Coaches: Coaching help

[mark1234]

Looking for some coaching advise, I'm currently coaching a mixed (7/8 tear old) rep team. Many (most) of the boys on the team especially forwards don't go for the puck, in the rare case they do they are very soft, they seem to wait for the play to come to them and slow on the puck. We do battle drills in practice, urging them to go hard for the puck but the message just doesn't see to get through.

Here's an example, we do a practice battle drill where we throw the puck in the corner, the forward takes half a dozen hard steps then glides the last 20 to 30 feet to pick up the puck. By that time the dman has the puck and has tons of time to put it around the boards and out of the zone.

Is it an age thing? Skating ability? Understanding of the game? Conditioning?

Any suggestions on drills motivation etc. that could help?

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[PK16]

Looking for some coaching advise, I'm currently coaching a mixed (7/8 tear old) rep team. Many (most) of the boys on the team especially forwards don't go for the puck, in the rare case they do they are very soft, they seem to wait for the play to come to them and slow on the puck. We do battle drills in practice, urging them to go hard for the puck but the message just doesn't see to get through.

Here's an example, we do a practice battle drill where we throw the puck in the corner, the forward takes half a dozen hard steps then glides the last 20 to 30 feet to pick up the puck. By that time the dman has the puck and has tons of time to put it around the boards and out of the zone.

Is it an age thing? Skating ability? Understanding of the game? Conditioning?

Any suggestions on drills motivation etc. that could help?

I also coach kids at that age, and I have not seen that problem. Our kids are very aggressive going after pucks, so I am not sure why you are seeing something different.

A couple of points that may or may not be of help.

1. Have you worked at all with the kids on initiating body contact? There is quite a bit of resources on USA Hockey regarding this issue. Perhaps they are not aware of the proper way to initiate body contact.

2. We always use a simple corner battle drill in which a puck is thrown into the corner and two kids race for it, trying to get there first and use there body to protect the puck. This has worked well.

3. Ringette is always a good exercise for teaching a child to position their body, without checking of course, to gain access to the puck from a competitor.

4. Finally, I do not know what system you are operating under, but at the 7/8 year age, the USA Hockey ADM does not recommend positions. Is it possible that the introduction of defined positions, which you outlined, may be confusing the kids as they need to now be aware of being in a specific location on the ice? This may be a stretch but it was just a thought.

 

[mark1234]

I also coach kids at that age, and I have not seen that problem. Our kids are very aggressive going after pucks, so I am not sure why you are seeing something different.

A couple of points that may or may not be of help.

1. Have you worked at all with the kids on initiating body contact? There is quite a bit of resources on USA Hockey regarding this issue. Perhaps they are not aware of the proper way to initiate body contact.

2. We always use a simple corner battle drill in which a puck is thrown into the corner and two kids race for it, trying to get there first and use there body to protect the puck. This has worked well.

3. Ringette is always a good exercise for teaching a child to position their body, without checking of course, to gain access to the puck from a competitor.

4. Finally, I do not know what system you are operating under, but at the 7/8 year age, the USA Hockey ADM does not recommend positions. Is it possible that the introduction of defined positions, which you outlined, may be confusing the kids as they need to now be aware of being in a specific location on the ice? This may be a stretch but it was just a thought.

Thanks for the reply! Some good suggestions here.

1) No, we haven't worked on this! Would you have any helpful links? I'm not familiar with the USA Hockey site. This is not something I've even thought of.
2) Yes, we run this drill every second practice. It seems very good, we get some good battles but hasn't transferred to games yet.
3) We have never tried this, maybe we will give it a shot!
4) We play in Southern Ontario, the teams here play decent positional hockey at this age. We started the year without defined positions but were thumped badly every game. I thought they may be confused as well but we explain where the puck is going to go and what they should go but they are still tentative.

 

[PK16]

Thanks for the reply! Some good suggestions here.

1) No, we haven't worked on this! Would you have any helpful links? I'm not familiar with the USA Hockey site. This is not something I've even thought of.
2) Yes, we run this drill every second practice. It seems very good, we get some good battles but hasn't transferred to games yet.
3) We have never tried this, maybe we will give it a shot!
4) We play in Southern Ontario, the teams here play decent positional hockey at this age. We started the year without defined positions but were thumped badly every game. I thought they may be confused as well but we explain where the puck is going to go and what they should go but they are still tentative.

Here is a link to a body checking manual, but it is long and there is some aspects (angling, body contact, etc...) that may apply to 8U. Most of it probably will not.

http://www.usahockey.com/page/show/893675-checking-materials

I sat through a clinic some time ago in which manuals on learning about body contact at the 8U was the topic. Unfortunately, it was a hard copy, so I do not have a link to it. Perhaps googling something related to body contact 8U mites may show something.

For the ADM, we are not supposed to play positional hockey at this age, though I am not sure all abide by that rule. Wish I could be of more help. Good luck!

 

[Steelhead16]

Looking for some coaching advise, I'm currently coaching a mixed (7/8 tear old) rep team. Many (most) of the boys on the team especially forwards don't go for the puck, in the rare case they do they are very soft, they seem to wait for the play to come to them and slow on the puck. We do battle drills in practice, urging them to go hard for the puck but the message just doesn't see to get through.

Here's an example, we do a practice battle drill where we throw the puck in the corner, the forward takes half a dozen hard steps then glides the last 20 to 30 feet to pick up the puck. By that time the dman has the puck and has tons of time to put it around the boards and out of the zone.

Is it an age thing? Skating ability? Understanding of the game? Conditioning?

Any suggestions on drills motivation etc. that could help?

This may sound weird but try running your battle drill with no sticks. Make them get to the puck with only their skates and keep the puck away from the other kid with just body positioning and their feet. It will get the kids used to working in tight quarters with someone leaning on them or that they can lean on the puck carrier and it isn't going to kill them. Young kids use their sticks as a buffer zone. If they can reach in with their stick then why do more.
Try and show the kids that body positioning can be a valuable tool and how to use that tool to their advantage. If they can get the puck free without using their stick then their stick will be free to carry the puck when they do get the puck free. When they poke their sticks into the pile to free the puck they have no way to carry the puck after its free.
Young kids playing no check hockey think body contact is checking. Just show them what is ok and that they can lean on a kid or move them out of the way if they need to.