MICRO ICE ARTICLES

 

 WHAT SEPARATES MICRO ICE FROM OTHER HOCKEY TRAINING?

The factor that explains the most about learning hockey skills is called "Deliberate Practice".  This can only be achieved over a long period of time with professional feedback and coaching with a concentrated effort on a specific hockey skill.  Micro Ice with its experienced trainers has determined what needs to be practiced and has developed a curriculum to reach a particular skill level.  Deliberate practice is not easy and requires intense concentration over a number of sessions.  Every top hockey player (Crosby, Ovechkin, Malkin, etc) developed their skills utilizing this method.

THE CHALLENGE MICRO ICE FACES:

Objective is to develop every player to as high a level as possible and to be good hockey performers.  Our method is built on starting children as early as possible in a supportive, positive environment where they will receive the correct instruction from an expert teacher who is providing expert training.

THE DECISION:

Parents have a passion for particular sports and often times are the first teacher of a sport to their child.  The problem is that most parents are not expert teachers of skating and hockey skills.  They think an occasional summer camp or playing many hockey games and practices will be enough to enable their child to become a top-level hockey player.  This method simply does not work for the majority of players because you never receive the "Deliberate Practicing" of hockey skills in a small enough setting by an expert to develop the correct skills with continuous feedback.  Only playing games simply does not develop specific hockey skills.

WHY MICRO ICE IS A BETTER CHOICE FOR YOUR CHILD'S DEVELOPMENT:

Our skill sessions are designed to work on the specific needs of young hockey players and the advantage of our practices are cumulative, which means more total practice will result in better performance.  It will take many years to become excellent.  Research in many fields has supported the "ten-year rule" whether you are training in math, science, swimming, tennis or hockey.  You cannot become great without at least TEN YEARS of "Deliberate Hockey Practice" and preparation.  Thus, "the differences between young hockey players who are at the highest level and ones who are average reflect at least 10 years of deliberate effort to reach the peak of their game.  It should be coming clear as to what the difference is between practice and deliberate practice. 

HOW MICRO ICE "DELIBERATE Practice" IS DIFFERENT FROM TEAM PRACTICES, CAMPS/GAMES:

Unfortunately, it is not possible to accomplish what we do at Micro Ice. Why?  Because our "Deliberate Hockey Training" is very specific:

1.)     Each training session is designed specifically to improve performance by using an expert teacher.

2.)    The skill is repeated a lot.

3.)    Feedback from the teacher is continuously available.

4.)    It challenges the student physically and mentally

5.)    Micro Ice teachers have many years of knowledge and experience in how hockey skills are developed and improved. 

6.)    Our teachers have the ability to see young players in ways that they cannot see themselves.  Even the pros have hitting coaches, pitching coaches, QB coaches, golf coaches, etc. 

Therefore, the "Deliberate Practice of Hockey" requires that an instructor identify certain sharply defined elements of performance that need to be worked on and then intently practice the skill. 

MICRO ICE FOCUSES ON THREE ZONES OF LEARNING:

• "The Micro Ice Basic Level" - These skill activities are a review of activities already that you can do with relative ease.
• "The Micro Ice Intermediate Level" - is a learning zone that introduces more complex skills that are extremely challenging and need constant feedback from a master instructor to the student for the skill to be mastered.
• The "Micro Ice Masters Level" is a learning zone that introduces more complex skills that are extremely challenging and need a long period of time and feedback before the skills are mastered. The student is always out of his comfort level in this zone.

Our Micro Ice instructors must identify which "Learning Zone" is most appropriate for the student and then proceed to teach the appropriate skills that a developing hockey player can handle in that zone.  Only with a Sustained, Focused Effort can young player reach mastery in his hockey skills.  Nobody becomes a great hockey player without hard work no matter how gifted he or she may be.  Researchers have all agreed it takes 10 years of intense skill training to become a world-class hockey player.  Therefore, whether you are a musician, swimmer or hockey player if you have the proper training at age 5 it will take to approximately age 15 before you are considered a top-level player.  Top hockey players are not born but are the result of Passion, Practice and Performance in becoming the great players they are. 

MICRO ICE "DELIBERATE PRACTICE" DRIVES EXPERT PERFORMANCE:

A young player who is taught properly will be having the passion to practice rigorously and apply himself or herself more intensely than others because they are doing something they love.  If you are not good at hockey, many kids will give the game up at 14 of age because they have never had the opportunity to develop the skills for hockey.  If they had the correct skill training, with meaningful feedback they most-likely, would have stayed with the game of hockey. 

Many parents have said that there child has practiced often with their teams and this is stressed more than games.  The intent is correct however, it is not just any type of practice that makes perfect... its Micro Ice "Deliberate Practice" that make perfect.

"Micro Ice Deliberate Practice" is a hockey skill activity that explicitly intends to improve performance that reaches for objectives just beyond one's level of competence, provides feedback on results and involves high levels of repetition.  Our practice is geared to changing a young player's performance by setting new goals and guiding the player in reaching a bit higher each practice.  Our Philosophy is all about improving hockey skills and setting up training conditions to attain the skills needed at each level of hockey.

MICRO ICE PRACTICE DONE PROPERLY IS NEVER BORING:

We never repeat skills for the sake of doing the skill but rather to achieve a higher level of control over the players' performance.  Example:  Just shooting pucks may not make you an accurate shooter unless the focus is on improving a specific aspect of shooting (speed, technique, and release)

In summary "Micro Ice Deliberate Practice" is the basis of improved or ultimately expert performance.  The reason we want to start children at an early age is that it takes extended periods of intense training and preparation to become exceptional.  "Micro Ice Deliberate Practice" is very different from what is being taught in hockey practices.  Micro Ice practice is specific and a unique activity characterized by several elements that together form a powerful whole.

Micro Ice Practice:

1.)     Designed to improve performance by stretching an individual just beyond his other current hockey abilities.

2.)    "Deliberate Practice" is repeated a lot.  High #'s of repetition on what challenges the student to focus and concentrate.

3.)    Feedback from teachers:  As you practice new skills, you perfect them over a period of time by a focused high repetitions with a professional teacher.

4.)    Our teachers use deliberate practice in setting specific goals, giving immediate feedback and concentrating on techniques.

5.)    The development of hockey skills requires struggle, sacrifice, and honest painful self-assessment.

The great performer isolates remarkably specific aspects of what they do and focus on just those things until they are improved.  It is notable how many great performances had fathers who started designing their practice at an early age, Tiger Woods, The Mannings - Eli and Peyton.

More Micro Ice "Deliberate Practice" equals better performance; a lot of it can equal great performance as it is focused on specific skills that need improvement.

 

The Micro Ice Methodology of "Deliberate Practice" is evident in all its skill sessions.  The important point to understand is that the evidence shows that by understanding how a few hockey players become great, ANYONE CAN BECOME BETTER.  Above all becoming good in not reserved for a preordained few but rather it is available to your child and every hockey player who wants to become better at the game of hockey.

EXCELLENCE IS BASED ON FOCUSED EFFORTS

THE MICRO ICE PARTNERS