Race to the Puck Game
Effort & Competitive Drive
Legend
- player
- ball
- movement path
How it works
Ignite competitive drive in young players by creating a fun race-to-the-puck game that rewards effort and hustle.
What you need
- hockey stick
- puck
- ice
Your focus
Competitive drive at young ages is best developed through fun, game-based activities where effort naturally produces results. A puck race game creates immediate, clear feedback , hustle wins the puck. Building positive associations between maximum effort and reward at ages 6-9 plants the seed for sustained competitive drive throughout a player's career.
Pair players and position them at opposite ends of the neutral zone.
Coach drops a puck at center ice and blows the whistle.
Both players race to the puck and compete for possession.
Player who wins possession must score on an open net to complete the rep; rotate all pairings.
Goal
You've got it when you're racing full speed even for pucks you might not win, the effort is there on every single one.
Helpful cues
- Go the moment you hear the whistle, not a half-second later
- Want the puck more than your partner, show it with your feet
- Every race is a chance to show your competitive drive
Adjust the challenge
Make it easier
Strip it back
Place the puck closer to one player to guarantee early success before equalizing distances.
UpLVL it
Add the next challenge
Add two pucks and two nets, both players compete for separate pucks and shoot on opposite nets simultaneously.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.