How to Teach Power Skating

Powerskating is a combination of balance, speed, strength and agility. A skater must have the foundation for basic skating before he moves onto the powerful strides and explosive acceleration that categorize powerskating. A good powerskater can overtake an opponent, check him with more force, breakaway toward the goal and control the puck at the same time.

Things You'll Need

  • Skating rink
  • Cones
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Instructions

    • 1

      Make sure players can keep their balance while skating. Have them jog around the rink, gradually picking up speed as they become comfortable. Have players skate on one foot at a time, perform alternating high-knees and leg kicks as they skate, and practice jumping with both skates.

    • 2

      Move on to controlled lateral motion and backward skating. Make sure skaters can move side to side and backwards, picking up speed gradually as they become comfortable.

    • 3

      Teach players to “hockey-stop." Have players gain speed, stick out their dominate foot and skid to an abrupt stop on the ice. For safety, have players practice this skill away from walls.

    • 4

      Work on the beginning strides of forward, backward and lateral skating. Teach players to push off powerfully, then accelerate explosively to gain speed. Show players the proper stance: knees bent, chest forward, alternating arms leading the sprint. Practice the skid stop again now that the players are skating with more speed.

    • 5

      Practice using speed with agility maneuvers, as seen in “Hockey Powerskating Drills from Canada." Have players perform drills using obstacles and paths that force them to skate backwards, forwards and side-to-side quickly and smoothly.