Effective Practice Planning Scott Gailfus scott.gailfus@baytex.ab.ca 403-860-5316 Monday November 18, 2013
Why is Practice so Important? Calgary Hockey Development
Before you come to the Rink First Aid Kit Cell Phone Equipment: Helmet, Skates, Gloves, Stick Pucks: 4 per Player (approximately 60) Practice Plan Clipboard or Tape Coaches Board - Coachmate Dry Erase Markers Whistle Pylons Coaches Bag (My Bag) Small tool kit + helmet parts kit Tape, laces, mouthguard, stick wax Lace puller, stone, magic stick Scissors, knife, lighter, flashlight, pen
What do we need to work on? Depends largely on age division and team number Did you make a development plan for the season? Watch your games closely and see what the team / players need work on Follow the Hockey Canada skills pyramid Skills are the most important: Teach the skills to handle a situation, rather than how to deal with each situation. For Example If you cant make and receive a quality pass, there is no need to work on the power-play or the break-out. Multiple skills can be developed in a single drill most effective The 5 tools of a hockey player: skate, pass, stickhandle, shoot, check A quality practice will incorporate all 5 of these skills
This is what we work on! Hockey Canada
What does all this stuff mean? Technical Skills: The fundamental skills required to play the game skate, pass, stickhandle, shoot, check Individual Tactics: Action of one player using a combination of technical skills 1 on 1, driving the net, shot blocking, angling, puck support, back-checking Team Tactics: Action of 2 or more players using a combination of technical skills and individual tactics break-out, 2 on 1, 3 on 2, attack triangle, defense hinge, re-group, low cycle Team Play Systems: Pattern of play where the movement of all the players are coordinated D zone coverage, 2-1-2 forecheck, power play, penalty kill, the trap Strategy: Selection of team play systems to take advantage of an opponents weakness vs a smaller team dump and forecheck, vs a faster team F3 high in the off zone
What is a Practice Plan? A practice plan is a minute by minute plan of what drills, activities, and skills you are going to run or teach at practice. My Last Practice Plan A Much Better Option Use a clipboard or tape the pages to the glass beside your coaches board
What is a Season Development Plan? A season development plan is a rough week by week plan of which technical skills, individual and team tactics, systems and strategies, you are going to teach the team this season. Changes drastically based on age, division, coach, and team. Skill development is continually worked on regardless of area of focus or date. My 2013 Season Development Plan (Bantam 1): Dates Area Items Practices Oct 12 - Oct 19 Skills Overview skating, passing, shooting, stickhandling, checking 3 Oct 20 - Nov 10 Defensive Play puck support, DZC, breakout, backcheck, regroup 7 Nov 11 - Nov 25 Offensive Play forecheck, triangle, low cycle, net drive, cross-crease 6 Nov 26 - Dec 19 Special Teams power play, penalty kill, breakout, 5 on 3, face-offs 4 Jan 2 - Jan 11 Skills Review skating, passing, shooting, stickhandling, checking 2 Jan 12 - Jan 18 Defensive Review puck support, DZC, breakout, backcheck, regroup 2 Jan 19 - Jan 25 Offensive Review forecheck, triangle offense, low cycle, net drive 2 Jan 26 - Jan 31 Special Teams Review power play, penalty kill, breakout, 5 on 4, 5 on 3 2 Feb 1 - Feb 8 Neutral Zone Play zone entries, pass lanes, dump-ins, back pressure 2 Feb 9 - Feb 25 Improvement Review areas that need improvement and anything missed 6 Feb 25 - End Playoff Repetition flow, forecheck, breakout, transition, strategy, skills 4 Visit www.westwoodhockey.com for more details
Ways to Maximize Ice Time Coaches should arrive early and go over the plan together in detail before practice. What is the role of each coach in each drill? Pucks? Pylons? The first (or warm up) drill should always be explained and drawn up in the dressing room before practice. When you hit the ice, drop the pucks in the proper place and start practice immediately. Have 5 to 10 warm up drills for the season. Stretching should be done prior to practice or not at all. Have a simple routine that is followed every time after the completion of a drill or activity. This will save many valuable minutes in a practice. For example One hard lap, a quick drink, take a knee in front of the board. Place your coaches board on the glass next to the bench where the water bottles are to keep everything in one place. Full Ice Fwd Gate / Half Ice Def Gate Tape the pages of your practice plan to the glass beside your coaches board At the end of practice, train the players to put the pucks in the nets, and bring the puck bag to the nets.
Using the entire Ice Surface - Stations Stations are the best way to teach and develop individual skills Small groups mean more 1 on 1 teaching and feedback Eliminates players waiting in line, increases repetitions Good for full or half ice Good for any age / skill group ** Coaches must be organized ahead of time with a good practice plan
Using the entire Ice Surface - Splits Splits are the best way to teach and develop skills needed specifically by position Small groups means more 1 on 1 teaching and feedback Eliminates players waiting in line, increases repetitions Good for full or half ice Good for any age / skill group ** Coaches must be organized ahead of time with a good practice plan
Flow Drills Flow drills are drills that run continuously and do not require a whistle to start or stop the drill. Can be run on full or ½ ice. Can be used for conditioning and developing multiple skills in one drill Forces players to pay attention to what is going on around them - AWARNESS Allows for higher repetition and eliminates line-ups Can be structured to duplicate game like situations McNabb Swing Drill This drill works on puck support, skating, transition, timing, passing, shooting, net drive, and mimics a inside support break-out and / or puck retrieval after a dump in.
Small Area Games Small area games are games that work on a specific skill, concept, or situation Normally played cross-ice and fewer players than 5 on 5 great for ½ ice practices Competition in practice is the best way to increase intensity keep score Goalies get more work - more quality shots / rebounds / scrambles More touches, more traffic, no whistles, less time & space = develop hockey sense Great for working on game specific and odd man situations (2 on 1 / 3 on 2) Back to Back Goalie Work-out High Man in the Slot Continuous 3 on 2
How to get the most out of your practice Make sure all the coaches are involved: While one explains, the others set up the drills pucks and pylons Have an assistant coach run at least one drill in every practice Have a coach at each line or area to give 1 on 1 feedback to players Continually remind players of the small details and practice habits It s not the drill you run, it s the execution of the drill that counts: Don t let players go through the motions Explain / demonstrate the key details in the drill Do not let players cheat go to every cone / line / full stop / ect Have players compete in practice to get maximum intensity If the drill is sloppy or players don t understand stop it and fix it Players learn from doing in practice, not from listening to coaches When talking to the entire team bring them in where everyone can hear you Take pride in how you draw, explain, and demonstrate drills Players need a short rest and water a minimum of every 15 min in practice The key to learning a new skill or concept is repetition, repetition, repetition
20 Practice Habits for Every Team Shoot to score on every shot. Drive the net and shoot off the stride on every shot. When shooting keep your head up and look for open mesh. Goalies track every puck in every drill never give up on a shot. Goalies keep count of every shot that goes in each practice. Compare after. Defense gap up and play every forward hard in every drill. Defense don t ever give up the blueline in practice. A good pass is tape to tape, hard, and on the ice every time. Give a target for every pass and call for every pass. Stand or take one knee at all times no sitting or lying on the ice. Finnish every check even if it s your best friend. (not to injure) When carrying the puck in open space remember to stickhandle. Skate all the way to every line / pylon / board in a drill no cheating. If you lose a puck in a drill go get it. There is only one puck in a game. This is really important keep your stick on the ice. If you are unsure or do not understand ask questions! Listen to what the coaches are telling you and do it. Do not be afraid to make mistakes learn from them and try again. Don t shoot pucks or talk while coaches are explaining drills. Have fun, stay hydrated, and give 100% at all times you will improve a ton!
Practice No No s Bag Skating if skating is punishment why would a player want to skate? Conditioning use flow drills with minimal wait time instead Strength Training push-ups and sit-ups are for the gym not the ice Lectures go over your fore-check in the dressing room or in a chalk talk Full Ice Scrimmage run one or two small area games instead Stretching stretch as a team or individually before and after practice Open Warm-up don't start practice wasting 5-10 min shooting pucks Goalie Skating Use the Hockey Canada W X Y Z drills as much as possible Comfort Drills horseshoe, stationary passing, circles, lightning, shoot-out
Instead of the Horseshoe Goalie Warm-Up
Instead of Stationary Passing Pass and Replace
Instead of the circles Switchback
Instead of lightning Razor s Edge
Instead of a shoot out 10 Puck Challenge
Questions??? The Northwest Warriors have coach mentors: Available to meet and discuss questions / problems Can provide drill suggestions Can help with practice plans To watch games and practices for feedback To help out on the ice at practice Visit www.westwoodhockey.com for more details NAME EMAIL PHONE AGE CATEGORY Scott Gailfus scott.gailfus@baytex.ab.ca 403-860-5316 Lead Mentor - All Dave England dave.hengland@gmail.com 403-650-1327 Midget Dean Erickson fdeanerickson@gmail.com 403-208-5630 Bantam John Smith john.smith@franklincovey.com 403-605-2031 Pee Wee Damian Steiert dsteiert@enerflex.com 403-650-3249 Atom Dale Risling dale.risling@gov.ab.ca 403-462-6087 Novice Ron Kingsley ron_king@telus.net 403-701-0902 Timbits
Drill Resources OMHA Coaches Drill Book Coach Nielsen s Drills Jes-Hockey Animated Drills Halifax Hawks MHA Just for Coaches Small Area Games Goaltending Hockey Canada W X Y Z Links to all of these websites are available at www.westwoodhockey.com
Affiliation Who can affiliate: Which players can I use: All teams from Novice to Junior. Only players listed on your HC roster. Which players can I not use: Suspended players, AA / AAA affiliates. When can I affiliate: When can I not affiliate: Permissions: to replace injured or absent players. to replace suspended players. player, player s parents, head coach, league chair. # of Games: 10 for the entire season per affiliated player. Games that count: Games that don t count: Goalies: seeding, regular, 1 st EMHW, playoffs, provincials. exhibition, tournament, remaining EMHW. 1 st is affiliated goalie, then any goalie on lower team. For Atom and below, can only use affiliated goalies. Game sheet: Mark AP beside affiliate players name.
Game Responsibilities Home Team: Timekeeper runs the clock Home penalty box runs the gate Visiting Team: Scorekeeper fills out the scoresheet Visitor penalty box runs the gate HC Rules: Must have a copy of the official roster on the bench at all games Must get a travel permit from HC website for all out of town games Must get a special event sanction for dryland, team building, ect Game Sheet: Winning team or home team in a tie game Inform the league chair within 24 hours. - Score and any incidents written on the game sheet Enter the digital game sheet on HC website within 48 hours League Chair may ask for fax / email copy of game sheet Suspensions: Look up the suspension on the HC website (or ask LC) Follow the minimum suspension guidelines (or ask LC) Mark SUSP 1 of 1 (ect) on the game sheet If it is more than the minimum you will be informed by HC / LC Exhibition games do not count towards suspensions (can not play) A suspended player is not allowed on the bench or in dressing room A suspended coach is not allowed in the arena 1 hour before & after