Physical, cognitive, emotional and psychosocial characteristics of children and age- appropriate on-ice skills for junior hockey players

Abstract

Educating and training children in ice hockey is a responsible task. Coaches of youth players have to be mature people with well-developed values, sport-specific knowl-edge and an understanding in the development of children. This thesis gathers and presents both scientific data and practical experiences from ice hockey and sports in general with the purpose to help coaches to manage children more effectively. Three periods of child development are described. Early childhood (2-6 years of age), middle childhood (6-12 years of age) and puberty/adolescence (above 12 years of age). Each chapter is divided into three subchapters; The first deals with physical characteristics of growth and motor development, the second with brain and cognitive development and the third with social and emotional development. Additionally, very important topics, coaches should pay attention to, are included. Safety principle has to be considered in every ice hockey practice. Threats of early specialization and selection are listed together with solutions. The importance of game like drills to develop cognitive skills is explained. The attachment is an on- ice coaching manual, which includes tables of hockey skills that have to be mastered on the ice at a certain age. Key points for each age group are listed. The aim of the thesis is to create valuable teaching material for ice hockey coaches, especially for countries like Slovenia with an underdeveloped bibliography in ice hockey. Part of the content has been already presented during the 2012 Slovenian ice hockey coaching symposium and can now enrich study material for coaches of youth.