What size rink should you train on?

[Vet88 674]

Something that I have always promoted and used in my coaching (from beginners to advanced) and finally some empirical evidence to back it up. Smaller areas to train in build skills much faster, especially team based skills. It's not just kids who benefit from this.

 

NHL Analytics Tracking of 8U Hockey Players

Cross-ice hockey gives children more of what's good. #ADM More info here: http://bit.ly/2c2cpQD

Posted by USA Hockey on Tuesday, August 30, 2016

 

[Bakum 25]

There is a tiny rink near me that allows you to rent the space for a fraction of cost of full ice time. I used it twice and it's pretty intense. Obviously you don't have high speed but when a player is on top of you in 1-2 strides it really works your body to use skills you don't normally train. A lot of puck protection and back and forth. It was a great workout.

[strosedefence34 175]

I love playing on smaller rinks/ cross ice.  I feel like I skate more and coast less.  Being in a tighter area it forces you to work on puck protection.

[chk hrd 164]

You need both. Small rinks, half ice or cross ice are great for close in work like cycling, board work being strong on the puck. Basically anything that you will be up close and personal with the other team. You have to have full sheets of ice to work on breakouts, transitions and defending a team coming through the neutral zone. Because of availability and cost of ice we would make our practice plan based on what we were skating on that day.

[badger_14 601]

For young kids, smaller ice surface are largely an issue of scaling down the playing area appropriately - much as one does for soccer or baseball.  Young children physically don't need large ice, and mentally they don't know how to use the space.  But,  at about 9 or 10 kids begin to develop the neurological connections to understand and execute strategy.  They have ideas for how to use the space (small or large) to their advantage.  So for older kids and adults, varying ice surfaces teach us the ability to adapt and be flexible.  On that count I agree with chk hrd.   As a goalie, I see more shots on small ice and it improves my reaction time.  Playing on large ice, I have a better opportunity- more time- to read players and their movement and predict their play.