A hockey team is a tight-knit unit of players battling for victories, and a team's attitude is led by the coach. Aside from making substitutions and setting up plays during the game, a coach sets the tone and tempo for how his players interact and how they approach the game and training. Tips on how to be the best coach possible are abundant, and not all tips work for all coaches.
Get Your Players to Move Fast
A team that is constantly moving puts pressure on the opposition and forces the opposition to match its intensity and speed. A coach can get his players to always move their fastest by running practice drills that solidify the need to never stand still. According to Hockey Player Tips, running the Box Drill teaches players to always move, to never stand and watch the puck. Have players at each of the four corners of the offensive zone and another in front of the net. The player in the front left corner passes to the back left, then must immediately skate to the spot he passed to. The player from the back left should corral the pass from the front left and pass to the back right, then immediately skate after his pass. The point is to have each player skate hard right after passing, and rotate the puck in a clockwise fashion.
Distribute Playing Time Fairly
Professional hockey players earn playing time by producing and succeeding, making it easy for a coach to determine which players should be out on the ice. Coaching younger players, though, requires that the coach give each player the chance to play and get better regardless of ability level. According to the Hockey Coaching Tips document distributed by the Canadian Hockey Association, coaches should remember to make the game fun for every player. Expose each player to every aspect of the game and avoid contests and games in practice that eliminate players.
Develop Team Rules
The coach is the boss, and without setting rules, a coach cannot effectively get his players to do what he wants them to do. The Canadian Hockey Association recommends developing a set of team rules that cover expectations on and off the ice. Hold a meeting at the beginning of the season and involve the players in the formation of the team rules. Speak to players and discipline them if necessary, but do so in private so they do not feel embarrassed in front of their teammates.
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