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Coaches Corner
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Introduction
It takes thousands of repetitions to master a skill. To that end, the HDC has launched the Skills Development Initiative so that a coaching staff can work on age- and level-specific skills until a reasonable level of mastery is achieved and then move onto more advanced skills. The focus of this initiative is to provide examples of how to introduce drill progressions focusing on skill development to re-enforce and develop players’ skills in a fun, competitive environment. These guidelines and coaches’ tools are designed to provide a consistent, highly organized experience for our young hockey players and their parents.
WHA Skills Development Expectation of Coaches
Practice Plans – We expect that each head coach will prepare a written practice plan for each practice. Ideally, the coaching staff will also prepare a written season-long practice plan (see Practice Plans for examples).
Skills Development – We expect that each teams’ practice focus will generally follow the Skills Development Guidelines prepared by the WHA Hockey Development Committee.
Dryland Training – We expect that each team will supplement its on-ice development with age-appropriate dryland training as outlined below (see also Drill Bank – Dryland):
Dryland Trainings
| Age Level | Requirement | Focus Areas | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mite/Ice Mite/U8 | Optional – Some dryland training preferred | Stick handling, shooting, passing, floor hockey | Light |
| Squirt/U10 | Optional – Some dryland training preferred | Stick handling, shooting, passing, floor hockey | Light |
| Peewee/U12 | Strongly preferred | Stick handling, shooting, passing, systems, conditioning, plyometrics | Moderate |
| Bantam/U14 | Required | Stick handling, systems, conditioning, plyometrics, strength | Intense |
Pre-Game/Pre-Practice Preparation – We expect that each team will follow, at a minimum, the pre-game/pre-practice preparation routine recommended by the WHA Hockey Development Committee (see below):
| Arrival Time | Dryland | Chalk Talk | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age Level | Practice | Game | Practice | Game | Practice | Game |
| Mite/Ice Mite/U8 | 20 min. | 30 min. | Optional | No | No | Optional |
| Squirt/U10 | 30 min. | 40 min. | Recommended | Recommended | Recommended | Yes |
| Peewee/U12 | 45 min. | 1 hour | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bantam/U14 | 45 min. | 1 hour | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Player Evaluations – We expect that each head coach will complete a mid-season and end-of-season player evaluation for each member of the team (see Practice Plans – Player Evaluation)
Coaches Resources
Practice Plans – Click on the Practice Plan link to view / download / print sample practice plans and blank practice plan Drill Bank – Click on the Drill Bank link to view/download/print skill-specific drills Visit the Coaches section of the Minnesota Hockey Web site for additional coaching information, including an archive of newsletters. Please send suggestions and comments to Eric Mattson at emattson@mchsi.com.
