What is a "Scoring Concepts" Clinic... by the Numbers.

In our last post we looked at the difference between a typical practice and a typical game in order to quantify which would afford the youth athlete a better opportunity to develop.  Using a study by OMHA (Ontario Midget Hockey Association), it was determined that at a minimum 2 practices are necessary for every 1 game in order to achieve steady skill development.

What I want to accomplish with this blog entry is to look at my training progression, which focuses on 1. Multi-Skill and Overspeed Drills 2. Actions over Instruction aka minimal or no on-ice chalkboard session (I believe kids learn best on the pond or by doing) 3. Competitions (kids competing in teams or against one another in a fun atmosphere), in order to fully understand how my clinics match up against a game or team practice.

Let's look again at the practice numbers in the OMHA study-

A HOCKEY GAME BY THE NUMBERS :
The following statistics were recorded during a 60-minute Peewee level hockey game:

• Players will have the puck on their stick for an average of 8 seconds per game.
• Players will take an average of 1 – 2 shots per game.
• 99% of the feedback coaches give players is when they have the puck. Ironically players only have the puck on their stick for 0.2% of the game.
• 1 efficient practice will give a player more skill development than 11 games collectively.

And then let's look at the practice plan for my August 10th "Summer Hockey Skills Workshop" at the Arenas in Woodbridge, NJ-

6-6:05: Warmup/ Free Skate & Welcome
6:05-6:15pm: Group Warmup
* 5 Circle Drill Fwd/ Bkwd
* Iron Cross/ Knee Propulsions
* Half Moon Drill in all 5 circles
SPLIT- SKATERS/ GOALTENDERS  (goalies go on 1/3rd the ice with private goalie coach)
6:15-6:35: Powerskating
LineDrills: Snowplow/ Inside C-Cuts/ Drunken Sailor Outside edges/ hourglass/ downhill skier/ Jumps
Athleticism Drills: Horsepower circles with athletic line maneuvers/ with pucks
6:35-6:50 Partner Skill Drills
* Mirror Drill with pucks
* Attack the tripod with pucks
* Athletic puck protection with stick swings
* Figure 8 pass drill 
GROUP BACK TOGETHER
6:50-7pm Neutral Zone Group Stickhandling Drills (everyone has a puck)
* Shortstroke/ longstroke drill
* 1,2,3 zone stickhandling drill
* 1,2,3 1-legged stickhandling progression
* 1,2,3 figure 8 stickhandling progression
SHARK/ MINNOWS GAME
7-7:25pm STATIONS (divided by bantams and below, switch halfway through)
Group 1- In zone  1v1, 2v2, 3v3 Drill
Group2- Sweden 2v1 Drill

7:25-7:30 GROUPS of 3 Passing Drill
7:30-7:40 Pittsburgh Full-Ice 1v1 Drill
7:40- 7:52 Small Area Games ( Divide groups like the stations/ no line changes, everyone involved)
7:52- End Rubber Band Relay Race


Here's the August 10th Workshop by the numbers based upon the drills above-
* Players had the puck on their stick for a minimum of 40 Minutes (almost 300% more than the average game)
* Players participated in 47 minutes of drills involving shots. Each player took roughly 30 shots, compared to an average of 1 to 2 shots per game.
* 12 minute small area game had no line changes.  This is equivalent to the same ice time a player would recieve in a full 3 period youth hockey game if the team had 3 lines per squad.
* Players were given feedback and instructed on their powerskating (which represented 30 minutes of work at the clinic). As stated above, "99% of the feedback coaches give players is when they have the puck. Ironically players only have the puck on their stick for 0.2% of the game."