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…
Hockey players hear it all the time: âHave your stick on the ice.â But that alone doesnât guarantee youâll control a pass. In fact, most bobbled pucks happen even when the blade is down — because the blade isnât turned to the correct angle. The real key to clean puck reception is simple, but almost never taught: Your stick blade must be turned exactly perpendicular to the path of the incoming puck. When the puck travels toward you, it carries forward momentum. If your blade is tilted even slightly, that momentum gets redirected. Thatâs when the puck skips away, pops…
Few things change the direction of a hockey season faster than coaching turnover. One year a team may have a coach who focuses heavily on skill development, puck possession, and confidence-building, while the next year a completely different coaching style suddenly appears. For hockey players, parents, and even assistant coaches, these changes can create excitement, confusion, stress, or new opportunities depending on the situation.
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…
In youth hockey, one of the biggest challenges facing players, parents, and coaches today is something many people call the âtalent pyramid problem.â It happens when young hockey players are identified as elite prospects too early while other players are pushed lower in the system before they have fully developed…