Q&A: How Do I Motivate Players to Give 100% Against Lesser Opponents?
Keeping players motivated when they are playing a “not as skilled” team can be difficult. Hockey expert and author, John Shorey, provides an answer to this reader submitted question:
Bill asks: How do you keep your players motivated when the team they play against is at a lower skill level?
John answers: This is a good question and something that I have seen happen many, many times in my hockey career. In fact it just happened twice in the league in which I am President. The last place team with a record of 0 wins and 15 straight losses beat the second placed team, twice in two weeks.
Sometimes playing a lower seeded team is more difficult than playing the top team. For some reason, players can’t seem to get motivated to play a specific team or game. I believe this happens because players of the higher seeded team come to the game mentally overconfident.
Secondly, they play down to the level of the lower team instead of playing up to their full skill potential. This is because players physically and mentally take the night off and do not give 100% on every shift. They believe a 50% effort is all that is required to beat the lower seeded team. They take too many offensive and defensive chances, stay out for long shifts, try to do too much stickhandling, or make too many passes trying to score a cute goal instead of burying the puck into the net.
Some players try to pad their scoring statistics against the weaker team and play undisciplined hockey. They hang out by the red line looking for a breakaway pass and won’t backcheck. This type of play backfires on many teams causing them to fall behind early in the game and play catch up hockey – something they may not be used to doing.
Here is the big challenge for coaches. They must convince their players there is no such thing as an easy hockey game. They must prepare a sound game plan for their team no matter where the opposition is in the standings.
The key is to get players back to the basics – the systems, strategy and shifts that got them into the higher seeded position in the first place. This is not easy for the coaches because changing the established thinking of their players requires special coaching skills.
Many players do not believe they are playing a good hockey team. Coaches need to tell players they will fall behind if they do not stick to the game plan. Sometimes this can be accomplished by challenging them to give a 100% effort and follow the game plan or ride the pine for a few shifts.
Coaches should instruct their teams to go back to short shifts – get the puck in deep, forecheck, recover the puck, cycle it if required, pass or carry it into a high percentage scoring location, take the shot on goal and then get off the ice. This should all be done within a 50 second shift.
Make no mistake, playing a lower seeded team is a challenge, and coaches must find the right buttons to push to get each player to play up to his or her potential. However, remember, the goal of youth hockey is having fun, not winning a game 15 to 1. It is important not to embarrass any team by blowing them out of the water.
If a coach finds their team in a blow out position, they should challenge their players to try other positions. Let defensive players try forward and forwards try defense. This will make players realize the different skills required to play other positions and in the end it will make them better hockey players. It will also cut down on the goals scored and keep the game reasonable and fun for both teams.
Editor’s Note: Thank you to John Shorey for this answer.
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Written by Shelly · Filed Under Player Development
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