Volume 2 Issue 5 | May 2021
NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR THE 2021-22 SEASON
USA Hockey has passed new requirements for coaching education for the 2021-22 season. All coaches must have the required certification level by January 1 of the current season unless earlier deadlines are established by the district and/or affiliate. All coaches must complete the online age-specific modules PRIOR to participating with their team. Please click button below to read the full list of new requirements for this season.
UPCOMING VIRTUAL CEP CLINICS
Level 2 CEP Clinic
May 18 & May 20
6:30pm to 9:30pm (CDT)
Level 1 CEP Clinic
June 1 & June 3
6:30pm to 9:30pm (CDT)
2021 LEVEL 5 COACHES SYMPOSIUM
The Level 5 Coaches Symposium will return to the State of Hockey when coaches from around the country come together in Duluth, Minn., in search of USA Hockey's highest certification.

The highlight of the USA Hockey coaching calendar, the Level 5 Coaches Symposium will take place Aug. 19-22 at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center and is available to all Level 4 registered coaches.

The last time the Level 5 was in Minnesota more than 600 coaches attended the event. This year is no different with USA Hockey expecting to see above 600 again. At this event coaches can expect to see a star studded lineup of speakers from NHL coaches to College Coaches and even USA Hockey's ADM staff from around the country. Each presentation will be an hour in length. The topics presented will deal with all aspects fo the game of hockey.
2 MOST IMPORTANT SKILLS: IQ & COMPETE
Listen as Hall of Famer, Marty St. Louis discusses what he feels are the two most important skills to develop in your players: IQ & Compete.

If you develop the brain, you will develop the player. Just one of the many reasons why small area games are crucial to player development.
ONE-TIMERS
Ryan Hardy Builds Culture, Talent with Chicago Steel
By Greg Bates - During the last three seasons, no other team in the United States Hockey League (USHL) has had more success than the Chicago Steel. One major reason for that: Ryan Hardy. 

The third-year general manager came in and transformed the Steel into a junior hockey powerhouse. The organization, now in its 21st season, is having its best three-year stretch ever. Under Hardy’s guidance, the Steel have a record of 116-39-8-2 (as of April 26). This season, the squad is 38-11-3-2 (as of April 26) and has won back-to-back Anderson Cup championships, which is awarded to the team with the best regular-season record in the USHL.
Plan for U.S. Goalie Dominance Starts in Youth Hockey
By Greg Bates - Ken Dryden, Jacques Plante and Patrick Roy are three of the best NHL goalies of all time.

But that’s not all that lumps these goal-robbers together; they all were born and raised with a stick and glove in Canada. 

Having non-American-born goalies dominate the NHL has been an all-too-familiar theme since the league’s infancy. The vast majority of all minutes logged by goaltenders are by foreign-born players. USA Hockey wants to change that. 
TWO MAGIC WORDS
By John O'Sullivan, Changing the Game Project
“What were you doing out there?” screamed an angry dad.

“I told you to shoot!” yelled the coach to the shell shocked young boy who just passed to his teammate instead of fulfilling the coaches wishes.

“He doesn’t know what he is doing” says a third parent, shaking his head as the attack falters and possession is turned over.
Three adults, three familiar phrases we hear nearly every weekend from the sideline of our hockey, soccer or basketball game. If its baseball or softball you can replace shoot with “swing,” or “run” or you name it. Far too many coaches and parents on our sidelines are micromanaging performance and stealing our players reps, and they all have one very critical thing in common:

EVERY ONE OF THEM SAW THE PLAY FROM A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE AS THE ATHLETE!
DRILLS FOR THE MODERN GAME
5-Card Skating
Jeremy Weiss of Weiss Tech Hockey has a really quick drill that helps work on some of the skating patterns of defensive zone coverage while accomplishing conditioning at the same time.
On the Dot 3 on 2
2-on-2 plus 1 - players on dots can pass or shoot, but can’t leave the dots. Then... make it 3-on-3 plus 1. Suggestion: allow the “dot men” to move anywhere within their half, so it becomes a true 3-on-2 in each zone (notice added cones).
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