How Many Games Is Too Many?
Every season it seems like hockey officials throughout North America struggle with finding the proper balance of practice to games with their programs. Kids love the thrill of playing games each weekend and parents love watching their kids compete, so much so that they are often willing to spend time and money to take them hundreds of miles to find the next tournament. The games are great, and there is no doubt a big part of the reason the kids keep coming back to the rink, but what are our young players missing out on when the desire to play more games means a decrease in practice time? Toronto Maple Leafs President and General Manager, Brian Burke, and Ottawa Senators Center, Daniel Alfredsson had this to say about the topic.
BRIAN BURKE: There are too many games to me, this is where Europe always has had an edge over how we do it in North America. Daniel, please correct me if I’ve got this wrong. From long conversations with the Twins [the Sedins], Markus Naslund, the practice-to-game ratio is the key. I wouldn’t mind if kids play 112 games. I think that’s way too many. I’m making a point. If they had two practices for every game. An ideal thing, if you ask someone in hockey, the ideal ratio for a young player is three practices to one game. We’d kill to get two. But in fact it’s 1-1 or less in youth hockey associations by the time a kid is a peewee. I think this is misguided.
I’ve ranted and raved about this. I think we should have more practice and fewer games. I think the parents are a big part of the problem. They don’t want to watch a practice. They want to see Johnny with four other skaters, two referees and a linesman.
We can develop the skill at a much higher level. This is something I fought. I remember years ago we started a 4-4 league in the spring just to stop kids from the burnout factor of playing all that spring hockey, playing all those games, focusing on skill and fun. Enough parents weren’t interested. They don’t want to watch 4-4, 3-3, even if guys like me tell them it’s important.
DANIEL ALFREDSSON: I totally agree with Brian. I’ve always been amazed since I came over here to Canada the amount of games the kids play. It’s important to get ice time. You need to get on the ice to get better. But especially at a younger age, if you’re a decent to average player, you’re not going to touch the puck very many times in a game. In practices, everybody can have a puck each. You can do different drills to develop your skills.
The practice-to-game ratio I think needs to favor practice a lot more, no question. Like Brian said, too, parents like to watch games.
