Coaches play a vital role to the player experience. Vancouver Thunderbirds Hockey will be continually enhancing our coaching support network and identifying opportunities for professional development. We recognize the countless hours our coaches dedicate to making the hockey experience even possible for players, and we want to make it a little easier to grow as a coach and help you have a great season coaching one of our teams. All coaches are overseen by Jeff Churchill (Coaching Ambassador) and Mike Todd (Director of Player & Coach Development - Recreational).
Off-Ice Training
Dryland Training
We understand these are difficult times that everyone is going through. In order to help maximize your players training with limited access to training facilities, BioSteel has teamed up with ADM to come up with a "Training at Home" fitness program. In addition to the training at home program, you can also find supplemental drylands workouts at USAHockey.com
For more information and the Training at Home program, please click here.
Stick Handling
The Vancouver Canucks' skill coach has put together a series of off-ice stick handling videos that can be done at home.
Nutrition
Hockey players often become so focused on training, that they end up neglecting their nutrition. No matter how much time or effort you put into your sport, not getting the proper nutrition will hinder your abilities to grow as an athlete. As a coach, it is important to make sure that your players are getting the most out of their training. We have included some resources on nutrition that you can provide to the players and their parents.
On-Ice Training
Drills
Given the current circumstances due to Covid-19, practices must bee well thought out. We are currently in phase 2 of Hockey Canada's Return to Hockey plan. This means that coaches must consider the current physical distancing protocols that are in place while looking at drills. As we move forward into more lenient phases, physical distancing should still be considered.
HockeyShare - Join a community of coaches where you can create, customize, and share practice plans. Register here.
Weiss Tech Hockey - Find hundreds of drills that you can add to your playbook in order to maximize your practice's. Find drills here.
Hockey Canada Drill Hub - Hockey Canada has put together an in depth collection of elite drills. Find unique drills and corresponding videos that demonstrate them here.
Ice Hockey Systems - This is a trusted resource for drills, systems, and skill development for all ages. Find out more here.
Concussion Awareness Training
Hockey is a fast paced, aggressive, high intensity sport. With that comes the potential for injuries. Players safety is the Thunderbirds number one priority. A big part of keeping our players safe is understanding what a concussion is and how to spot one. We aim to provide as much information to our coaches on head injuries as we can.
For more information on concussion awareness, click here.
Key Contacts
Jeff Churchill (Coach Ambassador) - coachingamb@vancouvertbirds.ca
Mike Todd (Director of Player & Coach Development - Recreational) - mtodd@vancouvertbirds.ca
Operations - register@vancouvertbirds.ca