Saying "Support" Shouldn't be Enough

I feel like this is something that all coaches have either done or seen/heard in the careers as a player and a coach. The generic use of the word "support".

How It's Typically Used

We've all seen and probably done this (I'm raising my hand here as well). A number of players are gathered around a board representing the ice sheet. A drill or a concept is being drawn up on the board. The coach gets to a point on the drill or explanation, and they ask, "And what does this player do?"

Many players know the defacto answer. "Support" or "Support the puck". 90% of the time, they know a coach is looking for that answer. They'll get their pat on the head and move on.

My challenge to all of us is, "do these players actually understand what we mean by 'support'?"

Encouraging an Understanding of Support

At some point in our careers, the true meaning of support sinks in. Whether through someone taking some extra time or just enough overall experience/exposure to the game, it begins to make sense. At what point are we able to articulate what "support" is?

What I'm proposing to you should sound simple. However, simple isn't the same thing as easy. Anytime we talk about support to players, we should always have it accompanied by the word "by". Example, "F3 needs to support the puck by staying high for a passing option or to put pressure on the breakout." I've often heard/seen the sentence stop at "support the puck". Use of the word "by" forces the rest of the information. This is the meat of what we're often trying to teach.

On the other side, if we are asking a question where the answer is "support". Example, "'What should F3 be doing in this situation?" Player answers, "Supporting the puck." I challenge you at this point to ask the following simple (yet not easy) question, "How?" If the player can answer this question, it shows understanding. If they can't, then you have a teachable moment.

Conclusion

The challenge I've thrown out here is simple, but I think the simple words of "by" and "how" can help make a better learning environment for the players. We should be validating understand and not trust the "good feels" that sometimes we get when someone answers with "support". As coaches, we teach to give space to learn. The most important thing is that players are learning; not just that coaches are teaching.