About Us
Between The Blue Lines
We are two level 4 coaches with a passion for teaching and strengthening hockey skills through small area games (SAGs) training. Numerous articles have highlighted the merits of SAGs. These works often cite the impact of how practicing in a realistic (game-like) setting is one of the most effective ways to foster better transfer of learned skills to games. As coaches of young athletes, we find the competitive nature of SAGs leads to a greater level of intensity.
Modern hockey is changing rapidly with the speed, skill and complexity of the game increasing every year. To train for this evolution, we believe the practice environment must evolve as well. For example, stickhandling around cones is not enough as these static drills are uncoupled from the dynamic game environment. While we joke that some defensemen are traffic cones, we’ve never actually seen one that is 6” tall and never moves. So why practice against them? Instead, true “skill” involves things like anticipating player movement and pattern recognition, while simultaneously executing a stickhandling technique. Removing the ‘environment’ during the training of stickhandling, robs the learner of crucial perceptual information needed for the ‘skill’ of stickhandling to be realized. This idea (perception/action coupling) is the foundation that Game On Hockey training is built on.
Our training sessions aim to incorporate energetic training games and offer a fast-paced and fun learning environment. Building the love of the game in young athletes is paramount to creating long term passionate hockey players. We strive to provide a training environment that produces high levels of enjoyment and a desire in our athletes to want to go to ‘practice’.
See you on the ice…Game On!
-Drew & Pat
Protect The House
-Owned and operated out of Hatfield, PA-
-On-Ice sessions to be offered week nights throughout the off-season-
Each session will have an individualized plan with a focus on certain skills while being applied in a game-like environment. Whether your player can come to one or all sessions, they will get value out of every minute. On the ice we aim to maximize reps and touches through SAGs while using many different training constraints.
Off The Boards
Recommended podcasts...
The Way of Champions – John O’Sullivan
Hockey Think Tank – Topher Scott and Jeff Lovecchio
The Talent Equation – Stuart Armstrong
Hockey IQ – Greg Revak
PowerTech Development – Andy Paquette & Eric Palazzolo
Coaching Culture – J.P. Nerbun & Nate Sanderson
Perception and Action – Rob Gray
Recommended readings...
"Changing the Game" - John O'Sullivan
"Every Moment Matter" - John O'Sullivan
"The Coach's Guide to Teaching" - Doug Lemov
"How We Learn to Move" - Rob Gray
"Learning to Optimize Movement: Harnessing the Power of the Athlete-Environment Relationship" - Rob Gray
"The Tyranny of Talent: How it compels and limits athletic achievement...and why you should ignore it" - Joe Baker
"The Constraints-Led Approach: Principles for Sports Coaching and Practice Design" - Ian Renshaw et al.