The RinkFor the not so ready for prime-time players, coaches, referees, and the people that have to live with them. Discuss experiences in local leagues, coaching tips, equipment, and training.
honestly i would help teach them skating and shooting than help out with positioning. If you have a well skating team of youngsters you be suprised how much of advantage it is and not to mention positioning. In the National Tournament here in last year in Buffalo i seen so many teams who had great skating teams and that won them more games than anything not to mention the coach always stressed positions like crazy.
We are planning on doing a lot of skating and stick handling, but we are looking for some new fun drills to really keep the kids involved and having fun. Could not agree more that skating is the most important thing for kids right now. Unfortunatly they think it is a scrimmage.
1. You line your players up in both corners on opposite sites of the ice.
2. The first player in each line will leave their corner at the same time. The players go straight up the ice and turn to their left, you can put down pylons if you'd like.
3. When they turn left they receive a pass from the other player in the other corner, then they turn to their left again and go straight and take a shot on net or a deke.
I did my best to explain this drill. If you dont understand anything just tell me.
Last edited by Redden Hogalot*: 05-22-2008 at 05:42 PM.
Skating and positioning are the most important, stickhandling is good but make sure they are doing it with their head up. One of my younger cousins hes only about 8 but he dominates the kids he plays against because he can carry the puck with his head up so he just dodges them left and right.
Goalie specific one of my favorites is an obstacle course type drill. the course would include section with lateral down drives, sculling, shimmying, hurdles and straight out speed skate to a finish line. Timed, these can bring out the competitive nature on a group of goalies.
My all time favorite was shown to me by Jukka Ropponen(goaliepro.com) several years ago. Its a sommersault drill. There are many variations to include a shot from any location and to any specific hole (1-7). The goalie can start from any position but I think it works best with the goalie in stance but facing into the net. The shooter would be at his mark with a puck Qued. Slapping his/her stick on hte ice starts the drill. The goalie would pivot around to front, complete a forward sommersault and regain their skates. On regaining their skates, the shooter would release a single snap shot to a predetermined hole. I have a video of the drill being performed. As soon as my new Sat modem gets here and I can upload again, I will post a link.
My second favorite would be having the goalies "double dutch" in full gear, on ice. Yes, jump rope to the extreme! lol I also have a video of this one...
Goalie specific one of my favorites is an obstacle course type drill. the course would include section with lateral down drives, sculling, shimmying, hurdles and straight out speed skate to a finish line. Timed, these can bring out the competitive nature on a group of goalies.
My all time favorite was shown to me by Jukka Ropponen(goaliepro.com) several years ago. Its a sommersault drill. There are many variations to include a shot from any location and to any specific hole (1-7). The goalie can start from any position but I think it works best with the goalie in stance but facing into the net. The shooter would be at his mark with a puck Qued. Slapping his/her stick on hte ice starts the drill. The goalie would pivot around to front, complete a forward sommersault and regain their skates. On regaining their skates, the shooter would release a single snap shot to a predetermined hole. I have a video of the drill being performed. As soon as my new Sat modem gets here and I can upload again, I will post a link.
My second favorite would be having the goalies "double dutch" in full gear, on ice. Yes, jump rope to the extreme! lol I also have a video of this one...
I have to agree that goalies sometimes at thos young age get over looked and the focus is on the forwards and defense but a good 1 on 1 session with a good goalie coach or one who knows the basics well can do wonders for a goalie at that age. having played both goalie and defense for my high school(was 3rd goalie on roster) but 1st line d the coaches when i was young never worked with me at goalie not until i was around 10 or 11 i had 1 on 1 coaching sessions.
I agree with the Swing drill, I haven't had a practice in a long while and besides the standard break out drills, that one stuck because it was good fun, hard skating, then you get to go on a break away, you get the essential skills and it can do wonders for defensemen to work on the outlet pass (not that it's too important at that age). I really hope they know the break out drill too because that was the key drill to lots of success when I was a kid (might be too positional but it's great passing practice and not bad skating and shooting). I'll explain it now just in case, but I'll assume you know it.
This is the half ice version, you can run two at the same time if you have a big team
1) Divide the plays by 3 or 6 (6 is for mirroring on both hash marks if you have a large group)
2) Place one group behind the net with pucks, one group in a near corner and one group along the hash marks.
3) The drill begins with a player in the corner to begin skating towards the hash marks, at the same time, a player on the hash marks skates towards the blue line
4) The player behind the net passes them the puck to the player on his way to the hash marks and skates to the corner
5) The player receiving the pass relays it to the player skating towards the blue line (timing is key) and remains at the hash marks
6) The player receiving the pass now crosses the blue line, curls back and goes in on net, once he shoots, he goes behind the net and cycle continues.
This is to help players keep the puck away from the other team and clear the zone with possession and formation. If done right with a fast team, you can accumulate ALOT of odd man rushes or breakaways. Hope this helped and feel free to ask me to clarify if it's needed.
At that age group what I always did at the beginning of practice was some kind of power skating.Inside and outside edges,forward and back.Push with one skate then with both skates[swizzle].Throw in power turns,stop and starts,backwards between blue lines,or whatever you come up with.The edges though are the most important at that age.A player learns to use all of his or her edges will only make them a better player and skater.
