At the U18 age group, players should begin to consolidate the basic technical skills of the game. Hockey should be the main sport focus of players, reducing the number of other sports being played to just one or two. At this stage, players will be introduced to advanced group and team tactics.
Depending on the individual player, other activities could be introduced relating to physical preparation to begin to develop a solid base for training routines. U18 players will develop basic psychological attributes such as concentration, activation, visualization, relaxation and positive internal dialogue. They should also develop training routines to complement the on-ice activity like warm-up, hydration, cool down and nutrition.