Coaching today’s athlete
Scare tactics won’t work on new generation of hockey players, says sports psychologist
“Any time they’re using threatening, belittling, intimidating language is emotional abuse. You can’t lay a hand on anyone. You can’t throw an object.” Paul Dennis Sports psychologist
PEBBLE BEACH, CALIF. – Take a deep breath. Hold it in and slowly let it out, picturing all the negative tension escaping your body. Now, talk to yourself. Tell yourself that you are in complete control of the situation, that you know what you’re doing and that others are relying on you — and trusting in you — to get the job done.
Good? Now, go out there and get behind the bench.
This meditation technique is one of many suggestions included in the Coach’s Educational Program, which sports psychologist Paul Dennis submitted to the Ontario Hockey League submitted on Dec. 20, 2016. It is essentially a code of conduct for “coaching today’s athlete.” And so far, the results have been positive.
While each new day in the NHL has brought forward a new allegation of past inappropriate conduct, the OHL is moving forward in a kinder, gentler world where players and coaches have a shared relationship built on trust and respect.
“Touch wood, we haven’t had any complaints recently,” said Dennis, who has previously worked for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Hockey Canada. “They’ve embraced the notion that today’s players are different, that they are a highly self-conscious group and that self-image is crucial to success. Emotional abuse and intimidating tactics are not going to get the best out of the players. We’ve addressed that with the coaches.”
Welcome to coaching hockey in 2019, where it’s better to be calm and in control than emotional and angry. It’s no longer ok to threaten, belittle or even kick over trashcans or break sticks in order to get your message across. You can’t even yell in some instances.
“We’re teaching them to be empathetic,” said Dennis. “It comes down to respect. There’s no excuse that we’re trying to get the best out of you.”
Three years later, in light of the firestorm of inappropriate conduct that has gone unchecked in the league for the past two decades and more, the NHL was expected to release its own code of conduct when the Board of Governors met with Gary Bettman on Monday.
Something had to be done. With Bill Peters out of a job in
Calgary and Marc Crawford on a leave of absence from Chicago and several other coaches ostracized as old-school bullies, it’s clear that the league is in need of a philosophical coaching change in how to motivate.
There are obvious differences between junior hockey players and those earning millions of dollars in the NHL. But Dennis believes that the way in which coaches treat players should remain the same.
“I honestly don’t believe there is a difference,” said Dennis. “We’re all human beings. We all have the same emotions, we all have the same pain when we’re attacked in front of a group, whether we’re 18-years-old or 28-years-old.”
The biggest difference, according to Dennis, is with today’s athlete. This is a person who grew up with an iPhone in their hands (“get ready to communicate with them while they look around and not into your eyes,” he said) and a grandiose perception of themselves. They are not only the most technologically advanced generation, but they are also the most selfconscious generation. Self-image is crucial for success. They have a strong desire to succeed, but they also expect success to come quickly and have a sense of entitlement.
Enter the coach. Imagine a stubborn coach such as Mike Babcock being around a team of entitled, selfcentred players, who are on their phones all the time and who insist on doing things their own way? It might be natural to want to break them down, to threaten them, and to even instil fear.
According to Dennis, this is the wrong approach.
You don’t use fear as a tactic. You can warn a player but you cannot threaten him. You can correct but you cannot criticize. You must communicate — not ignore them.
“We define psychological destructive behaviour,” said Dennis. “Any time they’re using threatening, belittling, intimidating language is emotional abuse. You can’t lay a hand on anyone. You can’t throw an object.”
If a coach does overstep his boundaries, it must be reported. It could come from the player, his teammate, an assistant coach or trainer. But that old mantra of “what happens in the dressing room stays in the dressing room” is no more.
In the case of abuse, Dennis will meet one-on-one with the coach and address the concerns. In addition, he meets with teams at the beginning of the season to ensure that the core values of the league are being implemented.
“That culture over the decades has been that you accept it and players remain united and are performing to the best of their abilities in spite of the coach,” said Dennis. “But today’s player is a lot smarter. They know what’s unacceptable. They grew up part of many anti-bullying campaigns and know not to be a silent bystander.”
In the OHL Coaches’ Educational Program, there is a checklist on communication and leadership skills. One of the questions asked if a major priority of the coach is to show his athletes that he cares about them. Another asked if he thinks about the emotions behind his actions.
This is important, said Dennis, because a scared player is not an effective one — for both short- and long-term success.
“My biggest concern is that by introducing this program, we’re treating these players like snowflakes and that they’ll melt at any form of adversity,” said Dennis. “But the psychological behaviour, the coaches don’t realize what’s happening. We’re trying to teach them that these are the consequences. In the short term, the effects of these tactics are that the players lose focus and performance decreases. Long term, these emotional scars last a lifetime. They lead to substance abuse.
“Coaches don’t want these things to happen. Coaches talk about it being a close-knit family. Well, you don’t treat family members this way.”