What are the two most important elements for turning any team into a winner?

 

 

It‘s the ability of coaches (or parents) to teach individual and team hockey skills.

 

That‘s because individual skill development and specific Team systems are

required for any hockey team to get on a long winning streak.

These skills are only learned and improved upon by practicing them.

 

Listen closely. If you do not practice, you will not win many hockey games.

You’ll not improve as a player and your Team will be down in the standings.

 

Remember the saying “Practice Makes Perfect” well this is especially true for

young hockey Teams and young hockey players.

 

Teams must practice at least once a week in order to improve.

 

Twice a week is even better, as it will speed up the improvement process for teams and players.

 

Playing hockey games does not improve your skills; practices do, and winning or losing a game is based on what you learned and perfected at your practices.

But where do you get this extra Practice Time?.

I‘ll tell you how to easily master the challenge of finding extra practice time.

It’ll turn loses into victories, turn non-goal scorers into scorers, turn error prone defencemen into rock solid defenders and change shaky goaltending into a steady puck stopping art.

 

All of this can be accomplished by running specific skill development practices.

 

The Secret for Success: Off-Ice Practices

 

Depending on your definition of success, i.e. players having fun, players improving their hockey skills and knowledge, your team moving into the top half of the League standings, or the ultimate success, your team winning the League’s Playoff Championship.

 

The following information will help solve many of these challenges.

But how, you ask? Well, there‘s a specialized can‘t miss program available I‘ll tell you about shortly for running successful skill development off-ice practices.

 

When this program is followed, anyone can achieve hockey success.

The very first thing coaches must do if you truly want to turn your season around, become more competitive, or win more games is to book/rent a large hall or school gymnasium for 2-3 hours every week for a minimum of 4 – 6 weeks.

 

The more weeks you practice, the more your players will learn,

and the more your team improves, the more games you will win.

 

Off-Ice Practices also act as a catalyst for bonding your players into a cohesive hockey Team.

 

I know of many winning coaches who book 20 weeks in a gymnasium at the start of every season. The hall or gymnasium‘s rental cost will be only a fraction of prime-time practice ice and with any luck you can book it in prime time from around 5:30 to 8:30 pm. possibly the same day each week.

 

Parents, team sponsors, 50/50 draws or other fund raising events will help pay for any rental cost.

 

At Off-ice Practices, Head and Assistant Coaches can conduct small group teaching sessions, then demonstrate specific skills, followed by practice opportunities for every player on the hall or school gymnasium floor.

 

Players will rotate from station-to-station after a specific period of time.

Conclude your practice with a controlled ball hockey scrimmage at the end of the eveningo provide some fun for your players and they will be eager to return next week.

In a gymnasium or large hall you will have lots of time and lots of space to do conditioning drills at the start of the session, then, when your players are tired out and ready to listen, you start to explain, demonstrate and practice basic shooting skills for accuracy and velocity, creative passing plays, quality scoring plays, effective clearing and breakout plays, aggressive forechecking and backchecking systems, power play and penalty killing strategy etc.

The skills or systems necessary to play winning hockey can be covered in a 6 week time frame.

 

Perhaps with these new found skills you will even challenge for the Playoff Championship.

 

Here‘s a valuable tip. If your players get bored with too much theory and not enough action, have some extra shooting drills or a competitive shoot-out competition between lines, or forwards vs defencemen etc.

 

All players get primed up trying to score on a goalie, and this skill will have a positive carry over eeffect for your League games.

 

You will be astounded with the individual and team skill development you will accomplish with every single player in a very short period of time by using this time-tested off-ice method.

 

The prime reason off-ice practices are so successful is because you and your coaches have the time to show your players how to execute the skill correctly.

 

There is no rush, like on the ice, where time is of the essence. You can take your time and explain it slowly, demonstrate the skill step-by-step, practice it again and again, then give your players positive feedback or make any corrective suggestions or adjustments to improve the skill.

 

Are off-ice practices really the secret strategy to cut down hockey loses, develop individual skills and jump-start your Team‘s overall improved play?

Can this really be possible? You want to believe it!

 

But first, you‘ll need the specific program consisting of hockey information and the time-tested teaching sequence to instruct your young players.

 

That‘s where the “Hockey Made Easy Instruction Manual” and

“The Parents and Coaches Teaching Guide” comes to your rescue.

 

You don‘t have to re-invent the wheel because it‘s all laid out for you

in a step-by-step sequence in “The Coaches and Parents Teaching Guide.”

 

You don‘t believe me; you think this is a lot of bull.

How could a young team be transformed into a winner in such a short period of time by participating in off-ice practices?

 

Well, I‘ve done it, I‘ve seen other progressive coaches do it; coaches have even e-mailed me over the past 15 years telling me about their success using my off-ice method, so I know it is very possible!

Try it and you’ll see how much improved your players will play after using this system.

The truth is, Off-Ice Practices are fun, they will increase your wins, reduce your loses, make you a better player, or coach and you’ll have a more competitive team.

 

John Shorey

Author – “Hockey Made Easy“