10000 Pucks Challenge
Middleton Youth Hockey is excited to introduce the 10K Club, a new off-season & off-ice player development incentive program for 2024.
Players who shoot (and log) practice shots from the end of their hockey season in March to the start of school in September obtain their spot in this exclusive skills club and earn unique Middleton Youth Hockey 10K Club prizes. September 30th is the final day to submit shot totals from the summer 10K Challenge.
Bi-Weekly Practice Challenges
June 10: Wrist Shot
June 24: Backhand Shot
July 8: Snap Shot
July 22: Stickhandle & Shoot
Aug 5: 1-Foot Wrist Shot
Aug 19: Drag & Shoot
Bonus Challenges: One-Timers, Slap Shots
GETTING STARTED
To get started with the HockeyShare 10000 Pucks challenge, click the link to navigate to the official 10000 Pucks website. You'll need to log in with a HockeyShare account to record progress.
To learn more about the MYH 10K Club, incentives, ways to keep practice fun, and more - keep scrolling this webpage.
To learn more about off-ice training and dryland practice, visit our Digital Hockey Resources page.
If you have any questions about the 10000 Pucks challenge, please email us at 10K@middletonyouthhockey.com.
10K Club Overview
It's said that great hockey players are made off of the ice. There's simply no way to get enough ice time in! It's also no secret that hockey players can improve their shot and game with regular off-ice practice - hence the Middleton Youth Hockey 10000 Pucks challenge!
To improve, it's critical that players set goals, dedicate regular time to training, find ways to make it fun, and record practice shot totals honestly. Choose shots that are appropriate for your player's age level. Tiny kids might benefit from wrist shots, short snapshots, backhanders, attempting to lift the puck (you might want to purchase a few 4oz blue pucks in the beginning), and shooting in different positions (one foot, alternate forward feet, from their knees, sitting on a bucket, etc) will keep things feeling attainable and fun.
Older players can start to train for slap shots, tough angles, play with different stick flexes, utilize heavier training pucks, use rollerblades, and more!
Equipment Needed
Pucks: The most important thing! A limited number of pucks means more downtime stopping to collect pucks. A set total in a bucket makes it easy to track shots without having to count in your head. 10 minimum, 25-100 suggested.
Stick: a quality twig. A little shortened if you're going to be on shoes (not skates or rollerblades) all summer.
Target area: Anything durable - a net, backstop, or hanging tarp
Gloves: optional but may prevent blisters
No ice or pads required.
10000 Puck Challenge Incentives
There will be a prize for meeting your age-level goal, a prize for each player that reaches 10,000 shots, and a grand prize for the Middleton Youth Hockey player that records the most off-ice shots this summer. Incentives for the 2024 program are being planned and will be announced once they are finalized.
MYH Goals by Player Age
Off-season practice shot objectives based on your age for the upcoming winter season:
Initiation & Cross-Ice: 2,000 Pucks
Mites: 4,000 Pucks
Squirts: 6,000 Pucks
PeeWees: 8,000 Pucks
Bantams & U18: 10,000 Pucks
10K Pro Tips
Set simple, attainable goals and then beat them.
Find ways to keep your practice time enjoyable. Compete with your friends. Practice new things and target perceived weaknesses (like backhand, angles, silly positions, etc). This doesn't need to feel like work!
Very young players should start with blue pucks (if available).
Do as much as you can to improve your practice space and then start practicing!
All shots should be hard & accurate. Think about shot mechanics sometimes and just shoot sometimes. Mostly - just shoot.
Tracking shots digitally is easy. Some players might benefit from a visual depiction of their hard work like a star on a chart or a special puck in a stack for each 1000 shots. This can help boost accountability, too.
Here's a great Minnesota Hockey article on the value of the 10000 Puck challenge.
Additional Off-Season Training Resources
For other off-season training ideas and tips, please visit our Off-Season Hockey page or the Digital Hockey Resources page for great training videos, websites, and blogs.