U10 - 4 Station Practice Plan #3

Sharks and minnows could be one of the most popular youth sports games around. In the hockey world you may know this as pom-pom-pullaway. It is a great way to start a practice session becuase it gets kids excited and engaged.

How to Play

All the players place their sticks down below the goal line and line up across the goal line. Select 3-4 players or coaches to be the "sharks". The "sharks" must stay between the blue lines at all times. On the whistle the players will skate from one side of the ice to the other. The object is to not get touched by a "shark". If they get touched then they join the "sharks" in the middle for the rest of the game. The last player to not get touched by a "shark" wins that round.

Variation #1 - Power Turns

This variation makes is tougher by requiring players to do 2 power turns within the neutral zone. They are required to do one power turn at the red line and then another power turn at the blue line. Then they have to try and get to the far blue line without being tagged. Players can power turn in either direction so they need to be aware of which direction will give them a better chance to not get tagged.

Add some competition to your practice with this drill while working on footspeed, agility, control turns, and scoring. If you have access to two nets then split your half of the ice into two equal sections as shown in the diagram. Line the nets up even with the face off dots and place one line on each side. The tires or cones should be set up as shown.

On the whistle players start by going to the outside of the first tire. At the last tire the players do a control turn all the way around the tire starting on the inside. The coach will  play a 50/50 puck towards the net and the players will compete for the puck the first player to touch the puck is on offense and the second player becomes the defender and backchecks against the player with the puck.

This is a great warm up hockey activity or station drill to incorporate into your practices. Players will love it and it helps ramp up the energy and excitement for practice.

How the game is played

• Divide players into two sides.
• Place half as many pucks as there are players along the center line.
• On the whistle players will compete for posession of a puck.
• After 30 seconds blow the whistle.
• Players without a puck have to leave the game and/or do push-ups.
• Repeat until you have a champion.

This is a variation of a 1 on 1 or 2 on 2 game. This version uses mini nets but you can use regular nets if goalies are available.

Setup

Place a net at each end of the station. The coach has the pucks at the center line on one side of the station. The players should be divided up into team #1 & team #2 and lined up on each side of the coach.

The play starts when the coach yells out two numbers between 1 and 3. The first number called is how many players from team #1 will go, the second number is how many players from team #2 will go.

Therefore, the game could be a 1 on 1, 2 on 1, 2 on 2, 3 on 1, 3 on 2, or 3 on 3.

This 2 on 2 drill us typically used for station or ADM based practices and played in a smaller area. The animation and diagram show this being run using a quarter if the ice. It can also be run using half ice and is more suited for older players when you can use half ice.

Setup

• Start the drill with two players on defense facing the two opposing offensive players.
• The coach starts the drill by giving a pass to one of the offensive players. The two offensive players will attack the defenders and play 2 on 2 below the blue line.
• If the offensive players score then the coach plays a new puck into the zone and the play continues.
• The defenders must get possession of the puck and make a tape to tape pass to one of the next offensive players in line. Once they do that they go to the back of the line.
• The players that were on offense now become the defenders and they play 2 on 2 against the two new offensive players until they can make a tape to tape pass to the next two players. If the defenders do not make a good tape to tape pass to the next players in line then the coach plays a new puck into the zone and they must keep playing. This prevents them from just throwing the puck out of the zone.
• Keep score! Forwards get 2 points for a goal and defense gets 1 point for clearing the puck. This game is continuous. 

Coaching Points

• The defense will be tired since they will be "double shifting." Encourage good positioning and stick on the ice.
• Fowards should try to isolate one defender and create a 2 on 1 instead of attacking the 2 on 2.
• Defenders should be aware of player without the puck and communicate to which player they have.
• Defenders need to control puck even if they have to pass to each other before making pass to next set of forwards.
• Both teams should not be afraid to hold on to the puck, and protect it until they are able to make a play.
• Both teams should work on verbal & non-verbal communication with their partner.
• Compete to score points for your team! Celebrate points!

Variations:

• Can be set up on 1/4 ice (view animation here).
• Can be 1v1 (view example), 2v2, 3v3 (view example), or 4v4.
• Can add "gates" (like Picket Fences 2v2) at the point that the defenders must skate through before they make a pass to the next players in line.