Danny S.

I have extensive experience coaching youth hockey, focusing on the transition from foundational skating to competitive game play. As a former NCAA player and Assistant Captain at Wesleyan University, I have spent years training under elite systems and am now applying those high-level concepts to private instruction. I currently work with athletes ranging from Mites to High School (ages 6–18) at various rinks across the Greater Boston area, specializing in edge work, explosive speed, and technical skill development.

I competed at the NCAA Division III level for Wesleyan University in the NESCAC, widely considered one of the most competitive and rigorous conferences in collegiate hockey. During my four-year varsity career, I played against top-tier programs, ultimately being named an Assistant Captain by my senior year. This leadership role allowed me to mentor younger players and bridge the gap between our coaching staff and the roster. My experience at this elite level provided me with a deep technical foundation in power skating, edge work, and positional strategy, which I now translate into high-intensity training sessions for developing athletes.

A typical session is a high-intensity, 60-minute technical deep dive designed to translate collegiate-level mechanics into game-ready habits. We begin with 15 minutes of technical edge work, focusing on posture, ankle snap, and isolated inside/outside edge control. This foundational work ensures balance before we move into the next phase.

The middle 25 minutes focus on explosiveness and linear speed. We utilize overspeed training, power skating extensions, and resistance drills to improve first-step quickness and directional transitions like mohawk turns. We then spent 15 minutes on skill integration, applying these skating mechanics to puck protection and high-speed positional play to mirror real game scenarios. We conclude with a 5-minute debrief, where I provide the athlete with specific cues and "homework" to visualize and practice during their team sessions to ensure technical growth stick.