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6 Tips To Maximize Your Hockey Practice

Not every practice is going to run smoothly and be perfect. But if you aim to make practice the best part of your players week and the best part of your week, great things will unfold throughout the season.

Let’s face it, the cost of ice time is extremely expensive and it's on the rise. As a result, it is critical for organizations and coaches to work to make the most out of their time on the ice. Before we jump into tips on how to make the most out of practice, let’s make it a point to remember two important questions:

• Can you make practice the best part of your players week?
• Can you make practice the best part of your week?

If you only take away one piece of advice from this article, take the questions above with you. The answers to those questions are not always easy to achieve, but if you strive to accomplish those goals, you will naturally make practice a rewarding, fun, and engaging experience for all. Everyone will grow, including the coaches.

However, the reality is most youth hockey coaches have full-time jobs, families and juggle a wide variety of other priorities. Time is limited. Even though this is the case, it is crucial to realize a coach has the direct ability to positively (or negatively) impact a players life, forever. Whether you like it or not, you are a role model and your players are watching your actions and are looking up to you. Therefore, it is important to spend a little time thinking about creating a great practice.

Our list below will give some ideas to help you create a great practice. Please do not get overwhelmed by the list, start by taking one or two ideas and always remember that the most important thing to do as a coach is to care about your team and be a good person.

Below we discuss 6 tips along with links to resources to help youth hockey coaches & organizations make the most out of their time on the ice! 

Tip 1: Prepare Your Practices

One of the best ways to gain respect from other coaches, parents and players is being prepared. On the opposite hand, one of the quickest ways to lose respect is showing up unprepared, scrambling and winging it. Confidence is earned by being prepared.

Take time to create your practice plan before you step on the ice. You and your assistant coaches should know your goals, drills and coaching points for each practice. Here are some tips for planning out a practice:

• Have A Practice Goal or Theme : What skills, concepts, systems, and / or life lessons are you working on today? Do they contribute to your season goals? Are they relevant to what your team currently needs to work on?
• Potential practice outline : There are a lot of practice outlines that can be created to support your practice goal or theme, one example is a warm-up activity, followed by drills to work on a specific skill and / or concept and then finish with one or two small area games that reinforce what you are aiming to teach. Make sure people are having fun!
• Share The Practice Plan : Share the plan with assistant coaches and team so you are transparent with your goals and on the same page. You should spend at least 10 minutes before each practice to let your assistant coaches know the practice framework so you are all on the same page. Additionally, sharing a practice will allow your assistants to provide feedback so you can discuss and refine the practice if needed. IHS Members can create and share practice plans digitally on any device with their team ( learn how here ). 
• How prepared you are for the practice and what time you arrive at the rink.
• Your mindset and energy at practice (listing to a hockey podcast, coaching book or good music on the way to the rink can help get you in the right headspace).
• Make sure the whiteboards, pucks, water, nets, shooter tooters, obstacles, etc. are set before practice so you don't have to waste time gathering them during practice.
• Create A Drill Book To Keep Ideas Fresh : Keep a drill book and list out what skill or concept each drill works on. This will allow you to keep your practices fresh with new ideas and reference great drills from the past. You can keep a drill book by printing out and saving these items or you can upload them directly to IHS for years to come and access them on any device. If you are an IHS Member, just click "Upload Drill" to add an image or video. Learn how here .
• Warm-Up Off Of The Ice : If you have the ability to do a warmup before players get on the ice, you will have additional time on the ice.

Tip 2: Make Practice Engaging & Fun

If players are not engaged, they will not pay attention, and their minds will wander. Poor engagement will lead to disruption and make the practice not fun for you and the players. Therefore, it is imperative that you make sure practices are engaging!

Players that are engaged will work harder, have more fun and retain more of the concepts that you are striving to teach. Remember to aim to make practice the best part of your players week. If your team loves to practice, great things will happen. Below are a few ideas to help maximize engagement on the ice:

• For example, instead of just telling your players we are practicing " Changing Your Shot Angle like Auston Matthews " let them know why you want them to practice it. You could tell them that most goalies are good at straight-on shots and if you change your shot angle, it is harder for the goalie to read, which can catch them by surprise and increase your scoring chances.
• Limit Wait Times And Long Lines : Having you and your coaches prepared and know what drill is coming next will allow you to reduce the time players are sitting around waiting for you to set up and demo a drill.
• Teach With Progressions or Start Slow:  Players can learn deeper if you fully immerse them by focusing on a particular skill or concept one at a time instead of bouncing around multiple unrelated topics, skills and concepts. Start with the absolute basics of a topic and add progressions or variations when the player or group is ready to move on. Click to see an example of learning a complex skill with a progression . As you can see in the video, it would be hard for most players to do that skill right out of the gate, but if you get them to learn each basic skill before moving onto the next, they will have a greater likelyhood of performing the complex skill. 
• Develop Skills & Fundamentals : It is important to always continue to develop players skating, stickhandling, passing and shooting skills. You can start practice with the Finnish Skills Series and dive into our 40+ Free Skill Development Videos for ideas you can implement for into your practices.
• 14 Benefits of Small Area Hockey Games
• 100+ Small Area Hockey Games
• 10 Hockey Games To Play With No Goalies
• Add In Fun Drills & Games: Don't be afraid to go out of the box to really make practice fun and memorable. We have an article that includes 12 Fun Hockey Drills & Games to Shake Up Practice  (it includes bringing a soccer ball on the ice, and much, much more).
• Add Challenges & Races: Another way to naturally bring out the competitive spirit of your players is to include races or create challenges during practice. We have over 20 relay race drills  you can add to practice to get players competing. You will be surprised at how hard kids will work if you just drop a puck and say "go!"
• Limit Rambling Speeches : Know your practice goals and your coaching points. Focus on 1 to 3 major coaching points per drill or activity. If you go higher than that, most players will get overwhelmed and be unable to focus on the priority. If you find yourself rambling, it can be helpful to reference your practice outline and coaching points.
• Encourage On Ice Communication : Encourage coaches and players to be communicating with each other throughout the practice. Cheer for each other when a great effort or play is made in practice. Team support goes a long way. Also, players should be vocal when they are playing with others on the ice. If players are positive and communicate well in practice, it will translate over to the game.
• Drive Home Learnings With Video Examples : Not all teams will have time and/ or access to tv’s or iPads in the locker room. But showing video clips will help players get a greater understanding of what they are learning, why they should be learning it and how to apply it. You can also add in video examples into IHS Practice Plans or send emails with video clips so players can review before a practice.
• Add Variety & Your Own Spin : Work to find cutting edge ideas from around the web to keep things fresh. Also, as you learn and become more confident as a coach, put your own spin on drills. Don't be afraid to get creative and think outside of the box!!
• Add Music To Modify Practice Tempo : A quick and fun way to instantly increase the energy of practice is to add high energy music. You can bring this out for particular drills, a game or the whole practice. 
• Let Players See The Coaches Having Fun:   If the kids see the coaches having fun and smiling (while working hard) it instantly gives them permission to have fun and enjoy the practice as well. Emotions are contagious! Winnipeg Jets Head Coach Paul Maurice speaks about this topic in a short 1 minute Twitter video here .

Tip 3: Divide Up Ice

The ice can be divided up in a limitless amount of ways to allow coaches to reduce lines and work on a variety of skills, drills, small area games and challenges at once. Below are 6 examples ways the ice can be divided up to make the most of your ice time. Please note it is best to have at least one coach monitoring and managing a divided area of the ice.

Click on the link below for free printable PDF's for each layout that was listed above, along with drills and games that can be taught in the specific layouts:

View Printable Practice Rink PDFs

• 35+ Warm-Up Drills
• 195+ Full Ice Drills
• 200+ Half Ice Drills
• 85+ Unique Stations
• 50+ Small Area Games
• 40+ Skill Development Videos
• Goalie Development Videos
• View All (600+ Hockey Drills)

BONUS Station Idea: Half Ice Full-Width Drill Example

Stations are an incredible way to maximize ice time but they do not always allow players to work on full skating extensions and getting up to full speed. Below is a creative example of a drill that can be used that can get players working on getting up to full speed, while using the other half of the ice for other skills & stations. The drill below is called the  Half-Ice Full Length Breakout Hockey Drill .

Tip 4: Coach With Intention

You did the work. The practice is here. Now it is your time to shine! You prepared the practice and shared the goals with your coaches and team. You selected drills, games and activities to maximize the players' engagement and know why you are coaching each drill. As you step on the ice, control what you can, and realize that not everything will be perfect.

Below are tips to help you coach with intention.

• Be A Good Person :  At the end of the day, just being a good person is the most important thing you can do as a coach. Interact with your players, their parents and the coaches the same way you would want others to treat you and your family. Even if you are providing critical feedback, you can say it in a positive way. 
• Listen : It is important to listen to your players, team and coaches. Their feedback can help you grow as a coach and develop practices that better fit their needs. 
• Build Trust : Every time you show up to the rink prepared with a positive mindset shows your coaches, players and parents that you care. When players, coaches and parents know that you care, trust will develop. When trust is there, full team buy-in is possible.
• Explain Why : As a coach, if you know why you are coaching something and share this information with your assistant coaches, they will be able to reinforce your coaching points to the team. Having all coaches and players know why they are working on something, instead of just telling them to do something, will bring in greater understanding, discussion and engagement.
• Encourage Your Players : Make sure you create a culture where players push themselves but know that it is ok to make mistakes while they are working to get better. Not all kids come from supportive environments at home, at school, or with their friends outside of hockey. Being a coach that can encourage, push and show a player that hard work creates improvement can help a kid develop self-belief and positively impact their life forever.
• Hold Players Accountable : If you see a player not skating at their potential, or messing around and distracting others, let them know it. Also, correct and remind them of the coaching points and playing habits you are helping them reinforce. Topher Scott from The Hockey Think Tank has a great video on Accountability . 
• Challenge Your Team : Be aware of the current skill level of your team and make sure your practices are helping your players progress. Humans (including kids) love to see progress.
• Be Willing To Adjust & Modify : If you notice that your players are struggling to understand a concept or a skill, be ready to adjust and modify to help them understand what you are trying to coach. Feel free to spend more time on a particular drill, or break down the drill (or skill) further to help them progress. Don't be tied to your practice timeline and outline.
• Show Players You Care About Them :  Being prepared shows players you care, but also spending time getting to know your players before and after practice goes a long way. Ask questions about school, sports, and life outside of hockey.
• HAVE FUN!!!  Make sure you, your coaches and players are enjoying the process of practice. Make sure you find time to smile, breathe and enjoy yourself during a practice! Having fun and smiling is contagious! You can quantify this by looking around to see if anyone else is smiling. Here is a list of 12 fun hockey drills to shake up practice .

Tip 5: Reflect On Each Practice

The practice is finished. Now what? Some things went better than expected and some went terrible. Take note of what clicked, and what didn’t. Being able to reflect on practice will allow you to learn and make adjustments for the next practice. This will help you evolve as a coach. Below are 7 questions to ask yourself and the assistant coaches after each practice:

• Did we achieve our practice goals?
• What worked?
• What didn’t work?
• What do we need to spend more time on?
• What should we try next practice?
• What parts of practice were fun?
• As a coach, what did I do well?
• As a coach, what could I have done better?

Take a few minutes to answer the questions above. Even jotting down a sentence or word per question will help you fine-tune your future practices. You should do the same for each game. Practice and game reflections will help you grow as a coach and keep you and the assistant coaches accountable. It also will be fun to look back on at the end of the year. Bonus points if you and your assistant coaches share and discuss your responses back to each other. This will allow you all to help each other out and make you a closer unit.

Tip 6: Continue to Learn

Just as you are working to develop your players, you should strive to develop yourself as a coach and a person. The questionnaire above well let you know your strengths and weaknesses that you can work on.

There are so many incredible resources out there to use to constantly be learning. Additionally, realize that all of the skills you learn as a coach will bleed over to your personal, professional and family life. Understand that investing in learning how to be a better coach, will be investing in yourself. Below are a few tips on how to improve as a coach:

• Listen to hockey, coaching, and leadership podcasts (you can do this on the way to the rink)!
• Read coaching and leadership books (not just hockey books)
• Ask for help when you need it or have questions
• Go to coaching conferences and network with other coaches
• Read different hockey coaching materials online
• Follow coaches that post content on social media
• Watch hockey games and hockey highlights

Extra Credit Tip: Practice off of the ice

Since the cost of ice time is rising, there are other ways you can work with your team to develop their skills, camaraderie, and love for the game. Below are a few ideas:

• Team Practice : Unstructured hockey play on outdoor rinks, streets, parking lots is a great way to build a passion for the game. You can also organize team meetups to work on specific skills off of the ice.
• Individual Practice : Encourage players to develop an off-ice stickhandling routine . Also, when players are working on getting stronger, there are many  off-ice workouts  that can be done at home with no weights.

The practice planning tips above should help you get the most out of your practice time, but make sure to make the practice your own. Be authentic to who you are and don't try to be someone you are not. As a coach, this is a great time to take all of your life experiences and work to inspire the next generation. Lessons you teach your players on and off of the ice will transfer over to their life.

Not every practice is going to run smoothly and be perfect. There will be a lot of trial and error. But if you aim to make practice the best part of your players week and the best part of your week, great things will unfold throughout the season.

Related Articles:

• Learn How to Create & Share Practice Plans on IHS
• 40+ IHS Practice Plans
• Draw Your Own Hockey Drills
• Topher Scott's Culture Corner (Videos To Improve Your Team's Culture)
• 12 Fun Hockey Drills To Share Up Practice

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Hockey Practice Tips: The Do’s & Don’ts

5 hockey practice tips that will help you quickly develop your skills

By tim turk, nhl skills coach, 5 hockey practice tips.

If you were to select a handful of professional hockey players in the NHL today, they would have many skills in common: dedication, stamina, strength, fortitude, etc. However, one of the most interesting things they would have in common is that when they played hockey as kids, they always listened and focused during their hockey practice. Every NHL player had the proper sense to make the most out of their hockey practices, even when they were very young.

Believe it or not, making the most out of practice just requires having the right attitude and mindset. Listed below are 5 hockey practice tips on how to use your practice to your full advantage. This way, you can focus on developing your hockey skills as quickly as possible.

Tip #1: Listen to Your Coach

The most important thing that any hockey player can do during hockey practice is listening attentively to their coach . They have the coaching position because they know the game of hockey inside and out, and can offer hockey practice tips to best instruct you on how to become a better player.

Whenever your coach instructs you on something—whether they’re explaining a drill or giving a suggestion—make sure you’re quiet and attentive. Even when they’re talking to other players on your team, you should still be listening if you can. Often the things they are saying to that other player can still apply to you in many ways. So make sure you have your ears open, because you might catch something you can apply to your game to become better.

Tip #2: Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions

Your coach really knows their stuff when it comes to hockey. If you want to accelerate the development of your skills as a hockey player , you should ask as many questions as you can. Some examples of helpful questions are: What is this drill helping with? Is there anything I can be doing better? Also, always make sure to ask for help or clarification when you don’t understand something; that’s what your coach is there for!

Tip #3: Don’t Distract Others, or Let Others Distract You

Even if you’ve made the decision to listen intently to your coach, your teammates may still try to talk to you or distract you. Although keeping friendships is important, during practice the most important thing is to stay quiet and listen. Make sure to tell any teammate trying to distract you to stop, and remind them to pay attention. You’ll have plenty of time to talk and fool around off the ice!

By the same token, make sure you’re not distracting others. If others have made the decision to pay attention, try to respect that and develop the same attitude yourself. Your teammates will be grateful when everyone learns more as a result.

Tip #4: Come to Hockey Practice with the Right Attitude

Did you lose your last game and are still upset about it? That’s okay! Hockey players (or anyone, for that matter) can’t be happy all the time. But it’s important to try your best to leave any issues you might be having off the ice, and come to practice with a clear head and a positive attitude . This will really help you to focus on what your coach is saying and the drills you’re doing, so you can make the most out of your hockey practice.

Tip #5:  Always Give Your Best Effort

Professional players see every practice as a fantastic opportunity to improve their skills. The only way to ensure you’re making the most of your practices is to put in your best effort: Give it your all in every activity you do, from start to finish. This means not only trying your hardest physically in the drills, but also trying your hardest mentally, in terms of focusing on and internalizing what your coach is saying. This will put you well on your way to becoming the best hockey player you can be!

If you make it a habit to attend every practice and apply these hockey practice tips, you’ll have one more thing in common with every successful professional hockey player out there. As the saying goes, “A proper mindset is the first step toward success.”

These 5 hockey practice tips will help you make the most out of them. It’s one of the best things you can do to develop your skills as a hockey player.

Tim Turk has been an NHL-level skills and shooting coach for over 18 years. He has worked with the Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Carolina Hurricanes, as well as with many national programs overseas. He continues to work with NHL players while making time for minor league hockey teams and players. For more information visit his website, www.timturkhockey.com .

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THE HOCKEY COACH 14

• Sep 14, 2015

11 DOs and DON'Ts for Hockey Practice

When I get to the rink I really enjoy watching what’s happening on the other ice surfaces at the arena complex (even sometimes watching what is happening out on the soccer fields or in the gym as well). It always interests me how other coaches run their practices and without question I learn something new - often a new drill or a new spin on one that I use regularly.

Often though I find that some coaches don’t utilize their time with the team as well as they could. Here are eleven DO’s and DON’Ts of running practice.

DO plan your practice in advance with drills that you want to do, teaching points you want to make and how much time you want to spend on them.

DO make sure there is a reason for doing a drill and a focus for players while they are doing it. For example, if you are doing a passing and shooting drill, tell your athletes to make “hard” passes all of the time and to shoot below the goalie’s gloves.

DON’T spend too much time explaining a drill. I watched a coach spend five minutes at a white board on the glass the other day. I am pretty sure he lost his player’s attention about minute number three.

DO demonstrate drills when possible. All players don’t always understand best by looking at a diagram on a board. Show them how to do a drill and don’t always default to the board.

DON’T forget to go both ways or change sides so that players work on skills “left and right”. Even when you are doing some skating drill with stops or turns, make sure players are practicing from both sides. I often will tell players in some drills that they always have to stop facing the benches - forcing them to stop both left and right.

DO incorporate progression into your drills or use a certain drill’s set up and patterning to practice some other skill. For instance, my passing drill called Czech 1 (the old horseshoe passing drill) can become Czech 1v1 where two players go from the same line and the first player becomes a defenceman on a 1 on 1. You could then progress to 2v0, 2v1 and even 3v2 sending five players at the same time.

DO incorporate skills into your on ice warm up. Players can warm up just as well carrying a puck around the ice as just skating. Warm up can also consist of working on some skating technique. One of the warm up drill I use a lot consists of different skating parts that work on striding, backwards skating, Mohawk turns and crossovers. By the end, my players are ready to go AND they have improved their skating skills.

DO utilize all your coaches in practice. Make sure they have meaningful things to do on the ice in each drill.

DO incorporate some kind of competitive component to your practice. Do something that requires battles or keeping score.

DON’T leave the ice without having some fun. A game, a relay race, a small area game - anything that makes players want to come back and have fun again the next time.

DO make sure there is aerobic conditioning involved somehow in your practice. Whether it’s “disguised” conditioning playing full ice 3v3 or skating lengths at the end, players typically don’t get much conditioning outside of your practice times.

Practice is the most important time for you as a coach. This is where you can make a difference in the skill level of your players and the team play of your group. It doesn’t take much planning to make a practice run well and be productive.

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4 tips to get your hockey player to do their homework.

As soon as school is back and hockey season starts the focus for your child may turn to hockey, over their schooling. My guess is they enjoy school, at least playing, while they are at school, and the focus on conversation, even in their friends group is about hockey. Hockey is far more fun than school.

Of course it is, and that creates a problem when you need them to be focused on their school work. Getting that education is important. They may not realize that yet though.

Here are five tips to try to get them to focus on doing their homework.

Make it a challenge

You have no doubt seen your child be competitive, especially when they are on the ice, or on their bike racing their friends. Most children have some small innate competitiveness in them, even if its not visible, so make up a challenge around homework.

What do they LOVE to do, that would be a big win for them, if they could do that?  Might it be to go out for dinner after hockey practice?  Or, to go to a game they want to go to, to watch their favorite NHL player?  And it maybe they just want more time on the PlayStation. Whatever it is, think through some challenges and set them the challenge of completing their homework, to a set standard of course, to win that prize.

Or, depending on the subject, you might want to set a challenge that relates to their research abilities. For example, if they are studying a history subject, how many different things can they find out about their topic?  Make it fun.

Let them have some sort of reward. They will see the benefit when they are praised by not only you, but also their teacher for completing their homework in a timely fashion.

Shift the focus to hockey

For younger ones who have maths homework, get them doing their maths problems using a hockey team. There are 20 skaters in total for an NHL game – 18 skaters and 2 goalies. 5 players and 1 goalie are on the ice at any one game. Use these numbers for addition and subtraction equations. That way they will have fun, while learning their maths.

If they have a story to write, get them to write it about something to do with hockey, if that’s allowed of course. They could learn about a team, a player, some aspect of the game and write about it. Using hockey, something they love as the focus may make it more fun for them.

Get them to broaden their focus – to the hockey world

If you child has a history assignment to complete, or even for that matter a science project, let them broaden their thinking from general topics and focus their research and what they develop be on something hockey focused.

In Colorado, the Avalanche players visit STEM schools and talk to the students about force and topics related to speed, in order to show the students how hockey has these aspects as a part of it.

How fast does the hockey puck travel when it is hit from inside the blue line, till the time it hits the back of the net?

How does the height and weight of a hockey player impact how fast they can skate?

These are examples of things that can be used to answer questions your students might have as homework questions, yet the focus is turned to hockey in order to answer it.

Not only does this spark their interest, it also allows them to learn some more aspects of the game they love to play.

Do it with them, on road trips

You may have one or two our trips to and from the rink for practices and games. Use this travel time to help them with their homework. We all know that Moms have the ability to multi task (at least most do), so get engaged with your child and help them with their homework.

Use your phone and record information or discussions you have with them about homework topics, so that whilst they may not spend the time writing out homework answers while in the car, you can support them with providing the information you discussed on that trip, later when they get home.

This could not only have them feel more supported, but also make the task of completing homework, easier.

Try all or one of these ideas and let us know if any of them work for you?  What else have you tried that works?

Karen Cherrett, is a Mindset Coach helping people understand the impact their mindset has on their life, good and bad. She helps with anxiety, stress, overwhelm, depression and in developing coping skills for daily life.

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Preparing for a Successful Hockey Practice

• September 19, 2019

There are two main factors that contribute to the success of a hockey team.

The first is the players. Each player on the team needs to be focused, dedicated, and willing to do what it takes to bring home wins. If the players on a hockey team are synergized, it’s much more likely that they’ll win games compared to teams that don’t fully employ teamwork.

The second, equally important factor, is the coach. An all-star team with a subpar coach typically won’t end up being successful because they’ll lack proper direction. While there are many skills you need to be a great coach, one of the most important ones is being able to run a great practice. As coaches and players know, all the leg-work for a successful team happens in practice.

It can be hard, though, to know how to improve the quality of your practices.

I have the drills, I have the pucks, and I’m pretty good at assessing my players’ strengths and weaknesses. What else do I need?

As it turns out, there’s a lot more that a coach needs to run an effective hockey practice.

Do Some Off-Ice Studying

To run a better practice, you need to be a better coach. Simple. Stepping up your coaching game requires you to delve into resources off the ice so you can return to your team with new, effective material. Here are a few things you can help!

Books & Videos

There are hundreds of hockey books that have been specifically written for coaches, and all of them are loaded with useful information. Some great examples are: The Hockey Coaching Bible by Joe Bertagna, Behind the Bench by Craig Custance and Sidney Crosby, and Coaching Hockey for Dummies by Don MacAdam and Gail Reynolds.

There are also loads of free coaching resources in the form of videos. Simply browsing YouTube looking for coaching tips can yield outstanding improvement. We’re in the heart of the age of free information; all you need to do is use it.

Attend Seminars

On occasion, a hockey coaching conference or seminar will be hosted nearby. These seminars are typically multi-day events that are jam-packed with information for coaches. They include workshops, talks, and an important chance to network with other coaches and important people in the industry.

While coaching seminars usually run a high price, attending one can give you invaluable information and tools to improve your practices. Your organization may also cover the cost if you inquire.

Follow Coaching Websites

There are many websites that are entirely dedicated to helping hockey coaches run better practices and improve their teams. Sites like thecoachessite.com , icehockeysystems.com , and, of course, timturkhockey.com are packed with coaching resources.

First, make use of the free information that these sites offer. Then, make sure to routinely check on those websites to see if they’ve posted any new material. Most coaching websites also offer premium, paid material, so if you’re particularly impressed by a certain site, don’t hesitate to shell out a few bucks for the higher-quality content.

Compile a Book of Drills

One of the most important things to do as a hockey coach, no matter the level of your team, is to compile your own repertoire of drills. You should have multiple drills available to work on any hockey skill imaginable. That way, you can assess what your team needs to improve on most and attack those skills directly. Having a wide variety of drills at your fingertips ensures that your players won’t get bored, either.

Drills can be found in any of the formats previously mentioned—-in drill books, in YouTube videos, or on coaching websites. Take the time to find and gather a variety of quality drills  —-it can end up yielding worthwhile results and your organization may also cover this as well.

Network with Other Coaches

One of the most underrated methods of improving your hockey practices is networking with other coaches.

No coach is perfect at every aspect of their job. While you will have resources and knowledge in your strong areas, other coaches are sure to have expertise in areas you’re not as strong with.

Networking with other coaches allows you to share materials, information, tactics, and news in large groups so that you’ll have more insight on how to improve your practices and as a coach in general.

Bring in the Big Guns

Apart from working on your own knowledge, another option you have as a coach to improve the effectiveness of your practices is to bring in an expert: a specialized development coach that’ll work with your team and teach them everything they know about a certain skill.

There are hockey development coaches for just about any skill you can think of—-skating, shooting, stickhandling, puck protection, goaltending, etc. Within the bounds of the budget you’re given by your organization, you can invite specialist coaches to your practices as often as you want.

If your team has a clear weakness (like shooting, for example), hiring a specialist coach is a great option. Their expertise will allow your team to patch up said weakness in no time, giving them the best chance to dominate the rest of the season. Plus, if you occasionally bring in skills coaches, your team will look forward to those practices because they’ll involve a break in the usual routine. They’ll get to learn from a fresh mind and participate in unique exercises and drills, so your team will be excited and attentive.

Along with the suggestions of studying off-ice and bringing in specialty instructors, here are a few basic tips to ensure your hockey practice is effective and runs smoothly:

• Don’t use ice time for stretching. Make sure your players are stretching in the changeroom before practice begins so you can maximize the on-ice practice time.
• Avoid forming routines in your practice. If you repeat the same drills, your players will get complacent and will lose focus. Vary the exercises so that your players stay focused and engaged.
• Make sure you always have plenty of pucks available. For a normal-sized team, having over 50 pucks, probably closer to 100, is a safe bet.
• Give plenty of positive and specific feedback. Players of all ages respond better and learn faster when their criticism is at least somewhat positive and specific.
• Relate what your players learn in practice to their games. That way, when your players are faced with a similar in-game situation, they’re more likely to apply what they learned in practice.

These tips will help build the perfect coaching toolbox that you can use to run the best, most effective practices. Now, it’s up to you to get the tools.

Put in the study hours off the ice by reading books, attending seminars, collecting drills, and networking. If your team has the budget, bring in some specialty instructors to pass on their refined, specific knowledge for their area of expertise. And, when in doubt, look at the basics of how your practice runs to see if there are and minor improvements you could make.

After that, all you need to do is focus on leading your team to victory!

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3 Common Practice Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)

Posted on September 19, 2023

We’ve seen a lot of hockey practices in our day. So many, in fact, that we can clearly outline 3 common practice mistakes that just about every age group – male and female – makes. We’ll throw in a solution to each one – because we are like that.

Mistake #1 – Not Paying Attention to the Details

The coach says “go around the dot”… and the player skates through the dot. Or before the dot.

The coach says “stop at the blue line”… and the player stops 3 inches in front of it. Or 6 inches. Hell maybe a foot.

How to Fix it: Most times, players ‘cheat the drill’ when doing a drill at the same time as someone else. It’s almost like Player A wants to ‘race’ Player B down the ice, and will do the drills incorrectly to do so. Instead of trying to ‘win the race’, do the drills right. Trust the process, and focus more on doing things right (process) vs finishing first (the result).

Another way to fix the details issue is to be a better listener. Get closer to the board when the coach is explaining the drill. Make eye contact with the board and ignore distractions.

Other tips – Ask the assistant coach if you’re still unsure. Get to the back of the line (2nd person from the back) if you’re a visual learner; that way, you can watch players do the drill and emulate them.

Mistake #2 – Neglecting Rebounds and Short Range Offence

We feel that this is often a practice flow issue than an individual player issue. Players are often conditioned to skate past the net because – in flow drills – players are coming behind them. After umpteen years of practicing that way, it becomes a habit – players take a shot coming down the wing off a swing drill or horse shoe and skate behind the net, by the net, into the corner, or up to the ceiling. But not really up to the ceiling.

Rebounds/deflections have to be prioritized – not just by coaches but by players themselves. Where are all the goals scored at the higher levels? Exactly. Don’t just slip the puck into the bottom part of the net and call it a day – bury it! Get the puck upstairs! Train your brain so that it happens second nature in games.

How to Fix it: Coaches need to stress that players go to the net after shooting in flow drills, or design drills that have players shooting, going to the net, stopping and waiting in front for the next shot for a deflection. Coaches need to emphasize the importance of “garbage goals” and reward/reinforce players who “get their nose dirty” in the net front. Rebound goals might not be “viral Instagram content” but they all count the same on the scoresheet.

Mistake #3 – Not Challenging Yourself Within the Context of the Drill

We have all been there. Simple drill, and we just do what’s required. Get over the blue line and coast in for a shot. Make a pass on a 2v1 drill and cruise in to the net. Little skate at the beginning of practice… 2 hard strides and not 3. Some of us were the poster children of every example above (laugh now cry later).

Fix it. Now.

How to Fix it: It’s all between the ears, players. There’s a short window out there for you; don’t look back on your hockey career and say “if only I had have worked a little harder, I might have reached my potential”. It’s right there for you! Every chance that you’re on the ice – regardless of who it’s with – is a chance to get better. An opportunity.

The concept of co-production states that you can have the best trainer in the world, but if you go home after training and eat McDonald’s and Burger King every meal, you’re probably not seeing the results from the training. Players – it’s not on the coaches to push you all practice long. It has to come from within. YOU have to want it – if you don’t, that’s ok too. But if you ARE serious about improving (you’re reading this article, right?) you gotta dig deep. 6 am or 6 pm.

As our buddy says – “bell to bell” (congrats on your first child, Jon Lodge)

Until Next Time

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to do homework: 15 expert tips and tricks.

Coursework/GPA

Everyone struggles with homework sometimes, but if getting your homework done has become a chronic issue for you, then you may need a little extra help. That’s why we’ve written this article all about how to do homework. Once you’re finished reading it, you’ll know how to do homework (and have tons of new ways to motivate yourself to do homework)!

We’ve broken this article down into a few major sections. You’ll find:

• A diagnostic test to help you figure out why you’re struggling with homework
• A discussion of the four major homework problems students face, along with expert tips for addressing them
• A bonus section with tips for how to do homework fast

By the end of this article, you’ll be prepared to tackle whatever homework assignments your teachers throw at you .

So let’s get started!

How to Do Homework: Figure Out Your Struggles 

Sometimes it feels like everything is standing between you and getting your homework done. But the truth is, most people only have one or two major roadblocks that are keeping them from getting their homework done well and on time. 

The best way to figure out how to get motivated to do homework starts with pinpointing the issues that are affecting your ability to get your assignments done. That’s why we’ve developed a short quiz to help you identify the areas where you’re struggling. 

Take the quiz below and record your answers on your phone or on a scrap piece of paper. Keep in mind there are no wrong answers! 

1. You’ve just been assigned an essay in your English class that’s due at the end of the week. What’s the first thing you do?

A. Keep it in mind, even though you won’t start it until the day before it’s due  B. Open up your planner. You’ve got to figure out when you’ll write your paper since you have band practice, a speech tournament, and your little sister’s dance recital this week, too.  C. Groan out loud. Another essay? You could barely get yourself to write the last one!  D. Start thinking about your essay topic, which makes you think about your art project that’s due the same day, which reminds you that your favorite artist might have just posted to Instagram...so you better check your feed right now. 

2. Your mom asked you to pick up your room before she gets home from work. You’ve just gotten home from school. You decide you’ll tackle your chores: 

A. Five minutes before your mom walks through the front door. As long as it gets done, who cares when you start?  B. As soon as you get home from your shift at the local grocery store.  C. After you give yourself a 15-minute pep talk about how you need to get to work.  D. You won’t get it done. Between texts from your friends, trying to watch your favorite Netflix show, and playing with your dog, you just lost track of time! 

3. You’ve signed up to wash dogs at the Humane Society to help earn money for your senior class trip. You: 

A. Show up ten minutes late. You put off leaving your house until the last minute, then got stuck in unexpected traffic on the way to the shelter.  B. Have to call and cancel at the last minute. You forgot you’d already agreed to babysit your cousin and bake cupcakes for tomorrow’s bake sale.  C. Actually arrive fifteen minutes early with extra brushes and bandanas you picked up at the store. You’re passionate about animals, so you’re excited to help out! D. Show up on time, but only get three dogs washed. You couldn’t help it: you just kept getting distracted by how cute they were!

4. You have an hour of downtime, so you decide you’re going to watch an episode of The Great British Baking Show. You: 

A. Scroll through your social media feeds for twenty minutes before hitting play, which means you’re not able to finish the whole episode. Ugh! You really wanted to see who was sent home!  B. Watch fifteen minutes until you remember you’re supposed to pick up your sister from band practice before heading to your part-time job. No GBBO for you!  C. You finish one episode, then decide to watch another even though you’ve got SAT studying to do. It’s just more fun to watch people make scones.  D. Start the episode, but only catch bits and pieces of it because you’re reading Twitter, cleaning out your backpack, and eating a snack at the same time.

5. Your teacher asks you to stay after class because you’ve missed turning in two homework assignments in a row. When she asks you what’s wrong, you say: 

A. You planned to do your assignments during lunch, but you ran out of time. You decided it would be better to turn in nothing at all than submit unfinished work.  B. You really wanted to get the assignments done, but between your extracurriculars, family commitments, and your part-time job, your homework fell through the cracks.  C. You have a hard time psyching yourself to tackle the assignments. You just can’t seem to find the motivation to work on them once you get home.  D. You tried to do them, but you had a hard time focusing. By the time you realized you hadn’t gotten anything done, it was already time to turn them in. 

Like we said earlier, there are no right or wrong answers to this quiz (though your results will be better if you answered as honestly as possible). Here’s how your answers break down: 

• If your answers were mostly As, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is procrastination. 
• If your answers were mostly Bs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is time management. 
• If your answers were mostly Cs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is motivation. 
• If your answers were mostly Ds, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is getting distracted. 

Now that you’ve identified why you’re having a hard time getting your homework done, we can help you figure out how to fix it! Scroll down to find your core problem area to learn more about how you can start to address it. 

And one more thing: you’re really struggling with homework, it’s a good idea to read through every section below. You may find some additional tips that will help make homework less intimidating. 

How to Do Homework When You’re a Procrastinator  

Merriam Webster defines “procrastinate” as “to put off intentionally and habitually.” In other words, procrastination is when you choose to do something at the last minute on a regular basis. If you’ve ever found yourself pulling an all-nighter, trying to finish an assignment between periods, or sprinting to turn in a paper minutes before a deadline, you’ve experienced the effects of procrastination. 

If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you’re in good company. In fact, one study found that 70% to 95% of undergraduate students procrastinate when it comes to doing their homework. Unfortunately, procrastination can negatively impact your grades. Researchers have found that procrastination can lower your grade on an assignment by as much as five points ...which might not sound serious until you realize that can mean the difference between a B- and a C+. 

Procrastination can also negatively affect your health by increasing your stress levels , which can lead to other health conditions like insomnia, a weakened immune system, and even heart conditions. Getting a handle on procrastination can not only improve your grades, it can make you feel better, too! 

The big thing to understand about procrastination is that it’s not the result of laziness. Laziness is defined as being “disinclined to activity or exertion.” In other words, being lazy is all about doing nothing. But a s this Psychology Today article explains , procrastinators don’t put things off because they don’t want to work. Instead, procrastinators tend to postpone tasks they don’t want to do in favor of tasks that they perceive as either more important or more fun. Put another way, procrastinators want to do things...as long as it’s not their homework! 

3 Tips f or Conquering Procrastination 

Because putting off doing homework is a common problem, there are lots of good tactics for addressing procrastination. Keep reading for our three expert tips that will get your homework habits back on track in no time. 

#1: Create a Reward System

Like we mentioned earlier, procrastination happens when you prioritize other activities over getting your homework done. Many times, this happens because homework...well, just isn’t enjoyable. But you can add some fun back into the process by rewarding yourself for getting your work done. 

Here’s what we mean: let’s say you decide that every time you get your homework done before the day it’s due, you’ll give yourself a point. For every five points you earn, you’ll treat yourself to your favorite dessert: a chocolate cupcake! Now you have an extra (delicious!) incentive to motivate you to leave procrastination in the dust. 

If you’re not into cupcakes, don’t worry. Your reward can be anything that motivates you . Maybe it’s hanging out with your best friend or an extra ten minutes of video game time. As long as you’re choosing something that makes homework worth doing, you’ll be successful. 

#2: Have a Homework Accountability Partner 

If you’re having trouble getting yourself to start your homework ahead of time, it may be a good idea to call in reinforcements . Find a friend or classmate you can trust and explain to them that you’re trying to change your homework habits. Ask them if they’d be willing to text you to make sure you’re doing your homework and check in with you once a week to see if you’re meeting your anti-procrastination goals. 

Sharing your goals can make them feel more real, and an accountability partner can help hold you responsible for your decisions. For example, let’s say you’re tempted to put off your science lab write-up until the morning before it’s due. But you know that your accountability partner is going to text you about it tomorrow...and you don’t want to fess up that you haven’t started your assignment. A homework accountability partner can give you the extra support and incentive you need to keep your homework habits on track. 

#3: Create Your Own Due Dates 

If you’re a life-long procrastinator, you might find that changing the habit is harder than you expected. In that case, you might try using procrastination to your advantage! If you just can’t seem to stop doing your work at the last minute, try setting your own due dates for assignments that range from a day to a week before the assignment is actually due. 

Here’s what we mean. Let’s say you have a math worksheet that’s been assigned on Tuesday and is due on Friday. In your planner, you can write down the due date as Thursday instead. You may still put off your homework assignment until the last minute...but in this case, the “last minute” is a day before the assignment’s real due date . This little hack can trick your procrastination-addicted brain into planning ahead! 

If you feel like Kevin Hart in this meme, then our tips for doing homework when you're busy are for you. 

How to Do Homework When You’re too Busy

If you’re aiming to go to a top-tier college , you’re going to have a full plate. Because college admissions is getting more competitive, it’s important that you’re maintaining your grades , studying hard for your standardized tests , and participating in extracurriculars so your application stands out. A packed schedule can get even more hectic once you add family obligations or a part-time job to the mix. 

If you feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions at once, you’re not alone. Recent research has found that stress—and more severe stress-related conditions like anxiety and depression— are a major problem for high school students . In fact, one study from the American Psychological Association found that during the school year, students’ stress levels are higher than those of the adults around them. 

For students, homework is a major contributor to their overall stress levels . Many high schoolers have multiple hours of homework every night , and figuring out how to fit it into an already-packed schedule can seem impossible. 

3 Tips for Fitting Homework Into Your Busy Schedule

While it might feel like you have literally no time left in your schedule, there are still ways to make sure you’re able to get your homework done and meet your other commitments. Here are our expert homework tips for even the busiest of students. 

#1: Make a Prioritized To-Do List 

You probably already have a to-do list to keep yourself on track. The next step is to prioritize the items on your to-do list so you can see what items need your attention right away. 

Here’s how it works: at the beginning of each day, sit down and make a list of all the items you need to get done before you go to bed. This includes your homework, but it should also take into account any practices, chores, events, or job shifts you may have. Once you get everything listed out, it’s time to prioritize them using the labels A, B, and C. Here’s what those labels mean:

• A Tasks : tasks that have to get done—like showing up at work or turning in an assignment—get an A. 
• B Tasks : these are tasks that you would like to get done by the end of the day but aren’t as time sensitive. For example, studying for a test you have next week could be a B-level task. It’s still important, but it doesn’t have to be done right away.
• C Tasks: these are tasks that aren’t very important and/or have no real consequences if you don’t get them done immediately. For instance, if you’re hoping to clean out your closet but it’s not an assigned chore from your parents, you could label that to-do item with a C.

Prioritizing your to-do list helps you visualize which items need your immediate attention, and which items you can leave for later. A prioritized to-do list ensures that you’re spending your time efficiently and effectively, which helps you make room in your schedule for homework. So even though you might really want to start making decorations for Homecoming (a B task), you’ll know that finishing your reading log (an A task) is more important. 

#2: Use a Planner With Time Labels

Your planner is probably packed with notes, events, and assignments already. (And if you’re not using a planner, it’s time to start!) But planners can do more for you than just remind you when an assignment is due. If you’re using a planner with time labels, it can help you visualize how you need to spend your day.

A planner with time labels breaks your day down into chunks, and you assign tasks to each chunk of time. For example, you can make a note of your class schedule with assignments, block out time to study, and make sure you know when you need to be at practice. Once you know which tasks take priority, you can add them to any empty spaces in your day. 

Planning out how you spend your time not only helps you use it wisely, it can help you feel less overwhelmed, too . We’re big fans of planners that include a task list ( like this one ) or have room for notes ( like this one ). 

#3: Set Reminders on Your Phone 

If you need a little extra nudge to make sure you’re getting your homework done on time, it’s a good idea to set some reminders on your phone. You don’t need a fancy app, either. You can use your alarm app to have it go off at specific times throughout the day to remind you to do your homework. This works especially well if you have a set homework time scheduled. So if you’ve decided you’re doing homework at 6:00 pm, you can set an alarm to remind you to bust out your books and get to work. 

If you use your phone as your planner, you may have the option to add alerts, emails, or notifications to scheduled events . Many calendar apps, including the one that comes with your phone, have built-in reminders that you can customize to meet your needs. So if you block off time to do your homework from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, you can set a reminder that will pop up on your phone when it’s time to get started. 

This dog isn't judging your lack of motivation...but your teacher might. Keep reading for tips to help you motivate yourself to do your homework.

How to Do Homework When You’re Unmotivated 

At first glance, it may seem like procrastination and being unmotivated are the same thing. After all, both of these issues usually result in you putting off your homework until the very last minute. 

But there’s one key difference: many procrastinators are working, they’re just prioritizing work differently. They know they’re going to start their homework...they’re just going to do it later. 

Conversely, people who are unmotivated to do homework just can’t find the willpower to tackle their assignments. Procrastinators know they’ll at least attempt the homework at the last minute, whereas people who are unmotivated struggle with convincing themselves to do it at a ll. For procrastinators, the stress comes from the inevitable time crunch. For unmotivated people, the stress comes from trying to convince themselves to do something they don’t want to do in the first place. 

Here are some common reasons students are unmotivated in doing homework : 

• Assignments are too easy, too hard, or seemingly pointless 
• Students aren’t interested in (or passionate about) the subject matter
• Students are intimidated by the work and/or feels like they don’t understand the assignment 
• Homework isn’t fun, and students would rather spend their time on things that they enjoy 

To sum it up: people who lack motivation to do their homework are more likely to not do it at all, or to spend more time worrying about doing their homework than...well, actually doing it.

3 Tips for How to Get Motivated to Do Homework

The key to getting homework done when you’re unmotivated is to figure out what does motivate you, then apply those things to homework. It sounds tricky...but it’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it! Here are our three expert tips for motivating yourself to do your homework. 

#1: Use Incremental Incentives

When you’re not motivated, it’s important to give yourself small rewards to stay focused on finishing the task at hand. The trick is to keep the incentives small and to reward yourself often. For example, maybe you’re reading a good book in your free time. For every ten minutes you spend on your homework, you get to read five pages of your book. Like we mentioned earlier, make sure you’re choosing a reward that works for you! 

So why does this technique work? Using small rewards more often allows you to experience small wins for getting your work done. Every time you make it to one of your tiny reward points, you get to celebrate your success, which gives your brain a boost of dopamine . Dopamine helps you stay motivated and also creates a feeling of satisfaction when you complete your homework !  

#2: Form a Homework Group 

If you’re having trouble motivating yourself, it’s okay to turn to others for support. Creating a homework group can help with this. Bring together a group of your friends or classmates, and pick one time a week where you meet and work on homework together. You don’t have to be in the same class, or even taking the same subjects— the goal is to encourage one another to start (and finish!) your assignments. 

Another added benefit of a homework group is that you can help one another if you’re struggling to understand the material covered in your classes. This is especially helpful if your lack of motivation comes from being intimidated by your assignments. Asking your friends for help may feel less scary than talking to your teacher...and once you get a handle on the material, your homework may become less frightening, too. 

#3: Change Up Your Environment 

If you find that you’re totally unmotivated, it may help if you find a new place to do your homework. For example, if you’ve been struggling to get your homework done at home, try spending an extra hour in the library after school instead. The change of scenery can limit your distractions and give you the energy you need to get your work done. 

If you’re stuck doing homework at home, you can still use this tip. For instance, maybe you’ve always done your homework sitting on your bed. Try relocating somewhere else, like your kitchen table, for a few weeks. You may find that setting up a new “homework spot” in your house gives you a motivational lift and helps you get your work done. 

Social media can be a huge problem when it comes to doing homework. We have advice for helping you unplug and regain focus.

How to Do Homework When You’re Easily Distracted

We live in an always-on world, and there are tons of things clamoring for our attention. From friends and family to pop culture and social media, it seems like there’s always something (or someone!) distracting us from the things we need to do.

The 24/7 world we live in has affected our ability to focus on tasks for prolonged periods of time. Research has shown that over the past decade, an average person’s attention span has gone from 12 seconds to eight seconds . And when we do lose focus, i t takes people a long time to get back on task . One study found that it can take as long as 23 minutes to get back to work once we’ve been distracte d. No wonder it can take hours to get your homework done! 

3 Tips to Improve Your Focus

If you have a hard time focusing when you’re doing your homework, it’s a good idea to try and eliminate as many distractions as possible. Here are three expert tips for blocking out the noise so you can focus on getting your homework done. 

#1: Create a Distraction-Free Environment

Pick a place where you’ll do your homework every day, and make it as distraction-free as possible. Try to find a location where there won’t be tons of noise, and limit your access to screens while you’re doing your homework. Put together a focus-oriented playlist (or choose one on your favorite streaming service), and put your headphones on while you work. 

You may find that other people, like your friends and family, are your biggest distraction. If that’s the case, try setting up some homework boundaries. Let them know when you’ll be working on homework every day, and ask them if they’ll help you keep a quiet environment. They’ll be happy to lend a hand! 

#2: Limit Your Access to Technology 

We know, we know...this tip isn’t fun, but it does work. For homework that doesn’t require a computer, like handouts or worksheets, it’s best to put all your technology away . Turn off your television, put your phone and laptop in your backpack, and silence notifications on any wearable tech you may be sporting. If you listen to music while you work, that’s fine...but make sure you have a playlist set up so you’re not shuffling through songs once you get started on your homework. 

If your homework requires your laptop or tablet, it can be harder to limit your access to distractions. But it’s not impossible! T here are apps you can download that will block certain websites while you’re working so that you’re not tempted to scroll through Twitter or check your Facebook feed. Silence notifications and text messages on your computer, and don’t open your email account unless you absolutely have to. And if you don’t need access to the internet to complete your assignments, turn off your WiFi. Cutting out the online chatter is a great way to make sure you’re getting your homework done. 

#3: Set a Timer (the Pomodoro Technique)

Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro technique ? It’s a productivity hack that uses a timer to help you focus!

Here’s how it works: first, set a timer for 25 minutes. This is going to be your work time. During this 25 minutes, all you can do is work on whatever homework assignment you have in front of you. No email, no text messaging, no phone calls—just homework. When that timer goes off, you get to take a 5 minute break. Every time you go through one of these cycles, it’s called a “pomodoro.” For every four pomodoros you complete, you can take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.

The pomodoro technique works through a combination of boundary setting and rewards. First, it gives you a finite amount of time to focus, so you know that you only have to work really hard for 25 minutes. Once you’ve done that, you’re rewarded with a short break where you can do whatever you want. Additionally, tracking how many pomodoros you complete can help you see how long you’re really working on your homework. (Once you start using our focus tips, you may find it doesn’t take as long as you thought!)

Two Bonus Tips for How to Do Homework Fast

Even if you’re doing everything right, there will be times when you just need to get your homework done as fast as possible. (Why do teachers always have projects due in the same week? The world may never know.)

The problem with speeding through homework is that it’s easy to make mistakes. While turning in an assignment is always better than not submitting anything at all, you want to make sure that you’re not compromising quality for speed. Simply put, the goal is to get your homework done quickly and still make a good grade on the assignment! 

Here are our two bonus tips for getting a decent grade on your homework assignments , even when you’re in a time crunch. 

#1: Do the Easy Parts First 

This is especially true if you’re working on a handout with multiple questions. Before you start working on the assignment, read through all the questions and problems. As you do, make a mark beside the questions you think are “easy” to answer . 

Once you’ve finished going through the whole assignment, you can answer these questions first. Getting the easy questions out of the way as quickly as possible lets you spend more time on the trickier portions of your homework, which will maximize your assignment grade. 

(Quick note: this is also a good strategy to use on timed assignments and tests, like the SAT and the ACT !) 

#2: Pay Attention in Class 

Homework gets a lot easier when you’re actively learning the material. Teachers aren’t giving you homework because they’re mean or trying to ruin your weekend... it’s because they want you to really understand the course material. Homework is designed to reinforce what you’re already learning in class so you’ll be ready to tackle harder concepts later.

When you pay attention in class, ask questions, and take good notes, you’re absorbing the information you’ll need to succeed on your homework assignments. (You’re stuck in class anyway, so you might as well make the most of it!) Not only will paying attention in class make your homework less confusing, it will also help it go much faster, too.

What’s Next?

If you’re looking to improve your productivity beyond homework, a good place to begin is with time management. After all, we only have so much time in a day...so it’s important to get the most out of it! To get you started, check out this list of the 12 best time management techniques that you can start using today.

You may have read this article because homework struggles have been affecting your GPA. Now that you’re on the path to homework success, it’s time to start being proactive about raising your grades. This article teaches you everything you need to know about raising your GPA so you can

Now you know how to get motivated to do homework...but what about your study habits? Studying is just as critical to getting good grades, and ultimately getting into a good college . We can teach you how to study bette r in high school. (We’ve also got tons of resources to help you study for your ACT and SAT exams , too!)

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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Do’s and Don’ts at Hockey Practice

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If you selected a handful of professional hockey players in the NHL today, they would have many skills in common: dedication, stamina, strength, fortitude, etc. However, one of the most interesting things they would have in common is that, when they were playing hockey as kids, they always listened and focused during their hockey practices. Every NHL player had the proper sense to make the most out of their hockey practices, even when they were very young.

Hockey practice requires the right attitude and mindset. Here are 5 helpful tips on how to use these practices to your full advantage.

Listen to Your Coach

  The most important thing that any hockey player can do during practice is listen attentively to their coach. They have the coaching position because they know the game of hockey inside and out, and can best instruct you on how to become a better player.

Whenever your coach goes to instruct you on something, whether they’re explaining a drill or giving a suggestion, make sure you’re quiet and attentive. Even when they’re talking to other players on your team, you should still be listening if you can! Often, the things they are saying to that other player can still apply to you in many ways. So, make sure you have your ears open, because you might catch something you can apply to your game to become better.

Ask Questions

Coaches know their stuff when it comes to hockey. If you want to quicken the development of your skills as a hockey player, you should ask as many questions as you can! Some examples of helpful questions are: What is this drill helping with? Is there anything I can be doing better? Also, always make sure to ask for help or clarification when you don’t understand something; that’s what your coach is there for!

Don’t Distract Others or Let Others Distract You

Even if you’ve made the decision to listen intently to your coach, your other teammates may still try to talk to you or distract you. Although keeping friendships is important, during practice, the most important thing is staying quiet and listening. Make sure to tell any teammate trying to distract you to stop, and remind them to pay attention. You’ll have plenty of time to talk and fool around off the ice.

By the same token, make sure you’re not distracting others. If others have made the decision to pay attention, try to respect that and develop the same attitude yourself. Your teammates will be grateful when everyone learns more as a result.

Come to Practice with the Right Attitude

Did you lose your last game and are still upset about it? That’s okay! Hockey players (or anybody, for that matter) can’t be happy all the time. But it’s important to try your best at leaving any issues you might be having off the ice and coming to practice with a clear head and a great attitude. This will really help with being able to focus on what your coach is saying and the drills you’re doing, so you can make the most out of practice.

Give Your Best Effort

Professional players see every practice as a fantastic opportunity to improve. The only way to ensure you’re making the most out of your practices is to put in your best effort. Give your all in every activity that you do, from start to finish. This means not only trying your hardest physically in the drills, but also trying your hardest mentally in terms of focusing on and internalizing what your coach is saying. This will put you well on your way to becoming the best hockey player you can be!

If you make it a habit to attend every practice applying these five things, you’ll have one more thing in common with every successful, professional hockey player out there. You know what they say, “A proper mindset is the first step toward success”, and making the most out of practices is one of the best things you can do to develop your skills as a hockey player!

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Hockey Mental Game

Mental Toughness Strategies for Hockey Players, Coaches, & Parents

Hockey Players Who Practice with a Purpose

September 26, 2019 By Patrick Cohn Leave a Comment

Why Practice is So Important

You attend practice. You do the drills. You warm up for games… You are ready for the season, right?

There is a difference between practicing and practicing with a purpose or preparing and preparing with an end in mind.

Hockey players often dread pre-season. Many players dislike conditioning, find drills monotonous and go through the motions of practice with one eye on the clock counting down the minutes until the end of workouts.

This is the avenue to average, not the pathway to potential.

If you enter preseason with a purpose, all the drills, conditioning and practices make sense. You start to see training as a tool to improve your game and hone your skills.

Instead of feeling that preseason practices are punishment, you see them as opportunities to lift your game to the next level.

What is Practicing with a Purpose?

It is having a plan for each training session, practice or drill. It’s a matter of asking yourself, “How will this drill benefit my game or help me to achieve my goals?”

Practicing with a purpose requires that you have a focus on production and improvement, rather than counting down the minutes until practice is over.

Not only is it important for you to practice with a purpose, it is also necessary for top NHL players to practice with a purpose.

For example, Florida Panther goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky views practices as a way to hone his craft.

Bobrovsky is recognized as one of the NHL’s top goaltenders and won the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the league’s top regular season goaltender, for the 2012-13 season, as well as the 2016-17 season.

Florida head coach Dave Tippett has been impressed with the manner in which Bobrovsky practices and prepares.

TIPPETT: “Seeing [Bobrovsky] in the gym and on the ice, you can see why he’s had the success he’s had in the past. It’s pretty cool to see how he works.”

Not only does practicing with a purpose improve your game, it has a positive influence on your teammates.

Bobrovsky, who has led all goaltenders in wins over the past three seasons (115), never stops improving. Practicing with a purpose has become a habit as he considers preparation a necessary component of being on top of his game.

Bobrovsky focuses on being his best every time he hits the ice no matter if it is a game or a practice.

BOBROVSKY: “I know my job. I know what I have to do here, what’s my role and what’s my goal. You come here and bring to the table your skills and your professionalism. The relationships will come after.”

Your production during practices matters as much, if not more, than your production in games. Practicing with a purpose results in better performance and more consistency.

After all, isn’t that the reason you play hockey?

Practice with a Purpose:

First, you need to have a purpose or goal for the season. Why do you do what you do?

Secondly, ask, “How will this drill or training session bring me closer to my goal?”

Even a grueling conditioning session may have the purpose of making you mentally tougher.

Practice like you play in a game. Don’t just coast through the practice. Have the intensity that you are carrying the puck in the game on every drill.

Related Articles on Hockey Mental Game:

• How to Create a Winning Mindset for Hockey
• How Hockey Players Grow into Their Potential
• 5 Components of Managing Injuries 

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• State Of Hockey

The Hockey Life: Practice is at What Time?

South st. paul coach offers tips for dealing with late nights on the ice.

Credit: Minnesota Hockey.

“Practice is at what time?!”

Many parents and coaches have likely asked themselves this numerous times throughout a season. As registration numbers continue to climb, so does the demand for ice time. That, in turn, can lead to some teams taking the ice for practice when they should be hitting the sheets for the night.

A former player-turned-hockey dad and head coach of the South St. Paul girls’ high school team, Dave Palmquist has been a part of his fair share of late-night practices.

“As with anything in sports, it’s all about prioritizing and making sure you know what needs to get done first,” he said. “Make sure the parents and the kids are on the same page and make a plan for what needs to get done and when.”

How do you make it work for your player and the family? Palmquist offers five tips to manage those late-night skates.

1. Homework and Chores First

Schoolwork and household chores should always be a priority for kids while they’re in sports – even if they don’t necessarily agree. Late-night practices put more emphasis on getting the big tasks done first before allowing him or her to go out and have fun on the ice.

“You want to instill early on in the season that as soon as the kids come home from school, they get a jump start on their homework and chores,” said Palmquist. “You don’t want it to wait until after practice. Then it turns in to a bad habit that’s hard to turn off.”

By creating a routine of chores, homework, dinner, then practice – or a similar variation – it sets an organized plan into motion. Help establish an order of responsibilities, and it will help alleviate stresses for you and your player.

2. Hot Meal on the Go

Dinner is one of the big challenges families face when it comes to the hockey season, no matter the practice time. While practice at a later time can allow for some hearty home-cooked meals, it becomes too easy to suggest hitting up the nearby fast-food joint instead.

“Supper is important not only for the health and energy benefits, but for the family time, too,” said Palmquist. “A lot of times during (hockey) we think it’s easier to just grab something and go to the rink, or eat at the rink. But we should really be making an effort to have a real meal, too.”

Read more at  Minnesotahockey.org

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10 Best Hockey Practice Habits

03 Oct 10 Best Hockey Practice Habits

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Hockey Practice Habits to Live By

• Accelerate toward the net. Never glide when you’re about to shoot. Never get into the habit in practice of big wind ups that are predictable by goalies in games. Add more strength to your shot by accelerating as you shoot. In doing this, you won’t have to depend so much on your upper body and shots will not only be unpredictable but they’ll come off your stick hard, with ease.
• Watch other players in line. Make sure to not be distracted while standing in line during drills. Studies show that watching players do drills is just the same as doing the drill yourself. Your motor neurons at a slower rate, or a less intense rate will still fire as if you are doing the drill yourself if you’re watching the drill intently. Watch for players mistakes. Watch with the eyes of a coach.
• Put everything into a game situation. If there’s no one in front of you, add a few moves on the way to the net. Add a little bit more intensity. Drive wide. Protect the pluck. Do things you would normally do in a game, even though there’s no one else in front of you.

• Always ask the coach for clarification when you don’t understand a drill. Never walk away from the coaching board confused, and get in line for a drill. Asking for clarification shows a coach that you care, and it shows a coach that you want to do well. The worst thing you can do while a coach is explaining a drill is immediately say, “What? Huh? I don’t get it.” It’s impossible if a coach is speaking the same language that you speak to not totally get a drill. Therefore, make sure to phrase your questions appropriately and be specific about what you don’t get. Little things add up to your understanding as well. Where are you sitting? Down on one knee while the coach is talking. Can you clearly see the board? If the coach has his back turned toward you, are you able to hear him or her clearly? Don’t be afraid to ask a coach to speak louder if you can’t hear.

• Always accelerate from a stand still . This is probably the number one habit that could lead to huge gains in game play. And a lot of game players don’t realize the benefits of exaggerating a quick start every chance they get. Whether it’s standing still and receiving a pass, your ability to get from zero to 60 in no time will dictate how quickly you could surprise that defense man who is trying to maintain a gap on you going through the neutral zone by blistering speed. The quicker you’re coming at a defense man, the harder it is for him to maintain that gap. Get on your toes and make a difference in every step you take for the first four or five steps of an explosive start in every drill. That type intensity will teach your body that it’s not okay just to start skating with long strides. That the skating movement must start with a forward lean and quick steps on your toes.

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Adults Guide – How to Start Playing Hockey

You’ve always loved hockey but your parents didn’t enroll you. Now you’ve got a job, or have moved close to an arena and are finally taking the leap. Good job, you are not alone. I have had people email me who are 50+ years old that are just starting. Below are some tips for you to learn and improve quickly.

Guide for Adults starting hockey

If you just want to give hockey a shot, you don’t need to dump your full pay cheque and then some on hockey equipment. All you really need are skates, elbow pads, shin pads, a stick and a helmet. If you look around you could find most items used, or on sale. I recommend a decent helmet, and comfortable skates that fit properly. For more information on what equipment you need visit our hockey equipment guide for adult players

In most adult leagues shoulder pads, a mouth guard, and a neck guard is optional.

You should learn how to skate first

How can an adult start playing hockey?

After you’ve taken some skating lessons I suggest you get as much ice time as you can. This means going to public skating and open hockey sessions (known as stick and puck, shinny, or pick up hockey).

Another good tip is to  play any type of hockey you can . Play inline, ball hockey, street hockey, shoot pucks in your backyard. All of these things will help you improve

The three biggest skills you need to learn are skating, shooting, and puck control. Skating needs to be done on the ice (some rollerblading doesn’t hurt) but stickhandling and shooting can be practiced at home. All you really need is a shooting pad and something to shoot at (a hockey net is a good idea, but anything that stops pucks will work)

How to join a hockey team

If you haven’t made any friends at the arena, you could call the local rinks and ask for beginner hockey leagues. You can usually just sign up, pay and play, but it will be more fun if you know a few guys on the team (that’s why I recommend playing a lot of pick up hockey before you join a team)

If you are in Canada you can use the CARHA hockey finder . CARHA is the leader in adult rec hockey in Canada. Fill in your information and they will find a spot for you to play! How cool is that.

You can also try the hockey community to find pick-up games in your area. It’s popular in some cities and is worth a shot.

If you’re looking for a great online community you can join us in r/hockeyplayers on Reddit.

Learn to Play Hockey at home – Join The Pond for easy to follow video courses, challenges, and a private social group to quickly improve your hockey skills at home

That’s it for now, if you have any suggestions or tips of your own let me know in the comments section below

Coach Jeremy

5 Tricks to Stop Tryout Stress

By Jessi Pierce, Special to Minnesota Hockey , 09/20/21, 1:45PM CDT

The start of school signals not only the return of fall, friendly faces and homework. It is also a surefire reminder that hockey season is right around the corner.

With the arrival of another year on the ice (welcome back!) it means coaches, players and parents are also preparing for tryouts.

Mike Orn, District 10 Coach-in-Chief and assistant with the Anoka High School boys’ varsity team, knows that the word ‘tryout’ alone can trigger feelings of anxiety, worry and stress – and hopefully at least some excitement, too.

“Being nervous is very normal, in fact, it can be good,” said Orn. “It shows that you care and want to do it. It keeps you focused.”

Jitters are certainly a normal part of every tryout season. But what should you be focused on to perform your very best? And how can you calm your nerves to do just that? Orn shares his thoughts.

1. Do Your Homework (parents, this one’s for you)

“As parents, we love our kids, and we want them to measure up and be the best. That’s why it’s difficult to watch them being evaluated by a subjective process that we have no control over,” explained Orn, a father of four himself. “We also have social relationships at stake depending on what teams they land on.”

Orn notes that a lot of the worries parents have during tryout season can be deterred through educating themselves on the process of tryouts, which in youth hockey are more of an evaluation than a tryout since there are no cuts, and the development trajectory of players (i.e. the American Development Model).

“Emphasizing the objective is on ensuring players make the right teams, not necessarily the top teams can remind parents that skills develop on very different timelines,” he said. “There are always early developers and late bloomers. The focus for coaches is on long-term athlete development – helping players reach their full hockey potential – and most importantly, helping them retain a love for the game, regardless of when their competitive hockey career ends.”

2. Skills on Display

OK, but what skills are coaches looking at?

“As a coach, the most noticeable and important hockey skill at all levels is skating. This would include speed, agility, mobility, balance. Other important hockey skills are puck control, shooting, passing.

“Some intangible skills that are important include a player’s work ethic and compete level. Do they battle hard? Do they often win puck battles? Do they hustle to and from the bench on line changes? Also, hockey sense. Are they around the puck and the play? Do they anticipate where play is going? Do they see the ice, their teammates and opposing players and make good plays?”

3. A+ Attitude

In most tryouts, it is very clear which players are the most skilled and the least skilled. For the players in the middle, evaluators and coaches hone in on details to separate players, and off-ice character, effort and attitude often become difference making attributes in both positive and negative ways.  

“How does the player respond to theirs or their teammates’ mistakes? Do they display negative body language like hitting their stick against boards? Frustrated players never perform very well. Also, on-ice communication. Do they talk on the ice? Do they demand or want the puck? Coaches love this. It shows passion and that the player cares. It also provides energy and makes the game fun for everyone.”

4. Control What You Can Control 

“Players, focus on what you control: your attitude and effort, and make sure you enjoy the process and have fun! That is why you play the game of hockey.

“Parents, communicate this advice to your kids. Also, regardless of the outcome, never make excuses or criticize or blame others in front of your kids. You are inadvertently creating a victim mentality and not valuing the traits of personal responsibility or accountability.”

5. Know It’s Going to Be OK

It's never easy to handle the news that you maybe didn't make the team you wanted to. Now players (and parents) are forced to refocus the energy and efforts heading into a new season that might understandably begin with some disappointment.

“Humble yourself to prepare that it might happen, so you are not surprised by it. Find the positives. There are usually always teammates that you are excited to play with. You also are likely to be the better skilled player and leader on this team which you will play on.

“Tryouts can be stressful, but they do not have to be! It is important to remember why we have them, and that is to give kids the best possible environment to develop their skills, have success and enjoy their hockey season. One tryout does not determine a player’s hockey fate, it just shows where they are in the long-term development process at this point in time.”

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How To Be Your Own Hockey Advisor On Your Own Time

• Trevor DiCarlo

Hockey Advisors? What's It All About?

You probably have heard other players or families talk about them, but advisors are an area that have a bit of a mystery to them in the hockey community. Whether you believe they are worth the cost or they are useful or not isn’t what is being discussed here.

What is being discussed below are ways that you can attempt to be your own advisor and do part of the work that you would typically pay a few thousand dollars for.

Honest Self Assessment

The first thing you need to do is have an honest self-assessment with yourself and with your family on what you want to get out of junior hockey.

Do you plan on going to college?

Do you have the grades or ACT/SAT scores to support your chances of getting into a college that you want to attend?

Where are you as a hockey player? Are you playing in a rec league or are you AAA or in between?

Are you willing to upheave your life, leave your friends and family behind and move to another state or country and live with another family while you go to school and play hockey?

Do you have the funds to possibly pay for junior hockey?

These are just sample questions you need to figure out before you go down the junior hockey path.

Be Prepared To Do Alot of Homework on Junior Hockey Organizations and Hockey Advisors

One of the main reasons people hire advisors is because they don’t know anything about getting into junior hockey or about what is the right route for them. So to save themselves their time and try and get into the best situation possible, they hire someone who will save them that and do the homework for them (though it’s already done as the hockey advisors have the knowledge and network).

Essentially to do this on your own is going to be like going and asking the smartest kid in class to give you all the answers and write your essay for a fee, to actually opening your textbook and taking notes, and asking questions through the whole process and then write the essay on your own. Which one do you prefer all comes down to one option costs money and is easier, while the other involves more work and your time.

Start by researching the different leagues that are available to you. Figure out what the difference is between each and every one of them are. Find out what each Tier means, what the difference between a tender and a contract is . What leagues are pay to play or cover your tuition?

Is it better to go to an open camp or a showcase?

Listen to The Junior Hockey Podcast or read one of our previous articles for information and ideas (I know cheap plug).

Get Exposure

As I’ve said before, the more eyes you can play in front of at anyone time is the best place for you, especially when trying to get your name out there. Showcases typically have been the perfect place to play to get that exposure as at the really good showcases, they have many junior programs in attendance .

So, you may have to spend a few hundred dollars to play 4-5 games during a showcase in order to get that exposure, but it opens yourself up to a vast network of Junior clubs and their hockey operations staff (which many advisors also already have). The other bonus of a showcase is it lets you see where you stand among the players who have the same goals as you do and are within the same age range.

Maybe here you really decide “nope, I’m not talented enough for this and I’d rather go to the local college, party, play rat hockey and pick up girls”. You could also realize “Hey, I can really hang with these guys and I’m actually doing really well, this is something I want to pursue”.

From that exposure, you will either get offers to come to a team’s main camp, get drafted by a team, get an actual contract offer to be on the team, or get absolutely nothing besides a showcase jersey, a workout, and the experience.

Weigh Your Options

At a certain point, you will need to weigh your options. If you don’t receive a contract or tender offer, then things will be more difficult for you. At that point, you will need to start reaching out to other clubs or try an open camp/pre-draft camp. The thing is unless you are a bender, nowadays there will be a team in Tier 3 that will most likely need bodies and take you on their roster.

But at that point, junior hockey really isn’t for you and it’s probably time for you to move on because there is nothing worse than playing on an awful Tier 3 team and getting nothing out of it.

If you do receive contract or tenders offers, you will need to continue to do your homework and figure out which program works the best for you and your self-assessment from above, then also for you as a hockey player (will I be getting a lot of ice time, where does the coach see my role being, what type of amenities are offered by the club, how much am I on the ice, what is the advancement rate of the players from previous seasons, what is the coaches coaching style and is it going to work for me?)

Again these are answers you must figure out, typically with your parent’s help as their going to more than likely be footing the bill.

Hockey Advisors Route or Be Your Own Hockey Advisor?

Let’s say you sign with a team and in the middle of the season you’ve realized that either you aren’t getting what you want as a player or you have issues with the coach/GM/teammates/etc.

If you had a hockey advisor, you would typically call them and have them do the dirty work for you and mediate the situation (please note that many coaches are not a fan of this and would rather work and discuss things 1 on 1 with you. Plus it will help you develop the skill of telling people what you want, develop confidence through experience, and conflict resolution techniques) and either get the situation figured out or even get a trade or released.

Without a hockey advisor, you will need to do that on your own which as stated above, isn’t a bad thing and gives you experience in certain areas. Your parents will probably want to get involved if you are asking for a trade (you’d want to run this by them first) but I know of plenty of players that just felt the team wasn’t a fit for them and asked the GM/Coach for a trade and moved on.

If they asked for their release they typically got it as well (I’ve never heard a story of a player not getting it, but I’m sure it’s happened maybe a couple of the times, and then you just leave the team and review the contract and determine if their is any legal action). All of this is much easier at the tier 3 level, but none the less it’s still something you can control if you know what you want and are willing to face the fear of confrontation and go in and talk about it.

Family Advisors For Hockey Players

At the end of the day, you can choose to get a hockey advisor if you believe that they will help you further your playing career and get you into the best position possible.

You may also feel like it’s just not worth the money or you are able to do this on your own and you can forge the path for yourself. There have been thousands of players that have played juniors without an advisor and had successful careers and gone onto college and even lower levels of pro hockey (higher levels you’ll need an agent for contract discussions, or at least a lawyer at minimum) as well as I’m sure thousands that have had a hockey advisor and done the same exact thing.

Each player’s situation is unique to them, so at the end of the day, do your homework and see what all your possible options are and which path is best for you.

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Preparing For A Hockey Game

Hockey is a game of inches.  A game of what-ifs and could haves’.  The margin for error is small, and the game moves quickly, so you have to be ready for it.  Every player will prepare for a hockey game differently, and there is no perfect solution, or one size fits all.  I have found the best results are when I experimented with different options, kept what I liked, and discarded the rest.

But, that being said, there are general frameworks and tips that you can use to help prepare yourself for your next big game.  And while the preparation really starts in the off-season, I’m going to assume you’ve done the work and start with the night before the game.

The Night Before The Game

Hockey is a game of personal preference, and mine was always to start getting the night before the game.  That included visualization and making sure that I had everything I needed ready to go.

Visualization

Visualization the night before a game was always important to me.  I would like to have already been in the arena that we will be playing before we actually get there.

I’d like to have gone up against any possible situation that might arise in my mind, so when it happens, I already know what to do.

It’s hard to prove one way or another whether visualization works just based on what I’ve done myself, but studies have shown that the brain isn’t able to tell the difference between an imagined experience and a real one.  Pretty crazy stuff to think about, but you can really use it to your advantage when preparing for a game.

I personally loved it and felt it did have an impact on my performance.

Typically I liked to visualize for 15-20 minutes the night before a game.  The best way I found was to lie on my back and allow myself to relax before running through specific situations on the ice like working the breakout or neutral zone situations .

Everything Set?

It’s always nice to make sure that all of your ducks are in a row before a game.  What are you planning on wearing?  Are you going with the dress-up?  Or is casual the move?  Your clothing will obviously depend on what is standard for your team, but having everything laid out the night before a game will reduce stress in the morning significantly.  Especially if you are playing high school hockey and have to go to school for most of the day before you play.

Hockey Equipment

What about your hockey gear ?  Do you have every piece of equipment?  Skates sharpened ?  Are your laces still in good working condition?   Little things like that will help keep your mind off parts of the game on game day that can be taken care of the night before.

Of course, you might want to tape your stick or lace your skates directly before the game to help get in the zone, but having the tape or laces ready to go the night before reduces stress.

The bottom line, make sure that your hockey equipment is up to par the night before a hockey game.

What about food?  Especially if you have to prepare food yourself.  What are you eating beforehand?  And can you make it the night before?  If you’re going out to eat, where?

What you eat likely is more up to preference than you may realize.  I can’t tell you what to eat because you are going to perform differently after eating one food compared to the next person.  Personally, I always preferred pasta the night before a game, but that was just me.

Eat what makes you feel the best about yourself going into a game.  Don’t worry so much about what other people tell you, you should be eating. Unless you are throwing the cookies down.  Then maybe you should take it easy.

Having a simple plan in place before a game can help you in ways you might not realize.  Bandwidth is something to keep in mind and you don’t want to spend your thoughts on things that can be taken care of before a game.

On the day of the game, there are several things that you can do to help get yourself in the right state of mind.

Move Early In The Day

You don’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn on a big game day, but if you can get the blood moving a little early morning it can be beneficial.  Even if it means going for a short walk, getting in some jumping jacks, pushups or juggling a little.  I always felt that it helped get me in the right mindset for the day and my body had already felt movement before the game starts.

Eat The Right Foods

Typically on game day I always liked to keep it light.  I always thought that when I played hockey on a full stomach, I was a little more lackadaisical compared to when I played on a semi-full stomach.  I definitely think that you should have food and snack before the game, just be conscious of what you are putting into your body.

Pre Game Routine

Having a pregame routine helped me a lot as a hockey player .  I knew what I was going to do.  Warm up with some hand-eye coordination, visualize myself on the ice, warm up and then gametime.  There were other idiosyncrisizes that I had, but generally, I followed this routine.

Having a pre-game routine can help get you in the right state of mind for what is coming next.

After the puck is dropped, it’s game on.  You’ve done the work before hand, now it’s time to let your body and your mind take over.  Trust yourself to make the right decisions, play hard and enjoy the game!

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Building a Game Day Routine for Hockey Players

Building a quality game-day routine is important to help athletes dominate on the ice and play more consistently throughout the season. When it comes to a hockey game, being prepared physically, mentally, and emotionally is key in helping players perform at their best (no matter which league they’re in). A lack of preparation can lead to slower reaction times, careless plays, and an inability to catch up to a faster, more prepared team.

Every player has their own  skill levels and  tendencies,  but it is important to establish a routine that is beneficial to performance, and not just something that is “easy” to do before a game.  It takes some testing to find out what works for you, but through our experience, we’ve recognized that  players who dedicate themselves to a specific routine have much  more success than those who just “ wing it ”  when they get to the rink.  For some players , preparation begins days before the game and lasts right up until the time the puck drops. 

T here is no “ one  size fits all”  routine that works for  everyone  but  building a pre - game routine is all about fulfilling the principles of performance with the right combination of nutrition, rest, and exercis e  that w ill  work for them .  Continue reading for  some tips on building a game day routine to help prepare hockey players for the ir big  game . 

PRE - GAME DAY

Game day preparation usually starts the day before, or even a few days before depending on the importance of the game. As a team, training for game s  is exercised through practices and workout sessions, but what can players do to prepare themselves for games on an individual level?

Nu tritionally sp eaking, it’s important for hockey players to consume plenty  of vegetables,  a  high amount of protein and slow acting carbs  the day before a big game . This combination helps the recovery process from any physical demands to be encountered and it also helps t o keep the immune system strong.  After mealtime, s ome players  will  choose to read or watch a movie  if they like to go to bed with a clear head , while others will spend some time think ing  about the looming competition and the ir strategy.

All players must do what makes them feel the most comfortable on pre - game day,  but the main thing is to  have the most restful sleep possible  because sleep is crucial for recovery and performance .

Pro - Tip:  The hours of sleep before midnight are better than those after, so get to bed early if possible.

On game day, players will want to wake up early (between 6 - 8am)  and s tart the ir  day off with a large breakfast  packed with protein and carbs ( limit ing fast - acting  carbs like b read, pasta, potatoes, and  cereals), paired with a tall glass of water. Drinking lots of water and moving their bodies – whether it’s taking a walk, going on a light jog, or doing some off-ice stick handling and shooting drills – is so important for hockey players to do on game day. If all this gentle movement is making our players tired, it’s generally ok to take a 30-minute nap if it’s at least 3 hours prior to game time.

Before heading off to the rink (leaving with plenty of time), have a healthy pre-game meal with a sizeable protein option with slow acting carbs (rice) and of course, more water. Once at the rink, players should spend some time preparing themselves mentally, visualizing and doing some game situation skill drills, taping sticks, and any other rituals the player may have.

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After their game, hockey players should immediately consume a source of fructose (pineapple or grape juice is great). Once ready to head home (15-20 minutes post-game), it’s time for one of the most important aspects of the routine – the post-game meal. Players should have a full meal that is high in protein, slow acting carbs, and different colors of vegetables. This meal replenishes energy, promotes muscle recovery and growth, and keeps the immune system high, all of which allows a hockey player to consistently compete the same way all season long.

Now it’s time to relax. Cooling-down properly is essential to reduce the risk of injury and to keep the player’s skating stride long. It is recommended to stretch out the muscle groups that get activated during the game (i.e., hip flexors, lower back) and pay extra attention to any body part that is excessively tight. Finish with a cold tub to get fresh blood/nutrients to the broken-down tissues accelerating the recovery process.

In the end, preparation and having a consistent game day routine are key in helping hockey players to reach their goals, fulfilling potential and, most importantly, giving their team the best possible chance of winning every night.

For expert advice on hockey gear and equipment that is right for your game, level of play, and budget, come see us at your local Source for Sports hockey store near you. We Fit Your Game.

Before you hit the ice, shop the latest and greatest from the best brands in hockey this season.

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MYHockey News

A Player and Parent Guide to Picking Your Next Hockey Team

By Scott Lowe – MYHockeyRankings.com

It’s an exciting time of year for young hockey players.

We’re approaching the clubhouse turn and nearing the home stretch of the season. League playoffs are looming. Beyond that there might be state, district, provincial or even national tournaments. Coaches are pushing players to get better, and the players can feel themselves and their teams improving every day.

The games keep getting more important. The stakes are higher. The competition keeps getting tougher. And there is more exposure to higher-level teams, coaches and scouts.

Because of the times we live in and the nature of the sport, however, excitement often comes with a hint of anxiety. One mistake or bad decision can cost the team a game, a shot at the playoffs, a tournament berth or even a trip to a district or national tournament.

More people are watching, people who potentially hold the keys to a player’s hockey future. Prep school, AAA, junior and college scouts are becoming more frequent visitors to games as they narrow their recruiting focus. As a result, players often place more pressure on themselves than usual, fearing that their mistakes may not only cost the team but also could hurt their hockey future.

On top of that, teammates are talking about the coaches and scouts who have offered them contracts or made verbal offers for the following season. Social media is full of posts from players committing to colleges, receiving Tier 1 or Tier 2 junior tender offers or being touted by one of the numerous scouting websites that proliferate the sport these days.

Unfortunately, we live in a society where it is difficult to live in the moment and to fully embrace and enjoy our current journey. FOMO – fear of missing out – is real, and with the emergence of social media in recent years it has permeated society among all age groups and demographics.

As players hear about teammates and friends supposedly getting opportunities and offers when they haven’t had many – or any discussions – with higher-level coaches or scouts, the anxiety grows.

And as parents, we like to think that we are immune to FOMO and all those external forces that affect our kids, but we are not. We wonder – sometimes to ourselves, sometimes openly to spouses or other parents and sometimes to our children – why other kids are getting opportunities when our child is just as good or better.

This all adds to the pressure players feel, so while it’s natural for parents to have those concerns, it’s important to internalize them. If a child senses that parents are stressed, he or she will be stressed, and a tense and up-tight young player rarely is able to play up to his or her full potential.

This type of family-wide anxiety can lead to a vicious cycle in which a nervous player makes mistakes, gets more worked up than usual after messing up and feels even more pressure on the ice. As the tension increases, mistakes become more prevalent, and everything starts to snowball.

At some point hockey stops being fun, and the pursuit of higher levels of play becomes more about ego and accomplishing what others have than finding a pathway to continue enjoying the sport and achieving personal goals. That is a recipe for failure.

So, for the sake of everyone’s mental health – and to preserve the joy in playing the game – we’re going to pump the breaks on this whole process a little bit.

Slow down. Take a deep breath. Enjoy the moment.

The process of advancing up the hockey ladder of development and achieving personal long-term goals in the sport – whatever they may be – is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s a marathon run on more of a cross-country course with a ton of twists, turns surprises and obstacles.

“Put that goal aside and focus on your current situation,” said Chris Glionna, longtime head coach of the Suffolk University NCAA Division III team in Boston. “Too many kids get lost because they are looking past their current situation. “One step at a time. Be the best player on whatever team you are on, and you will continue to develop.”

Every player’s path is different.

Pick any players you know who are playing at the NCAA level and search the web for their profiles. More times than not you will see many different stops along their pathways to college hockey.

That kid who went off to play prep hockey when he was 14? Yeah, he played for three different junior teams after prep school before getting to college. The kid who was drafted in the USHL? That’s right, he only lasted a short time there then went off to the BCHL and ended up in the NAHL before committing. The player who signed with a Tier 3 junior team as a 17-year-old? That’s right, he played for five teams in two leagues over three seasons before finding a college home.

None of that is unusual. It takes a lot of resilience and perseverance to endure the ups and downs involved in advancing to play NCAA or high-level ACHA college hockey.

The same can be said about a player going through the shorter process of finding a new team for the upcoming season. While the time frame is condensed, it’s still a process that needs to be approached with patience and permitted to play out.

Being one of the first players on a team to signing a contract or commit to a team for the following season may sound great on Twitter and allow parents to pridefully puff out their chests at cocktail parties, but rushing to make decision often leads to bad situations in which players end up out of or at the bottom of the lineup, miserable and wanting to quit or change teams.

Unless we’re talking about the tuition-free Tier 1 or Tier 2 United States junior levels, a bad decision can cost thousands of dollars and set a player’s development back. When that happens, players tend to lose confidence and end up back in that vicious cycle of playing to avoid mistakes and just trying to stay in the lineup. No one is going to play up to his or her potential or get noticed by scouts with that approach.  

“Players need to be significantly noticeable at their current level if they want to make the jump to a higher level,” said Connor Gorman, head coach at New Hampton School, which competes in the New England Prep Lakes Region League. “I’m not saying they must be a point per game, goal per game or anything like that, but the player needs to be someone who pops off the ice, someone who, when a prep coach watches a game, he says, ‘That kid can play. He plays hard, thinks the game, has good skill, is a go-to player.’”

Keeping all that in mind, here are some important considerations for any player looking for a new home next year:

Enjoy the Ride

Most kids who fall in love with hockey do so for many reasons, not the least of which is the camaraderie that develops among teammates in the locker room as well as the friendships and bonds that are created along the way and can last a lifetime. There’s no doubt that as young players move up the developmental ladder the sport often sends them conflicting messages.

While hockey might be the team sport that requires the greatest amount of individual sacrifice for the good of the group, as players advance to higher levels they must figure out how to balance the team aspects of hockey with showing scouts what they are capable of on the ice. This can be challenging for a young player who has been taught to approach the game a certain way and is the type of player higher-level coaches frequently say they seek – one with character and a high compete level who puts the team first.

The pressure mounts as players approach their age-out years and are looking to commit to a college of their choice. There are times where they may need to put themselves first and make an individual play to show the scouts an aspect of their game that is in question or to ask for a trade in hopes of finding a better situation for them to showcase their talents.

For younger players looking to move to new situations or higher levels, remember that it’s a marathon and not a sprint. The game gets serious enough fast enough. Players should enjoy playing the game and enjoy the process of working hard and improving. They should enjoy their teammates and all the fun they have together on and off the ice.

This approach is the best way for players to ensure that they will be relaxed and able to perform their best under any circumstances. Very few players ever have failed by competing as hard as possible, being coachable, supporting the rest of the team and having fun.  

If hockey has become stressful, it’s important for players to take a step back and remember why they started playing and why they hope to pursue the sport beyond the youth and high-school levels. It’s a game. If it isn’t fun, what’s the point?

“In the long run, if it is meant to be, a college opportunity will open up,” Glionna said, “but enjoy your current situation because it might be the best memories you have.”

A relaxed, enthusiastic player who really competes and approaches the game the right way always will make a positive impression on someone. And sometimes all it takes is one.

Don’t Believe the Hype

It seems that these locker-room conversations in which players brag about getting offers or interest from other higher-level teams start earlier during every season in direct proportion to the increase in competition among youth and junior teams for players who not only can make their teams better, but also whose financial commitment will help pay the bills.

There are a few things to understand about this locker-room chatter.

Most important, most of what you hear in the locker rooms is exaggerated or simply not true. Kids will be kids, and they are going to say things to gain acceptance and feel better about themselves. As a player it is best to realize that there are many insecurities in most locker rooms and not to fall into the FOMO trap. Players should focus on themselves and what they need to do earn the opportunities they seek.

USA Hockey member organizations can’t make formal contract offers – nor can they hold formal tryouts – until after the conclusion of the National Championships in April. There definitely are programs that violate these rules (red flag). This goes for youth and junior teams, although the North American Tier 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) and the Eastern Hockey League (EHL) are permitted to offer tender agreements to players in advance of that date. Tier 1 and Tier 2 tuition-free junior teams (United States Hockey League, North American Hockey League, National Collegiate Development Conference) also make tender offers.

A tender agreement is not a formal contract, but it does assign the player’s rights to that team in that specific league. Players who sign tenders still must attend tryout camps and training camps to earn a spot on the team that tenders them. While it does give players a leg up over others who weren’t drafted or tendered and may be attending team tryout camps, a tender agreement does not guarantee that a player will make the team.

Players ages 14 and up will talk about “being invited” to attend various Tier 1 and Tier 2 junior predraft and main camps. Most of these organizations send out mass emails to hundreds of kids – most of whom they’ve probably never seen play – inviting them to try out to potentially be drafted or make the team. If one kid on a team receives a camp invite, you can be assured several others did, too. These camps help fund top-tier junior programs, and 99 percent of the players who receive these “invitations” have almost no shot at playing for one of these teams.

Other players may talk about getting “offers” from AAA teams or say that they are going to play at prestigious prep schools. Formal offers to play high-level youth hockey in the U.S. are not allowed to be made in January.

Conversations may have taken place. Coaches may have expressed interest in a player and said that they would like that player to play for them the following year. Many coaches cast a wide net to ensure they will have enough quality players at tryouts to form a strong team, but the bottom line is that no matter what a player is told or what a player is promised, if that player attends tryouts and isn’t good enough in the coaches’ minds, the player will not make the team or be considered for a spot high in the lineup.

“If a coach promises you a certain amount of ice or a spot on first line, that is a red flag,” said Bryan Erikson, head coach and president of hockey operations for the Northeast Generals, a Tier 2 junior team in the North American Hockey League. “Promises need to be earned. I wouldn't want to go to a place where the first line is promised. I would want to go to a place where you get to compete for a spot day in and day out.”

Until there is a signed contract, nothing is guaranteed, and even in pay-to-play Tier 3 junior hockey, a signed contract doesn’t mean that a player will automatically make the final roster or be in the lineup on a regular basis.

As far as prep schools go, most application deadlines recently passed, so players and coaches don’t even know who will be accepted yet. If a player truly is being recruited by a prep school hockey program, the coach would have told him or her that either there is a spot available on the varsity, that the player will be competing for a varsity spot or that the player will be spending some time on the junior varsity or second varsity to develop.

If these conversations haven’t taken place, the player merely is hoping to attend the school and make one of the teams. Again, until admissions decisions are finalized and tryouts have been held the following fall, nothing is guaranteed.

“Time and time again I have players reach out to me who truly have no business playing prep school hockey,” Gorman said, “but they see their friends leaving for prep so they feel they should be as well. A player should be looking for a place where there is opportunity.”

So don’t believe the hype.

Maintain the focus previously discussed here. The players who tune out the noise and concentrate on improving, playing the right way and doing everything that is asked of them are the ones who are most likely to advance.

Take the Time to Examine All Options

This is a big one.

It’s great to feel wanted. It’s great to take the pressure off and know that you have a place to play next year. And of course, it feels great to be able to tell the world that you’ve signed a contract or committed verbally to play for a respected program. We all have egos and receiving attention or recognition of any type always feels good.

But be careful when it comes to accepting the first offer you receive. While it certainly is flattering to have a coach hand or email you a contract the first day he or she is permitted to do so or to get an offer from a team after they’ve seen you practice or play only a few times, it also can be a major red flag.

“Don’t pick a team or school because of the bumper sticker you can put on your car that will get the ooohs and ahhs,” Gorman said.

Of course, as will be discussed here shortly, players should strive to go where they are wanted, and a team reaching out to offer a contract early in the process would make anyone feel wanted. But it’s important to determine what the team’s real end-goal might be. Does it want that particular player, or does it want the guaranteed money in return for the possibility that the player might pan out and be a productive member of the team.

Running elite youth and junior hockey programs is expensive. The cost of insurance, ice time, coaches, travel, equipment and league fees is considerable, and the quality of play or quality of players recruited frequently takes a back seat to generating revenue.

Players at the Tier 3 junior level are generally charged between $8,000 and $12,000 to play, so coaches, GMs and scouts are under pressure from team ownership to bring in enough full-paying customers to ensure that the team will be able to operate. Many programs have two teams, with the second team existing as much to generate more revenue as to win hockey games.

More than a few teams will hand out more contracts than they have spots available, collect as much up-front money as they can and sort it all out later. While it’s true that some Tier 3 junior teams are driven more by winning than money, at the end of the day it is a business, and the goal always will be to turn at least a small profit.

There may be a similar approach at the AA and AAA levels, depending on the location of the team and the level of success the program traditionally enjoys. Some programs will offer contracts or hold tryouts as soon as they are permitted and give players 24 or 48 hours to decide if they will sign. There also are teams that will make players sign a contract agreeing to play for them if they ultimately make the team before they are allowed to step on the ice for the final evaluation session.   

Higher-ranked programs realize that there is enough demand for them to fill all their open spots, have a strong team and generate the revenue necessary to operate. Those teams will target the players they want most, send them a contract and ask them to decide in a day or two. They will always have backup lists of strong players in case their first choices turn them down. These teams actively scout and do the appropriate due diligence. There’s a reason they are very good.

Other programs just hope to be competitive and fill their open slots, so they will offer contracts as soon as they can in hopes of beating their competition to the punch and stealing some players who might potentially play for other programs. Many of these organizations will offer more contracts than they have available roster spots to account for attrition while also keeping the option open to have a second team at an age group if too many players sign with them.

Many of these deadlines are simply intended to force a naive family’s hand and get them to commit and pay a deposit. The best way to find out how much a team really wants a player is for the player to let the coach know that he or she is flattered by the offer and very interested in playing for that team but also wants to see what his or her other options are.

If a program really wants a player and feels that he or she will be a key member of the team, no coach will have an issue giving the player all the time necessary to make an informed decision. If a team tells the player that the deadline is absolute, it’s probably not a program worth playing for anyway. The funny thing about those programs is that they frequently struggle to fill their rosters and come back to the players they shut out later in the process to see if they still might be interested.

If a player has not played for a coach or team previously, making a snap decision and accepting an offer hastily can turn out to be problematic. Unless the player has had the ability to talk to the coach many times during the recruitment process to get a good feel for the coach’s personality, to understand the coach’s preferred style of play and to develop a level of comfort with that coach and the overall situation, signing a contract right away is a huge risk.

Even the best players don’t mesh with all coaches, which can lead to a lesser role than the player expected, and the more marginal players might find themselves at the bottom of the lineup and miserable because they get limited playing time and are playing for a coach who isn’t a good fit for them in terms of personality or style of play.

Remember that this process is a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t just automatically jump to sign the first offer. Players should get to know all the coaches who are interested in them, weigh their options and make the best choice for them and their families.

Go Where You’re Wanted and Be Careful to Not Drink the Alphabet Soup

This seems so simple, because if a player gets a contract offer that must mean that the team really wants him or her, right? As was outlined above, that is not always the case.

“How bad does that coach really want your son or daughter?” Glionna said. “If he us pushing you off seemingly waiting to see what else is out there, then I would move on. Play for a coach that wants your child to be part of the program. Do not force your child into a situation that isn't obvious because you will usually regret it.”

While some might argue that it’s not easy for players to tell how much a coach who they don’t know well wants them, the reality is that coaches who really want players to be a part of their programs will go out of their way to make it clear to those players how much they are coveted.

Coaches who make a point to see a player play and talk to him or her after the game or otherwise let the player know that they were there, who reach out at least occasionally to see how the player’s season is going and who are willing to take the time to thoroughly answer any questions the player might have are providing all the evidence a player needs to know they are serious about having him or her join their team.

Players should appreciate the relationship-building efforts put forth by these coaches, because for both sides the only way to really know if a situation is right for a player is by getting to know each other. It’s likely that the relationship will evolve over the time, and the player may be invited to practice with the team, meet the staff and tour the team’s facilities.

These are invaluable opportunities for players not only to gather all the information they need to make the best decision, but also to acquire experience and develop confidence talking to coaches one on one. Talking to adult authority figures and getting comfortable asking questions in that type of setting is difficult for many young athletes, so the more they do it, the easier it gets. This experience will serve them well going forward on and off the ice.

It’s imperative that players to take advantage of these opportunities to learn as much possible about the coaches, the organization, the housing situation, the player-development plan, the off-ice training program, their access to the facilities, the academic opportunities and requirements, any potential employment opportunities and any other relevant topics. Any coach who truly wants a player to be part of his team will be happy to take the time to answer any questions a recruit asks thoroughly.

“The quality of a coach and his or her track record for moving players to the next level, whether that’s college or juniors, is huge since that’s the player’s ultimate goal,” said Sean Walsh, head coach at NCAA Division II Southern New Hampshire University.

Players should beware of coaches who tell them what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear. Any coach who wants to fill a roster and get players to commit easily can tell a player that he or she will be in a top-six role and play in all situations just to get them to commit. But no coaches are going to put players who they don’t feel are capable into those types of roles when the time comes to make final roster or lineup decisions.

No matter what players are told or promised, they must be good enough to satisfy the coach when the time comes to perform. While every player hopes to be told that he or she is going to be at the top of the lineup, a coach who takes the time to break a player’s game down and point out the areas of strength, the areas that need improvement and how the player fits into the coach’s preferred style of play generally have the player’s best interests at heart and will work with the player every step of the way to ensure he or she continues to develop and that the player makes strides toward reaching his or her goals.

“This is a huge factor, and style of play isn’t as important as the quality of the coach,” Erikson said. “Adjusting to systems will always be a part of the game, and a player should never just play in one type of system. But playing for a coach who understands the game, knows how to communicate and genuinely cares about his or her players to me is the biggest aspect to selecting a team.”

If a coach hands or emails a player a contract after just seeing him or her play or skate a few times, the player should respond enthusiastically and ask the coach if he or she would be willing to sit down and have a conversation to begin the process of building a relationship and determining whether that program would be a good fit.

“Building a relationship with the coach is huge,” Gorman said. “If a player feels like they can connect with the coach on and off the ice, that player is most likely going to have more success. The one line I use to every recruit I bring on campus is if they come to school with the mindset of ‘expect nothing to receive everything,’ then they will have success.”

Part of finding a program where a player really is wanted is locating a team that competes at a high enough level for the player to be challenged while also providing him or her with plenty of playing time and an opportunity to play in many situations. This is where we warn players and families not to drink the “alphabet soup.”

Too many young players get caught up in the letters of the alphabet – AA, AAA, USPHL, NCDC, NAHL, USHL, EHL, NA3HL, Tier 1 EHL, HPHL, etc.  This is where ego and FOMO come into play and can cause players to make bad decisions

While at some point scouts may want to see players compete at the highest level they can to show how they stack up against the very best competition, throughout the developmental process it is important for players to have the opportunity to play as much as possible and experience as many different game situations as they can. This is how skill and hockey IQ are developed and how confidence is built.

“Opportunity is the most important thing in development,” Glionna said. “I always tell people if you are not a top-six forward or a top-four defenseman on your current team then your development might be hurt. You want to be in a situation where you can make mistakes and try things outside your comfort zone. If you are fighting for playing time, that is hard to do. It takes time to get comfortable with the puck, playing in traffic, being efficient off the rush, learning soft spots in the offensive zone and so on. This can't be learned playing five minutes a night.”

Of course it feels great to wear a AAA team’s gear to school and for parents to be able to tell friends that their kid plays on the best team in the area or one of the nation’s top-ranked teams, but at what cost? Certainly practicing several days a week against top players is a great way to improve, but hockey history is filled with stories of great practice players who never panned out.

“No one wants to play on a bad team, but if it gives a player the opportunity to play a lot, that is better than sitting in the stands on a championship team,” Glionna said. “The reality is you only have so many years to play hockey, so you want to play as much as you can.”

To continue progressing in the sport, players must be exposed to as many situations as possible in a competitive environment. The letters in front or after a team’s name aren’t nearly as important as the opportunity to play as much as possible – as long as the level of competition is challenging and the coaching is good.

Young players who are counted on by their coaches and receive a lot of playing time also are more likely to enjoy their experience than those who are working as hard as they can in practice only to receive fourth-line minutes, limited special-teams time and little or no ice time late in close games. They also are more likely to develop the type of leadership skills higher-level coaches covet.

Players who truly love the sport are going to be more willing to continue putting in the extra time and effort necessary to get better and continue progressing up the developmental ladder. Meanwhile, those who have worked so hard through the years and haven’t been rewarded by their coaches are more likely to give up on the sport before long before they achieve their goals.

Do Your Homework

This also seems pretty obvious, but far too many players are swayed by the need for instant gratification and recognition. They pick a team they think they want to play for without really knowing anything about the program other than the level it plays at and the success it has had. Then, when that team makes an offer, they jump at it without doing their homework.

The importance of getting to know a coach and playing somewhere that you are truly wanted already has been emphasized, so in addition to building a relationship with a potential coach, some further investigation is recommended.

“I think the coach as a person is the most important thing,” Glionna said. “X’s and O’s are important, but if your child is not going to enjoy his time with the coach, he is not in an environment to develop.”

Added Gorman: “To me, this is the most important consideration. You have to play for a coach who believes in you as a player, pushes you on and off the ice and truly cares. The truly cares part is what matters most. Does your coach plan a good practice? Does he check your grades every few weeks? Does he check in about how you’re doing personally? That stuff matters to me and is why I make it a part of our program.”

In addition to building a relationship with any potential coach, it is important for players to watch the coach’s teams play to make sure the style of play is a good fit and to talk to players on his or her team. Hockey is a small world, so it’s likely that a player knows someone who has played for a coach in the past or at least knows someone who knows someone who played for that coach. It’s a good idea to reach out to those players to find out about their experience playing in that program for that person.

Remember that part of a coach’s job is to sell a player on his or her program, so while a player may like a coach and have built a good relationship with him or her, it’s advisable to get more than the coach’s side of the story when making a final decision.

Other aspects for players to consider include the overall quality of the organization, the team’s immediate needs for the upcoming season, the location, the housing options, the facilities and access to ice time, the academic options and the cost.

When it comes to the overall quality of the organization, this is another good reason to talk to former or current players. The team doesn’t have to be nationally ranked or even a top team in its league, but players should be looking for programs that are competitive at their level and who move a consistent number of players on to higher levels on a yearly basis.

Another important consideration is the makeup of the current roster and how many players are returning the following season.

“I call this the numbers game,” Gorman said. “If a team is only losing two forwards, then that may not be the best place for a forward, but if a team is losing eight forwards, then that could be a better spot.”

Looking to see how many players a junior team uses during a given season and finding out if a prep school team carries a number of extra players is important, too, as it can be an indication of loyalty, patience and if there are an unusual number of scratched players on a regular basis.

This information generally can be found online by searching for a team’s roster, however the available roster might not paint a complete picture. Players shouldn’t hesitate to ask the coach how many players are coming back at their position and where they coach sees him or her fitting into the lineup.

“It’s very important to find a level that at which you can develop and be successful,” said Vinnie Montalbano, general manager of the Tier 2 NCDC Connecticut Jr. Rangers and a scout for the Vancouver Canucks. “Being a healthy scratch every weekend on the top junior level does not help you. If a team has a lot of players on the roster, ask the coach or GM why. Sometimes teams have affiliate players who they call up, but other teams trade players and bring new players in constantly.”

With today’s advanced technology that allows so many games to be viewed live or on-demand via webstream – and with so many teams traveling to traditional hockey hotbeds to play on a regular basis – a team’s location isn’t as important as it once was. Not many years ago it was widely thought that young players in non-traditional hockey markets who wanted to play NCAA hockey needed to leave home to play in more traditional hockey areas, but that is not necessarily the case anymore.

“The closer you play to us, the easier it is for us to see, evaluate, watch and talk to you in person,” Walsh said. “As far as leaving home, though, I think it’s a player-to-player situation. If you are in a good situation with a good coach, a good schedule and can stay at your own school and sleep in your own bed, that’s tough to leave. There are some kids who want to go to prep school for the education, which makes sense. Other kids seek exposure and worry about a lack of development. They may be completely dominating where they are and looking to leave. Every situation is different.”

Added Erikson: “Leaving home to play hockey is a family decision. A player should never be talked into leaving home before he or she is ready. Social maturity is much more important than hockey maturity. The conversation with the program should be about how you can grow as a person and what they will do if you are homesick or struggling with school. Those factors are huge and have a big impact on how you are able to perform as a hockey player.”

Housing options should be a factor in any decision made by players who will be leaving home to play. A bad housing situation can make an otherwise good hockey experience nearly unbearable. Not all programs have established relationships with consistent billet families, some programs offer less-than-ideal and poorly supervised group-housing options and others offer more of a dormitory-style setup.

Players should ask the coach about the living accommodations, talk to players on the team about their experiences, ask to meet a current billet host family and/or ask for a tour of whatever housing options the team provides. This should not be taken lightly or overlooked. If the player can’t get the answers he or she seeks, parents have every right to ask.

While it may not be a deciding factor, finding a team that has state-of-the-art facilities and/or access to plentiful ice time may be attractive to a player and can separate one program from another – as can access to a quality off-ice training staff and off-ice workout facilities. More ice time provides more opportunity for skill and skating development, while off-ice training often is what separates players who reach the highest levels from those who don’t.

The final, but possibly the most important, consideration for players who are considering moving away to play for a new team is the academic component. This is most important for younger players who are still in high school or middle school, but junior players who have graduated also should be looking to take online or in-person classes to get a head-start on college and maintain the routine of being in school.

Many parents do not want their children finishing their pre-college schooling online, although the quality and quantity of available online programs has improved immensely in recent years. Some youth hockey programs aren’t compatible with players who want to attend real, bricks-and-mortar schools, while other academy-style programs have relationships with local public or private schools that their out-of-town players can attend.

For those programs that require online schooling, many do provide classroom settings where their players can study; have academic counselors, advisors and tutors; and set aside blocks of time for study hall that players are required to utilize.

Since strong academics are essential for young athletes to attend the colleges that most interest them and are necessary to prepare kids for life after hockey, players and parents should only consider programs that place a priority on education and will help position the players to have as many college options as possible.

Determining when the time is right to take on a new hockey challenge and what program to play for never will be an exact science, but by weighing as many options as possible and taking the time to perform adequate due diligence, families can greatly improve the likelihood of making the right decision.

“I think whenever you are able to dominate whatever level you are at, then it is time to move on and find a new challenge,” Montalbano said. “Just realize that you might go from being a big fish in a small pond to a small fish in a big pond, especially when moving up a level. How you handle adversity and develop will tell a lot about who you are as a person.”

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“Start A Hockey Academy: 7 Tips To Build A Successful Program”

If you’re passionate about hockey and education, starting a hockey academy can be an incredibly rewarding venture. Not only do you get to introduce kids to the sport you love, but you also get to provide them with valuable life skills that extend far beyond the ice.

However, building a successful program takes more than just skill on the rink – it requires strategic planning, effective communication and marketing, and strong leadership. In this article, we’ll share 7 tips for starting a hockey academy and growing it into a thriving organization.

“A good coach will make his players see what they can become rather than what they are. ” – Ara Parasheghian

As legendary football coach Ara Parasheghian pointed out in the quote above, great coaching isn’t just about teaching technical skills – it’s about inspiring and empowering your students to achieve their full potential. If you want to build a successful hockey academy, your primary focus should always be on helping your players grow as both athletes and people.

In this guide, we’ll cover everything from creating lesson plans and organizing practices to recruiting players and hiring staff members. Whether you’re starting your own small-scale academy or aiming to launch a large club team network across multiple states or provinces, these tips will help set you up for success!

Develop A Business Plan

Starting a hockey academy requires careful planning to ensure that you build a profitable and sustainable business. Developing a sound business plan is your roadmap for success.

The first step in developing a business plan is to research the market demand for your services. Understand who your target audience is, what they want, how much they are willing to pay, and what makes your academy unique in comparison to existing competitors. You may also consider conducting surveys or focus groups to validate your assumptions.

Once you’ve identified your market opportunity, outline actionable steps on how you will execute on building out your academy including location scouting, curriculum development (on-ice & off-ice) marketing strategies etc. The more specific and detailed each objective is laid out increases the chance of successful execution.

“A good financial model is critical when preparing a business plan. “

Finally establish estimates for revenue ranges, profit margins allowed upon considering external cost factors – salaries expenses equipment rent among others-, seasonality associated with most winter sports schools like ice-skating rinks which impact cash flow. , ROI considerations based on timelines outlined within; these should be included as well to determine whether it’s financially viable moving forward with this concept.

In conclusion, it’s crucial when creating any new company one must have an extensive knowledge around their intended niche:and implementing via proper prelimary analysis before starting operations. . In addition ensuring all objectives include clear schedules/timelines/deadlines/progress reporting metric updates required throughout rollout process so entrepreneur can monitor adaptives accordingly to trends witnessed creating room growth potential driving outputs faster than projected initially!

Conduct market research and analyze your competition

The first step to starting a successful hockey academy is conducting market research and analyzing the competition. This will help you understand the current demand for hockey academies in your area, identify any gaps or opportunities in the market, and determine what sets your academy apart from others.

You can start by researching online and gathering information about existing hockey academies in your area, including their programs, pricing, facilities, coaching staff, and reputation. You can also attend local games and tournaments to observe players’ skill levels, attitudes towards training, and parents’ expectations.

Once you’ve gathered enough data, it’s time to analyze it. Look for patterns or trends that may indicate areas of opportunity or challenges that will need addressing. Consider factors such as location, target age group, level of competitiveness expected from students etc.

“The key is to differentiate your academy from competitors – consider creating unique sports technologies with smart wearables. “

Moreover without proper setup be it branding tools/layouts ads for social media visibility amongst people/customers wouldn’t exist

In conclusion thorough research would give an insight on how to make sure products goals align.

Determine your target market and pricing strategy

One of the key factors in starting a successful hockey academy is identifying your target market. Your target market should include individuals or organizations with an interest and ability to pay for your services.

You can identify your target market by researching community demographics, assessing demand for youth sports programs, and evaluating potential competition in the area. Once you have identified your target market, you can start thinking about how to price your services appropriately.

Pricing strategies will vary depending on factors such as location, expenses, and the level of instruction provided. For example, if operating costs are high due to expensive ice time or equipment needs, it may be necessary to charge higher fees for participation in your program.

“It’s important to strike a balance between offering competitive prices while ensuring that revenue generated covers costs incurred. “

In addition to determining the overall cost structure of your academy, consider adding tiered pricing options based on skill level or age group. This approach allows for customization and ensures that all participants receive instruction appropriate for their abilities.

In summary, having a clear understanding of who you’re targeting and what they’re willing to pay will help you establish a sound pricing strategy that meets both customer needs and business goals.

Create a budget and financial projections

Starting a hockey academy may seem like an exciting venture, but it takes much more than passion to run the business. One of the essential steps in setting up any company is creating a realistic budget and financial projection plan.

The first thing you need to do is determine your expenses. This includes everything from rent, utilities, salaries, equipment costs, marketing expenses, insurance premiums, and other related overhead costs.

You should also consider potential revenue streams such as tuition fees, sponsorships, donations or grants. When conducting market research to understand how others are pricing for similar training programs will help gain insights on what prices work well with people in your area.

It’s important to keep in mind that revenues can vary dramatically based on factors such as location (e. g. , proximity to major population centers), demographics served (i. e. novice or elite skill-level players), local competition level and current demand for youth athletic programming particularly amidst COVID-19 restrictions & safety guidelines.

Once you have determined your overall costs and anticipated income sources realistically create spreadsheets showing monthly cash flow expectations typically over 2–5 years forward looking period when starting out taking into account significant investments made upfront before being able to generate sales/revenue activity.

Paying attention closely to these details not only helps ensure that you can cover immediate expenditures during early stages of operation but balance between needs today while meeting long-term goals ahead as organization grows both financially and structurally once established!

Hire Experienced Coaches And Staff

One of the most important aspects of starting a successful hockey academy is hiring experienced coaches and staff. These individuals will play a crucial role in shaping the skills and abilities of your students, so it’s essential to choose wisely.

Look for coaches who have extensive experience playing or coaching at high levels. They should be able to teach fundamental skills such as skating, passing, and shooting while also providing strategic guidance on game tactics.

In addition to coaches, you’ll need administrative staff to help manage day-to-day operations. Look for individuals with strong organizational skills and experience overseeing sports programs. This may include handling registration, scheduling games and practices, managing finances, and communicating with parents and players.

“Remember that your staff will serve as ambassadors for your hockey academy. Choose individuals who are not only knowledgeable but can also inspire passion for the sport. “

The more experienced your staff is, the better equipped they’ll be to create an engaging learning environment for your athletes. Don’t forget about ancillary services like trainers or nutritionists either – having a well-rounded team behind each player’s development will benefit everyone involved.

Overall, keep in mind that hiring top-tier talent takes time and effort but is critical to achieving long-term success. Make sure to prioritize finding passionate individuals who share your dedication to growing young hockey players’ potential.

Look for coaches and staff members with extensive hockey experience

If you want to start a successful hockey academy, then it’s essential that you hire coaches and staff members who have extensive experience in the sport. This is because they will be responsible for teaching your students all of the necessary skills and techniques needed to excel on the ice.

One important thing to consider when hiring coaches is their level of certification. Ideally, you should look for individuals who are certified by USA Hockey or other recognized organizations. This guarantees that they have undergone proper training and possess the knowledge required to teach young players.

You should also seek out individuals who have played at a high level themselves, whether professionally or at the college level. These experienced players can provide valuable insight into what it takes to succeed at this level and help your students reach their full potential.

It’s not just about technical skill – coaches need to understand how to motivate teams and inspire individual athletes as well.

In addition, make sure that any staff members you hire are passionate about the sport and dedicated to helping your students achieve success. Look for those who are willing to go above and beyond in terms of preparation, practice planning, and mentorship; these attributes will set your school apart from others in the area!

Ensure they have proper certifications and credentials

If you’re planning on starting a hockey academy, one of the most crucial components is hiring certified and qualified coaches. It’s important to ensure that your coaching staff has the correct certifications and credentials in order to provide the best possible training for your athletes.

Look for coaches who hold certificates from recognized organizations such as Hockey Canada or USA Hockey. Coaches with these qualifications have completed nationally recognized programs and are equipped with proven techniques, strategies, and knowledge related to player development.

In addition to formal certification requirements, also look for coaches who have experience working with players at different age levels. This will make sure they can deal with any unique challenges faced by young athletes during their formative years.

“Qualified coaches help young athletes develop fundamental skills like skating speed, power stride mechanics alongwith other essential qualities required to master in league matches. “

It’s always ideal to do background checks before hiring any coach; this ensures you hire someone credible and reliable. Ensure they have references available upon request too which confirms their abilities as well as character among parents, students, colleagues etc. . Following through all these checks helps secure optimal growth prospects while safeguarding aspiring future NHL stars success.

Provide ongoing training and development opportunities

In order to run a successful hockey academy, providing ongoing training and development opportunities is crucial. This will not only benefit the students but also your staff members.

To ensure that your offerings stay current you could host workshops led by experienced coaches or bring in guest speakers from professional teams who can offer insights into the latest techniques and strategies. You could also invest in software programs for skill assessment and analysis like Dartfish or Coach Them, which allows coaches to track player progress throughout the season and provides valuable data on areas of improvement.

Your coaching team should have access to educational resources such as courses offered through Hockey Canada or USAHockey. These courses cover different topics including safety protocols, rules/regulations updates, coaching drills, etc. , which are invaluable when it comes to honing their skills at teaching young players effectively.

Another effective way to provide your students with consistent practice time while still offering varied instruction is dividing them up based on age, experience level and position. The objective here is tailoring sessions/presentations so everyone learns in an individualized setting rather than trying hard to instruct little bits about every aspect of the sport during congested group sessions.

In conclusion, remember that consistency in investing into your coaches’ education means allowing them to gain all they need before passing down knowledge unto aspiring athletes.

Establish Relationships With Local Schools And Hockey Organizations

A key factor in starting a successful hockey academy is building strong relationships with local schools and hockey organizations. These partnerships will help spread the word about your program, provide opportunities for collaboration on events and initiatives, and ensure that you have a pipeline of talented players who can benefit from your training programs.

To begin establishing these relationships, start by reaching out to local school boards and community centers to request meetings with their staff or administrators. In these meetings, share information about your hockey academy’s goals, mission statement, and services offered so they can become familiar with what you do.

You should also consider partnering up with existing youth hockey leagues or teams in your area. By working together towards common goals, such as hosting camps or tournaments sponsored by both parties, it becomes more feasible to attract new talent while allowing established players greater resources for development.

“Partnering up with other local groups establishes teamwork between each other. “

Aside from the direct benefits of creating alliances within the community surrounding your facility; having affiliations outside of just personal aspirations represents trustworthiness not only to potential investors but future clients as well. Word-of-mouth is still golden when it comes to networking through contacts in various fields relevant to athletic instruction.

Partner with schools to offer clinics and programs

To start a hockey academy, it is essential to have partnerships with schools. Reach out to the local high school or university, and try to establish relationships that can lead to classroom presentations, free ice time for practice sessions, and other collaborations.

You may also want to consider offering clinics and programs within the school system. For example, you could sponsor after-school enrichment activities at local elementary schools or host weekend camps for young players in partnership with middle schools. By building strong relationships with educators ahead of time, you will be in a position to provide the type of instruction that students need to excel on and off the rink.

“Partnerships are critical in starting any successful venture. “

Beyond working directly with teacher associations and sports departments inside schools, there are many opportunities to involve community organizations as well. Consider reaching out to charities such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters or Boys & Girls Club. Larger communities may have their own hockey association which your academy might partner up with so that both benefit from each other’s resources.

In conclusion, establishing programs aimed at introducing people of all ages to hockey is no small task but its success heavily depends on creating meaningful relationships through partnership-building initiatives like this one!

Collaborate with hockey leagues and teams to provide additional training and resources

In order to start a successful hockey academy, it is important to establish relationships with local hockey organizations. By partnering with established teams and leagues in your area, you can gain access to their knowledge and expertise, as well as tap into the talent pool of experienced coaches and players.

A few strategies for collaborating with these groups might include:

• Offering workshops or seminars on specific aspects of hockey that are relevant to both aspiring athletes and existing teams.
• Maintaining an active social media presence that shares news about upcoming events, features interviews with industry leaders, provides insight on best practices for development models & strategies needed for starting a comprehensive Hockey Academy program
• Organizing skill clinics where your coaching staff works with league officials on different teaching techniques given athlete age range
• Partnering up with local sports equipment manufacturer’s like CCM or Bauer who offer lenient pricing structures ensuring all your trainees receive expertly made athletic gear/head-to-toe equipment without being impacted by inevitable budget constraints involved when opening any sort of facility

“By aligning yourself professionally within the industry’s organizational framework early-on as an educator bring choices toward improving nationwide youth competitors develop skills hence assisting lower-weaker level recreational programs realize unknown vitality giving them exposure allowing new prospects emerge; this collab model along-with outreach efforts done right ensures stable growth opportunities. “

The key here is to pursue collaborative partnerships that work not only towards growing YOUR brand but also assists partner(s) significantly improve/expand their reach/combat potential losses during periods when routine sport activities have hit lows through proactive risk mitigation plans built together over long-term horizons which eventually generate mutual benefits through increased awareness among patrons competition translates into revenues and growth.

Attend local hockey events and tournaments to network and promote your academy

One effective way to start a successful hockey academy is by networking with the right people. Attending local hockey events and tournaments presents an opportunity for you to meet players, coaches, parents, and other professionals in the industry.

Introduce yourself and your academy to those who show interest or might be potential clients. This can help build your brand awareness while building trust amongst your target market.

You may also want to consider sponsoring teams or individuals at these events as it is another great way of promoting your academy. You could offer promotional merchandise like t-shirts with your logo on them that increase promotion beyond the event they’re worn during.

“Networking isn’t about collecting contacts; it’s about building relationships. “

In addition, attending such events allow you stay informed about what’s going on in the industry. If there are any new rules or regulations being announced, this is where you’ll hear it first-hand which helps keep an edge over competitors too! Keeping up-to-date on industrys latest technology and equipment trends will ensure that students get top-notch training resulting making their game better so don’t miss out!

Create A Comprehensive Training Program

Starting a Hockey Academy involves creating an effective and comprehensive training program that caters to the needs of different types of players. The following are key elements of such a program:

1. Skating Techniques: The foundation of successful hockey is perfecting certain skating techniques like forwards, backward, sideways and crossovers. Consistent practice in these basic areas can help even the most inexperienced player develop into confident skaters.

2. Puck Control and Stickhandling: Puck control is another critical aspect of playing quality hockey. Players need to be able to maneuver around the rink with ease, pass quickly and accurately, stop pucks at will etc.

3. Shooting Accuracy: Hockey players require accuracy and speed when it comes to shooting goals or making passes during playtime. Your academy should offer extensive practical sessions on how best they could achieve this feat consistently.

“A comprehensive training program for starting a hockey academy must include several drills designed towards developing specific skill sets. “

4. Tactical Awareness: Players who understand tactical awareness fare much better than their counterparts because they know where opponents likely movements lie thus being able to respond appropriately to various plays.

Develop a curriculum that covers all aspects of hockey, including skill development, strategy, and strength and conditioning

To start a hockey academy, the first step is to develop a comprehensive curriculum that covers all aspects of hockey. This includes skill development in areas such as skating, stickhandling, shooting, and passing.

The next aspect to consider is strategy. It’s important to teach players how to read the game and make smart decisions on the ice. This can include lessons on offensive and defensive systems, power plays, penalty kills, face-offs, and special teams strategies.

In addition to skills and strategy, you’ll also need to focus on strength and conditioning training for your athletes. Hockey is a physically demanding sport that requires agility, endurance, speed, and strength. You should design workouts that target these specific areas so that players can improve their overall performance on the ice.

“We believe in building well-rounded players who have strong technical abilities but also understand the intricacies involved in team play. “

Your curriculum should take into account different age groups and skill levels. For younger children just starting out in hockey, it may be more focused on fundamental skills whereas for older more experienced players will require advanced tactics. With careful planning and attention to detail while developing this comprehensive teaching plan; every student or player under the guidance of experts has great potential towards growth from beginner level intermediate up until they become stars at professional levels when optimization is done right

Offer individual and team training sessions

In order to start a successful hockey academy, it’s important to offer both individual and team training sessions.

Individual sessions allow players to focus on their own skills and development while receiving guidance from an experienced coach. Team sessions are necessary for building cohesiveness among players and improving teamwork.

When offering individual sessions, be sure to tailor the training program to each player’s needs, goals, and skill level. This may include working on specific techniques such as stickhandling or shooting, addressing weaknesses in their game, or providing mental conditioning exercises to help them perform under pressure.

For team training sessions, plan out drills that emphasize communication, positioning, passing accuracy, and offensive/defensive strategies. Keep in mind that different age groups may require varying levels of complexity in these drills.

“In order to succeed at the highest level, your talent can only take you so far. In today’s competitive sports environment, athletes need proper coaching if they want to achieve their true potential. ” – Michael Jordan

By offering high-quality individual and team training sessions, your hockey academy will attract serious athletes who are dedicated to improving their skills both on and off the ice. Don’t forget to create a positive learning environment where players feel confident expressing any concerns or questions they may have during practice sessions!

Provide opportunities for players to participate in games and tournaments

As a hockey academy, it is crucial to provide ample opportunities for your players to showcase their skills in real-time game settings. You can organize friendly matches with other local teams or schools to give your students a chance to play against different opponents.

Your most talented players may also benefit from participation in competitive tournaments at higher levels – regional, state, or national championships. These larger-scale events will offer greater exposure for your team as well as valuable lessons on teamwork, sportsmanship, and resilience.

If you want to develop future professional athletes out of your program, ensure that they have all the resources needed to excel not just within the confines of the academy but also beyond its walls.

To maximize player engagement throughout these events, consider designing custom uniforms and providing necessary equipment such as sticks, skates, helmets- this cultivates a sense of belonging among them which positively affects performance during games. You could even produce brochures outlining upcoming tournament fixtures so everyone involved knows exactly what’s happening when.

Furthermore, encourage parents and supporters along each stage – including fundraising efforts if necessary; perhaps sponsorship partnerships or merchandise sales- This helps build stronger support systems for both aspiring Hockey stars and growing businesses alike!

Invest In Quality Facilities And Equipment

One of the essential steps in starting a hockey academy is investing in quality facilities and equipment. Hockey requires specialized infrastructure, so you need to find a setup that aligns with your business plan.

To begin with, look for a venue strategically located within or near areas where potential customers can access easily. A location close to public transport hubs provides students and parents convenient transportation options.

Your facility should include an adequate number of tracks, rinks, locker rooms, changing areas and viewing stands. You may want to consider how much time you’re going to be spending on ice training because it will impact how many arenas you require.

You’ll also have to invest in high-quality equipment such as pads, helmets, skates and sticks. Make sure they are durable enough to withstand hard use by players of all ages, from beginners through advanced levels.

“By providing high-quality amenities and equipment for your clients from the get-go helps elevate your brand image. “

Furthermore, it shows players and their families who choose your academy that you take their investment seriously. Showing them this respect allows them to trust and retain loyalty. You must keep current with best practices regarding safety measures for sports like hockey. A lot has changed over recent years in terms of protecting athletes. Understand these best practices, and purchase gear accordingly. Investing up-front makes sense not only after assessing gains, but also when considering long-term cost savings benefits. Downgrading could compromise results, lower morale, and even lead team members elsewhere. Therefore, your choice of facilities cannot be underestimated!

Find a location that has ample space for training and storage

If you’re planning to start a hockey academy, one of the most important things is finding the perfect location. The ideal location should have enough space not only for your coaches to train players but also for storing equipment.

You need to look for space where you can have multiple ice rinks, as this will allow more players to join your program at once. You should also consider if there is a locker room and seating area nearby or if it’s an addition needed with renting out temporary ones off-ice.

Another factor to keep in mind when searching for a place is the price. It would be best to cut costs from other areas like marketing instead of compromising on the size and facilities of your hockey academy.

“You need to prioritize convenience and accessibility so that parents can easily drop off their kids. “

Also, consider how accessible your chosen site is. Aim towards providing adequate parking spaces—especially since many programs hold simultaneous practices all year round—a proximity suitable for public transportation routes adds even greater value!

The bottom line: when starting a hockey academy, always ensure that you choose a centrally located facility with enough open spaces that meet all player needs.

Equip your facility with high-quality ice rinks, training equipment, and safety gear

If you’re looking to start a hockey academy, the first step is securing a location that can accommodate your needs for both training and games. This means investing in an appropriate sized arena or building where you can construct multiple ice rinks for simultaneous use. Seek input from seasoned coaches who understand what dimensions are optimal.

The second step before beginning such a venture would be taking stock of what sort of training equipment will need to be purchased. Some key items include scrimmage vests, cones, netting and boards (to help keep players safe), as well as skill practice aids like passing machines, shooting targets, skating treadmills and more.

In addition to just installing ice-relevant tools within your facilities walls/dome/complexes/etc. , it’s crucial also purchase proper safety gear–especially helmets! Make sure all participants wear them at all times -research different brands’ specs/benefits now based on things like age/position- because one serious head injury could cause detrimental effects on any future business operations if negligence becomes apparent toward quality care standards implemented since day zero!

Safety must always trump expense when it comes to protecting budding athletes’ heads regardless of how small it may seem in comparison to other elements. Helmets and pads protect players from potential collisions during games/practices/drills — make sure you invest in certified products to ensure top-notch protection throughout.

Last but not least: Don’t forget ambiance plays role in every sports business endeavor whether we’re talking about recruiting new talent members/students/coaches etc… or maintaining present ones over time by making them feel inspired beyond their normal motivation/regiment routines they already perform regularly inside/outside home itself. ” All these efforts work together though when executed properly—quality amenities themselves become incentive alone enough draw athletes/ partners/coaches and the opportunity provided by high quality facilities can become a defining aspect of your academy’s reputation/recognition within your local community on top of national-level competitions/partnerships/etc!

Maintain your facilities and equipment regularly to ensure they are in top condition

One of the most important parts of starting a hockey academy is ensuring that all of your facilities and equipment are in top condition. This requires regular maintenance and upkeep, as well as proper storage and handling.

To start, make sure you have a solid plan in place for maintaining your facilities. This might include hiring a professional cleaning service to come in and sanitize the space, or investing in new flooring or lighting to improve safety and comfort for players.

In addition to facility maintenance, it’s also crucial to keep all of your equipment up-to-date and properly maintained. This means regularly inspecting gear like helmets, pads, skates, sticks, and pucks to ensure they’re free from damage or wear-and-tear.

“Maintaining your facilities and equipment isn’t just good business practice – it’s essential for keeping players safe while reducing liability risks. “

To help with this process, consider partnering with local vendors who specialize in hockey equipment repair or replacement. You can also set aside time each month or quarter dedicated specifically to checking over gear and making any necessary updates.

Finally, don’t underestimate the power of ongoing training when it comes to facility maintenance. Make sure your staff understands best practices for caring for equipment and staying on top of cleaning schedules – not only will this help prevent injury but it’ll also create a better overall experience for everyone involved!

Develop A Marketing Strategy

If you’re planning to start a hockey academy, developing a solid marketing strategy is crucial for attracting potential students and growing your business.

The first step in developing a marketing strategy is to identify your target audience. Are you targeting beginner players looking to learn the basics of the game or advanced players seeking more specialized training? Knowing your target audience will help tailor your messaging and outreach efforts accordingly.

Next, consider what sets your hockey academy apart from competitors. Do you offer unique training methods or employ experienced coaches with professional backgrounds? Emphasizing these unique selling points in your marketing materials can help differentiate your academy in a crowded field.

“Word-of-mouth remains one of the most powerful tools for promoting any business. “

In addition to traditional advertising channels like print ads and billboards, digital platforms such as social media and online directories can be effective ways to reach potential customers. Creating engaging content on social media that showcases your hockey academy’s offerings and achievements can attract followers who may become future clients.

Finally, don’t underestimate the power of referrals. Word-of-mouth remains one of the most powerful tools for promoting any business. Encouraging satisfied customers to refer their friends and family to your hockey academy can be an effective way to quickly expand your student base and build up credibility within the community.

Create a website and social media accounts to promote your academy

Starting a hockey academy can be a great way to share your passion for the sport with others. However, before you can start teaching students how to skate and handle the puck, you need to let them know that your academy exists.

The first step in promoting your hockey academy is to create a professional-looking website. A well-designed website will not only help potential customers find you online but also showcase what makes your academy unique.

Make sure that your website includes information about the programs offered, pricing details, testimonials from happy clients, and contact information so interested parties can get in touch with you easily.

A website is an essential tool for any business looking to establish its presence online.

In addition to having a website, it’s important to leverage the power of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. These platforms allow you to interact directly with potential customers by sharing updates about upcoming classes or events at your academy.

You can use social media marketing techniques like paid advertising campaigns targeted towards specific demographics based on age group, location or interest (i. e. , Parents who have children playing ice hockey), collaborating with influencers & posting user-generated content on pages etc which can increase visibility further. By following these tactics while creating & promoting a website along-with utilizing various social channels effectively one can grow their hockey academy exponentially gradually attracting more enrollments over time!

Offer promotions and discounts to attract new customers

If you’re looking for ways to start a hockey academy, one of the most effective strategies is to offer promotions and discounts to attract new customers. By doing so, you can encourage people who may not have otherwise considered using your services to give them a try.

For example, consider offering a special “first-time customer” discount that gives new clients an incentive to choose your academy over others in the area. This could be something like 10% off their first month’s fees or even a free introductory lesson.

You might also want to think about running seasonal promotions throughout the year. These could be linked to annual events on the sporting calendar, such as NHL playoffs or international tournaments. By tailoring your marketing efforts around these key dates, you can generate interest from potential customers who are already hyped up about all things hockey-related.

Remember: when it comes to attracting new business, creativity is key! Consider partnering with local sports retailers or community groups – this will show potential customers that you’re aligned with other experts passionate about the sport which will increase trust in your brand.

In addition to promotions and deals, don’t forget about traditional advertising channels like print ads and online directories too. A combination of creative marketing tactics coupled with traditional outreach practices ensures maximum exposure for your academy. Word-of-mouth referrals would bring more credibility while social media would serve as a modern-day megaphone broadcasting your message loud & clear!

No matter what strategy you employ when starting out on entrepreneurship journey- just remember: stay true to your mission statement & personal expertise because good service leads happy customers & loyal supporters forevermore.

Partner with local media outlets to gain exposure and coverage

In order to start a successful hockey academy, it is important to market your business effectively. A great way to do this is by partnering with local media outlets such as newspapers, TV stations, and radio shows.

By establishing relationships with these outlets, you can promote your services through interviews, feature stories, or even advertising opportunities. This will help increase awareness of your hockey academy in the community and drive more traffic to your website or social media pages.

To get started, research the various media outlets in your area and identify those that are most relevant to your target audience. Reach out to their editorial teams via email or phone and introduce yourself and your business. Be sure to include any unique selling points that make your academy stand out from competitors.

“Partnering with local media outlets can provide credibility for your brand and create valuable buzz around what you’re doing”.

You may also consider hosting events or special promotions specifically geared towards members of the media in order to give them a firsthand experience of what you offer at your hockey academy. This could be anything from a free hockey lesson for journalists’ children to an open house where they can try out the facility themselves.

Overall, working alongside local media outlets can be an effective way to boost visibility for startup businesses like hockey academies. By leveraging these partnerships, you’ll position yourself as a credible expert in the industry and attract attention from potential customers who may not have otherwise been aware of your offerings. “

Provide Excellent Customer Service

The success of any business lies in the satisfaction that its customers get. This is even more important when starting a hockey academy since you’ll be dealing with kids and their parents, who can be quite particular about their children’s involvement in sports activities.

To provide excellent customer service, you should:

• Be responsive: You need to be available to answer questions from prospective clients promptly. You could create an email address or phone number dedicated solely to responding to inquiries, so nothing falls between the cracks.
• Be open: You must listen actively if someone has concerns and work collaboratively with them to find a viable solution rather than dismissing their worries.
• Maintain communication: Sending out periodic newsletters or updates keeps your current and potential clients informed on what is going on at the facility and fosters greater trust among your target audience.
• Follow up: Contact existing clients after they’ve used your services to inquire about how it went and whether there is anything else you can help them with regarding their child’s development leveraging hockey training.

“I learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how it made them feel. ” -Maya Angelou

In conclusion, delivering high-quality client service starts by putting yourself in your customers’ shoes while providing professional instruction around their kid-sporting experience! Ultimately delivers emotional connection through personalization building loyal student athletes over time for life-long impactful relationships!

Communicate regularly with parents and players to address any concerns or questions

In order to start a successful hockey academy, it is important to establish clear lines of communication between players, parents, and coaches. Providing regular updates on training schedules, game times, and team events can help build trust and transparency within the community.

One way to achieve this is through the use of email newsletters or social media channels where you can post regular updates about the progress of your team. Hosting parent-teacher conferences at least once per season can also be an effective way to engage with parents directly and answer any questions they may have about their child’s development.

Beyond formal meetings and communications, establishing an open-door policy for player feedback can also be beneficial. Encourage players to bring forward any concerns or suggestions they may have regarding training methods or other aspects of the program in order to continually improve upon your curriculum.

It’s important to remember that positive two-way communication has numerous benefits including increased motivation from both players and staff!

Finally, consider developing a support network for parents who are new to the world of youth sports by providing resources such as nutrition guides or helpful articles that outline key tips for supporting young athletes. This will not only further foster a sense of community but demonstrate that you care about more than just wins and losses on the ice!

Provide a positive and safe environment for players to learn and grow

Starting a hockey academy requires careful planning and consideration of the needs of your students. One critical aspect of any successful program is ensuring that all players feel safe, welcome, and supported.

To create a positive learning environment, it’s essential to prioritize player safety both on and off the ice. Invest in quality equipment regularly inspected by knowledgeable staff members. Establish clear guidelines around conduct both during practices/games and outside them; make sure everyone understands these expectations from the outset.

Building trust between players and coaches is also vital in creating a supportive atmosphere conducive to skill development. Encourage mentors to work closely with their charges, providing individualized feedback that targets areas needing improvement while acknowledging accomplishments along the way.

Above all else, foster an attitude characterized by mutual respect and cooperation among participants at every level. This approach benefits not only those who aspire to play professionally but team-building skills that can serve individuals well throughout life.

Finally, take advantage of technology resources like video analysis software or online collaboration tools that facilitate communication between instructors/parents/students easily. A well-equipped facility combined with experienced leadership inspires young minds to reach new heights. Consumers are driving up demand for hockey academies across North America offering accessible options where athletes can come together safely under instruction toward growth as people pursuing excellence within community-oriented organizations reflective values important determine overall success long term outcome.

Offer personalized attention and support to each player to help them achieve their goals

A hockey academy is a great way to develop young players’ skills, as well as foster an environment of camaraderie among the team. Starting one requires dedication, time, and effort, but with the right approach, it can be rewarding both professionally and personally.

The first step in starting a successful hockey academy is to gather a team of experienced coaches who have played or coached at high levels for several years. The quality of coaching provided can substantially affect the development of individual players and teams as a whole.

Once you have recruited your coaching staff, it’s essential to invest in top-of-the-line equipment that will ensure player safety while also enhancing gameplay experience.

It’s important not only to offer state-of-the-art equipment but also provide adequate facilities where students can have access to excellent ice rinks, locker rooms and training areas.

Incorporate fitness routines into practice sessions since playing hockey demands stamina and strength. Helping children improve their overall physical condition ensures they are more likely to succeed on the ice. After each workout session or game, give constructive feedback about how individual players can progress better with every passing day.

Create clinics throughout the year that would allow prospective pupils interested in trying out for the academy get some exposure before making any commitments. Host tournament events increasing visibility for new enrolments joining classes regularly along with expanding your reach through social media channels like Facebook-connections come from recommendations given by satisfied parents/players all spread over these platforms most efficiently.

To establish ongoing relationships with your student’s families travel frequently around communities creating; partnerships & enrolling sponsors helping fundraise for initiatives such as updating skate parks near local public schools.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the steps to start a hockey academy.

Starting a hockey academy involves several steps. Firstly, analyze the market demand and competition. Secondly, define your target audience and the services you will offer. Thirdly, create a business plan and secure funding. Fourthly, find a suitable location and set up the infrastructure. Fifthly, hire experienced coaches and support staff. Lastly, develop a curriculum and marketing strategy to attract students.

How much investment is required to start a hockey academy?

The investment required to start a hockey academy depends on various factors such as the location, size of the facility, equipment, and staff. On average, it can cost anywhere from $50, 000 to $500, 000. The major expenses include leasing or purchasing a space, equipment such as ice rinks, skates, helmets, and uniforms, hiring coaches and staff, marketing costs, and legal fees. It is recommended to have a detailed business plan and secure funding from investors or loans before starting the academy.

What are the legal requirements to start a hockey academy?

Starting a hockey academy requires compliance with various legal requirements. Firstly, register the academy as a legal entity and obtain a business license. Secondly, ensure that the facility meets safety and health regulations, including fire safety, emergency exits, and first-aid equipment. Thirdly, obtain liability insurance to cover accidents and injuries. Fourthly, ensure that the coaches and staff have the necessary certifications and background checks. Lastly, comply with local and federal tax laws and regulations.

How to find skilled coaches for a hockey academy?

Finding skilled coaches for a hockey academy requires a thorough hiring process. Firstly, define the qualifications and experience required for the position. Secondly, advertise the position on relevant job portals and social media platforms. Thirdly, conduct interviews and background checks to assess the candidate’s skills and suitability for the position. Fourthly, consider hiring coaches with experience in professional or college-level hockey. Lastly, offer competitive salaries and benefits to attract experienced coaches and retain them in the long run.

What are the marketing strategies for a newly launched hockey academy?

Marketing a newly launched hockey academy requires a targeted approach to reach potential customers. Firstly, identify the target audience and their preferences. Secondly, create a website and social media pages to showcase the academy’s services and facilities. Thirdly, offer promotions and discounts to attract new customers. Fourthly, participate in local events and sponsor community programs to increase visibility. Lastly, offer referral incentives to existing customers to encourage word-of-mouth marketing.

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