Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Five Simple Strategies to Attack a Zone Defense

Want to score more goal against zone defense? Here are 5 really simple strategies.

These strategies work against all types of zone defenses and will help you score more goals.

Strategy #1 - Put Your Best Shooter in the Slot

Strategy #2 - Attack from Behind the Zone

One of the best ways to attack from behind the zone. Use the following tactics:

Cycle

Cross

Invert

Sweden Executes Two Cycles & Crosses - Sweden's Niklas Kronwall (#7) Goal

Invert Offense Causes Confusion For Finland

Strategy #3 - Attack by Reversing Puck to Other Side of Rink

Shoot Around

No Space play to open corner

Marian Gaborik Scored Game Winning Goal In Third Overtime - Invert Offense (Shoot Around)

Every time you reverse the puck from one side of the rink to another, it causes the defense to move. You'll find that on almost every reversal the players will become open.

Strategy #4 - Position Players in Gaps of Zone Coverage

Simply tell your players to find position themselves where's there no defense (go where they ain't at).

Attack the seams with and without puck

Brett Hull Was Great at Being Between Gaps in Zone

Strategy #5 - Take the puck to net

Be a threat to score

Do not play out side the game

Good defensive zones want to keep you to the outside. Do not be content to have control of the puck on the outside.

Power Questions:

Do you currently employ all four of these strategies?

Execute these simple suggestions and you'll get better. These strategies work against all types of zone defenses.

How does a 70 year old sound so good?

Practice!
-Beach Boys Interview CNN September 17, 2012

Power Thoughts:

"Somebody may beat me, but they are going to have to bleed to do it."
-Steve Prefontaine

Building Character in Children

Be Kind To People

Sports Psychology Tips:

Use Teachable Moments Build Character
Use Story Telling - To Teach Qualities of Character

Monday, September 17, 2012

Sweeney Drill - 1 v 0

Techniques:

Passing & receiving passes

Tactics:

Control skating
Timing

Keys:

See the puck
Two way communication between passer & receiver

One player per lane

Have your stick on the ice
Have your stick at a right angle to receive puck

Terms:

Control skate, communicate & accelerate

Sweeney Drill: Flow drill to work on control skating, timing and passing. This is a continuous drill working from both ends. After the pass or shot, players go to next line.

1 starts the dill after shot
1 & 2 exchange lanes
1 passes to 2
2 & 3 exchanges lanes
2 passes to 3 at blue line

Progressions

Entering Zone Wide:

Add 4th player to rebound

Attacking Middle Seam:

Add 4th player to rebound

Related Videos & Teaching Points:

3 v 1 Wise Drill (Part 1)

3 v 1 Wise Drill (Part 2)

Power Thoughts:

When you make a mistake, there are only three things you should ever do about it:
1. Admit it. 2. Learn from it, and 3. Don't repeat it.” Paul "Bear" Bryant (Great Football Coach)

Jeremiah 24:6

I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not uproot them.

"I believe that my work is as much about words as basketball. Choosing the right words to say to players is no less important than picking the starting line-up or court strategies.”

-Mike Krzyzewski

Sports Psychology Tips:

Create Vision for Your Players:

Great leaders, teachers, coaches and counselors very often, see potential in other people that they can’t see in themselves. It our job as a coach to provide vision into them. Players often need to be told what they can become. Players need to be told what is possible. Players want direction for their life. Your words have the power to lift players up, push them in the right direction and create a vision for their future.

Choose to plant positive seeds
Choose to encourage someone today
Choose to speak hope
Choose to speak life into dreams
Choose to speak a vision of a great life
Choose to speak about potential; Not problems

Friday, September 14, 2012

Keith McAdams Coaching Tips: Using the Shaft of Your Stick to Score Goals

Using the Shaft of Your Stick to Score Goals

Technique:

Speed of stick
Impact the ice 6-10 inches behind the puck

Weight transfer allows the stick to flex and unflex
Using the shaft of the stick gives the speed to the shot

Related Videos & Teaching Points:

Creating Space To Get Shot on Goal

Little Things: Evander Kane Creating Space To Shoot

NHL REGULAR SEASON STATS	74 GAMES	30 GOALS	27 ASSISTS	57 POINTS

Power Thoughts:

"It doesn't matter who scores the points, it's who can get the ball to the scorer"

- Larry Bird

“Practice makes the master.”

― Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind

Sports Psychology Tips:

Self Belief and Confidence is critical to becoming a champion. Self Confidence is something that you must earn every day with your daily routines, life habits and work ethic. Self Confidence happens when you have a great plan and work it. Confidence just does not happen, you create it everyday in practice.