MENTORS MEETING nb 3, Copenhagen, Danemark

SHORT REPORT – materials from the presentation
16 May – 18 May 2018

Hockey School for Adults (L. Rollins)

Strategy

  • Recruit
  • Develop
  • Retain
  • Evaluate
  • Repeat

RECRUIT

  • Define your product
    • What are you offering?
  • Identify the target group:
    • Adults who have never played hockey/played as children
  • Locate the target group:
    • Parents in arena/parents of hockey kids
    • Adults who want to be active (gyms, unemployment centers, medical clinics, etc)
  • Advertise to target group:
    • Social media, posters, face-to-face
    • Encourage participants to bring friends

 DEVELOP

  • Product must be high quality:
    • Find the right coaches
      • Qualities: some hockey ability, positive, patient, confident, helpful, flexible, dedicated
      • 1-3 coaches per ice. Young, former players who are responsible.
    • Have a clear plan
      • Give plan to participants
      • Show development model
    • Teach skating, skills, and hockey
      • Do not simply play for 60 minutes. Adults want to learn and understand.

RETAIN

  • Greet each participant by name at each training
    • Names on helmets
    • On the ice, encourage and address people by name
  • Ask for opinions after each training
    • How do you feel? Did you have fun? Can we do better?
  • End of season tournament
    • 3v3 or full ice
    • Trophy/medals
    • Food, music, outside grill party?
  • Photos/Video on social media every week
    • Create a group/Facebook page (‘Public’)

EVALUATE

  • End of season participant survey
    • Create simple Google Doc
      • Statistics: How many participants
        • Began the program
        • Joined during the program
        • Dropped out
        • Wish to continue
      • Why did they participate/join/quit?
      • What was good/could be better?
      • Open suggestions
    • Debrief coaches
      • What worked/could be better?
      • You, as a coach: strengths, weaknesses, suggestions

TIPS FOR ADULT HOCKEY SCHOOL

  • Coaches
    • Good with people, positive, ability to demonstrate/correct, will show up every week
  • Equipment
    • Minimum: Skates, helmets, sticks. Full gear recommended
    • Tape, markers, cones, pucks, goals (small and large), jerseys, coffee machines, water bottles
  • Advertising
    • Advertise directly to women/mothers
    • Make it clear that this is for beginners, not ‘future NHLers’
    • ‘Fun, safe, learning environment’
  • Develop skills
    • 15 minutes of skating, 30 minutes of drills, 15 minutes of playing

TIPS, CONTINUED

  • Coaches
    • Good with people, positive, ability to demonstrate/correct, will show up every week
  • Equipment
    • Minimum: Skates, helmets, sticks. Full gear recommended
    • Tape, markers, cones, pucks, goals (small and large), jerseys, coffee machines, water bottles
  • Advertising
    • Advertise directly to women/mothers
    • Make it clear that this is for beginners, not ‘future NHLers’
    • ‘Fun, safe, learning environment’
  • Develop skills
    • 15 minutes of skating, 30 minutes of drills, 15 minutes of playing

_____________________________________

Teenagers (former players, at-risk youth) (L. Rollins)

STRATEGY

  • Recruit
  • Develop
  • Retain
  • Evaluate
  • Repeat

RECRUIT

  • Define your product
    • What are you offering?
      • No pressure hockey. Fun. Safe environment.
    • Identify the target group:
      • At-risk teens/kids, who quit hockey/immigrants?
    • Locate the target group:
      • Social media
      • Contact info from the club
      • Other teen programs/immigrant programs/schools
    • Advertise to target group:
      • Social media, posters, face-to-face
      • Encourage participants to bring friends

DEVELOP

  • Product must be fun, no pressure:
    • Find the right coaches
      • Qualities: some hockey ability, positive, patient, confident, helpful, flexible, dedicated
      • 1-3 coaches per ice. Young, former players who are responsible. Able to work with teens positively.
    • Develop personal bonds
      • ‘See’ everyone. Include and encourage.
      • Reward effort and teamwork more than skills
    • Teach skating, skills, and hockey
      • Keep it fun. Races, competitions, shooting. Do things they enjoy
      • Play 15-20 minutes at every training

RETAIN

  • Greet each participant by name at each training
    • Names on helmets
    • On the ice, encourage and address people by name
    • Give players responsibility
  • Ask for opinions after each training
    • How do you feel? Did you have fun? Can we do better?
  • End of season tournament
    • 3v3 or full ice
    • Trophy/medals
    • Food, music, outside grill party? Invite families or friends?
  • Photos/Video on social media every week
    • Create a group/Facebook page (‘Public’)
    • Snapchat/whatever cool teens are doing in 2018

EVALUATE

  • End of season participant survey
    • Create simple Google Doc
      • Statistics: How many participants
        • Began the program
        • Joined during the program
        • Dropped out
        • Wish to continue
      • Why did they participate/join/quit?
      • What was good/could be better?
      • Open suggestions
    • Debrief coaches
      • What worked/could be better?
      • You, as a coach: strengths, weaknesses, suggestions

TIPS FOR TEENAGERS

  • Coaches
    • Good with people, positive, ability to demonstrate/correct, will show up every week, experience working with teens
  • Equipment
    • Minimum: Skates, helmets, sticks. Full gear recommended
    • Tape, markers, cones, pucks, goals (small and large), jerseys, water bottles
  • Advertising
    • Advertise directly to girls/boys/immigrants
    • Make it clear that this is for fun. No pressure to be the best. Safe, fun environment.
  • Develop skills
    • 15 minutes of skating, 30 minutes of drills, 15 minutes of playing

 TIPS, CONTINUED

  • Dressing room culture
    • Encourage people to come early
    • Have a coach in the dressing room to keep behaviour positive
  • Same training time every week
    • Best training time for teens in your country? Weekends?
  • Use social media!
    • Create a public Facebook group for info/photos
    • Create a hashtag and encourage its use
  • Contact players when they miss training
    • ”Hey, buddy! We missed you today. Everything ok?”
    • Make personal relationships and let people feel wanted

_____________________________________

Girls ( Just wanna…be treated like athletes) (L. Rollins)

RECRUIT

  • Define your product
    • What are you offering?
      • Girls only zone. Safe. Fun. Exiting. New friends.
    • Identify the target group:
      • Female players age? 7-12? Older?
    • Locate the target group:
      • Social media
      • Schools
      • Other sports facilities
    • Advertise to target group:
      • Social media, posters, face-to-face
      • Encourage participants to bring friends

 DEVELOP

  • Product must be fun, challenging, safe:
    • Find the right coaches
      • Qualities: some hockey ability, positive, patient, confident, helpful, flexible, dedicated
      • 1-3 coaches per ice. Willing to explain, encourage
    • Have a clear plan
      • How many groups/levels on ice?
      • What skills will you teach, and how?
    • Teach skating, skills, and hockey
      • Skating 15 minutes, skills 30 minutes, play 15 minutes
      • Make it fun. Teach a skill, work on it, use it in a game or competition.

RETAIN

  • Greet each participant by name at each training
    • Names on helmets
    • On the ice, encourage and address people by name
    • Explain the How and the Why of each drill/skill
  • After each training:
    • Did you have fun? What was the best? What did you learn?
  • End of season tournament
    • 3v3 or full ice
    • Trophy/medals
    • Food, music, outside grill party?
  • Photos/Video on social media every week
    • Create a group/Facebook page (‘Public’)

EVALUATE

  • End of season participant survey
    • Create simple Google Doc
      • Statistics: How many participants
        • Began the program
        • Joined during the program
        • Dropped out
        • Wish to continue
      • Why did they participate/join/quit?
      • What was good/could be better?
      • Open suggestions
    • Debrief coaches
      • What worked/could be better?
      • You, as a coach: strengths, weaknesses, suggestions

TIPS FOR GIRLS HOCKEY PROGRAM

  • Coaches
    • Hockey coaching experience, willing to explain, positive, able to challenge athletes at age appropriate level
    • Role models: women who are former players
  • Equipment
    • Minimum: Skates, helmets, sticks. Full gear recommended
    • Tape, markers, cones, pucks, goals (small and large), jerseys, coffee machines, water bottles
  • Advertising
    • Advertise directly to girls/parents of girls
    • Use pictures of girls/women in all of your advertisements
    • Some ‘nice’ pics, some ‘competitive’ pics
  • Develop skills
    • 15 minutes of skating, 30 minutes of drills, 15 minutes of playing (girls are as athletic and capable as boys. Treat them like athletes).

TIPS, CONTINUED

  • Dressing room culture
    • Encourage kids to arrive early
    • Coaches in rooms to help with equipment/answer questions
  • Same training time every week
    • Best training time for parents in your country?
  • Use social media!
    • Create a public Facebook group for info/photos
    • Create a hashtag and encourage its use
  • Use your national team athletes
    • They can skate. They want to grow the sport.
    • As coaches or as guests 1-2 times during the program

_____________________________________

Special needs hockey (L. Rollins)

RECRUIT

  • Define your product
    • What are you offering?
      • New activity. Physical fitness. Meeting others. Fun.
    • Identify the target group:
      • Downs Syndrome? All intellectual disabilities?
    • Locate the target group:
      • Downs Syndrome societies (see outline)
      • Schools
      • Facebook groups
    • Advertise to target group:
      • Social media, posters, face-to-face
      • Encourage participants to bring friends
      • Encourage parents/caregivers to attend

DEVELOP

  • Product must be fun, positive, safe:
    • Find the right coaches
      • 1-2 ‘real’ coaches
      • 4-5 helpers (on skates or on shoes)
      • Experience with DS or young children
    • Have a clear plan
      • How many groups/levels on ice? (see outline)
      • What skills will you teach, and how?
    • Teach skating, fun, teamwork, pride

RETAIN

  • Greet each participant by name at each training
    • Names on helmets
    • On the ice, encourage and address people by name
    • Smile, be patient, get to know the players
  • After each training:
    • Did you have fun? What was the best? What did you learn?
  • End of season match (against pros?)
    • Create a partnership with the local club
    • Club jerseys match against the ‘stars’
  • Photos/Video on social media every week
    • Create a group/Facebook page (‘Public’)
    • Alert local media
  • Create a meeting place for parents/caregivers
    • Coffee, cake, warm place to sit?

EVALUATE

  • End of season participant/parent survey
    • Create simple Google Doc
      • Statistics: How many participants
        • Began the program
        • Joined during the program
        • Dropped out
        • Wish to continue
      • Why did they participate/join/quit?
      • What was good/could be better?
      • Open suggestions
    • Debrief coaches
      • What worked/could be better?
      • You, as a coach: strengths, weaknesses, suggestions

TIPS FOR SPECIAL HOCKEY PROGRAM

  • Coaches
    • Experience with people more important than experience with hockey
    • 5-6 on ice per training
  • Equipment
    • Minimum: Skates, helmets, sticks. Full gear recommended
    • Tape, markers, cones, pucks, goals (small and large), jerseys, coffee machines, water bottles
  • Advertising
    • Advertise directly to parents of/societies for special kids
    • Use pictures of special kids in all of your advertisements
    • Emphasize social aspect for kids and parents
  • Use many different games/activities
    • People are ‘task-oriented’
    • Instead of ”Skate to the goal line”, try ‘bring the pucks from here to the goal line as fast as you can’

TIPS, CONTINUED

  • Dressing room culture
    • Encourage kids to arrive 30-40 minutes before ice
    • Coaches in rooms to help with equipment/answer questions
    • Coffee/cake for parents
  • Same training time every week
    • Very important for special needs people
  • Use social media!
    • Create a public Facebook group for info/photos
    • FB group for parents to talk to each other
  • Get guidance from national DS society

_____________________________________

Primary school kids program (T. Psenka)

TARGET GROUP

  • Characteristics of the group:
  • Children – 4-10 years old
  • Attending primary (secondary) school
  • Playful age
  • Fast learning kids, little scared at the beginning, later very fearless
  • „They want to have fun!“
  • The most important group, the biggest amount of the persons concerned

 RECRUITING

  • Recruiting
  • How to get involved 5 years old kid in skating on the ice?
  • How to contact the kids?
  • Most of the kids would „love“ to skate and to have fun on the ice, but…

…decision makes parents, teachers, schools…

  • 2 different ways to recruit kids for skating on ice:
  • 1) Visiting kindergarten, schools, leisure centers… invite them to skate under professional supervision.
  • 2) Through promotion…
  • Efficiency, positives, negatives???
  • Visiting kindergartens, schools, centers…
  • Positives:
  • Contact with teachers, lecturers, explaining entire process less work with parents
  • The organization takes over by the school until the children arrive at the rink
  • The exact number of the skaters on the ice, the similiar age of the skaters
  • Easy to organize on the ice, to prepare the skating lesson
  • In case of agreement with school, 100% efficiency
  • Negatives:
  • Ice time – usually during school time
  • Kids are impatient – a requirement of the well-prepared dressing room (skates, helmets)
  • Good organization of time (time schedule)
  • Equipment requirements

Preparations – kindergarten school…

  • Equipment requirements
  • Labels on helmets with kids names
  • Equipment requirements
  • Locker room
  • Tight the laces
  • Coaches – organizations
  • Tools
  • Diplomas, rewards
  • Medical staff (one person enough)

DEVELOPING

  • 3-5 coaches + teachers
  • 45-60 minutes on the ice
  • Good organization – communication on ice (coaches – kids, kids – coaches)
  • Coaches getting involved in exercises, games, playing with kids
  • Focusing on kids needs
  • Kids should have good experience from practice
  • After the practice kids „sadness“
  • Coaches are responsible for the happiness of the kids – good conditions for the kids, not for coaches
  • After all evaluation of the kids – compliments, thanks, reward (diploma, juice, chocolate bar)
  • Taking team photos

 Example of the practice 1st part (basic skills up to 15 minutes)

  • 5 coaches/ 5 groups
  • Standing on the ice
  • Standing on one skate
  • Falling down and getting up
  • Low jumping, high knees
  • On the knee
  • Walking around the circle…

 Example of the practice – 2nd part (FUN – 30-45 minutes)

  • 5 coaches/ 4-5 groups
  • Small area game
  • overcome obstacles ( crossing and graveling, falling down, getting up)
  • „beginners“ – „walkers“
  • competition

Example of the practice – Activity on the ice, sports (60 minutes)

  • 5 coaches/ 4-5 groups
  • Small area game – hockey
  • Soccer
  • Handball
  • Chase
  • Ringuette

RETAINING

  • Give the kids hockey stickers,

signature cards, photos

  • Keep in touch with teachers and

get the feedback from parents

  • The teachers should give more materials and information about the clubs activity to parents
  • Invite the kids for the ice hockey practices with some leaflets
  • Contact the school at least once a year, regularly

RECRUITING

  • Through promotion…
  • Positives:
  • Targeting bigger group of kids and their parents
  • Time efficiency
  • Use of available ice time in the afternoons and weekends
  • Promotions of clubs activities

 

  • Negatives:
  • Not targeting the exact group
  • Kids of different age
  • An unknown number of kids
  • Organization difficulty

Forms of promoted activities

    • Courses of skating (similar to skating primary school kids)
    • Funny skating for kids
    • Kids for hockey
    • Kids for hockey (organization)
    • Small area hockey
    • Collecting lego pieces
    • Game „mushrooms“
    • Shooting drill
    • „Monkey run“
    • Main goal: „Having fun!!!“

_____________________________________

University students (High school students) program (J. Verlic) 

GOOD TO KNOW

  • Students want to have fun
  • Students have time (late night hours)
  • Students attend free events
  • Students like to be challenged(Drills)
  • Good chance they already skated

RECRUITMENT

  • We offer fun and healthy exercise on ice
  • Students can be found in universities, high schools, and dorms
  • Students like to exercise & play different sports

ADVERTISING

  • Posters and flyers (schools and dorms), social media, face-to-face
  • Presentation on student events
  • Partnership with student organizations
  • Start at the beginning of the school year
  • Offer free tickets to hockey games
  • T-shirt at the end of the program

EVENT ORGANIZATION

  • Dressing rooms
  • 3 mentors (+ 1 supervisor*) for 20 participants
  • 3 groups – 1mentor per group (beginners, intermidiate, advanced)
  • Medical form before the start

EQUIPMENT

  • Skates, hockey helmets, elbow & knee pads, gloves
  • Full hockey gear if possible

ACCESSORIES

  • Sticks, brooms
  • Different balls(basket balls, foot balls, tennis balls)
  • Obstacles
  • Nets
  • Basketball hoops
  • Tennis rackets

PROGRAM

  • Mentors need to recognize the skill level of participants
  • 3 groups in 3 zones (beginners, intermediate, advanced)
  • 4-5 h skating drills
  • Teach them how to skate: skate forward, stopping, pivots and turns
  • 5-6 h different games on the ice with or without skates

BASIC SKATING SKILLS

  • Basic stance
  • Falling correctly/safely
  • Getting up from the ice
  • Balance on 1 foot
  • Jumping on 2 feet / 1 foot
  • Gliding on 2 skates / 1 skate
  • T-start
  • V-start
  • T-stop
  • One-legged snowplow stop (One o’clock – eleven o’clock stops)
  • Two-legged snowplow stop
  • Hockey stop
  • One-legged C-cuts
  • Alternating C-cuts
  • Two legs C-cuts
  • Glide turns
  • Inside edge glide turns
  • Outside foot C-cuts around circle
  • One-legged C-cuts backward
  • Alternating C-cuts backward
  • Two legs C-cuts backward
  • Gliding on 2 skates backward
  • Gliding on 1 skate backward
  • Lateral crossovers
  • Crossovers forward/backward
  • Crossover star

POSSIBLE GAMES ON THE ICE

  • 3 zones with different games
  • Football on ice (shoes and full hockey gear)
  • Broom or ring hockey
  • Tennis on ice, basketball(advanced skill level)
  • Aerobics, dancing (simple)
  • Disco skating

IMPORTANT

  • Have good and positive mentors(hockey coaches) with the ability to demonstrate
  • Get feedback,create statistics and medical forms
  • Try to retain students and bring them back to the ice rink( hockey games, night hockey)
  • They can be future sponsors and parents
  • EXERCISE AND FUN ON THE ICE!!!!

_____________________________________

Ice Rinks For All