„When players come to us, including professionals, they most often want two things: to skate better and faster or to score more goals. That may be one reason why I have worked so hard on this skill and developed it methodically. Effective scoring requires shooting technique, quick release, accuracy and power. The location of the finish matters; we work with shooting angles, respect the finishing area, teach players how to beat the goaltender and how to handle psychological pressure. Thanks to HTA’s detailed methodology, finishing is one of our showcase disciplines.“
The training program, prepared directly by Jaromír Pytlík, is designed for young hockey players who want to improve their skills under the guidance of top skill coaches, recruited mainly from professional players or the HTA Coaching Academy. An automatic system assigns players to courses precisely by age and then to small groups within each course. Thanks to the training organization and group rotation, six coaches—specialists—work with the players during a single training session. Two head coaches lead the session and supervise the entire training process. This ensures excellent feedback and correction of mistakes for every player. In addition, players complete specific OFF-ICE training as part of the camp, with content tailored to the focus of the program. Regeneration is also crucial in such a demanding schedule, and it starts with quality nutrition. That is why HTA sports nutrition and hydration are available during the training programs under the supervision of a leading nutrition specialist. This makes the HTA training process highly effective.
„If you want to work seriously on scoring, it takes much more than shooting in shoes in the backyard. You need to know how to beat a goaltender, which means understanding the goaltending world and its principles. This program reflects that strongly: working with angles, the shooter’s distorted visual perspective and the game situation before the finish. It gives everyone a different view of scoring, and players really enjoy it.“
HTA training focuses on individual skills. It is not a week-long camp; due to the high intensity and demands, it runs for three days. The program is comprehensive and includes skill instruction, games on small and full-size ice, and specific OFF-ICE preparation.
Preliminary and indicative group division:
In the interview, Jaromír Pytlík shares his approach to developing young players, focusing on detail and finding his own paths in training. He explains why it is important to build the right habits from an early age, test new methods over the long term, and base player development on quality, patience, and a genuine understanding of hockey skills.
At the same time, he shows the principle HTA has followed for years – not doing things simply because they have always been done that way, but looking for methods that genuinely move players forward.
