Man, lemme tell ya how I stumbled into this UVM hockey coaching goldmine. It all started last summer when my peewee team got smoked in playoffs. Kids were bummed, parents gave me the stink eye, and I nearly quit coaching. Then my buddy Dave goes, “You ever check out how UVM trains? Their coach is low-key genius.”
The Scavenger Hunt Phase
First I Googled like crazy. Nada. Paid sites wanted $200 for “exclusive drills” – total scam. Finally dug up some grainy practice footage from their 2019 season. Watched it twelve times straight with pizza stains on my keyboard.
- Spotted weird zigzag cone patterns behind players during warmups
- Noticed coaches never stood still – always moving WITH the skaters
- Goalies did reaction drills using tennis balls, not pucks
My Garage Experiments
Grabbed my neighbor’s kid for testing. Taped oven mitts to his hands as goalie gloves. Threw tennis balls yelling “CATCH WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED!” Kid thought I lost it. But guess what? After two weeks:
- His glove saves jumped 40%
- Started anticipating rebounds like psychic goldfish
- Parents asked what steroids I gave him
The Big Reveal
Finally scored an interview with UVM’s equipment manager’s cousin (total luck!). Dropped these truth bombs:
Secret 1: That crazy warmup? They’re mimicking opponents’ play patterns. Kids memorize it subconsciously. Saved our butts when we faced Fairfax’s trap defense last month.
Secret 2: Coaches skating with players isn’t about fitness. They’re whispering corrections mid-stride. Tried this during powerplay drills – instant communication upgrade.
Secret 3: Tennis balls force goalies to track spin, not just puck. Now my netminders catch water bottles blindfolded. Okay maybe not, but close.
The Aftermath
Took these back to my rag-tag team. We went from dead last to division champs. Not even joking – trophy’s sitting on my leaky dishwasher right now. Best part? Parents stopped asking why I make goalies juggle oranges. Moral of the story: sometimes the best coaching tools cost $2 at Walmart.
