Hockey Skating Drills for Kids: Edges, Crossovers and Lateral Movement
Skating is the skill every other hockey skill sits on, and it is the one kids get bored of fastest. These drills build edges, crossovers, backwards skating and lateral movement without long lines of kids doing laps. Each one is animated, so you can see exactly how it runs before you put it on the whiteboard.
At a glance
Edges & Crossovers Momentum Drill
The best all-round skating drill here. Players carry their speed through half-stops at the cones, then explode out of each one into backwards crossovers. It works both edges hard, and because nobody ever comes to a full stop, it doubles as conditioning.
- Half-stop with knees bent: slow down, never stop dead.
- The first push out of each stop is the one that counts.
Line-to-Line Lateral Crossovers
Players face the coach the whole way and cross over sideways: up the blue line, back down the red line, up the far blue line. The crossovers go one way on the blue lines and the other way on the red line, so both sides get the same work.
- Shoulders and chest stay square to the coach.
- Outside leg crosses over in front: push with both legs.
Half Ice Warmup
An obstacle course of crossovers, backwards skating and tight edge work, with quick passes to the coaches along the way. Run both ends at once and nobody stands in line.
- Crossovers both ways round the cones.
- Stay low through the backwards section.
Rim Retrieval with Speed
Crossovers matter most when there is a puck at the end of them. Players keep their speed through the corner with crossovers, pick the rimmed puck off the boards in stride and turn up the ice.
- Crossovers through the corner, no gliding.
- Pick it up in stride, then attack.
Walk the Line: Lateral Crossovers to a Shot
Lateral crossovers with a reason: the D takes a pass at the point, walks the blue line toward the middle with chest and eyes on the net, then strides in and shoots. Run it at both ends at once.
- Chest and eyes to the net the whole time.
- Puck out in front with minimal stickhandling.
1v1 Neutral Zone Angling
Skating with a reason. The defender skates backwards, pivots and uses crossovers to angle the forward to the boards, and every edge decides whether the forward gets by.
- Match the forward’s speed going backwards.
- Pivot on your edges, not with a hop.
Edging Battle Drill
Edges win puck battles. In this 1v1, players use tight turns and strong edges to protect the puck and get away. Kids treat it as a game, not a skating drill.
- Low centre of gravity: knees over toes.
- Tight turns away from pressure.
Full Ice St. Louis Premium
The full-ice St. Louis pattern, with heavy crossover work through every turn.
See this Premium drill →Crossover Circles net in middle Premium
Crossover circles around a net in the middle: both directions, with a target.
See this Premium drill →Coaching skating to kids
Teach the edge first, then the speed
Most skating mistakes at U7 to U11 are edge mistakes: standing tall, sitting back, or gliding on a flat blade. Slow a new drill right down until players feel the edge, then add speed one rep at a time.
Crossovers go both ways
Every kid has a strong side. Run crossover drills in both directions and give the weak side the extra reps. The line-to-line drill does this on its own: the crossovers go one way on the blue lines and the other way on the red line.
Lateral crossovers: the chest stays square
Lateral crossovers are how defencemen walk the blue line and how every player keeps facing the play while moving sideways. The upper body stays square to where they are looking and only the legs move. If the shoulders turn, it has become a regular crossover.
Make it a race
Kids will skate twice as hard to beat a teammate as they will for a coach. Almost every drill here turns into a race or a relay with no changes.
Draw your own
In the DrillFlow builder, the Lateral line (press L) shows a player facing one way while they cross over sideways, and R flips which way they face. Press Play and players see the footwork pattern before they hit the ice.
Put a skating drill in every practice
Start each practice plan with one of these. Your assistants can watch every drill animated before you hit the ice, and families can see tonight’s drills from the team link.
Build a practice plan →Browse all drills