• Coach: Oh! My players never concentrate on the practice! They are daydreaming!
• Player: Oh! I hate this drill! My coach doesn't understand hockey at all!

So what exactly is the perfect practice??

The Perfect Practice should have some simple & specific Purposes, Planned properly, Explained clearly and Executed correctly.

2Ps & 2Es for the Perfect Practice

• Purpose
• Planning
• Explanation
• Execution

Purpose

1. Every practice should have simple and specific PURPOSES.
2. These purposes should be consistent with the master plan for the season to achieve the final goal.
3. These purpose could possibly modify the master purpose of the season.
4. These purposes should be decided by considering periodization of the season, caliber of your players, feedback from the last practice and analysis of recent games.
5. These purposes should be realistic and effective to achieve your final goal.
6. These purposes should be assigned to specific drills.
7. Every drill should have one or two simple and specific PURPOSES.

Planning

1. Every practice should be planed properly to achieve purposes of the practice effectively, efficiently and safely.
2. Every drill should be planed properly to achieve purposes of the practice effectively, efficiently and safely.

Explanation

1. Every drill should be explained simply, clearly, concisely, rationally and visibly.
2. FOUR steps of explanation
   • Explain the PURPOSES of the drill.
   • Explain the SEQUENCES of the drill.
   • Emphasize KEY POINTS.
   • Explain EXPECTABLE MISTAKES and DANGERS.
3. These steps should be done in a few minutes, ideally before going on the ice.

Execution

1. Every practice should be executed properly to achieve purposes of the practice effectively, efficiently and safely.
2. Every drill should be executed properly to achieve purposes of the practice effectively, efficiently and safely.
3. THREE steps of execution
   • Make the flow and rhythm of the drill first.
   • Control speed, timing, path ways and pressure to make good flow, rhythm and tempo.
   • Make technical correction second.
4. If you find some technical mistakes in a player, talk to the player personally.
5. If you find common mistakes in most of players, freeze or gather up players and make corrections.
6. Modification
   When the drill doesn't flow well after few minutes, you have to modify the drill to make it easier.
7. When the drill flows well after a few minutes, you can modify the drill to make it harder.
8. In each case of modification, you can control difficulties of the drill by controlling ;
   • SPEED
   • TIMING
   • PATH WAYS TO MOVE
   • PRESSURE.(number and/or aggressiveness of forechecker etc.)
   • NUMBER OF PASSES
   • WITH or WITHOUT the PUCK
9. After the practice, you should evaluate if the practice work well to achieve the purposes. Use feedback from your players and assistant coaches.