Explaining the “why” isn’t always necessary, but it can be an important part of development.

Last night at my son’s 12U practice, I ran a 1-on-1 drill with our defense. The one rule was that the defense could not use their sticks.

The purpose was simple. I wanted their eyes on the offensive player’s chest instead of the puck. I wanted them to focus on taking the body and closing the gap rather than reaching for the puck.

But the drill really wasn’t about playing the body. It was about training their eyes.
I wanted them to start developing the habit of reading the player instead of getting drawn to the puck.

After practice, I was walking back to my car when a parent stopped me.
“Hey Coach, I liked that drill.”

She went on to tell me that she had asked her son why I had them defending without their sticks and why the coaches were telling them to keep their eyes on the chest.

His response?
“I don’t know.”

That made me stop and think.

As coaches, we don’t necessarily need to explain the purpose behind every drill. Sometimes players need to experience the drill, make mistakes, compete, and figure things out for themselves.

At the same time, I think there is value in helping players understand what we are trying to accomplish and how it translates to the game.

When they understand the purpose, they can start to take more ownership of the skill rather than simply going through the motions.

So today, I’m going to find a video that helps explain the reasoning behind this drill and share it with the team through TeamSnap. Then, before our first game this weekend, I’ll reinforce that message with them.

Not every drill needs an explanation.
But sometimes understanding the why can help a player develop more than just "doing the drill to do it."