At the minor hockey level, a lot of youth players fail to see the purpose of practice and why they simply can’t play games only.
Games of course are more fun, we understand that – the chance to score an important goal in front of screaming fans with family and friends on-hand.
But it’s crucial at this age to help kids understand the importance of practice, and the concept that the more work you put in, the better you’ll be when the games come around.
You can make practice fun too, of course, with games and drills based around competition between players, plus the odd scrimmage here and there, but it’s important to ensure you’re using this time to develop good habits in your players.
This is why repetition is key – if you see an area where your players are having some trouble, run the same drills over and over again until you see progress. They might hate you for that hour-long period, but not to worry, they’ll forgive you.
When the next game comes around and they find themselves in a situation exactly as practiced and notice that they’ve learned what they should be doing – they’ll smile.
They’ll know it was all worthwhile. And they’ll show up to next practice ready to learn more.
