Initiation / Mite Level Hockey Drills
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The following drills were designed by the OMHA for initiation level hockey players. These are great drills for beginner hockey players, or young hockey players. These drills were created to help coaches build their players hockey skills, and also have diversity in practices. Hockey players sometimes learn more if they are having fun (especially at young ages) because they will try harder, and want to learn more in order to improve. The following drills are from the OMHA drill book which can be found on the website at Hometownhockey. These youth hockey drills focus on technical skills and individual tactics as these are the skills that should be worked on the most at the initiation level.
This drill is designed to be a fun drill and is a good drill from young hockey players. Fun drills are usually good drills to start with as the players will enjoy them and it will help the players warm up.
Time | Description |
5 Minute Drill | Chaos – Free Time |
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Drill Diagram | |
The point of this drill is for the players to practice many of the fundamental hockey skills in 10 minute sessions. This is a good drill to have because players can move quickly from one station to the other and little time is wasted explaining and setting up new drills.
Time | Description |
50 Minutes | 5 Station Skills Circuit – 10 Minutes at each station |
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This is a great drill for players to practice their skating and stick handling abilities. By providing the players with different equipment it allows them to develop different motor skills and also adds a fun element to the drill which will keep them focused.
Time | Description |
5 Minutes | Free Skate |
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This is a great drill for players to practice their balance and agility. Stations are kept at 5 minute intervals in order to keep the players attention and work on many different skills in a 20 minute time frame.
Time | Description |
20 Minutes | Balance and Agility |
Four stations, five minutes at each station. Change stations on a determined signal.
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This is a good drill to use to help develop puck control among initiation level players. This drill adds some friendly competition and also puck control in the feet.
Time | Description |
15 Minutes | Puck Control Stations |
Three stations, 5 minutes each, change stations on a determined signal
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Drill Diagram | |
Time | Description |
5 Minutes | Fun Time |
Players skate to the blue line and…
Do these 2 or 3 times each |
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Drill Diagram | |
This is a good alternative to a scrimmage. By breaking the players into three groups in three sections on the ice, more players will be involved in the practice at one time.
Time | Description |
5 Minutes | Pond Hockey Drill |
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Drill Diagram | |
This is a fun skating drill that is also good to use as an opening drill to warm players up.
Time | Description |
10 Minutes | Free skate |
Players skate clockwise around the ice. At blue line they perform four warm-up exercises
Between the blue lines: Skates stay on ice at all times, spread legs wide and then bring them in together. |
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Drill Diagram | |
Time | Description |
20 Minutes | Balance and Agility |
Repeat using route-2 as players should do on forehand and backhand |
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Drill Diagram | |
This is a good passing and skating drill. Half the players line up and practice passing and the other half practice skating with the puck. If desired the entire team can practice passing, and then the entire team can practice handling the puck
Time | Description |
10 Minutes | Stationary Passing / Receiving and Stopping with puck |
Review and demonstrate key points
Repeat 6-7 times |
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Drill Diagram | |
More Initiation Hockey Drills – Small area games
Check out this PDF that includes a lot of small area games that are great for younger hockey players.
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