5 PLAYER YOUTH HOCKEY
POINTERS
1.
SKATE, SKATE, SKATE
No matter what level you are playing, skating is everything when it comes to hockey. However, skating isn’t just about being able to move backwards or forwards. Change of direction is critical when your team is on the transition from defense to offense, or vice versa. That makes being able stop, turn or pivot on a dime and quickly accelerate out of a start position as much a key to being a good skater as straight-ahead speed. Work hard to improve your skating when you can!
2.
THE IMPORTANCE OF PASSING
Pay attention to your passing. Nothing moves the puck up ice quicker than a tape-to-tape pass. A good passing team is able to maintain possession of the puck for long stretches, putting itself in position to generate more offense. What separates the great passers from the good ones is not only are they able to deliver the puck to a teammate when he or she is wide open, but they
are able to use the boards and make area passes to teammates in traffic. Practice perfect passing.
3.
GET TO THE NET
Everybody has probably heard the saying ‘good things happen when you go to the net.’ There is a good reason for that — everything happens there. When you have a chance to shoot, get the puck on net. You also have to make sure that you physically go to the net so that way you are there for tips, rebounds and screens — all plays that lead directly to goals. continued on page 144
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