I’ve heard countless parents describe their young hockey player as a “good player” lacking that great ingredient … “aggression.” What they generally refer to is “sporting aggression” and not aggression in the most common sense of the word. In hockey training circles we call it “puck aggression.” A player who is very aggressive at the beginner level can really excel because the fact is that most 7 and 8 year olds are not. What coaches often notice is a player’s desire to go to the puck, slam on the brakes when play goes the other way, jump into the fray trying to get a puck out, back up, or, in some cases, hit. a player outside the play. These are very effective actions that allow a player to really shine.
Now, we know that we cannot force our children to be more aggressive, that has to come naturally or from within. What coaches do to promote puck aggression can be seen in various types of drills that pit one player against another in various game situations. For example, having any type of exercise that creates a run to the puck is also great for developing puck aggression. I am a big believer that the intensity of an exercise is the key to creating the aggression of the disc. The key to teaching general hockey aggression is doing it without the players realizing it.
What parents can do to help little Frankie become more aggressive is to use positive reinforcement by talking to them about his play. Challenge them to do a couple of little things every time they hit the ice. One that is easy to focus on is backup verification. Encourage them to “go back” and break a breakaway or a 2v1. And if they do, be sure to tell them afterwards what a great play it was and how “aggressive” they were to “skate back so fast and catch that guy in the back.” These small victories will multiply and lead to a player’s desire to do aggressive things in the neutral zone and also in the offensive zone. It’s a snowball effect! You eventually end up with a player who wants to be involved in all aspects of the game.
Remember, you should never tell your 7- and 8-year-old player to “get aggressive and go hit someone.” That’s not cool. But reminding them that the aggression of the disk will give them more opportunities to shine, hopefully it will work.