SOFT KNEES. STEADY SKATES.™ Balance helps a Hockey Player stay ready to move. Coach Jane’s cue is simple: soften your knees and ankles while keeping your chest comfortably lifted. You are looking for a stance that lets you skate, turn, and respond without feeling stiff.
Coach Jane™ 10-Second Hockey Lesson™
Presenter script: “Hi, Coach Jane here. Soften your knees and ankles, keep your chest lifted, and glide with control. A comfortable bend helps you stay ready.”
Build Hockey Balance With a Comfortable Stance
Start still in a clear practice area. Let your knees and ankles bend a little and keep your skates a comfortable distance apart. Your Coach can help you find a position that suits your skating level.
Bending does not mean folding your upper body over the ice or forcing a deep squat. The goal is a relaxed, ready position that you can carry into a short glide.
Use a Short Balance Glide
Take a few gentle pushes, then glide on two skates through a wide cone gate. Keep your knees soft and your eyes oriented toward the space ahead. Finish with the stopping skill you have practiced.
On your next turn, try to hold that same comfortable stance for the whole glide. If you straighten up or lose your position, shorten the route and reset. One controlled repetition is a useful place to start.
Keep the Coaching Cue Small
“Soft knees” is easier to use during a drill than several instructions at once. Give the Player a turn to try it before adding another cue. Then ask, “Did that position feel easier to hold?”
Praise something you can see: “Your knees stayed soft through the gate.” As control improves, introduce a gentle turn or a puck. Add one challenge at a time so the Player can notice what changes.
COACH JANE™ BY AGE
U5–U7 • U8–U10 • U11–U14 • U15–U18 • Junior
Choose the task that fits the Player’s experience. Age is a guide; beginners can start with the simplest version.
U5–U7 + U8–U10 — Find the Ready Position
Use a short two-skate glide and a playful cue such as “soft knees.” Keep the route wide and give each Player enough space.
What Did You Learn?
What does Coach Jane mean by soft knees?
U11–U14 — Keep Balance While Moving
Carry the same stance into a gentle turn. Focus on control before adding speed, and return to a straight glide if the turn becomes too demanding.
What Did You Learn?
What should you add after a controlled straight glide?
U15–U18 + Junior — Stay Ready Between Actions
Notice whether you stand tall after passing or finishing a turn. Re-establish a useful skating stance before the next action so you are ready to support the play.
What Did You Learn?
When is a ready skating stance useful?
Official Hockey Development Resource
For additional age-appropriate skating drills that build Hockey balance, use USA Hockey Training & Practice Materials. Then bring one balance cue into your next practice.
Coach Jane’s Takeaway
A useful skating stance should feel ready, not rigid. Practice a comfortable bend, carry it through a short glide, and build from there.
SOFT KNEES. STEADY SKATES.™
Keep Learning With Coach Jane
Continue with Protect the Puck With Body Position and Play Through Contact With Control. Take one idea from each lesson to your next practice.
ONE LESSON. ONE INSTRUCTION. ONE TAKEAWAY.™
Part of Coach Jane™ 10-Second Hockey Lessons™. Presented by The Hockey Resource™.
