CREATING HOCKEY PLAYERS., News (Grand Valley Minor Hockey)

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Jul 09, 2015 | Jon Thompson | 1945 views
CREATING HOCKEY PLAYERS.
In recent years, Canadians have participated in a vigorous debate about how best to teach boys and girls to play the game of hockey. Many Canadians believe we should create and support an elite class of world‐beating players as a primary aim of Canadian hockey. Many others primarily want hockey to be enjoyed by as many people as possible.

In small town Ontario the debate remains strong.  However, what is not debatable is…

WE CAN TEACH AND ENJOY IT

The most important hockey skills to master are most certainly the fundamentals. These are made up of (4) Major Core Skills and like in any sport, you will find that the best hockey players are those that have a profound mastery of the fundamentals. 

These four (4) Major Core Skills are:      
Skating
Stick Handling/Puck Control
Passing
Shooting/Scoring 

All kids learn and grow at different rates and speeds.  And teaching fundamental skills can sometimes monopolize your ice session.  So much so that the kids may not be getting taught “hockey” until it’s too late in the season.    

So how can WE make it better?                     What can WE do to improve? 

Let us try something different.  This year those that elect to play the great game of hockey in Grand Valley will get to be involved in the following: 

i)  PowerskatingGetting off on the right foot is important.  This season we are introducing a powerskating program in advance of our hockey season.  This will ensure the kids get their feet under them prior to playing the game. 

ii) Weekly Skills Development NightIn the book Outliers, author Malcolm Gladwell says that it takes roughly ten thousand hours of practice to achieve mastery in a field. How does Gladwell arrive at this conclusion? Gladwell studied the lives of extremely successful people to find out how they achieved success.  Give it a read – profound. 

iii) Certified & Experienced Fundamental Coaches - Without the thousands of coaches who volunteer their time and step behind the bench every season, there would be no hockey in Canada.  However, our team Coaches cannot be at the rink 7 days a week.  So GVDMH has procured the services of ASPIRE HOCKEY to bring their fundamentals program to operate our skills night and powerskating sessions. 

iv) More Practice Time – Free Up Sessions - This will allow our coaches to mostly focus their practice efforts on Strategy, Team Play, Team Tactics, Individual Tactics and of course FUN,,,while ASPIRE HOCKEY will focus on fundamental development.

You want to get better and you want to have fun - then you don’t want to miss this coming season here in the
Valley… GO TWISTERS!!!

Sponsors
Silverdale Motors
Proudly serving the Grand Valley area for over 35 years. Silverdale Motors is a full service automotive repair and maintenance facility working on all makes and models. We are a family run business that has been serving the Grand Valley and surrounding area for over 35 years. We pride ourselves in doing quality work with quality parts and earning the trust of our customers.
Amaranth Aggregates
Amaranth Aggregates prides themselves on being a small family run organization, with the customer always in the forefront of their continued success. Amaranth Aggregates provides the following services: Excavating Grading Snow Removal Landscape Services Float Service Septic install, design, repair Trucking Thank you to Amaranth Aggregates for sponsoring GVDMH this year!
Grand Valley & District Fire Department
Established in 1952, the Grand Valley & District Fire Department provides fire services for the communities of Amaranth, East Garafraxa and Grand Valley. Grand Valley & District Fire Department is ready to respond to emergencies 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days a year. The department responds to fires, motor vehicle incidents, medical emergencies, utility emergencies, carbon monoxide alarms and performs rescue services, along with other public services.
Orica
Thank you to Orica for sponsoring the GVDMH association again this year! Orica is the world’s largest provider of commercial explosives and innovative blasting systems to the mining, quarrying, oil and gas and construction markets, a leading supplier of sodium cyanide for gold extraction, and a specialist provider of ground support services in mining and tunnelling. Our purpose is to make our customers successful, every day, all around the world. We take pride in operating safely, responsibly and sustainably. Together, these enable us to grow and create enduring value for our shareholders.
Hillside Automotive
Hillside Automotive Inc. is a full service auto repair shop serving Grand Valley, Amaranth, East Luther and surrounding areas. At Hillside Automotive, they take pride in their outstanding customer service, timely repairs and fair prices. From oil changes to brake services to diagnostics and much more, Hillside does it all! Hillside is located at 12 Amaranth Street West in Grand Valley.
Grace E Brown Insurance
Thank you to Grace E Brown Insurance in Grand Valley for their Bronze sponsorship this season! Please be sure to stop in at 29 Main Street in Grand Valley to see Cole for all of your insurance needs. 519-928-3320