Does This Seem Like a Good U10 Practice Plan?
All season when I sit down to make a practice plan, I find myself asking the same question — does this seem like a good plan for U10?
As a new head coach, that thought is always in the back of my mind. I want my practices to help players develop, keep it fun, and still make sure we’re working on the right things. But honestly, sometimes I just don’t know. Higher-level coaches don’t always jump in with feedback on U10 plans — and I get it, they’re busy — but it still leaves you wondering if you’re on the right track.
Lately, we’ve been struggling to start games with energy. The first five minutes have been flat, and by the time we get going, we’re already chasing the game. So last week I wanted to build a practice that would help change that.
We started with a perpetual breakout/forecheck drill — basically, the puck gets dumped in, blue forechecks, and red has to break it out using our system. Once red clears the zone, they go to centre ice, dump one in, and forecheck against green. It keeps going non-stop.
The goal was to make them compete right from the start, and it worked. It hit both our forecheck and breakout structure, and there were a ton of reps. It was fast, loud, and competitive — exactly what we needed.
After that, we went into a 3-cone stickhandling drill we do almost every practice. Originally, we only ran it on one side of the ice at a time. Lately, we’ve started running both sides together. It forces players to move, handle the puck, and look up so they don’t run into each other. It’s a simple adjustment, but it forces awareness and keeps them engaged.
Then we moved into a mix of 1-on-1s and 2-on-1s, from different angles and spots on the ice. One version we really like is a 2-on-1 with a simulated backcheck. Two players attack out of the corner, get a shot, then immediately chase down a coach skating up ice with a puck. Their job is to separate the coach from the puck, retrieve it, and go back down 2-on-1.
It’s fast, competitive, and the kids love it. It works on transitions, effort, and battling back — all things we’ve been trying to improve.
We usually end practice with some sort of activation game — something that mixes compete and fun. The one we’ve been doing lately has two lines facing off in a small-area game. You can start 1v1, 2v2, whatever fits. The twist is that players can pass the puck back to their line to “activate” an extra teammate, creating a man advantage. It’s chaos, but the best kind. Lots of energy, communication, and laughs to end practice.
After that session, I could feel a difference. The compete was up right from the start, and the kids carried that energy the rest of the way. When we played that weekend, the team’s first five minutes looked completely different.
Still, even after that success, I catch myself wondering — am I doing the right drills?
I think that’s just part of coaching, especially when you’re new to running your own program. Every plan is a bit of a guess, and every week is a chance to tweak, reflect, and learn what works for your group.
What I’m realizing is there probably isn’t one “perfect” U10 practice plan. There’s just the plan that fits where your team is at right now.
And last week, what my team needed most was to compete.
