Hockey Training Secrets You Need to Know

People are always asking about the “secrets to success” when it comes to hockey training. The true “secrets,” though, are a lot less mysterious than you might think. In fact, they’re pretty simple; it’s following them that’s the hard part.   

Stick to a Doable Meal Plan

First things first, no matter what you may have heard, following a nutritious meal plan is important during the training season. You need to provide the body with the fuel it requires to train and perform optimally.

The key is to find a meal plan that the athlete can actually stick to and that works around his or her daily routine. Obviously, then, the meal plan will look different from person to person.

Working in a few sit-down meal times, as well as pre-performance and post-performance snacks and then sticking to the set schedule will do wonders for any training plan. Meal prepping can help as well, particularly for those who have busy schedules.

Have a Workout Schedule

Just as a good meal plan is necessary for success, so is a good workout plan.

Go ahead and plan out workouts- practices and games count too- for the week. That way, you’ll know what needs to get done each day. Once you have a plan, completing it is a whole lot easier than it would be if you were just “winging it.”

Plus, when you plan your workouts ahead of time, incorporating games and more into the schedule, you can ensure that each part of the body is getting the exercise it needs to perform at its best.

Take Breaks

This final “success secret” might surprise you, but here it is: don’t be afraid to take breaks.

Meal plans and workout plans are great. And, you should follow them to the best of your ability. However, don’t be so rigid with them that you miss out on life and burn out. That’s an easy way to go off your training plan long-term, which won’t do you any favors.

So, don’t be afraid to go off your eating plan to have cake at a friend’s party or to enjoy pizza with your pals. Likewise, it’s okay to skip exercise here and there if you’re not feeling well or are still really sore from your last session.

Listen to your body and give it a rest when it needs one.

Sprints and Jumps for Better Hockey Players

When most people think of what makes a strong skater, they think of someone who has good balance and who is light and quick. They don’t typically think of someone who is a good jumper, but, believe it or not, studies have shown, time and time again, that athletes who can jump high tend to be better skaters. The same also holds true for athletes who are good, fast sprinters.

As such, it might not be a bad idea to add in some sprints and jumps to your hockey training regimen. Of course, that is not to say that you should do away with strength training; that is important for young players too since it will make them stronger and protect their joints. However, adding some sprints and jumps in with the strength training exercises definitely isn’t a bad idea.  

While there are all kinds of ways to add jumps into your routine, most of the jumps that you incorporate should look, to some degree, like skating. Any jumps should involve bent knees with the thighs parallel to the ground, and abduction, which, just as in skating, involves thrusting to the side using the hips.

As for sprints, adding in a few short sprints, around 15 meters each with maybe a few longer ones thrown in, is all you need to do. If you make sure that your players are starting their sprints while facing to the side with their feet perpendicular, this will help to make the move more amenable to good skating.

While it isn’t extremely common to see hockey players doing sprints and jumps, it should be. These moves not only provide good cardiovascular exercise and increase endurance, but they are also great at turning young hockey players into better skaters and, by extension, better athletes.

Why Todays Hockey Parents Need to Slow Down

There’s a disturbing trend among the parents of today’s young hockey players, and that trend is to rush children through hockey training and put a lot of pressure on them, all in the hopes of one day turning them into professional athletes.

What parents need to understand, however, is that pressuring their kids in this way actually makes them less likely, not more, to stick with the sport for the long haul.   

Plus, there’s really no reason to put kids through so much at such a young age, especially when you consider that the average person entering the NHL doesn’t do so until he’s 22 to 23 and doesn’t even reach the height of his career for a few years after that.

In short, there’s plenty of times for kids to reach adult goals, and not a lot of time for them to just be kids, which is exactly what they should be doing. Attempting to rush your child’s development can actually stunt it, and investing in expensive hockey tournaments and hours of special coaching isn’t really investing in anything except a burnt-out little kid.

This isn’t just the opinion of a few coaches or kindhearted parents, either. In fact, USA Hockey recently convened with several big names in the hockey world, and all of the leaders agreed wholeheartedly on the importance of age-appropriate training for youngsters. The focus, these experts maintain, of youth sports should be on long-term development of players as people, not on churning out little pros.

These experts know what so many parents fail to realize: when children associate sports with fun and friendship, not with pressure and stress, they’re more likely to stay involved in the sport long-term and more likely to become pros one day too!

So, basically, if you want your child to become a professional hockey player, don’t act like you do! Encourage your child to try out lots of different sports and activities, emphasize the fun of the game- not winning, and take things slow. Your child is still growing and has a long way before he or she even needs to entertain the idea of being a professional hockey player, let alone working and training like one!

Tips for Choosing the right Hockey Camp

If you feel that your little one could use some extra hockey training in the off-season or if you’re worried about him getting rusty, you may be considering a hockey camp. These camps vary greatly in length, cost, and skills focused on, but before you start searching, consider whether or not your child will really benefit from attending hockey camp.

While you may be eager for our child to improve upon or maintain skills learned during the season, talk to your child first. Does he or she seem excited about the prospect of going to hockey camp? If so, then great; sign the kid up! If not, though, you may want to re-think your decision. If your child wants a break from hockey- whether it’s to try a new sport or just to spend time being a kid- you’d do well to grant it. Overloading kids on hockey when they just want a break can sour them on the sport for a good, long time, if not permanently. Remember, it’s okay for kids to take breaks and try new

things, and there’s no better time than the off-season for that to happen.

If you and your child are both on board for hockey camp, then let the search begin! To start with, ask for recommendations from your child’s coach or from other parents. These are usually your best source of information for top camps in the area.

You’ll want to look for a camp that combines various types of training, such as on-ice training, classroom learning, and off-ice training. It’s even better yet if there’s some downtime and just plain fun thrown into the mix. Doing different things and moving from one type of activity to the next keeps kids from getting bored and allows the camp to feel more like fun than like a chore.

Also, make sure the camp is geared toward your child’s skill level and will place him with players at a similar level. Talk with the camp about the skills focused on and then with your child’s coach about whether or not these skills would help your child in the coming season.

It can take a little research and planning to find the perfect camp, but a devoted search will pay off for you and your little one in the long run.