Build the base
We teach skating and power skating: balance, edge control, stride mechanics, acceleration, and efficient movement.
GD1 SCHOOL · CAMP-BASED DEVELOPMENT
Built through
the work.
GD1 develops hockey players through focused training camps: structured blocks of repetition that build the skating foundations players carry into every practice and game.
Explore GD1 campsTHE GD1 APPROACHSkating first.
Progress over time.
Progress over time.
HOW THE SCHOOL WORKS
The rink is our
classroom.
GD1 has no single permanent rink. The school comes together through camps in different cities, giving players concentrated time to learn, repeat, and apply the fundamentals. The aim is steady development over multiple visits, not a quick fix in one week.
Watch sessions & feedbackRepeat with purpose
Progress comes from consistent practice. Camp sessions return to key movements until players can perform them with control.
Let it compound
Players return to camps across the year. Over time, stronger fundamentals help them become more confident, capable, and noticeable on the ice.
THE METHOD’S ROOTS
A foundation from
Druzhba-78.
GD1 School began at Druzhba-78, founded in Kharkiv in 1984 at the sports school of the Kharkiv Tractor Plant (HTZ). The school later moved to the rink at Kharkiv’s Palace of Sports, where young players developed the fundamentals that shaped their careers.
During the difficult 1990s, Druzhba-78 travelled to Canada and the United States for summer exhibition games and practices, sometimes training alongside local players. The team’s method continued through its students and coaches even after the original school closed.
GD1’s goal is to establish the Druzhba-78 methods and bring its skating foundations to young players across Europe.
LEADERSHIP
Dmitriy
Gnitko.
Head coach · GD1 School
A player developed by the method. A coach committed to passing it on.
Dmitriy is a former student of Kharkiv’s Druzhba-78 hockey school. He credits its training fundamentals for helping him adapt quickly and take on leadership roles wherever he played. He did not reach the NHL, but believes a strong foundation can make a player useful and valued at every level of the game.
Some players from his generation reached the NHL; others played in strong leagues. Dmitriy says the fundamentals helped them stand out and contribute to their teams. His own experience reinforced his belief in the method: wherever he played as an adult, he could adapt and take on responsibility.
After years as a coach, Dmitriy has seen players he trained achieve results that keep him committed to the work. He teaches the fundamentals while continuing to look for new solutions as hockey changes. He believes a player’s potential can grow well beyond first impressions when the player follows a consistent method.
“Even an athlete who seems untalented can become a professional player. You need to follow the method and the recommendations.”
A NOTE FOR FAMILIES
Progress takes
commitment.
Camp training can feel demanding and repetitive. That is part of building lasting skating habits. Players and parents both have a role: show up, stay patient, and give the work time to add up.
GD1 teaches skating, power skating, and endurance - the foundations that help a player move with more control and confidence.
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