Episode 66 | Shrinking the Playing Surface to Match the Age Group

Breakaway, The Minor Hockey Podcast

It’s tough to imagine yourself on the ice as a Tyke or Novice player, but try to remember what it was like. From their point of view, standing on one end of the rink and looking down to the other can feel like the distance is almost miles away. Younger players become exhausted easier because the ice surface they play on is too big for where they are in their development. Some solutions to fix this are by using small-area games during practices, and there are many unique ways for coaches to implement these new elements.