In this video, taken from Module 1.2 of www.howtoplayhockey.ca we explore the term in hockey support and the various definitions and its impact on team performance. At the 30 second mark of the video we discuss examples of mental, physical, and vocal support in hockey. Just committing mentally to a transition from offense to defense upon loss of puck possession prepares a player to physically support his/her teammates. Check out the quick video and share a story where your team supported one another or tools you use as a coach to encourage support in hockey in the comments below.
In the words of my leadership training mentor Mark McGregor:
A lot of this stuff is common sense, but you’ll often find it’s not common PRACTICE.
Examples of Support in Hockey:
Vocal Support: Call for the puck. Yell ‘heads up’ when your partner is under pressure. Be alive on the bench when someone is coming for a change. Call a switch on defense.
Mental Support: Make the decision to switch from offense to defense when you sense your team is about to turn over the puck so you are early on the backcheck. Not supporting mentally in an instance like this is considered selfish and can lead to poor defense, poor team play, and lack of trust from a coach and teammates.
Physical Support: A center cutting across the ice to receive a pass from the defense or winger. Staying between your check and the net (defensive side positioning). A center sagging off the defense in the corner in a position to jump on a loose puck or play one on one if the defenseman gets beat out of the corner. One defenseman hinging / staggering off the other defenseman in the neutral zone. A winger battling on the defensive side of a scrum instead of speculating on the offensive side.
Support in Team Sports:
If you want to just worry about yourself, play golf or chess. Hockey is an amazing team game that calls on players to help each other have success. Setting up a goal, creating space, or bailing out a teammate who gets beat are all examples of support.
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