How to get your kid to practice hockey at home

For parents of players 7 to 17 who want practice to happen without the nagging.

The short answer: To get your kid to practice hockey at home, keep sessions short (about 12 minutes for players under 10, 15 for ages 10 to 13 and 20 for teens), leave a stick and ball out so starting takes seconds, and let them pick what to work on. Turn reps into games they can beat, praise effort rather than results, stop while it's still fun, and back off if you're pushing more than they're pulling.

Start with why they're not doing it

If your kid loves games but won't touch the stick in the basement, they're not lazy. Practising alone is usually one of four things: boring, confusing (“what am I supposed to do?”), too much like homework, or your idea instead of theirs. Each one has a fix, and none of them takes more than a few minutes of your time.

Keep it short

Short sessions are easy to say yes to. Aim for about:

• 12 minutes for players under 10
• 15 minutes for ages 10 to 13
• 20 minutes for 14 and up

A session is 3 to 5 drills from one skill. That's enough to get real touches on the ball and short enough that it never eats the evening.

How often? There's no magic number. Better Hockey Canada's parent's guide to hockey training suggests a few short sessions a week on top of team practice, with some hockey-free days. Short sessions on different days are easier to keep up than one long one.

Make it easy to start

Most of the battle is the first 30 seconds. Make starting take no effort:

• Leave the gear out where your kid will see it.
• Clear the space ahead of time, so there's nothing to move first.
• Keep the kit small: a stick, a ball or practice puck, and about 8 by 8 feet of floor. You only need a net if they're shooting.

Not sure what they should actually do once they start? Here are stickhandling drills at home that fit a small floor.

Let them choose

Kids work harder at things they picked. Ask what they want to get better at this month. Let them choose the skill, or the first drill. If there's a drill they hate, skip it for now. It's their practice, and it should feel that way.

Turn reps into a game they can win

• Count clean touches in 30 seconds, then try to beat yesterday's number.
• Do eyes-up challenges: they call out how many fingers you're holding up while they stickhandle.
• Play along once in a while, and lose on purpose.

The only person to compare them with is themselves. Leave teammates and siblings out of it.

Praise the work, not the result

Notice the effort and the fact that they showed up: “You did all your sets tonight.” Stop while it's still fun, even if they could do more. And skip the critique afterwards. One tip a week is plenty, and only if they ask.

Show them their progress

Kids keep going when they can see they're getting somewhere. A simple calendar on the fridge with a mark for every session works well.

This is also the part Puckmaxxing does for you. Your player has their own ladder for each of four skills (Stickhandling, Shooting, Edges & Athleticism, and Strength & Core), from House up to Pro. Sessions on different days earn promotions, one skill at a time. Higher rungs also need a short Level-Up Test, and a missed test names the one movement to work on. It never says “failed”. Your player keeps a training streak, with a couple of streak savers each month for days they miss, and earns badges along the way. There are no leaderboards and no friend feeds. Players only ever see their own progress.

Puckmaxxing runs each session with spoken coaching cues and a timer, and it gives your player a ladder to climb, one skill at a time. Coming soon to Google Play and the App Store. Join the waitlist.

Your job vs. the app's job

Your job is setup and a quick check-in:

• Create the account. Your player joins on their own phone or tablet with a six-character code from you that works for 24 hours. They don't need an email or a password.
• Approve promotions in one tap, or ask for two more sessions first. If you're busy, it approves itself after a few days. You can also have promotions approved automatically.
• If you'd like, turn on the weekly email in Settings. It comes Monday mornings with last week's sessions, training days and promotions. It's off unless you turn it on, and you can turn it off again anytime.

The app's job is running the session. Puckmaxxing picks the drills from 90+ drills and talks your player through each one with spoken coaching cues. Your player taps to start each set, sets the phone down and works, and the work timer can't be skipped. You don't have to be the coach, the timer or the one keeping score.

Need a break for a trip or exam week? Ranks only slip after a few weeks without training a skill, and vacation mode pauses that for 1, 2 or 4 weeks. See how it works for parents.

Puckmaxxing is coming soon to Google Play and the App Store. Join the waitlist and we'll email you when it's out.

When to back off

As Better Hockey Canada puts it: “If you're pushing more than they're pulling, scale back.” Shorter sessions, fewer of them, or a week off are all fine.

If they'd rather play something else this month, that's fine too. The goal is a kid who still likes hockey years from now.

And if something hurts, stop. Stop if it hurts. Tell a grown-up.

Questions parents ask

Suggested exercise for young athletes, not medical advice. Stop if it hurts. Tell a grown-up.