A Video Tutorial: Hockey Practice for Large Groups
A hockey practice for large groups must include specific components that vary from a typical hockey practice for 15-17 skaters. For most coaches in urban minor hockey settings, the days of one ice sheet for 15 players and a couple of coaches for practice are gone. We believe in maximizing ice time, and using ice efficiently. There is SO much you can do in hockey practice with large groups. In fact, sessions with 30+ players create an energy that lower numbers cannot replicate. Coaches must be sharp, prepared, and focused significantly more, as practice needs to be tightly organized. This plan has some high level awareness drills best suited for Bantam and Midget rep/travel level players.
You can fill a high energy, organized hockey practice for large groups with very technical skills and concepts, often in scenarios that better replicate the tight battle chaotic feeling of a real game. Scroll down below this video tutorial to see the list of skills and concepts covered in this practice.
This 12 minute tutorial walks a coach through a practice plan that needs to keep a group as large as 36 players moving, engaged, competing, learning, and having fun. It makes use of 4 nets, 4-6 goalies, 24-32 skaters, and keeps assistant coaches involved.
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The hockey practice for large groups tutorial covers the following skills and concepts:
- Puck skill warm up shooting drill in chaos
- puck skills while pivoting and skating backwards
- Verbal and nonverbal communication
- 2 player drop pass and spatial awareness, leaving the puck in an ‘area’
- Give and go shooting drill allowing goalies to adjust angle coming off post
- Shooting through a screen
- 1 v 1 against passive defensemen to work on moves and dekes
- 5 v 0 breakout, regroup, and attack 3 v 2 using 3/4 ice
- Cycling variations and 3 v 3 downlow play
- Creating offensive chances from below the goal line
- 2 v 3 defensive coverage
- 3 v 2 triangulation and offensive creativity
- Down low battles for goalies
- Extra time and space for goalie coach and extra goalie
- Hockey drills with work to rest ratio of 3:1
- Battle and compete skills
Teach skills, teach options, keep em moving, let them compete, and battle!
Our Hockey Coach Resources:
- 1/2 Ice Practice Plans
- Hockey Goalie Drills for Teams
- 26 Small Area Games
- Minor hockey coaches can sometimes be left out in the cold, wondering how they can better understand the game of hockey. They need resources of more than just drills. They need a coach-trainer in their pockets. That is why we build a course for them like nothing else on the internet today. www.howtoplayhockey.ca.
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