Different Participants, Same Coaching Actions

September 5, 2026

What the National Coaching Direction Means for Coaches.

Whether you're coaching an Under 8 team on a Saturday morning or preparing athletes for a junior hockey league, coaching can look very different. The players in front of you have different motivations, needs, and goals. So it's natural that the way you coach changes too.

That's why the Hockey NZ National Coaching Direction isn't about prescribing a single coaching style. Instead, it identifies five coaching actions that consistently contribute to quality experiences across all hockey environments:

Lead with Purpose
Build Strong Connections
Create Person Centred Environments
Develop People
Evolve Coaching Knowledge

When adapted to the people and context in front of you, these actions help participants enjoy, develop, and succeed through hockey.

A Junior Hockey Player's Experience

Imagine an eight-year-old player attending hockey for the first time.

They signed up because their friends play. They're excited, maybe a little nervous, and hope they'll learn some new skills, make friends, and have fun.

An effective coach starts by creating a positive first impression of hockey. They arrive with energy, enthusiasm, and a genuine desire to help young people enjoy the game (Lead with Purpose).

They take time to learn names, get to know the players, and understand what brought them to hockey in the first place (Build Strong Connections).

Recognising that many children are new to the game, the coach creates an environment where mistakes are welcomed, encouragement is common, and every player feels like they belong (Create Person Centred Environments).

Training activities are designed to help players experience success, build confidence, and learn fundamental skills through engaging activities and games (Develop People).

After training, the coach reflects on how the session may have been experienced by the players. They access ideas through CoachMate, seek advice from others, and consider what they could do even better next week (Evolve Their Coaching Knowledge).

For this player, a great hockey experience feels fun, supportive, and rewarding. They leave excited to come back.

A Performance Athlete's Experience

They invest time in understanding the athlete as a person. What motivates them? What challenges are they facing? How do they respond under pressure? These conversations build trust and help the coach tailor their approach (Build Strong Connections).

The environment is demanding, but also supportive. Athletes are challenged to grow while knowing they are respected, listened to, and valued as people, not just performers (Create Person Centred Environments).

Training is carefully designed to stretch the athlete's capabilities. The coach creates opportunities for decision making, problem solving, resilience, and ownership, alongside technical and tactical development (Develop People).

Along the way, the coach uses important hockey and holistic development knowledge they have and continues to learn. They seek feedback from the athlete, connect with other coaches, and reflect on their effectiveness to ensure they are continually improving the support they provide (Evolve Their Coaching Knowledge).

For this athlete, a great hockey experience feels challenging, purposeful, and rewarding. They leave each session feeling better equipped to pursue their goals.

Key Message

The junior player and the performance athlete have different motivations, needs, and aspirations. As a result, effective coaching looks different in each environment.

What remains consistent are the actions of impactful coaching applied.

They lead with purpose. They build strong connections. They create person centred environments. They develop people. And they continually evolve their coaching knowledge.

The National Coaching Direction is not about prescribing one way to coach. It provides a shared framework that helps coaches adapt their approach to the people and context in front of them. When coaches consistently apply these actions in ways that meet participant needs, they create quality experiences where people can enjoy, develop, and succeed through hockey.

Click here for more information about the National Coaching Direction

< Older Post

Newer Post >