The skills a young hockey player should develop

I am often being asked by parents, what are the most important skills for young hockey players. Versatility, there are many skills a 10 year old hockey player should develop to become better. Here some of the most important ones.

Skating: Is THE key skill for any hockey player, and it is especially important for young players to work on their skating technique. This includes proper position, stride, balance, edge work and agility.

Stick and puck handling: Players should work on their ability to fully control the puck with precision, both at full speed and in tight spaces, ideally with their heads up.

Passing: Practice making crisp, accurate passes to their teammates in different situations.

Shooting: At this age players start learning and applying different shooting technics. Which include wrist shot, snapshot, and slapshot. Most important is accuracy and power.

Physical conditioning: Hockey is a physically demanding sport. Players should continuously work on their overall fitness and endurance to be able to perform at their best. Needless to say that appropriate nutrition is a key enabler.

Teamwork: At this age young players transition from individual action in the game to teamwork. Players learn to work together as a team, communicating and supporting each other on the ice.

Sportsmanship: It is important for players to learn to respect the rules of the game, their coaches, ref's, officials and their teammates as well as their opponents. Players must learn and display good sportsmanship at all times. Parents and coaches play a vital role to teach and role model those behaviors.

If you have questions or comments about this subject contact your coach or reach out to us.

Coach Rene