Skill Based vs Drill Based Instruction
The practice plan you submitted is a great minor hockey practice and one we see all the time….lots of movement and high tempo drills with little or no technical instruction and therein lies the problem and why RPM is at opposite ends of the world with respect to other drill based providers. Typically parents associate a great on ice experience by lots of movement little standing around hard work and the child coming off the ice sweating and everyone saying what a great session but is it? What did the kids learn? Were the mechanics of each skill and drill taught? Were there skill breakdowns, skill correction and progressions?
The key is to understand and instruct properly the mechanics required to perform a given skill. RPM understands progressions and breaking down the skill into “learning blocks” once the detail and technical is acquired the skill is eventually mastered. All hockey skills are delivered in one of two formats process oriented drills (Skill Based Instruction) or end result drills (Drill Based Instruction). The difference between the two is simple the end result drill is the skill being performed in its final phase or state. (skating circles, frontwards, backward shooting the puck etc).
The process oriented drills are the physical mechanics, techniques and drills that are designed to work towards the final phase/state or end result drills. Skating circles does not teach crossovers….skating the length of the ice frontwards isn’t teaching the child frontward skating. That is the child showing you how well he can skate crossovers or frontwards and that is the entire problem with hockey development…and most on ice providers and hockey practices. The minor hockey system is full of on ice environments using end result drills…. The problem is this does not help the child to improve his skills unless each of those hockey skills are stripped down to the mechanics required to perform the skill.
Case in point Crossovers on the circles would be the end result or final phase/state of a child’s ability to perform the crossover. The process drills approach (Skill Based) takes the crossover and works backwards through the mechanics required to perform the crossover. Balance, weight in their skates, use of their inside and outside edges, upper body posture, stick placement and use of a strong or hard edges are some of the mechanics the child must acquire before performing the crossover correctly without those mechanics in place the child performs the crossovers and circles incorrectly and will continue to do so forever or until the process oriented drills (Skill Based) address those mechanics.
Another analogy - when a child goes to school in September they don’t write their finals (end result) they are taught specifics the details in progressions, repeating, correcting starting over and rebuilding knowing full well that as the child moves through the school year the process will provide for a successful end result. That in a nutshell is our problem with free flowing up tempo end result drills they are all flash with no substance yet for many the only way a parent determines a successful practice.
RPM is hired by Minor Hockey Associations to instruct the technical detail that means breakdowns, progressions and slow moving drills that are process driven (Skill Based) not end result. Kids will learn and learn correctly how to perform the skills much to the frustration of the parents, coaches and outside providers who probably don’t really understand skill instruction and want to see fast moving, parent pleasing drills that leave the child sweating.
The work we provide has been accepted and approved by CAHA, BCAHA and some of the best hockey minds in British Columbia, our results speak for themselves and have done so for over 30 years! There are plenty of providers available who say they can deliver the services, at the end of the day do you want to work with those who say they can or with those who do?
Skill instruction in not about selecting drills and filling a 60 minute on ice session nor is it fast moving, parent pleasing drills performed incorrectly re-enforcing bad habits year after year! It’s about teaching children the technical bio-mechanics of how to perform each and all skills correctly
If you or your association is interested in learning more contact;
Craig Millin [email protected]