Field Hockey: hockey lesson plans

The two 'lessons' on formation, don't expand. they don't actually go into what the roles and responsibilities are.Also, a while ago Im sure that there was something on differnt types of 'press', FULL and HALF COURT....? Cant find them on the web site....Also don't quite understand being a paying member and the 'free' aspect of thge website, what do I get by paying, I am slightly confused.I do like the website, but it doesnt appear to be as good as it eas last season?Hope you can help me,Regards,Alistair

I just started coaching a group of beginners and need help. I played for 12 years but have never coached. How do I encourage my little rug rats not to crowd each other while playing? How do I teach them not to just hack at the ball like they are all chopping lettuce??? HELP!!!

where can I get a PDF copy /printed copy of Jnr hockey drill as I do not have access to video viewing at my office...

Any suggestions for format of U13 girls hockey trials, expecting at least 50 girls and need to narrow down to 2 squads of 15 or 16 for A & B teams.

I new teach indoor hockey in senior high school, what drill type can help me to begin teach for my students ? please share me

Can anyone please help me with a full training program for mini hockey for 6 weeks. The kidz are in Grade 2(8 yrs old), practise 2 a week for 45 min and play league games 1 a week.

I am a new coach to be. Never coached hockey. Where do I start?

as a new coach am looking for a plan of 10 sessions to coach a new team giving progression of skills and some game awareness…is there such a scheme?

What drill can I do for year 3 for 15 minutes

Am about to start coaching a new group of beginners and would like a progressive plan to work from, have you got something I can use?

Hi I am a first timer coach, my team is u/11 year old girls. Some of the girls are first timers too.. how can I have a productive practice of one hour?

I just became the head coach of a middle school field hockey team and would like some pointers on how to coach. I have experience with goal keeping and defensive drills, I was a keeper, so I would like to learn more about offense as well. Any help is appreciated!!

hi allI'm currently coaching 12 and 13 yr olds and the team has a massive problem with shape and being disciplined positionally.Any tips, ideas, drills etc for helping with / teaching this?many thanks,Gary

I have a midfielder that wants to practice defending against lifted balls in a 1-2-1 situation, any ideas for drills that will assist with this?

hi there I'm using 4-4-2 and on sometimes 3-1-4-2 with a lower level hockey team.I've chosen this over other formations, simply because the hockey experience and ability of my players is not of a high level (and most people have an approximate understanding of 442). Also, I believe that one must choose a formation based on players traits and what they can deliver. For example, I'd ideally prefer to have 3 forwards, to help with more height and width but then would have to either play 3 in the middle or 3 at the back... and my player strengths don't permit this. In short, I simply don't believe I have a strong enough CH / CM to handle 3 in the middle and I'm not convinced that the off-the-ball support from other players is strong enough to allow 3 in the middle. OFFENSIVE PLAYS Anyway, I'm not 100% where to get my centre mids to stand when we have a 16 yd hit to take (i.e. our possession). Obviously one of the CMs comes deep to offer a potential direct outlet from the centre backs or offer an overload option if the ball goes out to the sides (which is more likely, since I've pretty much banned the high risk play of releasing up the middle - we've had far too many turnovers in our final third or quarter because we tried to play up the middle). My players are 'aware' of posting up and leading runs. However, I'm not sure about the 2nd CM. On the one hand I'd ideally like the 2nd CM to come deep as well, in order to potentially help break up the opposition press but by doing so, I distort the midfield and if we do manage to get the ball to one of the CMs, he won't have the 2nd CM in a higher position to release to, etc. DEFENSIVE POSITIONING Can someone suggest, again, about midfield positioning using 4-4-2 or 3-1-4-2, when we are setting up a general press? I have traditionally encouraged man marking, simply because our general positional awareness is weak (which makes zonal play a no-no IMO) + our tracking and attitude to committed defending (i.e. you don’t give up if one tackle fails) could be better! However, looking at suggested presses on Sportplan, some zonal positioning seems a necessity and I think if I can help my players make the step, success will come because they've been forced to become more aware of their pitch positioning, etc. Also, looking at some of the presses, it looks like the midfield can go 'flat' to create a barrier... and as I encourage a diamond shape in midfield, I need to explain to my players what to do and when. Sorry for the wordy question. I hope this all makes sense. Regards, Gary

I have been given my first team ever!! They are 11 year old girls and I wanted guide/ recommendation on how I should structure my one hour sessions? E.g. how long should I spend on a warm up, drill etc. .Cheers,Freya

What fun warm ups can I use with a group of 7-11 year olds with and without hockey sticks? Many thanks xx

I really struggle to make practice fun and useful for the GKs. My attention is naturally focussed on the outfield players, meaning most of the time I simply have drills finishing with a shot on goal to keep the GK involved. Pretty boring for them. Any ideas how I can involve them more? Thanks, Charlie

Need help with planning a rolling subs with 11 players and 5 subs.Keeper,4 backs, 4 midfied, 2 strikers.Any ideas please