Spring hockey is about picking skaters based on effort, while at the same time ensuring they play at the best level for their development.
If your hockey program runs anything like those in Southern California, you’re busy right now putting together a hockey team for the spring. This is a time when the words “elite,” “select,” and even more additional letters are tacked onto teams like AAA, when there is no Tier 1 hockey taking place.
Full disclaimer, my own club uses the team name “selects” as a spring/summer hockey program.
Yet, in the midst of marketing and the cloud of parents scrambling for their kids to be “elite” for the spring, hockey in April can be a lot of fun for players and coaches. It’s hockey that doesn’t count towards national stats or standings – it doesn’t even really matter outside of personal development and fun.
So when picking your team, it’s important to do so without getting sucked into the politics of elitism. This is about running good drills at tryouts to ensure you’re picking skaters based on effort, while at the same time ensuring they play at the best level for their development. Here are some tips on how to achieve that, alongside two drills I love to run.
1. Be Upfront and Transparent
Don’t sell your families on banners and trophies unless that’s the only thing you’re after. I put a strong emphasis on fun, then development. It’s spring hockey so practices are limited. If I oversell development, with only three or four on-ice practices, I am overselling any coach’s ability.
So my focus is on fun. We’re going to be competitive because I will pick the right division for the summer, but we will first and foremost just make sure the kids have something fun to do over the summer and that those who don’t participate aren’t at a disadvantage headed to tryouts for the travel teams.
2. Reward Work Ethic
With the pressure to win as a coach removed for the spring, I want to go out of my way to reward work ethic. There is forever a struggle as a coach to pick the right kids, but have a good enough team so that you have retention season after season. The downside to this is oftentimes, kids right on that bubble of playing up a division are left behind. There are many problems with this, but until youth sports changes fundamentally, it’s going to happen.
Yet, with spring hockey, rosters open up a lot and it gives me a chance to reward players who were on the bubble and may have felt they never got enough of a chance. So in tryouts for spring, I look for the kid working harder than everyone else, even if the skill is not fully there. I then talk to the player and see their attention level. Are they looking me in the eyes and soaking in what I am saying? That’s a coachable kid with a strong work ethic. Ensure they get a chance to really prove themselves.
3. Drop the Ego!
Sure, you coached AA over the season, but maybe with the kids available, you’re going to coach A over the spring. Does that really change your life as a youth hockey coach? Dragging kids up a division so that parents know you’re an AA coach does no one any good. If you bring kids to AA and they aren’t ready, and they lose, these kids and parents won’t trust you again. Yet, if you set proper expectations and promote fun coupled with competition, you will earn trust for seasons to come.
Spring Hockey Tryout Drills
So what drills can you run to highlight different skill levels that are easy for all levels of players to understand, and allow all players to showcase their work ethic and their skill?
I am not a fan of skating drills, either with or without the puck at tryouts. There is no pressure, no urgency, it doesn’t feel game-like. The best player with a puck with no pressure may not be as confident with someone on their back. And vice versa.
Drills created with Hockey Coach Vision.
2 v 1 3-Shot
In this drill, listening to the whistle is important, as is a disclaimer to players that if the goalie is not making eye contact with them, do not shoot.
The player starts with three whistlers evenly spaced apart and all three skaters take a shot, the first skater then skates to the cone or tire and transitions backwards to play defense. The second skater skates to the cone or tire and grabs a puck, as offense, and the third follows as a backchecker.
This should happen on both sides of the ice at the same time.
I like this because it does give you a look at their puck control or shot, but then immediately throws them into a more game-like scenario. The pressure from the two defenders ensure the forward is working hard and smart, and the two defenders are showcasing how they would cover such a player and how they skate.
2 v 2 Sprint
Admittedly, this drill does not start off very game-like, but it checks a few boxes. First, you see how they start flat footed on the rush. This gives you a good idea of their starts. Second, I like watching the puck carrier and seeing how they pass the puck for the first time, do they go straight across or do they lead with the pass.
The setup is simple on both sides of the ice with a forward at each faceoff hashmark and defense at the top and bottom of the faceoff circle.
To start, all the puck carrier needs to do is start skating and everyone else goes down on a 2-on-2 until either defense takes possession or there is a shot on net.
Skating, passing, defense, and more all in one simple and quick drill.
From here, I may break into smaller stations and do small area games, or if time allows, head into a scrimmage, which the kids love and gives you more of an idea of their gameplay.
At the end of the day, these guidelines and drills can ensure you’re set up for a solid spring hockey season that removes the pressure off everyone to “be the best” and allows everyone to simply be themselves and have fun. Which, in an ideal world, should be the whole objective of sports anyway.
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