photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation
Ever tried playing Tetris on ice? An unexpected connection between the classic computer game and nurturing hockey talent was just one of thought-provoking ideas at the IIHF’s coaching symposium, staged in Tampere during the middle weekend of the 2023 World Championship.
The 8-bit arcade hit formed a key part of Sergio Lara-Bercial’s presentation. He drew parallels between a coach’s role and the frantic battle to do the right thing with an unpredictable stream of different pieces. Lara-Bercial, previously a pro basketball player and international coach, was typical of the symposium’s willingness to draw on ideas from a wide range of disciplines.
James Vaughan, currently head of Football and Coaching Psychology at AIK in Stockholm, provided an antidote for hockey lovers frustrated with the doctrine of “doing the simple things well”. His talk, which referenced sporting greats from hockey’s Russian 5 in Detroit to the magic of Messi and Iniesta at Barcelona, offered new insights into coaching complex, improvised plays by ditching unhelpful jargon and embracing and navigating the complexities of a team sport.
The hockey world was also well represented. Former NHL defender Paul Boutilier gave an engaging discussion of the need to get back to basics for blue liners, with a strong focus on teaching players to focus on posture and vision as the key to playing active, aggressive defence. His mantra of "coaching slower for faster results" was a lively challenge to some contemporary coaching trends. Angelica Lindeberg of Sweden’s Women’s Hockey League (SDHL) introduced the “brave, smart and innovative” vision that underpins the growth of one of Europe’s top women’s hockey leagues. That vision also embraces an inclusive approach that helps to promote a sense of hockey community, something that Mike Snee described in detail in Minnesota, USA during Saturday’s session.
The weekend program concluded with a panel discussion about issues around sporting integrity. Brandon Kozun, Kirill Starkov and Carla MacLeod, a trio with extensive playing and coaching experience, discussed some of the issues they have encountered in their careers. Some of the talk was sobering – such as Starkov’s account of being issued with a bogus passport after his club failed to renew his visa – but the discussion ended on a positive call to action.
"When you think about coaching and the facets that we’re truly responsible for, these are really important," said MacLeod, who currently coaches the Czech women's national team. "These are situations that can have a massive domino effect. It’s important that we have great break-outs and power plays, there’s no doubt about it.
"But we must recognize that our portfolio is so much more extensive than that and dedicate time we need to ensure that our athletes are not going down the wrong path, to ensure we have the right infrastructure around us."
For the delegates at this year’s symposium, it was a great opportunity to share knowledge and practice from around the world – including some of the IIHF’s more remote members.
Andy Mills, president of the New Zealand Ice Hockey Federation, enjoyed the chance to make new contacts as he looks to boost the game in his home country.
“It’s not often we get this chance to share ideas with other people,” he said. “The online connections are always there but there’s nothing better than meeting in person. It’s about building connections, making new associations and developing on-going relationships year-on-year, that’s fantastic.
“Being pretty isolated in New Zealand, it’s refreshing to hear about what other countries are doing, how they are changing their coaching and their philosophies around growing the game.”
Just across the Tasman Sea, Tamra Jones coached Australia’s U18 women to Division IIA success this season. She was quick to point out that while the content in Tampere draws on elite level competition, it remains relevant for all.
“I think it’s all transferable, regardless of your country or context,” she said. “We play one game, it’s a global game. There messaging is not that we have to follow one set path, it’s going to be unique to each context and Australia won’t be any different.
“We face some challenges that overlap with other nations, and we have unique ones to our situation. My role as a representative here is to share the messaging and then see what our leaders can do with the content.
“It’s evolution, it takes time, and we need to pass on the education to everyone and do it in a productive way.”
For Kalle Valiaho, who played a leading role in organising the event for the IIHF, the event was a big success.
“It’s been a perfect weekend,” he said. “We had a great crowd, great presentations. I think people got engaged, it was really interesting.
“We had about 25 different nations represented here. People could come here, enjoy the games, meet people and make connections. It’s always really important to bring people together to discuss and educate each other with new ideas.”
The 8-bit arcade hit formed a key part of Sergio Lara-Bercial’s presentation. He drew parallels between a coach’s role and the frantic battle to do the right thing with an unpredictable stream of different pieces. Lara-Bercial, previously a pro basketball player and international coach, was typical of the symposium’s willingness to draw on ideas from a wide range of disciplines.
James Vaughan, currently head of Football and Coaching Psychology at AIK in Stockholm, provided an antidote for hockey lovers frustrated with the doctrine of “doing the simple things well”. His talk, which referenced sporting greats from hockey’s Russian 5 in Detroit to the magic of Messi and Iniesta at Barcelona, offered new insights into coaching complex, improvised plays by ditching unhelpful jargon and embracing and navigating the complexities of a team sport.
The hockey world was also well represented. Former NHL defender Paul Boutilier gave an engaging discussion of the need to get back to basics for blue liners, with a strong focus on teaching players to focus on posture and vision as the key to playing active, aggressive defence. His mantra of "coaching slower for faster results" was a lively challenge to some contemporary coaching trends. Angelica Lindeberg of Sweden’s Women’s Hockey League (SDHL) introduced the “brave, smart and innovative” vision that underpins the growth of one of Europe’s top women’s hockey leagues. That vision also embraces an inclusive approach that helps to promote a sense of hockey community, something that Mike Snee described in detail in Minnesota, USA during Saturday’s session.
The weekend program concluded with a panel discussion about issues around sporting integrity. Brandon Kozun, Kirill Starkov and Carla MacLeod, a trio with extensive playing and coaching experience, discussed some of the issues they have encountered in their careers. Some of the talk was sobering – such as Starkov’s account of being issued with a bogus passport after his club failed to renew his visa – but the discussion ended on a positive call to action.
"When you think about coaching and the facets that we’re truly responsible for, these are really important," said MacLeod, who currently coaches the Czech women's national team. "These are situations that can have a massive domino effect. It’s important that we have great break-outs and power plays, there’s no doubt about it.
"But we must recognize that our portfolio is so much more extensive than that and dedicate time we need to ensure that our athletes are not going down the wrong path, to ensure we have the right infrastructure around us."
For the delegates at this year’s symposium, it was a great opportunity to share knowledge and practice from around the world – including some of the IIHF’s more remote members.
Andy Mills, president of the New Zealand Ice Hockey Federation, enjoyed the chance to make new contacts as he looks to boost the game in his home country.
“It’s not often we get this chance to share ideas with other people,” he said. “The online connections are always there but there’s nothing better than meeting in person. It’s about building connections, making new associations and developing on-going relationships year-on-year, that’s fantastic.
“Being pretty isolated in New Zealand, it’s refreshing to hear about what other countries are doing, how they are changing their coaching and their philosophies around growing the game.”
Just across the Tasman Sea, Tamra Jones coached Australia’s U18 women to Division IIA success this season. She was quick to point out that while the content in Tampere draws on elite level competition, it remains relevant for all.
“I think it’s all transferable, regardless of your country or context,” she said. “We play one game, it’s a global game. There messaging is not that we have to follow one set path, it’s going to be unique to each context and Australia won’t be any different.
“We face some challenges that overlap with other nations, and we have unique ones to our situation. My role as a representative here is to share the messaging and then see what our leaders can do with the content.
“It’s evolution, it takes time, and we need to pass on the education to everyone and do it in a productive way.”
For Kalle Valiaho, who played a leading role in organising the event for the IIHF, the event was a big success.
“It’s been a perfect weekend,” he said. “We had a great crowd, great presentations. I think people got engaged, it was really interesting.
“We had about 25 different nations represented here. People could come here, enjoy the games, meet people and make connections. It’s always really important to bring people together to discuss and educate each other with new ideas.”