Every coach collects drills â books, videos, binders full of them. Iâve got hundreds myself. But no drill library is ever enough, because every team is different and playersâ needs change quickly. Thatâs why the best coaches donât just use drills⌠they create them…
Resistance bands, with their lightweight, flexible design and variable resistance, allow for joint-friendly, multi-plane strength training that promotes ageless strength without the drawbacks of free weights.
In today’s era of over coaching, helping athletes become independent decision-makers (and not making them play like robots) may be one of the most valuable skills a coach can develop…
Unfortunately, many discover that modern hockey practices often move too quickly for someone who is just learning the basics. Instead of building confidence, these fast-paced sessions can leave new players frustrated, exhausted, and wondering if hockey simply is not for them. The good news is that the problem usually is not the player…
Modern off-ice training has changed a lot over the last decade, and many parents, coaches, and players are still trying to figure out what actually works. The good news is that effective hockey off-ice training is often much simpler than many people think. The goal is not to turn a young player into a professional athlete overnight.
One of the most common challenges in youth hockey is teaching players to look up while handling the puck. Many young players become so focused on controlling the puck that they rarely notice what is happening around them. As a result, they miss open teammates, skate into pressure, and struggle to make smart decisions during games. Coaches often tell players to âkeep your head up,â but for many kids, that instruction alone is not enough. Learning to scan the ice is a skill, and like every other hockey skill, it can be taught, practiced, and improved over time.
It happens all the time between the ages of 11 and 14. A player who was scoring goals, making teams, and gaining confidence can suddenly seem stuck. Their skating may stop improving as quickly. Their puck skills may look the same year after year. Their confidence may even begin to slip. Parents start wondering what happened. Coaches become concerned. Players often become discouraged. The truth is that this hockey development plateau is incredibly common, and understanding why it happens can help players continue growing instead of becoming frustrated.
Every summer, hockey players across North America sign up for hockey skills camps with the goal of becoming better players before the next season begins. Parents invest time and money into skating camps, stickhandling clinics, shooting programs, and specialized development sessions because they want to help their players improve. Coaches often encourage athletes to use the off-season wisely and continue developing their game. The big question, however…
Follow along with Dave as he shows you how to use bands to train your body for more strength and endurance…
After years of running hockey schools, clinics, and team sessions, Iâve accumulated a lot of training gear — the kind of equipment that keeps players moving, learning, and improving without wasting time in long lines. And Iâm now making the remaining pieces available to anyone who can put them to good use…