Practice Planning Tool

[Tom Molloy]

Coaches this is a tool to help plan practice.

Coaches, here is a link to a few diagrams (600 or so). It is a quick way to scan the drills and games as they are organized with our coding system of ABCDEFG – DT – T which makes it a lot easier to find drills on;

A – individual skills and skating.
B – partner skills.
C – game situation skills where you are trying to score vs. an opponent.
DT – Transition games which take the C game situations and turn them into games using one puck where you must play both offense and defense. (this is where most practices are lacking at both the youth and pro levels.)
D – games for skill and team play.
E – shootouts and contests.
F – fitness focused activities.
G – goaltending
T – coach directed team play activities (mostly for the highter levels.)

https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=bd6fa116988317e9&resid=BD6FA116988317E9!3274&parid=BD6FA116988317E9!111&authkey=!AOgs6KyWsmPjpZI You can right click on the diagram and copy it to your hard drive and then insert it into the TCW practice template.

You can scan them by putting the cursor over them and the title is there. Most are written up with pdf's on this site and over half have video demonstrations. To find them on the site, use the search function at the top of the homepage.

The last one is a practice planning template that is a Word document. TCW Practice outline. You can insert any diagram over the empty diagram to design a practice plan and then Save As whatever you call it and the original template will stay intact. I will post a pdf example.

Ability Appropriate Practices:

I don’t say age appropriate because there are exceptions. I had an 85 born group for two springs where we practices 40 times each year for 90 minutes over 12 weeks and went into two tournaments. These boy’s were 11 first year and 12 the next. I could do anything with this group that a U20 team could do. Four of them are still playing pro. One was in the Stanley Cup finals last year, one is up and down from NHL to AHL, one who won the Hobey Baker is back from Europe and playing AHL and one is in the CHL. All but one played at least Jr. A (he quit at 14). So in the first years up to about 10 it is Age Appropriate but after that it is Ability Appropriate where the practices have to match the ability or as Juuso says; ‘Too easy bores and too difficult frustrates.’

Guideline to Practice Progression For Practice

6-7 A-B-D-E
8-9 A-B-D-E-G
10-11 A-B-C-D-DT-E-G
11-12 A-B-C-D-DT-E-G-T
13-16 A-B-C-D-DT-E-F-G-T The A is for warm up and the B at higher speed.
Above 16 A-B (warm up and review) C-D-DT-E-F-G-T (there will be more focus on team play)

PDF's of Drills and Games:

The benefit of the diagrams is they can easily be inserted into the practice planning template. The pdf's give the description, diagram and most of the time a video link and the coding makes it easy to find and do a progression according to the level a team is playing.

Drill and Game PDF's: All of the drills and game practice PDF's are organized with the ABC coding system along with an explanation of the codes. I update the folder with the new material:

https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=bd6fa116988317e9&resid=BD6FA116988317E9!3014&parid=BD6FA116988317E9!111&authkey=!AEx0OA9DMEE18FY

This is a PRACTICAL coaching tool that is easy for coaches to use. I find it a great planning tool and way to plan practices and then share them with my asst. coaches and players as well as to keep a record of practices.

Attachments

• Aug 15 AAA practice.pdf (428 KB)

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

[Tom Molloy]

The benefit of the diagrams is they can easily be inserted into the practice planning template. The pdf's give the description, diagram and most of the time a video link and the coding makes it easy to find and do a progression according to the level a team is playing.

Drill and Game PDF's: All of the drills and game practice PDF's are organized with the ABC coding system along with an explanation of the codes. I update the folder with the new material:

https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=bd6fa116988317e9&resid=BD6FA116988317E9!3014&parid=BD6FA116988317E9!111&authkey=!AEx0OA9DMEE18FY

I thought coaches would be glad to get access to this coaching tool but by the lack of response it seems like people are very underwhelmed. I find it a great planning tool and way to keep a record of practices.

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

[hockeygod]

Tom,

Thanks for doing this – you are a true 'Saint' to the Coaching fraternity!

I suspect many people aren't commenting lately due to the fact their season's are over. But on the other side, you would think they would have more time on their hands, so why aren't they reading and commenting?

"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!" <evil laugh>

Pretty sure most people won't 'get' this reference… passed down to me from my mom.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shadow

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[RookieCoach]

Tom,

I just gave this tool a try. and it worked. I thought you were just showing the program that you use.
I haven't figured out how to use those small drills you posted , but it picked up a few of my old Drill Draw PDF's.
Can the ones from the Sky Drive be used ?

It would be a great tool for drill already on file.

Thanks Tom. You give so much to this site..

RK

[Tom Molloy]

RK u should be able
To right click and save the diagrams and then insert

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

[David Mitchell]

Very nice! Thanks Tom.

[Filip Petrovic]

Tom,

The material is more than usefull and helpful. I have already sent it to my colleagues in my HC, so I could say thank you on behalf of my hockey team 🙂

Other than that, why do you think that it is age unappropriate to teach U10, for example, game situations through coach-controlled scrimmages? We are cunrrently preparing for one big end-of-season tournament, and other than individual/partner skills and some SAGs/competitive games, I tend to do coach-controlled scrimmage almost every practice. Of course, the last 15' is 3vs3 scrimmage without coach/whistle.

P.S. I will be visiting IIHF Youth Coach Symposium in Helsinki, Finland on May 4-6, along with another coach from Serbia. Anyone else registered for that Symp.? Is there any chance that your 16GB practice "Bible" could be sent/purchased overseas?

F.

[Tom Molloy]

Filip, I think the big emphasis for U10 should be skills and game situations. It is ok to give them positions but I think teaching them to play 1-2-3-4-5 man to man is easier as they learn to count in school. i.e. I agree that they need some team play guidelines but the focus should be on learning to skate and the skills.

I found the new diagrams I put in just go to the bottom and not in the code so I made a new folder for the diagrams and it incluces the TWC teamplate. I changed the link in the posting.

https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=bd6fa116988317e9&resid=BD6FA116988317E9!3274&parid=BD6FA116988317E9!111&authkey=!AOgs6KyWsmPjpZI

Give them home positions as D, C, W and then have them count to read where they are in the game.

Forecheck
1 on the puck
2 second D
3 puck side boards
4 mid point
5 puck side point

Attack
1 to net
2 to net
3 trail puck side
4 mid slot
5 point

Breakout
1 puck
2 other D low
3 puck side boards
4 mid slot
5 wide lane

Dzone; one on and a box behind
1 on puck
2 in front
3 support 1 and 2 low
4 mid slot
5 puck side high slot

Here is a link to the posting I made in http://hockeycoach.com

http://hockeycoach.com/group/hockeydrills/forum/topics/practice-planning-template-with-drills-to-insert-using-word

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

[Robert Mattson]

TomM wrote:
The benefit of the diagrams is they can easily be inserted into the practice planning template. The pdf's give the description, diagram and most of the time a video link and the coding makes it easy to find and do a progression according to the level a team is playing.

Drill and Game PDF's: All of the drills and game practice PDF's are organized with the ABC coding system along with an explanation of the codes. I update the folder with the new material:

https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=bd6fa116988317e9&resid=BD6FA116988317E9!3014&parid=BD6FA116988317E9!111&authkey=!AEx0OA9DMEE18FY

I thought coaches would be glad to get access to this coaching tool but by the lack of response it seems like people are very underwhelmed. I find it a great planning tool and way to keep a record of practices.

Tom, this is an excellent tool. I wish I had this last season. In building practice plans, I try to stick with a theme (e.g., breakouts) and then use A, B, C, D activities to match the theme. You have now made it much easier to pick skills and games that match a theme!
———————————-
rcmat, Thanks, I will use the template and diagrams to plan tonight. I do two youth groups tomorrow and then three one hour practices in a row for a talent ID camp with U16 boy's. I make pdf's of them and then don't save the changes to the template so I can still reuse it. I send the plan to my assistant coaches and file then print and file it so I remembe what I have done and can see what I need to do. Sometimes I put each drill or game I have done into a folder on my hard disk for reference, so I can expand on a drill or know I don't need to explain it again.

[Tom Molloy]

Let me know if all of the links work and if u have any question how to use it
Just ask

—————————-
Examples:

I just finished a 60 min. practice plan for a talent ID camp with U16 players. I do three practices of the same age group in a row. I have never met anyone involved, so am going in cold. I will attach the plan I made. They want me to work on the breakout and have the players do a lot of movement. I also am posting a 90 min. session from a skills camp I did yesterday.

I opened the TCW template and typed in what I want to do and then inserted the diagrams. Because it is just for me I didn't do a lot of description because I know the activities.

Attachments

• April 7 Max Scoring-Atom and Pee Wee.pdf (375 KB)
• U16 ID camp.pdf (285 KB)

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

[Tom Molloy]

The Accel camp had U18 and U20 players and the level was really high. It was the most skilled group I have ran practices for since I did the skill sessions in Austria with the four teams there from U17 to pro. It was a lot of fun to coach players with the skill to do everything.

There were 3 practice groups combining 2 teams each. 22 skater and 2 goalies in two of the groups and 24 and 2 in the oldest group. I adjusted my plan a bit to do more transition games, as I didn't want them standing around with only a few moving in a drill. I ran 3 one hour practices and then they asked me to be bench coach for the 3 scrimmages and give my opinion on the players.

They selected two all star teams for a game that most of the scouts came for. That was hard as except for the top 6 and bottom 6 it was difficult to separate the rest of the player. They probably could have had two all star games with 3 sets of 5 each because the players were very good.

They told me that 'I was more than welcome' to help out and run practices at next years camp.' The camp was at the main arena at Winsport where the U20 practices that I have been posting were held. It is the best hockey facility I have ever seen with its 3 practice and one game rink, world class training facility, etc. The dressing rooms are great as well and they even thought of putting an infra red Brita water dispenser to fill bottles right on the bench.

It was a lot of fun.

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

[Tom Molloy]

Coaches this is a tool to help plan practice The TCW Template is at the bottom of the diagrams. You can copy and paste them to the plan and copy and past the descriptions of the same drill or game from the pdf's with the same coding.

Coaches, here is a link to a few diagrams (600 or so). It is a quick way to scan the drills and games as they are organized with our coding system of ABCDEFG – DT – T which makes it a lot easier to find drills on;

A – individual skills and skating.
B – partner skills.
C – game situation skills where you are trying to score vs. an opponent.
DT – Transition games which take the C game situations and turn them into games using one puck where you must play both offense and defense. (this is where most practices are lacking at both the youth and pro levels.)
D – games for skill and team play.
E – shootouts and contests.
F – fitness focused activities.
G – goaltending
T – coach directed team play activities (mostly for the highter levels.)

https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=bd6fa116988317e9&resid=BD6FA116988317E9!3274&parid=BD6FA116988317E9!111&authkey=!AOgs6KyWsmPjpZI You can right click on the diagram and copy it to your hard drive and then insert it into the TCW practice template.

You can scan them by putting the cursor over them and the title is there. Most are written up with pdf's on this site and over half have video demonstrations. To find them on the site, use the search function at the top of the homepage.

The last one is a practice planning template that is a Word document. TCW Practice outline. You can insert any diagram over the empty diagram to design a practice plan and then Save As whatever you call it and the original template will stay intact. I will post a pdf example.

Ability Appropriate Practices:

In the first years up to about 10 it is Age Appropriate but after that it is Ability Appropriate where the practices have to match the ability or as Juuso says; ‘Too easy bores and too difficult frustrates.’

Guideline to Practice Progression For Practice

6-7 A-B-D-E
8-9 A-B-D-E-G
10-11 A-B-C-D-DT-E-G
11-12 A-B-C-D-DT-E-G-T
13-16 A-B-C-D-DT-E-F-G-T The A is for warm up and the B at higher speed.
Above 16 A-B (warm up and review) C-D-DT-E-F-G-T (there will be more focus on team play)

PDF's of Drills and Games:

The benefit of the diagrams is they can easily be inserted into the practice planning template. The pdf's give the description, diagram and most of the time a video link and the coding makes it easy to find and do a progression according to the level a team is playing.

Drill and Game PDF's: All of the drills and game practice PDF's are organized with the ABC coding system along with an explanation of the codes. I update the folder with the new material:

https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=bd6fa116988317e9&resid=BD6FA116988317E9!3014&parid=BD6FA116988317E9!111&authkey=!AEx0OA9DMEE18FY

This is a PRACTICAL coaching tool that is easy for coaches to use. I find it a great planning tool and way to plan practices and then share them with my asst. coaches and players as well as to keep a record of practices.

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

[Tom Molloy]

Another way to use the practice template is to have it open on the screen and then choose the drils or game pdf's. Use the select tool to copy the image and then paste it into the template. Then copy and paste the description beside it. You could even copy and paste the video link if you are sending the practice plan to coaches or players and now everyone will be ready for pracitice.

I will do one now with the last practice I did with a U20 group of 12 skaters and 4 goalies.

——————————-
DT400 Quick Transition: we did this game from the blue line and each team had 6 players making 2 sets of 3. I don't have a video but it is the same rotation as Mike Johnston demonstrates in this video from the arena in Vienna at a coaching conference.

https://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/videos/watch/dt-400-game-of-quick-transition-mike-johnston/

In Salzburg we did this quite a bit and left from the blue line. It is even good as a 1-1 if you don't have many players because the transtion from offense to defense is right away. Rotation Offense-defense-pass-rest.

We moved back to the red line for the next game and on colour rotated. This added a breakout as the defenders must get over the blue line with control before passing. It is the same rotation i.e. offense-defense-breakout-rest.

Attachments

• Accel Camp.pdf (563 KB)

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

[Tom Molloy]

I gave one of my coaching friends a 16 GB thumbdrive of this site plus a lot more yesterday. He paid the cost of the drive plus the Koolaides after we played hockey.

Today I made sure my master file was up to date with the new material I have posted. The files rounded off total these.
600 diagrams
500 pdf's of drills and games
400 video of drills, games and hockey topics
90 model practices designed by Jr., college, pro coaches
90 pdf's of hockey booklets and articles

Everything is coded in the ABC method (explanation included) and the material ranges from beginner to pro level.

The amount of the material increases all of the time. There are over 1800 files right now.

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

[Tom Molloy]

Dean runs a very good practice using principles of the Hockey ABC's.

http://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/mediagallery/media.php?f=0&sort=0&s=20101007153238371 he is working with NHL players getting ready for the 2010 season. He warms them up with skating, passing, shooting and uses a transtion game. He would have liked to use more games but they wanted drills and had a scrimmage after.

Good efficient use of the ice.

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

[Author]

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