As most teams are up and running right now, finding good warm-up drills are key to setting the tone for a good practice. Obviously, the fact that I focus on skating, the warm-up drills I do are always done to repeat skating skills that we have already learned. For my warm-up drills, I like to always touch on balance and edges to start. Depending on the level, we will move into more difficult skills as well, such as crossovers, transitions, agility and power turns.
When looking at designing a skating practice, there are many things to consider. The first thing that would come to mind is making a plan. Trying to figure out what you want to teach and in what order is critical in running an effective skating practice. The key always has been the execution of a plan.
By Andy Ness
We recently had our first day of Mite practice as a part of our skill development program for various Twin Cities hockey associations. For the various Mite programs, we see all different types of ages and abilities. The basic fact is that it still comes back to understanding that skating development is a progression.
By Andy Ness
As I watch the Wild get yet another break away, it got me thinking about individuals with game-changing speed. Take for example a guy like Jason Zucker who has gotten a breakaway in just about every game this year. There are guys at all levels that are fast and then there are guys that have the type of speed that is on a completely different level. These guys have speed that will and can change a game at any point.
By Andy Ness
By always focusing on what our lower body is doing when we skate, we sometimes forget about our upper body. A skater’s upper body is so crucial when talking about skating in general. Whether moving forward or backward, or moving laterally, your upper body and stick positioning will either help or hinder how efficiently you can move.
Last Updated on Thursday, 06 October 2016 09:10
Repetition or “reps” is a big buzzword for any type of hockey development, but I will specifically be talking about skating. When we look at repetition, we are looking at a number of different things: 1) duration or time spent with each skill, 2) number of times we do a specific skill and 3) how many skills we are able to accomplish throughout a practice. It is such an important concept for coaches to think about.
Last Updated on Thursday, 15 September 2016 09:49
Last Updated on Thursday, 11 August 2016 11:05
In the June issue of Let’s Play Hockey, I noted the importance of getting a strong push to the side while executing a stride. I would like to stick with that same concept and discuss in a little more detail about recovery as well as injury prevention tips.
Last Updated on Thursday, 07 July 2016 15:27
Skill development is a phrase that is thrown out quite a bit, especially in the summer. What is skill development? How and what skills can all skaters improve on? The first thing people have to understand is the difference between a drill and a skill. The skill is a specific part of a player’s game that can be worked on. A crossover is a skill. Walking the blue line is a skill. Pulling the puck of the wall is a skill.
Last Updated on Friday, 03 June 2016 10:05
Understanding the physics of skating is very important. It’s important to understand how speed works while on skates. Very simply, if you are in shoes, you are moving your feet front to back. If you are on skates you need to push out on your edge. Speed is created by downward force. In a nutshell, the stronger you push against the ice, the faster you will go. There are other things like gliding and friction, but essentially if your blades stay in contact with the ice by pushing outwards, you will gain speed.
Last Updated on Thursday, 14 April 2016 09:24
When we do our camps, regardless if it’s Mites or the pros, it always comes back to the fundamentals of skating. It is very clear to me that there is a distinct difference between doing something and doing something well.
Last Updated on Thursday, 24 March 2016 10:21
A few weeks ago, I wrote an article about the three main ingredients of an efficient stride (the load, the push, the extension). I would like to share a drill that we got from former Olympic speedskater Dave Cruikshank over the summer. It is one thing to understand how the technique should look and it is another to understand what drills help accomplish this.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 16 March 2016 15:30
Whether you are a Mite or a high school player, a pair of skates is one of your most important pieces of equipment you can have. There are so many variables from sizes to sharpening to brands. I will try to answer some of the most frequently asked questions that we get in hopes that you can better understand how a skate actually works.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 09 March 2016 13:59
I have come across some great photos of young NHL skaters while we were working on their stride during a summer session. While looking at the pictures, it should give you a better understanding of the three main elements that go into a stride. The load, the push, and the extension. Although there is more that goes into a stride than that, I would like to revisit these three main components.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 02 March 2016 09:45
To teach skating, one must be able to find more ways of connecting to students rather than by just simply “telling” or “saying.” An instructor also must go beyond demonstration and showing a student what it should look like. One of the best ways to learn to skate is to learn by “feel.” Whether it is first-time beginner skaters or Niklas Kronwall from the Detroit Red Wings, “feel” tells you what is working or what is not working.
Last Updated on Thursday, 25 February 2016 10:36
So the offseason is coming, now what? We know we need to skate and train, but what should we do? What should we focus on?
Last Updated on Thursday, 18 February 2016 09:36
The mohawk turn is a skill essential to your game, regardless if you are a forward or a defenseman, because you are continually turning to face the puck during any given play. It is a skill that is so important, it is worth working your practice around. So what is a mohawk turn?
Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 February 2016 16:51
For this article I would like to give a couple basic, yet functional drills you can do at any level or at any age. The key to these drills is quality repetition and making sure to make each rep count. It is also important to remember that it always comes down to execution. A lot of reps do you no good if half of them are poor.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 03 February 2016 17:18
Please stay tuned as next week I will provide skill drills for all age groups and levels. I was not able to get the exact pictures that I would like, so that article will have to wait until next week. However, I would like to discuss in detail the importance of a forward escape. It is a skill that is so important to both forwards and defensemen alike.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 January 2016 17:40
Skill development is a buzzword of late. When you break down skill development as a whole, you can look at the four major skills: skating, passing, shooting and stickhandling. When we look at skill drills specifically, there are some areas that really can be focused on. For this article, I would really like to get you thinking about a part of development that is really never looked at and yet rarely ever taught.
Last Updated on Thursday, 14 January 2016 09:31
For this article, we will try to understand how to teach a power turn to a younger skater, as well as what things to look for that help or hinder a skater’s ability to execute this skill. A power turn is one of the first skills that should be taught after a skater gets a good grasp of his/her balance and edges. For as many times as a skater will use a power turn, it is essential to learn how to do it properly and what things to look for that will help each skater improve.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 06 January 2016 15:24
Footwork is one of the most important skills that a player can practice and try to improve upon (especially for defensemen). Footwork is the ability to move the feet independently of each other. It is the ability to go forward to backward, backward to forward, side to side while maintaining speed and control. The game of hockey changes direction so quickly, a skater seems to be in constant motion. The better the skater’s footwork, the easier everything becomes.
