Tim Winters (Defense #44)
Midterm Assessment
As a part of our development, we need to occasionally evaluate where we stand and identify opportunities for improvement. As Elite Performers, we know that we will make mistakes, but we will use those lessons to make ourselves better.
Coaches have made the following observations about your play. Please note that they are focused on the areas of your game that can be improved, not every aspect of your game or the value you bring to the team. They are different for each player.
- Things you’re doing well:
- Low-key smart plays.
- Surprisingly effective plays to get the puck; you have an awesome poke.
- You clearly thrive on defense.
- You make good decisions on passing up most of the time.
- Areas to work on:
- While the poke is awesome, if you get beat, you’re out of it. Would like you to work on skating – explosive, short bursts, and versatile (backward, forward, transitioning)
- Keep shooting – you could use more strength with shots. Weight training will also help. Passing as well should be crisper – no muffins!
- Your skating is very straight-legged, which limits your speed and agility. Work on getting deeper knee bends and working on weight training for legs.
- You don’t have to be funny all the time. Focus and humor are situational. Serious moments, like before a game, require focus, but practices are for improvement and should be also taken seriously and used effectively. Constant joking can actually hinder your connections. Being a good teammate means being sensitive to others’ needs and earning respect and trust by matching their intensity and effort towards shared goals.
Next steps
By Tuesday, November 11, write down two or three areas that you would like to work on. Be prepared to bring this to practice.
Those 2-3 areas can be something from these notes, or you can pick your own.
For each area:
- Write the first part of your goal, like “I will improve my stickhandling“
- Think about ways you can improve this skill – what activities can you do? Add to your goal by adding those activies. Example, “… by practicing stickhandling every night in the garage for 10 minutes.” Be as specific as you can.
- Think about ways you can measure that skill now and after your improvement. Add that to your goal so you can measure before and after. Example: “To measure, I will lay out two pucks and stickhandle in a figure 8 pattern and measure the time it takes to do it 15 times.”
Coaches will work with you to refine these goals and we will arrange progress checks 2-3 times throughout the remainder of the season.