Game version
Shadow skate: stay between your partner and the net with your stick on the ice, with no contact. Swap often.
Defensive Stance and Gap
Stay a stick length from an attacker with your knees bent.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
Set up
Your partner walks or skates toward you.
Core: Skates. Beat your own run of steady shadows.
- Ages
- 7 and up
- Time
- 8 min
- Players
- You and a partner
- Space
- Yard or field
- Bring
- Stick, 2 cones, partner
- Level · skill
- Beginner · Defense
The steps
How it works
- Your partner walks or skates toward you.
- Back up at their speed, one stick length away.
- Keep your stick out in front.
- Do 10 reps.
Coaching point
One stick length, no closer.
Make it fun
Play it, don't drill it
Challenge
Pick a level: Less (partner glides), Core (skates), More (changes direction). Beat your own run of steady shadows.
Story
You are a shadow that sticks to its owner.
My best
Beat your own count
Beat your own run of steady shadows. Only your own number counts: today against last time.
Practice makes progress
Print it now, or save it free
Free for families and teams
Save this drill to your child or team, free
Sign up and the free hockey week for this age opens in your child's planner, kept to healthy limits. A coach can send this drill to the whole team as homework, and parents see every session logged.
14 days free for a family, no card · Running a team is always free
Does your child's coach know about this?
An email from you to the coach, with the words ready. Nothing is tracked and nobody is rewarded.