feel the, the, the, the, uh, that, that, that, that their mistakes are not going to hurt them.

00:37:26.431 --> 00:37:27.240
But how?

00:37:27.280 --> 00:37:27.400
can.

00:37:27.440 --> 00:37:38.007
I grow through those mistakes by exploring the game and I think, video, having a coach, that that that takes them out of their team environment and communicating with them.

00:37:38.007 --> 00:37:40.427
These are all really important things for today's athlete.

00:37:40.427 --> 00:37:44.206
You know, whether people like it or not, and they go oh my God, these kids are on the ice too much.

00:37:44.206 --> 00:37:48.126
And well, if they're going to be on the ice a lot, then make it worth the while to be there.

00:37:48.126 --> 00:37:53.286
Like, make those sessions, you know, make those reps count, as opposed to just going out there and skating.

00:37:54.329 --> 00:38:57.724
Yeah, and I think that's a good point, Mike, because eventually you reach the team years and there's just not enough time for error and I think prior to that you can make errors, and so I think I I think that those errors are what's going to make them better at a young age and it's going to make sure that they're ready At the when they reach the higher levels, whether it's U15, like and now is almost a high level Like U15 is like where they're being scouted and evaluated, and so I think for us as coaches skills coaches is our job is to prepare them for that level, and I think there's certain programs that do and there's certain programs that don't, and that's okay, Maybe that's, maybe this player doesn't want to play at a high level, and that's fine, but I still think that there should be programs that are that are allowing a player that wants to get to the high level a clear pathway.

00:38:58.980 --> 00:39:00.005
So I mean, here's another thing.

00:39:00.005 --> 00:39:01.365
I'm, I'm, I'm writing on a lot of notes.

00:39:01.365 --> 00:39:02.081
You're making me think.

00:39:02.081 --> 00:39:11.681
You know one of the things I see at the youth level and keeping in mind too 90 to 95% of coaches at the youth level are probably parents, right?

00:39:11.681 --> 00:39:12.545
Nothing wrong with that.

00:39:12.545 --> 00:39:14.487
I love the volunteer aspect of that.

00:39:14.487 --> 00:39:17.367
The game does not exist without that level of volunteering.

00:39:17.367 --> 00:39:35.367
But one of the things that I've noticed and I I got a prefaces, I'm guilty of this from time to time too, right, cause it and I'm saying that cause this is incredibly hard not to do is that when I'm on a bench with kids, I got to remind myself I'm not here to do play by play for them on the ice.

00:39:35.367 --> 00:39:40.760
And I hear this all the time skater, pass it there, go over there, dude.

00:39:40.760 --> 00:39:49.585
We're telling them what to do almost too much, right, and so I always kind of remind myself they don't need play by play, a need to be coaching the kids on the bench.

00:39:49.585 --> 00:39:57.867
So I always remind myself the kids that are sitting there that can actually hear what I'm saying need to talk to them a little bit more and maybe use what's going on in the ice as an example.

00:39:57.867 --> 00:39:59.463
This was good, this was bad.

00:39:59.463 --> 00:40:00.809
Here's why, right.

00:40:00.809 --> 00:40:16.360
And then when I am looking at the ice and I've seen this happen in might a lot, which is always funny A coach will be yelling at a kid to do something and the kid will just stop and turn and look at the bench because someone, an adult, is yelling and then the puck just goes right by them, right?

00:40:16.360 --> 00:40:23.510
So just kind of reinforcing your, your point, we need to do almost no play by play during these games.

00:40:23.510 --> 00:40:27.489
And again, this goes all the way up, farther than just you know really young kids.

00:40:27.489 --> 00:40:33.806
As a coach, I need to observe, allow them to make the mistakes and let them learn from the mistakes.

00:40:33.806 --> 00:40:39.231
If a kid is playing in the fear of coaches telling me what to do, I need to do that.

00:40:39.231 --> 00:40:44.686
I mean we are destined them to fail because there'll be no creativity, they'll just be fear, right?

00:40:44.686 --> 00:40:46.967
So I quickly love your thoughts on that.

00:40:46.967 --> 00:40:48.643
And again, less play by play.

00:40:48.643 --> 00:40:57.351
And I'll tell you this as a parent it's really hard because you want the kids to do well, you want them to learn, but at some point there's like a, a cliff.

00:40:57.351 --> 00:40:58.094
You go over where it's.

00:40:58.094 --> 00:41:04.025
You're not teaching, you're telling Right, and you're you're playing a video game, you're trying to control everybody.

00:41:04.025 --> 00:41:05.704
That's not conducive for learning.

00:41:06.840 --> 00:41:16.771
Yeah, no, I think, I think there's a, there's a fine line with that, with that statement, because I think we have to give them feedback so they improve.

00:41:17.273 --> 00:41:17.434
Yeah.

00:41:17.820 --> 00:41:20.650
But I think it goes back down to the importance of practice.

00:41:20.650 --> 00:41:27.007
And so what are you working on during the week or at this phase of the development?

00:41:27.007 --> 00:41:31.581
For whether it's mites or, you know, u9, there has to be.

00:41:31.581 --> 00:41:37.146
It goes back to a plan whether it could be shooting Right, like the shot that he took.

00:41:37.146 --> 00:41:42.773
Well, you can speak about how he shot that puck when he comes back off the bench.

00:41:42.773 --> 00:41:54.268
I'm a really the way I was taught just some of the mentors I've been around like really good coaches is there's telling but then there's teaching, and so there needs to be a just.

00:41:54.268 --> 00:41:55.490