Practice Plans

We're excited to share a set of practice plans from Coach Jose Vega, built specifically for our players using USA Hockey's American Development Model. Each plan below is free to download and covers a specific skill focus — from stopping and quick starts to breakouts, space awareness, and competitive puck battles. Whether you're a coach looking for fresh drills or a parent curious what your player is working on at the rink, take a look below.

Meet Coach Jose

Jose is a USA Hockey certified coach with a genuine passion for developing the game at the youth level. He's put together this full library of ADM-aligned practice plans and generously shared them with our organization — we're grateful for his time and expertise. Thanks, Coach Vega, for helping our players grow!

Why We Use the American Development Model (ADM)

USA Hockey's American Development Model is a research-backed, age-appropriate approach to skill development used by top hockey programs nationwide. Instead of over-structured, repetitive drills, ADM practices emphasize small-area games, high puck touches, and skill-building disguised as fun — so players develop faster while actually enjoying practice. It's the same model used by many NHL academies and top youth programs across the country, and it's why you'll see games like "Sharks and Minnows" or "Bank Robbery" worked into serious skill development below.

A high-energy, station-based practice mixing tag games, relay races, edgework, and soccer-hockey.

Sharks and Minnows warmup, barrier tag, and stop-gather-attack drills to build confident, fast stops.

2v2 games that teach players to read space, support the puck, and find soft ice.

Small-area games that teach offside timing and zone entries without killing the fun.

Ringette-based warmups and puck battles that build board strength and angling instincts.

Bank Robbery warmup plus 2v2 "Gretzky" games to sharpen zone exits and breakaway finishing.