Posts Tagged ‘hockey drills’
Coaching hockey is no easy task. The required skill-set to be a good coach is much different than the skill-set to be a good player. Many players find it difficult to transition to coach because of this difference. I often hear new coaches say they find it hard to get their players to execute what they are trying to teach them, or that they don’t know how to explain hockey skills, just how to demonstrate them…
In these situations, I usually recommend that the coach try to break each skill down into three key points that he or she can verbalize. For example, if I were explaining proper forward skating technique, I would say that each player needs to (1) maintain a good knee bend, (2) push each stride to the side at about a 45° angle (not straight back), and (3) avoid head-bobbing. These three steps are easy for players to remember, and will become a reference point for you to come back to if skating technique becomes sloppy in subsequent hockey drills.
Once you have one or two players who are able to execute the given skill correctly, ask them to demonstrate the skill, and tell the other players to “watch the demonstration, visualize themselves executing with the same precision, and imitate the final result.Motivation to execute the given skill precisely can be acheived by reminding players to watch, visualize, and imitate.
This coaching strategy can be applied to most situations, and can include everything from individual hockey skills to team systems and positioning. In order to verbalize what you want the players to do, try breaking skills and concepts down into 3 simple steps. It will also ensure that the instructions you are giving are comprehended and implemented correctly by the players. Small tweaks and fine-tuning should be made once the main points of the given skill can be executed correctly.
Many coaches find it difficult to keep practices new and exciting throughout the season. By picking the right hockey drills, coaches can keep teams fresh, sharp, and primed for playoffs.
Start with these three recommendations!
- Plan the team’s progress in advance. Start the season with an analysis of your team’s skill-level, then set achievable goals for where the team ought to be by playoffs. Create your practices in accordance with your long-term vision, and select hockey drills that will compliment this vision.
- Progressions within progressions. When new skills are being acquired, it helps to break them down into small pieces, then rebuild the skill as the technique is perfected. Good hockey coaches will also use progressions within progressions, meaning each practice will be a series of small progressions (such as developing the ability to give and receive a pass while in motion), which permit the team to move toward to a higher step (such as a breakout progression). Effectively designed drill progressions ought to lead to the final desired goal by the end of the season (such as being able to read and react to select one of four or five different breakout options).
- Practice makes permanent. Make sure the players work through the drills with preciseness. Insisting on precision can be tedious. But, allowing lazy performance in practice will lead to sloppy performance in the game. Remember, practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect!
Well-developed players are usually products of well-designed practices. Poorly designed practices lead to “staleness” and “burn-out” from both players and coaches. Sadly, this “burn-out” typically sets in right at the start of playoffs, which is really bad timing!
These coaching strategies can be utilized whether you’re coaching a team or just running a simple training camp. Try implementing these three tips when selecting your hockey drills and watch your players grow, improve, win more games, and have more fun!