One of the biggest frustrations for youth hockey coaches, players, and parents is watching a team struggle to execute clean breakouts even after spending plenty of practice time working on them. Coaches draw the breakout on the whiteboard, players skate through the drill over and over, and everything looks smooth during practice. Then game day arrives, the opposing team applies pressure, and suddenly the breakout falls apart…
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…
Across youth hockey, coaches, parents, and league organizers are noticing a growing problem. Fewer kids want to play goalie. In many areas, teams struggle to find a dedicated goaltender, and some organizations are forced to rotate players through the position just to get through a season. This trend has created what many people are calling a goalie crisis…
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…
In today’s hockey world, it can feel like everything revolves around results. Players are judged by goals, points, rankings, and team records almost everywhere they go. Parents sometimes compare ice time, coaches feel pressure to win tournaments, and young hockey players can start believing that success only comes from being the top scorer or making the elite team right away. The problem is that hockey development rarely works in a straight line. Some players grow early, some develop confidence later, and many successful athletes spend years quietly improving before anyone notices.
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.
Every hockey season brings excitement, fresh goals, and new opportunities, but there is one part of the year that can create huge stress for players, parents, and coaches alike: hockey tryouts. Team selection season can feel like a pressure cooker. Players worry about making the top team, parents anxiously watch every drill from the stands, and coaches try to evaluate dozens of athletes fairly in only a few ice sessions. The truth is that hockey tryouts are emotional for almost everyone involved.
Before we even get into the pros and cons, it helps to understand exactly what the RVH is. RVH stands for “Reverse Vertical‑Horizontal,” and it’s a modern post‑integration technique used by goalies when the puck is near the goal line or in tight around the corners. Instead of standing upright or using the old-school VH…
While coaches spend a lot of time teaching breakouts, passing, and positioning, the moment of retrieving the puck is where everything begins. If a defenseman cannot get to the puck cleanly, handle pressure, and make a smart first decision, the entire play breaks down before it even starts.