I played hockey for the first time today as part of the end-of-season Mom vs. Mites (players ages 7-8) game.
We suited up and headed out feeling pretty good. Twelve Moms in borrowed hockey equipment and figure skates (because most couldn’t skate on hockey skates) was quite a sight (and smell). After the kids scored their first 5 goals in the 1st period we realized we could’ve used some training and some coaching.
Our goalie wore a tiara and feather boa over her equipment and was very effective at stopping 18 shots using the “just lay down in front of the goal” tactic but still, we had no shots on goal. A hockey game (almost) broke out in the second period as we tried to recover from the shame of the first period. No luck on the scoreboard though, we were down 9-0 at the end of the second. More shame followed in the 3rd period as we resorted to bribes and fake injuries to no avail; to be sure these kids wanted to take us down. Final score: 12-0.
Next year we should rent some ice time, hire a coach and learn the fundamentals. Having played once might make us better students. Ruth Clark’s “prior knowledge principle” comes to mind. She says the critical role of prior knowledge in construction of new knowledge is the rationale for the following prior-knowledge principle:
Be sure there is a knowledge base for integrating new content by
1. activating appropriate prior knowledge
2. compensating for missing prior knowledge, and
3. minimizing the activation of prior knowledge structures unrelated to the lesson objective
Clark lists the following pre-learning techniques:
o Group discussion of a problem related to the content of the lesson
o Asking an and answering pre-questions prior to learning
o Presentation of a comparative advance organizer
I always like to try to so something first before formalized training. This probably wouldn’t be a good idea if I were a fighter pilot but in a game against 7 & 8 year olds it worked well because there were 12 kids with huge smiles and good stories for their friends. Maybe with some coaching next year, they’ll only beat us 6-0. : )
Is there a benefit in actually doing something before receiving coaching and training? I think so (so long as the cost of a mistake is not severe). In this case the cost was pride minimized with the help of our after-game goodie bag containing Cinnamon Schnapps. That and a little ice for the bruised knee and I’ll be good as new.
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What a wonderful analogy, Janet. I had to laugh. Unusually for someone based in England, and even more unusually for a South African, I totally “get” the ice hockey thing. This might have something to do with the fact that I am married to a Swede who, in his late 40s is still skating out every week with a bunch of other silver skaters. In spite of this, their experience when they challenge our kids to a game is not far from yours! Mind you, the kids are a little older, too…
Thanks Karyn. I wondered about people “getting†the hockey thing. I live in a town often referred to as “Hockeytown†where a wooden sign placed in the village with the words “Hockey Game Tonight†will bring out 1,000 people (population 1,900). I’m adding a wikipedia link for hockey (ice) in the event anyone is wondering about hockey.
Janet, great story! Instead of hiring a coach next year, it might be interesting to have the kids conduct a training session for the Moms. The kids would love doing it, and they would probably boil the lessons down to (their views of) the absolute essentials.
This would be reminiscent of the proctor principle in Keller’s Personalized System of Instruction, that the best person to coach me is not necessarily an expert but someone whose learning is just ahead of mine.
That’s a great idea Tom. My son has already provided some coaching…I now know how to hold the hockey stick so that I actually have a chance at hitting the puck. “Good job Mom” he said. Postive, immediate feedback, : )