Reply To: Daily Drill Part Seven

[Tom Molloy]

Safety on the Ice

A short note on keeping your work space safe. I just saw one of the best players in the world go crashing into the boards after stepping on a puck that was left in the working area. No injury but easily could have been serious.

He actually was injured and had a bad shoulder the first few months of that season and a very slow start.

Coaches love having zillions of pucks all over the place in drills and even in games where they constantly shoot new pucks in for the next group. It is dangerous because when you step on a puck you are totally out of control.

So anticipate where the activity will be and move the pucks to a safe place.
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While I am on the subject I ask WHY PYLONS????

There are lines and dots all over the ice and on the boards that players can use as markings to turn etc. When every player goes around a pylon it tends to BREAK THE ICE and this worsens with each player who gets a turn. The ice gets rough and it is hard for the next players to do the skill. If the pylons aren't moved to new ice often it ruins the ice for the next group.

So if you need to use pylons and other apparatus then move them often.

Cutting up the ice is simply bad coaching manners.

Maybe with under 10 the ice isn't damaged badly because they are light but after that it worsens as the players get heavier and faster.

'The Game is the Greatest Coach'
'Enjoy the Game'