By Laura Warner
Ah, that transition game!
It’s a silent killer for many ringette teams.
You know the scenario: your defensive triangle is impeccable, and your ability to score goals on the other team’s triangle is breathtaking.
The only problem is, you can’t get the ring up the ice.
Laura and I like to say that transition makes up at least 50% of your rinette success.
There are two parts to transition:
- Break-outs: Bringing the ring out of your own end to create fast breaks
- Forechecking and Marking: Trying to prevent the other team from getting out of their end
In the next couple of months, your team should begin mastering your break-out and forechecking systems.
BREAKOUT SECRETS for COACHES
Have more than one break-out pattern
Certain teams will catch on to your break-out tendencies and find ways to mark you effectively. Other times, the way a team marks and forechecks will just naturally be effective against your favorite break-out.
Of course, you must teach your team to be flexible with their breakout and change it FAST. This makes you a smart, flexible team – and you’ll beat a team with superstars any day of the week.
(Be careful to not overwhelm your athletes with too many patterns! Two or three will do.)
Basic principles for successful break-outs
Regardless of the exact pattern your athletes execute, they need to follow certain basics if they want to be successful:
- If your players do not get open on their initial cut, they must make ANOTHER cut rather than standing still and hoping someone else gets open.
- When they are skating their pattern, they always know where the ringette ring is and they are available for the pass (i.e., facing the goalie or ring carrier, making eye contact etc.)
- The ring carrier is never the last person back (there is always one person behind the ring carrier offering support).
- These basics may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how often even the best ringette players forget them.
Your friend,
Lisa B.
