![]() ![]() ![]() By the time you get to 14U and enter a body-checking environment, if you still haven’t learned this, you’re going to have some issues.” ![]() “Because you can’t play the game if you can’t see anyone else and can’t avoid opponents. “Being able to handle the puck with their eyes up should be a primary goal for kids,” Martel said. Those who fail are doomed to repeat their mistakes at higher levels. ![]() “But if they can carry the puck and be aware of their surroundings, then they’re well on their way.” They don’t have to do a backhand toe drag,” Martel said. “Kids need to become comfortable handling the puck with their head up. The reasons for teaching kids to get comfortable controlling the puck while looking up are as varied as they are relatively obvious, but that doesn’t mean it’s an easy skill to master. When teaching 8U players basic puck control skills, the message starts there and moves forward. I doubt they still manufacture that same shirt, but a generation later, it’s still a valuable message according to Ken Martel, the technical director for USA Hockey’s American Development Model. The message on it in huge white block letters was not subtle, but so memorable that I still remember it: In my long-ago youth, I had a bright red T-shirt from a skating skills clinic. ![]()
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