How to Handle the Off Season

Ah, the hockey off-season. It’s a time of rest and relaxation- a bit of respite from the crazy hockey life you and your child live the rest of the time.

Of course, however, it’s not a time to TOTALLY forget about hockey. Young hockey players who don’t make an effort to keep up their skills during the off-season run the chance of losing some of what they’ve learned and of getting out of “fighting shape.”   

One smart thing to do at the end of the season is to make a list of areas in which your child has done well and areas in which he still needs improvement. Then, hopefully, with the help of your child’s coach, you can develop a “game plan” for keeping the strong areas strong and improving the weaker areas during the off-season.

In addition to working on these things, keep in mind that the off-season is a great time to work on improving overall endurance, strength, and speed. These are things that can easily be developed and improved through regular sessions with a coach or trainer. Just be sure to find one who is well-versed in young athletes and understands the specific needs and demands that their growing bodies have.

If you can follow this useful advice and push your child to keep on working during the off-season, he can come back stronger and better than ever before!