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Skill Progressions For Player And Coach Development Handbook
Improve Agility
One important component of agility is the athlete’s ability to read and react. The following drills aim to improve the athlete’s efficiency in reading what is happening (seeing where a person or an object is going to move) and reacting to that movement by making a counter-movement. All of these read and react drills involve several athletes or a group of athletes and a coach.
Read & React Drills
Reaction balls. Using a reaction ball (a multi-sided object that bounces unpredictably when dropped or thrown), set up a game of bouncing the reaction ball between two players, off a wall, or with a coach as a warm-up for athletic activity. Allow two bounces for the athlete to catch the ball. The athlete must move very quickly in reaction to the ball’s unpredictable bounce.
Hacky sack. Athletes stand in a circle and attempt to keep the sack in the air as long as possible. You can allow athletes to use both hands and feet, just feet, or just hands. This is a great warm-up for sports, and also works to improve agility and proprioception, especially in the lower body.
Reaction belts. The reaction belt is attached to two athletes with a Velcro™ section holding the athletes together. The drill involves the first athlete trying to move away from the other, and the second athlete trying to counter-move toward the first athlete so the Velcro™ does not break apart. The drill continues until the Velcro™ breaks.
Shadow drills. This idea can be used in a variety of ways, from follow the leader type drills to copying action movements. One athlete is instructed to follow another athlete and copy his or her movements and skills. This is a great drill for teams as it allows weaker athletes to train with faster athletes to improve agility and quickness.
Rule the circle. Inside a large circle, two athletes hold onto one stick and compete to see which one can either knock the other off balance or take the stick away. Variations to this drill involve pushing or wrestling each other in the circle to knock the other person out, sumo style. This is a great drill for contact sports as it develops balance, agility, and strength along with reaction ability.
Medicine balls. While medicine balls are primarily used to improve core strength and balance, they can also assist with reaction training. A coach can throw the medballs to an athlete in an unpredictable pattern or two athletes can throw medballs back and forth, each trying to get the ball past the other.
Bouncing balls. Using a tennis ball, racquet ball, or another similar type of ball, bounce one or two balls between two or more athletes. Balls can be thrown at the athletes, bounced on the ground, or bounced off of a wall.
Fun Games. Activities like tag, dodge ball, monkey-in-the-middle, and keep-away teach athletes to read and react with games they already know how to play and enjoyed as younger kids. These drills can also be used as a warmup or cooldown from the bulk of the workout.
Quickness Drills
Quickness drills are designed around short bursts of movement in various directions to improve the ability to move the feet and develop first-step quickness. These drills can be done either for a set distance or as read and react type drills where players change direction after a whistle from the coach.
Back-to-front runs. Running backward to forward, or forward to backward helps an athlete improve his or her stopping ability and quickness to change direction. This drill is best done with a coach dictating the change of direction.
Side shuffles. Moving sideways, the athlete shuffles from one foot to the other. This builds medial and lateral strength in the upper leg, coordination, flexibility, and quick feet.
Grapevine. While moving sideways, have the athlete cross one foot over in front, and then behind the other. This drill is good for building coordination and footwork.
Outside edges. The athlete moves forward by crossing one foot in front of the other, then moves the foot that was just crossed over the first foot. This forces the athlete to always land and move on the outside edge of the foot. The result is development of the hip in terms of strength, flexibility, coordination, and balance.
Line drills. On any type of playing surface with lines (basketball court, tennis court, hockey rink) have players sprint between lines moving in all directions (forward, backward, sideways, crossovers, etc.) with the coach signaling changes.
Iron Cross. This hockey drill involves running or skating in a cross type pattern within a small circle. This idea is to get the feet moving and learn to cross over and push off from both sides of either foot.
Like an actual game, the puck is constantly in motion with TAPE-2-TAPE. Tape2Tape gives the ability to simulate rebounds and passing. Practice stickhandling everyday.
Side Box Jumps- Plyometrics Exercising Instructions
Start on one side of the box/bench/whatever in a squat position. Jump up pushing off horizontally while tucking your knees into your chest. Land with two feet on the other side of the bench as shown. This exercise is great for lateral bursts of speed.
Skinner Stickhandling DVD Series worldwide and Skills Training through Schools, Clinics and Consulting. Excellent Dryland Training DVD!
Hockey Christmas Present
A Shot On Goal Is A Snap
The snap shot is quicker than a wrist shot and more accurate than a slap shot. The most important attribute of a good snap shot is the speed with which you can release the puck. It’s probably the most widely used shot in hockey today.
Tip #1
One of the most important things when you’re shooting is to look before you shoot the puck. A lot of times kids tend to bury their heads before they shoot and guess where they’re shooting. I like to take a look and see where the goaltender’s at and take aim at a general section of the net that I want to hit. It’s very important to lift your head up to where you want to shoot right before you let the puck go.
Tip #2
Sometimes it’s not possible to get a good look at the net before you shoot. That’s why it’s important to always know where you are on the ice and where the net is. If you know the general vicinity when you’re not facing the net, it’s easier to get a shot off quickly and get it on net where good things can happen.
Tip #3
It’s important to practice shooting in awkward positions. You’re not always going to be a perfect position when you find the puck on your stick. That’s why I practice shooting off of both feet. It’s good to switch it up. In drills, try skating around pylons and practice shooting from different angles.
Tip #4
The snap shot is released from the middle to the tip of the blade. I like to pull the puck into a position that feels comfortable with the toe of my stick. Then I basically shoot the puck off the outer half of my blade. I don’t shoot a snap shot off the heel. That’s more of a wrist shot.
REMEMBER THIS...
Dryland training is very important. If you have a net at home and 10 pucks, you can fire away all day. That’s always good practice for when you do get on the ice.
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Angela Ruggiero - Ivy League & Olympic Athlete
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