1 on 1 drills.

Players either love them or hate them.

One of the hardest things to do (and teach) is gap control. It
doesn’t matter if you’re a defensemen defending a 1v1 coming over
your blue-line or a forward on the backcheck trying to angle the
puck carrier in open ice – gap control is tough.  It takes great
timing, quick feet and guts to get a tight gap, and keep it, when
just a little mistake could result in a breakaway.

It’s just so much easier to keep a larger gap.  But then you are
giving the opposing player complete control of the play.  Although
playing on the defensive side of the puck is a much more reactive
position than when you have possession, girls hockey players tend
to be far too passive when trying to win body position and regain
puck possession in 1 on 1 situations.

So how do you get better at gap control?

:::: You have to be willing to fail. ::::

You have to get over the fear of getting beat.

When I first moved out to Calgary, I was playing defense against
some of the best women’s hockey players in the world –
Wickenheiser, Goyette, Campbell.  I was scared that they were going
to make me look ridiculous in the 1v1 full-ice drills – and to be
honest, they did. For the first few weeks of practice, I looked
like a human turnstile. I was really trying to tighten the gap
because I knew that was what I had to do as a defenseman to
stand-out and show that I could play with the best in the world. I
had to put my ego aside and allow myself to learn from my mistakes.
By the second month of the season, I was still losing some 1v1
battles, but not nearly as often as I was in the beginning.

You have to be willing to get beat one-on-one 9 times out of 10,
and realize that the one time you didn’t get beat because of your
tight gap is the true confidence builder. Every time you lose the
battle, you learn what to change for the next battle. You have to
be willing to get outside of the your comfort zone and do what
other players aren’t willing to do.

Most girls hockey players just play with the big (safe) gap and
never try to tighten it up. They just play passive.  Defense will
back in on their own goalie and forwards will reach with their
sticks on the forecheck instead of making contact. When you are
passive, you are giving control to the attacking players.  When you
control the gap, you control the play.

If you want to be like everyone else, do whatever everyone else
does.

If you want to be different, you have to be willing to step outside
your comfort zone.

If you want to make significant improvements, you have to be
willing to fail.

Those short-term failures will lead to your long-term success as a
player.

Keep Working Hard and Dreaming BIG.

Your friend and coach,

Kim

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS

Director, Total Female Hockey

Girls Hockey Director, PEAC School For Elite Athletes