Coach's Corner: "Elements of Activities in Practice"

In choosing activities for practice, often we look at either what physical hockey skill is at hand or some sort of team strategy. There are many more elements to consider than just skill and team concepts. Other ones to consider in choosing activities are the level of competition, decision making, intensity, and real game element. This is not to say that every activity we do in practice needs to have every component, but do reflect on all these elements in choosing activities for practice.

Let's focus on decision making as a component of an activity. A common set of drills often found during a practice involves a series of cones where the skater needs to maneuver through the cones in a certain pattern and then finishes with a shot. The drill may be designed to involve a forehand turn, a backhand turn, and then a transition finishing with a wrist shot. Now yes this drill involves many skating components and shooting, but it misses one major element, decision making. Many times as coaches and players, we will get frustrated in a game because we are not "doing the things" that work on in practice. The difference is that in a game, there is not scripted patterns or set cones. In a game, the players are the ones making all the decisions on the ice. So the question is, during practice did you coach the skaters as to when to use a forehand or backhand turn or when to transition? Many times we ignore that element of the skill and just assume the skaters will know when to perform the right skill. Just like the physical skill, the mental skill of decision making needs to be coached as well. So looking back at the cone and shooting drill, what can we do differently to practice both the skill and also the decision making?

Here are three different components you could add to easily address this drill to keep the physical skill, but yet increase the decision-making process which is most needed in any game situation.

In developing your practice plans, make sure you are developing all parts of the player both physically, mentally, and both technically and tactically. Hockey is a game of high skill, high decision making, and incredibly fun! Make sure your activities model those components as well.