One of the most daunting tasks many coaches face is designing effective hockey practices week after week throughout the season. Coaches can keep teams fresh, ready, and ready for the playoffs by following these three simple tips:
- Plan the team’s progress in advance. Kick off the season with an analysis of your team’s skill level, then set achievable goals for where the team should be in the playoffs. Design your practices according to your long-term vision and select hockey drills that complement this vision.
- Progressions within progressions. Every time a new skill is taught, it must be broken down into its most basic elements and then rebuilt as these smaller elements are perfected. Good hockey coaches will also use progressions within progressions, which means that each practice should be a series of small progressions (such as developing the ability to give and receive a pass while on the move), which allow the team to progress to a higher progression (like a break progression). These progressions will tie into the ultimate goal of where the coach expects the team to be at 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. Insist that the players perform the drills accurately. This can be a difficult thing to do when working as a hockey coach. However, allowing sloppy execution in practice will lead to sloppy execution in the game. Remember, practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.
Well-designed practices lead to well-developed players. Poorly designed practices lead to “stagnation” and “burnout” for both players and coaches. This “burnout” usually peaks just as the playoffs are about to begin, which, needless to say, is the wrong time. Try considering these three tips when selecting your hockey drills, and watch your players grow, improve, win more games, and have more fun!
