Wow! Did you see that play last night?!
It’s a weekday morning and two NHL diehard fans are discussing the huge play made last night. It’s been months since Colorado won the Cup and they’re ready for more NHL action.
In locker rooms and offices that evening, players and coaches will be breaking down the same play. Players will be mimicking the pass, stickwork, and shot. Coaches will be questioning each other, “How do we get our players that fast? Did you see how he came down the wing and went wide on the D so easily? He’s just so fast!”
Coaches, it is right there in front of us. Fast players make fast plays and fast plays are big plays.
Let’s make fast players.
As the world’s best are watched live and on TV this season, more and more coaches will want to know, “What would it look like if we tried to get our players that fast?”
Sprint Based Hockey
In Part 1 of the Sprint Based Hockey Article Series, Sprint Based Hockey was introduced as a system that gives coaches what they want but do not know how to develop – faster players. Article 1 broke down the science of speed development and ways to incorporate sprints, after warm ups, into already existing practice plans.
To review, Sprint Based Hockey is a system that slightly modifies classic practice layouts to prioritize fast and fresh over slow and tired. It is best utilized by an organization that emphasizes short shifts and high intensity speeds during games.
To develop faster players:
- Treat speed as a skill
- Optimal window for sprints is at the start of practice, after a warm up
- Sprints last less than 6 seconds
- Rest to full or near full recovery after each sprint
- Use drills, small area games, or full ice live-go’s to condition for the game
- Never bag skate – ever
Now that some coaches drank the Kool-aid and want to develop faster players, we turn to what a week of Sprint Based Hockey may look like.
Fast players make fast plays and fast plays are big plays. Let's make fast players . . . SEE MORE OF THE COACHES SITE Join The Coaches Site to access the latest drills, tactics & leadership lessons from hockey's top coaches. Already a member? Login
To learn more about Chris’ principles behind Sprint Based Hockey, you may reach him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @coachchriskerr.
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Chris Kerr
Chris Kerr is the Director of Sports Performance for Liberty University Hockey, a position he has held since 2014. He attended Liberty University, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science (2014) and a Master of Science degree in Human Performance (2019). In his first year working with Liberty Hockey, the Women’s D1 team won their first of several ACHA National Championships. Prior to Liberty, Chris had zero hockey experience as a coach or player. This has enabled him to approach the game unbiased, learn from renowned experts at the highest levels, and present his Coaches and Players with new, cutting-edge methods, not yet commonplace in the hockey world. In addition to training his Liberty players in the offseason, Chris also trains players at the youth, AAA, and professional levels.
He may be reached by email at [email protected].
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