Excellent drills, very detailed videos. Useful site for my U15 boys team.
I have been given my first team ever!! They are 11 year old girls and I wanted guide/ recommendation on how I should structure my one hour sessions? E.g. how long should I spend on a warm up, drill etc. .Cheers,Freya
Dear colleagues, I am coaching a 1st women team (Argentina) and the system that is working for us very well is 3-1-3-3. Given the quality players we've got in the midfield and attack we try to emphasize our offensive game all the time. The problem I am struggling to resolve is that the forwards do not get involved in chances to score inside the circle very often. The few chances the forwards have they are able to score but it is our midfielders who most of the time get to the circle in possession with the ball. I would like to see a quick transfer of the ball from the midfielders to the forwards who need to be in touch with the ball more often during the game and have the midfielders supporting the attack rather than being the leaders of the attack.Is there any drill or way to improve this aspect of the game? Thanks for your time. Martin
Hi,I coach a university team that has a group of mixed abilities, ranging good players with some previous hockey experience to some who are starting from the basics. We've managed to polish on basics and now the team is able to play together. They move the ball well around the pitch using the wider areas, good defence and tackles, but the big problem is creating scoring opportunities. Without goals we can't win matches... The best is draws which we get most times. I was wondering if anyone could share a small sided game or drill that could help create the attack mindset so my team can have that hunger for goas and go for it.
My daughter plays U13 hockey in the position of right wing.She gets different advice from her school coach and her club coach.I want to make sure that she is getting the right advice as she is passionate about her hockey. Firstly, exactly what is the full function of a right wing at this level of hockey (she will be going to U15 club hockey and U14 school hockey next season) She has a good understanding of the game and appears to me to read it well (I only played school level many years ago and things change) When her team is in the offensive position in the âDâ she mostly waits at goal post to deflect ball into goal. She appears to not be involved. Comments from spectators have been made as to why she just stands there. There is a very skilled player in her team who hits the ball EXTREMELY hard. I believe that at this level of hockey these extremely hard hits/passes do not achieve anything, they just keep going out. However, please can you advise on how to stop and control these very hard passes (that is if one can get to them) in order to move on with the game. Lastly, can you send some drills/exercises to get her eye in as well as positioning her body correctly for goal shooting. The âhard hitterâ and my daughter seem to be the main goal shooters of the team. Many thanks Lynne
Hi,I perhaps naively, expected to have most of our team from last year carry over and only have a few new comers to integrate and get up to speed with the rest. However meeting the team at our first practice last night i find I have five players still at school from last year and the rest all new comers, most of whom had not held a hockey stick at all till practice.This being only my second season coaching (year 9 to year 13 boys) has left me feeling a little blindsided, and feeling quite unsure how to prepare practices that target both groups of boys. Do i lump them both groups together, keep them separate? What drills/exercises to best bring the new comers up to speed.I don't want to neglect either group, keep practice worthwhile for the experienced boys, but also bringing the new comers up to a level were they can mix in with the others and learn organically from them while practicing as a team. David
If there are two defenders trying to tackle one player. Do you pull up for two on one or do all three sticks need to be making contact with the ball?
hi allI'm currently coaching 12 and 13 yr olds and the team has a massive problem with shape and being disciplined positionally.Any tips, ideas, drills etc for helping with / teaching this?many thanks,Gary
I'm looking for suggestions on set plays for free hits going into the circle. High school rules in the US now state that all players (attack/defense) must be 7 yards from the ball. What plans will work for drawing corners and goal scoring opportunities?
New rules, the attacking 5 yard hit outside the D - has anyone got any great ideas for set plays?
I have a team of 12 girls, many are new to the game. How do I prepare them to work together as a team and learn their positions when I can't simulate a game in practice?
Does any one have any ideas on structure for the new 5 v 5 indoor format?
Recently been working hard developing the use of the dish around the back to create space. Working great but would now like to develop this with more drills.We have discussed decision making, leading runs and movement but I'm now looking for ideas of exercises that will develop these thoughts amongst the guys. All ideas for exercises we could use at training gratefully received
I want our team to make our team and hopefully get promoted, however in my opinion player personalities are holding us back such disliking position and certain players wanting to do things that other players are better at.
...where it will list and describe playing terminology such as shave, tackle-back, steal, forehand.
overlapping outside halves ? or drop Midfield in hole?
Hi all, after "volunteering" at the last minute to coach last season, I'm looking forward to coaching again this season but would like to be a bit more organised starting the season. Last season I used drills from here (thank you contributors) and put together a practice plan each week addressing what I thought were our weakness from the game just played. This got us through the season, we were promoted after grading and finished the season in the top 4 playoffs for our grade.I wonder if there is some kind of guide to putting a more coherent training plan together for the season.I'm coaching a boys secondary school team, aged 12-18. What kind of skills should they have mastered?What should they be attempting, working towards mastering (individually and as a team)?I last played as a collage boy on grass fields, the change to turf pitches has obviously obsoleted (along with age) much of what I knew as a player.Any pointers appreciated.David
Drills for decision making/attacking phases of play for 13/14 year old girls. I don't want to do goal work yet.Thanks
how can I help my goalkeeper to stop a direct shot froma corner hit
how can I make practises such as the indian dribble and running with the ball using the correct grip more entertaining for junior players?
Would you say switching it around to a 1-2-3 would make for better attacking formations?
in more ways than one
sportplan_hockey
The best hockey players in the world do not just react faster; they scan more frequently and process information before the ball arrives. This article explores the science behind scanning, how to coach spatial awareness as a habit, and practical drills that force players to lift their heads and read the game.
In hockey, you can only score from inside the circle. Getting the ball into the D with purpose and creating genuine shooting chances is the hardest part of attack. This article examines the different types of circle entry, why entry angle determines shot quality, and how to train your team to penetrate the most congested area on the pitch.
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Coaches from around the world look to Sportplan for coaching confidence.
Excellent drills, very detailed videos. Useful site for my U15 boys team.
I love using Sportplan. It's been a great help for co-ordinating hockey practice and being able to help tweak skills and getting the most out of my players!
Great site. An absolute must for coaches who are willing to change and learn new drills. Superb, simply superb.
Wow what a great website, I have found sportplan an important tool for me when planning my netball sessions with my netball team. There are alot of very helpful tips/ideas/skills that I can learn and teach to my team. Thank you sportplan I hope to continue to use your helpful tips and to learn more about improving my teams netball skills. Thanks again....keep it up....
I have been using Sportplan now for 3 years and can honestly say that I have never repeated the same session twice. My girls are always focused and are improving every year. Thanks Sportplan.
What a fantastic tool. The Chalkboard and session tools make an unbelievable difference in making training plans in both time and organization. I will be instructing all of my assistant coaches that this tool must be used for all sessions during the season, so that we may build a club coaching resource library.
I can't get enough of the Sportplan, It has given me back the enthusiasm i was starting to lose. My girls are so keen and are ready at 14 to take the next up in their game. Sportplan will help no end.
