RSF Performance is trying to get away from the traditional conditioning drills, and skating around pylon after pylon. We believe there is too much emphasis on the execution of technical skills. Don’t practice hockey, play hockey with RSF Performance. There is a disconnect between developing skills and building hockey sense and we are here to help by using Small Area Games.
Small Area Games are exactly what they sound like. They are a game or activity that are played on a smaller portion of the ice. The small area games can be set up to be cross-ice, in a zone, or in a section of a zone. The best small-area games are designed to mimic particular situations that occur multiple times throughout the course of a full game.
Did you know that statistically speaking, a youth hockey player will only be on the ice 8-12 minutes per game and handle the puck for less than 36 seconds during those 8-12 minutes?
Many benefits players get from using Small Area Games are;
- Makes practice fun
- All skill and age levels benefit
- They automatically increase practice intensity
- Practices quick decision making
- Players learn team play
- learns how to apply new skills
- Increases puck touches
- Beneficial for goalies
- Fewer lines, more players are involved
- Don’t have to waste time on conditioning drills
- Encourages problem-solving
Small area games are HUGELY beneficial if you utilize them to drive home a skill or specific concept. Our camps use warm-up activities and drills to develop a particular skill, and using small area games to reinforce the skill will provide a variety of structures for players to learn and have fun applying new skills to the game.