Reply To: introducing a forecheck to mites

[Tom Molloy]

I am assuming mite is a youth team about U9 or so. All over the world coutries have different names for age groups.

Children learn numbers in school and it is easier for them to think of numbers than positions and in reality the game is played 1-2-3-4-5 and the system you play should be based on reading the first checker. If he gets within a range where he can check the puck carrier then the forecheck should be aggressive. If the puck carrier has full control and skates pointing up ice then the forecheck must be contain and you steer the play wide until someone is close enough to check the puck carrier.

So I always teach young players this way.
1. Steer, angle and finish with body on body and stick on the puck.
2. Be in position to cover the other D on a D to D pass or double team if 1 creates a loose puck.
3. Cover the wing on the strong side boards from above.
4. Be in the middle and ready to pinch on a wide rim.
5. Support from the strong side blueline, don't pinch unless 100% sure and lock on their C if he gets the pass up the middle.

So this is basically a 2-1-2 with a pinch on a wide rim. #3 would cover the point of a wide rim while #4 pinches and #5 slide across to fill for #4. #1 would come back hard thru the middle and #2 pressure the puck or cover their supporting C.

Practice off ice and point to places where the puck goes and everyone move. Draw or use tape to make a offensive zone on the floor and have players move pucks with #'s 1 to 5 as the puck moves. On the ice point to places and everyone moves.

After play a half ice game where the defenders must all touch the red line before going onto offense and then dump it in a forecheck to practice or if you have 3 sets of 5 do a attack-defend-rest rotation. 4 sets play full. With teams of 12 F and 8 D I use a full ice transition game of 3 on 2 with dump ins to stress the forecheck but a youth team seldom has that many players except in many Eruopean countries where they dress 20 skaters and 2 goalies for games.

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