The Hockey Book Lab

The Hockey Book Lab

Your Ideas, Our Next Book! We’re excited to announce a brand-new feature here at CoachChic — the Hockey Book Lab! This is your chance to shape the future of hockey literature. Whether you’re a coach, parent, or player, we know you have unique insights into what’s needed in the world of hockey training, strategy, or…

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“Read” and “React” Skills

“Read” and “React” Skills

I usually hate the crazing terms that arise in hockey coaching circles, because most of them hardly describe the technique or principle they’ve been applied to.  That, however, isn’t the case with the expressions “read” and “react”. To me, “reading” a play is a mental skill, and it also requires a high degree of alertness. …

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Hockey Smarts = Ice Time!

Hockey Smarts = Ice Time!

As many of you might know by now, I once ran 2-teams under the New England Hockey Institute banner.  The high school guys were with me from late-May until Thanksgiving (when the local school teams began), and my junior high school aged kids were with me for almost 11-months. For sure, I did a lot…

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Reversed Grip on a Draw

Reversed Grip on a Draw

One night I happened to notice one of my centermen reversing his lower hand on his stick just before moving in to take a face-off.  I’m sure you know what I mean…  He switched his lower hand in the opposite direction, supposedly to gain more strength for pulling the puck rearward. The good part of…

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The 10 Commandments of Hockey

The 10 Commandments of Hockey

I’ve seen versions of the following numerous times over the years.  And, while each point is valid, I’ll suggest that key “commandments” in hockey probably aren’t limited to just ten (in fact, I’ll someday let you know my rather extensive list). Anyway, I some time ago happened upon the following graphic on Facebook.  And, although…

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The Value of Keepaway Games in Hockey

The Value of Keepaway Games in Hockey

To begin, I like to use drills that simulate real game conditions. Secondly, I like to use drills that sorta force players to deal with problems, consequently forcing them to solve those problems on their own. Thirdly, I’ll quite frequently just toss players into a set of conditions and let them initially sink or swim…

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