Anyone here have coaching experience?

[RR44]

I wanted to comment on this - always having a puck. I'm not sure I agree.

Maybe it's because I coach kids, but you give them pucks annd you can start to lose them. Instead of listening some of the kids are going to start stick-handling, or shooting the puck against the board.

And when you think about it - the majority of the time in a game you aren't going to have a puck!

I made the comparison to batting practice without a baseball being tossed at you. You don't bat all game...3 to 5 times most likely but you should be able to make contact and comfortable at the plate.

Much the same with the puck...handling the puck, passing the puck and shooting the puck in every drill builds confidence in handling the puck. It's especially important given you don't get many opportunities as you mentioned to handle the puck so a player needs to do it as much as they can so their comfort level is comfortable!

As for shooting pucks against the boards...hell the senior hockey team I coached did that! It's something kids and adults will just do...despite that I stand by puck in all drills.

 

[Slats432]

I wanted to comment on this - always having a puck. I'm not sure I agree.

Maybe it's because I coach kids, but you give them pucks annd you can start to lose them. Instead of listening some of the kids are going to start stick-handling, or shooting the puck against the board.

And when you think about it - the majority of the time in a game you aren't going to have a puck!

That is coaching. If you don't correct the behaviour then it propagates. Explain the process at the beginning of the season. "If you aren't paying attention during a drill, I am going to ask you to drop down and give me 5 pushups." It might happen for a couple practices, but after a few pushups, they will get it.

This year I ran a drill I created that there are two lines at the blue, coach in middle, one from each side of the line goes around back of the line crossing each other and coach leaves a puck for one player. That player has to saucer over a couple of sticks and the player getting the pass has to quick release when he gets it. The player who passes has to go hard to the net for a rebound and stop with his feet touching the blue paint. If he does not, and forgets, 10 pushups. Happened twice early in the drill and then never again.

 

[Slats432]

Won our Division title last night to qualify for Provincials. In the dying seconds.

Player says to me "Coach, you're the best coach I've ever had.".
I say "You probably mean that like you said the drill I made was the best drill you have ever done. LOL"
Player says, "They're both true. I ain't kidding."
I say, "I love coaching you."
He says, "I love playing for you."

This is why we coach.