Overcoming Personal Bias With Video

NEWS Overcoming Personal Bias With Video “Relying on the memory alone to recall the truth behind an experience or event is subjective, unreliable and will often lead you down a longer path to success, or worse, the wrong one completely.” Bias, past experiences, mood and a range of other external factors influence our ability to recall events accurately. Often what we believe to be true, is in fact not. Memories that we have are not fixed, and research has shown that introducing even the subtlest piece of information later on can dramatically affect how people remember things they have seen or experienced – giving rise to a concept known as ‘false memory’ or the ‘misinformation effect’. The work of prominent psychologist Elizabeth Loftus has proven how misleading information (from both internal and external sources) can blend with what a person really experienced, created a warped version of the truth. Even our emotions can lead our prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for evaluating performance, down the wrong path whereby our emotional evaluation takes precedence over what actually took place. We can also be influenced by what others remember. Feedback or evaluation from teammates, officials, other coaches or spectators can shift our perceptions, as does the time between the event taking place and accuracy of which we look back on it. Relying on our memory alone to pass judgement on performance leads to subjective and often unreliable decision making. Video provides us a valuable tool to look back on performance objectively and accurately. Watching a game or a video back shows us what really happened, hence why you’ll often hear the phrase “the tape doesn’t lie” when watching interviews with coaches or athletes in any of the big American sports. The perception of ‘data and analytics’ often paint a picture of seeking exact numbers and diving deep into a world of equations and coding to find a magical concept of improving performance based on them. In reality, it is often much simpler, it allows a player or coach operate without the downsides of relying on memory alone. To give a relatable example, a coach and a player may disagree about positioning after conceding a goal whilst on the penalty kill. The coach says the player was out of position, the player says they were reacting to an opposing player being in a more dangerous spot. Watching the video back together provides not only the opportunity to identify where the player actually was, but also to review what happened directly before the event and enable the player to recall their perceptions and response to the stimuli around them that led to them making the decision that they did. So not only does using video dispel the ‘misinformation effect’ to identify to us the true events of a scenario, it also provides us with a huge step forward in the development of our athletes. Taking 2 minutes to sit down with a player (or even taking the time to watch something back on your own) and allowing them to connect their emotion understanding with the evidence in front of them, can have huge development advantages in both identifying learning gaps, and the growth of situational awareness and long term comprehension. MORE INSIGHTS Overcoming Personal Bias With Video Bymyscouthockey Analysis,Coaches,Featured Read More Tools: Shot Plotter (Web-App) Bymyscouthockey Analysis,Featured,Hints & Tips Read More DOTW: Ottawa Centre Circle Bymyscouthockey Drills,Featured Read More DOTW: Carolina Half Wall Bymyscouthockey Drills,Featured Read More Why is Performance Analysis So Important? Bymyscouthockey Analysis,Coaches,Featured,Players Read More

Tools: Shot Plotter (Web-App)

NEWS Tools: shot-plotter.app “Tracking shots can be critical in identifying threats and opportunities – the amount of information shot-plotter can help you generate is amazing, the fact it is free is incredible.” Shot-Plotter is a web application based tool developed by An Nyugen. Completely free to use, and compatible with all devices (as it simply loads in your browser). The tool allows you to track events on a rink with a single click – primarily set up for shots, the customisation options mean that the user can set the tool up for their own needs.  When you head to the main page, the first task is to select your ‘plotter’. The great thing about this app is that it differentiates between NHL and IIHF sized rinks. We would recommend for simplicity that if you plan to use this app in the long run to choose one size and stick to it, but we’ll explain more on why later in the article. The other thing we love is the ability to plot shots vertically on a net, this is a great tool for netminder specific analysis! After selecting a plot (we usually go for IIHF hailing from the UK) we arrive where we need to be. In its raw configuration the app enables you to select; The Period, Team, Player & Shot Type. Whatever combination you choose will be allocated to the ‘click’ on the map in the table below. A huge bonus here is that it saves each point of data in its own column, which saves huge amounts of time and effort further down the line if you export this information for further analysis or storage! Setting up your own tracking data Whilst the app is called SHOT plotter, the ‘Customize Setup’ button reveals the true power and value of the tool (be warned that you must do this before recording any ‘plots’ on the rink). This allows the user to edit or create new details. For example, under Type you could add hits, puck battles, zone entries/exits, or whatever your imagination or needs for locatable information require. You can also add lists of players for ease of use, as radio buttons or a dropdown list.  There are also some really powerful elements that are almost hidden under ‘Special Details’. 2-Location events allow you to track the start and end point of an event, amazing for recording pass or carry data, and distance closest to net is key if you are heading down the xG model route.  Additionally, slightly further down you will see ‘Heat Map View’. This provides you the ability to toggle between single entry markers, and provide an alternative way to present the data to players or coaching staff.  How to use the data Once you have set the tool up, you can simply start selecting options and clicking away to track your games. Once complete you can either screenshot the map, or scroll all the way to the bottom to download the data in .csv format. This allows for further analysis or visualisation using additional tools such as Excel or Tableau, and storage long term – either standalone or in combination with other match data for longer term analysis.  Below you can see a basic example of how the tracking appears on the web app, the differentiation between colour and shape is great, but these are limited to 5 options in the drop down list or they just appear as hexagons.  The image after, is an example of how we used the tool to do some research into Coventry Blaze’s powerplay puck movement last season. All the data was recorded on Shot-Plotter, using a combination of single and dual location events, then exported to .csv and uploaded into Tableau for refining and visualisation.  Final Thoughts In the sport analysis world, where software and data can be wildly expensive and complicated, Shot-Plotter provides great value (again we can’t believe its free), adaptability and simplicity. We know that this tool is already used at all levels of the game, and whilst it may lack some of the bells and whistles of some of the better known, high end softwares, the functionality is basically the same.  For anyone out there looking for an entry into basic event tracking, or players, coaches and teams looking for a cost effective way to collect data on their own performance we couldn’t recommend this tool enough. If you’re looking for more assistance in utilising Shot-Plotter, please contact us using the form on our website, but our main advice would be to head over and play around until you find the best way for you.  shot-plotter.netlify.app is definitely a key part of our analysis workflow when we need something simple but effective! MORE INSIGHTS Tools: Shot Plotter (Web-App) Bymyscouthockey Analysis,Featured,Hints & Tips,Players Read More DOTW: Ottawa Centre Circle Bymyscouthockey Coaches,Drills,Featured,Hints & Tips Read More DOTW: Carolina Half Wall Bymyscouthockey Coaches,Drills,Featured,Hints & Tips Read More Why is Performance Analysis So Important? Bymyscouthockey Analysis,Coaches,Featured,Players Read More

DOTW: Ottawa Centre Circle

DRILL OF THE WEEK DOTW: Ottawa Centre Circle “We love this drill as a warm up activity. Its great for defenders to get comfortable moving in all 4 directions with the puck, and making accurate breakout passes, as well as making sure forwards understanding timing, route and stick position when breaking up ice” This is a great drill to run at the start of practice to get everyone’s feet moving, and once its started it will run itself for as long as you need it to with plenty of people active, but plenty of coaching points to refer back to that could have a big impact on practice elements later in the session. How to run Ottawa Centre Circle Put all the pucks in the centre circle, and have forwards line up on all 4 blue line corners, with D lined up centre blue line – all facing centre ice.  The D will collect a total of 3 pucks from the centre, and back them out to the blue line before hitting their forward with a pass – giving them time to come low and swing away up ice. Diagonally opposite forwards go at the same time and receive the pass from the D on the far blue line, then skating to the net for a shot, and staying for a screen/tip on the next forward. After both sides have received the puck, the D collects a third and makes an ‘escape’, carrying the puck to the far offensive zone and shooting through a 2 forward screen.  There are multiple progressions you can adapt the drill, and these are just a limited selection, one of our favourite things about this drill is that its only limited by your imagination.  Have the D collect pucks on forehand/backhand only D can make a variety of moves before making the pass; fakes, turnaways, pivots etc Forward routes can be changed or adapted, for example instead of a hook back up the wall to be hit in stride, you could ask them to pivot around the NZ face-off dot always facing the puck.  MORE INSIGHTS DOTW: Ottawa Centre Circle Bymyscouthockey Coaches,Drills,Featured Read More DOTW: Carolina Half Wall Bymyscouthockey Coaches,Drills,Featured Read More What exactly is Performance Analysis? Bymyscouthockey Coaches,Featured,Players Read More Welcome to MyScout Hockey Bymyscouthockey Featured,News Read More

DOTW: Carolina Half Wall

DRILL OF THE WEEK DOTW: Carolina Half wall “A great drill to encourage players to use low cycles and dynamic off puck movement to turn D and open lanes to the slot.” The Carolina Half Wall drill starts with 3 attackers, and 3 defenders (we usually have 1D/2F attacking, and 2D/1F defending). Phase 1 of the drill encourages players to move the puck off the wall to the back of the net, pulling defensive coverage away and creating space for players to push to the net front and receive the puck in a dangerous scoring area. What’s great about the drill is it also demonstrates to the defending team how to priorities protection vs pursuit when the puck is in a non threatening area. Phase 2 opens the zone up and gives the attacking team reward of an overload if they can attack the net quickly – great for transition, if they don’t then they need to settle back into the concepts of phase 1 and look to apply the structured elements of the drill in a more realistic situation.  How to run Carolina Half Wall Start with the puck in the corner with F3 F3 and F1 make a switch along the wall and cycle the puck to F2 who has fallen to the back of the net Defending players can now activate and we play 3v3 from here, looking to draw defenders away from the net front and move the puck into the space they have left. On the coaches whistle, all three forwards regroup on a spotted puck in the neutral zone D1/D2 on the defensive team recover to face the rush 3v2, and X swings out through the centre circle to backcheck the rush from behind – looking to get back into a strong position or pick up the third attacker This element is then played 3v3, we encourage our teams to be reactive and look to generate fast offensive chances off the transition. If they are unsuccessful, the concepts from phase 1 of the drill are applied in a game situation as we look to recover chances, and extend our offensive zone time in a controlled manner. MORE INSIGHTS DOTW: Ottawa Centre Circle Bymyscouthockey Coaches,Drills,Featured Read More DOTW: Carolina Half Wall Bymyscouthockey Coaches,Drills,Featured Read More What exactly is Performance Analysis? Bymyscouthockey Coaches,Featured,Players Read More Welcome to MyScout Hockey Bymyscouthockey Featured,News Read More

Why is Performance Analysis So Important?

NEWS Why Is Performance Analysis so Important? “Performance Analysis provides athletes and coaches with objective information to understand performance.” Analysis has been taking place in some form or another since sport first began, with the constant desire for improvement. In today’s era, through research and technological advancement, the power of performance analysis and subsequent analytics has boomed, progressing from simple notational analysis, into huge data driven frameworks. Technology is now playing a major role in how quickly athletes and teams develop, these resources offer opportunities to gain a competitive advantage in a world of increasingly tight margins. Understanding details helps to remove guesswork, making as many actions as possible purposeful. This doesn’t mean creating robotic players who play without instinct, it develops the correct preparation and insight, creating tools in athletes’ and coaches’ armouries that can be drawn on when the time comes. Feedback – The learning journey When looking to enhance performance, feedback is one of the most important variables affecting learning (as researched by Hattie and Timperley, 2007). It can be split into two clear forms; Intrinsic or Inherent Feedback – sensory information such as sight, hearing, touch. This is the athlete, and coaches personal perception of what took place, how it was executed and the value of the outcome. Extrinsic Feedback – comes from an outside source and can be split into two main forms; Knowledge of results (outcomes), and knowledge of performance (causes of result). Ideally, this feedback should be used to compliment intrinsic feedback to develop understanding and autonomy. The final point is of most importance, the ultimate goal of performance analysis is to enhance the intrinsic picture and give a broader understanding of what is taking, or has taken, place. Leading to skill enhancement, improved decision making, increased confidence and ideally better results. Performance analysis is rudimentarily a form of feedback, but the depth and power of this tool really comes to light when delving deeper into the methods and delivery styles. Types of Performance Analysis As research and technologies progress, more and more systems and strategies evolve the performance analysis landscape, however academics and practitioners can agree that all fall under three main pillars within the field: Notational Analysis The vast amount of information/stimuli present in game/performance is difficult to retain, with emotions and preconceived ideas affecting judgement. As a result systems have been created to provide greater objectivity (statistical collection, etc) Has developed rapidly with advances in IT, can take the form of real time hand or computer notation (concurrent) or post event (terminal) Provides an assessment of key performance indicators for individual and team, skill and tactical, performance Example: Statistical breakdowns of in game events, shots on goal, passes complete, time on ice, etc Biomechanical Analysis Biomechanics is the science concerned with the internal and external forces acting on the human body and the effects produced by these forces. Individual assessment of body movement and technique Wide range of technologies, such as high speed cameras, sensors and software provide exceptionally accurate data, used to improve areas such as efficiency of movement and force production Also used to aid injury prevention, and enhance link between performers brain and body – enhancing skill comprehension and confidence Behavioural (Psychological) Analysis Can be combined with notational analysis to record behavioural responses during performance – e.g. athletes response to missing a shot Behaviours observable include; Verbal, Facial Expressions, Gestures, Posture, Locomotion, Specific Skill Response Undertakes a problem solving approach, interviews are used to identify issues (actual vs anticipated, sensory vs emotional) followed by observations and testing to develop strategies to overcome Useful for analysis of athletes and coaches, or in a wider research setting to identify archetypes and trends. Where Can Performance Analysis Add Value in Hockey? Objective information empowers evidence-based decision making, reducing speculation and providing an understanding of the true reasons for success or failure. It assists players technical and tactical knowledge and improves confidence and trust. For coaches, it can enhance their own development and coaching practices, give an in-depth review of performance, provide scouting information and strategic development ahead of future events and support athletic development within their programs at an individual and team level. What Next? MyScout Hockey’s goal is to educate athletes, coaches and fans on the what, how and why of Performance Analysis. Work with us to gain a greater insight into the tools available, strengthen your understanding and for assistance with application. Don’t worry, it won’t all be science and long reading – we will demonstrate the power of the tools through real world examples and breakdowns of scenarios relatable to you. If you have any questions, or would like more information about how MyScout works, please get in contact using the form available or the website, or send us an email. We’d love to hear from you about what insights you’d find useful, helping us to develop our resources to assist as many people as possible.  MORE INSIGHTS DOTW: Ottawa Centre Circle Bymyscouthockey Coaches,Drills,Featured Read More DOTW: Carolina Half Wall Bymyscouthockey Coaches,Drills,Featured Read More Why is Performance Analysis So Important? Bymyscouthockey Coaches,Featured,Players Read More Welcome to MyScout Hockey Bymyscouthockey Coaches,Featured,News,Players Read More