Bednar Skating Progression
SKILLS
PURPOSE
This skating and conditioning progression works on generating speed, controlled stops/starts, and a variety of applied transitions and escapes. While shown in 4 variations, there are multiple ways this drill can be modified for the age, skill, or desired outcome.
HOW TO
V1 – Always Forwards:
- Players start to one side of the goal and skate forwards to the blue line and hard stop.
- Player then skates across the zone to the cone and hard stops.
- They then step out and arch around the high cone (if necessary, add more cones so they aren’t making a beeline for the cone) and then down the wall into the zone.
V2 – Forwards to Backwards:
- Players start to one side of the goal like V1 and skate forwards to the blue line.
- They will transition to backwards and skate across to the center cone.
- Then transition to forwards skating around the high cone. At the cone they will transition back to backwards and skate backwards to the blue line.
- At the blue line they will transition to forwards and skate in.
V3 – Backwards to Forwards with Escape:
- A before, players start next to the goal. Player skates backwards up to the blue, hard stops, and transitions forwards.
- They skate forwards to the top side of the cone and stop facing away from the cone.
- The escape all the way around the cone and continue in an arch around the high cone to the blue line.
- Then, transition backwards and skate to the corner to finish.
V4 – Forwards to Backwards with Escape:
- Players start next to the goal and skate forwards to the blue.
- They transition backwards and skate across to the top side of the cone and stop facing away from the cone.
- They will escape forwards all the way around the cone and just around the cone they will transition back to backwards.
- They will skate backwards in an arch around the high cone.
- At the blue they transition back to forwards and finish in the corner.
FOCUS
- Technical skating and executing with proper form and technique and building on confidence.
- Generating, maintaining, and controlling speed. Players will want to skate slow to feel comfortable, but need to actually push themselves a bit to build on where they are at. It can be a fine line between doing it right and pushing, so be cautious.
- Finishing strong. As player proceeds down the boards, the lazy players will tend to coast in. Encourage players to take advantage of the opportunity and skate ALL THE WAY to the goal line.
VARIATIONS
- While there are plenty of opportunities for variations as any coach needs the most notable is to add pucks.
