At what age?

[nic29+]

Should you be playing a position?

My son is in senior novice and next year will be playing with Atoms.

Last year the coach had them playing positions, my son played goalie for most of the year but then he wanted to try playing out. We also wanted him to play out because he wasn't learning the game by being in net. Now this year he likes playing out and is one of the better skaters on the team. To most of us, he is obviously a centre or forward because he goes everywhere that puck is and scores alot of goals.

Anyway this year is a different coach and he doesn't believe in playing a position. So for the first period my son will play centre then the second the coach puts him on defense (which he doesn't do well in) then the 3rd period he puts him on forward. He does this with the whole team. He even switches the goalies between periods.

I can see in some of the kids that they are either better at defense or forward but he switches them up like this all the time and we never win a game. Other coaches watch our team in warm up and think we are this amazing team and then they beat us 10 - 3. Our team can skate really good and this is what the other coaches see before the game.

Now next year my son moves up to Atoms and he isn't gonna have a clue. First year of checking and then playing one position. I agree that kids have to learn every position but shouldn't this be done in pre-novice?

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[stick9]

Should you be playing a position?

My son is in senior novice and next year will be playing with Atoms.

Last year the coach had them playing positions, my son played goalie for most of the year but then he wanted to try playing out. We also wanted him to play out because he wasn't learning the game by being in net. Now this year he likes playing out and is one of the better skaters on the team. To most of us, he is obviously a centre or forward because he goes everywhere that puck is and scores alot of goals.

Anyway this year is a different coach and he doesn't believe in playing a position. So for the first period my son will play centre then the second the coach puts him on defense (which he doesn't do well in) then the 3rd period he puts him on forward. He does this with the whole team. He even switches the goalies between periods.

I can see in some of the kids that they are either better at defense or forward but he switches them up like this all the time and we never win a game. Other coaches watch our team in warm up and think we are this amazing team and then they beat us 10 - 3. Our team can skate really good and this is what the other coaches see before the game.

Now next year my son moves up to Atoms and he isn't gonna have a clue. First year of checking and then playing one position. I agree that kids have to learn every position but shouldn't this be done in pre-novice?

Not sure what I think about having kids play goal who don't really want to be a goalie. But hey, that's just me. I think it's good that your son gets to see the game from all three different postions even though I don't agree with him playing goal. Kind of gives him a taste of all three.

Question, how old is your son?

 

[Twist and Shout]

Let him learn all the positions this year, and then next year, let him choose what he wants to play all the time (don't force him to be a forward just because he's good at it if he wants to be a d-man or goalie).

 

[Mr Brownstone]

Really it doesn't matter until he/she gets to a level where positional play is important. For the most part, younger levels are just everyone going in all kinds of directions. I'd say by the time he's 8 or 9, he should begin to focus on one position, with you and others taking into account his skating ability, feel for the game, selfishness with the puck, etc.

 

[Hockeymom67]

I have four boys that play .Peewee ,Atom ,Novice and Mahgs.
I 've only encountered that problem last year when my son was a first year novice.As much as it may confuse him.Next year,he will have a much better understanding of the whole game and it's positions.Last year my son played both def and winger.This year he's a great center and he knows exactly all the ground he must cover.I must say that he also plays halfback at soccer which lets him understand hockey lots better

 

[hkydog]

He is too young to be worrying about positional play now. He needs to find out where he is comfortable playing. Obviously from what you've said he doesn't want to be a goaltender anymore. I think you are jumping ahead of him, its news to me and probably many others that here is checking in atoms. Let him finish out this year with rotating thru positions he may surprise you in where he wants to play.

 

[nic29+]

My son is 8 years old soon to be 9.

He does want to be goalie still sometimes, just not every game.

He likes being forward and not defense.

There is checking in Atoms here because my son played up with the atoms last weekend.

 

[Murphy]

It sounds like the coach is following the guidelines set forth by Hockey Canada.

I believe it's known as the Nike skills development program. At the Novice level I think 75% of the curriculum applies to straight technical skills and it isn't until the Atom level that team play strategies come into play.

That said, I think as the year ends there should be some consideration to players being put into positions according to their strengths or desire, so as to prepare them for Atom but at the Novice level it's not really all that critical.

Where this could become a problem is for the first year kids that want to try-out for an Atom development team. At the start of try-outs they have to state what position they're trying out for and if they haven't played any one position they're at a bit of a disadvantage.

But for the most part, positional play isn't starting to develop until Atom and thats as per Hockey Canada.

 

[stick9]

My son is 8 years old soon to be 9.

He does want to be goalie still sometimes, just not every game.

He likes being forward and not defense.

There is checking in Atoms here because my son played up with the atoms last weekend.

At that age I wouldnt worry about it at all. For kids that age I actually like the idea. He'll be to settle into a postion and start to learn the finer points of playing it in the next few years.

You mention something in your post that sort of backs up what the coach is doing - "He does want to be goalie still sometimes, just not every game.". I bet the kids on his team never get bored or complain that they are stuck doing one thing all the time.

 

[Murphy]

There is checking in Atoms here because my son played up with the atoms last weekend.

Are you sure it wasn't just rubbing out? I think this falls under provincial regulations so it could definitely be in Sask, but in B.C & Alta they don't start hitting until Pee Wee.

 

[nic29+]

At that age I wouldnt worry about it at all. For kids that age I actually like the idea. He'll be to settle into a postion and start to learn the finer points of playing it in the next few years.

You mention something in your post that sort of backs up what the coach is doing - "He does want to be goalie still sometimes, just not every game.". I bet the kids on his team never get bored or complain that they are stuck doing one thing all the time.

You are right there. They don't complain about that.

It sounds like the coach is following the guidelines set forth by Hockey Canada.

I believe it's known as the Nike skills development program. At the Novice level I think 75% of the curriculum applies to straight technical skills and it isn't until the Atom level that team play strategies come into play.

That said, I think as the year ends there should be some consideration to players being put into positions according to their strengths or desire, so as to prepare them for Atom but at the Novice level it's not really all that critical.

Where this could become a problem is for the first year kids that want to try-out for an Atom development team. At the start of try-outs they have to state what position they're trying out for and if they haven't played any one position they're at a bit of a disadvantage.

But for the most part, positional play isn't starting to develop until Atom and thats as per Hockey Canada.

Thanks Murphy. That makes it all make more sense. So next year he will be playing a position.

 

[nic29+]

Are you sure it wasn't just rubbing out? I think this falls under provincial regulations so it could definitely be in Sask, but in B.C & Alta they don't start hitting until Pee Wee.

It's hitting here. My son had to go practice with them for a month before he could play this one day with them so he could learn how to take a hit. It was a tournament and in the first game he got hit really hard and he was scared to play the rest of the games (as soon as he got the puck he'd pass it so he wouldn't get hit again.)

 

[nic29+]

Here's a link to checking in Saskatchewan and not in Alberta.



http://www.bodychecking.ca/

 

[Murphy]

Thanks for the link, I wish they'd do the same here. The kids get so worked up when they enter Pee Wee some, like my kid forget all about the game and just try go out and hit all the time. It takes 1/2 the year to get them back on track and to remind them thats there more to the game than just hitting. Other kids I've seen that were good little players are now scared of getting hurt and they don't carry puck anymore. If they got used to this in Atom they'd be more prepared for this come Pee Wee.