Flash and dash looks great in practice, but it’s important to choose players who contribute in tangible ways throughout a long season.
Youth Hockey
Lacing up skates and stepping onto the ice as a youngster is practically a rite of passage in North America, especially Canada. Being part of a hockey youth hockey team teaches responsibility, teamwork and respect; players develop concentration, strategy and decision-making skills. This page is for youth hockey coaches and features initiation information, player development strategies, team management information and the Initiation Skills Series.
Youth Hockey
Teamwork must be more than a motto. It has to be practiced and worked on. Here's three drills to help.
Leadership, Youth Hockey
Tryouts, Cuts, Placements, Coaches, Parents, Kids, Skepticism and a Healthy Dose of Paranoia
If I can get even a few of you to understand the importance of these years you have with your kids then all the writing I have ever done throughout...
Coaches should make every effort possible to make cuts as painless as possible, while offering hope to every player so they are encouraged to keep...
Initiation Skills Series
Initiation
Player Development
Team Management
Latest Content, Podcasts, Youth Hockey
Breakaway, the Minor Hockey Podcast: Previewing an Exciting New OMHA Season
“All players should have access to the same volume of hockey that they choose but still be tiered by ability."
Athletes perform best when they feel calm, confident, and prepared.
“Early in my career I had too many rules. I believed I needed to control everything, but all it led to was players catching me in loopholes.”
Latest Content, Skills, Youth Hockey
Hockey Practice Debate: Individual Skill Drills vs Team Practices
There is a debate among youth hockey coaches about time spent on individual skill and team skill. How much time should be focused on each?
These drills offer an easy way back into hockey for players who took summer time off, but are fast & fun for players who go year-round.
Stretching it out is a key component of the game, but simply stretching is not enough anymore. Yoga for hockey players is a must.
The overall goal of the program is to provide a coaching staff the tools necessary to effectively train a team over the course of a season.
As coaches, our job is to develop hockey players, and the truth is, you can't develop them while they sit on a bench.
Learn how to run a successful scrimmage, one where your practice goes into action. Then find your gaps and bring them back to your practice.
Latest Content, Skills, Youth Hockey
3 Effective Half-Ice Hockey Practice Drills (and the Argument Against Full Ice Drills)
It's easy to get lazy with full-ice practice drills. Challenge yourself to do more with less; work players harder and get them more puck time.