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let me guess- a TOP END AAA TEAM for 7 year olds

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hopefully someone talked to this person and gave him his medication.

What were dads or mysterious men doing in the locker room prior to the game? If you're going to have a bunch of nutball parents hanging out listening/critiquing/contradicting the coach prior to a MASH or Showcase game, this is what you get. It only takes 3 minutes to tie the kids skates, then you can get out.

What was his response when you talked to him privately after the kids left?

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It sounds like the guy went overboard.

are you sure the man was not Barry McConnell

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hokeyhockeyguy wrote:It sounds like the guy went overboard. HOWEVER, as a coach, I can't tell you how important Gap control is.

I applaud all efforts to instill this in kids at an early age. If these 7 year olds can skate backwards proficiently, they should be lectured on it from time to time.
So if any coaches of older Mites and Squirts happen to read this, please teach your players the concept so they can at least try it out in games/practices and learn how important it is.

That's a very big if. Very few 7 year olds can mirror a weaving attacking player. And lectures? It's got to be way more concise and simple if you want them to absorb anything.

HockeyDad41 wrote:

hokeyhockeyguy wrote:It sounds like the guy went overboard. HOWEVER, as a coach, I can't tell you how important Gap control is.

I applaud all efforts to instill this in kids at an early age. If these 7 year olds can skate backwards proficiently, they should be lectured on it from time to time.

So if any coaches of older Mites and Squirts happen to read this, please teach your players the concept so they can at least try it out in games/practices and learn how important it is.

May I politely and with the utmost respect ask why is it important for a 7 year old to learn Gap control? I mean trying to impart that knowledge on a 7 year old as he is walking onto the ice is ridiculous but why teach it to them at all at this age?

It was mentioned that the "average age was 7 years old"....could he be maybe have been focusing him comments towards some of the older players?[/b]

Yikes... took an opportunity to promote gap control, which I think is tremendously undercoached at all levels.

Of course I don't think your average 7 year old needs a lecture about gap control, but as soon as defenseman skate backwards in drills and games it should be taught.

7 year olds can't do that?

hokeyhockeyguy wrote:Yikes... took an opportunity to promote gap control, which I think is tremendously undercoached at all levels.

Of course I don't think your average 7 year old needs a lecture about gap control, but as soon as defenseman skate backwards in drills and games it should be taught.

7 year olds can't do that?

I wish someone would have taught my son gap control a little earlier, but you gotta admit, watching those little guys get all squared off going backwards, eyeing up the opposing player who is a half of a sheet away, it's kinda cute...if you aren't sitting by some stupid forwards parents yelling, "stop'em, stop'em! Did you see that the defenseman let them walk right in".

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I certainly don't want to offend you in any way. You seem like a decent person who likes to hang out in the locker room, so you can comment about other adults that are in the locker room. I think that's great.

However, kids aren't little idiots. In baseball this summer, try not to be too offended when a coach teaches your second grader to run in on a ground ball or move to catch a fly ball - similar spatial relationship concepts. Not all of them will be very good at it right away, but we give them the information and try to increase their understanding by practicing. In addition, I don't think that the coaches of your little one's basketball-playing friends advocate playing defense from 30 feet away; why would we assume that our hockey-playing children are any less intelligent?