Check out these drills from Greg Revak's 2023 TCS Live presentation on Simple Ways to Better Coaching.
Greg Revak is a certified Level 4 USA Hockey coach and a coach developer within USAH’s coach education program. He coaches Worthington Kilbourne High School (Ohio). When not at the rink, Revak hosts the Hockey IQ Podcast and authors the Hockey IQ Newsletter; he has also published nearly 30 stories as a contributor to The Coaches Site.
Revak presented on simple, effective ways that coaches can accelerate their players development. These drills are examples that reflect “coachless,” “whistleless,” and many other great developmental principles.
2V0, 2V1, 3V1, 3V2
DESCRIPTION
- F1s on the blueline start 2v0 against the goalie.
- D1 pops out to play 2v1 full ice after F1s pick up a puck in the corner.
- D2 pops out to play 3v1 full ice after F1s add a player with a puck out of the corner.
- Two D3s pop out to play a 3v2 full ice after F1s pick up a puck in the corner. This is continuous as the next line of F2s start with 2v0.
- Pit the defense against the offense by determining how many goals the offense needs to score. If they score less than that amount, 2 hard laps.
KEY POINTS
- Odd-person rushes progressively become more complex.
- Continuous/whistle-less drill.
- Coaches are able to use their coaching skills (Observation, question-asking, checking for understanding, etc.) rather than running the activity.
2V5, 5V5
DESCRIPTION
- 5 players line up similar to an opening faceoff. They are to always break out the puck that is dumped in.
- They will start against 2 forecheckers before building up to 5 forechecking players.
- 5 forechecking players lineup at the far blueline.
- Each time the team successfully breaks the puck out, they pass to the next forechecking player in line.
- The pass receiver ensures the get over the red line before dumping the puck in and forechecking. The players that forechecked tag up at the red line and forecheck again.
- Once all 5 forechecking players have been added and the team breaks the puck out, there is a reset and a new set of 5 takes their turn at breaking the puck out.
KEY POINTS
- Breakouts progressively become more complex.
- Continuous/whistle-less drill.
- Coaches are able to use their coaching skills (Observation, question-asking, checking for understanding, etc.) rather than running the activity.
1V1 FULL ICE ANGLING
DESCRIPTION
- Attackers on the far blueline with angling defenders on the far neutral zone dots. Once eye contact is made, the activity starts.
- This is a continuous/whistle-less activity.
KEY POINTS
- Angling within an unscripted environment.
- Continuous/whistle-less drill.
- Coaches are able to use their coaching skills (Observation, question-asking, checking for understanding, etc.) rather than running the activity.
