Coaching hockey is no easy task. Becoming a great coach requires different skills than becoming a great player. Because of this difference, many people find it difficult to make the transition from player to coach. I often hear new coaches say “I know what my players should be doing, but I don’t know how to get them to do it”, or that they don’t know how to explain hockey skills, just how to demonstrate them…

I recommend the coach try breaking each skill into three simple steps that can be explained in words. For example, if I were explaining proper forward skating technique, I would say that each player needs to (1) maintain a good knee bend, (2) push each stride to the side at about a 45° angle (not straight back), and (3) avoid head-bobbing. These three steps are easy for players to remember, and will become a reference point for you to come back to if skating technique becomes sloppy in subsequent hockey drills.

Once you have one or two players who are able to execute the given skill correctly, ask them to demonstrate the skill, and tell the other players to “watch the demonstration, visualize themselves executing with the same precision, and imitate the final result.Motivation to execute the given skill precisely can be acheived by reminding players to watch, visualize, and imitate.

This coaching strategy can be applied to most situations, and can include everything from individual hockey skills to team systems and positioning. Breaking skills and concepts down into three simple steps can help you, as a coach, to verbalize what you want the players to do. It will also aid in comprehension and implementation of the instructions you are giving. Small tweaks and fine-tuning should be made once the main points of the given skill can be executed correctly.