The
following article has been written by 10 year old Aaron Chow, #55 on our team.
After a call was put out to the parents on our team to find volunteers to write
articles for our website – Aaron saw the email in his parents’ inbox and took
the initiative to step up and volunteer.
We are very proud of the hard work Aaron has put into this…and for
putting his name forward as a volunteer writer for the team (and based on the article - for listening to your coaches' instructions too!). Great job Aaron!!!
Hey Waxers,
So I’ve seen a few games (played as well) and there are things that I noticed that we can fix so it won't happen again. Sure this is a coach-ish thing but whatever. I came up with some solutions so that these problems would be resolved.
Behind
When we aren't doing well (like 0-3), it looks like we are losing hope and we aren't really playing at the top of our game. Well, what I think is to keep your head up high and keep fighting until the game is finished. Who knows? We might score goals here and there, but keep your head up high and play your best until the game is over.
Leading
When we were in a lead (like 3-1), we might get overconfident so we take things easy. We need to protect the lead. If we are up by at least 2 goals we should be playing defensively so they don't get a chance to score. Also, if the puck is in our end for 20 seconds or more, shoot the puck out as hard as you can. If you see two defensemen - one on each side - shoot it up the middle if no one else is there. If this is not the case, shoot it hard up the boards for the winger to pass up to the centerman and a breakout might happen there, or the centerman might shoot it out.
Offsides
Alright, I know this doesn’t apply to everyone but it does to some. So how I would avoid it is to try to remember that you can’t go that far if you are looking for a pass. Remember to stop when you feel like you have gone too far. One of the causes for offsides is you look around for a pass at the puck carrier, but you don't look ahead. Try to look ahead and stop at the blue line or turn around to keep your momentum.
Putting Pressure
Sometimes we are not putting enough pressure on the opposing team. You can accomplish this if you skate as fast as you can towards the defencemen and they will be pressured. This happens because they will hesitate on what they should do to stop you. Also, if the opponents pressure us, just sway your stick right to left (or vise versa).
When to use Dekes
I've seen a lot of deking attempts and sometimes it wasn't successful. First off, you must know when to use dekes. Dekes are not just for the style points, but they are used to trick or get around a defenseman. Here are 2 ways to use dekes:
- You can use it to get around ONE defenseman, not multiple players.
- If you can pull this off, then it will lead to a goal almost always. Use this kind of deke can work well for you.
Thanks for all the coaching staff and parents for raising the team’s spirit when we lose big. Keep doing what you are doing! We have an amazing team with phenomenal speed, puck handling and much more!
1,2,3, WARS! (Waxers Atom Rostered Select)
Aaron Chow #55 Volunteer Writer and Right Wing
