Elite Syllabus

We teach this clinic in a way where you can teach the basics while getting right into the difficult, more advanced techniques. The material can be taught in any order, this is the particular order I chose because it closely resembles the Elite clinic out east. Just make sure to cover forward, backward, crossovers, and toe starts before filming.

This syllabus is set up so each day is packed full of material. If you run out of time you can push something back to the next day. Also, you may have to take more time on certain drills or techniques. Be creative; add in pucks for certain players or for certain drills. Use different drills or do the same ones with resistance. This camp is designed for the students. Talk to them and see what they would like to learn more of and spend more time on those things.

I. Day 1 A. Importance of knee bend. Have them try full extension position and be very critical. Also explain full extension. B. Crossovers 1. Balance a. Inside shoulder up b. Turn chest to middle c. If two hands on stick, hands close together to help keep shoulder up. 2. Edges a. Strong inside and outside edge on 45deg. b. Skate always under outer hip 3. Drills while skating around same circles a. Hold edge drill and glide to middle of circle b. Normal circles C. Toe Flick 1. Turn leg outward end push with toe 2. Practice while skating, make sure NOT to go knee and toe down 3. Practice with drag-touch 4. Explain all weight on pushing leg D. Toe Starts intro 1. Why it works 2. How to do them briefly and full extension E. Forward (always starting drills on toes) 1. Review - full extension, knee bend, toe flick, knee and toe out 2. Return to V-diamond F. Backward (until time runs out on camp) 1. Show push and explain parts of push 2. Stick drill, stationary C-cuts around stick 3. Lines II. Day 2 A. Review and Finish Toe Flick and Forward 1. Draw arrows on ice for toe flick 2. Arm swing a. Palms up b. Arms and legs working together c. Hard, fast arm swing makes strides go out quicker B. Toe Starts full across the ice 1. How to get on toes 2. Duck walk or push against boards 3. Drill - Toe starts across ice from boards to boards C. Crossovers Forward Pushes 1. Describe pushes, full extension, toe flick, X-push 2. Hold drill, heel down and toe up 3. Only do toe flick once you can hold blade parallel to ice D. Crossovers Backward Full 1. Same as forward except reach in 2. Over-speed circles, one big circle in each zone 3. Stress balance, can’t reach in unless balanced E. Crossover Toe Start and Stopping (finish day off with this) F. Backward Crossover Start (if time, if not then fit in where you can) 1. In and out drill, x-over toe start to backward x-over start near boards 2. In lines, practice with review III. Day 3 A. Stations – Filming, Crossovers, Toe Starts, Backwards (only if 4 stations) 1. Crossovers a. Resistance drill, work on fixing direction of push b. If time, whatever else the group needs i. backward x-overs ii. x-over starts iii. more on forward x-overs 2. Toe starts a. Resistance drill, work on toes digging in b. Fall forward and catch yourself on boards drill. Work on getting weight in front of you 3. Backward (if 4 stations needed) a. Resistance drill b. Backward x-over start B. Pucks – focus on arm swing 1. Drag touch with pucks 2. Keep puck wide 3. Toe starts with pucks C. Finish Forward stride D. V-turn 1. 3 strides and turn drill from corner to corner 2. Aim hips toward desired direction, not skate 3. Can be done with toe start 4. 1 on 1’s drill, one skate down boards, other pivots toward them practicing angling IV. Day 4 A. Lateral Mobility 1. Weight on front half of blade, land on inside edge 2. Lateral leap drill beside stick 3. Drag toes if needed B. Lateral Mobility with Pucks - keep puck wide C. Backward Lateral Mobility 1. Use the reach in c-cut 2. Shift weight and land on inside edge on reach in D. Transition Forward to Backward 1. Backward Crossover Start while moving, weight on C-cut leg 2. Drill – Skate forward, 1 footed stop to backward x-over start E. Transition Backward to Forward 1. Strong inside edge and set up c-cut 2. Aim waist toward direction and open up hips 3. Can be done with a toe start V. Day 5 A. Finish forward stride 1. Show glide pattern and talk about edges and return to V B. Forward C-cuts 1. Around rink 2. Around circles making sure c-cut leg stays on ice 3. Around circles someone pushing against you 4. Bulling with pucks and working on puck protection a. Keep puck wide so can’t be poke checked b. Keep inside shoulder up and in front of you C. Finish Toe Starts 1. Stick Drill 2. Talk about anything you haven’t done so far a. Possibly shifting weight b. How the marks in the ice show our mistakes D. Tight Turns 1. C-cut to X-push 2. Drill around gloves 3. Tight turn into x-over toe start 4. With pucks if time allows E. Shooting on inside edge (if extra time) 1. Shift weight from back leg to front leg and land on inside edge a. shift weight with stride push b. land on inside edge 2. Drill doing slap shot – start at redline, skate down boards to blue line, cut into the middle and take slap shot off inside edge of front skate