Lacrosse drills for youth players. Mastering Youth Lacrosse: Essential Indoor Drills for Beginners

What are effective lacrosse drills for youth players. How can indoor drills improve skills for beginners. Which drills teach fundamental techniques like cradling, scooping, and passing. How to make lacrosse practice fun and engaging for young athletes.

Four Fun and Effective Indoor Lacrosse Drills for Young Players

Developing fundamental lacrosse skills in young players requires a combination of engaging drills and proper instruction. Here are four indoor lacrosse drills specifically designed for beginning youth players that focus on essential techniques while keeping practice fun and exciting:

• What Time Is It Mr. Fox?
• Sleeping Giant
• Worst Pass Ever Drill
• Give-and-Go Ladder Drill

These drills can be adapted for players as young as five years old and can be modified to increase difficulty for middle school beginners. Let’s explore each drill in detail to understand how they contribute to skill development and team dynamics.

Cradling on the Run: What Time Is It Mr. Fox?

The “What Time Is It Mr. Fox?” drill is an excellent way to teach young players how to cradle the ball while running. This skill is crucial in lacrosse as it allows players to maintain possession while moving across the field.

Equipment Needed:

• Swax Lax balls
• Small stickers

Key Teaching Points:

• Maintaining ball control while running
• Adapting cradling technique to individual comfort
• Proper stick positioning in the “triple threat” stance
• Keeping arms away from the body
• Protecting the ball from defenders
• Maintaining visual awareness of the field

How can players improve their cradling technique? A helpful tip is to use the “Hi and Bye” drill. Players should practice saying “Hi” and “Bye” to their stick and ball by moving it from shoulder to shoulder, reinforcing the proper cradling motion.

Drill Execution:

1. Players line up horizontally, each with a ball in their stick, facing the coach (the “fox”).
2. The coach turns their back to the players.
3. Players ask in unison, “What time is it, Mr. Fox?”
4. The coach responds with a time between 1:00 and 11:00.
5. Players advance the corresponding number of steps while cradling.
6. When the coach yells “Midnight!” they chase the players back to the starting line.
7. Caught players become foxes and join the coach’s side.

This drill not only improves cradling skills but also adds an element of excitement and competition that keeps young players engaged and motivated.

Ground Ball Skills: The Sleeping Giant Lacrosse Drill

The Sleeping Giant drill focuses on teaching players how to scoop ground balls and cradle while running. This fundamental skill is essential for gaining possession and transitioning quickly from defense to offense.

Equipment Needed:

• Swax Lax balls
• Whistle

Key Teaching Points:

• Proper foot placement relative to the ball
• Correct hand positioning on the stick
• Low body position for effective scooping
• Strong scooping motion
• Immediate cradling after scooping
• Strategic running to protect possession

How can coaches prepare players for the Sleeping Giant drill? It’s recommended to start with the five-yard scoop drill. This preliminary exercise helps players perfect their form before adding the excitement of the full game.

Five-Yard Scoop Drill:

1. Players line up horizontally with balls placed 5 yards in front of each.
2. On the first whistle, players approach the ball.
3. Second whistle: players freeze for form check.
4. Third whistle: players scoop and run.

Sleeping Giant Drill Execution:

1. Coaches (the “giants”) scatter balls (their “food”) in the center of the play area.
2. Giants pretend to sleep while players sneak up to scoop balls.
3. Players must cradle the ball back to their “lair” (starting line).
4. Giants awaken and chase players, turning caught ones into “baby giants”.

This drill combines skill development with a playful scenario, making it particularly appealing to younger players while reinforcing crucial lacrosse fundamentals.

Improving Passing and Catching: The Worst Pass Ever Drill

The Worst Pass Ever drill is designed to help players adapt to various pass qualities, a common scenario in youth lacrosse. This drill emphasizes the importance of moving to the ball and catching on the run, regardless of pass accuracy.

Equipment Needed:

• Two coaches
• Numerous Swax Lax balls

Key Concepts:

• Adapting to imperfect passes
• Cutting to the ball
• Catching while moving
• Maintaining focus despite pass quality

Why is this drill particularly beneficial for youth players? In beginner lacrosse, passes are often inaccurate. This drill helps players develop the skills and mindset to handle a wide range of pass qualities, improving their overall game performance.

Drill Execution:

1. Divide players into two or three teams.
2. Teams line up with their coach about 20 yards away.
3. Players take turns passing to their coach.
4. Coaches cut for the ball, attempting to catch every pass.
5. The team whose coach catches the most balls wins.

This drill creates a competitive yet supportive environment where players can practice throwing without fear of making mistakes. It also demonstrates the importance of effort in catching all passes, regardless of their quality.

Combining Skills: The Give-and-Go Ladder Lacrosse Drill

The Give-and-Go Ladder drill is a comprehensive exercise that combines agility, speed, cradling, passing, and shooting. This drill helps players integrate multiple skills into a fluid sequence of movements.

Equipment Needed:

• Agility ladder
• Swax Lax balls
• Two coaches
• Goal

Key Skills Developed:

• Agility and footwork
• Cradling while running
• Quick passing and receiving
• Shooting on the move

How does this drill benefit overall player development? By combining multiple skills in a single drill, players learn to transition smoothly between different aspects of the game, improving their overall lacrosse IQ and on-field performance.

Drill Progression:

1. Players practice running through the ladder while cradling, focusing on foot placement and ball control.
2. Coaches position themselves to receive passes from players after they complete the ladder.
3. Players execute a give-and-go with the coach after the ladder run.
4. The drill concludes with a shot on goal.

This drill can be adjusted for difficulty by changing the speed of execution, adding defensive pressure, or altering the shooting distance. It provides a comprehensive workout that mimics game-like situations.

Enhancing Practice Sessions with Proper Equipment

The effectiveness of these drills is greatly enhanced by using appropriate equipment. Swax Lax balls, mentioned in several of the drills, offer distinct advantages for indoor practice and youth players.

Benefits of Swax Lax Balls:

• Softer composition, reducing injury risk
• Similar weight and size to regulation balls for skill transfer
• Reduced bounce, ideal for indoor environments
• Increased confidence for beginners handling the ball

Why are specialized practice balls important for youth lacrosse? Using equipment tailored to beginners allows for safer, more productive practice sessions. It encourages players to focus on technique without fear of injury or equipment damage.

Adapting Drills for Different Skill Levels

While these drills are designed for beginning players, they can be easily modified to challenge more advanced athletes or accommodate different age groups.

Strategies for Drill Adaptation:

• Increase speed requirements
• Add defensive pressure
• Incorporate more complex passing patterns
• Extend distances for longer passes and runs
• Introduce time constraints

How can coaches ensure drills remain challenging as players improve? Regular assessment of player skills and continuous adjustment of drill parameters are key. This approach keeps practice sessions engaging and promotes ongoing skill development.

Fostering a Positive Learning Environment in Youth Lacrosse

Creating an encouraging atmosphere is crucial for the development of young lacrosse players. These drills are designed not just to improve skills, but also to make practice enjoyable and build team camaraderie.

Key Elements of a Positive Practice Environment:

• Emphasizing effort over perfection
• Encouraging peer support and teamwork
• Celebrating small improvements
• Providing constructive feedback
• Maintaining a balance between structure and play

How does a positive environment impact player development? When young athletes feel supported and enjoy their practice sessions, they’re more likely to stay engaged with the sport, put in extra effort, and develop a lifelong love for lacrosse.

By implementing these drills and focusing on creating a positive learning environment, coaches can significantly enhance the lacrosse experience for youth players. These foundational skills and attitudes set the stage for long-term success and enjoyment in the sport.

Indoor Lacrosse Drills Beginning Players
– Swax Lax LLC

Looking for lacrosse drills to run with younger players whether indoors or out? All four of these drills work well for players as young as five, and can be tweaked for a higher degree of difficulty for middle school beginners. So long as coaches take the time to explain the key teaching points involved in each skill at the start, the players will have a ball once the drills get going.

Four Skills Stations

1. What Time Is It Mr. Fox?
2. Sleeping Giant 
3. Worst Pass Ever Drill
4. Give-and-Go Ladder Drill

What Time Is It, Mr. Fox? Lacrosse Drill

Teaches cradling on the run

Equipment: Swax Lax balls, little stickers

Purpose

• Keep the ball in the stick while running.
• There is no “one size fits all” cradle.
• Stick in the “triple threat” position with the top hand ¾ of the way up the shaft and the bottom hand anchored at the bottom of the stick: shoulder, shoulder, stick.
• Arms up and away from the body, as if you were making a muscle.
• Keep stick in protected zone away from defender.
• Eyes up to be ready to pass, shoot, or run.

Cradling Tip: Teach your player how to properly cradle with the “Hi and Bye” drill. Simply have players say “Hi” and “Bye” to their stick and ball by going shoulder to shoulder.

Drill

• Each player has a ball in her stick, lined up horizontally facing the coach.
• Coach is the fox who turns her back away from players to start.
• Girls in unison yell, “What time is it, Mr. Fox?” Coach shouts back any number between 1:00 and 11:00.
• Whatever time is yelled, the players take the requisite paces, cradling on the move.
• Finally, as the players are close to approaching the coach, the coach yells back the time “Midnight!” whereupon the coach chases the girls back to the line attempting to catch a few.
• Players who are caught join the coach’s side and become foxes.

Sleeping Giant Lacrosse Drill

Teaches scooping and cradling on the run

Equipment: Swax Lax balls, whistle

Purpose

To practice ground ball motion on the move

• Put front foot beside the ball.
• Top hand is near the top of the stickhead.
• Put head down and get low.
• Scoop hard like you’re shoveling snow.
• Knuckles to the ground.
• Big step as you are picking up the ball.
• Begin cradling as soon as it’s in the stick to protect the ball.
• Box out your opponent by running straight downfield rather than on a diagonal to minimize the chances your opponent can catch you.

Scooping Tip: Before playing Sleeping Giant, teach the five-yard scoop drill. Have players line up horizontally. Place a ball five yards in front of each player. On whistle, players run up and prepare to scoop. On the second whistle, the players freeze. (Coach should check their form and make adjustments. ) On third whistle, players scoop up the ball and run to the other side of the gym or field.

Drill

• Coaches, who are the “giants,” sprinkle all the balls (the giants’ food) around themselves in the center of the gym or field, and then they pretend to go to sleep.
• Meanwhile, the players are allowed to tip-toe up to the giants and one-by-one, scoop up a piece of food and cradle it back behind their starting line (lair).
• Soon the giants hear the commotion and make a big show of roaring their displeasure and begin chasing the food stealers. Anyone who is caught, joins the giants’ family as a baby giant.

Worst Pass Ever Lacrosse Drill

Equipment: Two coaches, lots of Swax Lax balls

Purpose

To learn to move your feet to ball, catching no matter where the pass might go

Note: Explain that as coaches, you will be cutting to the ball and catching on the run to avoid the imaginary defender. You can designate opposing team members to be real defenders.

Drill

• Explain that at least half the passes in lacrosse, especially at the youth level, are “bad passes.” Yet players must work hard to catch every ball that comes their way.
• Divide players into two or three teams.
• Players line up in their teams with a respective coach at least 20 yards away.
• Players take turns passing to their coaches and then rotate to the back of the line.
• Coach cuts for the ball and tries his hardest to catch every ball thrown.
• The team whose coach catches the most balls wins.

This is a good team competition that enables the players to practice their throws without fear of making a bad pass. You may add on to this drill by having players be the one to catch the ball. For an extension of this drill, watch Catching at All Angles Drill. 

Give and Go Ladder Lacrosse Drill

Equipment: Ladder, Swax Lax balls, two coaches, goal

Purpose: 

To practice agility and speed while protecting the stick during cradling and then learn how to execute a (modified) give and go followed by a shot.

Drill:

Progression 1:

Players practice running through the ladder while cradling. Eyes up if possible. One foot in each box.

Progression 2:

Coaches hold out their sticks into the path of the ladder so players must switch hands or pull stick to the other side of the body for more protection.

Progression 3:

As players come through the ladder, they should keep eyes and elbows up and pass to coach at the restraining line, who will then toss it back underhand. Encourage players to keep their feet moving the whole time.

Progression 4:

Add a shot.

The best part of these drills is that they each establish confidence while adding a little fun and competition to the mix. You can make the drills more challenging or modify them for younger players by adding or waiting to add a ball to the player’s stick, or even using a handball. 

Give these drills a try with your players and tag us at @swaxlaxball or @swaxlaxlacrosse. We can’t wait to see what you do.

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Tips to Play Youth Lacrosse | Best Tips for Coaching

Sports-related tips

It may be overwhelming to coach a new sport. The demand for well-qualified coaches will continue to rise as lacrosse is promoted in new areas and extends the youth sports scene. You may be asked to step in and help out even if you’re new to the game. Although you may not be an expert on the Xs and O’s right away, universal coaching principles can empower you to succeed in this role. Using approximate method w.r.t age and understanding development difference in youth players of different age and gender will help lacrosse coaches to promote, and get the best out of each player.

Ability to Understand the Game
It is important that everyone who plays Lacrosse is also learning about the game. This can be applied to the coaches as well. The first thing to do is understand the game completely and do it by asking questions and doubts to coaches and other players. Analyze what other teams are doing and help your teammates so that they get a better grasp of the game.

Communication
Good team defense is built on a lot of work and good communication. Communication helps in developing the game and delivering better results both individually and as a team. Always feel free to ask the coaches your doubts and queries because they teach you for a reason, to improve your game and help the team win.

Don’t Take Things Personally
A good coach will always push the athletes to their limits to see good results and sometimes practice can get rough. And sometimes some players need to hear the truth about their game. This is meant to improve the athlete’s Lacrosse game.

Coaching tips

Organize Regular Practises
Establish a regular routine or practice time as youth lacrosse players require as much time as possible on the field. Young athletes can apply their newly learned skills in a team environment and begin to shine.

Start with a Warm-up
It’s vital to begin to practice with a warm-up. Simple stretches can do wonders. Advanced lacrosse players can incorporate basic skills into their warm-up routines.

Provide Positive Feedback
Young athletes perform better once they get positive feedback. Positive feedback builds the confidence of kids and advocates them to improve and perform better.

Stress the fundamentals
Young players should be taught the basics like cradling, scooping, throwing and catching. Simple line drills can improve fundamentals and players can practice scooping ground balls and passing on a regular basis according to all the updated lacrosse tournaments rules and guidelines.

Emphasize teaching over winning
It’s important to focus on teaching moments that simply worrying about the scoreboard. It’s always a great investment for improving the player’s skills is worth more than a win. As most of the clubs are winning oriented and competition-driven so we have shortlisted few good lacrosse club.

Engage other parents
Enlist as many enthusiastic parents as possible to help you and the kids for guidance, support, and encouragement. A rotational shift with many parents can help with drills and warm-up exercises.

Let the kids run
As a youth lacrosse coach, it’s vital that the kids practice a full-field scrimmage every session. This fun activity is a great warm-up for the games.

Don’t overwork the kids
Always remember that lacrosse should be fun and no work Learn the limits of your players and avoid burning them out.

Emphasize teamwork
As a coach, the paramount focus should be to emphasize teamwork before anything else. If you build a strong attack, midfield and defense lines that play together, your team will win games at a higher rate.

Fun is essential
Studies have shown that sports enjoyment directly relates to great participation. If kids find fun in the sport they remain highly active. Enjoyment in-game results in positive performance.

Teach sportsmanship early
The most important thing in sports is showing sportsmanship in gameplay and towards arch rivals too. Coaches must encourage youth players for good values like integrity, respect for the opposition and discipline.

Remember that kids are not mini-adults
Kids tend to make progress in every step. Must be treated differently according to their age than an adult.

Design age-appropriate practices
When developing practice plans, coaches should consider youth players ‘ physical, psychological and cognitive abilities. Drills and plays based on player’s age should use the proper complexity.

Define success appropriately for each age group
For children in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, the primary focus should be on having safe activity and fun that gives movement to children. The emphasis should evolve in developing skills and building friendships among elementary school-age youth. Defining identity and recognizing their individual strengths and weaknesses is part of the equation with middle school and high school players.

Save specialization for older kids.
Research shows that there is a need for 10,000 hours of activity to move the skill set by a person to a significantly improved level. Is that the kind of commitment that should be made to the game by a younger player? Participating motivation must be intrinsic.

Use appropriate equipment
Make sure all your equipment are the exact fit for you. Misfit accessories will be troublesome and can also result in below par performance.

Avoid “playing up.”
Every coach’s motto is to move kid into groups of older age based on the level of skill or physical development. Studies say that being the team’s best player has an advantage. It helps develop other skills, such as leadership, patience and maturity. Injury risks and social alienation risks could also exist for players moving up the chain. Find your own way to share your love of the game with your youth players, no matter how you apply these principles. Find a way to share your love of the game with your youth players, no matter how you apply these principles.

5 Time-Tested Lacrosse Drills for Youth

Cradle Relay Races

For cradle drill, you will need 10 players or more than that, a bucket full of balls and several cones. Set up players in straight lines. Place each cone 20 yards down the field. At the whistle, one player in each line runs toward the cone while cradling. The player runs around the cone and back to the line where they place the ball in front of the next player. The drill continues until all players have the chance to run around the cone. The first group to complete a loop with all players wins.

Ground Balls

A game called Hungry Hippo is an excellent way to improve players scooping skills.
To run this drill, you will need two lines of players, two buckets and at least 30 lacrosse balls. Players form two lines about five yards apart. A coach throws lacrosse balls in front of the two lines.
At the whistle, the players run out and pick up ground balls. Then, they cradle the ball back to the bucket sitting at their line and place it inside. The team with the most balls wins the game.

Catching and Passing

In most of the lacrosse camps the Triangle Drill is one of the easiest lacrosse drills for youth to perform. All you need for this passing and catching exercise is a lacrosse player and three players.
The three players stand 10 yards or more apart and pass the ball back and forth to each other. The ball can move clockwise or anticlockwise around the horn, or even quickly change its directions. After players warm up, they can switch to work on their weak hand. Playing with your both hands will give an additional advantage to your gameplay which is said to be Ambidextrous.

Shooting

Youth lacrosse players can practice shooting on their own at any time, but team practice is where game-like situations can be simulated. Simple cutting drills help players learn on the run how to catch and shoot. Players are expected to start 15 to 20 yards from either the left or the right side of the goal line. The player should cut across the goal face diagonally. A coach standing close to or behind the goal feeds as they cut the player. Then on the run, the player catches and shoots.

Defense

The Monkey in the Middle Lacrosse Drill is one of the great defensive exercises that helps players develop their skills in taking them. Except that the “monkey” is a long pole defender, it’s very similar to the childhood game. The other two short stick players are going back and forth over the ball, while the defender is trying to take it away. This drill gives the defender the opportunity to work on poke inspections, lift inspections and slap inspections.

90,000 Through bankruptcy and parental discontent. How the new player training program took root in the USA

The founders of the American model of hockey players’ development shared their experience at the international forum in Minsk.

At the beginning of January, the “Christmas Hockey Forum” was held at the headquarters of the National Olympic Committee, organized by the FCB for the second time and brought together experts from various countries. Safety during training, sports marketing, recovery from injuries, the introduction of age-appropriate training programs – guests from the USA, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, and Belgium made presentations on these and other important and useful topics. Representatives of the US Hockey Federation shared their experience in the development of children’s hockey, whose training program for young players is now considered one of the most advanced in the world and which is not shy to study in major hockey powers. Here are excerpts from their speeches.

How to develop a hockey development methodology from scratch

Ron D e 9001 1 G regorio – Member of the Board of Directors of the US Hockey Federation, President of the US Hockey Federation in 2003-2015 years, member of the board of the International Ice Hockey Federation. In his report, he talked about what is American development model ( ADM, Russian version of this abbreviation – AMP ), the main principle of which is implementation of development of age-appropriate training programs .

– USA Hockey is the governing body for the development of hockey in the United States, and is also part of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). We would like to talk about what the national federation can do to develop hockey from scratch. First of all, it is necessary to develop a methodology for the development of hockey from scratch. How to do it? Let’s try to understand this, including using examples of one of the goalkeeper development programs that was successfully implemented.

I would like to start by showing a video that describes the American Hockey Development Model (AMP). I would like to note right away that our hockey development model is built taking into account the age characteristics of the players and on the basis of scientific research in sports that were previously introduced in Finland, Sweden and many other countries. But since we are representatives of a different culture, we had to adapt someone else’s experience, taking into account the cultural characteristics of our own country. Therefore, I draw your attention to the fact that0011 you also need to adapt any information you receive, in whole or in part, to your culture , said Ron De Gregorio.

In the video he presented about the essence of the American Model of Hockey Development, the leaders of this program talk.

Kevin McLaughlin (Senior Director of Hockey Development USA Hockey ):

– What I love most about USA Hockey – there is everything for everyone: for kids, for amateurs, for professionals .

Ken Martel (CTO, American Hockey Development Model USA Hockey ): game. Children’s sports require a lot of fun. The concept of “fun” for children of different ages may differ.

Kevin McLaughlin:

— We strive to provide children with an age-appropriate hockey environment.

Ken Martel:

– Most sports in America use appropriate size equipment for children of all ages and also adapt the size of the playground. We have also changed the rules for children aged 5-8. Instead of playing 5 on 5 on a big court, we split the playing field in half. Yes, this reduced the requirements for the playing level of hockey players, made it easier to defeat an opponent, but, on the other hand, forced the players to make decisions faster. Also, in a compact environment, players have more opportunities to get hold of the puck and perform more repetitions to develop skills, more opportunities to score a goal, which means that players from an early age have a better understanding of the features of hockey as a sport. We want children to ask each time they leave the ice after training: “Mom, dad, when will I be back to train again?”

“It takes a lot of patience to succeed”

Dave O green 1993-1999 and 2005-2017. He spoke about the history of the formation of the program of the American hockey development model, how he managed to withstand tough competition with other sports, and how difficult it was to convince the parents of young hockey players of the need and benefits of innovations, because many already see their children in the form of NHL clubs when they still babies.

– There is a saying in English: “Imitation is the best form of flattery.” I would like to believe that there are many people in the room who would like to “imitate” the USAID. Also today you will hear from Anders Larsson about the Swedish development model, which is perhaps a little bit more advanced than the USAID.

As Ron [De Gregorio] has said, the AMR is a by-product of studying the international experience of developing players in this sport, especially in Europe. And also how the process of player development took place in other sports, not only in hockey.

Successful implementation of the AMP concept requires a great deal of patience. In many countries, hockey is often funded by society or supported by the state, especially in terms of building infrastructure, but in America the development of the sport takes place in a market environment. Therefore, youth hockey is mostly based on a voluntary (volunteer) basis.

The success of some sports depends largely on how well the sport can be marketed to American families and young players. This is, for example, lacrosse – a young species, but currently very popular. Hockey, to some extent, was lucky to remain in the top of popular sports.

One of the prerequisites for the formation of the AMR was that 11 years ago, early emphasis on results and imitating a professional model of the game hindered the development of players’ personal hockey skills. When the new approach was proposed, many parents expressed clear dissatisfaction with the innovations – the division of the court, the 3 on 3 game, the small goal. They argued that it bears little resemblance to the NHL games they are used to watching, and they want their children to play in the NHL! It has been a long, difficult, but successful process of persuading the hockey community to build patience, especially parents who make decisions for their children. After all, if a parent wants to ever see their child wearing a national team jersey or performing at a professional level, you need to learn to patiently wait until the child learns to play correctly, there is no need to rush things.

What do we see now? The number of players who stayed in hockey has increased significantly – as opposed to the percentage of players who in the old days performed well at 8-10 years old, but left hockey at 12-14. How to explain it? If you get to know the game more, you love it more, which means you stay in hockey longer.

Pairs of dozens of super-professionals during each season, playing annually in the competition of the International Ice Hockey Federation ( refers to the national team at the World Cup ), clearly not enough for the development of American hockey. The foundation stone of the American development model was the goal of raising a hockey generation that made hockey an important part of their lives, even if these people could not reach the professional level. After all, they can, often on a gratuitous basis, in adulthood, at 40, at 50 years old, train children, volunteer for competitions, referee games.

One of the implicit advantages of hockey is that you can practice this sport almost all your life. Unlike American football, basketball and baseball, many people continue to play hockey when they are 60-70 years old, getting the most out of the process.

But how do you convince people that a game that doesn’t look like the NHL is good, how do you teach them patience? One such way could be to involve national team players or professional players in an advertising campaign to promote a new approach to learning. When people of this level say that learning to play like this is good, people begin to listen.

As evidence of the success of the AMR, the 49 US NOC sports federations were so interested in the AMR that they approached USA Hockey to use the basic principles of hockey AMR to develop their own AMR to increase the influx of players in their sports.

Every member federation of the IIHF needs to understand that the fewer children involved in hockey, the smaller the pool of potential professional players who can make it to the national team. I would like to repeat once again, if you have a sports program in which children enjoy playing and look forward to every time they go out on the ice, they learn better, stay in sports longer, which means that the number of hockey players increases. The most important principle is to train children according to their age, and not to force them to pretend to be adults.

“To learn how to win, you need to develop the hidden potential of all players, not just those who will play at a professional level” learning how to win. Some features of this program may surprise many people working in hockey professionally. He also told how the US Hockey Federation managed to get out after the organization went bankrupt more than 30 years ago.

Ron De Gregorio .

– The main principle of the USAID is to provide an opportunity for all participants to become who they can be, depending on what they have. It is necessary to develop the hidden potential of all players, and not just those who will perform at a professional level. This will allow them to carve out a niche for themselves in hockey while maintaining a huge love for the sport, even if they just continue to play at an amateur level. For the people of our culture, it is necessary not only to be healthy, but also to provide all possible support to those who have invested their emotions, experience and money in their development as players. There are over 2,000 rinks in the US and over 600,000 USA Hockey members helping out on and off the ice. How did we achieve this? At 19In 86, USA Hockey went bankrupt, we urgently needed to change something, and we decided to become an organization in which each member can broadcast their opinion and receive information about everything that happens on the hockey field. The advent of the computer age has only helped us to form a database of active participants – those who truly love and are interested in hockey. We also register parents as our members in order to bring them information about our activities, ideas and innovations as easily and quickly as possible.

As Dave Ogrin said, a player in our system must go through several stages of training, starting with an active start, through learning how to train properly, learning the basics of hockey, and then going through a full hockey training in order to eventually learn how to win. In general, this describes any process of learning anything. Science says it takes 10,000 hours of exercise to learn how to do anything, including playing hockey. But the learning process must be precisely defined and planned.

“So many owners of the hockey business have accused us of destroying it.”

Dave Ogrin recalled that at the beginning of the journey he had to face the rejection of reforms from representatives of the hockey business.

– When I talk about AMR, I always repeat, you need to learn patience and this does not only apply to players and their parents. In America, most rinks are full partners of USA Hockey. However, with extremely rare exceptions, the vast majority of them are private, and a private skating rink must make a profit in order to successfully operate. Therefore, you can imagine the reaction of their owners when they heard our message to young players: “Don’t just play hockey, try different sports, develop your sports skills to the maximum and if as a result you choose hockey as your main sport, come back to us” . So many business owners have accused us of ruining their business, but some still saw great potential for themselves in the long run, because customers who stay in hockey will stay for a long time.

Another important thing is the ability to communicate with each member of our 600,000 community. During the online registration process on our website, future members of our community leave contact details (phone number and email address). We can segment our entire database in detail and send out targeted messages for each category. For example, we may send information to parents of children under 10 years of age with additional comments about our program specifically for children of this age.

On the gold standard of training for goaltending coaches

Ron De Grigorio also gave a presentation on the goaltending training program and talked about the latest USAID initiatives in this area.

— We called the goalkeeping training program “51 in 30”. Goalkeepers who go through our training system should receive 51% of playing time in any league. These figures are important quantitative indicators of our project. The goaltending training program aims to keep our members interested in the position and hockey in general throughout their lives through age-appropriate goaltending training methods as well as gold standard training for goaltending coaches.

Quantitative objectives of the goalkeeping training program:

Increasing the number of goalkeepers who will play throughout life

– If we do everything right, the number of goalkeepers will increase. Not many people aspire to become goalkeepers. Firstly, being a goalkeeper in our country is expensive, and secondly, it requires great dedication from both the players and their parents. It is also necessary to increase the number of older goalkeepers who continue to play throughout their lives. First of all, this is necessary for the full functioning of ice rinks and leagues, so the number of age goalkeepers playing hockey in their free time should increase. Why do we need it? We need more rollers! And in America, the number of ice rinks grows only if the growth of players is maintained. There are currently over 180,000 players in America ranging in age from 20 to 75 years old.

51% playing time in the NHL and other leagues

– This is a long-term goal. Goalkeepers who go through our training system must achieve the opportunity to receive 51% of playing time.

We have divided the Goalkeeper Development System into three stages:

– Inception Program. We start training goalkeepers from 5-7 years old, however, at the first stage, we give each player the opportunity to act as a goalkeeper, just to try, for fun. To do this, as an additional training equipment, we use special children’s goalkeeper pads, which can be put on in forty seconds, as well as reduced hockey goals. All this takes place in an atmosphere of general fun. But even during these fun lessons, children are taught by professional goaltending coaches who show how to better catch the puck and move in the net. Therefore, children who have never played in the goaltending position before are beginning to succeed in catching the puck or successfully demonstrating the butterfly style in real goaltending equipment and having fun doing it. Also, coaches who have gone through our system first as players and then as coaches, thanks to the fact that each of them tried himself as a goalkeeper, forever fix the method of goalkeeping in their way of thinking, which helps them to better develop a training strategy for all their charges. .

– Goalkeeping skills development program . For those who decide to develop in hockey as a goalkeeper, even if they previously played as an attacker or defender. This program involves mentors who organize training camps throughout the country. Every year the number of mentors only increases, mostly talented goalkeepers who have completed their careers, but want to transfer their knowledge as part of a development program. There are 64 branches of the goaltending development program throughout the country. This program is funded by USA Hockey. One of its directions is the training of local coaches by national level mentors, and the other is the organization of training camps for goalkeepers from 13-14 years old. Mentors help goalkeepers develop their skills so that the brightest can move on to the next step in the Skills Improvement Program.

– Skills Improvement Program . Designed for those who have talent and who want to improve their skills. Those who can become goalkeepers of all national teams – youth, junior, youth, national, male and female, Paralympic or Olympic participate in this program. At this stage, players work with mentors who help them develop and become the best in the world. There are currently 28 goaltenders in the NHL who have gone through our program. We hope that the next phase of the skills improvement program will be a world-class goalkeeping development program, as is done in Finland, Russia and other countries.

For more information about AMR, and to watch our YouTube videos, please click on the following links:

USA Hockey Kids Program Introduction: https :// youtu . be / XyDXQ 9 ytoQ

Online www . admkids . com For more information about the American Development Model program, training plans, a parent booklet, and more.

For more information about the Goalkeeper Development Program, please visit www . usahockey . com.

For more information about the USA Hockey Goalkeeping Mentor Development Program, please contact Steve Thompson, National Goalie Development Program Coach ( Steve . Thompsont @ usahockey . org ).

“At first you need foreign specialists, but in order to grow your own”

Representatives of the US Ice Hockey Federation also answered questions from the audience.

— How do you feel about the active participation of parents in the training process? Do you think it’s acceptable for them to attend training?

Y e e Ogrin: I once asked one of the famous American coaches, Dave Peterson, what, in his opinion, is the best advice for parents? He said, “Leave the children and come back in an hour.” However, everything is not so simple. If you want your hockey community to grow and bring in young players, you need enthusiastic parents. However, we all know stories about how some parents go too far. Therefore, you need to establish certain rules of conduct. The USA Hockey rules that apply to parents who are abusive towards a coach, players, or referees are extremely intolerant – a parent can be escorted out of the rink building, and the team can be punished for his behavior. It is important at the beginning of each season to hold general parent meetings and discuss the basic rules of conduct, most parents accept the rules and, moreover, make sure that other parents do not allow them to be violated.

— How to educate goalkeeping coaches if there are none in your country?

Ron DeGregorio: As a goaltender, I was coached by a baseball player who taught me balance, control, athletic development. This is the beginning of any player’s development, then you need a goalkeeping coach to teach an army of interested coaches in your country. But you just need to start with a coach who will teach you the basic sports skills.

Dave Ogrin: You can also send one or more of your specialists to study goalkeeping development programs in countries that teach them at a high level, such as Finland. In this way, they will be able to share their knowledge with everyone else.

— How do you feel about attracting foreign coaches?

Dave Ogrin: Same here as with the players. In the short term, this may help. Italy has been doing this for a long time, but a few years ago they nevertheless came to the conclusion that it is necessary to work for the future and raise their hockey generation. It is the same with trainers, in the beginning you need foreign specialists, but in order to grow your own. The best place to start is by looking for a partner federation that can provide educational material in the most accessible and understandable way for your hockey professionals. Going forward, it is best to bring in your own retired players and develop their coaching skills.

Ron De Gregorio: All the knowledge that you get from the big brothers of hockey you need to adapt to the socio-cultural characteristics of your country, otherwise it may not work.

Source: https://hockey.by

Peter Twist – Piter Twist

Athletic education is the main reason why Twist Conditioning Inc. quickly developed and achieved success. Teaching athletes new skills is an important component of sports training, and education is undeniably of great value in personal and professional development.

Twist Conditioning is committed to educating the world about the importance of athletic training and helping athletes of all ages and levels improve their fitness for sports and recreation for years to come. A leader in athletic training, Peter Twist has been teaching others his training methodologies for decades, while also learning from peers, coaches and athletes.

The demand for Peter’s training methods, concepts and knowledge has increased significantly over the past ten years. In an effort to bring his knowledge to people who want to become coaches, Peter has devoted a lot of time to developing engaging lectures and workshops that talk about an interesting and inspiring training experience and provide training information.

Twist Conditioning has received a positive worldwide response and a growing following. Gradually, Peter surrounded himself with a talented and passionate team of educators and fitness coaches and began to communicate his Smart Muscle™ training methodologies through exciting live events, acclaimed articles and books, professionally crafted DVDs, and accessible distance learning materials.

The aim of the Twist Education Team is to convey their passion for sports training in a variety of educational formats so that people around the world can succeed in training athletes of all ages and levels. We create big, fast and strong muscles that allow you to achieve high sports results.

Based on such concepts, the international educational program Twist was developed.

Twist Conditioning partners internationally with leading sports training and functional fitness product organizations to make the Twist and SMART Muscle™ product lines available to coaches and educators around the world. Through these partnerships, cutting-edge educational resources are emerging that are readily available, of exceptional value, and provide easy-to-use information on how to teach.

Twist’s philosophy is to train ordinary people, not just athletes and coaches, and to create a culture and environment that will help achieve these goals. Trevor Linden, National Hockey League veteran and President of the National Hockey League Players Association, spoke of this combination of cutting-edge content and education, as well as a positive and supportive culture, in an interview with Province Sports in September 2003:

“The Twist gives the best athletic training I’ve ever seen,” says Linden, “in terms of innovation and attitude, it’s a completely different world. I played in Washington, New York and Montreal, and there nobody was up to his level. Over the past 10 years, there has been a real revolution in the field of training.” (Trevor Linden, September 2003)

In a brochure for his camp, Twist said, “Each year, Peter Twist creates new, innovative exercises that allow you to achieve ever better results on the ice. It is important that the training style and environment are very positive and motivating.” (Trevor Linden, May 2003).

Peter Twist’s resume

EXPERIENCE

• 11 years as a National Hockey League fitness coach and fitness instructor training for the Vancouver Canucks (1994 Stanley Cup finalists).

• President and CEO of Twist Conditioning Incorporated (www.twistconditioning.com)

• Former president of the Association of Hockey Fitness Coaches.

• Former Regional Director of the National Strength and Conditioning Association in British Columbia.

• Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University of British Columbia from 1990 to 1993 (The University of British Columbia ranked #1 in Canada in 1991 and 1992)

• Associate Director of Health and Recreation, University of British Columbia 1988 – 1990.

PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

• Co-editor of Hockey Training and Player Development (1993-1998) with Lorne Goldenberg

• Author of Complete Training for Hockey Players (1996, Human Kinetics Publishers)

• Co-author of The Psychology of Ice Hockey (1992, UBC Press) with Dr. Ted Rhodes.

• Author of 4 chapters in Sports Training for High Performance (2001, Human Kinetics Publishers), editor Bill Foren.

• Co-author of the Functional Training chapter for the Canadian Fitness Professionals Association (2005) with Mo Hagen

• Co-author of Exercise Ball Workout (2002, Human Kinetics Publishers) with Lorne Goldenberg

• Twist has published over 400 sports training publications in Canada, the US, Australia and the UK.

• Author of 8 BOSU DVDs on sports training (golf, football, basketball, baseball, soccer, hockey, tennis, skiing) with Douglas and Candice Brooks.

• Author of 3 hockey videos for the National Strength and Fitness Association

• Co-authored 5 Sports Training DVDs (2005) with Andrew Clark.

• Co-author of 4 Professional Athlete Training DVDs (2007) with Andrew Clark and Nicole Lark.

• Co-author of the book Exercise Ball. Part 2 (Human Kinetics Publishers 2006) with Lorne Goldenberg

• Co-author of the Exercise Ball DVD (Human Kinetics Publishers 2006) with Lorne Goldenberg

• Author of the book Complete Training for Hockey Players. Part 2 (Human Kinetic Publishers 2006).

• Author of Complete Training for Hockey Players (Human Kinetic Publishers 2006).

• Co-certified by Twist Conditioning Inc. Athletic Movement (Level 1 + 2), Athletic Strength (Level 1 + 2) and Athletic Balance (Level 1). These certifications are issued to trainers, educators and healthcare professionals in Canada, the US, Australia and the UK.

• Keynote speaker at most North American sports and fitness conferences: Can-Fit-Pro (Canadian Fitness Professionals Association), ECA, IDEA, NSCA (National Strength and Fitness Association), SWIS, as well as at conferences in Japan, Australia , Spain and the UK.

• Conduct specialized seminars for physiotherapists, chiropractors, coaches, athletes and professional development days in schools.

EDUCATION

• McMaster University, Bachelor of Physical Education, cum laude

• University of British Columbia, specialization in physiology and psychology of sport, Master of Science, cum laude.

• National Strength and Conditioning Association – Certified Strength and Fitness Specialist

• Canadian Association of Fitness Professionals – Personal Trainer, Specialist.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• In 2008, Twist received the Business Excellence Award – Business Person of the Year

• EA Sports Video Games Consultant (Electronic Arts)

• Fitness and sports consultant for a television film about skiing in which Tori Spelling played the role of an injured skier in rehab to return to competition.

• Ice Hockey, Strength and Conditioning Consultant for Making the Ground, a TV documentary drama (2004).

• Twist received the 1998 National Strength and Conditioning Association President’s Award, which is given annually to North American coaches for their contributions to the Association for Sports Fitness Education and Athletic Training.

• In 2003 received the Canadian Fitness Association’s Special Rapporteur of the Year award for the Athletic Training Paradigm.

• Nominated for ECA’s International Speaker of the Year award (New York ceremony March 2004). Twist has trained over 700 professional athletes, including: Hakim Olajuwon, Mark Messier, Pavel Bure, Markus Näslund, Trevor Linden, Mike Peka, Alexander Mogilny, Mattias Ohlund, Brian McCabe, Arturs Irbe, Bill Ranford, Tim Hunter, Ed Jovanovski and Justin Morneau.

• Trained Markus Näslund, Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden (2001, 2002)

• Twist Conditioning currently trains athletes for the following sports: rugby, football, lacrosse, soccer, baseball, skiing, snowboarding, motorcycle racing, skateboarding, mountain biking, basketball, hockey, rowing, netball, golf, ringette, tennis, adventure racing, snowshoeing, triathlon, ping-pong, squash, motocross, and the Canadian National Women’s Soccer Team.

• Experience with professional athletes:

• Predraft Pre-draft

• Draft Day Activities

• Managing Sports Camps for Young Athletes Post Draft

• Grass training, ice training – development of speed, agility and quickness for rugby, soccer, football and basketball and tennis court training

• transition programs and seasonal training

• psychological assessments of the main camp

• training after the game

• travel training

• rehabilitation and physical training after injuries

• draft evaluation and nutritional counseling

• sports psychology (visualization, mental rehearsal, goal setting)

• team building

• assessment of the player’s potential for a possible draft

• working with minor league teams and drafted players

• National Hockey League Stanley Cup Finals Game 7 Promotion

• Twist knows the problems that elite players face – fresh draft picks, returning players from serious injuries, veteran players looking to extend their careers – and knows the solutions to those problems.