How easy is it to get the kids to become defensemen?

[D1az]

I don't have kids myself and despite living in Finland I only played hockey for fun with friends, and not for any team, so I don't have any experience of how it works out when the kids are supposed to start growing into their positions.

I'd assume just about every kid would like to be a forward, and then there are a few who think goalies look cool, but what about the defensive position?
Am I wrongly assuming that it isn't very easy to actually get a kid with defensive talents to play that position, even if they would get considerably much more time on the ice?

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[Prominence Problem]

• You get more ice time
• You get to really focus on both ends of the ice. It's a good feeling when you get involved offensively as a defenseman.
• Generally, you get to be more physical

I've never done it, but I would assume if I was transitioning a young kid from forward to defense, I would want a kid who's a decent skater, but most importantly knows a lot about hockey.
The higher hockey IQ, the easier transition I think.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

• You get more ice time
• You get to really focus on both ends of the ice. It's a good feeling when you get involved offensively as a defenseman.
• Generally, you get to be more physical

I've never done it, but I would assume if I was transitioning at a young kid from forward to defense, I would want a kid who's a decent skater, but most importantly knows a lot about hockey. The higher hockey IQ, the easier transition I think.

Kids don't get to check until they are generally 12-13. At least in the US.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Kids don't get to check until they are generally 12-13. At least in the US.

But there's more to being physical than throwing checks. They still push and shove along the boards, in the corners, in front of the net. Long before body checking comes in.

 

[Prominence Problem]

Kids don't get to check until they are generally 12-13. At least in the US.

That's right. I transitioned in Peewee hockey.

 

[tarheelhockey]

In my limited experience, it's really hard to get a young (11 and under) kid to buy into being a defenseman unless they just really identify with the position for some reason. At younger ages it's better to rotate the players around in different positions and help them understand how the game operates from different perspectives. Not only does this help them understand systems play later on, but it also forces the whole team to work on backward skating and defensive stick position, that sort of thing.

Around 12-13, when most players become more physically and mentally mature, they start categorizing and finding their niche. At that point, the selling point for playing D is ice time and having the puck on their stick a lot. It's also something of a maturity thing, as playing D develops a sense of leadership and responsibility. If a kid strongly doesn't want to play D, you probably don't want him back there anyway.

 

[Yukon Joe]

Okay, so I have three kids in minor hockey. At U9 and below they're playing half ice with no positions. But at U 11 is when they go full-ice and are expected to play positions, complete with offsides. And of my two kids that are old enough, both play defence.

So from my two kids, I think I've found that while you may have to get one kid who wants to play forward to play back, there's not too much trouble finding defencemen.

Now as an adult I like playing D because of the increased ice time, but kids don't really think that way. Instead I think it's a combination of A: having a much more structured role, B: just being a strong backwards skater, and C: not having as much pressure to score goals.

Oh, probably also a D: because their older brother/dad/some other role model also plays D.

 

[koteka]

I have two that were defensemen. They just started off being defensemen - it wasn’t like there was a long discussion. They both skated well backwards and had a more defensive mindset. Coaches realized that. They never complained about playing defense.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

In my limited experience, it's really hard to get a young (11 and under) kid to buy into being a defenseman unless they just really identify with the position for some reason. At younger ages it's better to rotate the players around in different positions and help them understand how the game operates from different perspectives. Not only does this help them understand systems play later on, but it also forces the whole team to work on backward skating and defensive stick position, that sort of thing.

Around 12-13, when most players become more physically and mentally mature, they start categorizing and finding their niche. At that point, the selling point for playing D is ice time and having the puck on their stick a lot. It's also something of a maturity thing, as playing D develops a sense of leadership and responsibility. If a kid strongly doesn't want to play D, you probably don't want him back there anyway.

That's how I've always done it when coaching, at least until 14-16ish--rotate everyone around. It also helps with awareness and skating, and for perma-forwards, it helps them to see how helpful their checking/backchecking can be, while dmen can see importance of pass placement etc. Obviously guys may settle earlier--and you can keep them in the position if they jsut really really want to play D--but I still want a guy to take at least some shifts in a different position.

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

Play some Cale Makar highlights on the big screeen?

 

[Overrated]

big and strong kids naturally gravitate towards it