Guy Gadowsky on Yelling from the Bench

It’s funny I coach rec 8u and 10 U teams and the kids today especially in the 8U are very lazy. I think yelling from the bench also has a place. “Man on” for back pressure, “head up” to see pass opportunities and not get trucked , the good old, “not in front of your net” reminder once in a while it’s all part of heads up Coaching as long as it’s done in encouragement and maybe reaffirmed on the bench.

You mention Gretzky, he had a pond behind his house and played hockey every day. We have a kid whos 13 and his grandfather runs the zamboni room, hes on the ice everyday and hes very good, hes playing hockey with 15 16 year olds and will probably be on the JV high school team next year. Practice makes perfect in everything we do.

I'm not going to argue he's wrong. I will say that to me this is an argument of convenience. Let me expand. This guy is a Div 1 A coach. And I'm sure none of us coach Div 1, 2, or 3, AAA, Jr. A, or Major Junior. I don't. I coach (at this age group, in Canada) effectively a Tier V competitive team (A -- AA, AAA, Jr. A and B, and Maj Jr. are all above). He gets to attend very exclusive combines and tournaments where entrants have already passed a very high bar in order to participate. He does not run association driven, open try-outs. The NCAA is still a development league in the same way the U of T running program is: they are working on improving the margins and the very small percentages. Look at this: In '21-'22 349 NCAA grads skated in the NHL. By any standard, one game played in the NHL makes you an elite hockey player, and you will play professionally somewhere on the planet - attitudes and injuries (among other things) notwithstanding. They have the aptitude and work ethic build the best habits and to excel above their peers. If I coached this level, I would not yell from the bench.

Here's the thing - in my experience, and at the level of competitive I coach, these boys are selected out of that world. Yes, I work on building habits and skills, all the time. I am invested and committed to improving the teams I coach, without exception. My practice plans build from the simple to the complex, and I lather, rinse, repeat. Reps, reps, reps, but I always offer huge variation.

Here's the rub: I will vocalize during certain plays where I see a break down coming, or player is unaware that contact is imminent; or if a player(s) is puck focused and not looking for other players; or the player(s) has tunnel vision (on a PP say) and is about to pass the puck to the low slot where 8 sets of legs and skates are positioned, as well as 4 sticks. Plus a goaltender. That's a lot of obstacles to put a puck into, especially when the point man - the QB - is wide open. So I yell "Point." Or Head's up. Or weak side. Or regroup. I only do it because they are not about to do it. And they are not talking. That's it. When they come back to the bench, I ask a few questions - did you see/what were you looking at, among other things. There's no anger or shouting. I just ask, then offer some suggestions. If it's really bad, out comes the board. In a word, I think coaches are essential in play communications nodes, especially if you have a quiet team.

I get where Gadowsky is coming from, but I don't live in his world and he doesn't live in mine. I'd love for him to take the bench during one of my games and get his impressions. I really would. As it stands, this offers no solutions to a coach at my level. Wish it did. I hate losing my voice.

What's even worse is when parents yell at their kids, especially if they are telling them to do something different than what the coach wants them to do.

I coach lacrosse and was putting an offense in for our team. What I want to do is get our players to run certain sets and certain motions - so they know how they are supposed to move with and without the ball and so they know where their teammates are supposed to be and where their options are to pass the ball. I was running through different options off of the same motion from one of the sets we were running. One of my players said to me, "Coach, you've got to give these plays numbers so you can call them so we know what to do." I stopped practice and got all my players' attention and told them, "No, YOU need to know what to do. You need to see what's happening, what the defense is doing and where your teammates are. By time I see what the defense is doing, call in the play, you hear it and start to run it, it's too late, because the defense will have changed and recovered by then. YOU just need to SEE it and Do it."

Only time I personally yell from the bench is I’ll yell feet when the pucks in their feet, man on when they have pressure coming behind them and I will yell one high if a d man pinches and a forward isn’t covering for him. I hated the coaches who yelled a play by play all game especially when they always seemed to be yelling a half second late and would act like they always had the perfect play after the puck has already been moved. My voice projects quite well so that is why I like to yell those few things so I know they at least have a heads up of what situation they are in.

Parents did to see this

Coaching is about preparing your team for a season, and for games. This is done in practices and meetings. If you did your job right they will know what to do when the puck drops. If you find yourself yelling better review your own coaching strategy, techniques, drills and plays and improve them as your coaching skills are not quite there yet. A game is a time to watch, praise players and enjoy the results of your work.

I'm a big hockey person who hasn't played since I was a teen. Does that impact me wanting to coach in terms of the levels of experience?

Im a player and i do the yelling but i yell as a leader not as a boss. Example: "We need to get our shit together and start playing hard"

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Couldn't agree with this guy more. If you're not ready when the puck drops you're already to late.