How the Concept of 'Zoo Tiger vs. Jungle Tiger' Applies To Practice Planning
Are your players being properly prepared for jungle life or zoo life?
Columbus, Ohio is home to the talented Dave Caruso.
Former D1 and AHL goalie whose path started in his hometown of Atlanta, GA
Former USA Hockey CEP (Coaching Education Program) Manager, with expertise in goaltending
Gold Medalist as an assistant coach with Team USA at the 2024 Youth Olympic Games
Currently Sr. Director of Amateur Hockey Programming with the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Program Coordinator of the Columbus Chill Hockey Club
At a past Columbus Hockey Coaches Summit, Dave gave a wonderful presentation with a concept that has always stuck with me… “Zoo Tiger vs. Jungle Tiger”.
Side note - For those in USA Hockey and interested in getting your Level 5 certification, the next clinic is in… COLUMBUS, OHIO! Come hang out with your favorite newsletter writer August 14-17, 2025. More details here: https://www.usahockey.com/level5.
Zoo Tiger vs. Jungle Tiger
The ‘Zoo Tiger’ has regimented meals and knows it can procure future meals without any resistance.
Meanwhile, a ‘Jungle Tiger’ must understand the prey/opponent and figure out how to get its meal.
An ice hockey game isn’t the zoo. An ice hockey game is a jungle where the Tiger needs to learn to survive in the wild by spending time in the wild… simply said, if you want to prepare for the jungle of the game, you need to prepare in the jungle of practice.
Jungle Practices
Practices where coaches present problems, not just solutions, are crucial to quality learning and retention.
Why?
More Accurate Reads
Connection between perception and action
A better reading of when and where, not just what to do
On A Better Practice For Your Goalies
(1) Ensuring shots they see in practices are similar to the shots they see in a game:
Replicating shot locations and shot types goalies normally see in a game
Too often shots are unopposed, without traffic, and from unrealistic spots
(2) Allow the goalie to follow the rebound:
Similar to players finishing their routes, goalies need to finish the current puck rather than quickly forgetting because they need to face the next puck that is quickly coming at them
Avoid a machinegun-type activity where a goalie cannot follow their rebound
(3) Allow goalies to leave the net, when appropriate:
Fewer, more realistic shots encourage more focus
80% of goalie injuries come from overuse (Source)
For example, youth baseball restricts pitches thrown by young pitchers to prevent long-term arm injuries. A similar concept can be said for ice hockey goaltending
When too many shots are coming in quick succession, goalies are just trying to survive a practice rather than improve aspects of their game
(4) Age-appropriate hockey nets:
Early research has shown that young goalies guarding smaller nets resulted in movements much closer to bigger/older goalies
This also challenges shooters to read the goalie and score in more realistic ways. Too often in youth hockey, shooters bury their heads to generate power to shoot in the upper part of the net. Meanwhile, the majority of goals scored by older and higher level hockey are scored on the lower half of the net
(5) Add time for reflection:
The brain that ‘does the thinking’, ‘does the learning’.
Without reflection, learning struggles to happen. Yet, many practices are not designed for the goalie’s reflection as you’d naturally get for the skaters who rest as they slide in and out of the activities
More time between shots or having 3 goalies so one is sliding in/out like the skaters allow for more coach interaction and reflection. Goalies need to know they have time to breathe, regroup and reset
For example, using three goalies in practice is something the USNTDP has adopted. National goaltending coach David Lassonde: “We started putting sensors on our players, and we soon realized that what we were asking our goalies to do on a daily basis was not necessarily healthy for them.”
More From Dave Caruso
Hockey IQ Podcast:
Full Video:
More from Caruso’s other years at the Columbus Hockey Coaches Summit
I’ve been talking with the Blue Jackets on and off about leveling up our Columbus Hockey Coaches Summit… if you’d be interested in attending or simply want to encourage the organization to be involved with furthering coach education, email Dave and let him know:
Further Reading