At the 10-and-Under (Squirt) level for boys and girls, players should focus on the skill progressions listed below:
Knowledge
Players should know:
1. Rules
•face-offs
•off-sides
• icing
• checking from behind
2. Common Infractions
• unsportsmanlike conduct
• body checking
• checking from behind
• cross checking
• charging
• elbowing
•falling on the puck
• high sticking
• holding
• hooking
• interference
• tripping
3. Penalties
• minor
• major
• match
Goal Setting
Players should:
1. Establish specific and measurable performance goals that are written, shared withtheir coaches and parents, and revised on a regular basis to promote development.
Example: To develop game and rink awareness during
practices and games. Be on-side for all rushing drills
during practice as well as all offensive rushes during a
game.
2. Divide performance goals into two categories:
• practice
•game
3. Be able to engage in evaluations of your performance at practices and games. Re-adjust game and practice goals based on those evaluations.
Individual Hockey Skills
Players must learn and master:
1. Skating
• edge control
• ready position
• forward start
• forward start right/left
• forward stride
• control stop
• one-foot stop
• backward skating
• backward stop
• control turn
• forward crossover
• backward crossover
• mohawk
• lateral skating
2. Puck Control
• lateral side-to-side dribble
• forward-to-backward dribble
• diagonal dribble
• attacking the triangle
• forehand shift
• backhand shift
• change of pace
• puck protection
•give and take
• accelerating with puck
3. Passing and Receiving
• forehand
• backhand
• flip - saucer pass (forehand and backhand)
• receiving (stick)
• receiving (skate)
• indirect (board) pass
4. Shooting
• wrist
• backhand
• flip
• screen and deflection
• rebounding
5. Checking
• poke check
• hook check
• lift the stick check
•covering
•gap control concept
• body positioning - angling
6. Goalkeeping
• basic stance
• parallel shuffle
• lateral t-glide
• forward and backward moves
• stick save
• body save
• glove save
•leg save
• stacking pads
• “V” drop
• rebounds
Team Play
Players must understand and learn:
1. Offense
• positional offense
•offense in the defensive zone
•offense in the offensive zone
•face-offs
• one-on-one confrontations
• triangle offense
• box offense
• entering the zone
2. Defense
• territorial defense
• one-man forechecking
•two-man forechecking
• backchecking principles
• basic defensive zone coverage
Nutrition
Players should:
1. Understand the importance of proper hydration before, during and after all practices and games.
2. For evening practices and games, eat a normal breakfast and lunch; Before the game or practice, eat a light snack; After the game or practice, eat a meal.
3. For early morning games and practices, eat lightly at
breakfast. After practices or the game, eat a snack.
4. For tournaments, if you play more than one game on the same day or several games in successive days, emphasize foods that are high in carbohydrate (fruit, hot or cold cereal, pancakes, cold meats, soup, rice, pasta) while avoiding those foods with a high sugar content.
Fitness and Training
Players should learn:
1. warm-up exercises
2. cool down exercises
3. stretching exercises
4. flexibility exercises
5. agility exercises
6. balance activities and exercises
7. eye-hand coordination activities
8. fun games
9. relays
10. jump rope activities
Injury Prevention
Players should be introduced to:
1. Heads Up Hockey program
2. proper care of equipment
3, proper fitting of equipment
4. rink safety
5. safety precautions for practice
6. the importance of warm-up, stretching and cool-down
Sports Psychology
Players should be taught to:
1. Understand the difference in being relaxed and tense.
2. Understand that making mistakes is common and part of sports.
3. Understand the benefits and the use of positive
reinforcement. Realize that positive comments help reduce stress, enhance self image, enhance the team’s image, and can increase the enjoym
Character Development and Life Skills
Players must learn to:
1. demonstrate high levels of sportsmanship
2. to have respect for their teammates, coaches. opponents, officials and parents
3. demonstrate an ability to balance school and outside
activities
4. be on time for games and practices
5. understand only they can “Just Say No” to drugs and other harmful substancesent of games and practices.
