Coaches this is a tool to help plan practice.

Coaches, here is a link to a few diagrams (600 or so). It is a quick way to scan the drills and games as they are organized with our coding system of ABCDEFG - DT - T which makes it a lot easier to find drills on;

A - individual skills and skating.
B - partner skills.
C - game situation skills where you are trying to score vs. an opponent.
DT - Transition games which take the C game situations and turn them into games using one puck where you must play both offense and defense. (this is where most practices are lacking at both the youth and pro levels.)
D - games for skill and team play.
E - shootouts and contests.
F - fitness focused activities.
G - goaltending
T - coach directed team play activities (mostly for the highter levels.)

https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=bd6fa116988317e9&resid=BD6FA116988317E9!3274&parid=BD6FA116988317E9!111&authkey=!AOgs6KyWsmPjpZI You can right click on the diagram and copy it to your hard drive and then insert it into the TCW practice template.

You can scan them by putting the cursor over them and the title is there. Most are written up with pdf's on this site and over half have video demonstrations. To find them on the site, use the search function at the top of the homepage.


The last one is a practice planning template that is a Word document. TCW Practice outline. You can insert any diagram over the empty diagram to design a practice plan and then Save As whatever you call it and the original template will stay intact. I will post a pdf example.

Ability Appropriate Practices:

I don’t say age appropriate because there are exceptions. I had an 85 born group for two springs where we practices 40 times each year for 90 minutes over 12 weeks and went into two tournaments. These boy’s were 11 first year and 12 the next. I could do anything with this group that a U20 team could do. Four of them are still playing pro. One was in the Stanley Cup finals last year, one is up and down from NHL to AHL, one who won the Hobey Baker is back from Europe and playing AHL and one is in the CHL. All but one played at least Jr. A (he quit at 14). So in the first years up to about 10 it is Age Appropriate but after that it is Ability Appropriate where the practices have to match the ability or as Juuso says; ‘Too easy bores and too difficult frustrates.’

Guideline to Practice Progression For Practice


6-7 A-B-D-E
8-9 A-B-D-E-G
10-11 A-B-C-D-DT-E-G
11-12 A-B-C-D-DT-E-G-T
13-16 A-B-C-D-DT-E-F-G-T The A is for warm up and the B at higher speed.
Above 16 A-B (warm up and review) C-D-DT-E-F-G-T (there will be more focus on team play)

PDF's of Drills and Games:

The benefit of the diagrams is they can easily be inserted into the practice planning template. The pdf's give the description, diagram and most of the time a video link and the coding makes it easy to find and do a progression according to the level a team is playing.

Drill and Game PDF's: All of the drills and game practice PDF's are organized with the ABC coding system along with an explanation of the codes. I update the folder with the new material:

https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=bd6fa116988317e9&resid=BD6FA116988317E9!3014&parid=BD6FA116988317E9!111&authkey=!AEx0OA9DMEE18FY

This is a PRACTICAL coaching tool that is easy for coaches to use. I find it a great planning tool and way to plan practices and then share them with my asst. coaches and players as well as to keep a record of practices.

Tom,

Thanks for doing this - you are a true 'Saint' to the Coaching fraternity!

I suspect many people aren't commenting lately due to the fact their season's are over. But on the other side, you would think they would have more time on their hands, so why aren't they reading and commenting?

"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!" <evil laugh>

Pretty sure most people won't 'get' this reference... passed down to me from my mom.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shadow

RK u should be able
To right click and save the diagrams and then insert

Tom,

The material is more than usefull and helpful. I have already sent it to my colleagues in my HC, so I could say thank you on behalf of my hockey team

Other than that, why do you think that it is age unappropriate to teach U10, for example, game situations through coach-controlled scrimmages? We are cunrrently preparing for one big end-of-season tournament, and other than individual/partner skills and some SAGs/competitive games, I tend to do coach-controlled scrimmage almost every practice. Of course, the last 15' is 3vs3 scrimmage without coach/whistle.

P.S. I will be visiting IIHF Youth Coach Symposium in Helsinki, Finland on May 4-6, along with another coach from Serbia. Anyone else registered for that Symp.? Is there any chance that your 16GB practice "Bible" could be sent/purchased overseas?

F.

Quote by: TomM

The benefit of the diagrams is they can easily be inserted into the practice planning template. The pdf's give the description, diagram and most of the time a video link and the coding makes it easy to find and do a progression according to the level a team is playing.

Drill and Game PDF's: All of the drills and game practice PDF's are organized with the ABC coding system along with an explanation of the codes. I update the folder with the new material:

https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=bd6fa116988317e9&resid=BD6FA116988317E9!3014&parid=BD6FA116988317E9!111&authkey=!AEx0OA9DMEE18FY

I thought coaches would be glad to get access to this coaching tool but by the lack of response it seems like people are very underwhelmed. I find it a great planning tool and way to keep a record of practices.

Tom, this is an excellent tool. I wish I had this last season. In building practice plans, I try to stick with a theme (e.g., breakouts) and then use A, B, C, D activities to match the theme. You have now made it much easier to pick skills and games that match a theme!
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rcmat, Thanks, I will use the template and diagrams to plan tonight. I do two youth groups tomorrow and then three one hour practices in a row for a talent ID camp with U16 boy's. I make pdf's of them and then don't save the changes to the template so I can still reuse it. I send the plan to my assistant coaches and file then print and file it so I remembe what I have done and can see what I need to do. Sometimes I put each drill or game I have done into a folder on my hard disk for reference, so I can expand on a drill or know I don't need to explain it again.

The Accel camp had U18 and U20 players and the level was really high. It was the most skilled group I have ran practices for since I did the skill sessions in Austria with the four teams there from U17 to pro. It was a lot of fun to coach players with the skill to do everything.

There were 3 practice groups combining 2 teams each. 22 skater and 2 goalies in two of the groups and 24 and 2 in the oldest group. I adjusted my plan a bit to do more transition games, as I didn't want them standing around with only a few moving in a drill. I ran 3 one hour practices and then they asked me to be bench coach for the 3 scrimmages and give my opinion on the players.

They selected two all star teams for a game that most of the scouts came for. That was hard as except for the top 6 and bottom 6 it was difficult to separate the rest of the player. They probably could have had two all star games with 3 sets of 5 each because the players were very good.

They told me that 'I was more than welcome' to help out and run practices at next years camp.' The camp was at the main arena at Winsport where the U20 practices that I have been posting were held. It is the best hockey facility I have ever seen with its 3 practice and one game rink, world class training facility, etc. The dressing rooms are great as well and they even thought of putting an infra red Brita water dispenser to fill bottles right on the bench.

It was a lot of fun.

Another way to use the practice template is to have it open on the screen and then choose the drils or game pdf's. Use the select tool to copy the image and then paste it into the template. Then copy and paste the description beside it. You could even copy and paste the video link if you are sending the practice plan to coaches or players and now everyone will be ready for pracitice.

I will do one now with the last practice I did with a U20 group of 12 skaters and 4 goalies.

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DT400 Quick Transition: we did this game from the blue line and each team had 6 players making 2 sets of 3. I don't have a video but it is the same rotation as Mike Johnston demonstrates in this video from the arena in Vienna at a coaching conference.

http://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/mediagallery/media.php?f=0&sort=0&s=20110305095950592

In Salzburg we did this quite a bit and left from the blue line. It is even good as a 1-1 if you don't have many players because the transtion from offense to defense is right away. Rotation Offense-defense-pass-rest.

We moved back to the red line for the next game and on colour rotated. This added a breakout as the defenders must get over the blue line with control before passing. It is the same rotation i.e. offense-defense-breakout-rest.

Dean runs a very good practice using principles of the Hockey ABC's.

http://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/mediagallery/media.php?f=0&sort=0&s=20101007153238371 he is working with NHL players getting ready for the 2010 season. He warms them up with skating, passing, shooting and uses a transtion game. He would have liked to use more games but they wanted drills and had a scrimmage after.

Good efficient use of the ice.

I just used the TCW template to plan my practice this morning and send it to the other coaches. The pdf shows it well.
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Atom
April 21, 2012
90 minutes
Topics
Skating Puckhandling
Dzone position Breakout on boards
1-1


D2 Coss Ice Game-Sweden
Key Points:
Start practice with a game. Use full sized or small nets, tires, pylons for goals.
Description:
Play a cross ice game to warm up. Encourage the players to want the puck and try moves to
create space for themselves.
http://hockeycoachingabcs.com/mediagallery/media.php?f=0&sort=0&s=20100414094539964

A2 Skating Warm up-Edges and Balance Position
Gaston leads a skating warm up.
Exercises use the inside and outside edges, proper body position both forward and backward as well as a one skate exercise that requires a good balance position and use of all of the edges.
http://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/mediagallery/media.php?f=0&sort=0&s=20110423080435937

D1-A2 Puck Dog
Key Points:
Encourage the players to use moves and fakes, change of pace and to protect the puck.
Description:
This game has the players line up at the end of the rink in the A2 formation. Each player has a
puck. One player (who is 'it') is at the blue line and calls out 'British Puck-dog.' The players stickhandle
the puck, trying to get to the end without being checked. If a player loses the puck, she
becomes 'it' and is in the middle checking. The last player with a puck wins.
http://hockeycoachingabcs.com/mediagallery/media.php?f=0&sort=0&s=20090802114801644

A300 Individual Puck Handling Practice
Description:
1. Handle two or three pucks at once never letting them get more than a stick length away.
2. Reach with one hand as far back and forward as possible.
3. Slalom to the right and reach with the puck to the left and visa-versa in order to separate the movement of the upper and lower body.
4. Repeat the same thing but this time skate and power away from the puck.
5. Move the puck from the stick to the inside and outside skate edges and back.
6. Bring the puck thru the skates on the forehand and backhand.7. Hands close together and legs wide apart and use head and shoulder fakes.
8. Toe drag and move to the forehand and the backhand.
9. Fake a slapshot and accelerate to the forehand and backhand.
10. Handle two or three different kinds of balls around the body. i.e. tennis, racquet, hockey, Keep the balls within a stick length and under control.
http://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/mediagallery/media.php?f=0&sort=0&s=20080722140655746

B500 Defensive Zone Skating
Key Points:
Players skate according to their position in the defensive zone. You should skate as if there is an attacker in front of the net and three attackers cycling on the strong side with the middle forward covering the front of the net.
Description:
1. Players start off with a box and one in the middle.
2. Coach points to where the puck is and the players hustle to the proper defensive position.
3. Sticks in the passing lanes and a man-you-puck triangle for role 4.
4. Skate to 5 spots.
5. Straight line stop and start skating.
http://hockeycoachingabcs.com/mediagallery/media.php?f=0&sort=0&s=20090817105908648

B5 Murdoch Breakout Routine A and B
Key Points:
This is a good routine to use at the start of practice instead of just skating around the ice
aimlessly.
- Work for 5-10 min. and get in a lot of reps.
- D shoulder check on the way to the puck.
- Forwards funnel through middle lane and watch puck before swinging up the boards.
Description:
Wings and Defense
A. Coach shoots puck in and D gets the puck and passes to the wing who times his skating from
inside to outside. D to W back to D and up to wing. Then repeat on the other side. All forwards
take turns getting the pass on the wing.
B. Coach shoots the puck in and D skates back to get in while the wing times his skating from the
middle to the outside lane.
The D drives the back of the net and stops and goes out the same direction making a counter pass
to the wing, who returns the
C3 Rejo 1-1 Both Sides - Gap Control
Key Points:
The defender needs to get within a sticklength of the attacker before the blueline. Attacker should try moves, dekes, fakes, change of pace, shooting beside the D's foot. Both F's and D's should take turns defending and attacking.
Description:
1. Attacker and defender both skate from the middle back to their blueline.
2. Attacker turns and goes 1-1 vs defender.
3. Done on both sides of the ice alternating direction.
4. Could do 2-1, 1-2, 2-2.
http://hockeycoachingabcs.com/mediagallery/media.php?f=0&sort=0&s=20090823122856482

D200 Game with Jokers below the goal line Key Points:
Work on give and go and getting open. Defenders intercept passes and tie up sticks on the rebounds. Goalies control rebounds.
Description: Play for twenty to thirty seconds and the offense must pass to a joker and get a return pass before scoring. Great game to work on puck support (role 2) and defensive support.(role 4) http://hockeycoachingabcs.com/mediagallery/media.php?f=0&sort=0&s=2008072320283431

Aberdeen, as far as using the material on this site for U10 there are a lot of practice ideas.

From the pdf’s choose from the drills and games coded A-B-D-E.
A - individual skills and skating.
B -partner skills.
D - Full ice, SAG games to teach the game.
E - shootouts and contests.

Most C, game situation and DT are too advanced for that age unless they are really skilled. The T is also too advanced.
Drill and Game PDF's: All of the drills and game practice PDF's are organized with the ABC coding system along with an explanation of the codes. I update the folder with the new material:

https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=bd6fa116988317e9&resid=BD6FA116988317E9!3014&parid=BD6FA116988317E9!111&authkey=!AEx0OA9DMEE18FY


From the video section look at the second section of the Hockey Coaching ABC’s Level Two. This section focuses on skating and individual skills with the A-B-D activities.

Levels 0-1 http://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/mediagallery/album.php?aid=36&page=1

Level 2 http://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/mediagallery/album.php?aid=44&page=1

If you use the TCW practice template that I have included you can open a pdf of a drill and insert the diagrams by highlighting them and then press copy. Paste them over the blank diagram. Then copy and paste the description.

I have used this method many times this month for planning practices at almost all age levels (practices from ages 6 to 19 in the last 3 weeks)

If you want diagrams for the video clips of the first 3 levels of the ABC's then you could use the Austrian manual becaus the cards are numbered the same. Highlight and paste the diagrams onto the TCW template. I will attach them.

Thanks Tom, I will need time to go through this.
But the PDFs are not in English. I think I have your English version somewhere
I?m looking to develop standards of play for the coaches in my org. So each age group will get materials on what to focus on, what the kids should have learned from previous age group, and things the kids should know before moving onto next age group.
There is so much information out there its overwheleming, and there are a lot of new(er) coaches. Especially at Squirt, some of my guys coached Mite because they needed coaches and don?t have a strong playing background. But they love to coach and are putting in the effort to learn and get better as a coaches. All I want are coaches willing to learn. I can control the content and core philosophy about who we are and what we stand for. For me it?s all about player development and strong core values. Using the game to teach life lessons. Not trying to sound cheesy. It?s what I believe. If I provide the core materials there is a better chance it gets covered. Let?s call this risk management

I have my Mite info together. Core skills are skating (agility, balance, coordination, and speed), stick handling, and passing. Instruct the kids but let them play to learn. All that stuff.
Now I?m on Squirt. That?s what I?m doing my research for. Then it will be Pee Wee, and so on.
If any of this makes sense. Anyway love this place and thanks for help

Benefit of Practice Routines

To use the ice efficiently a coach can develop routines to practice individual or team skills. Name them and allow the captains to lead or simply switch activities on a whistle. I am pasting some routines that demonstrate this.

A. Finnsih U17 Team in 3 zones.
1-Forwards in the middle passing, skating, puck handling in the neutral zone.
2-Defense going through breakout options and reading the forecheck at one end.
3-Goalie technique at far end.

Skating Balance and Edges
1-No puck.
2-With a puck and a shot.

Breakout Routines
1-Options with one D.
2-Both D.

The coach can develop routines for all of the skills to maximize repititions and free the coach to use key words to give feedback to the players instead of being a traffic cop running the flow of the activities.

Here are the examples.

B Skills Warm up Finnish U17
Key Points:
This is a great way to warm everyone up at the start of a practice. Defense do the various breakout options and read where the pressure is coming from. Pass the puck back to the coach and move thru everyone. Forwards pass with good technique and eye contact. Goalie coach work on technique and rebound control.
Description
A. Defense work with two doing breakout options vs one forechecker.
B. Forwards lines of 3 work in the neutral zone.
1 - Stationary pass with eye contact.
2 - Pass while moving always face puck.
3 - #8 around partners give and go.
4 - Keepaway 2-1 in four areas.
5 - Two lines move and pass to other two lines on the blue line.
6 - Two lines of 3 pass while skating on one side of the neutral zone.
C. Goalies work with coach at one end.

http://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/mediagallery/media.php?s=20120418122055838

A200 Skating Warm-up for Edges and Balance with a Puck and Shot

Key Points:
Good players can move in all directions efficiently because they and use all edges and have great balance on the ice. Routines for skating, puck handling, shooting and passing are efficient ways for a coach to quickly review the foundation skills and allow the players to get a lot of reps and improve at their own rate. Do these skating exercises with a and without a puck.

Description:
A200 Formation in Four Groups
- Players start at one end in 4 lines and skate to the other endwith a puck and shoot from their lane.
- inside edges - out and in using a snowplow.
- inside edges - sculling one leg at a time on the inside edges.
- outside and inside edges - slalom with the skates together and a good knee bend.
- balance and edges - one length of the ice on each leg.

Repeat the same sequence but skate Backward.

No puck.
http://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/mediagallery/media.php?f=0&sort=0&s=20110726073836113

Skating warm up with a puck and shot.
http://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/mediagallery/media.php?s=20120417103210440

Murdoch Breakout Routine A and B

D shoulder check on the way to the puck.
Forwards funnel through middle lane and watch puck before swinging up the boards.

Wings and Defense
A. Coach shoots puck in and D gets the puck and passes to the wing who times his skating from inside to outside. D to W back to D and up to wing. Then repeat on the other side.
B. Coach shoots the puck in and D skates back to get in while the wing times his skating from the middle to the outside lane.
The D drives the back of the net and stops and goes out the same direction making a counter pass to the wing, who returns the pass and gets another pass.Repeat on the other side.
Murdoch Breakout Routine A-B.jpg
http://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/mediagallery/video.php?n=20080720200745971
Breakout Routine C and D

Defenseman Shoulder check on the way to read the forechecking pressure.
Forwards read the play from the middle lane and time it so they are skating up the boards for the pass. If the forechecker follows you behind use the reverse.

C. Coach dumps the puck in and the D gets in and drive skates hard to the back of the net and up the ice between the dots. Pass D to W to D to W.

D. Coach dumps the puck in and the D gets it and drive skates to the back of the net to draw the forechecker then passes back off the boards to the other D who has called reverse from the front of the net. D2 passes to W to D2 to W and out.

B5 Murdoch Breakout Routine C and D.jpg

Murdoch Breakout Routine E and F


On all of these both wingers can go and time their skating to be available for the pass. Add the centreman to do 5-0 full ice reps.

E. Coach dumps the puck in D1 gets it, D2 skates to the front of the net and calls for the pass D to D. both wings watch the puck from the middle zone and time their skating to be available for the pass. D1 behind to D2 to F1 to D2 to F2 and out. try to pass to all three forwards and back to D twice. i.e. D to C to D to F2 to F1.

F. Coach calls the breakout (i.e. reverse) and all 5 breakout and try to score at the other end. Practice all of the options doing about 2 reps each line of 5.

At my last nights practice I had groups of 5 in the middle and they did from A-F as a 5-0, I dumped the puck in one side and then the other and they passed back to me when they got over the blueline. My asst did the same thing on the other side of the redline.
Murdoch Breakout Routine E and F.jpg
http://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/mediagallery/video.php?n=20080720200746400

Aberdeen, I just put this together. It is a pdf of Book One alone with the video clips about the program and the practice activities.

Hockey Coaching ABC’s: The ABC’s of International Hockey – Book One PDF
http://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/mediagallery/media.php?f=0&sort=0&s=20120425144319820

Video’s for Book One Levels 0-1
http://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/mediagallery/album.php?aid=36&page=1

Videos for Book One Level 2
http://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/mediagallery/album.php?aid=44&page=1

thanks Tom. This is so much info, I don?t know where to start.
Level 0-2 is Squirt?

Thanks again, just a little overwhelmed with the amount of info


how many ABC books are there?
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Aberdeen there are two ABC books. Book two contains all of book one with edits and some improvements. It doesn't have tear out practice cards like book one because they would have made it too thick. Book one has beginner levels 0-1-2. Level 0 is for a non skater and designed to teach balance on the ice and the ability to move in all directions. Levels 1 and 2 introduce the skills of hockey and all the levels use drills and games.

Book Two has levels 0-6 with a range from beginner to elite. Book two has additional chapter like how to use games to teach the game and an extensive chapter on how to play situations like 1-1 on offense and on defense. It goes right up to 6 on 5 and explains various power plays and penalty killing systems. It is spirally bound so the pages stay open while the coach reads.

This site is an extension of the two ABC manuals.