On the previous pages the content is visualized in a linear way, since we will talk a lot about nonlinear or multidimensional approach in the book, of course the content needs to be visualized that way as well.
When it comes to the grammatical part and language in the book, I’m Finnish (mother tongue), living in Sweden and fluent in Swedish, so English is my third language, if you find some grammatical errors or funny / strange expression, you know why… Please try to see beyond the “Swenglish” and just try to catch the message 
Floorball is a dynamic and simple sport to play and to start playing?
Although when you look at floorball in a more detailed view, you can say it’s quite a complicated sport?
The amount of information a player is faced with is tremendous. You have your own teammates moving and communicating, you have the movements and actions of the opponents, meanwhile you need to position yourself, be aware of your body, switch between offense and defense, take actions, quick decisions and respond to things happening around you, sometimes with the ball, sometimes without, while everything is happening in a very high speed.
This can easily be connected to bandwidth on internet, slow connection and you feel a lot of disruptions in everything you do and try to do, and you can easily imagine hearing the kids screaming …internet is lagging!
If the internet connection is fast the information processing and switching between tasks will be smooth and flawless.
This is exactly what the purpose of this book is, to increase the bandwidth in your player’s heads, by moving from linear thinking, coaching, drills and practices to more nonlinear or multidimensional in order to increase the bandwidth!
With internet you can build and upgrade your equipment, when we talk about floorball, we need to train differently and more challenging to achieve the effect on our players.
When you increase the bandwidth in the heads of your players you actually do the opposite for the feeling of the game, you “slowdown” the game for them thanks to higher “bandwidth”, which of course will give several benefits for your team and the results for the team.
By training in a more challenging nonlinear way with many repetitions we can create a game environment that is basically almost easier to handle than a regular floorball practice.
The key is also to be able to increase the challenge all the time for all of your players, when you reach a stage where the basic skills are in place on a good level the skill development curve will flat out, unless you don’t push it further.
Here I can unfortunately see many “comfortable” floorball coaches, using the same familiar drills as before, no explanation needed, the practices goes “smooth” or we think we have reached a good technical skill level and can switch the focus to be most of the time on the team plays and game situations, but the individual skill development will suffer and with that your team play.
Instead of “giving up” the individual skill development we can continue to take it to the next level, develop the individuals and with that your team capacity.
When players are able to perfom certain skills efficiently and with proper technique we can start to combine skills and tasks in a nonlinear or multitasking manner to reach the next level.
By combining skills, challenges and moments, we get the possibility to overload the demand on the players and work with increasing the “bandwidth” in their heads, combined with the physical capacity.
Anatoli Tarasov 1918-1995 (Legendary hockey coach)
Before we start to dig in to floorball drills and practices, let’s just start with some important data, facts and statistics from the world of floorball that really can help you in the coaching role e.g. where the attacks start that lead to a goal, how many players are involved, what types of shots are used from what distance, how quick should the attack be etc.
Sounds interesting? Maybe, or maybe not, but this is important data to consider when we look into how to develop our players through challenging floorball drills and practices.
I have tried to condense and summarize the data as much as possible and visualize and describe it in a simple way.
To build the optimal floorball drill we will start with looking at some important data, facts, statistics and some statements.
The stats are from several sources e.g. Swedish Elite league analysis and analysis of the World Championships.
72% of the goals that are scored, are involving 1-2 players from your own team, in 25% of the cases 3 players.
Basically looking at this fact, you should involve 1-3 players in your floorball drills, to get it game like and similar to situations when you score a goal, to 97%!
Number of passes before a goal is in 95% of the cases 0-3 passes. 25% without a pass and 70% with 1-3 passes before the goal.
0-3 passes in the floorball drill would be good from the game and scoring view.
If there is a pass before scoring a goal that last pass before scoring is in average between 5-7 meters.
79% of the goals are scored when the attack starts on the offensive half of the rink (including a zone just before the midline) 21% of the attacks start deeper from defensive zone, leading to a goal. If you want to practice similar to game and goal scoring, start the drill from the middle or in the offensive zone.
When winning the ball on the offensive half of the rink or getting the ball there by a pass, the best opportunity to score a goal is within 1-8 seconds, ~65% of the goals are scored in that time frame (quick attack, turnover or odd man rush).
After winning the ball the most common action is to move it by yourself 62% of the cases and to pass a teammate immediately in 32% of the cases.
The goal scoring shot comes in average from a 5 meter distance.
But here there is a big difference when it comes to the type of shot.
2-3 meters deflection, dribble and volley.
3-6 meters backhand, snap- and wrist shot.
8-9 meters slap shot.
When it comes to how the goals are scored, goals are scored from:
Cross pass (direct shot) 23%
Steered / deflected 16%
Pass in front from behind goal 14%
Lateral movement with ball 13%
Shot in straight movement towards goal 12%
Rebound 10%
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.
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Zorro 1%
Teams shoot in average 48 shots per game, but only 19 shots on goal!
64% of the goals are scored from the best scoring area in front of the goal (triangle) and end in the lower third of the goal in 42% of goals.
Some keywords connected to goal scoring
Give and go / direct shot
Individually skilled play
Stay in front of the goal
Lateral movement or fake before the shot.
Involve 1-3 players, 0-3 passes in the drill, start the drill in the middle or in offensive zone. After winning the ball, move it yourself quickly first. Last pass before scoring (direct shot) should be between 5-7 meters or a shot in lateral movement or with a quick fake. Have a good pace and score a goal within 1-8 seconds from starting/receiving the ball. Shoot from 3-5 meters or deflect, steer, take the rebound in the area of 2-3 meters from goal. Aim for the lower third of the goal.
Where the attack starts leading to a goal scored.
This data gives us important picture of good spots to start a floorball drill that should lead to a goal, like 54% of attacks leading to goal starts from just behind or past the mid-line.
79% of attacks leading to a goal is from the middle or offensive part of the rink.
One single figure that hits you is that only 3% of the attacks leading to a goal starts from the left corner (looking in the attacking direction), while from the opposite corner it’s 11%
64% of goals are scored from the area in front of the goal, which is not a surprise, but if we analyze the exact spot where shot came from, you will find an “arch/bow area” which is really the hot spot inside the best goal scoring area and that’s interesting.
The real hot spot for scoring a goal in the shadowed area.
Wayne Gretzky used the statement, you miss 100% of the shot you don’t take, looking at the statistics we can also add, “Teams shoot in average 48 shots per game, but only 19 shots in average on goal!” 60% of the shots taken don’t hit the goal either. Take the shot, get the shots through and on goal, to improve your goal scoring.
Linear, nonlinear and multidimensional are maybe words that are not naturally connected to the daily “floorball language”, but these will be some of the keywords moving forward in the beginning of this book.
Before continuing I just want to visualize some example floorball drills, from different sources that you will find through Google search (in Sweden): Floorball drills (I also added the word, advanced to pick some of these example drills).
Run with the ball, pass, shot, wait for your turn
Left: Run, receive a pass from the goalie, shoot, wait for your turn.
Right: Run, receive a pass, run with ball, shoot, return back, wait for your turn.
Run, receive a pass, shoot, go to the other corner and wait.
Pass, run, body fake without ball, run, receive a pass, shoot.
Run, receive a pass, run with the ball, shoot, wait for your turn to run again.
2 vs 1 pass, run, pass, shoot, return back.
These are just some examples of floorball drills you will find through a Google search, of course there will be other types as well, but most of the time the floorball drills follow the same linear pattern - run, receive pass, shoot, go to the queue and wait.
Looking at real life floorball practices in different locations (Sweden and Finland) or for different ages, doesn’t change the image dramatically. The same linear pattern is recognized.
To return to the first pages of the book and the metaphor connected to “bandwidth”, not much bandwidth is required in these drills?
Not many boxes can be ticked for below statements either:
I’m using the words linear and nonlinear and with the previous practical floorball drill examples, I was thinking how to convey the message and my thinking to you in a good understandable way. The linear and nonlinear reminds me of console games, the ones I used to play and the ones my kids play today.
Therefore, I want to try something totally new with you, what if I changed the words linear and nonlinear, to Super Mario or Fortnite Floorball Coach?
Maybe you have a feeling of what I mean with linear training, but I want to take you on a tour through two-three console games from different eras to visualize and make the distinction between linear and nonlinear/multidimensional thinking and connect this to floorball and floorball coaching today.
Let’s try it from that angle for a while. Are you an 8-bit Super Mario coach or a modern Fortnite floorball coach?
If this comparison already raises question marks, (although I think most people have at least heard about Fortnite at this point), it may be a matter of deepening the understanding into this subject.
So, if Fortnite sounds unfamiliar, there is also the risk that you could be more influenced by the 8-bit Super Mario thinking than the new modern game of Fortnite, in your coaching as well.
Maybe this sounds strange, “but keep calm”, we will work through the subject calmly and methodically, from the game connection to modern challenging floorball drills, for the quick thinking and fast acting floorball players and you as the coach leading them on this journey.
Before we go any further, I want to make it clear that I am not a big fan of TV / Console games, although it can sometimes be perceived as so in the book. For example, I would prefer my own children to be more physically active than they are right now!
Just to be fair towards them and to give you the right picture of the activity level right now and the reference frame “for more active”, my both sons play console games couple of hours per day, sometimes more and have the mobile phone always available.
When it comes to the activity level the oldest son participate in organized practices 5-8 times per week (16 years old), and the younger son 8-15 times per week (11 years old), I have also a daughter just starting, practices 1 time per week (4 years old). Depending of the reference level some people might faint on the organized sport activity level.
Reality is although, that still the biggest number of hours is spent on Xbox games and on the mobile phone.
But I try to understand, and see the possibilities, as well as handle the new challenges I’m facing, as a parent and coach.
We are facing a totally new reality that is affecting us and our children, let’s deal with it in a positive and constructive way.
Before we make the connection to the games, we will go through some floorball basics.
Let’s start by doing a fun experiment, take your mobile, tablet or computer and search for highlights from YouTube from different eras (e.g. Floorball 1996) then you search highlights Floorball 2020 (or latest season) on a new tab. Ideally, you have these two rolling at the same time next to each other, on different devices or on a split screen, otherwise you look at the earliest first and then on the newest one. What do you see?
If you did not do the exercise, do it, before you continue…
Floorball highlights “then” (1996) vs Floorball highlights “now”
There is a significant difference in the pace of floorball now compared to returning for about ten to fifteen years. You might have made the reflection that it seems to be in slow motion, even if the pace is good earlier as well? That feeling comes at least in a comparison with late 80s, early 90’s (not so many clips except in Sweden). Also looking at what is done on the floor regarding the skills performance, more advanced in a higher speed and less time.
It is enough to watch old clips on some of the greatest players and the feeling that it is partly in slow motion appears. Some of my favorite players, but my boys at home aren't that impressed, were they the best?
Then you need to pick up the number of goals and assists in order to succeed persuade them, because the highlights do not really bite and convince them.
The pace and speed of the performance is the big difference in today's floorball compared to before, together with the players doing technical things during the matches that did not exist at the time of comparison.
What I try to say is the importance of working with the speed, agility and directional changes in the exercises, and especially balance and body control, together with stick handling, in order to also increase the speed of mind.
Frequency and speed of execution are the keywords, the time to do things decreases all the time.
…but at the same time, we can see…
…That the poor or lack of basic physics of the children and young people gives completely different types of challenges to the coaches in the teams. The coach will find it difficult to, for example, to teach balance and body control, if it is difficult to get down in a squat position for the players.
Or to practice more advanced stages of skills, if both physics and coordination are several years after the actual age.
Studies conducted in 28 countries and involving more than 25 million children shows that running an English mile (1600 meters) takes in average 90 seconds longer for the kids today than for 30 years ago. The time increased with 5% per decade and there is no difference between boys and girls.
Another Finnish study shows that many children are not able to swim on back (backstroke), due to lack of mobility in in upper body and shoulders.
At the same time the average age to quit organized sports has dropped to 10,5 years! You are “done” with sports at the age of 10?
Looking for underlying causes is although not particularly difficult?
I have been thinking for quite a while about this “problem”, and if it’s a problem or if this part could be turned into something positive, by understanding that children and young players have completely different types of talent, skills and expectations with them and that we as coaches have not fully understood it yet and maybe do not take the full advantage of those “new skill sets”?
Even with the negative touch on physics in the previous paragraph we still see that exceptional performance is becoming even more evident in the young ages, although most of the children devote more and more time to the mobile and gaming consoles, but still there are those who carry out technical tasks that many adult players could not imagine themselves performing five years ago or show technical skill level, which they were never in the vicinity of at the same age, even though they are world stars today.
In many cases, the physics is therefore worse than before, but the technical level, ball handling, fakes and shots can be at a much higher level, many times thanks to home practice opportunities and various home training products, also combined with the “gaming brain”.
This needs to be considered in the training during the floorball practices, the physics need to be strengthened and focused on and at the same time as the technical level can often be increased much more than you think. One more dimension is to make the drills more exciting for the children of today.
Today's players have already "programmed" quick decision making, understanding the surroundings in a fraction of a second by games like Fortnite and also programmed the connections in the brain for other advanced skills, by watching floorball highlights, via their mobiles and sources such as YouTube and Instagram, let that creativity come forward.
One key in the training and development process (capacity building) is to be patient and see the development as longterm. Look objectively where your players are in their development and don't rush to throw in the trickiest drills right away, if you're not sure of the level, but you can probably still use the difficult exercises much, much earlier than you think.
Smooth and quick movement is the base for everything