US Sports Baseball: The Ultimate Resource For Coaching Youth Baseball and LSU vs. Arkansas: 2025 Men's College World Series highlights

 

• By Jackson Chlebowy

---

Introduction

Anyone who has coached youth baseball can tell you it’s a LOT harder than it looks. From the top of the bleachers, sure it looks simple enough. Sub in kids. Give them some beginner-level advice. Maybe yell at the umpire "a few times".

But what you don’t see from the bleachers is 90% of what it takes to run a youth baseball team. You don’t see the administration, the dealing with parents, the practice planning, the dealing with parents, the offseason workouts, or the dealing with parents.

Presented by Academy Sports & Outdoors.

Okay, dealing with the parents isn’t THAT bad (ignorance is such sweet, sweet bliss).

For those of you either currently involved or anticipating involvement as a youth baseball coach, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide to help you not only survive, but excel with your kids this season. Whether you’re a fresh-faced newbie or a seasoned veteran, you’ll find something of value in this guide, as we cover every single facet of running a youth baseball team. Scroll down to start at the beginning or skip to a chapter of your choice using the table of contents menu in the navigation bar. Every link in this guide is to freely available content, but since there are some incredible resources out there for less than $50, we made sure to link you to a few premium options we highly recommend as well – for those looking to dig even deeper.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 1:

How To Administrate A Youth Baseball Team

Some people choose to be youth baseball coaches. Others have that responsibility thrust upon them. Either way, your first thought after the team is officially placed in your hands is probably something along the lines of... HELP ME! There is so much to do before the season even starts, from creating practice plans to setting player expectations. Perhaps you even need to learn the official rules of your specific baseball league. Every little detail is important. And what about volunteers? You’ll almost definitely want some official parent help along the way. How do you make that happen? There’s a lot that goes into administering a youth baseball team. Here are a set of ready-to-go resources that break the whole process down, step by step.

Resources:

5 Keys Every Youth Baseball Coach Should Remember

Official Little League Rules, Regulations, & Policies

10 Important Baseball Rules for Beginners

Coaching Youth Baseball: Tips for the Parent-Coach

5 Ways to Grow Volunteer Participation

Think Like a Parent: Tips for Better Coach-Parent Relationships

5 Tips To Be a Great Youth Baseball Coach

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 2:

The Essentials To Running a Great Baseball Practice

So you’ve survived the admin and parents (thus far) and it’s finally time for your first practice! Nothing is better than that first day out in the sun, finally practicing the sport itself. That is... if you know what you’re doing. A great baseball practice really just comes down to understanding where your team is at and what they need to work on. Depending on the age group, you’ll also want to keep it as fun as possible while still helping the athletes improve their skills. Finding the right mix between disciplined skills development and simple fun is the goal for any youth practice. With a bit of practice and an unavoidable bit of trial-and-error, you’ll figure it out, no problem. These resources will help you get there as quickly as possible.

Resources:

Drill Rotation – The Basic Framework For Efficient Baseball Practices

Fundamentals -- An MLB Coaching Clinic

3 Coaches Share the Keys to Running Baseball Practice the Right Way

How to Develop Well-Rounded Youth Baseball Players

How To Run A Highly Productive Youth Baseball Practice

Coaching Youth Baseball Tips

Recommended Premium Options:

Coaching Youth Baseball for Ages 5-8

Coaching Youth Baseball for Ages 9-12

Youth Baseball Practice Plans

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 3:

Everything You Need to Know About Baseball Equipment

Like any modern sport, you need some equipment to play baseball. And you need some extra equipment for certain practice drills as well. Hopefully, you aren’t starting from scratch in this department, but if you are, we have you covered. We’ve even thrown in some fundraising tips (we got your back dawg). But even if you have a wide selection of equipment already available, it’s good to be knowledgeable on what you’re using, what needs to be replaced, and what everything is for. And for the love of all that is good and lovely, we hope your uniform style comes pre-selected for your team. You do NOT want control over that, trust us. You. Do. Not. Want. That. Power. But if it is forced upon you by the hand of fate, see the "How To Handle Parents" guide in Chapter #1.

Resources: Baseball Equipment List: Essential Baseball Gear Checklist

How To Choose Youth Baseball Equipment

Beginner’s Guide: How to Choose a Glove

How To Pick Out the Perfect Pair of Cleats

How To Choose The Perfect Bat

25 Unique Youth Sports Fundraising Ideas

Top 10 Youth Sports Fundraising Ideas That Will Score Big

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 4:

Offseason Workouts For Dummies

It’s said that championship teams are built in the offseason. While this won’t apply to teams at every level, for older, more competitive teams, offseason workouts are an integral part of in-season performance. We’ve included some great resources for both in-season and offseason workouts in this section. Always remember that safety is your number one concern, especially when working with young athletes. It’s also important that young athletes aren’t pushed too hard until they are both physically and emotionally mature enough to handle it.

Resources:

13 Lesson Baseball Workouts Video Course From A Division 1 Coach

Baseball Training Tips For The Off-Season

Three Baseball Offseason Strength and Conditioning Essentials

Five Crucial Arm Strength Exercises for Baseball Players & Pitchers

Optimizing Your Offseason: A Guide for Adolescent and Teen Baseball Players

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 5:

Pre-Game Warmups and Post-Game Cool Downs Your Kids Will Love

Injuries are the worst part of sports. At higher levels, they are somewhat unavoidable, even with proper care, but at the youth sports level, most injuries can be avoided with a solid pre-game warmup routine. Warmups and cool downs help athletes keep their muscles in optimal condition. If done correctly, they can also be an enjoyable part of your kids’ game-day routine. Create a collection of warmup exercises your team will love using the following resources.

Resources:

8 Baseball Warmups Your Youth Team Will Love

Warm-Up & Cool Down: Great Stretches for Youth Baseball Players Corbin Hedt - Injuries & Rehab For The Baseball Athlete

Why Does The Body Have To Cool Down After Exercise?

The Only 3 Questions You Should Ask Your Player After A Game

How To Cool Down After A Baseball Match

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 6:

Batting Drills & Techniques That Get Results

At the end of the day, coaching is all about helping kids improve their game. And that means helping them master the essential baseball skills. Batting is one of the primary skills every young player needs, and the best way to help them improve is through teaching proper batting technique and running them through effective batting drills. Batting is a full-body movement. From head to toe, every muscle contributes to a successful swing. These resources will help you teach your kids to drastically improve their batting game and maybe even master the art of the swing.

Resources:

The Best Way To Learn How To Hit a Baseball

How To Develop Explosive Bat Speed

Youth Baseball Instruction: Advancing from T-Ball to Live Pitching

ProSwing`s Fundamentals to America`s Past Time

How to Properly Bunt in Baseball

Recommended Premium Options:

Coaching Baseball - Power Hitting

The Swing Worth Millions

The Complete Guide To Hitting For Beginners

Coaching Youth Baseball: Power Hitting

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 7:

How to Teach Your Kids to Pitch Like Paul Skenes

Pitching, like hitting, requires good technique, practice and body control. It’s important that you, as the coach, teach your kids the correct way to pitch and the correct way to rest the arm after pitching. It’s also good to keep in mind that pitching is one of the more difficult skills for young athletes to learn, which is why tee-ball is preferred for younger ages. Be patient and prioritize proper form over immediate results.

Resources:

Pitch Like The Pros – Video Course by Pittsburg Pirates Pitching Coach

Developing a Youth Baseball Pitcher

How to Cultivate Confidence Within Your Pitchers

Understanding The Different Types of Pitches Pitching from the Stretch with Mike Scott

Little League University - Pitching Drills

Tips for Young Baseball Pitchers to Avoid Injury

Recommended Premium Options:

Pitching To Win With Your Fastball – 76 Lessons From Rockies’ Coach Jerry Weinstein

Pitching Mechanics & Drills – Mastering The Delivery How To Throw More Strikes With Sport Psychology

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 8:

Baseball Fielding Techniques That Will Carry Your Season

For youth baseball, fielding is the most important part of your team’s defensive effort. If your kids can’t field the ball, your team won’t go anywhere. The single best way to coach up a winning youth baseball team is to minimize errors on game-day. Like batting and pitching, training your kids to field well consists of demonstrating the proper technique and then drills, drills, drills, drills, and more drills! Teach fielding to your team first and practice it as often as possible. You can use any of the fantastic drills and strategies outlined in the below resources. Whatever you do, trust us when we say that it’s impossible to over-practice fielding.

Resources:

How To Field A Ball Like A Pro

How Baseball Works: Fielding By Position

Tips to Be a Better Infielder

The 6 F`s of Fielding with MLB Coach Perry Hill

Backing Up Play From the Outfield

Footwork For Fielding Grounders

Recommended Premium Options:  

The Basics of Fielding for Youth Baseball

Ultimate Infield with Perry Hill

George Horton’s Guide To Infield Play

Outfield Play: The Defense’s Secondary

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 9:

The Non-Vicarious Way To Manage a Youth Baseball Game

It all comes down to this. You’ve practiced. You’ve prepared. You’ve maybe even cried a little (this is a judgement-free zone). It’s GAME DAY! As head coach, you are responsible for managing every aspect of this game, from pre-game warmups to post-game snacks. Whatever you do, DON’T FORGET THE SNACKS! You’re in charge of an entire team. The key is to stay organized and have fun. Simply understanding the basic framework is half the battle, and if you completely screw up game #1, you’ll be a seasoned veteran by game #2.

Resources:

Game Day Advice for Youth Baseball Coaches

Top 10 Mistakes Every Youth Baseball Coach Should Avoid

Using Signs with Youth Baseball Players

Team Culture – Balance of Criticism and Encouragement

30 Healthy Options For Game Day Snacks

 

US Sports Martial Arts: The Best BJJ Submissions for Beginners and Aliff vs. Elmehdi El Jamari | ONE Fight Night 32

 

By Owen Reilly

---

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a ground-based martial art that emphasizes taking down and submitting your opponent. Whether you are learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for self-defense, as a hobby, or to compete, your first practice or rolling session may seem intimidating. In this article, we review five of the best and most fundamental submissions for beginners of the martial art ranked in no particular order.

5. The Armbar

Beginners often learn the armbar from the mount position or while holding someone within their closed guard. To perform the armbar from these positions, isolate and control one of the opponent's arms. Next, swing your leg over the opponent's neck while still controlling the arm and move your other leg over the opponent's chest. Your opponent's arm should be between your legs and close to your chest. When in this position, continue to hold your opponent's arm to your chest while leaning back and elevating your hips. This move is effective in both Gi and No-Gi BJJ and can also be used in multiple positions as you improve your submission skills.

4. The Triangle Choke

The Triangle Choke is another powerful submission that focuses on strangling your opponent by squeezing your opponent's neck with your legs. It is primarily used when holding someone in closed guard but it can also be used in various other instances. To perform the move, similar to the armbar, isolate an arm and trap said arm and your opponent's head between your legs. A common setup from closed guard is using an over-hook to trap an opponent's arm while you isolate the opponent's head and arm. When you have your opponent's head and arm between your legs, proceed by ‘figure-fouring’ your legs together to form a triangle shape. When this is done, shrink the triangle by choking your opponent at an angle. Pulling on the head is another way to quickly finish a triangle once it is locked up.

3. The Americana 

The Americana is a quick and easy submission to both learn and perform. Mainly found in the side control position, this submission requires that you take your hand closest to the opponent's head and pin the opponent's opposite arm down to the mat by grabbing their wrist. After this, reach your other hand under the opponent's bicep and grab onto your wrist. Once this is done, bring the opponent's arm close to their side and elevate your opponent's bicep while still pinning their wrist down. This should elicit a tap very quickly if done properly

2. The Guillotine

The guillotine is an incredibly effective submission when facing off against wrestlers or other ‘shot-heavy’ grapplers. The submission is a defensive one that has several variations and is mainly hit from the front headlock position or when being taken down into guard. When in the front headlock or while an opponent is shooting, wrap your arm around your opponent's neck and clasp your hands together. If in the front headlock position, be sure to apply pressure to their shoulders to ensure that they cannot easily escape the submission. After your hands are clasped around your opponent's next, squeeze while engaging your hips to ensure the tap. Make sure that your arms are underneath the opponent's chin to avoid counters.

1. Rear Naked Choke

The rear naked choke is, by far, one of the most fundamental and common BJJ Submissions that beginners learn when starting BJJ. To utilize the rear naked choke, take your opponent's back and make sure that you have both of your legs around your opponent to ensure that they cannot escape. Then reach one of your hands under the chin of your opponent and squeeze by grabbing your other hand. Numerous grip variations exist including the gable grip or grabbing your bicep while your hand is behind or on top of your opponent's head. Pressing on the back of the head or ‘figure-fouring’ your legs together are also small moves that could elicit a tap faster. 

Incorporating these submissions into your skillset will provide you with a solid and versatile arsenal of submissions to choose from when rolling. Learning and applying submissions to live rolls may seem difficult, however, practicing and mastering these five submissions will elevate your submission game and provide you with competent submission offense. To learn these submissions from top coaches, click the links above.

US Sports Volleyball: Three Volleyball Drills to Round Out Your Team’s Skills and 🇨🇭 Vergé-Dépré sisters claim 1st Beach Pro Tour gold together 🥇

 

• By Grant Young

---

There isn’t enough time in the day for volleyball coaches to perfect every aspect of every one of their players’ respective games. 

Each player needs something different in order to improve their specific skillset, and every team will be comprised of different players that will require different coaching methods and techniques. 

And even if a coach has the exact same roster of players for two consecutive seasons (which is all but impossible), those players are going to be different from who they were one season ago, and will therefore also require different coaching.

While this can seem daunting, the reality is that no coach (or player or team) is going to be perfect, and there will always be more for teams to work on. This is why having a few fundamental volleyball drills that are proven to improve and help round out a team’s skillset is all a coach needs to rely on. 

And there are few coaches better to rely on than Michael Kane. 

Coach Kane has been the Dripping Springs High School women’s volleyball head coach for over 26 years. During this time, he has acquired many accolades; most recently winning the 6A state championship (being just the first season Dripping Springs competed in the higher division), which takes his total state titles to six. Coach Kane also holds the title of the winningest coach in DSHS history. With more than 800 high school career wins, this makes Kane one of the winningest coaches in Texas volleyball history. 

Setting Coach Kane apart is the culture he creates with the student-athletes. They feed off Kane’s investment and love of the game; which is proven by the Dripping Springs volleyball program averaging 35% of its players going on to play at the collegiate level.

While Coach Kane surely has access to elite athletes, the way he runs his practices — specifically, the drills he decides to utilize on a daily, weekly, and yearly basis — has contributed to this staggering success. 

This is why his ‘Volleyball Skills and Drills’ course is vital for any volleyball coach who wants to extract the most success out of their players as possible. 

Pass to Yourself, Jumpset to Your Partner

One simple warm-up drill that Coach Kane swears by is what he calls the ‘Pass to Yourself, Jumpset to Your Partner’ drill. 

This drill begins with players getting into groups of two and three. Once they’re in their groups, the player who has the ball will toss it into the air and jumpset it to their partner. The partner receiving the ball will then pass it to themselves by jumping it into the air above them then jumpset it back to the person who started with the ball. 

If there are two people in the group, it can continue this way for some time. And if there are three players in a group, each time a person jumpsuits they will walk to the other side of the line so they’re available when the turn comes back around to them. 

When having players do this drill, Coach Kane suggests adding variations after a few rounds in order to make it more difficult and get players more experience. For example, a coach can instruct their players to face backwards and have to react to the ball as it’s coming at them, or have them face both the left and right side so that they have to execute passes with a left and right shoulder drop. 

As a coach, be sure your players are hitting the ball in the correct position with the proper footwork. While this drill is simple enough, players need to essentially be able to jumpset and pass to perfection if they’re to ascend to the college level.

Dig 10 in Transition

Another great partner drill that Coach Kane swears by is what he calls the ‘Dig 10 in Transition’ drill. 

Just like the last one, the Dig 10 in Transition drill begins with two partners. The partner with the ball will start by tossing the ball nice and high before slapping it down around their partner’s knees or ankles. From there, the partner will dig it back to their initial partner, who will catch the ball. 

The goal here is for the partner to dig the ball from different points and angles so that they’re comfortable doing so in the game. 

The drill’s Transition aspect comes with the player who’s doing the digging beginning the drill by backpedaling, which is their way of simulating getting into position. Because executing a dig in transition is more difficult than doing so while standing stationary, this prepares players to execute their dig when it matters most. 

Double Dig Lateral Movement

A third drill that Coach Kane highly recommends is what he calls the Double Dig Lateral Movement drill. 

This drill is about getting players to shuffle their feet and having their hands at the ready. It will start with two lines on either side of the court, facing the net. The coach will then be tossing balls to the middle constantly, which causes one player to shuffle in, dig, pass, and then shuffle to the baseline while the person in the other line shuffles in. 

After a player does this two or three times, they go to the back of the line so the person behind them can get their reps. 

This drill helps coach players to keep their hands out in front of them at all times, which is going to benefit them in all aspects of the game, and at every level. And if players can get comfortable moving four to five feet laterally while executing a dig, that could make the difference between winning and losing.

US Sports Softball: The 5 Biggest Mistakes Softball Coaches Make and Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. Texas Longhorns Game 3 Highlights

 

• By Brandon Ogle

---

This can definitely be the case in softball as well. In this article, I’ll discuss some of the biggest mistakes that plenty of softball coaches seem to make time and time again.

Mistake #1: Instructing All Players The EXACT Same

At the youth game, differences in skill sets might not be as distinct. However, trust me, they are there. The easy approach to coaching is running every player through the exact same drills. However, you have different types of players. Some are more speed focused, while others rely on the pop produced by their bat. With this said, coaches should be grouping players by skillsets for practice set-ups. The first half should focus on honing in on strengths and making those as pristine as possible. Then, with the second half of practice, focus on weaknesses. Look at the areas that are holding the player back from being a more complete player.

Mistake #2: Not Being the Coach

Not being the coach? Some of you might raise an eye at this one. With this said, what I’m stressing is the need to be the coach and sometimes this means discipline. I’m not talking about continuously yelling at your players, but rather using your position to train players. Occasionally, you’ll likely confront players that think they know more than the coach. Don’t let a negative attitude disrupt the rest of your team.

Mistake #3: It’s Not All About Winning

We live in a world where winning is sometimes viewed as always being the primary goal. Michael Jordan once said, “I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” Don’t be the coach that creates a culture where players think an “L” is a complete failure and any season that doesn’t end with a trophy is a disappointment. Once you let the culture get away, all of a sudden softball goes from fun to a burden.

Mistake #4: Thinking All Kids Should Fall in Love With the Game

This mistake is mainly applicable to youth coaches. I always say that youth coaches should be more focused on development, as opposed to racking up the trophies. At the same time, you need to understand not every player on a youth team is going to be “all-in” on a particular sport. Don’t take this as an insult. Some kids are just there for the social part. Don’t think that you need to be more disciplined to get them to love the game. For these kids, it might be more about teaching them some life skills instead of perfecting their softball talents.

Mistake #5: I’m the Expert

As a coach, it is your job to teach players and develop their skills. However, don’t be the coach that is never accepting feedback from anyone. Going along with this, you don’t want to be the one that is always coming up with random historical philosophies that will ‘supposedly’ transform your team. At the end of the day, it’s critical to find a happy medium between being strict and having fun. After all, softball is supposed to be fun, right?

At the end of the day, no coach is perfect. We’re all going to make some mistakes. Just don’t keep falling victim to the same one. Just as it should be with your players, learn from your mistakes!

 

US Sports Golf: History of Golf and 2025 U.S. Open Highlights: Final Round

 

• Author Pete Buchanan

The popularity of golf is growing, with 68 million golfers worldwide to date. Since 2020, the number of 9- and 18-hole golfers has increased by 15% in three years. Countries like the USA, Japan, and Canada comprise the largest percentage of players, with the US alone seeing 20 million people participating in the sport.

Participation outside of golf is also rising, with off-course activities such as driving ranges and simulators driving participation. While golf is growing in popularity annually, many do not know its history, including when it was invented and key facts concerning its origins. This article outlines the history of golf in under five minutes of reading time.

When was Golf Invented?

The origins of golf are largely debated, but its history can be traced back to ancient empires, such as the Roman Empire and the Chinese Ming Dynasty. Specifically, the Roman stick-and-ball game of Paganica, which spread throughout Europe, and the Chinese game Chuiwan, played by traders throughout the continent, are likely descendants of golf.

After these old golfing variations spread throughout medieval Europe, the first forms of golf resembling modern-day interpretations were established near Edinburgh, Scotland. Historical records indicate that a stick or club was used to hit pebbles over dunes as a form of golf. It gained noteworthy popularity, so much so that it was banned in 1457 by the Scottish Parliament of King James II.

In 1502, this interpretation of golf gained royal permission and was endorsed by King James IV. The monarch’s predecessors – King Charles I and Mary Queen of Scots- later spread the sport throughout England and Europe.

In the following two hundred years, the first international golf tournament took place in 1682 in Lief, Scotland, with the first club formed in 1744 named the Gentlemen Golfers of Leith – formally instituting the sport we know today. The world’s first 18-hole course was established at St Andrews, Scotland, establishing a new standard for golf twenty years later in 1764; through the next century and beyond, golf went global, with the British Empire disseminating it from India to Hong Kong, giving the sport the international appeal we see today.

To learn more about golf, explore our video courses on the ISNation app, by veteran golf coach Pete Buchanan

5 Historical Facts About Golf

The history of golf is complicated, with historical scholars often disagreeing on its origin. Still, here are five commonly agreed-upon facts about golf you might not have known about:

While golf was banned in 1457 by King James II to favor other sports, such as Archery, the Scottish largely ignored the ban

King James IV of Scotland became the first golfing sovereign in 1502 when his parliament reinstated golf.

The term ‘caddie’ derives from Mary Queen of Scots’ French assistants, Cadets, who aided her in France while she studied and spread the sport.

Outside of Britain, the world’s oldest golf club, the Royal Calcutta Golf Club, was established in India in 1829.

In Europe, the first golf course was constructed in Pau, France, in 1856, and other clubs and golf courses were established throughout the continent in the 19th century.

Who is the Best Golfer of all Time?

While hotly debated, the best golfer of all time can be narrowed down to Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus—both masters of the sport with numerous wins and titles; these players are practically equal in their accomplishments and profound impact on golf. Nicklaus won 18 major championships (currently an unbeaten record), 73 PGA Tour wins, and was the youngest golfer to win a grand slam at 26.

Conversely, Woods holds the record for most PGA wins with 15 majors and 683 weeks at the top of his game as the best golfer in the world. Both players have lengthy accolades and accomplishments, making it difficult to determine the best golfer of all time. Woods is known for his mind-bending shots, while Nicklaus dominated the tour during the 1960s and 1970s, an era noted for its intense competitiveness. This distinction between the two greats is difficult to make.

What is the Farthest Drive in Golf History?

American PGA Tour golfer Max Homa executed the longest official golf drive in history in 2024. Performed at the seventh hole of the Plantation Course at Kapalua in Hawaii, Homa drove the ball 477 yards.

While this is officially the farthest drive in golf history on tour, other notable unofficial drives include Tiger Woods at 498 yards, Carl Cooper at 787 yards, and Mike Austin at 515 yards. The former saw the record wiped by the PGA, and the latter two are not officially included because they were conducted prior to the year 2000, before the ShotLink Era.

Nevertheless, Max Homa still holds the record for the longest official golf drive in history, with Davis Love III and Jeff Sluman narrowly behind at 476 and 473 yards on the PGA tour.

What Countries is Golf Most Popular?

The worldwide popularity of the sport has seen most traction and players in the following 3 countries, based on # of golf courses:

USA

Japan

UK

It is particularly notable that Japan ranks #2 despite having much less land to build courses on compared to the UK or Canada.

Golf Has a Rich, Royal History

This article has outlined the history of golf from its ancient conception to its expansion in Scotland, England, and, subsequently, the rest of the world. Tied to the British monarchs of old, modern-day golf is intrinsically linked to the royal heritage of the contemporary Western world.

If you’re a golfer looking to improve your mental game, check out the ISNation App for mind set courses and daily training.

https://www.isnation.com/articles/the-history-of-golf-in-5-minutes

US Sports Hockey: Complete Youth Hockey Practice Plan and NHL Playoff Highlights Panthers vs. Oilers SCF Gm 5

 

• By Jacob Crabtree

---

Young hockey players can be challenging to build practices around, which is exactly why we made the complete practice plan. This full practice plan will employ youth players with skills and abilities in every section of the ice, all while having fun, the most important part of the game! 

This plan has been fully developed to build your entire practice, starting from warm-up drills all the way up to small area games to finish off the practice. These may be basic, but none the else very essential when producing a practice. 

Here is the full youth practice plan for any team.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Warm-up Drills:

Drill 1: Canada Cup

Canada Cup is a very well-known drill that wakes every player up including goalies for the rest of practice.

A line of players is diagonal to each other on the blue lines facing the offensive zone, and a line of players is positioned in the middle of the blue line also facing the net. On both ends of the ice.

One player on each side starts the drill by coming and taking a shot at the goalie.

Proceeds to pick up a puck behind the net and makes a pass to the player coming down from the blue line.

The player who receives the puck stays along the blue line, picks up his head aware of the other player swinging with speed, and makes a pass so the swinging player is skating out of the zone with pace.

The player who swung to get the puck takes the puck down to the other end, takes a shot on goal, then becomes the person who makes the pass to the player on the boards.

Creating a very simple and effective drill that engages all three players simultaneously, and most importantly goalies.

Drill 2: 3 Circle Loop

Another simple shooting drill that’s centered around getting goalies warmed up for the rest of practice.

Players can be positioned in all four corners of the ice, starting in opposite corners to prevent collisions.

Three players start skating with the puck, one goes around the top of the faceoff circle, another goes up to the blue line, and the third player goes up to the red line.

When the player gets to a respectable shooting range, the players take their shots and stand in front of the net, following their rebounds.

The three players then proceed to get back into line once the third player shoots, and the rebound is dead. Enforcing the other lines to go.

Very simple drill, but it teaches young players how to get their heads up when skating with the puck. So they can appropriately warm up the goalies, but also not hit their teammates in front of the net. 

Drill 3: 4 Blue Line Cut

4 blue-line cut enables players to think quickly and make good passes to players so they can keep moving with speed through the zone.

One line of players is positioned at each blue line.

Diagonal lines to each other start the drill, where the first players in line come across the blue line and make a pass to the first person in line.

The first player in line gives the puck back to he/she who started the drill, and then that player makes another pass to the next line as they skate.

The player who started the drill then looks up to the line where they started and gets a pass from that line.

The last line to receive the pass makes a crisp pass to the streaking player who started the drill from their line. In that, wherever the player started the drill, the first person in line makes a breakaway pass to that player.

Once that player receives the puck they go in and take a shot on goal, and get back into line.

Good flow drill, teaching players how to lead each other when they’re on breakaways, rather than passing in each other's skates.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Station Drills:

Drill 1: 2 v 2 Corner Battle

This battle drill employs players with the ability to move and create space in a small area.

A net is positioned in one corner of the offensive zone, and players are lined up on both sides of the net. Borders are set up on the boards to prevent the puck from getting out of the zone and limiting room for players to move.

Two players from either team are in the zone, making a 2 on 2 battle for possession.

The players within the zone try to create scoring chances and pass to their teammates while also trying to be physical with the other team when playing defense.

To make the drill more competitive coach could also make it one on one, and players can pass to their lines to activate more players.

Very effective drill in teaching young players how to move quickly in limited space to get open and protect the puck.

Drill 2: Stationary Power Play + Net Drive

This drill is very simple but demonstrates to young players how the power play should be set up, and how to complete good passes to teammates.

A line of players is set up in one corner. A defenseman is positioned on the blue line same side as the line in the corner, another defenseman is within a respectable distance of the near-side defenseman, another player on the hash marks along the far-side boards and one more down below the goal line.

The drill starts as the first player in line makes a pass to the defenseman at the blue line. Then proceeds to drive the net, timing when the far-side defenseman is going to shoot. The near-side defenseman makes a pass to the far-side defenseman and takes a shot on the net looking for a tip from the player who drove the net.

Once the puck and rebound are dead, the player who went to the front of the net then goes up the slot.

The next player in line makes a pass to the defenseman on the near side but continues to stay in line. Then that defenseman makes a crisp pass to the far-side defenseman, who makes a pass to the person near the boards on the hash marks, collects, and makes a pass to the player down low.

The player down low gathers the puck and makes a good catchable pass to the player in the slot.

He/she takes a quick shot, follows the rebound, and takes the place of the player down low. 

The player who was down low moves up to the hash marks, the player from the boards rolls up to the far-side defenseman, and the far-side defenseman moves to the near side. The near-side defenseman goes back into line. 

A drill that has a little bit of everything, but most importantly breaks the powerplay down to simple movements that can be employed in game-like situations.

 

Drill 3: Passing Figure 8’s

Another passing central drill, but teaches players how to make tight turns and quick passes.

Coach sets up several groups of three and positions them all somewhat close together.

One player is between the other two players who are spaced out, about a faceoff dot to faceoff dot distance away

The player in the middle has a puck and starts skating towards one player, makes a pass to that player does a tight turn around them, gets the puck back, and does the same exercise with the other partner.

Players can be creative and pass among the stationary players or have a certain number before the player turns.

Creating a figure eight with consistent passes between partners.

Once the coach blows the whistle, one of the two players who have not been in the middle switches places, and so on once all three have been in the middle.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Small Area Games

Drill 1: Center Ice 2 v 1 Possession

A line of players is on opposite sides of the blue line, determining the teams.

Nets are set up at the blue lines.

Technically there are three players on each team, but one of the players has a different role than the other two teammates.

How the drill is set up is that one defenseman from each team is restricted to staying within the circle at center ice on a distinct side of the red line.

Where that defenseman is trying to take away passing lanes from the two players on his/her side and try to get the puck over to the offensive players.

The coach can dump as many pucks in as they wish, and one goal is equal to the offensive players scoring a goal on the goalie.

A very fun drill, that can get competitive, but most importantly teaches players how to create passing lanes and build teamwork.

Drill 2: Back-to-Back Nets + Point Man

Nets are positioned in the middle of the offensive zone, back to back.

Two teams are lined up on either side of the blue line.

One player from either team is positioned as the point man in front of their offensive net.

The coach dumps a puck in, and two or three players from both teams go, depending on whether the coach wants to do 2-v-2 or 3-v-3.

Players battle for possession and have to pass to the point man in order to initiate an offensive attack.

The point man can either take a shot looking for his/her teammates in front or look to make passes to other teammates. Players can use their point man as much as they like.

Another fun drill teaching young players to pick up their heads and create scoring chances for their teams, and also teaches point guys not to miss the net when shooting     

Drill 3: Coaches Poker

Teams are on both benches, with one coach per bench.

A coach dumps a puck into center ice, but coaches on both benches tell their players how many are going to go.

Hopefully guessing to have more players than the other team, coaches can pick between 1-5 players.

So it could range from 5 on 5 to 5 on 1, you never know what the other team is going to do, which makes it fun.

A very fun drill that’s quickly paced and familiarizes players to take advantage of having a man advantage or playing defense with fewer players than the other team.