Students

Putting it into Practice

Hockey

Jennifer is a volunteer coach for a youth skill development hockey program. The program focuses on individual skill development that is designed to complement each player's team game and covers skating, stick-handling, shooting, puck protection, and many other dynamic hockey skills.

She is currently working with a group of Peewee players (ages 11–12) on the indirect pass, a skill introduced when they were Squirts (ages 9–10). The indirect pass is a pass made off the boards to an area where the receiver will be. When observing the players in a scrimmage, she noticed a poor success rate for indirect passes. She further assessed the players in both the receiving and passing role in an isolated drill and noted that performance was much better.

Test Your Knowledge

Before Jennifer can design activities to improve indirect pass performance, she needs to determine the underlying cause of the problem. Given what you have learned in this chapter, what variables should be considered that might be responsible for the poor indirect pass performance observed in a game situation?

Answer

The poor success rate for indirect passes could be a function of the passer, the receiver, or both. The passer must anticipate when to pass, how strong to make the pass, and where the puck should arrive so that a teammate can successfully skate to it. Even if the passer makes the perfect pass, the receiver skate to the open space, must be ready for the pass and his or her body and stick properly positioned for the reception. Given that performance was much better during an isolated drill, the anticipatory judgements of the passer should be further assessed.

Putting it into Practice

Hockey

Jennifer has determined that the poor indirect pass performance observed in a game situation is the result of below-average anticipation skills when passing. Her assistant suggests the following drill:

Indirect Pass Drill

P = Puck carrier; R = Receiver

Puck carrier skates around the net and makes an indirect pass off the wall to meet the receiver in the shaded area.

Test Your Knowledge

Review the drill outlined above. Would you recommend that Jennifer adopt this drill? Why or why not?

Answer

Given that problem involves the anticipatory judgements of the passer during a game situation, this drill would not be recommended. While the drill requires temporal anticipation in order to get the puck to where the receiver will be at the right time, it does not target the same anticipatory judgements required in a game situation. In this drill, the passer has prior knowledge of where the receiver will be and what action is required. The drill is too basic to address the problem.

Putting it into Practice

Balance and Proprioception

Assessment of Darren’s progress indicates that he is ready for balance and proprioceptive activities to be incorporated into his rehabilitation program. Before doing so however, the physical therapist needs to develop a more comprehensive situational profile.

Test Your Knowledge

What individual constraints must be taken into consideration when designing a balance/proprioception program for Darren? Will these change over time? How will those changes influence program design?

Answer

Individual constraints that should be taken into consideration include but are not limited to pain, inflammation, tenderness, bruising, ankle stability and mobility, sensorimotor function, postural equilibrium, strength, flexibility, range of motion (ROM), and motivation. As pain and inflammation subside and tissue healing occurs, Darren will move from non-weight bearing to partial to full weight bearing and increased challenges can be imposed to meet daily and recreational activity demands.

Putting it into Practice

Balance and Proprioception

Darren doesn’t think an ankle sprain is a big deal. The swelling is down and he asks his physical therapist why he can’t just wear a brace instead of doing all of the balance exercises that have been prescribed.

Test Your Knowledge

If you were Darren’s physical therapist would you agree to let him wear the brace? Why or why not?

Answer

While a brace will provide an external support for changed ankle structure, long-term use will create a dependence and inhibit the re-establishment of ankle stability and proprioception. The ankle relies heavily on proprioceptive feedback to be responsive and quickly stabilize the ankle when perturbed. Darren will therefore be at risk of injury reoccurrence.

Putting it into Practice

Hockey

Jennifer also works with the Squirts (ages 9–10). The indirect pass to a moving target is introduced at this level. Her assistant reminds her of the drill he suggested earlier and thinks it would be a good one to start with after the skill is introduced and demonstrated.

Test Your Knowledge

Go back to the drill outlined at the end of Chapter 3. Does this drill target cognitive or associative stage learners? Should Jennifer start with this drill as her assistance suggested? Justify your answer.

Answer

Players must first learn how responsive the puck is when bounced off the boards. From a stationary position players should shoot the puck straight at the kick plate with varying degrees of force to learn how get it to bounce back the way they want it too. Next, to develop an understanding of angles, two stationary players standing approximately 3–4 m away from the boards and each other can practice indirect passes to one another. Players could then progress to skating with the puck and executing an indirect pass to a stationary receiver before implementing the drill outlined at the end of Chapter 3 as it targets early associative stage learners and is not suitable to use as a beginning drill.

Putting it into Practice

Balance and Proprioception

Darren's job requires him to not only hike along wooded trails, but to negotiate a variety of terrains, slopes, and obstacles while carrying a pack and/or equipment (e.g. a chain saw). Having developed a good static balance foundation, the physical therapist now needs to prepare Darren for returning back to his work in the field.

Test Your Knowledge

Create three balance/proprioception exercises that will positively transfer to Darren's on the job activities.

Answer

Keeping in mind that safety is always the top priority when designing exercises and activities one example would be to create an obstacle walk. During the walk Darren would be required to change directions quickly, step over items of varying heights, and step onto objects of varying compliance. The course could be set up in the clinic initially then progress to outside where it could incorporate the natural landscape including slopes/hills and a variety of surfaces. Head and gaze orientation could also be manipulated by having Darren perform head turns, look at a fixed point, or scan the environment to locate specific items. Performing under conditions of low light would also simulate the work environment, as would the addition of having to carry a variety of tools or equipment.

Putting it into Practice

Hockey

Instead of trying to explain what to look for in different scenarios to make effective indirect passes, Jennifer elects to use the hands-off instruction approach. She wants to create game-play challenges using 3-on-3 half-ice scrimmages to hone their indirect passing skills.

Test Your Knowledge

What game modifications or conditions might Jennifer impose to help her players learn when to use and where to place their indirect passes? Also, how might guided discovery be used to help players improve their anticipation skills?

Answer

An example of a game modification would be to impose a rule that an attacking player must receive an indirect pass before entering the offensive zone or he or she will be considered offsides. Some questions that could be used to help players improve their anticipation skills in this situation are:

1. Where should you aim when performing an indirect pass?
2. If you are the one anticipating a pass, what can you do to make it easier for your teammate to determine where to pass the puck?
3. What position should you be in when receiving the pass?

Putting it into Practice

Hockey

Although the squirts are in the associative stage for the basic forehand pass and have shown steady improvement, Jennifer knows that the added complexity of banking a pass off of the boards at the right angle and speed to arrive at a desired location and time is a new concept. Until they learn how the puck comes off the boards, passing to a moving target is unrealistic for the squirts who have just been introduced to the indirect pass. She needs to simplify the skill initially.

Test Your Knowledge

How can the indirect pass be simplified for initial practice? Design three activities Jennifer could use to simplify the skill before adding a moving receiver. In what order would you suggest practicing the activities? Explain what strategy you used to simplify the skill and justify your recommended order.

Answer

1. From a stationary position, complete an indirect pass to a large area or zone (provide visual identifier such as cones). The puck should pass through the zone not stop in it.
   Strategy: Because the activity is performed to a stationary area, the complexity of the environment is reduced (closed skill) and the large size of the target zone decreases the level of precision therefore reduces the coordination requirement.

2. From a stationary position, complete indirect passes to three separate stationary targets (e.g. cones) positioned at different distances.
   Strategy: Stationary targets are again used decreasing the complexity of the environment (closed skill); however, the level of precision required has increased because of the change in target size and position.

3. Perform activities 1 and 2 while skating with the puck.
   Strategy: Because the targets remain stationary, the activity continues to involve a closed skill (decreasing the complexity of the environment); however, the requirement to be moving while performing the pass increases the level of difficulty because of the new coordination requirements.

Putting it into Practice

Balance and Proprioception

Darren’s rehab has been progressing and he is now working on functional balance activities to prepare for going back to field work.

Test Your Knowledge

Countless exercises are available to improve balance/proprioception. In addition, numerous variations of those exercises can be prescribed. For example, you can balance on one foot or two, with eyes open or closed, etc. List as many balance exercise variations that you can think of (you may want to refer back to the exercises listed at the end of Chapter 1). Then, design a variable practice exercise for Darren given his current situational profile.

Answer

• Seated vs. quadruped vs. standing vs. moving
• Static vs. dynamic
• Level of raise of non-supportive leg
• Base of support
• Position of line of gravity—weight shifts in multiple directions
• Height of COG
• Compliant/non-compliant surface
• Shod vs. barefoot
• Manipulation of different objects in different directions/heights
• Head movements
• Adding external resistance—tubing, dumbbells, medicine balls
• Negotiating obstacles
• Vary sensory information (e.g. distracted vision)
• Degree of illumination
• Even vs. uneven surfaces
• Pace
• Distance

Activity—Simulated Stream Crossing

Several objects could be positioned to simulate traversing from rock to rock as one might when crossing a stream. Variables that could be manipulated include positioning (path and distance), size, shape of the “rocks” including whether the surface was even or uneven, the speed at which the traverse is made, whether or not a pack is worn and/or hiking poles used, as well as the stability of the “rocks” themselves. (Note: safety is always the primary concern when designing activities; It is the practitioner’s responsibility to ensure that activities do not exceed the capabilities of their students, athletes, clients, or patients putting them in a potentially harmful situation).

Putting it into Practice

Hockey

Passing is a two-way street. Receiving the puck is just as important as executing a good pass. Jennifer observes that one of the players is having difficulty receiving the pass as the puck is consistently rebounding off of his stick. He appears to be in position but is either not ready when the puck comes or is holding the wrists stiff, causing the puck to rebound off the blade.

Test Your Knowledge

Describe the nature of the two possible errors identified in terms of motor learning. How would you diagnose which of the two is the actual cause of the problem observed in order to select the appropriate intervention strategy for its correction?

Answer

Although the player appears to be in position, he could be getting there late as a result of poorly anticipating either the temporal or spatial characteristics of the pass. Alternatively, he could be getting into position on time, but having difficulty with coinciding his motor response to match the arrival of the moving puck (coincident timing). These would both fall under the category of response selection and be attributed to perceptual and/or decision making errors. On the other hand, the error could be one of movement execution. If the stick is held rigid rather than giving a little to absorb the impact of the puck, poor technique is the likely cause of the error. The practitioner will need to determine if there is a timing problem or a technique issue.

Putting it into Practice

Balance and Proprioception

The physical therapist has added a variety of step-down activities to Darren’s rehab program (different heights, directions, landing surfaces, with and without a pack, etc.). While Darren is able to execute the movements, she notices that he is looking down, watching each step. This is a common error that occurs when proprioception is compromised.

Test Your Knowledge

Design an intervention activity that manipulates task constraints to help Darren take his eyes off of his feet and look straight ahead.

Answer

One example would be to ask Darren to identify how many fingers are being held up by the therapist as he steps down. Flash cards with numbers, colors, animals or a variety of household objects could also be used.