March 21 & 22, 2026
Weekend three in Providence challenged players in a different way — not just in execution, but in decision-making, awareness, and ownership.
By this point, the group had built some solid trust and camaraderie, which allowed us to push into more complex ideas and ask more of them — tactically, mentally, and collectively.
Playing Into (and Out of) Pressure
We’re still learning how to read what the defense gives us.
Too often, we have played directly into stick lanes or into “fake” pressure instead of:
- Leading our teammates to space with deception and leading passes
- Playing into the exposed feet of our defenders
- Making decisions before receiving the ball (we often scan only after we have the ball, slowing the game down)
This is a shift from reactive to proactive play — and it takes time.
The next step is helping players understand:
“What is the picture of the field and my teammates before the ball arrives?”
I call this “knowing your exit“… and it’s part of good, quality, possession play. I personally don’t like the term “prescan” as I feel it is overused and poorly defined. It’s akin to hearing someone ask “what is the mitochondria?” and everyone responding, “the powerhouse of the cell.” … except… no one can seemingly tell us what “the powerhouse of the cell” actually means. So to me, “know your exit” means you have a plan for the ball before you receive it, so you can set your body and stick up to have an efficient first touch and quick-release pass.
Attacking Detail: Cutting & Framing the Cage
Our attacking movement continues to be an area for growth.
- Cutting patterns lack timing and intention (from lack of explosive speed, to not very dynamic, to not being large or hard enough to move a defender).
- Players are still learning how to frame the cage effectively (this seems to be something that requires film and feedback, with better structure for how we want them to play – this feels team-dependent and player-strength based).
We’re working toward creating:
- Better angles of support
- Clear scoring positions – body angle, body position, and stick locations
- Purposeful movement without the ball (leading, re-leading, cutting, overlapping)
Right now, movement is happening — but not always for a reason. And often contrived by coaching staff.
Defensive Growth: Concepts Over Habits
This weekend, we introduced and built on:
- Person-marking
- Zone-marking
- False space
- Trap zones
These appeared to be new concepts for many players — especially in an environment where:
- They are asked to think, not just execute
- They must understand the “why” behind their decisions
Even when compared to indoor pressing, this is a different level of tactical awareness. I am not sure if this is because coaches in indoor define the presses in extreme black and white terms, or that the teaching is simply different from my coaching philosophy, but the awareness and decision-making required to play angles, shape appropriately, and take up the space we don’t want the opponent to play into was a bigger build than I anticipated. More reason for the emphasis on defensive play that I have been sharing of late.
The growth across the weekend was noticeable — not because it was perfect, but because:
Players began to recognize situations and attempt solutions.
They also began to ask more questions for clarity – meaning they were beginning to process the information and recognize the important moments for success.
The Outletting Problem
Outletting continues to be a gap for players at this level. I have found that even college players struggle to understand some of these concepts when they arrive on campus.
Without a clear framework in the curriculum, players often default to:
- Outside backs dropping behind the center back
- Consistently being trapped in the corners of their backfield (stressful)
- Limiting their own options and vision
We’ll need to keep reinforcing:
- Spacing and positioning early
- Creating forward options before pressure arrives
- Showing them how to use outletting to create overloads and 2v1’s
Players recognize pockets and seams by weekend 3, but the ability to manipulate the defenders and use the space well is still lacking. This also impacts how well we can outlet.
Small Details, Big Impact (Left Side Learning)
A few specific habits stood out:
Left Back Positioning
- Receiving on the reverse in the left corner creates unnecessary pressure (requiring too many touches to get the ball forehand and release strong)
- Adjusting to heels toward the sideline opens vision and options, while allowing more confident, forehand play.
Defending on the Left Side
- Stepping to take away the forehand baseline attack is still developing
- Players are beginning to understand why we:
- Force attackers inside
- Prevent play on the baseline whenever possible
- Force toward the top of the circle
These are slow-build concepts — but the “why” is starting to land. I am not sure other sites and regions are developing this. But it is something we discussed with players while we worked on our defensive play and shape in person-marking and zone-marking play.
Ownership & Leadership Emerging
One of the biggest wins of the weekend:
By the third weekend, players were able to:
- Organize themselves using coaching boards
- Lead their own discussions
- Create space for multiple voices (very positive and great to see)
We saw:
- Leaders emerge
- Players listening to each other
- Higher-quality, player-driven conversations
That’s the goal.
Building a Culture of Questions
Our conversations went beyond hockey.
We explored:
- Imagery and visualization
- What it means to feel comfortable asking questions
- How to create an environment where everyone can contribute
The group began to recognize that questions:
- Support those who are unsure
- Clarify for those who need it
- Deepen understanding for everyone
Better questions lead to better players — and better teams. It was nice to see them recognize that being unsure and asking questions does not make you “less-than.”
Final Thoughts
Weekend three felt different.
There was:
- More trust
- More ownership
- More willingness to engage
And even in the cold rain, the group showed up ready to:
- Work
- Learn
- Challenge themselves
That’s what makes growth possible.
It was a lot of fun to be at all three weekends, get to know the players, and see their development through the curriculum. I have one more site this spring where I will be at all three weekends, and I am excited to see how players develop.
Want more? Be sure to explore the “Practice with Purpose Reflection Tool” in my coach resources. You might also be interested in my player tools for your team – be sure to browse those as well. See you next week!
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