Follow the Leader Skate
Communication & Teamwork
Legend
- player
- coach / parent
- movement path
How it works
Build early teamwork habits by having players skate in a line and mirror the leader's movements and calls.
What you need
- hockey stick
- puck
- ice
Your focus
Following a peer's verbal and physical cues teaches young players to share leadership and trust teammates rather than always looking to the coach. The mirroring element builds communication without formal instruction , players learn that staying together requires paying attention to each other. This is the earliest form of on-ice team coordination.
Players form a single-file line on the ice, each with a ball.
The player at the front is the leader and calls out or demonstrates a movement (forward, stop, crossovers, backward).
All players must match the leader's movement as quickly as possible.
Rotate the leader every 60 seconds so every player leads at least once.
Helpful cues
- Watch your leader, not the ice in front of you
- Call it out loud so the end of the line can hear
- Stay together, gaps mean someone isn't listening
Adjust the challenge
Make it easier
Strip it back
Coach leads first to demonstrate the concept before handing off to players
UpLVL it
Add the next challenge
Leader must call two movements in rapid succession, requiring the line to listen and adapt quicklyNo account needed
Build a practice plan
Add drills, keep the plan in this browser, then share a link with your staff or parents.This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.
This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.After every practice, UpLVL automatically surfaces the drills each player needs to work on most. See it for yourself.