GENERAL SKILLS ADVICE

Straight Cycle Passing Drill

By | October 15, 2022

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A Beginner Hockey Player’s Skating Speed

By | October 6, 2022

This is about a note I took as I watched my beginner (or Mighty Mites) team play one day long ago… Let me start by stating that my kids seemed as though they already skated faster than most opponents.  What caused me to jot that note, however, was that I knew my little guys could be much faster, and that I’d want them to be far, far faster as we got deeper into our season. As an aside here, I think this might be a way of conveying how helpful note-taking can be — for a coach like me, for…

Jump Rope Training For Hockey

By | September 30, 2022

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Painful Skates

By | September 26, 2022

Q: An Arizona-based hockey mom writes me seeking some oft requested advice…  She says that her boy has been complaining about his skates a lot lately, and that he’s even cried at times because his feet hurt so badly.  Then, noting that the current skates are hand-me-downs from a cousin, she asks for advice in the purchase of her son’s first pair of new hockey skates. A: Not that there is a single piece of UNimportant hockey gear, but…  If I had to prioritize equipment purchases, I’d allot the majority of my budget to 1) good quality, properly-fit skates and…

Coach Chic’s Hockey Podcast #30

By | September 26, 2022

If you’d like a crash course on strength training for hockey, this is it. And, as I so often promise, you’ll find ideas and advice here that you’re not likely to find anywhere else… Below please find the Show Notes for Episode 30 of Coach Chic’s Hockey Secrets. Please remember that this podcast might be well over a decade old, but as the intro says, most of the principles shared within are just as valid today… During the recording of this show, a dad and his son stopped in to visit. PS: I got a kick out of saying during…

How Many Drills Are Needed Over a Long Hockey Season?

By | September 23, 2022

The reason I jumped on that question was that I could just envision the answers that would soon roll in.  I mean, I can see some coaches quoting numbers — like 15, 25, 40, 80, whatever.  And I can tell you that none of us would be right if we got hung-up on a number. What I’m going to suggest instead, is our need to constantly troubleshoot our players’ needs, or continuously help them solve problems. Ironically, I had a brief conversation with a few of my assistant coaches the previous night after a AAA Bantam practice, not realizing that…

Does Coaching Win (Hockey) Championships?

By | September 15, 2022

Dean Robinson begins his article suggesting that pro athletes tend to have more influence on a game’s outcome than the coach (think Dirk Nowitzki and LeBron James here, maybe a Michael Jordan in years past, the stars who comprised the 1927 New York Yankees, the Islanders and Oilers during different parts of the ’80′s).  This isn’t to say that coaches don’t influence outcomes.  But, as Robinson suggests, their contributions aren’t measurable — or there aren’t any stats we can go to for comparisons.  True enough?  I’d say so. That established, I’d like to look at amateur hockey.  And, no, there…

The Value of Training Aids

By | September 4, 2022

Unfortunately, there are as many bad training devices out there on the market as there are good ones.  And, by bad I mean that some gadgets aren’t scientifically based — they’re more hype than anything else, and there’s even the chance that they can be detrimental to effective hockey play. Just briefly touching upon the scientific side of things (for now)…  I hope you appreciate that there are specific principles that govern the enhancement of a quality like speed (see Over-speed Theory for a few tips).  Hey, go against those principles and there’s a likelihood you’re going to produce slowness…

Coach Chic’s Hockey Podcast #29

By | August 28, 2022

I know I said it last month, but I mean it even more today — as in “Man, this episode is jam packed with advice and ideas” — and stuff that you just won’t find anywhere else! Honestly, have a listen… Below please find the Show Notes for Podcast 29 of Coach Chic’s Hockey Secrets. Please remember that this podcast might be well over a decade old, but as the intro says, most of the principles shared within are just as valid today… This podcast happens to unveil a new format:

Checking – The Physical Side of Hockey

By | August 25, 2022

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