Volume 2 Issue 2 | February 2021
HOCKEY DIRECTORS & COACHES WEBINAR SERIES
AHAI has been and will continue to host informative webinars to assist our coaching community in developing their skills as coaches. We ask our kids to be coachable; we should demand the same from ourselves. Are you as a coach, coachable?

We have hosted three webinars to date: Player Development with Kendall Coyne Schofield and Erik Condra from the Chicago Blackhawks and Dan Jablonic of USA Hockey, Goaltending Fundamentals/Practice Design with Steve Thompson of USA Hockey, and Practice Design with Dan Muse, U18 National Team Development Program Head Coach (former Asst. Coach with Nashville Predators and Head Coach of Clark Cup Champion Chicago Steel). We will continue this series over the coming months. We are asking our coaches to take a quick survey so we can ensure we are bringing you the content you want to hear.
Click below to watch all of our Hockey Directors & Coaches Webinars!
ONE-TIMERS
Coaches Need Parents on Board to Help in Player Development
By Greg Bates – It doesn’t matter the age of an athlete: player development is always going to be one of the most important areas to work on for a coach.

That means teaching on and off the ice and getting the kid’s parents involved. Having the coach and parents of a player on the same page is paramount. That happens through good communication.
10U: The Ripest Environment for Strong Skaters
By Michael Rand - If 10U hockey is all about skating fundamentals, it’s because that’s the age that players are really starting to hit their stride on the ice – literally and figuratively. It’s a time to really zero in on the finer points of the ABCs – agility, balance and coordination – that started at 8U, says Heather Mannix, the manager of female hockey for USA Hockey’s American Development Model.
What Playing Fortnite With My Kids Has Taught Me About Coaching
Dr. Sergio Lara-Bercial, iCoachKids - My two kids (and all the children I coach!) are consumed by it (I know, PEGI16. Bad dad...). My kids love sport. They like being outside playing. Yet, this is the first time we have had to physically switch off the console and surgically remove the controller from their hands.
Who can blame them though...? I have tried it. Yes I have played. And for someone who never got into video games as a kid (it kind of passed me by), I have to give it to them: this game is addictive, very!

Now, this blog is not about criticizing video games or vilifying game designers. Quite the contrary actually. This blog is about sharing with you what I have learnt about coaching being ‘coached’ to play the game by my boys, and by deciphering the ‘tricks’ used by game designers to keep players engaged.
GOALTENDING
Goalies Should Not Be Shut Out from Coaching
By Steve Carroll, MN Hockey - Another winter hockey season is underway. It’s also the time of the year when people begin to realize what the coaches are or are not doing to improve the skill development of the goalies on their team.

Unfortunately, in a lot of cases, nothing is being done during scheduled practice times. Some coaches believe that as long as their goalies are seeing pucks during practices they are getting better. That’s not necessarily the case.
ON-ICE DRILLS
D to D Stretch Pass Drill
  1. Forwards in four lines, two Defense in each end zone.
  2. On whistle, first Forward of each diagonal line passes down to the close Defense who makes a D to D pass then hits the Forward, who has become the stretch man.
  3. Forward shoots 1 on 0, then the opposite Forward lines go.
  4. Add a defender by having the first d-man close gap on receiving forward at the blueline or delayed chaser against the forward receiving the puck to up the difficulty.
Figure 8 Angling Drill
Figure 8 Angling works on timing, angling, puck possession, transitions and net drive.

1. Players start facing each other on dot.
2. (F) picks up a puck and drives wide.
3. (D) skates around cones as shown, then angles.
4. (F) has to drive around lower cone before cutting to the net.

Variations: (a) take out the cone at hashmarks (b) allow forward to cut inside earlier.
USA 1-on-1, 2-on-2 with
Jeff Blashill
Jeff Blashill, head coach of the 2019 U.S. Men's National Team and bench boss for the NHL's Detroit Red Wings, draws up a small-area game that focuses on developing a shooting mentality, being strong in front of the net and working on puck retrievals.
GO PLAY OUTSIDE!
By Jim Clare, AHAI Coach-In-Chief - With a winter that is cooperating a bit better than the past few years and with a pandemic limiting hockey activities, outdoor rinks are flourishing. There are obvious benefits to skating on an outdoor rink (or pond) such as physical fitness and fun. However, as a hockey coach there are so many more things that can help the kids in their hockey journey. One such advantage is unstructured play, giving the kids the ability to decide, without a coach, what will happen on the ice.
The freedom to try new things, make mistakes, and try again without the pressures of a supervised practice. This assists in the creativity of the players when they return to the team practice. They have tried it on the "pond" or outdoor rink and now bring it to the team practice. It helps build their confidence as well.

Outdoor rinks also allow kids to work on specific drills without worrying about failing in front of their coach or teammate. Whether it is stickhandling, skating, passing, shooting all these skill sets can be enhanced on the outdoor surface. One advantage of outdoor rinks is they are usually smaller than a full sheet of ice. This naturally increases puck touches if they are playing a game with their friends. It also emulates our game, which is played in small areas all over the ice surface. A smaller surface increases the amount of decision making a player must handle. The very nature of a smaller surface requires this.

All these elements are present on an outdoor rink and will help develop our players. However, the most important aspect of outdoor rinks or ponds is the fun factor. Increasing the love of the game through having fun is paramount. Outdoor rinks certainly assist in that goal. If you have access to a pond or outdoor rink, encourage your skater to take advantage of it, especially this season. It will not only help them mentally but also in their development as a hockey player.
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