SKILL DEVELOPMENT: THE KEY TO HOCKEY SUCCESS

 

Inspired by the model of countries that for years have been teaching hockey skills in small groups, Hockey Opportunity has developed a training program that combines the development of specific skills along with high-speed skating and an understanding of how to “read and react” on the ice.

 

Young European skaters spend less time playing games and more time developing their skills.  Working in small groups in small areas of the ice, they practice specific skills until they are  proficient. Repetitive training — performed in a fun and creative way — is what helps countries like Finland and Sweden develop some of the most skilled players in the world.

 

Not only does the smaller ice surface improve a player’s agility with shots and moves, but the high skating pace provides an intense workout. And, since ice hockey is played in a series of small areas with limited space, players who master these areas have much greater success on the larger ice surface.

 

Hockey Opportunity training is appropriate for skaters of all ages and levels of play. Just as other sports offer age-appropriate leagues and facilities  — basketball’s reduced-height baskets and half-courts, baseball’s Little League fields, soccer’s mini-fields and adjustable nets come to mind — Hockey Opportunity provides age-appropriate skills training, facilities and levels of play for young hockey players.

 

Today, an emphasis on the “New Hockey Rules,” which promote a game that demonstrates and rewards hockey skills and agility, is evident in all levels of play, from youth to professional hockey. Hockey Opportunity is ready to help both young and older players develop the necessary skills to play successfully in this “new age” of hockey.