Q: USA Hockey recommends practicing body-checking at 12U, but do you have any recommendations for how to teach it?
A: Hockey is a progression of skills. Body-checking is an important hockey skill, and for most, the technique takes many years to master. Exposing young players to a body-checking clinic is a positive start to this progression, but there's more. It’s crucial for players to have confidence, stability and the ability to navigate through physical contact in order to excel at higher levels of play. There are many ways you can help them gain that confidence, stability and ability.
Players must first have a clear understanding of the purpose of a body-check and how to apply it in today’s game. Players also need to understand which are the risky areas on the ice and also the concept of “heads-up, don’t duck.” These are mental lessons that you can and should begin teaching long before 12U hockey.
When it comes to the purpose of body-checking, the key is to separate an opponent from the puck. There are several key components that comprise proper body contact: body position, angling, timing, gap control, stick-on-stick. These are things that players must continue to practice at all levels. Just like any other skill, players must continually work on their motor skills and technique to refine their body-checking abilities.
Proper body-contact isn’t a difficult thing to teach, and the benefits of practicing it are many. Start by implementing basic technique drills.
Nobody wants to see injuries in our game. Teaching the foundational skills of proper body contact in a controlled environment, while providing positive feedback, dramatically reduces the chances of injury while also assisting in skill acquisition. Ultimately, it creates better hockey players.
We strongly recommend implementing drills that teach proper body contact in a controlled, fun way while elevating the compete level.
The author, Guy "Goose" Gosselin, made his NHL debut with Winnipeg in 1988. He is a two-time United States Olympian and was inducted into the University of Minnesota Duluth Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013.
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