Coach Heldt's Notes

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Time to Play smart

Working hard is not exclusive to physical effort. It requires mental effort as well. Without both parts of the equation you won't reach the goal which is to play to your full potential. Digging in and running or skating hard with your head down may be physically demanding, but if you don't look and know where you're going it can be a wasted effort. You'll probably run into a wall if your head is down.
Often players with average physical and natural ability shine because of their intellectual contributions to their skill sets. I've had teams that were not as fast or physically strong as our opponents win games because we played smart. This didn't happen overnight, and wasn't based on any complex systems we ran. We practiced the basics, but the basics included thinking. If you have a good coaching staff, then players must learn to listen to them, but they must also be able to think on their own.

Watch the game.
Watch other players
Listen to your coaches
Work and listen at practice.
Practice off the field on your own.
Put the time in.
Read - anything, exercise your brain. You're going to need it.
Enjoy being an athlete, and make great memories on the ice or on the field.

Location:Syracuse NY

No comments: