ICE ICE ICE!!!!!
Moderators: Mitch Hawker, karl(east)
ICE ICE ICE!!!!!
As our season is ramping up for districts and a hope at regions, I notice all the extra hours that teams are putting in. How many nights a week would you have your daughter practice, and how many nights a week does she want to practice. There is competitiveness and a desire to win, and there is over the top. Any thoughts?
Age and level can make a difference. The level one can be tricky for associations as most like all teams, at each level, to have equal amount of ice time. But, as the season nears the end a Bantam A team may want a little more ice than a Squirt B2 team. Some associations leave actual amount of ice time up to the individual teams as the teams pay for their ice separate from other team fees.
P4 I agree 100%, now is the time for confidence building and unity. Settle the lines in. Some of these seeds are looking at facing top teams from now through March. The district and regions rush is an entirley different game. Coaches are tenser, pressure is on, and the girls feel it themselves. Coming into a big game can be emotionaly and physicaly draining. The talent that teams face is higher and the game is faster. Let the team know they are ready, and reward them, even now, for all their hard work. Tell them they are ready for the challenge ahead.
Observer, we are talking about 14U, 12U, 10U, (there ya go mnhcp) but I get what you are saying. I think what you are talking about is an association issue. Whether or not the A teams are geting equal time. What I am looking for is your opinion on what is enough or to much if your team had as much ice as you wanted.
Observer, we are talking about 14U, 12U, 10U, (there ya go mnhcp) but I get what you are saying. I think what you are talking about is an association issue. Whether or not the A teams are geting equal time. What I am looking for is your opinion on what is enough or to much if your team had as much ice as you wanted.
What age and level?
I'll say 2 games and 3 practices per week, on average. 5 skates per week.
I was sitting at a wedding one time discussing how I'm always driving my kids to hockey and how much they skate. 5-6 hours a week I complained. A woman across the table started laughing and said her daughters are figure skaters in Chicago and that they skate 20 hours a week and twice a day a few times a week. Once at 5:00am and again in the evening. 4 hour sessions on Saturday. Gymnasts can be the same. They make the time we put in look like nothing.
Here's another. A level team players, in accomplished associations, now skate year around. They do their development in the off season. They may not need as many practices as a B level team and go for more games. Frankly the B level team needs more ice and practices as they're behind the A level players in their development as they don't work as hard on their game in the off season. But, the A team needs 6 of them to be ready to join and contribute to the A team next year. Solid coaching and practice plans are more important on the B teams in order to get the kids ready for A level. It rarely happens that way entirely as associations often put their best coaches on the bench of the A teams. Also, your non parent coaches all want to coach at A level and it's difficult to explain they'll have a greater impact, and are more needed, at B.
When this years B players step on the ice for A tryouts next fall you don't want to be able to pick them out. Don't grow the difference between levels, shrink it. That's the developmental challenge.
I'll say 2 games and 3 practices per week, on average. 5 skates per week.
I was sitting at a wedding one time discussing how I'm always driving my kids to hockey and how much they skate. 5-6 hours a week I complained. A woman across the table started laughing and said her daughters are figure skaters in Chicago and that they skate 20 hours a week and twice a day a few times a week. Once at 5:00am and again in the evening. 4 hour sessions on Saturday. Gymnasts can be the same. They make the time we put in look like nothing.
Here's another. A level team players, in accomplished associations, now skate year around. They do their development in the off season. They may not need as many practices as a B level team and go for more games. Frankly the B level team needs more ice and practices as they're behind the A level players in their development as they don't work as hard on their game in the off season. But, the A team needs 6 of them to be ready to join and contribute to the A team next year. Solid coaching and practice plans are more important on the B teams in order to get the kids ready for A level. It rarely happens that way entirely as associations often put their best coaches on the bench of the A teams. Also, your non parent coaches all want to coach at A level and it's difficult to explain they'll have a greater impact, and are more needed, at B.
When this years B players step on the ice for A tryouts next fall you don't want to be able to pick them out. Don't grow the difference between levels, shrink it. That's the developmental challenge.
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InigoMontoya
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D10RoXyourSoX
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Its about ice time IMHO. You need the quality coaching hours. Just having hours with a leader with the title of "coach" does not always compute. Can the lad actually teach, articulate, demonstrate effectively in more than one way. You will need at the very least 100 hours of ice time described above to move the players to the next level. But with so many unknowns this equation cannot work for all associations/AAA teams or programs if you will.
If you practice 4 nights a week, not counting games at an hour and half practices. Which works out really good if you can make it happen. If you want some ideas, I can help show you how to make this happen. So, 4 nights a week at an hour and a half, now your hav 6 ice hours a week not counting games... so if you start in say October and go through Feb, you have 5 months which is 20 weeks. Now you have 120 hours of ice, now your talking. Add your games and now your are at the least, 150-160 hours....Even better. 4 nights a week for practice. That gives you one or two nights for games and Religion.
Now go to your Boards and get the parent group involved and advocate for hour and half practices. It will be so much better for you, your player and your gas bill.
____________________
Go Blue!
If you practice 4 nights a week, not counting games at an hour and half practices. Which works out really good if you can make it happen. If you want some ideas, I can help show you how to make this happen. So, 4 nights a week at an hour and a half, now your hav 6 ice hours a week not counting games... so if you start in say October and go through Feb, you have 5 months which is 20 weeks. Now you have 120 hours of ice, now your talking. Add your games and now your are at the least, 150-160 hours....Even better. 4 nights a week for practice. That gives you one or two nights for games and Religion.
Now go to your Boards and get the parent group involved and advocate for hour and half practices. It will be so much better for you, your player and your gas bill.
____________________
Go Blue!
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drop the puck
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The 90 minute practice times are great concept, problem is rinks schedule hour games too and this mix and match strategy can be difficult to manage. At 12U: three 90 minute practices and one or two games per week (average) is more than adequate.
Andover and a few other associations share part of their ice times to force 90 minute practices into 1 hour schedules. Should be looked at.
Many mid and top figure skaters are either home schooled or attend school (core classes) in the morning and then head to the rink for practice noon - 3PM. I am sure the figure skaters get more ice time in the late afternoon as the HS team's seasons end.
Andover and a few other associations share part of their ice times to force 90 minute practices into 1 hour schedules. Should be looked at.
Many mid and top figure skaters are either home schooled or attend school (core classes) in the morning and then head to the rink for practice noon - 3PM. I am sure the figure skaters get more ice time in the late afternoon as the HS team's seasons end.