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Wally Kozak – Defensive Skating
Wally Kozak worked with elite Bantam and Midget players at the Edge School for Athletes. I came along and took video for him. He has prepared these videos.
T1 – Skating Mechanics – Wally Kozak – Edge Boy’s
https://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/videos/watch/t1-skating-mechanics-wally-kozak-edge-boys/
Wally reviews principles of efficient forward and backward skating.
Edge Prep – Backward Stride Progressions
Highly Skilled players focus on Progressive drills to master their back ward stride. Progressive Deliberate practice focuses on proper technique. Players learn as they progress from slow to game speed. Developing Individual Tactical Skills is a primary focus for a Hockey Academy. This ice session will provide coaches and players some ideas that will translate into improved game execution.
Edge Prep Practicing Pivots
Skating the game requires deliberate practice of specific tactical skills essential to playing 1 on 1 situations. The Backward stride and Mohawk pivots are essential when playing a rush. Teaching these skills in youth hockey would benefit execution and enjoyment at any level.
T1 – Efficient Skating to Maintain the Defensive Side
The 2 foot stop and cross over start are good conditioning exercises that have little value during the game. When a player has to put the brakes on at full speed they likely over skated the situation. To Skate the game defensively the player has to control their inside edges to control their speed and direction according to the game situation. Practicing snowplow stops and using a front foot stop and T start will improve game skating, helping players to always face the puck carrier and maintain D side. Dave King's Teaching cue was "toe caps square " to the puck carrier.
Edge Prep – Handicap Horseshoe Progressions
One of he best drills to teach Defensive players how to SKATE the 1 on 1 RUSH. Initially the D play an attacker with their hands behind their back keeping them outside the dots. Maintain a good gap. The D progress to hands free, Stick Turned over to Stick Normal o master "skating" the 1 on 1. Progressive deliberate practice for Transition skating, Back Ward Striding and Pivoting is necessary to master those skills that will improve game performance.
Edge Prep – Rush Race Drill
The Edge school Prep team learns from a Rush Race Drill. Coaches learn how to explain the drill so it can be executed to accomplish it's purpose. This National Team drill reveals the need to spend more time on Backwards Starts and striding. When the 1988 National team began this drill the defensemen started on the Dot and struggled. In the last half of the season all D could start at the bottom of the circle and keep the defender on the outside not allowing a dangerous shot.
Edge Prep – D Zone Scrimmage 1vs 1> 2 vs 2
Game Like Practice practice is an opportunity to test one's Individual Skills and Hockey Sense. The foundation to performance is Individual skills. The importance of maintaining D side and the tactical skills required are revealed in this video.
College players and U18 Girl’s working on the same concepts.
BU D Monday's
Boston University develop Defensive tactical skills with deliberate practice. Time well spent. At younger age players need to taught these special skills in a progressive fashion.
Defensive Tactical Skating U18 F
The importance of Defensive tactical skating is demonstrated by a number of breakdowns i Defensive 1 on 1 play. Progressive Deliberate practice in this video will help coaches of ALL levels to develop Tactical Skating Skills important in Defensive hockey.
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Wally Kozak – (More of Wally's videos on technique and game analysis at this link. Really good stuff from a highly regarded international coach.)http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=wkozak2009&view=videos
Wally Kozak hockey coaching videos.
https://www.youtube.com/user/wkozak2009/videos
'The Game is the Greatest Coach'
'Enjoy the Game'Brad, with 8 year old players I think the first thing is to get them there so that everyone is dressed and ready 10' before you get on the ice. The other thing is to make sure they are behaving properly. Allow parents to help tie skates and get the equipment on and then everyone has to clear out ten minutes before so the coaches can get them ready for the game. Maintain a pleasant atmosphere and joke around with the players in the dressing time.
After the game take another 5-10 minutes to talk with the team then allow the parents in to help. Make sure all the tape and garbage is in the garbage can and that the players leave in good humour. If they have had a bad game it is a learning experience but always a fun experience. Keep the atmosphere light. We have 80% of the kid's quitting by 14 because it isn't fun. So try to make it fun to come to the rink and compete hard.
Here is good video about an effective way to teach young players about positioning.The Train Tracks
Train Tracks is a simple visual to help Novice players adapt to Whole ice Hockey games. Playing Whole ice Hockey at this age does not contribute to player development. Whole ice games are more fun for the parents and coaches and those dominant players who have the puck most of the time while the others follow it around. This video will help coaches and their players to spread out and learn to play their positions.
There is a lot of good hockey material on the internet. HC and USA hockey do a good job. This is a link to videos of how the Swedes teach the game.
Swedish Video of Hockey Playing SkillsSwedish Scope and Sequence Progression for Teaching Individual and Partner Skills
https://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/forums/topic/s-skill-technique-practice/
'The Game is the Greatest Coach'
'Enjoy the Game'Coaching with the Games Method -Jasper Camp 2017
This year the camp was a huge success as far as the players having fun, developing skills and game sense.
We had 25 skaters and one hurt his shoulder the second day, so down to 24. There were 7 girl's and three of them were Ringuette players there to improve their skating and learn about hockey. We divided them into a younger group of 13 with ages ranging from 5-11 and an older group of 12 ages 12-15. There were 4 girl's in the older group and 2 were ringuette players. Phil who coaches U18 AA in Calgary skated with the older group in the games. The three 15 year old boy's were very good with the two best players in Jasper and two from Calgary, one who just got drafted in the Bantam draft and was the best skater in the Hockey Alberta U16 camp.
So the players were all over the place in age and hockey experience and ability.
Every morning all of the players skated with Gaston from 9-10 and 75' later had another ice time alternating days with skating and hockey with me and Phil. In the afternoon the younger players had a 60' ice time and 3 of the 15 year olds helped me and we did the skills in 3 small groups. After that the older group had a 75' session and Phil helped me with that and played the games with the stronger players. My son Jim usually coaches the camp but he just started to article for his Law degree and couldn't ask for the third week working off.
No diagrams were drawn on the whiteboard during this camp. Simple instructions. Drill demonstration and then 'get at er.'
Everyone played the end of the week game the second morning ice time on Friday because some players had to leave for the long drive home, a baseball tournament and vacation. Game was full ice with one minute shifts. Younger group was 6-6. They watched the game clock and changed every minute and the player with the puck passed to his younger or older teammate.
Twenty were left for a one hour session after lunch and the younger ones played a one net clear the zone game and a cross ice game with modified rules.
Gaston teaches about the edges, weight transfer, stride, turns, and creating tension with the blade on the ice. It is fantastic. The hockey sessions were based on the ABC themes of 'Enjoy the Game' and 'The Game is the Greatest Coach'.
There were zero goalies so we use 6 small nets and move them around so we can play games full ice, cross ice, half ice, third ice, 1/6 cross ice, 1/4 ice, etc.
Skill topics covered:
Puck handling all around the body with big moves.
Puck protection.
Wrist pass both on the forehand and backhand.
Wrist shots progressing to 'catch and release' without handling the puck. One time and one touch shots.
Playing the game in the 'triple threat position'.
Puck support, getting open and giving a target.
Going to the net with the puck.
Quick transition between offense, defense, loose puck situations.Teaching Method.
We introduce the skill one of two ways.
'Create a Need to Know' by playing a game with a rule such as you must make at least three passes before a goal and only wrist passes are allowed or the other team gets the puck. After the players try it you have a 'corrective lesson' on how to wrist pass and then play the game again. I was amazed at how the young group used the wrist pass, instead of slapping the puck like most players, during the games the rest of the camp, without me saying anything. (get them before puberty and the learning is really accelerated.) Method two is to teach and practice a skill and then use it in a game.
The younger players did simple games like cross ice or transition games as bounce the puck off the far boards to go onto offense. The older group did the same thing plus a lot of one zone transition games. They were usually in two groups because the 15 yr. olds skill is much higher and Phil played the games with them.
Modified rules: All games had rules or game structure so the players practiced the skills in game situations.
Day one games with different kinds of pucks, balls, rings to overload the nervous system with changing weights, bounce, etc. to help with rolling the wrists when handling the puck.
1-1 games – In the small groups the 6 nets are on one side. 12 players and 6 games of 1-1 at once. When you regain the puck or after a goal bounce the puck to yourself off the far boards to go onto offense. You have to have good moves and protect the puck to be successful.
1-1 with three or 4 players – instead of bouncing the puck off the boards the defender passes to a player waiting at the far wall, he goes onto offense vs. the player who was just on offense. So attack-defend-pass-rest rotation. You can do this with 6 or 8 players and play 2-2. You can also have tournaments and keep score, either King's Court or round robin. (similar skilled players. I couldn't have the 5 year old play a 10 year old. Instead the 5-6-7 year olds were playing each other.)
1-1 with 3 goals on each goal line and either carry to the blue line to be on offense or with 3 or more players pass to the next player.
1-1, 2-2, keepaway inside the circle.
2-2 to up to 6-6 cross ice games.
2-2 to 6-6 cross ice games with a Joker behind the net who you have to regroup with to go onto offense.
2-2 to 6-6 Half ice game at each end where you must carry the puck out of the zone and get onside to go on offense.
2-2 and 3-3 Half ice Perry Pearn transition game where defenders must carry the puck over the blue line before passing to players waiting at the red line. Can be done with either two teams or even 3 sets of 2 or 3 players, depending on how many are on ice.
1-1, 2-2, 3-3 game of quick transition. Pass to next group who attack right away vs. the players who were just on offense. Players either wait at the blue line or for low zone at the top of the circle.
Skill Rules:
Full ice games with skill rules:
Puck support: At least one pass in each zone, only 2" with the puck.
Triple threat position: all passes must be with the forehand and progress to either forehand or backhand but with shoulders facing the play.
Ringuette rules with a ring and with a puck. The ring or puck must be passed over each blue line.
– At least 2 passes needed before you can score.
– only forehand wrist passes allowed.
– only backhand wrist passes allowed.
– goals only count on one timer.
– goals only count with catch and release shots. (both games require the puck carrier to see the ice, pass and the teammate to get open, give a target, shoot right away.)
– you must take 3 hard stride with the puck before you can pass or shoot.
– you must make an escape move before you can pass or shoot.
– you must do a Crosby heel to heel glide.
– you must make a tight turn.
– Everyone must score before you can score again. (weaker players are now needed and this activates them.)
– You must get two assists before you can score again. (this was for the 15 year olds to make plays instead of just beat everyone.
Parents were really happy about the camp and Phil said he was going to change the way he coaches to progress from drill to game based practices. (he was 'coach of the year for one of the Calgary quadrants. You don't throw out drills but use them to focus on individual or team skill and then the players must use the skill under game pressure. Common sense but as my dad used to say. "Common sense is a most uncommon thing.")Example of how much the kid's enjoy this coaching style was shown on Friday afternoon. We played the game before lunch and most parents and players thought we would be finished because about 5 or 6 had to leave. I told them we would have another ice time at at 1:15. Everyone showed up. We divided into the younger and older group at each end and played various half and cross ice games to finish the week.
Most important: the kid's had fun and learned a lot from 'The Game who is the Greatest Coach'
'The Game is the Greatest Coach'
'Enjoy the Game'
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