Horst Wein:
THE DEVELOPMENT OF GAME INTELLIGENCE IN HOCKEY – A NEED FOR ACHIEVING TOP PERFORMANCES
Each epoch is characterized by certain tendencies or fashions. This applies not only to music, medecine , fashion but also to hockey.
While teaching and coaching hockey was orientated in the early 50's and 60's mainly on improving technical skills, from the mid 60’ s onward I contributed to shift this tendency toward using more the tactical knowledge to overcome technical better teams and using at the same time a different system of play. The use of a covering sweeper who allowed his defenders in front of him to mark their opponents very closely ( which often caused obstruction) became a fashion when Germany smashed India for the first time 3:0 in Berlin in 1967. The shirt numbers of the players were not selected any more depending on their position on the field and, instead of being a specialist for a particular position and playing mainly in an restricted area of the field, the allround player was born in the last phase of grass hockey.
The more hockey was played on artificial turf from 1975 onward another aspect of the top performance of a hockey player became obvious and received more attention without neglecting the importance of the technical and tactical training.I refer to the physical preparation of the hockey player, an aspect which had been underestimated by many countries in the time of grasshockey in which the ball was not played more than 26 until 28 minutes during a 70 minutes game. But due to the increased use of artificial turfs and more effective playing time a different and more physical game evolved and optimal physical performance levels became more and more a must for any team hoping for outstanding results.
In the 90’s other tendencies were developed ( mainly by Germany, the Netherlands and Australia) but despite globalisation none of them became popular or were accepted world-wide.
And now in the first decade of a new century, where is hockey going to? What will become a tendency in hockey teaching and coaching for the years to come? Certainly, there are different views and opinions about it around the globe but it could be of interest to know which of the various tendencies seen at the Olympic Hockey Tournament in Athens will finally come out.
„The correct comprehension of a game situation
is the origin of all actions of any player on the field“
Today, to become World Champions or an Olympic winners it’s necessary to develop and dispose of complete hockey players with an excellent technical ability, a high physically fitness level, a wide tactical knowledge and, last not least, with help of a mental trainer an optimal mental fitness.
But is there still something to improve in a performance of an individual player, or a group of players and a team, which has been left behind ? Which aspects of the development of a complete player has up to now not been considered or stimulated sufficiently in training to bring the game to a superior level?
There is one aspect of the player's performance which needs more attention within the learning and teaching process which soon may become a tendency all over the world: the development of game intelligence in hockey, that quality which allows a player to recognize and adapt to situations on the pitch quickly in the high pressure atmosphere of the match . Without a doubt, game intelligence is already an important criteria in evaluating the performance level of each player in many areas.
The development of the intellectual capacities of youth and adult hockey players is still in its infancy, largely due to the authoritarian teaching style preferred by the vast majority of trainers and coaches to shape and coach their players.
The frequent instructions and hints that the players receive from the sideline before a game and during its development are not sufficient to take the game to a higher level.
The only way to improve the standard of play in the medium and long term is to, among other things, start a systematic development of thinking and tactical awareness from a very early age with the emphasis on a progressive stimulation of their perceptive and intellectual capacities. As the player's ball skills get better and better, he should also perfect his knowledge and thinking, not only developing his muscles and tendons but also his brain.
It is well known that practicing, experimenting and observing gives any child a wide variety of different experiences. Going one step further and using and interpreting these experiences leads to a correct behavior pattern when faced with different situations both in life and in hockey. But if nobody guides the child and helps him to interpret his proper experiences, he will never reach his full potential, either in life or in hockey. What he needs is the experience of an adult, to offer advice, to question almost everything and to give examples. This is not only true for everything the child experiences, for example in school or with the family, but also as far as the development of his overall performance is concerned.
„Too often we neglect that besides technical competence and phyical conditioning the achievement of top performance is conditioned by a systematic and progressive development of perception skills and cognition (understanding of the game), two aspects which up to now have been underestimated in the coaching process of too many teams“
As soon as possible, depending on the technical level of the player, all youngsters should be exposed during training to simplified games to gain first-hand knowledge and tactical experiences about the correct way to acquire tactical habits. The more knowledge the youngster acquires, the better! But subjective experiences alone are not enough! The acquisition of experiences and knowledge is much better when it is a result of a well-proven pedagogical process where the coach uses questions and demonstrations to unlock the development of experiences and knowledge, so that they are clearly understood.
Stimulation, encouragement or advice, an explanation or demonstration by the coach, together with the appropriate number of repetitions of the same game situation and subsequently the transfer of the solution to other similar situations that occur in the game forms a solid foundation in the young hockey player's mind for developing his game intelligence.
Intelligence must be developed mainly through the global and not the analytic method, exposing the players to a series of technical-tactical simplified games such as 3 v 1, 2 v 1 or 3 v 2. Depending on the simplified game, each player has to face and resolve a series of problems which should be shaped perfectly to his physical, technical and mental capacities. A great variety progressive exercises and games are proposed in this book which will help to develop step by step the youngster's tactical thinking and awareness until he has discovered himself, with the coach as a guide, a great variety of solutions for almost every situation that he may confront in a soccer game. It doesn't matter if the solution was discovered thanks to the frequent repetition of a similar situation in training or due to his imagination, creativity and spontaneity. The important thing is that the player has been able to understand and read the situation and resolve the problem successfully.
The ability to quickly and efficiently vary a previously learned skill is only possible when the player has been exposed to a systematic development of his intellectual capacity from a very early age right through to top performance level.
Good perception, a vital requirement for any player, followed by a correct interpretation and comprehension of the game situation and the ability to make good decisions culminates in a good technical execution of the mentally prepared move. All these phases of the playing action must be coached over a period of years in order to be able to raise the performance level of any player.
„In hockey an ounce of intelligence
is worth more than a pound of muscles“
What does game intelligence mean?
In hockey, every position in the team or task to perform requires a specific type of intelligence. The one required of a goalkeeper is totally different to that of a central defender or a front-line attacker as the problems are not resolved in the same way in defense or in attack or inside the pitch or only in front of the goal.
The intelligence of a player should be considered as the real driving force behind his performance. Often, the difference between one hockey player and another is the level of intelligence he demonstrates in the game. His intelligence explains his success.
A high level in hockey is only possible when making constant use of game intelligence. Neither a player who is physically fit and technically proficient but without an alert mind or intelligence nor one who is capable of resolving problems mentally but is unable to transfer his brilliant ideas into actions which benefit his team can be considered a complete player. Unlocking and developing systematically a hockey player's game intelligence is still beyond the knowledge of many coaches and teachers. Unfortunately there
is no literature yet about developing this important aspect either in hockey or in other sports and few coaches are prepared to modify their coaching style which is an important prerequisite for being able to stimulate game intelligence.
The continuous commands and instructions given by most coaches before, during and after the match prevent most of the players from using their intelligence. Instead of confronting the players in training with a great variety of problems to be resolved, they receive day by day the solutions to the problems from the coach to which they have to obey. This rigid and authoritarian coaching style doesn't develop intelligent players with awareness and responsibility.
To get more intelligent players on the pitch in the future, coaches need to stimulate more and instruct less. Instead of being instructors on the hockeypitch, they should become consultants, guides or organizers of information, knowing how to complement the teaching of technical skills with the accumulation of game specific knowledge, thus achieving significant learning!
Developing game intelligence in any hockey player implies teaching him to:
- read the game and understand what is happening on the pitch (for which a certain level of perception, knowledge and experience is necessary),
- draw on past experiences when confronting any given situation to come to a correct decision,
- execute with an appropriate skill level, and quickly, the previously thought solution.
Apart from being able to 'read' the situation in the game, an intelligent player can anticipate how the play is likely to develop thanks to the information previously processed. The ability to anticipate, which is always the result of good perception and decision making, is a significant tool for intelligent players.
To be able to focus maximum attention on his problem or task at hand and decide quickly and intelligently about his next move, his technical skills should have been consolidated and automated beforehand. Doing so, the quality of his game will be raised and the player will perform at a higher level. It is necessary to make intelligence work for hockey in order to achieve a better game!
Nobody is born with a high level of game intelligence in soccer, but to develop their innate potential, players must be exposed daily to a varied and progressive training program with simplified games. They are an ideal tool to unlock and not only develop game intelligence in any player, but also will hone his technical and tactical skills.
"A varied and progressive training program with simplified games is the best way to develop and improve intelligence in soccer step by step"
"There is no greater power on the field than the players' intelligence"
How does a hockey player's intelligence manifest itself on the field?
An intelligent player:
- generally chooses the best option in less time
- not only looks for the best solution to the problem he is confronted with on the pitch by quickly prioritizing all the various alternatives, but also calculates the risk factors involved. He rarely loses focus until he has resolved the situation.
- knows in any moment of the match how to give the adequate speed to the ball and to the rhythm of his team .
- is never rushed and feels secure and confident when performing a particular move anywhere on the pitch. He controls with his eyes all the space around him, in front, behind and to either side, taking full advantage of both very limited
space and wide-open spaces! He always appears to have time. He knows that rushing and doing things too quickly tends to produce errors.
- always tries to achieve a balance between taking risks and safety. Too much risk could mean losing the ball or even the match, while playing without any risk rarely helps to turn the match to your favor. He is brave enough to take risks!
- stands out because he can adapt to the ever-changing situations in the game, to the referee, to his teammates , to his opponents and to the pitch and weather conditions.
- knows that things do not always come off. This is why his performance level rarely dips after making a mistake or two or three in a row.
- knows when and where to pass the ball or when it is better to keep possession.
- has good optical - motor assessment or spatial awareness. Assesses correctly the distances between him and his teammates and the opposition or to the lines of the pitch and the location of the goals, acquired through many years of practice with simplified games which also sharpened his decision making capacities.
- keeps it simple. Only a master, an outstanding player, can play simply.
„Game intelligence helps performers translate their technical abilities and phyiscal fitness into an effective performance“
- knows what he is going to do with the ball before he even receives and controls it.
- uses his creativity to the benefit of his team and teammates.
- knows how to play hockey, especially without the ball, constantly making himself
available for his teammates to which he offers possible solutions to many situations that arise on the pitch.
- is a player who contributes all his qualities for the good of his team. A soccer player who doesn't use his intelligence to serve his teammates around him will never succeed in the game because he will then tend to perceive only a portion of the whole game, seeing plays completely isolated and not in context
with the whole. This type of player doesn't see everything that is taking place on the pitch.
- frequently asks questions and quickly learns from his mistakes. He is good at memorizing a great variety of plays and reproducing them.
- only does what is within his capabilities.
- knows how to pace himself throughout a game. His experience allows him to make appropriate decisions such as when to run or when it is a waste of energy.
- is not affected by stress, knowing that a high level of stress tends to narrow his focus and perception capacity and also influences his decision making negatively. This explains why sometimes key players do not make positive contributions in decisive matches. The pressure nullifies their usually intelligent play.
"As hockey is largely a cognitive game it is advisable to focus learning on constructing a significant knowledge database, achieved by a balanced interaction between player, coach and situations in context"
Note:
Literature for how to develop Game Intelligence:
Horst Wein (2004): „Developing Game Intelligence in Soccer“ Reedswain,Inc. USA
Horst Wein (2004): „Coaching Game Intelligence in Youth Soccer“ , DVD with a 90 minutes video, Institut für Jugendfussball (Germany), www.ifj.de
Horst Wein (2004): „Die Entwicklung der Spielintelligenz im Fussball“, Institut für
Jugendfussball, www.ifj.de
DEVELOPING GAME INTELLIGENCE IN HOCKEY
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
THE DEVELOPMENT OF GAME INTELLIGENCE IN HOCKEY 1
WHAT DOES GAME INTELLIGENCE MEAN? 3
HOW DOES A HOCKEY PLAYER'S INTELLIGENCE MANIFEST ITSELF ON THE FIELD? 5
PART ONE
DEVELOPING GAME INTELLIGENCE IN ATTACK
THE POSITIONAL ATTACK : ITS START AND PROGRESSION 9
A SERIES OF PROGRESSIVE SIMPLIFIED GAMES 12
SOME TACTICAL RULES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE POSITIONAL ATTACK 24
KEEPING POSSESSION OF THE BALL 25
REASONS FOR "FREEZING" THE GAME 26
KNOWING HOW TO PLAY WITHOUT THE BALL 26
A SERIES OF PROGRESSIVE SIMPLIFIED GAMES 28
COACHING MODEL: KEEPING POSSESSION 48
ATTACKING FROM THE MIDFIELD 49
A SERIES OF PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES AND SIMPLIFIED GAMES 51
THE 2v1-SITUATION- A BASIC ELEMENT OF THE COLLECTIVE GAME 57
A MODEL TO HELP TO DEVELOP CORRECT TECHNICAL-TACTICAL RESPONSES WHEN
A QUESTIONNAIRE TO HELP YOU TO REFLECT UPON AND LEARN HOW TO RESOLVE
THE 2v1 SITUATION, THE "ATOM" OF THE TACTICAL GAME 58
BEING IN A 2v1-SITUATION 60
2v1- SITUATIONS BOTH IN ATTACK AND IN DEFENSE 61
A SERIES OF PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES AND SIMPLIFIED GAMES 63
FIRST-TIME PLAY 75
A SERIES OF PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES AND SIMPLIFIED GAMES 78
THE COUNTERATTACK 87
FUNDAMENTAL REQUIREMENTS NECESSARY FOR GOOD COUNTERATTACKING 88
THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING FOR THE COUNTERATTACK 89
THE MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COUNTERATTACK 89
A SERIES OF PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES AND SIMPLIFIED GAMES 90
INTELLIGENT PASSING 105
ACCURACY IN DIRECTION 107
THE TIMING OF THE PASS 109
THE SPEED (FORCE) OF THE PASS 109
DISGUISING THE DIRECTION OF THE PASS 109
QUESTIONNAIRE ABOUT THE ART OF PASSING 110
CORRECT TECHNIQUES AND TACTICS IN RECEIVING AND CONTROLLING THE BALL 111
THE IMPORTANCE OF RUNNING TOWARDS THE ONCOMING BALL 112
ORIENTATED CONTROL AND MAKING USE OF THE SPEED OF THE BALL 114
THE DIFFERENT STAGES INVOLVED IN COACHING THE CAPACITY TO RECEIVE AND
CONTROL THE BALL 115
THE IMPORTANCE OF ITS TRAINING 115
A SERIES OF PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES AND SIMPLIFIED GAMES 116
THE CAPACITY TO PLAY THROUGH PASSES 131
A SERIES OF PROGRESSIVE SIMPLIFIED GAMES 132
SUMMARY 143
IMPROVING GOAL SCORING 145
SCORING A GOAL DEPENDS ON MANY FACTORS 146
THINGS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHEN SHOOTING 147
THE NEED TO SIMULATE REAL-MATCH SITUATIONS IN TRAINING 148
ESSENTIAL PRE-REQUISITES FOR SHOTS AT GOAL 150
CONCLUSIONS 150
A SERIES OF PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES AND SIMPLIFIED GAMES 152
THE REBOUND: A SECOND CHANCE TO SCORE 163
A SERIES OF PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES AND SIMPLIFIED GAMES 165
ATTACKING UNDER PRESSURE 171
WHAT DOES PLAYING UNDER PRESSURE MEAN? 172
A SERIES OF PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES AND SIMPLIFIED GAMES 173
PART TWO
DEVELOPING GAME INTELLIGENCE IN DEFENSE
REASONS FOR A COLLECTIVE APPROACH TO DEFENSE 179
BASIC RULES OF THE COLLECTIVE DEFENSE 181
HOW TO COACH APPROACHING AND CLOSING DOWN AN ATTACKER IN POSSESSION OF THE BALL 185
THE THREE PHASES OF THE PROCESS OF DISPOSSESSING AN ATTACKER 186
A SERIES OF PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES AND SIMPLIFIED GAMES 190
HOW TO COACH COVER DEFENSE 203
A SERIES OF PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES AND SIMPLIFIED GAMES 205
THE PRINCIPLE OF THE PRESSING DEFENSE 215
HOW ZONAL DEFENSE AND THE OFFSIDE RULE FACILITATE A PRESSING DEFENSE 217
WHERE ON THE PITCH IS IT A GOOD IDEA TO PLAY A PRESSING DEFENSE? 217
WHEN IS IT A GOOD IDEA TO PLAY A PRESSING DEFENSE? 218
TACTICAL REASONS FOR PLAYING A PRESSING DEFENSE 219
THE FOUR STAGES IN THE APPLICATION OF THE PRESSING DEFENSE 219
A SERIES OF PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES AND SIMPLIFIED GAMES 222
THE PRINCIPLE OF ANTICIPATION 225
HOW TO PRACTICE ANTICIPATION SKILLS 228
A SERIES OF PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES AND SIMPLIFIED GAMES 230
DEFENDING UNDER PRESSURE 237
INTERNAL PRESSURES WHILE DEFENDING 238
EXTERNAL PRESSURES WHILE DEFENDING 238
HOW TO DEFEND IN NUMERICAL INFERIORITY 239
DEFENDING COUNTERATTACKS 243
PART THREE
THE INDIVIDUAL GAME
IMPROVING INDIVIDUAL SKILLS - A PREREQUISITE FOR RAISING THE LEVEL OF TEAM PLAY 251
THE IMPORTANCE OF WINNING THE 1v1- CHALLENGES 255
THE BONDING OF TECHNICAL EXECUTION AND TACTICAL APPLICATION
PRACTICING THE 1v1-SITUATION WITH A SERIES OF PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES AND
INDIVIDUAL ANALYSIS AND STATISTICS 256
DIFFERENT 1v1-SITUATIONS 256
RISK AND SAFETY IN THE 1v1-SITUATION IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE PITCH 257
AS A BASIS FOR SUCCESS IN THE 1v1-DUELS 258
GENERAL RULES FOR SUCCESSFUL CHALLENGES 260
A PHYSICAL WELL PREPARED PLAYER HAS MORE CHANCES TO WIN THE DUELS 261
HINTS FOR TRAINING 262
THE PROFILE OF A WINNER IN THE 1v1-DUEL 263
THE DUEL BETWEEN THE GOALKEEPER AND AN ATTACKER 264
SIMPLIFIED GAMES 266
EMPHASIZING INDIVIDUALIZED TRAINING SESSIONS 271
THE IMPORTANCE OF INDIVIDUALIZED TRAINING SESSIONS 272
THE ROLE OF THE COACH IN INDIVIDUALIZED TRAINING 272
EXAMPLE OF EXERCISES FOR INDIVIDUALIZED SKILL TRAINING 274
PART FOUR
ORGANIZING THE VICTORY
WINNING MORE OFTEN THANKS TO TECHNOLOGY 287
A BROAD RANGE OF USES FOR THE SOFTWARE 289
MORE INFORMATION AND SUCCESS IN THE FUTURE 291
THE PERCENTAGE GAME 293
SEVEN TIPS ON HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR PERCENTAGE GAME 295
ANALYZING YOUR OPPONENT'S GAME 297
IMPROVING TEAM PERFORMANCE BY ESTABLISHING ROLES FOR EACH OF THE PLAYERS 301
LOOK OUT FOR CLARITY AND ACCEPTANCE WHEN SETTING-UP THE ROLES 302
CHECK THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE ROLES 303
TRAINING FOR A SPECIFIC ROLE 304
ESTABLISHING ROLES FOR YOUNG PLAYERS BETWEEN 12 AND 16 YEARS 305
THE IMPORTANCE OF ESTABLISHING POSITIVE RULES FOR THE GROUP 305
STIMULATING GAME INTELLIGENCE AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF HOCKEY 307
TOWARDS A CHANGE OF THE COACHING STYLE 308
A SHIFT TO LESS INSTRUCTION AND MORE STIMULATION 309
THE SKILL OF POSING QUESTIONS 310
