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Fun Twists to Traditional Dryland Drills

By Mike Doyle, 03/17/15, 8:30AM CDT

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The upward turn in temperature and longer daylight hours signifies summer, but for many in Minnesota it also means the end of hockey season. While some feel the need to extend the game into a 12-month sport for a child’s development, youngsters participating in on-ice practice throughout the calendar year run the risk of hockey burnout once autumn rolls around.

Youth players don’t need to be on the ice, or even with other players for that matter, to improve during the offseason. With a few simple dryland drills, practicing specialized skills in short bursts off the ice can be more beneficial for a child’s individual development than attending an organized team practice in the offseason.

“There’s an urgency that more is more,” said Andy Shriver, Director of Hockey at Alexandria Area Hockey Association. “The belief that the more hockey a child gets, the better they’ll become because they’ll develop more. Not necessarily the way it works.” 

Shriver is also Minnesota’s Hockey Director Program Chair. He helps educate local programs and administration on the best practices and philosophies of the American Development Model (ADM), which focuses on long-term athlete development principles. ADM focuses on age-specific training, but there are a few skills that can be practiced off ice, like shooting and stickhandling, which will benefit a player regardless of age.

Keep It Fun, Keep Them Engaged

Engagement is one of the keys to training in the offseason. Forcing kids to practice might have short-term benefits, but the long-term impact could be disastrous on a player’s outlook. If the prescribed training is coming from extrinsic sources (i.e. getting rewarded by parents), the benefits are vastly decreased and can, in fact, be harmful to the overall hockey experience.  

“Keeping it enjoyable and fun for the child is actually a scientifically critical part of getting anything out of training,” Shriver said. “If the motivation [isn’t intrinsic], it probably isn’t going to make that much of a difference and the kid really is better off just going outside and playing and being active in something that they are motivated to do.”

So if a child wants to get better and finds offseason practicing fun, Shriver has a couple of twists to traditional off-ice training that will keep them continually challenged and engaged.

Shooting

Shooting pucks or balls in the garage is the best way for a player to improve his or her shot in the offseason. Once a player has mastered the art of the wrist shot, snap shot and backhand, change things up. Shriver suggests shooting off of one foot with reps on the left or right foot to improve balance.

For more advanced players, taking shots while sitting on a chair or stool can get them out of their comfort zone and change the mechanics of their shot. This type of training prepares them for any situation on the ice.

“The puck comes to a player, who has an opportunity to shoot and score, and the puck just doesn’t come off their stick properly. Some of that could come from shooting the same way all the time. All the practice has been focused on a very specific way of shooting,” Shriver said. “So if a kid gets into a game situation and the shot isn’t set up in that exact position, all of a sudden, all of their experience isn’t serving them because they’re doing something different.”

Stickhandling

Once a player can stickhandle stationary with his or her head up, it’s time to add in a few wrinkles. A player can use household items (with the permission of mom or dad, of course) like soup cans, much like pylons on the ice, in place of a defender.

Players can enhance a variety of skills by diversifying how they go around the obstacles by using short, quick movements or extending their reach out wider. Once comfortable, go around the barriers while hopping side-to-side, mimicking a hockey stride. For the more advanced player, invest or build a balance board for enhanced dexterity.

“If someone can stand on one of those while they’re stickhandling a puck, you can imagine all of the things going on inside the body as they’re helping to develop balance and coordination,” Shriver said.  

Passing

It’s difficult to work on precision passing without a partner or two. If a group of players gather for a game of street hockey, a circle passing drill with a competitive twist can be a challenging way to get warmed up.

Similarly to a stationary passing drill on the ice, use two street-hockey balls and form a circle. Set up a marker or pylon about 10 yards away (this will come into play later). Before making a pass, call out the name of your teammate. If a player makes a poor pass or fails to receive the pass cleanly, they have to do a wind sprint to the marker and back before they can rejoin the game.

“This one you could see a coach setting up in a station in the corner of the ice, but really translates to an off ice drill well,” Shriver said. “This is a way to keep things interesting. The competition factor is awesome. Kids are very competitive and they love it.”  

For more off-ice ideas for improvement during the summer months, visit USA Hockey’s Dryland Training page

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