A Mighty Mite Team Doing Wide-dribbles

A young coach wrote me in our Ask The Coach section, and readers should soon catch on to his question…

~ Dennis C

Hey Cliff! It’s awesome to see how much you care about coaching your Mighty Mite team there in Rhode Island. Teaching them a cool, advanced move like the wide-dribble puckhandling skill is a big step, and it can be super fun for the kids, even if it’s a little tricky at first. Let’s break it down into a simple plan to help your team learn this move while having a great time on the ice.

Before getting underway, however, let me show a couple of video of my little guys performing (close to) a wide-dribble on our Simulated Goaler — you can have your kids work their fakes versus pylons. In due time you’ll want your kids to perform their wide-dribbles by dangling the puck far outward in just their top hand — so the fake can be wider. Here are my kids just in the learning stages, though…

Start with some easy warm-ups to get the kids ready. Have them practice basic stickhandling while standing still, so they get used to moving the puck with their stick using big, full motions. Then, add in some skating drills to work on their balance and agility. This will help them feel more confident when they start moving with the puck.

Next, show them what the wide-dribble move looks like. Do it in slow motion so they can really see how it works, and explain that keeping the puck wide helps protect it from opponents. If you can, pull up a quick video clip of a pro hockey player using the move in a game — it’ll get them excited to try it themselves…

Now it’s time to practice. Set up some cones or markers in a line and have the kids skate slowly while moving the puck side to side with wide, sweeping motions. At first, keep it slow and controlled so they can get the hang of it. As they get more comfortable, encourage them to speed up a bit.

To make it feel more like a real game, pair the kids up for 1-on-1 drills. One player tries the wide-dribble move while the other acts as a defender. This helps them figure out when and how to use the move during a game. You can also set up small-sided mini-games where the goal is to protect the puck and use the wide-dribble to get around defenders. It’ll make practice feel like playtime!

While they’re working on this, cheer them on and give them some tips to help them improve. Let each player know what they’re doing well, and remind them that it’s okay if it takes time to get the hang of this move — yes, practice makes perfect.

At the end of each session, take a moment to go over the key parts of the wide-dribble move and why it’s so useful for protecting the puck and creating chances to score. By breaking it down like this and mixing it into your regular practices, your Mighty Mites will pick up this awesome skill while having a blast. You’re doing an amazing job — keep it up, Cliff, and good luck with your team!