The regular season is about half over and your team is either playing above .500 hockey or below .500. If you are the latter, or even the former but are starting to lose a number of close games and want to turn your season around, there are a number of constructive changes you can make during the second half to improve your chances for team success.

Here’s some mid season tips to make your Youth Hockey Team more Competitive

One of the following situations is occurring that is limiting your competitiveness.

1. You're not scoring enough goals.
2. You're giving up too many goals
3. Your Special teams, the Power Play and/or Penalty Killing are letting you
     down.

Identify what has been your problem during the first half of the season or lately.

Are you giving up too many goals?
Did you take too many penalties?
Did you give up too many quality shots or rebounds from the slot area?
Did you give the opposition too many odd man rushes, 2 on 1’s, or 3 on 2’s?
Did your players run around in your own end and not cover specific locations?
Were your players undisciplined on the ice trying to do another player's job?
Were the shifts too long and you got scored on late in the shift from being tired?

If the answer to any of the above is yes, you can do something about it to improve your Team's competitiveness and possibly change your remaining games outcome.

Coaches, the first thing I recommend is a team meeting to discuss the problems then ask for input from your players to help find solutions to becoming a more competitive team.

Coaches must guide the meeting then convince your players that by buying into a more defensive system, eliminating odd man rushes, quality shots and lowering your goalsagainst you can become a far more competitive team. You will still score enough goals on turnovers, cycling the puck and offensive rushes to remain competitive.

You don’t need superstars to be competitive, but you do need hard work and a commitment from every player to concentrate on preventing goals against. Also try shorter 45 to 60 second shifts and on ice discipline with sound positional defensive play in your own end and you will become a far more competitive team almost immediately.

At the team meeting discuss the need for change if you want to improve in the standings. The input from your players will be invaluable because if they make the suggestions then they agree to make the necessary changes to turn the season around. I guarantee you will have a far better second half and be competitive against the top teams in the playoffs.

It is also imperative during the game and practice, that coaches explain and demonstrate to their players what should be done on the ice to prevent goals against. Keep a small black/white board on the bench so you can explain any error and show the players where to be positioned.

A picture is worth a thousand words and is much easier for young players to understand by viewing a diagram.

As far as I'm concerned, the secret to team success begins by playing dump and chase if over the Red Line and meeting any opposition. Then executing a 2-1-2 forechecking system and checking their  defencemen deep in the oppositions end will both prevent goals against but also cause turnovers.

 
I truly believe that if the 2 closest players in the offensive zone swarm their puck carrier and your 3rd forward stays high but ready to go after the loose puck, go to the net, or forecheck if the puck was passed to another receiver, you will disrupt the opposition's clearing play so much they will panic and give the puck away or cause many turnovers which will result in quality scoring opportunities and eventual goals.

The second secret is backchecking and covering the opposition in the neutral and your defensive zone.Don’t expect your goalie to stop point blank shots from the slot, or the 2nd and 3rd shots from rebounds.

Even if you had Patrick Roy in goal he couldn’t stop all those quality shots.

But if you keep their 2 wingers covered and to the outside very few shots will get to your net.

In your defensive zone you must play your position and cover the man out front, the slot and the points, and any rebounds must be covered by your goalie or cleared into the corner or out over the blue line by your D.

Don’t get caught running around in your defensive zone as this will only leave someone wide open for a clear shot on net.

Start by playing a collapsible flexible box as if you're penalty killing by keeping the puck carrier to the outside of the ice.

Keep the man out front and in the slot covered and you are on your way to a lot less goals against and a competitive game.

If the puck moves to the point the box shifts to the points.

The third secret is giving your players positive feedback and a pat on the back after every shift.

Keep up beat; build their confidence, get your players to work hard by giving 100% every shift and team success will be just around the corner.

Finally, the more time the puck is spent in the oppositions end the less chance they have to score.

It sounds simplistic but it really works.

Good luck the rest of the season.

John Shorey
Author- “Hockey Made Easy”