Marking the Practice Ice

My good friend Joe (known as “Coulter” here at CoachChic.com) mentioned something in a comment some time ago that I promised to eventually address.  So, here goes…

A lot of years ago, I wished I could make markings on the ice.  In my case, I wished I could define an area where a given drill would take place, or even trace a skating path for my guys to move through.

As luck would have it, I mentioned this to a local figure skating instructor, and she told me she and many others in her profession actually used large markers they bought at stationery stores.  I found some, just as she’d said, and they were huge MagicMarker types, with the applicator portion being at least an inch across.

Now, the thing that made these special markers usable on the ice was the fact that they were water-based (not your typical kind of most markers).  And they worked awesomely!

If there was a problem, those kinds of markers were hard to find.  So, I frequently bought-out the store when I did locate some.

A few years down the road, I had difficulty finding any of those — anywhere.  By this time, Todd Jacobson (our NEHI goalie coach) and I had gotten hooked on using them.  So, in desperation, I started reasoning some things…  What made those markers work on ice was their being water-based.  I further reasoned that I might be able to find some water-based spray paints at the local hardware store.  And, sure enough, Todd and I used latex (or water-based) spray paints ever since!

Then, a few things you might want to know about their use…  I’ve tended to buy red or blue to show well on the ice, although just about any color — other than white — is going to work.  And, lest you think a rink’s management will care about your spraying paint on their ice, it’s really just superficial — and it usually gets picked-up on the Zamboni’s first pass, or scratched-off by lots of skate traffic.  Oh, if there is a problem with this kind of paint, know that it’s liable to freeze if left out in your vehicle in extra cold weather.

So, I’d add this to your little bag of coaching tools.  It really can come in handy.