An aspect of Minor Hockey coaching that is often overlooked is the importance of having a cohesive team that respects each other & moves as a unit. When it gets down to a gritty match where elimination is on the line, then team morale will play an important part in ensuring your players can grind their way back to winning the game. Teamwork and communication are key to any victory in Hockey. If your team is unable to communicate, you will find them not applying what you have implemented in your training sessions correctly and as effectively.
A problem you may face, especially for a new team, is a lack of attempt from some players to build rapport with each other. Players that have not built a rapport outside of Hockey and only know each other at the rink, will fail to develop that special team bond that creates such amazing teamplay. When watching professional Hockey, you can often see the easy flow of communication between players. This is due to good rapport and knowing each other so well that you know where to be and what to expect from each other at all times.
To help players build this bond, coaches should try to organize team building activities. This will allow players to spend time together outside of Hockey and allow them to learn things about each other that otherwise they may not have learnt. Here are a few successful team building activities that you may want to try:
1) All tied up
This team building activity is a good one as it will force players to work together and learn about each other. The activity is built around having the players pair up and tying their wrists together. You then have them complete an obstacle course with their partner, such as equipment to go over, under or around. This is a good team building exercise as it promotes communication, problem solving and teamwork to complete the challenges.
2) Get on Board!
This fun challenge requires the group to coordinate and fit inside a somewhat small pre-defined space (example: inside a vehicle). Once the team has completed the task, the size becomes smaller or another space attempted as a group.
3) Bomb Removal
This fun challenge will provide an exercise that promotes communication and problem solving together as a team, which will help build team rapport. Provide the team with two ropes as they then must figure out how to remove/transfer the bombs (buckets of water) safely to the designated safe zone without tipping over any of their contents.
4) Trust Me!
Players must work together in pairs. One partner is blindfolded and verbally instructed by their partner to maneuver around the room or an obstacle course. This challenge focuses on trust and communication skills.
5) Go to a game
Be it Hockey, basketball or a baseball game…. it is a great team bonding experience for your players. This is a pretty amazing way for your players to get to know each other while keeping the sports aspect of Hockey in the back of their minds. Attending an event together also allows time for you as their coach to get to know them, which really helps bring a team together and form unity.
– Tim Turk Hockey
