Half Ice Hockey Drills Pee Wee
Half ice hockey drills are a great way to develop the skills and techniques of young players. In Pee Wee hockey, players are between the ages of 11 and 12 years old and are starting to master basic skills while building more advanced ones. Half ice drills are particularly effective at this age because they allow players to get more touches on the puck while improving their awareness and decision-making in a smaller space.
Why Use Half Ice Drills?
Half ice drills provide a safer and more efficient use of ice time. Instead of using the full ice sheet, players are split into smaller groups and use half the ice. This allows players to get more touches of the puck, which helps to improve stick handling, passing, and shooting. It also requires players to work on their decision-making skills as they have less time and space to make plays.
Half ice drills are also beneficial for coaches because they allow for more effective supervision and evaluation of players. With fewer players on the ice, coaches can focus their attention on specific players and provide more individualized feedback.
Top Half Ice Drills for Pee Wee Players
1. Two-on-One Drill: This drill focuses on offensive and defensive skills. Two players start at center ice with one defender in the middle. The offensive players try to score on the defender while the defender tries to stop them. This drill helps players improve their passing, shooting, and decision-making skills.
2. One-on-One Drill: In this drill, players start from opposite corners and take turns skating toward the net. The player with the puck tries to score while the other player defends. This drill helps players work on their skating, shooting, and defensive skills.
3. Three-on-Two Drill: This drill involves three offensive players and two defenders. The offensive players try to score while the defenders try to stop them. This drill helps players improve their passing, shooting, and defensive skills as well as their ability to read the play and make quick decisions.
4. Breakout Drill: This drill focuses on a team's ability to transition from defense to offense. Players start in their defensive zone and work on making quick, clean passes to exit the zone and start an offensive rush. This drill helps players improve their passing, skating, and decision-making skills.
Tips for Effective Half Ice Drills
1. Keep it simple: Half ice drills are most effective when they are simple and easy to understand. Focus on one or two skills at a time instead of overwhelming players with too much information.
2. Emphasize the fundamentals: Make sure players are using proper technique for skating, passing, shooting, and checking. Reinforcing good habits at a young age will help players develop more advanced skills later on.
3. Be positive: Encourage players to have fun and stay positive. Positive reinforcement can go a long way in building skills and confidence.
4. Vary the drills: Keep practices interesting by varying the drills and incorporating games and competitions. This will help keep players engaged and motivated to improve.
Conclusion
Half ice hockey drills are an effective way to improve the skills and techniques of Pee Wee players. By using smaller groups and a smaller playing area, players can get more touches of the puck while working on their decision-making skills. Coaches can also more effectively monitor and evaluate players, providing more individualized feedback. When using half ice drills, it is important to keep the drills simple, emphasize the fundamentals, stay positive, and vary the drills to keep players engaged.
