As the manager of female hockey for USA Hockey and a driving force behind their American Development Model initiatives, Heather Mannix has carved out a unique niche at the intersection of research, education, and player development. In her role, she focuses on translating scientific insight into practical application, something every coach, from minor hockey to junior and pro, can benefit from.

At the 2025 IIHF Coaching Symposium, Mannix delivered a clear and compelling presentation titled "Evidence-Based Elements of Practice Design," challenging coaches to think more critically about what they're actually teaching - and how.

Her message: good practice isn’t about running drills; it’s about designing environments where players learn how to solve problems.

Mannix began by redefining what “skill” really means in today’s game. Too often, coaches equate skill with technique - stickhandling, shooting, skating. But true skill, she explained, involves perception, awareness, and decision-making. It’s not just what you do, it’s when and why you do it. That means skill is contextual, and our practices need to reflect that.

She illustrated this with a familiar example: players stickhandling through cones with their heads down in a drill that prioritizes execution without decision-making, ultimately teaching players to ignore the environment around them. “We’re incentivizing the wrong behaviours,” she noted. “How are we designing practices that actually improve hockey IQ?”

To bridge the gap between performance and learning, Mannix emphasized the difference between blocked practice (repetitive, predictable reps) and random practice (game-like, unpredictable situations). While blocked drills may look better on the surface, it’s the variability and challenge in random practice that leads to long-term development.

From that foundation, Mannix laid out five essential elements of effective practice design:

1. Constant Decision-Making – Players should always be thinking. Drills should force them to read, react, and choose.

2. Challenge the Players – Push the edges of their comfort zone to promote adaptation and growth.

3. Puck Touches – Maximize engagement with “reps without repetition.”

4. Look Like the Game – Practice environments should replicate the chaos and complexity of real hockey.

5. Fun – A critical, often overlooked component that keeps players motivated and mentally engaged.

Her parting challenge to coaches: “What is the game asking of your players? And are you preparing them for that in practice?”

Whether you're working with U6 players or developing pros, Mannix’s evidence-based approach to practice design reminds us that the best coaching isn’t about control - it’s about crafting learning environments that mirror the game itself.

Noteworthy Timestamps:

• 0:40 Everything is evidence based
• 1:45 What is skill?
• 4:30 Practice environments
• 7:20 5 essential elements of good practice design
• 10:25 What is the game asking of your players?
• 13:00 Constraints-Led Approach
• 15:30 Learning design constraints
• 17:55 Environmental design continuum
• 19:35 Adapting to an environment
• 22:20 NHL examples
• 24:40 Intentional design
• 25:50 Linking activities to the game
• 32:15 What if a player is struggling?