Introduction to Body Checking

Body checking is a lost art but remains a legal, integral part of the game we love. A great body check can change a shift/period or even a game.

You might be surprised to learn how genuinely afraid all types and sizes of kids are of checking, I know I was when I first started.

You will see a significant change from the start to the end of this course in your kids.

I recommend this course for Peewee kids and up.

My checking clinic will teach and practice the following principals:

  1. Taking the hit safely
    1. Learning how to fall and protect yourself and even to win the battle.
  2. Learn different types of checks and how to check safely and effectively.
    1. Shoulder checks
    2. The rubout
    3. The hip check (my personal favorite)
  3. Learn when to check.
  4. Net battles defence and offence.
  5. Playing the Boards.

Body Checking is an important skill that impacts your Player and that can impact your hockey games in a big way both positively and negatively.

This clinic will be very thorough and comprehensive and will take 8.00 hours to complete.

  1. 4 hours of off-ice sessions inside of a Gym focused on technique and conditioning
  2. 4 hours on ice sessions putting into practice what we have learned.

The curriculum will include the following:

Gym

  1. Safety & Clinic rules.
  2. Checking theory including an overview of checking & discussion of checking.
    1. Checking Penalties
    2. Impacts of checking
  3. Fitness and conditioning for body checking.
  4. Avoiding the check.
  5. Taking a check & falling safely.
  6. Using the boards.
  7. Approaching the boards.
  8. Checking form & how to check.
  9. Types of body checks.

On Ice

  1. Avoiding the check:
    1. Keeping your head up
    2. BAD passes
    3. When to pass
  2. Taking a body check, 3 options:
    1. Safety & approach to the boards.
    2. Opening up for the check.
    3. Checking the checker.
    4. Driving through & winning battles.
  3. How to Check
    1. Boards, open ice & hip checks.
    2. Checking a bigger (heavier) player.
    3. Using your hands/arms.
    4. Protecting your goalie.

Off-ice sessions kids require Shoulder pads, helmets gloved and a stick and a water bottle.

Your player may choose to not check but I guarantee you that they will be checked. Body checking is potentially risky and people will get hurt and some may even get injured while playing the game of hockey, this is normal.

Body Checking skills reduce the risks.

It takes time to learn it properly and it can be a big part of a successful players skill set.

Please be sure that your player is capable of 15 push-ups in a row, the clinic is physical and injuries may occur.

W. George Conroy
1-587-888-1097
coach@conroyhockey.cawww.conroyhockey.ca