Kia ora Hockey Whānau,
Recently, the Board has received several inquiries from one of our larger clubs regarding play styles and player development in preparation for international tournaments. At the heart of these questions lies our philosophy on coaching, player development, and the structure of hockey in New Zealand.
In my view, effective player development begins at the 10U level. It’s about setting our players up for success by implementing evidence-based approaches to skill development. It requires the sharing of key coaching strategies and techniques across clubs and regions. When we raise the standard of play across the league, it benefits everyone.
As a result, we’re excited to trial a new initiative:
the Coach’s Notes bulletin. Over the coming months, we’ll be inviting a selection of highly respected coaches to share their thoughts with our community.
Today, we’re launching
Coach’s Notes with a few words from Ian Wannamaker, the IHNZ Head Coach, on the benefits of cross rink hockey. It is a powerful tool for both ice and inline player development, especially for younger players like the 10Us.
As Sidney Crosby said, “You have to be able to make plays in pretty small areas. The more you practice in small spaces, the better off you are.”
To complement Ian’s insights, we’ve included a couple of links to resources on the benefits of cross rink hockey for young players:
Ngā manaakitanga,
Asbjorn.
