What we do:

The I.C.E. Program provides local hockey associations with a valuable resource for encouraging individual skill development in young hockey players. The program works by regularly challenging players in eight separate skill events while rewarding them for their efforts. This version of the program is designed specifically for boys & girls aged 6-9yrs competing in Mite, Tyke and Novice.

Program Goals:
a. To encourage and promote individual skill development.
b. To encourage participation in hockey.
c. To provide a fun improvement program with rewards for all participants.
d. To provide the hockey community with a standardized “Challenge” for assessing individual skill requirements.

Player Benefits:
a. Challenging & fun.
b. Encourages improvement.
c. All participants are rewarded.
d. Ongoing program
e. Team / age group fun competitions.
f. Individual results are not designed for use in public comparisons or competitions between players.

Hockey Development: The program provides coaches & associations with an objective method to assess player skill requirements based on a standardized evaluation. Due to fact that the I.C.E. Program is the same for everyone, data such as age specific averages in each of the events can be compared against the results of all players. Individual skill requirements can be identified and addressed by the coach. Associations can even use the objective results to help select teams.

Player Rewards: The program is normally run by a local hockey association 2 or 3 times each year for all players in the age group. The first time that a player participates they receive their own I.C.E. poster from the local association. The poster has designated locations on it for players to affix their stickers (see below) that they receive each time they compete. The rewards (gold, silver, bronze, copper) are calculated on the total points that they receive based on their individual time or score in the 8 events. Each player works at trying to achieve the gold level by the age of nine.

Skills Tested: The eight individual events are designed to challenge players in basic hockey skills. These include: front & back speed, turning, puck control and shooting. Goalies take part in all the events but some are adapted differently to make them more appropriate for goalies.

Events:
1. Forward Speed
2. Backward Speed
3. Zigzag
4. Crossovers Right
5. Crossovers Left
6. Sharp Turns Right
7. Sharp Turns Left
8. Shooting Accuracy Stationary