How to Plan a Hockey Practice

HOCKEY PRACTICE PLANNING
Hockey Skill Development can be a straightforward task once you have taken the time to develop a good hockey practice or seasonal plan. A practice / seasonal plan is made up of a number of important components that should be given strong consideration each time you develop a plan.
Information republished with permission from Home Town Hockey

1. Practice plan format to record your plan:
   • Meets all your needs for information
   • Archive your plans for easy reference at a later date.
2. Measurable outcomes for the plan:
   • Players of all ages need to know the goals of each practice
   • Record information about the execution of the plan
3. Elements of the plan:
   • Practices / drills should be more active than passive
   • A well balanced practice contains about 5 activities
   • Elements of a plan may include warm up, teaching components, technical skill execution, drills under game like conditions, fun elements, competitive activities, and a cool down
4. Assign the coach responsibilities to lead the drill:
   • Ensure that all support people understand the purpose of the drills so they can provide appropriate feedback to guide improvement
   • All coaches should be engaged in the delivery of each drill
   • Coaches may be required to provide stimuli to start or maintain drill focus
5. Clear illustrations:
   • Take pride in illustrating good plans
   • Make it a habit to use international symbols
6. Descriptions to include:
   • Written descriptions should include details of the drill execution, key teaching points, and key execution points
   • Plans should note any extraordinary equipment required