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Lisa Brown Tips Email Archive
Subject: How to get smart in ringette
I'm on a bit of a rant right now...
I watched the AA Wood tournament in Edmonton, and
I was pretty disappointed by what I saw.
I saw many players with great talent making mistakes
they could have easily avoided.
The play that really bothered me was when I watched
an offensive line set up a beautiful free pass play
that ended in a shot. It was perfect, except for one
thing: nobody bothered to screen the goalie.
My sister had the most powerful wrist shot in the
world for 10 years, and even she couldn't score
off the free pass without a screen.
It made me realize that the best ringette players
have a powerful secret weapon: their brain!
Being a great ringette player isn’t just about wrist shots and
skating. It’s about being smart.
Playing smart is the difference between scoring and not
scoring, getting burned or not, and winning and losing.
Here's something you can pass along to your players:
The best thing any player can do to improve is watch
ringette with a quiet mind--starting with National Ringette
League games and continuing with your own opponents.
Let me be specific...
Here are some things to watch for:
GOALIES:
Anticipate shots by learning to recognize certain parts of a player's shot.
Watch the other team’s players carefully.
1) What do their shoulders do before they shoot?
2) What do their hands do?
3) Where do they like to shoot? Do they have a favorite spot?
A wind up for a low shot looks a lot different than a high shot
(at any level). Shooters give away where they are going to shoot
by their body direction and momentum.
FORWARDS:
Score more goals by analyzing the other team’s defence and goalie.
1) What kind of triangle do they play? Is it aggressive or passive?
2) What are the goalie’s weaknesses? Five hole? Glove hand?
3) Is there a defender on the other team who gets out of position easily?
DEFENDERS:
Stonewall forwards by knowing their favorite moves, skating patterns,
and shooting spots.
1) What kind of break-out does the other team use?
2) Which players crash the triangle and which players shoot from the outside?
3) How do they like to move the ring in the offensive end?
If you pay attention to these things during games,
you'll not only be smarter, you'll be more focused...that's a promise. :)
Subject: Skate circles
around your competition
Here’s a quick tip to help your athletes be superior skaters…
Skating Efficiency
Skating efficiency sounds complicated, but it’s actually a
simple idea: every time you stride, get the very most speed
and power in return for your energy.
Inefficient skaters are slower AND they get tired more easily.
To be efficient, you must have every part of your body going
in the same direction. A first step you can take with your
athletes is to teach them to reach and pull with their arms.
Too many athletes get their upper body going from side to side
rather than forward and back.
Check out these pics:
www.ringetteretreat.com/images/new/side_side.jpg
www.ringetteretreat.com/images/new/reach_pull.jpg
Have your athletes skate in waves from goal line to goal line.
The first time through, ask the girls to swing their arms from side
to side and really exaggerate it. They should notice they feel slower.
The next time through, ask them to move their arms forward and
back and exaggerate this motion.
Changing your skating stride takes time. If your athletes do this
simple ‘efficiency’ exercise every practice for the next month,
they’ll be quicker… and skating will feel easier for them!
Subject:
Steal the ring using this flawless forechecking system
To be a complete player, an athlete must understand her
specific job in the forecheck.
Your athletes' specific job on the forecheck depends on
the system you use.
Most teams use a system where two players forecheck
together. In this '2 on' system, the athletes have
very different jobs.
1) The first forechecker - this person's job is to
CHANNEL the ring carrier. Too often, the first
forechecker makes the mistake of going for the check.
Containing and channelling the ring carrier means using
your body to force the ring carrier to slow down, stop,
or skate towards a trap zone (along the boards).
The biggest mistake the first forechecker makes is skating
either too far or too close to the ring carrier. If she
stays too far away from the ring carrier, she will not
force her to slow down, stop, or go to the boards.
If the forechecker skates too close to the ring carrier,
or gets lazy and doesn't use stop and start skating, the
ring carrier will skate around the forechecker easily.
2) The second forechekcer - this person's job is to steal
the ring. She comes in on the opposite side of the first
forechecker and works her butt off to make the steal
legally. This can take time and effort!
The biggest mistake this athlete makes is arriving too late.
Her job is to support the first forechecker and be ready to
make the steal as soon as forechecker #1 slows down the ring
carrier. This athlete is 'picking the ring carrier's pocket'
by timing her checking just right with forechecker #1.
3) The center -the center's best bet is to mark tightly.
What works is for the center to pick up the '3rd woman' -
usually the other center - coming out the zone.
4) The defenders - Their job is to mark in the neutral zone.
While this doesn't seem like it's necessarily related to
forechecking, it really is.
If your D don't mark well, the other team's defence can make
a quick pass out of their own end. This means your
forecheckers don't have time to do their job.
On the other hand, if the opponent's ring carrier can't find
anyone open in the neutral zone, she has to either give the
ring away or circle back in her own end. This is the kind of
'full team forechecking' that forces the other team to either
turn the ring over OR burn most of their shot clock.
Subject: Teach your
athletes how to steal the ring
Here are some tips for how to steal the ring from another player.
There are 3 secrets to perfecting the skill of
individual checking:
1) Dazzling foot speed:
It’s no accident that the best checkers are also the
fastest skaters.
To become a world class checker, have your athletes work on
their foot speed off the ice by practicing plyometrics
and other jumping exercises designed to work on speed
and explosiveness.
Go here to see examples of plyometrics:
http://www.ringetteretreat.com/images/new/front_back.avi
http://www.ringetteretreat.com/images/new/side_side.avi
On the ice, use this acceleration drill to improve their speed:
2) Crisp stops & starts:
The lazy way to forecheck is to tight turn (make a 'big swoop')
when the ring carrier changes direction. An athlete will never
steal the ring using the lazy method.
Teach your athletes to stop on a dime and start quickly to
keep up with the ring carrier. Great forecheckers have mastered
the art of stopping and starting so their body is always right where
the ring carrier wants to go.
Encourage your players to learn to stop both ways perfectly.
This means they should practice on their weak side more than
their strong side.
Also, in practice, praise athletes who push their limits.
Every time they stop, they should do it on a dime. Here's
the key thing to tell them: 'If you fall... great. That means
you pushed yourself hard and that's how you'll improve'.
3) Tough work ethic:
Perhaps above all else, checking is about working hard.
If your athletes understand how important checking is, they'll
put in more effort.
If they understand that checking is hard work, they won’t
give up before your own team’s ringette line.
This is a mind frame and you want your players to
think this way... starting now! Help them by really
praising the girls who work hard during the forecheck
and don't give up before your own team's ringette line.
Subject: Self-acceptance and winning in ringette
Here is another mental toughness tip for your daughter...
************
By Lisa Brown
At just 15 years old, Australian swimmer Leisel Jones
won a silver medal at the Olympics--something most
athletes need a lifetime to accomplish.
To the world she was an athletic phenomenon, a champion blessed
with prodigious talent.
Leisel, however, saw herself as an awkward girl with knock-knees,
--anything but special.
She says: 'I just hated the person I was.
Being thrust into the limelight and being told to grow up
was incredibly hard. I berated myself for not living up to
everyone's standards.'
It didn't take long before these negative feelings about
herself started to erode her performance.
The media was so disappointed with her post-Olympic swims
they criticized her for not being able to handle the limelight.
6 years later, Leisel has a new coach and a new attitude.
Instead of criticizing herself all the time, she decided to
make her self-esteem a priority.
She even developed a life outside sport.
Her coach – Stephan Widmer - supported this decision.
As a trainer he focuses on the ‘human being’ in his athletes.
He says, 'She didn’t have mental problems, she had an
identity problem.'
Now, Australians can’t get enough of this new young woman
with a strong sense of identity.
And what of her results in the pool?
She's on a tear, smashing two world records at the
recent Commonwealth Games trials. Her sport life and
self-esteem are finally in harmony.
Self-Acceptance and Winning
I like Leisel's story because so many ringette athletes
think they need to criticize themselves harshly if they
want to succeed.
They know self-criticism is killing their self-esteem, but
they think they need it to motivate themselves.
It never occurs to them that they could accept themselves
and be highly motivated at the same time.
The key is to learn the difference between CONSTRUCTIVE
and DESTRUCTIVE criticism.
Here's an example of destructive self-criticism:
'Sue, your shooting accuracy is terrible today. You'd better
play alot better or you're going to get benched.'
Here's an example of constructive self-criticism:
'Sue, your accuracy is shaky because you're nervous
and not looking at your target when you shoot. I want you
to make the goalie move, see the mesh, and bury it like you
know you can!'
Do you see the difference?
The first one is an insult. The second one is a request.
Destructive self-criticism is basically insulting
and scaring yourself by suggesting you'll fail.
Constructive self-criticism is acknowledging the problem
and then ASKING yourself for what you want.
Ringette athletes who succeed constantly ask themselves for more.
Ringette athletes who fail are always putting themselves down.
It's a fine line, but easy to spot if you pay attention to
your inner self.
The more you accept yourself, the more you relax,
and the better you perform.
Mental Toughness Exercise
Here's a simple exercise to raise your self-acceptance.
Take a blank sheet of paper and write the following
sentence at the top:
If I were 5% more self-accepting today--
Then, write down 5-10 different endings to this sentence.
You'll see some repetition, but strive for new endings.
Do this exercise every day for 2 weeks,
and watch your self-acceptance rise.
I
Subject: How to defend a 2 vs 1 attack
In ringette, most goals are scored on
fast breaks and odd man rushes.
An 'odd man rush' is when the other team
gets a 2 vs 1 or 3 vs 2 against you.
Like this:
http://www.ringetteretreat.com/images/new/d_2v1.jpg
As a defender, you need to learn tricks
for shutting the other team down when
they are driving at your net with speed.
The general rule in a 2 vs 1 is that the defender
takes away one option and leaves the other option for the goalie.
If the defender takes away the pass,
the goalie knows the ring carrier will shoot.
If the defender takes away the shot, the goalie anticipates a pass.
Here's exactly how to defend a 2 vs 1:
1) When the 2 attackers are skating between your blue
line and the hash marks, you'll want to take away the pass.
Since the shooter is too far away from the net to get a
quality shot, you can safely take away the pass.
To take away the pass, skate backwards, get low, and
put your stick flat low to the ice. Take the passing lane away.
You can move slightly closer to the player without the ring.
However, stay in the middle enough to be able to switch
your focus to the ring carrier if and when the time comes.
In this situation your goalie will anticipate the shot and
push out to take away the angles.
2) When the 2 attackers are at the hash marks or below,
you'll want to take the ring carrier.
At this point, the ring carrier is now a threat to score
because she is close to the Hot Spot. She is now the most
dangerous player and you must take her.
To take away the shot, challenge the ring carrier
aggressively and channel her away from the Hot Spot.
In this situation the goalie anticipates the pass
and plays slightly deeper in her net.
And: talk to your defenders, your goalie, and your coach.
This is a team strategy everyone must agree on.
Subject: Score goals by disguising your shot
Here is an article we recently sent to Ringette Retreat
athletes. We thought you might be able to use these tips
with your team...
By Lisa Brown
By the time you hit Petites and Tweens, you will start to
notice that you need 'new weapons' to score goals.
Athletes who score 3 goals per game at the novice level
often struggle as they get older because
their shot is too predictable.
A shot is usually predictable because the athlete has
a big wind up or a big follow through. Check out these pics:
1) Wind up:
http://www.ringetteretreat.com/images/new/back_swing_sm.jpg
2) Follow through:
http://www.ringetteretreat.com/images/new/lunge_sm.jpg
How to Disguise Your Shot
You can learn to disguise your shot. One option is to shoot off
your 'opposite foot'. If you shoot right handed, you usually
release the ring with your weight on your left (front) foot:
http://www.ringetteretreat.com/images/new/front_foot_sm.jpg
Shooting off your opposite foot means releasing the ring when
you are on your right (back) foot. (It's the opposite for
left handed shots.) This picture shows an athlete shooting off
her back foot:
http://www.ringetteretreat.com/images/new/back_foot_sm.jpg
To shoot off your back foot, you must be able to raise the ring
with power and accuracy without using your backswing or weight
transfer. This requires strong wrists and a quick 'wrist snap'.
The benefit of being able to shoot off your back foot is that
your shot is unpredictable. Without a big wind-up, you can
release the ring quickly, before the defence and goalie have
time to anticipate it.
Subject: The magic of optimism in ringette
Have you ever noticed how easy it is to become
pessimistic while playing ringette?
Apparently, pessimism is normal for human beings.
When facing a tough challenge, most people tend to give up
(sooner or later). It's been proven in
psychological experiments for over 25 years.*
How about you?
How do you react when bad things happen
during a ringette game?
Some athletes have learned to respond optimistically.
However, most athletes respond pessimistically.
Pessimism means that when you suffer a setback (something
bad happens), you think it is going to continue.*
For example: You are playing ringette and the other team
scores 3 goals in a row.
Most athletes, when faced with this situation, become
pessimistic and start to play passively.
Without realizing it, they start to believe
nothing they do will make a difference in the game.
Pessimism is bad news because it destroys your
desire to LEARN.
Most of the time when we fail in ringette, it's not bad luck.
We just don't know HOW to play better, and we need to
learn something new.
Example: If the other team is scoring easily, chances are you
need a new defensive strategy. Maybe you're not
marking your check closely enough, or maybe you're trying to
get the ring instead of channelling forwards away from the net.
If you've practiced being optimistic, you'll quickly start
looking for ways to improve your defence. As your
defence improves, you'll naturally become more hopeful...
and hope is the stuff of champions.
My sister, Cara, one of the best ringette players
who ever lived, was excellent at creating hope in
awful circumstances.
In the 1998 World Championships, we got
clobbered 10-2 in the first period vs. Finland. In the dressing
room in between periods, the players looked pretty
shell-shocked.
I don't think there was a shred of hope left among us.
Cara gathered us together and said, 'Okay. This game is
basically over. Now our job is to LEARN for the next two
periods. We're going to play them again tomorrow and when
we do, it's going to be different.'
That's exactly what we did. We ended up losing the first
game 19-5. It was the most humiliating loss all of us
had ever experienced.
But the next day, we beat Finland 8-7 in overtime.
In the parking lot after the game, one of the parents walked
up to me and said, 'I have no idea how your
team came back like that.'
I smiled. I knew it was the magic of optimism.
Subject: Keep the ring when you're being checked
There are 3 secrets to keeping the ring when you're being checked:
#1 Skate - move your feet at top speed and 'head for daylight'
#2 Hide the ring by 'building a wall' with your body
#3 Get to the middle of the ice (away from areas where you can be trapped)
Most players have practiced 1 and 2, but don't
realize how important it is to get to the middle of the ice
when trying to keep the ring under pressure.
Smart checkers will force you to the boards and try to
trap you there.
No matter how much you move your feet and hide the ring,
you're still probably going to get checked if you are right along the boards.
Even if you DON'T get checked, you will only be able to see a tiny part of the
ice. If one of your
teammates is wide open on the far side of the ice,
you won't be able to get the ring to her.
The next time you are in practice, make a secret rule
for yourself that you can't pass the ring over the blue line
until you skate to the centre of the ice first.
Doing this exercise will force you to move your feet like crazy and
fight to get to the middle of the ice (head for daylight) before you pass.
You'll get checked less often and from the middle of the ice
you'll be able to make a smart pass to anyone on your team who is open.
Notice how many fast breaks your team gets when you make
intelligent passes!
Subject: How to be an offensive defender
There are two ways to play defense in ringette:
defensively and offensively.
When you're playing a 'defensive defender' style,
you always think of their own team's safety first.
In this mode, you will not typically rush up the ice during the break out
and you will almost never end up in the offensive zone.
When you're playing an 'offensive defender' style,
you'll think of your team's safety, but take risks often.
You'll regularly rush up ice during the break out
and play in the offensive zone several times per game.
Tips on Being an Offensive Defender
As a defender, your first job is to learn how to
be a solid defensive defender. Then you can experiment with
becoming more daring.
When you're ready, here are some tips for 'rushing' responsibly:
--In practice, shoot like you mean it!
Too many defenders shoot half-heartedly in practice
because they assume they'll never shoot in games.
The reality is that you may not get many chances to score,
but the shots you do get will be choice because they'll be on fast
breaks--and the goalies won't know you.
Make sure you're ready to score when the time comes.
--Rush up ice ONLY when you see that your defense partner
or the center are staying back in good defensive position.
NEVER rush up ice if you are the last player back on your team,
no matter how good the offensive opportunity looks.
Nothing upsets a defender more than being hung out
to dry by her defense partner.
--If you get the ring in the offensive end,
take your speed to the net and try for a fast break scoring chance
(by either shooting yourself or driving and then passing).
If you don't score on the fast break, fight for your rebound.
If you don't get it, leave the zone immediately.
Your job is to get back into a position
where you can mark your check.
--Regularly talk to your defense partner
about how the two of you want to work together.
Do you both want to rush up the ice sometimes?
Does one of you want to do all the rushing
while the other one always stays back?
If you're honest and flexible, you'll be able
to work out stellar teamwork.
Subject: A neat trick for frustrating forwards
There's a neat trick for taking away the scoring punch
of forwards.
It's here:
http://www.ringetteretreat.com/page/bother_sho
Subject: How to defend against a star player
Q. Lisa, what is the best way to stop a player whom is very fast
and shifty and can skate with the ring? In fact she likes to hot dog it alot
and not pass. How do you defend against a really good player like this?
A. Here are 3 tips on defending against a player that can control the ring
but doesn't like to pass:
1] The first thing to do is make it difficult for her to get the ring in the
first
place. This requires tight man-on coverage on her. Have one of your
players cover her all over the ice.
Her team will be looking to pass to her, which will give your players
an opportunity to make an interception.
The defensive coverage on this particular player needs to be very close--
close enough that it will be difficult for her to receive a pass cleanly.
The girl marking her needs to be close enough to able to touch her jersey --
but agile enough to always stay goal side (between her and the net).
2] If she does get the ring, the objective of your players should be to force
her into a trap zone
rather than try and check her in open ice.
A trap zone is an area on the ice that she could be checked more easily, e.g.,
along the boards or
behind the net.
If she has the tendency not to pass, she should be easy to trap
either along the boards with a two-on forecheck.
The first player on the forecheck should try to stop her or slow her down
(not try to get the ring). The first checker will have to stay in front of this
player
and use stop and start skating. The second player on the forecheck should come
in and steal the
ring.
If you are always marking her and then sending 2 players to check her when she
is not near the net,
this will exhaust her physically and mentally.
It's not even necessary that you get the ring from her all the time --
if she is exhausted, she will find it hard to shoot well and do major damage.
3] Finally: make sure you watch her shooting tendencies very carefully and adapt
your triangle and
goaltending to anticipate her shots. She will tend to rely on a few select shots
over and over again
and become frustrated when they don't work.
The most important thing is to shut her down offensively, and if your defense
and goaltenders learn to read her well, you can neutralize her.
Subject: How to handle setbacks in ringette
Q. Lisa, how do I stay positive when faced with challenges in ringette?
A. You don't.
When faced with setbacks, challenges, or problems in ringette,
you will naturally feel angry, frustrated, and disappointed.
This is because anger is desire contaminated by helplessness.
You want to win and perform well, but because of a setback,
you temporarily feel powerless to do so.
If your frustration is natural in these situations,
you will stop putting pressure on yourself to feel good
when you are not performing well.
Rather than telling yourself to be positive when things
are collapsing around you, ask yourself for optimism instead.
Here's why: being positive means finding something good in the situation, e.g.,
'It's great that I lost that game because I need a day off.'
The problem with trying to be positive is that there may
not be anything good about the problem you are facing.
Optimism is not being positive.
Optimism is the ability to find hope by believing
that the challenges you are facing are temporary.
In 1998 we went to Europe with the National Team
to play a 5 game series against Finland for the Summit Series.
We lost the first game 19-5, which, as you know,
is a really high score in ringette.
At the first period, we were down 8-1 to Finland.
My sister gathered us together and said, 'This game's over now.
We have only 1 job left today, and that's to learn, because
we're going to see this team again tomorrow.'
The next day, we beat the same Finnish team 8-7 in overtime.
I remember walking to the back of the bus where the coach was sitting.
He turned to me and said, 'I have no idea how we just won that game.'
I smiled. I knew it was the magic of optimism.
Mental Toughness Exercise
To find optimism while losing or playing poorly,
release yourself from the burden of trying to be happy and positive
right away.
Instead, just try to be optimistic. Find as many rational reasons
as possible to believe your slump is temporary. Then, quietly channel
your anger into performing better.
Soon, you'll have something to celebrate, and your confidence
will return.
If you're like most athletes, you know that winning takes
a lot more than just luck and timing - although these can play a part.
The good things in life, such performing well under pressure
and winning a big event, don't always come easy.
It requires some real work on your part - like it or not.
Subject: How to make your triangle a fortress
In 2000, Team Canada lost the World Championships to Finland
by just one goal.
After the game, the Canadian players tried to figure out exactly
why they had lost.
They quickly realized that on almost every goal, it was as if
the Finns had 'come out of nowhere' to score.
To learn what captain Laura Warner did to shut down the
sneaky Finns in 2002, click here:
Subject: Cool offensive plays for you
Do you like it when your team scores right off the free pass?
How about when your team is unpredictable in the offensive zone?
Here are some killer offensive plays for you to try with your team.
They're here:
http://www.ringetteretreat.com/page/offens_pla
Subject: Psyching up for that big game
Q. Lisa, how do I psyche myself up so I'm confident before that 'big' game?
A. Different players psyche up different ways. Today I'm going to give you
one tip. Try it to see if it works for you. Later, I'll give you a
new strategy, and you can try it, too.
Eventually you'll work out the perfect pre-game routine for yourself.
Psyche Up Tip #1: Positive Sentence in Warm Up
In your 2 minute on ice warm up, train your mind to repeat
the same sentence to yourself over and over.
Begin repeating this sentence in your mind the moment your skates
hit the ice, and continue repeating it until your team gathers for the cheer.
What should this sentence be?
You must invent it for yourself, but it's a positive sentence
aobut yourself based on your unique strengths as an player.
It may take some time to come up with a statement
of your own. One time on the National Team bus we were talking it,
and one player just could not think of a statement for herself.
She was a total sniper, but all she could come up with was,
'I score goals.'
I told her this sentence was Ok, but not the most positive thing
she could say to herself.
I asked her to go the back of the bus and set her watch to beep
every 5 minutes. I suggested that every time her watch goes off,
she force herself to come up with a new sentence.
About 20 minutes later she ran up to the front of the bus to see me.
'I've got one!' she said excitedly.
'What is it?' I was definitely curious.
My sentence is, 'I've got the moves.' Her face was flushed with pride.
She was right. She DID have the moves. After that, she repeated
this sentence to herself constantly in warm up. It calmed her nerves
before big games.
Subject: Here's how to reduce interceptions on your team
Q: Lisa, I'm having a hard time getting my players to stay in front of the
person marking them when
receiving a pass.
Our players keep skating behind the defense person who is marking them, and as a
result a lot of our
passes are being intercepted.
Do you have any suggestions or drills to combat this bad habit?
The only other tactic I can think of is bouncing the pass off the boards, but
that can become
predictable.
A. First, if you haven't already done so, I suggest a good chat with your team
about WHY it is
better to be in front of the defender because the players may not realize that
it is a bad position
to be in.
This is good time for empathy: in the team meeting, have your defensemen give
their opinion about
marking players that stay behind them.
Usually they will say that it is easy to intercept passes intended to those
players.
The next technique you can use is video. Video a game and have the team watch it
(don't point out
errors, just ask them to watch this part of the game carefully).
Often players are completely unaware they are making an error (and may not even
care about it) until
they see themselves on tape. Then, they become immediately conscious of it and
prepared to correct
it. You CAN point out when players stay in front of their check and receive a
pass.
Third, I recommend you run a few breakout drills and have your players attempt
to receive the ring
both ways. Have the forwards try to get open in the neutral zone behind the
defenders; then, have
the forwards try to get open by getting in front of the defenders. Take time
afterwards to discuss
what happened in both drills.
Hopefully this experimenting will lead the team to realize the benefits of
staying in front of the
defender. Sometimes athletes need to come to their own conclusions in order to
change (we can be
stubborn and cling to old ways of doing things no matter what the coach says!).
Also, talk about skating towards the ring (have a player demo it if required).
Many players may
start out in front of the defender but when the pass is made they wait for the
ring to come to
them...and the opponent skates toward the ring and intercepts.
Subject: How to score on the defensive triangle
The easiest way to score on the triangle is to attack the bottom defender.
As you know, most goals are scored from right on the crease - from the 'hot
spot'. To get to the
hot spot, you have to get past the defence first.
The smartest way to do this is to pick one defensive player in the triangle
and beat her.
Too many ringette forwards try to beat two or three defenders at a time - they
attack the top of the
defensive triangle.
Click the link below to finish this article...
http://www.ringetteretreat.com/page/isolate_d
Subject: Should you dump the ring?
Q. Hi Lisa, I have a question, is there ever a time to dump the ring across two
lines in order to
get a line change or to relieve pressure on a player? We are trying to decide if
it is a good
strategy or not.
A. I recommend AGAINST dumping the ring over two blue lines. Here's why:
1. You always want to train your players that 'possession is king.'
This means that they should always choose to 'eat' the ring (get checked)
over dumping it away.
Over time they will get better at skating with the ring and make smart passes.
If you train them to dump the ring, they will get into a bad habit and actually
become afraid of
pressure from checkers.
2. Dumping the ring ensures you will lose possession and that the ring will
return to your end. You
are better off giving the ring back to your goalie or freezing it if you have
to. You may get lucky
and the ref may give the ring back to you after a freeze.
3. In general, train your players to play CLOSE to each other and call for the
ring This is called
supporting the ring carrier. The biggest mistake all teams make
(including Open AA teams) is being too far away from the ring carrier -- there
should be one
teammate 6 to 8 feet away at all times calling for the ring
in case the ring carrier gets in trouble.
Subject: How to cope with a bad loss
Q. Lisa, how do I get my players to stop being negative to each
other after games we lose? They say things like, 'How come you...' and
'You never...'
I'm trying to work on team chemistry - help!
A. Ok, here are some rules for debriefing after games:
1. Never de-brief or talk about the game itself right after a loss; everyone
wants to blame. Wait at
least an hour or two before chatting about it.
2. Ask teammates to start by talking about what 'worked' in the game.
This is as important as what didn't.
3. Ban complaints. Ask athletes to substitute their dissatisfactions with
requests.
For example:
Instead of saying, 'How come you never pass?', the player should say:
'Could you please set me up a litte next game?
I could sure use a goal for my confidence and I'll owe you one!'
The first example is a complaint. The second is the player asking
for what she wants, which is the most important point anyway.
Subject: How to be a top notch forward
I've always believed that playing forward isn't just about scoring goals.
You can be a top notch forward on your team if you focus
on the 'little things'...goal scoring will follow.
As a forward, you have 3 main jobs: getting the ring up the
ice, forechecking, and goal scoring.
These are big categories and there are separate skills in each category.
You can improve on them every time you play. Here's what to do:
Forechecking:
--Work on your stop and start skating and stay in front of the
ring carrier. Slow her down until your forward partner arrives to help!
--If you are the 2nd forechecker on the scene, practice checking
the ring carrier that your partner has trapped on the boards
-Forechecking is hard work - promise yourself you will never stop
trying to steal the ring for your team
Getting the ring up the ice (transition):
-Use lateral cuts (skate across the blue line) to get open
-Move to open space to get a pass OR take your check deep
into the other team's end to create space for your teammate to get open
-Make good lead passes to your teammates
Goal Scoring:
-Shoot when you have a good chance!
-Look at your target before you release your shot (not the goalie's pads)
-Attack the low defender in the triangle and get to the Hot Spot
-Set up plays by watching for passing opportunities
-Drive to the net at full speed on the fast break
As you can see, playing forward is about A LOT more than scoring goals. When
you're not scoring,
resist the temptation to put pressure on yourself.
Try focusing on one of the above skills for a whole period instead.
This will relax you and bring out your best.
Subject: Be lightening fast on the ice
Above all else, ringette is a game of speed.
Want a secret for how the very best players gain the skating edge?
Click here for a video tip:
http://www.ringetteretreat.com/page/bwd_1
Subject: Keep your team fresh at the end of the game
Q. Hi Lisa, we only have 9 skaters plus a goalie. We have been working on
endurance drills this
season to keep up with bigger teams. Our team has been typically winning the
first half of the game
and then peetering out and losing the game. What is your strategies to help the
girls make it to
the final buzzer with more success?
A. The best way to keep players fresh during the game is have to plan for when
they will do the
following: checking, marking, and carrying the ring.
These are all exhausting, and if you can avoid them against a larger team in the
last 9 minutes of
the game, all the better. Here are some guidelines:
--Don't check when you are in your own end --
work on a having an excellent triangle and getting back into it instead.
--If your team is tired and you have a lead, you even need to mark that closely
when the other team
is transitioning -- just get back and play great triangle defense.
--Preserve your lead by getting the ring in the other team's end and keeping it
there. Have your
players wait to pass rather than pass in the first 5 seconds they are down
there.
--Do a zone defense on free pass plays rather than 'man on' coverage.
--Work with your team to have them pass the ring instead of skate with it. For
example, if a
defender has the ring, make sure her defense partner is across from her or
behind her (8 feet),
calling for a quick pass. The defender who receives the ring from her partner
then can make a quick
pass out of the zone to the centre. This avoids forcing your defense to skate
the ring out of the
zone (and getting checked when tired).
Subject: A killer tip for stopping dekes
This week's question:
Q: Lisa, I'm just wondering if you have any info on how to stop a player
from deking around you?
When we play against this one team, this one girl always dekes around me like
I'm a pylon! How do I
stop it?
A: It can be quite difficult to not fall for a deke.
The trick is to watch her body (particularily her chest) instead of watching the
ring.
No matter if she dekes with her head, shoulders, or the ring, if you are
watching her chest you will know which way she is going.
Her chest will not move far left or right unless she is going in that
direction.
This will take time to learn. In your next practise, try some 1 vs 1's and tell
your teammates to
try to deke around you.
Subject: Rescue yourself from a confidence crisis
Q. Lisa, last season I had very low confidence! I would
try to enjoy the game but my confidence would just get lower every
time I made a mistake. What should I do
A. Struggling with your confidence is painful.
There are 3 things you can do to turn this around.
Your first job is to accept your feelings when you're angry,
sad, or ashamed.
Picture a mom with her 5 year old child. If the
child feels sad, cries, or gets hurt, the mom comforts the child and
gives her a hug. You need to treat yourself the same way no matter
how 'down in the dumps' you are feeling. Basically, this means
saying to yourself, 'It's Ok to feel sad, scared, or have a low
confidence day.'
Your second job is to gather some hope about your
game. You start by making long, detailed list of your
strengths. Take out a piece of paper and write down two things:
1) your strengths as a ringette player,
2) your strengths as a person
Each morning (and before each ringette game) read over
your list.
Your last job is to set a goal you can control in the game.
You can't control your teammates, the opponent, the refs, your
coach, your parents, or even whether you score or pick
up the ring.
You can control many things on the ice, though.
Here are some examples:
1. When you shoot
2. How hard you skate
3. When you pass the ring and who you pass it to
4. Watching the other team's forwards when on defense
Here are some goals you could set:
'I'm going to shoot from the Hot Spot.'
'I'm going to watch for where the goalie is weak.'
'I'm going to keep up with my check and make her work hard
to get the ring.'
'I'm going to backcheck all the way to my own blue line.'
Focus on your goal, and do an excellent job of it.
You will soon be successful, and your confidence will rise.
Subject: Get the support of your teammates
No matter how mentally tough you are, your environment affects you.
All the time, I hear players saying:
'I should be getting more ice time than my teammate'
'My coach doesn't believe in me'
'She takes long shifts'
'She is negative on the bench'
To truly reach your potential and have fun,
you need to get support of the people in ringette:
coaches, teammates, and even volunteers.
To get the support of others, you must first
support them. To do this, you must an abundance
mentality. This is the opposite of the 'scarcity'
mentality.
When we have the 'scarcity' mentality,
we believe there is a limited amount of success to go around.
We see success as a pie. If someone else gets a piece of it,
we believe our piece will be smaller.*
When we have the 'abundance' mentality, we believe there is
enough success to go around. We feel that our teammates' success does not take
away from ours. We
support them, thinking,
'The better she does, the better I do'.
Here's how to develop the abundance mentality:
1. Accept Yourself: Accept your feelings of frustration and embarrassment when
another athlete does
better than you.
These feelings are normal. All competitive athletes have them.
If you realize this, you'll get over them faster.
2. Encourage Others: Compliment your teammates.
Encourage means to 'give courage to'.
Be a source of inspiration to those around you.
Do this with honesty: when you think a positive thought about
another player, tell her right away.
This will take you no extra time or effort.
You will be surprised by the pleasure you get when you do this regularly.
Subject: How to burn the defence
Want to burn the defence?
Use a change of speed.
A change of speed can be an awesome offensive weapon.
Changing your speed means that you speed up
at just the right moment so you blow by a defender.
Snipers often use this play when they are
attacking the net 1v1. Here's how to do it:
Use your speed to get really close to the defender.
Once you are within a stick length of her, slow down to about 70%
of your top speed.
Do this for a second, and the defender will slow down
a little bit with you.
As soon as you and the defender have slowed down,
take a couple quick strides and accelerate past the D.
This skill is hard to master because your timing and skating
speed have to be nearly perfect.
When your team practices 1 v 1's, try
these three progressions:
1) The first time through the drill skate at 50-60% speed the whole
time. At this speed you will have a hard time beating the defender.
2) The next time through the drill skate at 100% speed the entire
time. You may have so much speed that you get around the
defender and score on a breakaway.
You might run into a great defender, though, who reads
your speed and stays with you and channels you wide.
3) The next time through the drill skate at 100% speed
until you get very close to the defender. Slow down for half a second and then
speed up again.
If you can execute this trick just right,
you will likely get past the defence.
Subject: How to defend against a star player
Here's a great question I got this week...
***************************************
Q. Lisa, what is the best way to stop a player whom is
very fast and shifty and can skate with the ring? In fact
she likes to hot dog it alot and not pass. How do you
defend against a really good player like this?
A. Here are 3 tips on defending against a player that can control the ring
but doesn't like to pass:
1] The first thing to do is make it difficult for her to get the ring in the
first place. This
requires tight man-on coverage on her.
Have one of your players cover her all over the ice.
Her team will be looking to pass to her, which will give your players
an opportunity to make an interception.
The defensive coverage on this particular player needs
to be very close--close enough that it will be difficult
for her to receive a pass cleanly.
The girl marking her needs to be close enough to able to touch her jersey, but
agile enough to
always stay goal side
(between the star player and your net).
2] If this star player does get the ring, the objective of your players should
be to force her into
a trap zone rather than try and check her in open ice.
A trap zone is an area on the ice that she could be checked more easily, e.g.,
along the boards or
behind the net.
If she has the tendency not to pass, she should be easy to trap
either along the boards with a two-on forecheck.
The first player on the forecheck should try to stop her or slow her down
(not try to get the ring). The first checker will have to stay in front of this
player using stop
and start skating. The second player on the forecheck should come in and steal
the ring.
If you are always marking her and then sending 2 players to check her when she
is not near the net,
this will exhaust her physically and mentally.
It's not even necessary that you get the ring from her all the time --
if she is exhausted, she will find it hard to shoot well and do major damage.
3] Finally: make sure you watch her shooting tendencies very carefully and adapt
your triangle and
goaltending to anticipate her shots. She will tend to rely on a few select shots
over and over again
and become frustrated when they don't work.
The most important thing is to shut her down offensively, and if your defense
and goaltenders learn
to read her well, you can neutralize her.
Subject: How to inspire your team before ringette games
***QUESTION***
Dear Lisa,
Q. I'm a bit frustrated right now with my team...
They just don't seem to LISTEN to my pre-game talk,
even though it's really important game strategy.
How I can get the girls to listen and execute
our strategy?
Thanks.
***MY COMMENTS
Here goes:
1. In your pre-game, mention only ONE or TWO team goals,
and make sure these goals are under your players' control.
For example, don't ask them to pick up their passes,
score goals, etc. Players cannot control whether they
do either one (if they could, they'd pick up every pass and score
15 goals a game!).
These types of goals make players anxious because
they cannot control them, and they know it.
Examples of goals under your players' control include:
Following the breakout pattern you've practised;
Cutting laterally across the blue line to receive the ring;
Driving to the hot spot (the crease) before shooting; and
Always having a triangle set up before the other team gets there.
But, be careful. If you give them MORE than one or two goals,
this will confuse them and they'll forget them during
the game.
Also, stay away from goals that are vague or cliche,
e.g., 'work hard' or 'play as a team.' These just aren't inspiring.
For extra motivation, ask a parent to keep stats on the goals
I mentioned above. After games, deliver these results back to the players so
they are seeing
success. Celebrate the little victories!
Your players will understand that being successful in team
goals leads to winning, and they will be proud of their
progress through the season.
This way you can link practices with game goals...
and get them more motivated for practice too.
2. When players don't listen, this is a form of resistance.
My personal experience in dealing with female players is that their
resistance to being coached shows up in passive ways like lack of
listening (boys are usually more direct when communicating).
When your players aren't listening, STOP talking
(not in a hostile way, just in a casual way). If they quiet down,
start talking again. If they do not, leave the
room at the next available opportunity.
The players were communicating that they did not want to listen,
and your response tells them that you got what they were 'saying.'
This is listening.
Listening is powerful because it builds trust. People will
listen to you, but only if you listen to them occasionally.
If your players are consistently not listening to you,
usually this is a sign that you're putting in more effort
and energy to the team than they are, and the situation
is out of balance.
If you want them to invest more, then you must invest less.
Try softer, not harder with them.
Speak less often; when you do speak, do not repeat yourself;
control your desire to talk; keep it short and sweet.
Also, make sure that the majority of what you have to say is
positive and specific.
For example, 'Kailee, I noticed you hustled back into
the defensive end on the that shift to make sure the
triangle was there. Excellent job!'
Make 10-20 comments like that per game...that's all you need
to really motivate them. They're playing for your approval,
and you're showing them how to get it.
Females are sensitive to the nuance in the communication
and need encouragement to be aggressive. Boys are naturally
aggressive, but girls need it brought out in them with
encouragement. Without it they may play passively and
resist pressure to improve.
Subject: Inspiring your teammates
Q. Lisa, my team and I were just in a tournament and we knew we
could beat all the other teams but we ended up losing...
and with bad scores! It seem that some
girls were just not trying hard.
I tried to talk to the team but a few athletes didn't want
to take it seriously. Our team needs help if we want to
win but I don't know what else to do.
Some advice would be appreciated!
A. I hear ya. Underperforming is so frustrating!
I suggest you try the role of 'leader by example.'
You went for a direct approach to leadership--asking them to
try harder--and noticed that some of your teammates didn't
respond as you had hoped.
Sometimes players feel bad about losing and don't want
advice from teammates.
Your best bet now is to 'be the way you want them to be'.
This means that you do not pressure your teammates in any
way - either when you talk to them or in your mind.
Rather, model the things you would like to see from
all your teammates.
For example:
1) Get to the rink 30 - 45 minutes before
practices and games.
2) Do your best to attend all team activities.
3) Push yourself to your physical limits during
every drill in practice.
4) Be vocal and only positive during games.
5) Spend time with all of your teammates,
not just your closest friends.
Just by doing this, you are inviting your teammates
to follow your example.
Also, be sure to encourage all of your teammates -
particularly the ones you feel are not showing the
effort that is needed to succeed.
Often if an athlete is 'slacking off' it's because she feels
scared or not important on the team.
Encourage these teammates with your words and also with
high fives and smiles.
Subject: Here's how to reduce interceptions on your team
Q: Lisa, I'm having a hard time getting my players to stay in
front of the person marking them when receiving a pass.
Our players keep skating behind the defense person who is
marking them, and as a result a lot of our passes are being
intercepted.
Do you have any suggestions or drills to combat this bad habit?
The only other tactic I can think of is bouncing the pass off
the boards, but that can become predictable.
A. First, if you haven't already done so, I suggest a good
chat with your team about WHY it is better to be in front of
the defender because the players may not realize that it is
a bad position to be in.
This is good time for empathy: in the team meeting, have
your defensemen give their opinion about marking players
that stay behind them.
Usually they will say that it is easy to intercept passes
intended to those players.
The next technique you can use is video. Video a game and
have the team watch it (don't point out errors, just ask them
to watch this part of the game carefully).
Often players are completely unaware they are making an
error (and may not even care about it) until they see themselves
on tape. Then, they become immediately conscious of it and
prepared to correct it. You CAN point out when players stay
in front of their check and receive a pass.
Third, I recommend you run a few breakout drills and have
your players attempt to receive the ring both ways. Have the
forwards try to get open in the neutral zone behind the
defenders; then, have the forwards try to get open by getting
in front of the defenders. Take time afterwards to discuss what
happened in both drills.
Hopefully this experimenting will lead the team to realize the
benefits of staying in front of the defender. Sometimes athletes
need to come to their own conclusions in order to change (we
can be stubborn and cling to old ways of doing things no
matter what the coach says!).
Also, talk about skating towards the ring (have a player demo
it if required). Many players may start out in front of the defender
but when the pass is made they wait for the ring to come to
them...and the opponent skates toward the ring and intercepts.
Subject: Get the ring out of your own end
To get the ring out of your own end, you need to work
with your other defender and your centre.
You need to support each other.
'Support' is what the players WITHOUT the ring do to help
your team keep possession and move the ring up the ice.
Sometimes, you can make a quick pass out of your zone without any problems.
Other times, you're going to need help. This is where
defensive support comes in.
When you have the ring in your own end, the defender and the centre without the
ring must get in a
position where you can see them
and make a support pass to them.
A support pass gets you out of trouble so a new ring carrier can make the good
break-out pass.
Here are the secrets to good support...
When a player is providing good support, she is:
1. Fairly close to the ring carrier - usually 10 to 12 feet away
2. On a 'goal side' angle to the ring carrier
3. In a safe position so the pass doesn't go in front of your own net
Talk this up with your teammates, and light it up out there.
Subject: Raise your ringette confidence
At just 15 years old, Australian swimmer Leisel Jones
won a silver medal at the Olympics--something most
athletes need a lifetime to accomplish.
To the world she was an athletic phenomenon, a champion blessed
with amazing talent.
Leisel, however, saw herself as an awkward girl with knock-knees,
--anything but special.
She says: 'I just hated the person I was.
Being thrust into the limelight and being told to grow up
was incredibly hard. I got mad at myself for not living up to
everyone's standards.'
It didn't take long before these negative feelings about
herself started to affect her performance negatively.
The media was so disappointed with her post-Olympic swims
they criticized her for not being able to handle the limelight.
6 years later, Leisel has a new coach and a new attitude.
Instead of criticizing herself all the time, she decided to
make her self-esteem a priority.
She even developed a life outside sport.
Her coach - Stephan Widmer - supported this decision.
As a trainer he focuses on the 'human being' in his athletes.
He says, 'She didn't have mental problems, she had an
identity problem.'
Now, Australians can't get enough of this new young woman
with a strong sense of identity.
And what of her results in the pool?
She's on a tear, smashing two world records at the
recent Commonwealth Games trials. Her sport life and
self-esteem are finally in synch.
Self-acceptance and winning
I like Leisel's story because so many ringette athletes
think they need to criticize themselves harshly if they
want to succeed.
They know self-criticism is killing their self-esteem, but
they think they need it to motivate themselves.
It never occurs to them that they could accept themselves
and be highly motivated at the same time.
The key is to learn the difference between CONSTRUCTIVE
and DESTRUCTIVE criticism.
Here's an example of destructive self-criticism:
'Sue, your shooting accuracy is terrible today. You'd better
play alot better or you're going to get benched.'
Here's an example of constructive self-criticism:
'Sue, your accuracy is shaky because you're nervous
and not looking at your target when you shoot. I want you
to make the goalie move, see the mesh, and bury it like you
know you can!'
Do you see the difference?
The first one is an insult. The second one is a request.
Destructive self-criticism is basically insulting
and scaring yourself by suggesting you'll fail.
Constructive self-criticism is acknowledging the problem
and then ASKING yourself for what you want.
Ringette athletes who succeed constantly ask themselves for more.
Ringette athletes who fail are always putting themselves down.
It's a fine line, but easy to spot if you pay attention to
your inner self.
The more you accept yourself, the more you relax,
and the better you perform.
Mental Toughness Exercise
Here's a simple exercise to raise your self-acceptance.
Take a blank sheet of paper and write the following
sentence at the top:
If I were 5% more self-accepting today--
Then, write down 5-10 different endings to this sentence.
You'll see some repetition, but strive for new endings.
Do this exercise every day for 2 weeks,
and watch your self-acceptance rise.
I'll talk to you again soon.
Subject: How to be a complete forechecker
In the previous tip, we chatted about the secrets to being
a good checker: foot speed, the ability to stop and start
quickly, and a superior work ethic.
To be a "complete" forechecker, an athlete must also
understand her specific "job".
Your athletes' specific job on the forecheck depends on
the system you use.
Most teams choose a system where two players forecheck
together. In this "2 on" system, each player has a very
different job:
1) The first forechecker - this person's job is to CHANNEL
the ring carrier. Too often, the first forechecker makes
the mistake of going for the big check. Containing and
channelling the ring carrier means using your body to
force the ring carrier to a trap zone (along the boards).
2) The second forechecker - this person's job is to steal
the ring. She comes in on the opposite side of the first
forechecker and works her butt off to make the steal
legally. This can take time and effort!
3) The center - the center's best bet is to mark tightly.
What works is for the center to pick up the
"3rd woman" - usually the other center - coming out the
zone.
4) The defenders - Their job is to mark in the neutral zone.
While this doesn't seem like it's necessarily related to
forechecking, it really is.
If your D don't mark well, the other team's defence can make a
quick and easy pass out of their own end. This means your
forecheckers don't have time to do their job.
On the other hand, if the opponent's ring carrier can't find anyone
open in the neutral zone, she has to either give the ring away or
circle back in her own end. This is the kind of "full team
forechecking" that forces the other team to either turn the ring
over OR burn most of their shot clock.
Subject: Score goals by disguising your shot
By the time you hit Petites and Tweens, you will start to
notice that you need 'new weapons' to score goals.
Athletes who score 3 goals per game at the novice level
often struggle as they get older because
their shot is too predictable.
A shot is usually predictable because the athlete has
a big wind up or a big follow through.
To learn hot to disguise your shot follow this link:
http://www.ringetteretreat.com/page/disguise
Subject: How to boost your players' confidence
The main way I've seen parents try to boost their players'
confidence is through praise.
Why praise can be harmful
What's wrong with praising your team?
Nothing. It's not praise that's the problem.
It's the way coaches deliver praise that is the problem.
Most coaches praise their players based on what they,
the coaches, think of their players' actions.
For example, they say:
'You are doing great,'
'You are a good girl,'
'You are smart,' or
'You are super-athletic.'
When you praise your team in this way, you are using
judgmental praise.
It is based on YOUR judgment of your players' performance,
behaviour, or personality.
When you give judgmental praise, you send the following messages:
1) I'm the person who decides whether you performed
'good' or 'bad' in this situation.
2) My approval is desirable.
These messages create dependency in your athletes.
They do this by encouraging him to seek your decisions
and approval.
For example, your daughter asks you to read her English
paper and you say, 'Honey, what a great paper! Carry on
your good work.'
Even though your judgment is positive, it encourages
your child to rely on your thinking and approval.
What Kind of Praise Should You Use?
The best type of praise trains your players to become
self-reliant and seek his/her OWN approval.
This is what healthy self-esteem demands.*
The opposite of judgmental praise is factual praise.
Factual praise encourages your athletes to rely on their own
judgment and approval.
For example, after reading your daughter's paper,
you comment on the specifics of the essay:
'When you described England in the early 1990s in such
vivid detail, I actually felt as though I was there. It was
easy to get interested in the topic.'
Beaming, your daughter decides,
'My paper was interesting to my Mom. I am a good writer.'
Why Factual Praise Builds Confidence
A key ingredient of confidence is the ability to trust our mind.
Our mind is our basic tool for survival. When we believe we
can mentally cope with the basic challenges of life, we feel
good about ourselves.
We may lack knowledge or skills in a subject, but we have
faith in our mind that we can learn whatever we need to learn
to be successful.
Factual praise builds a player's confidence by helping her draw
her own conclusions.
Here are some examples:
Judgmental praise: 'You played a great game of ringette.'
Factual praise: 'I noticed how many times you skated to where
the ring was going (as opposed to where it was).'
Your player now draws her own conclusion: 'I am a smart player!'
Judgmental praise: 'You're smart. Great job at school!'
Factual praise: 'Every day this week you came home and did your
homework right away. This is difficult to do. But you did it.'
Your child decides, 'I am a hard-working student.'
Judgmental praise: 'You're really funny.'
Factual praise: 'Everybody laughed when you told your mouse
story. You made the mouse sound just like a human being with
real emotions and fears!'
Your child determines: 'I know how to entertain people.'
When you give your child factual praise, she relies on her own
judgment.
Your child becomes self-approving, and her self-esteem grows.
You also give your child psychological visibility. She knows you
see her brilliance, and she loves being 'seen' by you.
Factual praise is really easy to pull off.
Just describe the facts of what your players accomplished.
Subject: Your ringette superpowers
In fantasy movies, the hero often has 'superpowers' that help
him defeat his enemy. He also has a dangerous weakness.
Superman has super-human strength, the ability to fly,
super-speed, super-human hearing and vision.
But, when Superman is exposed to kryptonite, he
rapidly loses his powers. If exposed for too long, he would
die.
Can Superman's 'weakness' help him defeat his enemies? No.
That's why you don't want to pay attention to your
weaknesses while you're playing ringette.
It's fine to work on your weaknesses during practice. This
is how you get better each season.
But, your weaknesses cannot help you DURING the game.
Your strengths--your ringette superpowers--can.
Focusing on your superpowers, your personal strengths,
is an easy way to pump yourself up before big games.
First you must identify what you are good at.
For example:
- I make very accurate passes
- I never give up, I'm very determined
- I push out in the triangle
- I'm very vocal on the bench, I'm always communicating
- I always keep my feet moving when I forecheck
Now it's your turn. List at least 5 things you are good at:
These are your ringette super powers. When a super-hero
puts on her costume, she brings out qualities she doesn't
normally have. She brings out her strengths when she needs
them most.
Next time you put on your jersey, focus on your
5 strengths. Doing this will automatically boost your
feelings of confidence.
Subject: How to run high-energy practices
This week's question:
Q. I recently attended one of your Retreat camps and sat in
on a few ice sessions. I was blown away by the intensity
and pace. Can you pass on some tips for how you keep the
kids so engaged and the pace so high?
A. We have a couple ways we ask our instructors to create
pace and enthusiasm on ice times at the Retreat.
The most important way to create pace is to severely limit
the amount of time you spend talking. Most coaches take
at least 5 minutes to explain a drill or demonstrate a
concept on the ice. We ask our instructors to keep talking
to 2 minutes maximum (ideally, 30 seconds or less).
Secondly, you must plan drills which keep your athletes
moving at all times. An athlete should never go more than
15 seconds between repetitions in a drill. If your athletes
are standing around too much during a drill, you must alter it.
For example, add a line of defenders or checkers to the drill.
Send more than one athlete at a time from each line. Tell the
next athlete in line to leave sooner.
Another way to keep up the pace/intensity is to use music
(many arenas have sound systems you can take advantage
of). If you simply cannot get access to a sound system then
use your own voice to create energy. Yell out words of
encouragement during the drill (e.g., "Perfect, Susan, keep
our feet moving!") or tell the athletes what you want to see
more of (e.g., "Force yourself to stay low... I know it burns
but you're almost there.").
Subject: The secret to stopping on a dime
If you learn to stop on a dime, you will win more battles for the ring,
mark better, get breakaways, forecheck better... the list goes on.
To truly stop on a dime you must learn to Think Small.
A great stop is small because the mark you leave on the ice is very short and
because your body
should be small as you crouch down very low in the toilet position. (For more on
the toilet
position see
http://www.ringetteretreat.com/page/stance)
To stop quickly, you must learn to be comfortable with
your edges. If you struggle with your inside or outside edges,
you will either fall alot or stop slowly and lose battles for the ring!
To become a master of stopping, spend all kinds of time on the ice practicing
your edges. Get on
the ice early and do tight turns, skate the lines, and see how far over you can
go on your inside
and outside edge.
As you become more and more comfortable on your edges, your stopping skills will
naturally improve.
Here is a challenge for you to try each practice for the next week. Do
this and your stopping will improve dramatically:
Skate down the ice from goal line to goal line. At each line, do a long,
slow stop. Stand up tall and take as long as possible to come to a
complete stop. Notice what your body feels like when you stop this way.
Now, skate the same pattern and, on each line, try to fast, on a dime.
After each stop, look down at the ice and see how small a mark you can
leave on the ice. Notice what your body feels like when you stop on a
dime. Your goal in life is to keep making your mark on the ice shorter
and shorter.
If you fall... It's OK. In fact, give yourself a pat on the back. Falling
simply means that you pushed herself past your comfort zone. This is
exactly what it takes to improve a skill so falling is actually a good thing
during practice!
Subject: How to defend a 2 vs 1 attack
In ringette, most goals are scored on fast breaks and
odd man rushes.
An 'odd man rush' is when the other team gets a 2 vs 1
or 3 vs 2 against you.
To learn how to defend an odd man rush click here:
http://www.ringetteretreat.com/page/2vs1
Subject: Should you dump the ring?
Q. Hi Lisa, I have a question, is there ever a time
to dump the ring across two lines in order to get a
line change or to relieve pressure on a player?
We are trying to decide if it is a good strategy or not.
A. I recommend AGAINST dumping the ring over two
blue lines. Here's why:
1. You always want to train your players that
'possession is king.'
This means that they should always choose to 'eat' the
ring (get checked) over dumping it away.
Over time they will get better at skating with the ring
and make smart passes.
If you train them to dump the ring, they will get into
a bad habit and actually become afraid of pressure from
checkers.
2. Dumping the ring ensures you will lose possession and
that the ring will return to your end. You are better
off giving the ring back to your goalie or freezing it if
you have to. You may get lucky and the ref may give the
ring back to you after a freeze.
3. In general, train your players to play CLOSE to each
other and call for the ring This is called supporting
the ring carrier. The biggest mistake all teams make
(including Open AA teams) is being too far away from the
ringcarrier -- there should be one teammate 6 to 8 feet
away at all times calling for the ring in case the ring
carrier gets in trouble.
Subject: Your ringette superpowers
In fantasy movies, the hero often has 'superpowers' that help
him defeat his enemy. He also has a dangerous weakness.
Superman has super-human strength, the ability to fly,
super-speed, super-human hearing and vision.
But, when Superman is exposed to kryptonite, he
rapidly loses his powers. If exposed for too long, he would
die.
Can Superman's 'weakness' help him defeat his enemies? No.
That's why you don't want to pay attention to your
weaknesses while you're playing ringette.
It's fine to work on your weaknesses during practice. This
is how you get better each season.
But, your weaknesses cannot help you DURING the game.
Your strengths--your ringette superpowers--can.
Focusing on your superpowers, your personal strengths,
is an easy way to pump yourself up before big games.
First you must identify what you are good at.
For example:
- I make very accurate passes
- I never give up, I'm very determined
- I push out in the triangle
- I'm very vocal on the bench, I'm always communicating
- I always keep my feet moving when I forecheck
Now it's your turn. List at least 5 things you are good at:
These are your ringette super powers. When a super-hero
puts on her costume, she brings out qualities she doesn't
normally have. She brings out her strengths when she needs
them most.
Next time you put on your jersey, focus on your
5 strengths. Doing this will automatically boost your
feelings of confidence.
Subject: Which defensive zone coverage should you use?
This week's question has to do with defensive zone coverage.
Q: Where should my 2 forwards be when we are on defence?
Should I keep them both along the ringette line,
looking for loose rings and protecting against the
defence jumping in?
Or should I have one girl along the ringette line playing
in the middle doing what I described above and one girl
outside the blue line trying to draw out a defender and
looking for a breakout pass from our defence?
A: There is no set formula, actually - both formations
have their pros and cons. Here are my thoughts:
-- Having both forwards on the line can be a good option
if your defence and goaltender need a lot of support
getting the ring over the blue line and your forwards are
particularly good.
If your goalie does not play with a trapper and can throw
the ring really high, sometimes you can actually use
forwards to break out directly (but you'll need a forwards
good at receiving to pull this off).
I would recommend against this strategy if your opponent's
defense are extremely strong and can overpower your
forwards and send the ring back into your zone quite easily.
-- A high-low system (one forward in the neutral zone and
one on the ringette line) has many "pros" simply because
it spreads out your opponent.
The forward on the line can chase after loose rings and
prevent their offense from freely skating over the ringette
line, while the high forward draws a defender away from
that crowded area of the ice.
The high forward can receive a quick pass with lots of
room to skate, and is in a perfect position for a give
and go break.
While I was coaching I had the tendency of placing a
'pass receiver' (a player that is very good at receiving
the ring cleanly) as the high forward. However, if your
opponent is playing tight man-on coverage, the high
forward needs to be able to get open, which may require
speed and agility -- or smarts.
-- If your forwards are weak and you have reservations
about breaking out, you could place both of them in the
other team's end and completely clear the neutral zone.
The advantage of this is that if your goalie is trained,
you actually now have a 4 on 3 (your goalie, 2 D and your
centre) breaking out against the other team's forwards
and centre.
You can use your centre to clear the first blue line
and have your forwards ready to receive in the
opposition's end. Of course, you need to train at least
one forward to step into the neutral zone to be an option.
-- If you try all 3 systems, you could ask your players
which they prefer or try them all in the same game
and keep track of successful breakouts.
You could also ask your players which position they
prefer or feel more comfortable playing (high or low).
Most players will have a preference and this should
reflect how well they play that position.
Subject: The secret to stopping on a dime
If you learn to stop on a dime, you will win more battles for the ring,
mark better, get breakaways, forecheck better... the list goes on.
To truly stop on a dime you must learn to Think Small.
A great stop is small because the mark you leave on the ice is very short and
because your body
should be small as you crouch down very low in the toilet position. (For more on
the toilet
position see
http://www.ringetteretreat.com/page/stance)
To stop quickly, you must learn to be comfortable with
your edges. If you struggle with your inside or outside edges,
you will either fall alot or stop slowly and lose battles for the ring!
To become a master of stopping, spend all kinds of time on the ice practicing
your edges. Get on
the ice early and do tight turns, skate the lines, and see how far over you can
go on your inside
and outside edge.
As you become more and more comfortable on your edges, your stopping skills will
naturally improve.
Here is a challenge for you to try each practice for the next week. Do
this and your stopping will improve dramatically:
Skate down the ice from goal line to goal line. At each line, do a long,
slow stop. Stand up tall and take as long as possible to come to a
complete stop. Notice what your body feels like when you stop this way.
Now, skate the same pattern and, on each line, try to fast, on a dime.
After each stop, look down at the ice and see how small a mark you can
leave on the ice. Notice what your body feels like when you stop on a
dime. Your goal in life is to keep making your mark on the ice shorter
and shorter.
If you fall... It's OK. In fact, give yourself a pat on the back. Falling
simply means that you pushed herself past your comfort zone. This is
exactly what it takes to improve a skill so falling is actually a good thing
during practice!
Subject:
Healing Game Loss
"Hi Lisa or Laura ....
We Just finished playing at the Tween AA Provincials. We were
tied for #1 and lost 3-2 in an 8 minute overtime to Ottawa.
The girls played so hard and we had a 2-0 lead going into the
second period. They scored to tie up the game in the last 51
seconds and I think a little panic set in. We have beat every
team in the past but it was any teams game now.
Well, they scored and we won silver and the Sportsmanship Award which was a
great honor. I explained to Sam and Paige that in
competitive sports someone has to lose. Even though you train
hard and do everything in your power to be prepared, you cannot control the
outcome. We used your mental toughness video and
e-mails but, as their coach, I'm not sure how to help them get
over such a loss. There will many more championships and I
explained that even the greatest players (like you and Laura),
have played on teams who have lost in championships. Any words of advice???"
~ Terry Nosal, Coach Tween AA, St. Clements Ringette
"Hi Terry,
Lovely to hear from you. I'm sorry to hear that you lost in
such a close contest...the agony and the ecstasy of sport is
difficult.
I think you made some excellent points with Sam and Paige. They are so
wonderful. Here are some of my thoughts:
1. Always deal with your emotions before trying to
intellectualize anything. Losing hurts and it's ok to cry in
disappointment. In my last year of Open AA, there were times
when I shed big crocodile tears after losing (at the age of
38!). When you lose (and you're right, you cannot control the
outcome), the crying IS the healing. After properly
experiencing my sadness, I would come back more confident and
passionate than ever at ringette. The danger is suppressing
those feelings, which leads to choking later on, because you
are so worried about losing again and having to face them.
Sometimes you just have to cry a little.
2. After the feelings are dealt with, you can think about any
goals you wish to set for the future. Where do the girls want
to do a better job - both as individual athletes and a team?
Losing is easier when you've played to potential. So what do
they want from themselves? This can feed your motivation for
next year.
3. Finally, there is a duality to sport. Losing has to hurt or
winning would not feel so terrific. But, when you get down to
it, you need to realize that between the winning team and
losing team there is only a very tiny difference - if any
difference at all. We create this difference in our mind in
order to celebrate winning.
Subject: Quick Tip for More Agility
There are many times in a game when you have to turn from
forwards to backwards or backwards to forwards -
you either tight turn or pivot.
To do this well, you must be balanced and comfortable on
your edges.
Here's a quick video tip on how to improve your
skating agility:
http://www.ringetteretreat.com/page/turn_piv
Subject: How to Create
Sweet Scoring Chances
I learned a rule in my second year of Junior AA that every
ringette athlete should know.
Here it is:
'If you receive the ring over the offensive blue line,
ALWAYS drive to the net'.
You may not always shoot, but you should always
drive to the net at top speed.
Here's why:
Most athletes pick up the ring over the blue line and immediately slow down.
They skate in a big circle around the net and look to make a pass.
This is one of the nicest gifts you can possibly give
the other team's defense. You give them a chance to set up their triangle, you
lose your speed, and you are
not a threat to score.
When you take your speed to the net, you make life difficult
for the defence. If you're really quick, you may create a 2v1, a 1v1, or even a
breakaway for yourself!
This is always a better scoring chance than shooting
against a triangle.
By driving, you force the defence to channel you
and honour your. If your teammate can get open,
you can dish the ring to her and set her to cash
in on a beautiful goal!
Remember, the rule is definitely not that the first player over the blue
line always shoots.
There are many times when shooting is NOT a good option.
For example:
- When you are 1v2
- When the defence does a good job of channeling you to the
outside
- If your team is winning and it's close to the end of the game
- If your team has been in your own end for a long time and you
want to keep in the ring for awhile in the other team's end
However, even if you don't shoot, driving to the net
with speed is the best play. You will either create a great
scoring chance for yourself or draw the defenders to you
and set up a teammate.
Score goals on a hot goalie
Has your team ever faced a 'hot' goaltender? A goalie that is
having a great game will likely stop all shots directed at her. What is the
solution? A goalie cannot stop what she cannot see. This is the motivation for
setting a screen in front of the
goalie.
Screening works, but most teams don't do it. I think this is
because offensive players prefer shooting and playing-making to screening. In
general, they don't understand the massive
contribution they can make to goal-scoring by screening. You
can overcome this problem by having your forwards play goal for 5 minutes during
practice and screening them. They will
immediately realize what a key role they are playing.
Also, compliment the screener on the bench after a goal is
scored. This will help motivate her to take the initiative to
do it more often.
The success of a screen is dependent upon the shooter and the
screener. Each have their own job and both must work together
with excellent timing.
SCREENER'S JOB: A legal screen is set just outside the crease
facing away from the goalie. If the screener turns and looks at the goalie, she
will receive a penalty. The screener's job is
to block the view of the goalie. In order to do this, she must
think like a goalie. As the ring moves around the offensive
zone, the screener must move with the ring, just as the goalie
does.
Timing is crucial. The screener should not be setting a screen
for her entire shift. She needs to read the ring carrier and
put herself in position moments before a shot is likely to be
taken.
SHOOTER'S JOB: The shooter must use the screen effectively.
This means moving so that the goalie cannot see as the shot is
taken. Usually, if the shooter cannot see the goalie's mask,
the goalie cannot see the shooter. Sometimes the screener may
not be in the exact position to block the goalie's view. The
shooter has the ability to move the goalie to adjust. The shot
taken should be low, so the screener can either move to avoid
(by a small shift to one side) or she can jump to allow the
ring to go through.
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Events
Ontario Ministry of Health - Community’s In Action Fund
Supports the City of Ottawa Ringette Association
For the 2009/2010 season,
City of Ottawa Ringette has received funding under the CIAF program to
increase participation in the sport of ringette. This funding is for
players, coaches and youth support on initiation teams.
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