Junior Development

Specialist Development Coach

The club is giving consideration to the appointment of a part time Development Coach.

The key role of the Junior Development Coach would be be:

A Development coach will move the focus towards developing practical coaching skills and self-development and therefore ensure we have better trained coaches to meet the demands of the game.

Quality coaching has a significant influence upon players and their hockey experience, hence the recommendation for all coaches to be accredited at an appropriate level.

Hockey is a game of skill!

The level of skill players reach is dependent their exposure to the game. Players at Greensborough Hockey Club range in age from under six years to over 70, all with various skills. The earlier they are exposed to the game, the more likely it is that the player will gain a high level of understanding of the game.

Skill development is a key component of developing great hockey players. Skills can be divided into three components:

  1. Technical skills: ball movement, passing & receiving
  2. Tactical skills: how a player uses their technical skills in a game
  3. Social skills: how a player connects with their teammates
  4. Temperament: dedication to the task, must not give up easily and keep trying to execute the skill correctly

Coaching Philosophy

Junior development starts with our coaching philosophy:

Principles we follow!

  •  Children’s sport should be fun!
  • Children need lots of opportunities for unstructured play, a broad range
    of activities and the opportunity for creativity
  • Early sports specialisation is not recommended for young children
  • The social aspects of sport are highly valued by children
  • The focus is on skill development and individual improvement, not winning
  • To give all children time and attention, not just the most talented

Inclusive Coaching

Our coaches will adapt and modify their coaching to create an environment that caters for individual needs of the children, allowing everyone to take part and experience success within the activity. 

The basic skills of good coaching, when applied with an inclusive philosophy, will ensure that all participants can participate.

Core Goal

The program’s core goal will be setup to allow all players to maximise their potential for whatever level of hockey they are striving to achieve. There will be no restrictions for any player wishing to be involved in the program which will be set up to maximise each player’s opportunity to develop their hockey skills.

Benefits of a Junior Development Focus

Small Group Skills Based Instruction with groups based on skills and not teams

With small-group, skills-based instruction, players receive explicit instruction and guided practice in specific skills they need to develop and to advance their hockey.

Players will be allocated to a group based on their skill levels and each group will be under the direction of one or more group leaders. Group leaders use modified games and activities to involve players safely and with enjoyment.

Group leaders will work under the supervision of the Development Coach.

Teams Based Coaching for players involved with the Hockey Victoria competition

Each junior team playing in the Hockey Victoria Competition will have a coach appointed and the team will practice together once per week as preparation for a weekly game. Players in the team will be based on their age and skill level (when the club has more than one team in the age group) The coach is appointed to the team for the duration of the competition season.

We are particularly focused on ensuring that a qualified coach coaches every junior team, helping to nurture a positive learning environment that is fun and encourages juniors to continue to play and learn hockey.

There are four levels of qualification:

  • Community coach
  • Level 1 coach
  • Level 2 coach
  • Advanced coach

Level 1 Coaching Courses

The Level 1 Coaching Certification course teaches you the foundation skills of an organisational coach, including the models and structures that provide a robust process for high performance coaching sessions that get results.

Learning the skills of a coach is for everyone, whether you’re a seasoned player or the parent of a future hockey player. You don’t need to be an expert, all you do need is a positive attitude and a community spirit.

This course is suitable for coaches of all levels looking to gain a deeper understanding of how to plan a season, structure a training session, and build in individual and team skills. The course is also suitable for parents just wanting to learn and understand the game so they can provide positive support as their child progresses in hockey.

Success

Success is many things

Winning is a component of success but it is not the only way to measure success. We want players that are competitive and that want to win. But this cannot be our only focus.

In hockey you can form lifelong friendships. Meeting new friends and having a lot of fun in a safe and inclusive environment is integral to the philosophy of the Greensborough Hockey Club.