30Jan 2021 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments
How to Destroy the “January Blues” in 3 Easy Steps

How to Destroy the “January Blues” in 3 Easy Steps

Coaches' Corner, Philosophy
Here are 3 ways to spark excitement and motivation as you prepare for your playoff run!  These 3 tips have been huge for me… but as you’re going through this, I want to know… what would you add to this list? What things have you done to make sure your team finishes strong?  Drop your own advice in the comments below! Before we dive straight in, I want to make sure you know what I mean by “January blues…”  I’m sure you’ve experienced this at some point, either as a player, coach, or parent.  The season starts, and everyone is pumped up and full of energy… “it’s gonna be a great year!” Teams are picked, development is looking good, you have your first tournament or two… whether you’re winning or…
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19Apr 2019 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments
Providing “Token” Pressure

Providing “Token” Pressure

Coaches' Corner, Philosophy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPJUatjve18 Understanding Token Pressure can be a Game Changer in your Development Drills In working with youth hockey players, I often end up working with a wide range of coaches; some of which are more experienced than others. A common mistake I see in less experienced coaches is providing the wrong kind of pressure in development drills. Sometimes this means too much pressure, sometimes it means pressure from the wrong angle, or pressure with the wrong timing. In any respect, the wrong type of pressure can change the entire nature of a drill. For example, if a drill is designed to work on puck protection, with the puck carrier driving the net, the pressure needs to come from a side angle, or even slightly from behind. The player needs to…
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27Feb 2019 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments
Drill Design for Hockey Coaches: How to Modify Drills to Fit Skill Capacity and Space Constraints

Drill Design for Hockey Coaches: How to Modify Drills to Fit Skill Capacity and Space Constraints

Coaches' Corner, Philosophy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qOVOe-OMYc "I'm a new coach. I played at some pretty high levels, including pro. Now I'm a dad, looking to coach my kids. I have lots of drills, but they're too advanced for the group I'm working with... I'm having a hard time scaling them down to the skill level of my team; and we're sharing ice too, so I need to downsize the drills for a half-ice or station setting." I received this in an email from a coach a couple of weeks ago. Modifying drills for less experienced players, or downsizing drills to fit in smaller spaces can be tricky. It definitely takes some trial and error, and can often push us outside our comfort zones. I've actually been functioning in this state of "discomfort" for the past…
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20Feb 2019 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments
“Precision” Practices, and When to Use Them

“Precision” Practices, and When to Use Them

Coaches' Corner, Hockey Drills, Individual Skill Drills, Passing & Timing, Philosophy, Regroups, Team Systems Drills
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hclx8eHPPnc I sometimes get questions about practice planning, and how to decide what to work on in a given situation. Here's a quick look over my shoulder for a practice I ran, as a guest coach, this past Saturday. I was asked to run a practice this past Saturday for my friend who coaches the local high school team. Their playoff schedule had changed, and this practice was scheduled at the last minute. Unfortunately, it was scheduled when he would be out of town with a prior engagement. Normally, this wouldn't be a huge deal. But in this case it was. This was what will end up being the last practice of the season. And if the team wins out the rest of their games in playoffs, it will have…
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14Feb 2019 by Managed WordPress Migration User No Comments

Sample U8 Station Practice

Coaches' Corner, Philosophy
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…
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