Reply To: Season Plan

[Robert Mattson]

Hi everyone:

This thread has motivated me to think through a season plan for the mite travel level (7-8 year old) in southern US. I got a formal "expectations and rules" letter out and expect to review it with the parents at the beginning of our last summer practice. (We have five optional practices before Labor Day.) I have been trying to determine the limits of what these kids can handle in terms of positioning, and so far, I've been very impressed. I am trying to work a continuous half-ice transition game into the end of every practice (1-1 to 2-2, etc) to see if they can get it. I will probably drop this game for less complicated games to teach the skills I am focusing on if they don't have it by Labor Day. Even with me telling them when to enter and leave the game, the transition game seems to be a great teaching tool, and it's fantastic to see the support players hustling into the play.

Based on two 1 hr 15 min half-ice practices/week, I plan to rotate A week (offense) and B week (defense) practices as follows:

Week A – day 1 – Role 1
-Warmup 10-15 min: game, Montreal/corner drill, passing drill
-skating 10 min
-game 10 min
-puck handling/shooting 10 min
-skating 10 min
-[reserved: skill or individual tactic] 10 min
-game 10-15 min: transition game

Week A – day 2 – Role 3
-Warmup 10-15 min: game, Montreal/corner drill, passing drill
-skating 10 min
-game 10 min
-puck handling/shooting 10 min
-skating 10 min
-[reserved for offensive team tactic] 10 min
-game 10-15 min: transition game

Week B – day 1 – Role 2
-Warmup 10-15 min: game, Montreal/corner drill, passing drill
-skating 10 min
-game 10 min
-puck handling/shooting 10 min
-skating 10 min
-[reserved for defensive skill or individual tactic] 10 min
-game 10-15 min: transition game

Week B – day 2 – Role 4
-Warmup 10-15 min: game, Montreal/corner drill, passing drill
-skating 10 min
-game 10 min
-puck handling/shooting 10 min
-skating 10 min
-[reserved for defensive team tactic] 10 min
-game 10-15 min: transition game