1.4 Tactical Development Systems
Components of Tactical Skills
To effectively develop tactical skills, we first must understand what makes up a tactic. Specifically, there are three main components of all tactical skills:
- Reads - The reads we make to interpret in-game cues and information. Reads serve as a cues and triggers for tactics. Think of reads as the “when to use it” and “what to look for” factors behind all tactical skills.
- Knowledge - After we read the situation, we then need to know what tactical options we have available to us. The more tactics you know and have unlocked within your skillset, the more options you will have.
- Execution - The final component is to execute the tactic effectively. The key word here is effectively. For a tactic to be effective, you need to be able to perform all coaching points listed. These often require a strong proficiency in certain technical skills. So if you find yourself struggling with specific tactics, make sure you have the technical prerequisites in place first, then go back and revisit the tactic.
How We Will Develop Tactical Skills
To make sure we develop all three components of each tactical skill effectively, I am going to put three custom systems in place inside this program:
- The “IQ Index” to help make quicker reads and organize our tactical knowledge.
- “Hockey Homework” to get mental reps at making reads and growing our tactical knowledge off the ice.
- The “GameFlow Engine” to develop the skills on-ice so we can execute them in a game.