Shutting It Off

From the New York Times:

You’re Too Busy. You Need a ‘Shultz Hour.’ https://nyti.ms/2pw0Fv3

8 Coaching Mistakes I Wish I Never Made

We all make mistakes. Players, coaches, people. The best thing we can do is learn from others and recognize potential mistakes before they happen.

A great article with some timely reminders for a Monday morning:

8 Coaching Mistakes I Wish I Never Made

Wednesday Drill of the Week: Bandits Backcheck

A backcheck/transition drill this week.

The drill starts with five O players stationary – two F’s below the goal line, one high F3 and two D on the blueline. X starts with the puck on the half wall.

On the whistle, X takes off with the puck. The D play the rush while F3 backpressures the puck carrier (or however you structure your backchecks). Either the D or F3 angle the puck carrier into the wall and force a turnover while the other player retrieves the puck and quickly transitions it up ice to either F. The defensive team then transitions to a 3v0 attack on net (D join the play).

To add another element to the drill, place two defensive D down low with the forwards below the goal line for a 3v2 offensive attack.

I really like this drill as a transition, gap, reattack game scenario for all players involved.

Wednesday Drill of the Week: Norton 2v0

A 2v0 multiple attack drill courtesy of Pat Norton (Head Coach at Tufts University). The drill starts with forwards in the four corners – you can start them in line with the dots or you can start them wider, it all depends on the desired spacing. This drill is good for forwards to get comfortable with scissoring and attacking quickly on a 2v0.

All four lines have pucks, starting out of alternating sides simultaneously. X1 makes a long pass to X2 who starts to move up ice. X2 scissors with X1 (optional drop pass) and then they attack the net in the crease 2v0. At the same time, X and X3 would execute the same thing, attacking the net near the blue line.

The second part of the drill is done behind the net. It still starts with a long pass, then a scissor and 2v0 attack. The forwards can attack on the same side of the net, or one can go around the far side for different spacing.

Wednesday Drill of the Week: Two Cone Agility

A simple yet effective agility drill for forwards or defenseman.

Player skates in from just above the top of the circle carrying a puck. The player does a figure 8 around both cones, then passes the puck to the coach standing at the far dot. Coach gives an instantaneous return pass which is one-touched into the net.

The drill is designed to focus solely on the players’ edgework. The variance lies in the skating movement around the cones. First have the player go through on one foot with just inside edges (right at bottom, left at top). Then just outside edges. Then two feet tight turn. Then open hip. Then stop at the bottom, crossover accelerate around the top.

Again, simple drill but change the skating movement to help develop edges, balance and acceleration.

This Is What It’s All About

Great article from the Players Tribune and Jimmy Vesey about playing college hockey:

http://www.theplayerstribune.com/jimmy-vesey-harvard-hockey/

Wednesday Drill of the Week: 4v4 3 Net Game

A summer camp special this week – we’ve instituted it in practices this season and it’s been a huge addition to help our guys develop awareness, feel and creativity on the ice.

The drill is 4v4. Players are on two teams on the benches. They can score on any net – the net in the middle of the ice is worth 2 points. Change on the whistle. If you only have two goalies, use a small net for the NZ goal.

Coaches should encourage change of direction, using the whole ice, and communication in this drill – the more the players spread out and utilize space, the better their chances for success.

Wednesday Drill of the Week: Laker 2v2

WDotW Returns! A great full team rush/oz play drill courtesy of one of the two Laker programs in NCAA D1.

The drill starts with F1s crossing and exchanging a puck near the top of the circles. Two D start at the blueline and play the rush 2v2 back into the zone. Once in zone, two D (D2) come and play the offensive points while F1s and D1s play 2v2 below the tops of the circles. F1 can use D2 at the offensive blue line to maintain possession and generate point shots. On the whistle, F2’s cross and exchange a puck, attacking D2 down the ice into the far zone 2v2 – two D1’s join to play offensive points. The drill is then continuous, with the next pair beginning their attack on the whistle.

Wednesday Drill of the Week: 3v0 Exchange Counter

A 3v0 shooting drill this week. This drill simulates a quick counter attack from your forwards. Emphasize quick transition once all three are onside and a quick decision to attack the net. Transition goals are scored within 3-7 seconds of a turnover, so the quick strike mentality is key.

The drill starts with three players in opposite corners. X1 goes around the circle and takes a shot. X2 delays and follows with a second shot. X3 completes a full lap around the circle and posts up inside the near blue line.

After the first shot, X1 skates around the far circle and finds a supporting space in the neutral zone. X2 picks up a puck from the corner and skates towards the blue line, making a pass to X3 from the opposite side. X2 then jumps onside and the three X’s quick attack 3v0.

How We Recruit

A great article this morning by Ari Wasserman at Cleveland.com about how recruiting at schools in the MAC differs from recruiting at Ohio State. Primarily dealing with the evaluation side of recruiting, it looks at how the coaches go about doing their jobs and the different environments they are in.

Is assembling a top-tier MAC team harder than building a national champion?

There is a lot about this article that reminds me of recruiting at the D3 level. D1 schools look for the best of the best, they look for and evaluate players that can be game breakers and difference makers at their level. They recruit those special few players, never managing more than a handful at a time. At D3, we try to find the best players that might have slipped under the radar – guys that can have an impact but for one reason or another haven’t caught the eye of a D1 scout. The numbers game is a very real part of recruiting at D3, just like in the MAC.

Little guys vs big guys, our challenges are different but the realities are the same. You have to recruit to win game – recruit the right players and people and you can be very successful.