Developing Goal Scorers

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Developing Goal Scorers

• By Dan Brennan
• USA Hockey

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Introduction

• Why are some players considered natural goal
  scorers and others not?
• God given talent vs. development ?
• Do we settle for less because the goalies are so
  much better now than in past decades and real
  athletes are playing the position instead of past
  decades when the big kid who didnt move well and
  was the catcher on the baseball team also played
  goalie on the hockey team?
• The goalie is now being very well coached are we
  doing our job as coaches to keep up and encourage
  goal scoring?

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Player Habits

• Create pride and hunger through concentration.
• Speed changes all areas of the neutral and
  offensive zone.
• Stopping in front of the net after shooting or
  passing. (video clip)
• Shot Camouflage

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Player Habits

• Create space and in turn you create time and
  opportunity.
• Compete with your buddies on a consistent basis
  on all your drills.
• Look for seams away from the defense in close.
  (Hull, Bossy, Kovalchuck)
• Practice push offs
• Communicate with teammates in practice so
  eventually you wont have to talk in a game thus
  not foreshadowing your next move.

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Coaching Habits

• Allow drills to be played out to completion, we
  want kids to finish in games but they dont
  finish in practice this will also develop
  confidence.
• After proper warm up encourage kids to always
  shoot to score allow rebounds to play out before
  blowing the whistle, teach your kids to battle
  for garbage. Use battle drills and small area
  games to increase the competitive edge.
• Competition drills to enhance scoring and mental
  grit as well as physical toughness around the
  net.

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Coaching Habits

• Stick strength drills to prepare your kids to win
  the small battles in close for the puck.
• Coaches hit the net or youll do push-ups Kids
  are now hitting the goalie in the stomach instead
  of learning to pick corners.
• Teach your kids to get with the times. The easy
  shot in past decades was low stick side on a
  goalie. Now kids have to be able to practice
  shooting higher more to compete with the hybrid
  goaltending style used by most goalies today.

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Body and Blade Positioning

• Shooting off the right and wrong foot (video
  clip)

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Body and Blade Positioning

• Shooting off the right and wrong foot (video
  clip)
• Shooting 1 timers off to the side and in close in
  the slot.
• Shooting after collecting a bad pass. (video
  clips)

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Body and Blade Positioning

• Tip Ins Body positioning in the slot, Blade
  positioning, avoid ramping. In air knock downs
  and re-directs. (video clips)

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Mental Preparation Before Games

• Visualization before and during a game, see
  yourself scoring by mentally making it familiar.
• Create high expectations through repetition in
  practice battle through checks and shoot to score
  always.
• Mentally make yourself more competitive in
  practice and follow through on a daily basis
  during every drill.

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Mental Preparation Before Games

• Study goaltenders in your league by using video
  and mentally memorize previous game situations.
• Study defensemen on video and store them in your
  memory bank.
• Mentally think of offensive seams you can create
  by communicating with line mates in the locker
  room before games and in practice.

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Mental Preparation During Games

• Watch goalies on the other team during warm up
  look for tendencies and weakness.
• Create scoring opportunities by splitting seams
  in the offensive zone. Get between the defense
  and become unpredictable by often lining up to
  shoot in different spots in the slot. (video
  clip)

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Mental Preparation During Games

• Do we ever wonder why certain players want the
  puck during crunch time. These players see
  themselves scoring before it even happens.
• Quick hands quick release Goals

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Closing Comments

• The Goal Scorer does not know the difference
  between the top shelf and a garbage goal as long
  as they get their nightly quota the score sheet
  does not differentiate the two. (discussion)
• Head up is the goalie coming out or deep in the
  crease. Use your surroundings and take charge of
  the situation and you will score more goals.
  (video Clip)

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Shameless USA Hockey Promotion

• For more information on goal scoring on skill
  development go to www.usahockey.com
• To order the USA Hockey Small Area Competitive
  Games Handbook go to www.officialswearhouse.com
• For information on the USA Hockey Skills and
  Drills For The Complete Player and Coach go to
  www.usahockey.com