Hockey is growing at a rapid rate. More people are putting their kids in organized sports and extra circular sports, trying to keep them away from watching youtube and playing video games.
With interest growing, ice times are becoming more limited, causing the cost of ice to skyrocket. Unfortunately, this is more difficult for families to afford hockey camps so their kids can play at a higher level of competitiveness.
As a coach, we need to take the 50 minutes a week we get for practice and utilize every second of the ice time.
Every minute we are talking, demonstrating a drill, or starting practice late. We are wasting precious time that could be improving our team.
The majority of coaches have volunteered their time so they can spend more time with their kids! We have 8-5 jobs, families, and hobbies on top of teaching 14 kids the skills and the fundamentals of hockey.
So the team is usually low on our priority list, and for that reason, we “wing it” during practice. Not thinking we are responsible for the parent’s money, spending $5.00/ minute on the ice.
Prepare Your Practice Plan
Jumping into practice without a toolbox of drills is a quick way to look unorganized and be embarrassed.
Don’t overthink each practice. Find easy and effective drills that you can slowly progress throughout the season to create more advanced practice plans.
Always have your “go-to” start-up drills to get the momentum high and set the tone for how you want the rest of practice to be.
Have open communication with the other coaches on what practice drills you want to use and what message you want to get across to the kids.
You can do so by using;
- Hockey Canada Network app
- or visit https://www.icehockeysystems.com/ where you can select, design, and create practice plans to share with all the coaches.
Limit Wait Times And Long Lines
When selecting a drill, you should ask yourself how long it takes from finish to start.
Let’s face it, most kids under the age of 12 have about an attention span of 20 seconds and lose interest very easily.
Physical recovery and cooling down are other concerns to juggle.
After a burst of energy on the ice or your first set in the gym! Studies have shown that muscle glycogen takes a dramatic drop. And performing at the same high intensity we did at the beginning of a workout or exercise can not be repeated until the athlete takes the proper steps to recover.
During any game or practice, the window is small between trying to keep the player’s attention and making sure they rest enough while avoiding too long rest times, causing cool down before their next shift.
If you have enough volunteers on the ice, take advantage and split the team into three groups. Keep the kids busy and focus on their development.
When help is limited, split the team into two. Keep your more independent players in a group so you can focus on the other half of the team.
Teach With Progressive Overload
When following a workout program or practice plan, if there is no progressive strategy, chances are there will be little to no improvement.
A common mistake is jumping around between random drills instead of slowly using the rule of specificity. Train specific to your goals and skills that need improvement.
After pouring the foundation, slowly build up by increasing intensity, duration, and frequency. While never veering away from your practice theme or the message you are trying to teach.
If the practice theme changes throughout the year, don’t be afraid to start with a new foundation. As long as the coaching staff and players have the same goal and can arrive at the same finish line.
Include Small Area Games
Sometimes practice feels just that. Practice!!
Where are the games?
A small area game or activity is played within a smaller surface, compared to full ice hockey game.
The small area games can be cross-ice, in a zone, or a section of a zone. The best small area games are designed to mimic particular situations that occur multiple times throughout a game.
Tight corner games are my favorite and are great ways to increase puck touches, allow more shots on the goalie, and learn how to think quickly with limited time and space.
Relay Races
Naturally bring out the competitive spirit of your players by including races or creating challenges during practice.
Sometimes this can be a touchy subject in this day and age. Especially when the message for kids can be, “everyone wins”! Kids need to understand how to win or lose. Teaching them how to be humble when they win and not get too low on themselves when they don’t.
Games and races will always have their pitfalls, but the Pros will always outweigh the Cons when getting each player engaged in practice.
I’ve included a small Stanley Cup trophy I bought on amazon to giveaway at the end of each practice as an incentive. I found it gets the kids moving with a purpose.
Or pick two practices of the year and have mini Olympics. These are lots of fun for both the coaching staff and players. As a coach getting involved and being a part of the race can really mean a lot.
Incorporate Dryland Training
Since the cost of ice time is rising, there are many other ways to continue to work with your team to improve individual and team skills off the ice.
At RSF Performance, we focus with on-ice training, skating technique/ conditioning and have an online Ecourse teaching the introduction to weight lifting for athletes.
Growing up, my parents never played hockey and didn’t know how to help me. They dished a lot of money out on hockey camps, signed me up with a personal trainer, and hired an ex-boxer to help with my quick feet.
I love them for it, but they spent a lot of money in the wrong places.
- Hockey camps aren’t cheap, and I went to elite camps worth thousands of dollars.
- My personal trainer trained me as a bodybuilding and not as an athlete
- Boxer was great to exercise but was specific to the quick feet drills I could have been doing
Our Rookie Camp workout program is the first program to be built around recovery strategies to keep athletes from plateauing. Rookie Camp helps teach athletes to understand how much weight lifting and conditioning is needed to perform their best when needed the most.
Conclusion
Don’t overthink each practice. Find easy and effective drills that you can slowly progress throughout the season to create more advanced practice plans.
If you have enough volunteers on the ice, take advantage and split the team into three groups. Keep the kids busy and focus on their development.
When help is limited, split the team into two. Keep your more independent players in a group so you can focus on the other half of the team.
When following a workout program or practice plan, if there is no progressive strategy, chances are there will be little to no improvement.
A common mistake is jumping around between random drills instead of slowly using the rule of specificity. Train specific to your goals and skills that need improvement.
Including Small Area Games are great ways to increase puck touches, allow more shots on the goalie, and learn how to think quickly with limited time and space.
Resources
https://www.icehockeysystems.com/blog/coaching-tips/6-tips-maximize-your-hockey-practice