Reply To: Pee Wee Breakouts

[Iceman]

Hello fellow coaches,

I would like to thank everyone for responding, I would like to give you an update. I did read and value all your suggestions – I took certain aspects and exposed our team to the different methods of breaking out of our zone.

In practice – mostly during our off ice practice, we "walked through" what we wanted to accomplish. And when we got on the ice we would go over it on the ice – not standing and talking, but executing the play.

We played alot of SAG games that had the players break it out – forwards and Dmen. I thought this really got our players thinking what and where they needed to be during a full ice game.

The players learned more about patience and not just "throwing the puck" to a spot, nothing wrong with an area pass, but that wasn't our intentions 🙂

Working on agility skating, passing – both stationary and moving w/puck, transitioning. Ice awareness, boy, do we talk about this all the time and the SAG's have helped immensly.

Communication – from the goalie, to the D partner to all the forwards – a great help to moving the puck. We would start a drill, where the player had to look over both shoulders AND get verbal communication to assist the player, to help them with their breakouts. I now see (I mean hear) our players all the time, it has lead to communicating in all 3 zones now.

We do a continuous breakout drill – the kids LOVE it!!! We use it for a warm up; get the goalies involved where they just don't stop the puck behind the net, but actually pass it & hard, to a D or forward. The Dmen, making calls – "GO-GO", "D to D", "Reverse", "Stop" have really expedited our breakouts.

Don't get me wrong, every once in a while we still get that dreaded "rimmed" pass, but MUCH better.

I will keep in touch throughout the season and again – THANK YOU all.

Iceman