CORRECT GRIP AND BODY POSITION: Stick grip – students grab the top of the stick using their left hand, their right hand is placed near the bottom of the grip. There are no left handed hockey sticks, so all students use this grip no matter if they are left or right handed. Stance – It is important that students have their legs shoulder width apart and knees bent, maintaining a low centre of gravity. We call this the “haka” position. If students are getting sore backs during this activity it means they are not bending their legs and are bending their back. Walk around the students during this activity to remind them to keep their backs straight. Outline a playing area defined by cones; ensure the area is big enough for students to safely move around with hockey sticks. Start the students on ORANGE light, which means they are slowly pushing the ball around with the flat side of their stick. RED light means they trap the ball by rotating the stick in front of the ball to stop it. For younger students this will need to be demonstrated. Once the students are competent at moving around on ORANGE light, you can call out GREEN light, which means that the students can move as quickly as they can but must maintain control of the ball. This speed will vary depending on the ability of the student. Change between GREEN, ORANGE and RED light.

NOTE: if there is enough time coaches can add in a competition between boys vs girls. If boys stop quicker than the girls without using their feet and trapping the ball correctly then they will be awarded the point and vice versa.