So now you find yourself in PeeWee hockey and suddenly one very important element gets added to the list of skills you must develop to be an effective hockey player – body contact.
Especially when players first start to play contact hockey, it is imperative that they are taught the proper fundamentals of both giving and taking a check BEFORE they play any games. The first thing they must be taught, especially at the minor hockey level is that contact is used as a means of separating an opponent from the puck or forcing them into a turnover. Along with this they must be taught or constantly reminded of the need to have respect for opposing players and that checking should never be thought of as a method of injuring another player. This does not mean that I advocate a passive approach to the game – not by any means – as a matter of fact I prefer my teams to be physical and more often than not force the play by being aggressive in all areas of the ice. There is however a right way and a wrong way to check though. Here are some tips for those first starting to play body contact and those coaches responsible for teaching them:
Head Up – Elbows and Stick Down!
Players, if they have been coached properly until now should already know that one of the most if not THE most important things in hockey is to keep your head up at all times – whether you are skating in open ice with or without the puck, making a pass or defending. When it comes to checking, we all know what it feels like to get hit with our heads down or “trolley tracked” as people so often call it. Not only is it dangerous and puts you in a vulnerable position, it is also almost automatic that you will also turn the puck over. We want to keep our elbows (and sticks!) down to avoid taking penalties and also to avoid hurting an opponent. Smaller players should be taught this skill in order to avoid what is only natural when they make contact with a taller player – elbows automatically come up. By contrast bigger players must really work to develop the skill of not hitting smaller opponents with an elbow to the head.
Body Position
In both taking and giving a check players must be sure to bend their knees and be in a good hockey position or crouch – with their feet squarely planted on the ice. For the person hitting, it gives them more force on their checks and for those receiving the check it protects you from going flying because you are too “loose” on the puck. The best method of learning body position is to practice numerous “mirroring” drills where players follow the torso movements of their opponent and learn how to read them and how to counteract them.
Along the Boards
Players must especially be taught to protect themselves during play along the boards. When handling the puck along the boards, several skills come into play to be effective and to prevent getting injured by a check from behind. Handling the puck with your head up, in your skates or in tight is very crucial. Coaches will often talk of players that are “hard on the puck” – this is where these skills come into play.
In Open Ice
Timing is very key when making a check in open ice. Whether you are coming straight on, angling or trying to gain inside position on a player, you must be able to “time” your movement in such a way as to make contact either as the puck arrives or at the most ideal time to give yourself the best chance to separate your opponent from the puck. Defensemen must also learn “gap control” – which basically entails keeping within at least a stick length from on-rushing opponents.
Shoulders
When hitting straight on, players should be taught to line up their outside shoulder with that of their opponents. Again, the shoulder should be placed in such a way that it is leaned in towards the opponent and that your body is simultaneously crouched in such a manner as to have weight behind it. This will aid greatly in preventing those nagging shoulder sprains and breaks that can seriously curtail hockey seasons.
MESSAGE TO COACHES – I cannot stress enough how important it is to take whatever time necessary to teach this skill. Too many injuries can and have occurred due to players not learning the proper technique of how to give and receive a check. I have personally seen many of these and have also seen too many players quit the game for fear of being hurt by someone bigger than them – all because they were never taught how to take a check properly. |
