Statistics can be Dangerous
Statistics can be Dangerous. In my experience statistics often cause more harm than good on most youth hockey teams, particularly with younger kids. The most frequent statistics are usually goals, assists and total points, because they are easy to track. Here is what tends to happen:
- The best players become more focused on scoring, not team play
- The top scorers often have too much ego already, and they consider themselves more important than the non-scorers. Tracking total points just exacerbates this situation.
- The weaker players feel bad already. They feel worse when they look at the statistics and see themselves at the bottom
- Defenseman usually aren't going to appear as top scorer
- Players try to "run it up" against weak teams so they can get points
I don't track scoring on my teams. I will, however, create some statistics to accomplish specific goals. For example, one year I had a team that didn't hit very often. We were always getting pushed around in games and outhit. So I started tracking "hits". I would give 1 point for a bump, 2 for a big hit, etc. I also took away 5 points for a stupid penalty. The kids all got into it and started hitting all over the ice. They would come back from a shift and ask, "did you see that hit - was that a 1 or 2 pointer?". This kind of statistic accomplished a very specific goal. It got the kids to hit, and not take penalties. I only count hits once in awhile - not every game, as it loses its effectiveness.
So, beware of statistics. Make sure they are accomplishing what you want.