Coaches need to give players room to figure things out and sometimes that can be frustrating for both students and teachers. One of the most common questions from burgeoning coaches at the USA Hockey coaching education clinics are tied to player behavior and how to approach it. “We have coaches who work with players, especially […]

Inadequate nutritional intake and disordered eating habits aren’t always obvious. They can occur in adolescents and young adults of any weight, shape or size. Are you in energy balance? And what does that term actually mean? If you are an athlete, or a coach or parent of an athlete, then the importance of energy balance […]

Instead of focusing on the mistakes made, make it a goal to find and share a handful of specific positives to boost kids’ confidence and self-esteem. In anticipation of the new season, players are encouraged to set goals for themselves – learn or improve on specific skills, be a good teammate, take on a leadership […]

In addition to needing adequate calories, athletes can also be at risk of having deficiencies of several specific nutrients. This article provides an excellent overview of nutrition 101 for athletes – from proteins, fats, and carbs to specific vitamins and minerals. While a healthy diet is the first line of defense against energy and nutrient […]

Lomonaco’s confidence on the ice has skyrocketed. He was never a big hockey fan until his son picked up the sport and dad wanted to have a fun bonding experience. Tom Lomonaco didn’t care if he’d only been playing hockey for five months, he wanted to improve as quickly as possible. So when he saw […]

Since parents are paying for club fees, they have a right to express their concerns about the team. Club coaches should be open to this, but that does not mean it’s an invitation for venting a laundry list of complaints. Club volleyball can sometimes present a challenging situation for parents and athletes. That’s because the […]

Vincent’s commitment is born out of his personal interest to grow the game and to see that volleyball becomes a game to reckon with in Nigeria. Five years ago grassroots junior volleyball did not exist in Nigeria. The only sport kids knew or played was soccer. After playing collegiate volleyball, Vincent UnogwuI was invited to […]

Richard Perry, seriously injured at a USA Wrestling training camp, receiving support from all corners of the wrestling world

Teach rapid puck movement. Teach defensive stick skills. This drill works on passing, O-zone play, D-zone play, power play, penalty kill and team play. This will help teach hockey sense, reading passing lanes and puck possession Purpose: To create a live-action game situation for the players to move, skate, possess and support the puck while executing […]

One of the many points I share in the program is to CLAP for mistakes instead of pouting. … Pouting is selfish – but winning teammates will CLAP (Claim it, Learn from it, Affirm their ability and Play on!). Every coach has drills to improve passing, serving and setting. Every coach spends time focused on plays and […]