Reply To: Game Intelligence / Decision Training

[Filip Petrovic]

Thank you for the positive feedback!

Just a brief info on Serbian hockey. We have a lots of talented kids, who actually love hockey. The problem is the lack of infrastructue, only 3 rinks in Serbia, plus there is only 1 professional team in the country. I could say that the situation with U10 kids is the best part of the hockey story in our country.

As for your comments and suggestions, I do use the majority of these SAGs and drills, 1vs.1, 2vs2, 3vs3, 2vs1 (coach included as a pass option only), 1vs2, etc… games with pucks, balls, outdoor hockey ball…the problem is that I have no assist coach for the majority of the practices. In the last couple of weeks I have one new guy, former player, very young and willing to provide assistance, so life is now much easier. He mainly works with goalies for the start, but he also helps me when we do individual skills and any other drill that includes shooting, since it keeps the goalie occupied.

We only have one month left before the season ends so this is the last week when my team will practice using schedule I already described to you (monday – skating, tuesday-puck skills, thursday – this thursday, edge control (without/with puck) + 4 zone SAGs, friday – passing + game-like drills + 3vs3)

This Monday we had power skating session for 55', plus some relay race at the end of the practice. I mainly use the same pattern every time (A2 formation, 4 lines) + plus I tend to add some new move every time. The problem with majority of older hockey players in Serbia is actually skating so we now tend to change the approach to ice skating, and I will try to bring one very good figure skating female coach to our team next season, at least once in a month.

On Tuesday we had puck control drills, nervous system overload with two pucks first (skates only, skates and stick, stick only), then Russian big moves for almost 30', including Yursinov's fake shot move drill. These are 9 year old kids, but 2-3 out of 15 actually managed to adopt entire move. The rest of them had fun trying to get there, and they did, each of them according to his talent. After we practiced 1-0 down the entire ice length, using pillons as obstacles to practice this move, and finally cross-ice 3vs3 scrimmage .

As I already said, Thursday will be 4 Zones practice, mainly edge control without puck (using sticks to practice it) and with puck + shooting, and SAGs in these 4 Zones (each zone different game) + 3vs3 scrimmage in the end.

Friday we gonna have passing drills, stationary + in the move (2vsgoalie) and game like-drills 1vs1, 1vs2,1vs2 + coach as a pass option + 3vs3 with coach as a pass option

I apologize for the length of the post, but I find your comments very helpfull, so looking forward for new ones.

Filip