MASTERING THE ART OF HOCKEY
In the following pages are the questions
and answers taken from the full course, Tips From the Pros. The full course
consists of ten books in a series and is a 30-week program which, of course,
can be completed in less time depending on the desire of the player. However,
just knowing the questions and answers will take you a long way towards
a better knowledge of the game of hockey. Certainly the How, When, Where,
Why, and the How for many of the tips requires the full course. Some of
the questions are easily answered by any player with some knowledge of
hockey, but often just considering the question will reinforce their opinions.
Others of the questions are not so readily available, but by asking them
and looking up the answers will, hopefully, put them into your memory bank
for future reference. In the latter case, the answers can be considered
axioms that apply not only to hockey, but to any endeavor. Whenever you
ask yourself a question, it gets you thinking and that is what coaches
are looking for - players who can go beyond the always present, "We
must work harder," and reach the stage where they do a little of,
"We must think harder."
The ten books in the series each contain
tips on a specific aspect of hockey. The following areas are covered: General;
Attitude; Conditioning and Practice; Defense; Offense; Shooting; Puckhandling
and Passing; Faking and Deking; Skating; Winning. The full course is taken
directly from the books and is divided into 30 modules or 30 weeks, however
you look at it. Rather than plow through one book at a time, each module
contains sections of different books in order to add some variety. For
the purposes of the following questions, the first capitalized and bold
word in the heading represents the book in which the question is covered.
The second represents the chapter of the book.
The course was designed; hopefully, to provide
some tips that may not be available at an expensive hockey school. By providing
situations where questions and answers can be discussed, both father and
son will benefit beyond improvement of hockey skills. Just the idea that
a player will think about some of the intracacies of hockey, will enable
him to escape the ever-present demand that more hard work is needed. Yes,
hard work is necessary for any worthwhile achievement, but it also takes
a lot of hard thinking. Behind every successful hockey player is a mentor
- someone who takes a special interest in a player's future. In most cases
it is Dad, but often specific coaches, brothers, or even Moms have provided
that extra level of advice, encouragement, praise, and even some criticism
when necessary.
By taking the questions and giving them some
thought, you will become a better hockey player. They will suggest areas
where you can put your practice time to more productive use. Where the
answer is self-evident, the 'gem' of wisdom may be located in the answer.
You may not agree with all the answers, but that is OK. Often the rules
of successful play are not hard and fast. And what applies in one situation
may be disastrous in another. The whole procedure will go a long way towards
building your confidence and self-esteem. In the final analysis, coaches
are always looking for players who can best combine the three aspects of
a complete player:
1) Body - Conditioning, Fitness, Practice.
2) Skills- Shooting, Puckhandling, Faking,
Skating.
3) Mind- General knowledge of the game, Attitude,
Offense, Defense, Winning and Team Play. Hopefully this self-test will
get you thinking, and give you some valuable tips on what to practice,
and how to move your game to a higher level. You will become more aware
whenever the terms come up in general hockey conversation which they surely
will.
Return to Top
GENERAL ATTITUDE 
1) Give two excellent sources of hockey instruction.
2) Trophies and awards are an indication of what you will do tomorrow!
True or False?
3) More important than the goal set for yourself, is the _________ to reach
that goal.
4) Who originated the statement: "If you believe that you can do something,
or if you believe you cannot, in either case you are probably right."?
Clue: think of a huge automobile company.
5) Provide the term used by coaches for players who receive instruction
well, and do not get too upset when their performance is criticized. _____________-
6) We compete with other teams, we may even compete in a friendly way with
our teammates but the main competition is with _____________.
7) What is the term that best describes the following statement? "Everything
I do on the ice must be exactly the right thing to do." _________." Is this a good way to look at hockey?
8) Who is credited with the following? "I'm not scared. I'm not afraid
to fail."? Clue: The greatest basketball player of all time who made
an attempt at professional baseball.
9) The fundamentals are the building blocks on which ________ performance
depends.
10) Before a new tip or skill can become a habit in game performance, what
is the main requirement?
11) What is a major obstacle to reaching your goals?
12) Successful players think in terms of _____________ rather than problems.
13 A coach who is always demanding more will soon have a revolt on his
hands. True or False?
14 Genuine confidence is not just believing 'I can' but also '__ _____'.
15) Who is the author of the much repeated statement: "Enthusiasm
is the driving force which elevates men to miracle workers. It begets boldness,
courage, kindles confidence, overcomes doubt. It creates endless energy
- the source of all accomplishment."? Clue: this is a tough one, but
the words should be deeply ingrained. He is a former U.S. president and
his words will also appear later.
GENERAL ATTITUDE
1)Hockey books in your library, Videos in your video store
2) False. If they cause you to lose enthusiasm, there may be no more in your future.
3)Plan
4) Henry Ford
5)Coachable
6)Ourselves
7) Perfectionism
No! Nobody ever reaches perfection. Even Gretzky made some bad passes. The objective is to make more good moves than bad.
8) Michael Jordan
9) Game
10)Repetition over a period of time.
11)Self-doubt
12)Challenges, solutions
13)False. It depends on the attitude players take and whether or not he is demanding much from himself.
14) I will
15)Calvin Coolidge
Return
To Top Return to Home Page
For details, additions, or suggestions contact: mail@hockeycorner.com
THE HOCKEY CORNER
73 Roberts Cres.
Red Deer, Alberta
T4P 3K7 Canada
Copyright 1999 All rights reserved.
