Process Focus Small-Area Game
Mindset
Legend
- player
- coach / parent
- movement path
How it works
Develop a process-over-outcome mindset by running a small-area game where players are evaluated on skill execution rather than score.
What you need
- hockey stick
- puck
- ice
Your focus
Outcome-focused players make riskier decisions under pressure and avoid developing because they fear mistakes affecting the score. A process mindset , where correct execution matters more than the result , allows players to take the tactical risks needed for skill development. Players who are evaluated on process in practice bring that mindset into games, becoming more coachable and technically consistent.
Run a small-area game with no official score kept.
After each play, coach calls out process elements: 'that pass was on the tape, good process' or 'you held the ball too long, process adjustment.'
At the end of the session, players rate their own process execution 1-5, not the score.
Discuss: when was your process best? What outcome did it lead to?
Helpful cues
- Do the right thing, the score takes care of itself
- Were you focused on your process or your scoreline right there?
- A great process that doesn't score today will score tomorrow
Adjust the challenge
Make it easier
Strip it back
Focus process cues on only one skill per session rather than all elements simultaneously.
UpLVL it
Add the next challenge
Players must self-evaluate their process out loud after every significant play, scoring chances, turnovers, and defensive stops.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.