Reply To: Daily Drill Section Twelve

The new season is approaching. I am in the process of converting the video I have with new practice ideas into the 3gpp format that is much more universal than the wmv. I was using. I have so much posted now that about 25% of it is the same drill or game done by a different group. I will add the link to where it is posted before to give for example my U18 girl's doing a 3-0 weave with a regroup at the far end and add a pro team doing the same thing.

I am seeing a trend with the better coaches. "Less is more." So less whistles – more player engagement, example – the players watch to see when it is time to leave. I also see adding skill or situation components to drills. i.e. the shooter circles back and rebounds for the next shooter or give and go passes from the goal line or instead of a 1-0 with a shot and rebound now the shooter plays 1-1 with the next shooter – this can be an active battle or he simply gets in the way and the attacker has to make a move instead of going in non obstructed. In a 1-1, 2-1 etc. situation drill the better coaches allow them to play it out and the drill ends when the goalie freezes the puck, a goal or the D passes to a coach or a player.

You can see this in the last few drills I have posted. Troy Ward doesn't use whistles and the 2-1 ends when the play is finished and the next players watch and then leave. Corey Cross working with NHL players has a 2-0 with zero whistles and the none shooter circle back for a rebound.

Another thing I see is players move pucks after the drill to where they are needed next. Now the asst. coaches can listen to the key points for the next drill and don't appear like they are servants moving pucks around.

Less military command style teaching and more player involvement. This also frees the coach from being a traffic cop and allows him to talk with the players coming back to the line-up about what just happened.

I am seeing more transition games instead of situation drills and more small area games.

Another improvement is to change the situation drills or transition games and SAG to random numbers. So instead of a player knowing that is is a 1-1 have from 1 to 3 players leave on offense and on defense. Now they have to read the play and communicate.

Something I learned this summer working with former WHA, NHL player and asst. coach was to have a time limit on drills. So on a 3-0 middle drive rush they get 10' only to score or if it is against 1-2 or 3 opponents the same thing. This creates urgency and leads to more 'Deliberate Practice.'