Creating Energy with High Tempo Flow Drills

and Parker Burgess, University of St. Thomas Assistant Coach

How do you prepare your team in the days leading up to a game? A flow drill-themed practice creates on-ice energy through the use of specific drills that emphasize skating speed, hard tape-to-tape passes, accurate shooting, and, most importantly, communication. Flow day practices, which are practice sessions conducted the day before a game, are important, especially for teams with heavy practice schedules. They ensure individual and small unit skill development under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions without the physical contact levels needed in battle-focused or system-focused practices.

University of St. Thomas coaches Jeff Boeser and Parker Burgess take you through a series of drills that will get your team loose and limber, ready to play through flow day drills. Flow drills are great to use in a pre-game skate or anytime you need a high-energy practice without a lot of contact.

Coach Burgess explains and diagrams 10 flow drills on the whiteboard; Coach Boeser follows with a point-by-point commentary as the drills are run on the ice. Each drill is designed to keep the practice moving. You'll learn how Coach Boeser and his staff vary their drills to ensure a continuous, effective practice with different levels of intensity. Learning these variations will help you align the difficulty and intensity of your flow day practices to your team's unique composition. Drills include:

• Swedish 2-0 - This high-tempo drill emphasizes one-touch passes while de-emphasizing stick handling. Players are forced to communicate on ice while reiterating the use of proper footwork.
Shootout - Taking the basic shootout drill to another level, this drill emphasizes getting the puck to the back of the net. It can also be used to develop breakaway plays. Choosing captains and teams enhances the competitiveness of the drill.
• Ranger 2-1 - This continuous drill utilizes the full ice sheet. The forwards and defensemen work together to create an odd-man rush through the neutral zone while the opposing defensemen use proper gap control to play the ensuing 2v1. The key here is to emphasize good passes to get the defense moving and committing so that the offense can take an advantage.

Each segment of the presentation places an emphasis on the fundamentals of skating, passing, shooting and communicating. With approximately 30 players on the ice, Coaches Boeser and Burgess keep the practice moving at a quick pace while keeping everyone involved and competitive.

These drills will take your players out of their comfort zone and get the competitive juices flowing. Using these methods, Coach Boeser develops his team's game condition readiness and mental toughness despite running a practice focused on skating and skills development. Coach Boeser's tips can be applied by any coach to any level of team.

84 minutes. 2015.