Category: Coaches’ Corner

https://youtu.be/LB9b7xtWqB0 Station Practices: Suggestions and Recommendations Our U6 & U8 program has grown extensively over the past few years. When my oldest son, Tyler, started playing in 2011, we had 3 teams total, and that was with the U6's and U8's combined. This year (2019), we've got 8 teams total; 3 U6 teams, and 5 U8 teams. Luckily our home facility is the Olympic Oval, so we have a ton of space and extra options that most programs wouldn't have as possibilities. I get quite a few questions about structuring a U6 & U8 program, so I thought I'd share a few of the key points that have worked for us. This has been (and still is) a work in progress. But, I've had at least one kid at U8…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aurUNqgckVU We're diving into some "Coaching Philosophy" on this one... Anytime we get into philosophical discussions, I like to point out that there are many, many ways of doing things. So, as always, take this information and use it however makes sense with your players. You might decide it fits your coaching style, you might decide it's not for you... or maybe there's a nugget or two that you can plug in with your team... or maybe not! Also - some of the planning methodologies I mention in this video are talked about in more depth in our Season Planning Workshop. You can register free here: SEASON PLANNING WORKSHOP REGISTRATION Regardless... this stuff has been working well for me over the past 6 or 7 seasons, so I figured I'd…

https://youtu.be/_K8kbnDluUE Sometimes a slightly different way of explaining things can make a big difference in a youngster's mind... We often talk about winning races and winning battles, but when you ask a group of players what are they racing to, most of the time they say "TO THE PUCK!" While gaining puck possession is the goal, it's not entirely true that we're racing to the puck, or that we're battling for control of the puck. We're actually racing to the LANE to the puck, and battling for control of the LANE to the puck. Furthermore, we're not actually racing to the net... we're racing to the LANE to the net. Once you control the lane, you control the route to the destination, whether it be the puck of the net.…

Developmental "Triage" in Hockey Coaching Hockey is a MASSIVE game. There is so much to learn that it can literally take a lifetime to master every element. And even then… the best players and coaches are always still looking for ways to improve. So what should you work on… and when? How do you decide what the next steps should be to keep your players moving forward at the optimal pace for them? This video discusses what I call Developmental “Triage.” It’s based around a recent conversation I had with a coach, who said to me “There’s so much to teach my team… where do I even start?” We had a great discussion about it, and it was one I thought would be useful for other coaches as well… so…