Bag Skating in Youth Hockey: What the Research Really Says

What Is Bag Skating?

Bag skating (also called “herbies,” “suicides,” or “killers”) involves intense skating sprints back and forth across the ice without pucks—like skating from the goal line to the blue line and back, over and over. Coaches often use these drills as punishment after losses, poor practices, or discipline problems.

The Big Question

Does bag skating actually work? Does it improve conditioning, build mental toughness, and develop better players? Or does it cause more harm than good?

Physical Conditioning: Does It Work?

What the Research Shows

It doesn’t improve performance the way coaches think it does.

• Wrong type of training: Hockey shifts last 30-45 seconds. Bag skating drills often last much longer, building the wrong kind of endurance.
• Teaches bad habits: When players get exhausted, their skating form breaks down—less knee bend, poor posture, sloppy technique. They’re essentially practicing bad skating.
• Increases injury risk: Overuse without proper recovery leads to more injuries
• Better alternatives exist: Studies show that structured strength training, plyometrics, and game-like drills produce actual speed and agility improvements.

The Bottom Line

Mental Impact: What Happens to Players?

The Psychological Research Is Clear

Studies on youth hockey players (ages 11-18) consistently show negative psychological effects:

What players experience:

• Shame, guilt, and embarrassment
• Fear of making mistakes
• Playing more hesitantly (afraid to take risks)
• Reduced self-confidence
• Thoughts about quitting hockey
• Damaged relationships with coaches
• Growing to hate conditioning and even the sport itself

What doesn’t happen:

• Long-term motivation improvement
• Better decision-making (exhausted brains can’t learn)
• Increased mental toughness (resentment isn’t resilience)

Youth Development Concerns

Long-Term Player Development

What USA Hockey and Development Experts Say

USA Hockey’s American Development Model (ADM) and other long-term athlete development frameworks specifically discourage bag skating for youth players:

For younger players (ages 6-9):

• Their bodies aren’t developed enough for intense conditioning
• They have smaller energy stores and cardiovascular capacity
• Punishment drills are inefficient and potentially dangerous

For older youth (ages 9-16):

• Conditioning should happen through games and skill drills, not punishment
• Focus should be on fun, skill development, and motor learning
• Exhaustion interferes with learning new skills

Modern Coaching Practices

What Good Coaches Do Instead

Effective alternatives that actually work:

1. Small-area games (like 3-on-3 in one zone) that build conditioning while practicing skills
2. Full-ice transition drills that mimic game situations
3. Functional strength training programs designed for hockey
4. “Hidden conditioning” through fun, competitive drills
5. Clear communication about effort expectations without punishment

When Bag Skating Might Be Acceptable

In rare cases with older, elite players, sprint work can be useful IF:

• It’s structured with proper work-to-rest ratios (like 45 seconds on, 2+ minutes rest)
• It mimics actual game shifts
• It’s about conditioning, not punishment
• Players understand the purpose

What Associations and Coaches Should Do

Recommendations Based on Research

For Hockey Associations:

• Update policies to discourage punishment-based conditioning
• Provide coach education on effective alternatives
• Emphasize age-appropriate training in coaching certifications
• Focus on player retention and enjoyment

For Coaches:

• Use positive, skill-focused discipline methods
• Build conditioning through game-like drills
• Provide clear feedback instead of punishment
• Make practice fun while maintaining standards
• Remember: exhausted players can’t learn

For Parents:

• Understand that punishment conditioning isn’t normal or necessary
• Support coaches who use positive, modern methods
• Speak up if punishment drills become excessive

The Bottom Line

Bag skating doesn’t work. Decades of research show it:

• Doesn’t improve hockey-specific conditioning
• Teaches poor skating mechanics
• Damages player motivation and confidence
• Increases injury risk
• Causes players to quit hockey
• Contradicts modern athlete development principles

Key Takeaway