Running the Gauntlet

The goal of this drill is to teach skaters to stick with a partner while skating in a dynamic pack, to improve track awareness, improve lateral movement across the track, and to build confidence and skills in moving through a pack.

Split the skaters into 2 even pace lines on the track. The pace lines are to skate close to track lines, leaving a gap down the middle of the track. Pair the skaters up, one from each line.

As the lines move off, each skater needs to stay in line with their partner.
On the whistle, each pair is to laterally move across the track into the other line, using touch to help guide each other about moving in front or behind. Space the whistles 5-10sec apart.

Meanwhile, the pair at the end of the lines is to 'run the gauntlet' – the pair stay together, moving through between the pace lines to join the front of the lines, avoiding the other skaters as they are moving across the track.

As soon as the first skaters take their place at the front of the line, the next pair commence running the gauntlet.