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Latest coaching articles and tactical notes.
Some of the best drills are the most simple ones. This is a great drill to work on quick lateral movement for your goalie and soft hands for your attackmen.
Fun and competitive drill that works on ground balls, getting open, passing, shooting.
A great stick work drill to start every practice or warm up before games where players get into small groups of 4 and get a lot of touches. I really like this drill as it is an alternative to the old school line drills as the kids get many more touches.
We always talk about fast paced drills that simulate game situations and forces players to think, recognize and react. Practicing clearing can sometimes really slow down even the most fast-paced practice. In a 4v3 drill, with a few simple wrinkles we can integrate breakout passes, spacing, re-direct passes, and riding all in the fast paced ¾ field transition drill. The key is to keep the drill moving even with the three different segments. We do not want players waiting in line to lose interest, so keep it fast paced and moving
This is the old school way to teach fast breaks. It practices offensive ball movement and defensive rotations movements in a classic 4- on-3 fastbreak. The trailer ensures the offense has a sense of urgency which is much more like a live game fast break.
The tight formation increases difficulty in passing while working on quick passing and getting off a quick shot on goal. This is a great drill to work on quick ball movement and getting off a shot quickly. A fun way to increase stick skills.
We all know how imperative face offs are in a game and having great wing play is a key part of winning faceoffs.
A great drill to work on the long passes there are so crucial to clearing. It is a common practice for a good riding team to force the long pass because this is the most commonly dropped pass in the game, especially at the younger levels. Having your least skilled players (long sticks) making the most difficult pass is typically a recipe for disaster.
This is a great way to build stick skills while reinforcing the principles of your offensive scheme.
The goal is to give offensive players lots of repetitions at cutting and shooting on or around the crease.
Face offs are a key segment of the game that has an immediate impact on both possessions as well as scoring opportunities. Unfortunately, very few programs have a specific face off coach or even enough coaches to spend dedicated time in this important area.
I remember when I played many many years ago the only fast break our coach worked on was the 4v3 break. As the game has evolved we have learned that fast breaks come in so many different ways to the point that people do not even say the words “fast break” anymore but now we hear more often “unsettled situations” I love this drill because it works on taking advantage of having the extra player at every stage. You even get to work on clears as well!
