Don Jackson
Former NHL Defenseman
Don Jackson is a former NHL defenseman with Minnesota, Edmonton and the New York Rangers. Don played his youth hockey in Minnesota and collegiate hockey at the University of Notre Dame. Don was drafted in the 3rd round (63rd overall) by the Minnesota North Stars in the 1976 NHL amateur draft. He finished his college career and where he graduated in 1978 before signing with Minnesota.
Don played in the Minnesota organization with the North Stars and their minor league affiliate in Oklahoma City. Don was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in 1981 where he played for the next five seasons, reaching the Stanley Cup finals 3 times and winning the championship twice in 1984 and 1985. He was then traded to the New York Rangers where he finished his playing career in 1987.
Don accepted his first coaching job in 1989 where he was head coach of the Knoxville Cherokees of the ECHL. Eventually he won the league championship and was named coach of the year in 1991. That fall he and his family moved to Quebec City where he was an assistant coach for the next 3 seasons.
The next 3 seasons he spent coaching in the minors as head coach in the IHL and CHL. Then to Pittsburgh where he was assistant coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins for 3 seasons. Don recently concluded another 3 year stint as assistant coach with the Ottawa Senators.
Fundamentals in Youth Sports Development and Coaching
To become a complete hockey player, players must learn two levels of development. The first level is learning fundamental skills.
At the beginning stages of developing fundamental skills, the amount of time spent on the ice is more important that anything that can be taught. Skating, being the foundation, is the first stage where drills that accentuate balance are important. Other necessary skating fundamentals include turns, stops, edge control, stride, backwards skating and then practicing other maneuvers that promote balance and agility.
As far as hockey is concerned, the more time a kid can spend moving with a puck on his stick the better. In hockey clinics and team practices, drills must be administered where the most players moving at one time with a puck on his stick the better. Too much standing around is no good. Drills can be administered where 8-10 players can be moving with a puck at one time. Coaches need to learn these drills, understand their concepts and be only positive and constructive in their teaching.
The second level is learning team skills. Fundamental skating, passing, puckhandling and shooting skills must be in place before a player can effectively learn team skills. Team skills are about positional play and how to play with and without the puck…both offensively and defensively, and understanding a team concept. The best way for a player to develop a sense for the game of hockey is by playing a lot.
And that reminds me…in youth sports development, winning is not the most important thing…it’s about fun & learning. If coaches are organized, can teach players how to win and to handle success, can teach how to lose and rebound from failure, everyone involved will have a good experience and feel good about themselves.