The development of the skills and knowledge of the game for a hockey player is really a work in progress. The ability of each and every player is in a constant state of change, usually a change for the better, but sometimes it involves taking a step backward, to eventually make strides forward again.

The most effective and quickest way to improve and develop a player is through a progressive approach, where players are taught and allowed to develop their skills in a sequential manner. The key to this approach is to establish a good solid foundation of skills and habits at the youngest ages. This base can then be built upon as players grow and develop the physical strength and coordination to accomplish more advanced skills. Just as importantly, as they mature mentally, they are able to comprehend and understand more complex concepts and strategies that they can put to use while playing.

But it is important to proceed with caution warns Suburban Hockey Schools Program Manager Geoff Bennetts.

"Taking it a step at a time is very important," he said. "If you don’t have that good solid base of skills, somewhere down the line it is going to come back hurt you. Take stopping for example. Eventually every player learns how to stop, but it takes time. There is a big difference between being able to stop when moving very slowly without the puck, and stopping and changing direction while moving full speed carrying the puck. And there are a multitude of incremental steps in between those two extremes. At some point, just being able to stop doesn’t cut it anymore. You have to stop on a dime, from full stride without coasting, with good balance, while controlling the puck, and in a position to start quickly in the other direction, or make a pass, shoot or carry the puck, and do it at the right time while under pressure from an opponent. That’s a lot to accomplish."

That kind of sequential skill doesn’t happen in a single session on the ice, or a week, or a month, or even a year. It literally takes years to develop.

"But it can be developed faster, if done in the right progression," says SHS Director Lyle Phair. "It takes a little evaluation time, and some experience. The skills of hockey are the skills of hockey, at any age. If you are six, you have to be able to stop, and if you are 16 you have to be able to stop. In each of our classes, which are for the most part divided by age group, we will work on stopping, but we obviously won’t be working on the same aspect of stopping.

"For players in the younger, or more inexperienced classes it will be instilling good, solid, basic edge control habits, such as getting used to utilizing the proper part of their skate blade, proper knee bend, stick positioning and foot positioning. For players who have a solid command of those basics, we will move to the next step, stopping with good balance and control while moving at full speed. Then we will try to eliminate any coasting before the stop, stressing that the player stride to a stop. From there, you add a quick start in another direction, then you make it more demanding by adding a puck, then maybe adding a defender to force the player to protect the puck, and create a little space, while changing direction. Obviously, it becomes a lot more than just stopping. But if you don’t have the foundation of all of the sequential skills, you will progress at a much slower rate, if at all."

At Suburban Hockey Schools, the classes are initially divided by age groups. Then within those classes, the players are evaluated and broken up into smaller groups, based on where they are at in terms of skill and experience.

"That’s where the evaluation comes in," says Bennetts. "We have to assess each player to see where they are at, what they can already do, then be sure that we are teaching them what they need to know to build upon that base, challenging them to take it to the next level."

Phair adds, "Sequential skills is the reasoning behind not allowing body contact until age 11. To be able to make body contact you have to be in the right place at the right time, which involves agility, mobility, quickness and speed as a skater. Once you are in the right spot, you have to use your body properly, and have the balance, body control and strength on your skates to accomplish your goal effectively, which is making body contact to separate the puck carrier from the puck, and then beat him back into the play. Without that base and many layers of solid skating skills, effective body contact has a pretty slim chance of happening."