Stopping: snowplough to hockey stop

Setup

1. One third of the ice used across its width. A row of cones across the middle is the first stop line; the far boards are the second.
2. Three or four lanes, one skater per lane, the rest waiting on the start boards.
3. Full equipment, full face cage and neck guard for every skater. Coach stands to the side, out of the lanes.

How it runs

1. Two-foot snowplough: skate a few strides, glide with feet shoulder-width apart, then push both heels out and toes in so the inside edges scrape the ice. Stop before the cones.
2. One-foot snowplough: same approach, but only one skate turns in and scrapes while the other glides straight. Practise each foot.
3. Hockey stop: two strides after the cones, then turn hips and shoulders sideways together so both skates skid across the line of travel. Stop before the far boards.
4. Rest at the far boards, then come back the same way, stopping facing the other direction.
5. Five or six crossings per stop, with a drink between stages.

Coaching points

• Bend the knees before you stop; a stiff skater slides and falls.
• Snowplough: push the heels out and press down, like shaving the ice.
• Hockey stop: turn the hips and shoulders, not just the feet.
• Front skate on its inside edge, back skate on its outside edge, weight slightly back.
• Stick on the ice and head up so you can see where you've stopped.

Common mistakes

• Leaning forward over the toes, which makes the skates catch and tip the skater over.
• Only stopping on the favourite side.
• Turning the shoulders but leaving the feet pointing forward.
• Starting the stop too late and sliding into the boards.