Breathe and Skate Recovery
Composure & Resilience
Legend
- player
- coach / parent
- movement path
How it works
Teach young players to reset emotionally after a mistake by using a simple breathing cue before continuing play.
What you need
- hockey stick
- puck
- ice
Your focus
Young players often freeze or sulk after an error, which disrupts team flow. Teaching a physical reset routine builds early habits of emotional regulation. This foundational skill carries into all competitive situations as players age.
Coach blows whistle and calls a fake mistake moment, player drops ball or misses a pass on purpose.
Player stops, takes one deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Player moves in a small circle around the nearest dot and says next play aloud.
Coach immediately passes a ball so the player executes a simple skill and finishes on a success.
Helpful cues
- Breathe first, skate second
- One mistake, one breath, move on
- Find the dot and reset
Adjust the challenge
Make it easier
Strip it back
Coach narrates each step aloud and skates with the player through the reset routine.
UpLVL it
Add the next challenge
Add a second consecutive mock mistake before the reset to simulate back-to-back adversity.No 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.