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Hockey is ALways Fun - HALF Undergraduate Hockey School
Few words about hockey, about us and what we are doing...
Approximately over the past ten… fifteen years, hockey has significantly changed. Modern hockey now is a much faster and more skilled game. When you look at the statistical leaders in the NHL, you will see how many European players on top positions. Yes, North America has great, talented players, but compared to an overall number of players from each country reasonable questions arise: “Why is that?”
Many people, fans, and experts believe the reason for this is that the main numbers of European players are better skaters’ and have better-developed hockey skills. While that may be difficult for some to swallow, their argument will be that the statistics do not lie. Whether this is true or false, in our opinion that in any case, this is not the North American hockey players' fault – it is a result of how the game is taught here, and how basic skills are important for future players' development. The best time for hockey player skill development is growing time and a greater emphasis in North American Hockey on ‘system’ play.
In Europe, the focus is on individual skill development. The hockey education methods in North America have significantly changed since the ’80s’, but personal player development hockey skills methods are not. As long as we continue to teach our kids in this manner, we will lag behind the European players. Let’s apply different hockey learning concepts here. In the order to develop a good player, radical, cutting-edge techniques absolutely required. And in the last few years, we define a good combination of the Russian and American training methodologies and exercises, to develop and implement our training program for our kids, future hockey players.
When players with a strong individual drive, passion, and a serious work ethic are combined with these all available training methods, they produce unbelievable results in a manner faster than has been achieved elsewhere, even with other sports combinations. Proposing teaching methods are built around Innovative drills that MUST be practiced repeatedly until they become second nature of the player. Repetition and hard work is the key to success. It allows the player to focus not on skating, stick handling, or shooting. It fees, opens the players' minds, allowing them to focus on individual creativity that is now the heart of the game.
These proven scientific drills are taught in a manner that makes each player an active participant in their own development. The science behind this method speeds up the development of players at ALL levels as they understand what transpires with their body weight & center of gravity in relation to the different and varying balance points, as well as edging requirements based on speed and agility, allowing them to adapt faster to future evolutions in the game. We firmly believe that hockey player skills will directly be related to his skating ability. You can practice your sticks shooting and puck handling in the garage, in the front yard, and the playground… a number of different places. But…if you can’t get open, if you do not have balance, if you are not properly controlling edges and not strong on your skates, you’ll never get the shot off, to begin with.
Along with skating, the next critical element is stick handling. We do not believe stick handling and skating should ever be separated. They must be taught together as an integrated unit. All of the great players have been able to skate and control the puck synergistically – without thinking. This frees the mind to be creative and focus on what other players are doing and what is transpiring on the ice rather than what THEY are doing with the puck. Drill progression, with skating and stick handling, are married together – forcing each skater to perform everything at top speed, at all times. The game then slows down inside their mind, allowing quicker reaction times as things come to them instinctively and automatically.
Our focus and energies will remain in DEVELOPING players into Tier I and Tier II players that can play at any level. Suffice it to say, that my greatest desire for all the players we develop, is that the lessons, hard work, focus, and drive I wish to impart on each child extends well past that of hockey. It is our desire that these lessons provide a foundation for what can be accomplished in everything they do in their lives!
HALF coaches do not claim to ultimate truth, but we are agreed with the author of this manifest, founder and head coach of Next Generation Hockey School (NGHockey.com, Scottsdale, AZ). B.Dorozhenko has great coaching experience and coached many great North American and European hockey players, who developed skills with his direct help. And we have greatly appreciated his advice and help in our hockey Players Development Initiative and HALF project, but now we are separated and work independently from him.
The founder of the HALF PDI (Players Development Initiative) program Aleksey Rezvoi is not a professional hockey coach but has a player, coaching experience, and sufficient knowledge to work. Aleksey has L4 and G USA Hockey certifications. Our Undergraduate Hockey School is founded as a non-profit organization. All funds are invested in the project personally and spent on the organization of work, payment for ice, compensation of expenses to the invited trainers. This does not apply to camps or sessions organized jointly with other programs. In this case, remuneration to coaches is paid by agreement. While we are looking for a balance of costs and the optimal amount of payment for sessions, clinics, and camps. The money received from the sale of accessories in our online HALF-store also goes to the development of the program. We will be grateful for any of your help.