Joseph Bertagna

The Hockey Coaching Bible is a compilation of chapters written about college hockey from some highly prestigious coaches who are experts in the field. Though the book seems to be marketed for coaches at any level, I think it would be a worthwhile read for any hockey parent or spectator who wants to learn more about the game. The early chapters discuss such topics as recruiting practices, team mission, professional responsibility, funding and community support and putting together a new team. They were interesting and informative. However, I really enjoyed the sections which discussed the ideal skills necessary for each position on the team and specific drills, plays and tactics used in practice and competition. As a college hockey season ticket holder, it will increase my ability to understand and appreciate what I am watching. I know some hockey moms who admit to not really knowing the game; this book would certainly help!

Lastly, for those of you like me who have been enjoying the game for decades now, interwoven in the chapters is reference to the evolution of the sport as well as developing trends for the future. These brought back happy memories of my youth and made me feel like I had some insider info for the future.… (més)

The Hockey Coaching Bible provides a good overview of core concepts of ice hockey. While it's not a detailed explanation of the game, it provides a lot of ideas for a mid-level coach to use.

The first seven or so chapters probably are applicable to any sport -- they cover topics such as good sportsmanship, and stress skill-building over winning. (There's a brief aside about how European players practice about three times for every game, but American teams love games and tournaments at the expense of building skills.) But then the book tackles the expected topics: attacking and defense, goalkeeping, and special teams. Each chapter is written by a respected coach (most of whom have over a decade of experience behind the bench). One notable omission, though, was a section or chapter on face-offs; those were dismissed in only a few brief paragraphs. (Also, there is no index, so be prepared to sticky-tab anything you want to find again.)

The chapter I enjoyed the most was one on scouting. I've coached at the youngest levels, so I was unfamiliar with how a college team (or advanced high school team) looks at an opponent; the checklist provided was fairly thorough.

The book, though, probably isn't for a beginner coach -- there are only a handful of drills, and a few of the chapters tend to provide a little more theoretical knowledge than practical knowledge. It's likely best for a second- or third-year coach who has a little experience and wants to connect that knowledge with a bigger picture.

[Early Reviewer book]

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LT Haiku:

Discussion of skills
needed to play and coach the
fast game of hockey.… (més)

I received this as a review copy. I am not a hockey coach but live in hockey country and know many people involved in the sport. I think this book would be very useful for anyone coaching or attempting to start up a club program (for any sport for that matter, but obviously in particular for hockey). As a spectator, I found many of the descriptions of strategies and different playing styles interesting and useful in my understanding of the sport, and there were a lot of neat little tidbits about hockey history as well. My hometown of Austin, MN even gets a nod in the annals of hockey history!

I liked that each chapter is written by a different prominent coach, and there is a description of each coach's experience in the back of the book.… (més)