Welcome to the home of the Jr. Sun Devils Elite Hockey Program. The JSD Elite Hockey Program's goal is not just to provide the best Player Development Program in the State of AZ, but to Provide the best Player Development Program in the Country! We understand that is a lofty goal but we will never stop working, learning, and trying to better our Program for the benefit of our Athletes and our families.
Our Mission is to provide the best player development program in the valley through tradition and innovation. Create a rewarding hockey experience for players, families, and community volunteers through a positive environment and leadership. Continually evolve our hockey program to be the premier Tier I and Elite Youth Hockey program that the valley has to offer. Strive to develop our coaches and volunteer staff to carry out the expressed goals of our Members and the Hockey Community.
Work Ethic & Player Performance
"Train Hard, Train with Intent and Purpose, Play Hard, and Play your Best"
Respect & Sportsmanship
"Respect yourself, Respect Others, Respect our Community, Respect the Game"
(Our Training Roadmap)
Approx 3-4 Ice Sessions per week
Education, Education, Education
Ice Hockey is the ultimate Team Game, and while Skating, Shooting, and Stick Handling are required Skills. There are many other aspects of the game to learn to become a complete Hockey Player.
Skill/Small Area Game Training
Dedicated Goalie Development Training Program
Off-Ice Training
Junior Hockey/Collegiate level semi-private off-ice training (balance, hypertrophy, strength, power, and speed development)
Every Jr Sun Devil team this season will have approximately 3-4 Ice Touches per week, with one of them being a dedicated full Ice for 9U and above. The skills format will allow each athlete to continue to focus on their individual skill development which helps to train players to read and react in a more confined space while continuing to move their hands, feet, and head on a swivel simultaneously to provide a more game-like situation.
Skills and small-area game training will enhance their edge work and Power Skating skills. The Weekly skills session will help our athletes focus on balance and off-balance edge recovery, power, and stride efficiency. In today's game, it is becoming more important that edge work becomes 2nd nature based on the speed and the confined tight spaces that athletes are expected to maneuver around in to make great hockey plays.
Goalies will train throughout the season with the Director of Goalie instruction. Technique, speed, position, and recovery are key in all aspects of hockey for every athlete, however, more so with goalies being the last line of defense. Dedicated goalie training provides the necessary goalie training required, much like players, to help develop and refine their individual skills throughout the season.
Every athlete will also undergo Off-Ice training for both preventative and strength and condition measures.
Hockey education is key in growing the athlete's knowledge about the game and becoming a complete Hockey player. This is why video review and analysis will be used as another training medium as part of Jr Sun Devil's training culture. Athletes will have the opportunity to access a game, practice, or situation videos made available by their respective coaches to continually grow their hockey knowledge or hockey sense. Video review and analysis may take place individually or in a group session led by their respective coach. In addition, players may also opt to utilize a video made available by their coach to build their hockey career profile for recruiting purposes.
Video reviews will help to breakdown the aspects of the game of hockey to further educate, explore, or help re-define how the game may be played in a faster and more agile environment. Understanding and knowing where to be when you don't have the puck in an ever-changing dynamic environment is key to increasing the team's chance to maintain puck possession or to take over the puck from another team during a forecheck situation. DYHA is taking every opportunity where possible to focus on an athlete's hockey education which will lead to success as an individual and as a team.
Building on individual skills is important in any development program at every level breaking it down to basics. Skils & Small Area game sessions are provided to allow athletes to build and continue to work on refining their individual skills.
Area of Focus:
Both traditional and Power Edge Pro or combined methods are used during the dedicated skill session lead by Jr Sun Devils Elite Coaching Staff.
Power skating instructions are provided to focus on proper skating techniques and knowledge of body awareness and will improve the athlete's skating so that they become a more effective skater, thus a better hockey player.
Power skating session will focus or emphasis but not limited to the following skating/edgework categories:
