Hockey Coaching ABC Program to Develop the Complete Player – Enjoy the Game
ABC Hockey Development Progressions – Age Appropriate for Beginner to Pro
Youth sport to some is more of a job than an enjoyable experience. It is a real art to run effective hockey practices that players both get better and have fun.
Finnish legend and IIHF Hall of Fame coach Juhani Wahlsten developed a program based on how we progress from a baby to a toddler, adolescent, teen ager, young adult and up. Each phase of maturing has a style of practice that matches natural development. Juhani was a great player and coach and also a physical education teacher. He asked me to work with him many years ago. I am also a physical education teacher and was an ok player who is a student of the game. We have developed this program as hockey playing physical education teachers.
The program is based on the Finnish organizations principles of the Four Game Playing Roles and the Three Game Situations.
Two themes of the program.
‘Enjoy the game.’
‘The GAME is the GREATEST coach.’
First two years A-D
A – individual skills.
D – Games to teach the game.
Year three and four A-B-D-E
B – Partner and team skill vs. no opponents.
E – Shootouts and contests.
Years five and six A-B-C-D-E-F-O
C – Game situation drills starting with 1-1.
F – Skating for fitness.
O – Off-ice training.
Years seven and eight A-B-C-D-DT-E-F-G-O
DT – Transition games practicing game situations.
G – Goalie technique.
Years nine and ten and beyond A-B-C-D-DT-E-F-G-O-T1-T2-T3-T4
T1 – Individual offensive technique.
T2 – Team offensive skills.
T3 – Individual defensive skills.
T4 – Team defensive skills.
At about U14 focus more on T1-T3 but introduce T2-T4. As players get older there is more focus on the team play in T2-T4.
ABC Philosophy is Based on Human Natural Development
Designed by Juhani Wahlsten to be age appropriate.
* This is a general guideline with a realization that there are early and late maturers and the coaches have to adapt their teaching to the group they have and to groups within the team.
Year 1-2
Young children think of themselves and their family and want to play. Individual skills of cross ice skating, shooting, passing techniqe, puck handling drills to introduce technique and games and tournaments during practice that focus on these skills plus good habits like facing the puck lay the foundation of skill and love of the game. At 70% the practice is games.
Year 3-4.
Progress to full ice skating. Introduce more group passing in the next stage with at 60% the practice games and contests.
Years 5-6
Previous skills are reviewed in game situations and skating with and without a puck full ice and around the circles is still a focus. Add game situation drills and training that practice coordination and agility are. Games 60% time.
Years 7-8
Children’s focus turns to their friends and transition games have them working on games situations together. 50-60% of practice is games and transition games. Passing drills have more players and practice gamelike movement.
Years 9-10
Players now have a solid base of skating, individual skills, how to play situation like 2-1 and good playing habits.
Team play is appropriate and refining the skills with T1-T3 individual offensive and defensive skills drills will make things automatic. In all of this remember that hockey is a GAME and at least half of practice should be learning by doing in game situations vs. Opposition. Drills should be done under pressure from a defender or in overspeed with time pressure.
These are links to ABC coded manuals and files of the drill and game video and pdf's that have a diagram and description. The manuals start with the philosophy from the original ABC of International Hockey book along with suggested drills and then list the practice ideas added since the book was published.
* Feel free to use any drills or games that accomplish the same goal of making the players better.
ABC Coded Manuals
A-B-C-D-DT-E-F-G-O-T1-T2-T3-T4 manuals.
Each manual has the principles of training and many on ice examples for all levels.
COMPLIMENTARY MATERIAL
Why Games, Transition in Hockey, Additional Drills and Games, ABC's of International Hockey Book One
Why Use Game in Practice
This is Bill Beaney the 8 time national champion coach of Middlebury talking about using games in practice so players not only develop a skill toolbox but an understanding of how to use the skills in all game situations and game playing roles.
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https://1drv.ms/v/s!AukXg5gWoW-9hbwHvTMqqTbkZYPyCA
Hockey is a Game of Transition – Five minute video showing transition between 3 Game Situations and 4 Game Playiing Roles with video from the IIHF World Championships and an NHL game.
ABC Video and PDF Folders and YouTube Video
These folders have a few thousand additional games and drills added since the original books.
https://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/forums/topic/daily-drill-section-fifteen/page/26/#post-8424
Hockey Coaching ABC's Book One
I have attached a digital edition of Book One. We explain our philosophy of 'efficient use of the ice' and how to use games in practice to teach the skills and habits needed to be an effective hockey player. The practice cards at the back of the book are for the first two years of hockey.
'The Game is the Greatest Coach'
'Enjoy the Game'