Hockey Warm-Up: One Minute Or Less

Most youth hockey players and teams know that they should warm-up before they hit the ice. But sometimes you just don't have the time...or do you?

Check out my version of a 1 minute hockey warm-up below:



With all the driving to the rink, putting on equipment and pre-game pep talks, sometimes there isn’t enough time left to fit in a complete off-ice hockey warm-up. Let's face it - most youth hockey players barely get on the ice in time for the start of their 3 minute on-ice warm-up.

An off-ice warm-up is not only possible, but necessary - especially when you’ve only got a few minutes to skate once you step on the ice.

Sure, a complete 15 minute warm-up is better for decreasing injury and increasing performance than just 10 minutes.

And 10 minutes is better than 5.

You may not have 5 minutes to spare.

But you can always find one extra minute.


--> The added bonus?

You can do this warm-up absolutely anywhere.

Push all the bags to one corner of the dressing room and you can get all 15 players doing this quick warm-up at the exact same time.


Do you think you can find one minute to get this warm-up done?


Until next time,

~ Coach Kim

The New Shape Of The NHL

Long gone are the days when NHL players can show up at training camp looking like the Stay-Puft marshmallow man and try to skate their way into hockey shape.

Vancouver Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault has been telling reporters that Kyle Wellwood’s conditioning is “not NHL calibre”. That’s definitely not good when you are trying to crack the line-up on a brand-new team.

Thirty years ago, Wellwood's showing up to camp in “so-so” shape would have been more than just fine - it would have been common.

But not in the new NHL - where terms like core strength, VO2 max and body fat percentage are thrown are the dressing room with regularity.

If you had asked a player 30 years ago what these terms meant, they would look at you like you were some kind of freak.

Today, your average bantam-aged player not only knows these terms, he knows his stats for each of them.

Off-ice training in the summer is now the norm.

And in-season training will soon be just as common.

As little as 10 years ago, showing up to training camp gave players a huge advantage.

Now, it is expected.

And although I believe that young hockey players should spend the summer months far away from the ice, off-ice training is not optional if you want to make sure that you make the team and have a successful season.

Someone might want to tell Wellwood that.


Until next time,

~ Coach Kim

On-Ice Testing

NHL teams do it.

NCAA teams do it.

And now hockey coaches across North America are starting to do it.

On-ice testing has been around for years.

We have been using their stopwatches to time players’ fastest laps and goal-line to goal-line speed and have been comparing players’ times in various agility drills - both with and without the puck - for years.

Although the tests used are varied, most coaches want to measure one thing above all else.

Speed.

One test NHL teams are starting to use is one that measures a skater’s speed over 150 feet. In addition to measuring players’ total time over the distance, testers use sensors to determine at which stage of the sprint players’ are moving fastest.

For example, if a player is fastest at the end of the sprint, it may indicate a high level of speed-endurance.

If a player is fastest over the first 30 feet, and then loses speed over the remainder of the distance, they would be considered to be explosive and quick.

Ultimately, this will allow both on-ice and off-ice coaches to work with each player individually to help them develop their speed over their weaker stages of the sprint.

Most minor hockey teams are not going to have access to the equipment and personnel needed to perform such a sophisticated test.

But the concept is a good one:

At what point on the ice are players the fastest?

You could line two players up on one goal-line and have them race each other to the opposite end of the ice.

They may finish at the same time - meaning that they have the same average speed over the distance.

But they may have been faster at different points in the sprint.

One player may have had a significant advantage once they reached the first blue-line while the other player made up time from the far blue-line into the finish.

You may not have the fancy equipment needed to gauge this speed difference precisely, but you can observe it quite plainly with the naked eye.

Those players who are behind at the near blue-line may need to work on their explosive starts and first-step quickness.

Those players that lose steam by the far blue-line may need to work on being able to maintain their speed by working on their stamina.


Speed is not quite as simple as getting from point A to point B the fastest.

You want your players to win all of the 1-on-1 battles and races to the puck.

But you also want to be aware of the strengths that are allowing them to get there first and the weaknesses that are leaving them a step behind.

Bottom Line: You must be fast in every corner of the rink if you want to have your best hockey season ever.




Until next time,

Kim

Hockey Speed is Simple

Building your hockey speed is simple.

Speed development requires two key aspects:

You need to have tremendous single-leg balance and single-leg strength in order to be the fastest and most powerful player on the ice.

An article in today's sports section of the Toronto Star called to attention Toronto Maple Leafs forward Jamal Mayers' break-neck speed.

He attributes this new-found ability to a summer workout program that focused primarily on building strength and explosiveness in each leg individually.

Hockey is after all a single leg sport.

There are very few times during the course of play that a player on the ice will have their weight equally distributed over both legs.

Each skating stride starts and finishes predominantly on one leg and each shot requires the transfer of weight from the back leg to the front.

Even goalies must transition out of their two-legged stance in order to track the puck and make saves.

Almost every aspect of the game requires players to generate, transfer and control force from a single leg.

Single-leg strength and stability is the key to speed and power development.

The stronger and more stable a player is on each leg, the faster and more explosive they will be.


Until next time,


Kim

When A Player Should Retire

Since Colombus Blue Jackets’ prospect Stefan Legein’s retirement was announced by his agent back at the end of last month, fans and critics from every corner of the hockey community have searched to find the reason "why".

19 year olds don’t just retire for no reason, do they?

This defies common sense, right?

Here are some of the reasons people have put forward:

--> Injury problems

--> Family issues

--> Substance abuse


My “speculation” is not nearly as controversial or complicated as any of these reasons.

It is quite simple.

--> Maybe Legein just doesn’t have the passion for playing any more.

After all, don’t people change their minds about what career they want to pursue all the time?

Is it really that surprising that a young hockey player isn't set in stone about his future at the age of 19?

Forget that he could have made millions of dollars in the next few years if he cracked Colombus’ line-up.

Maybe all of the time and energy wasn’t “worth” it to him anymore.

For him to walk away from a sport that has consumed so much of his time and energy for over ten years can’t be an easy thing to do.

I am sure he didn’t just wake up one morning and decide to hang ‘em up on a whim.

The rumor is that Legein will make an official statement on the first day of the Blue Jackets’ training camp, which is scheduled to start on September 20th.

If he does in fact officially announce his retirement on Saturday, it remains to be seen whether he will give the hockey world the satisfaction of the reason “why”.

But if he truly has lost his passion for the game...

Then maybe he really should retire.

Because if becoming a great player and having a great hockey career no longer makes him want to jump out of bed in the morning, then retiring is the right thing for him to do.



Just my two cents,

Kim

The Next Great Season?

Have you got what it takes to have the next Great Season?

Many players and teams talk about it, but very few actually do it.

The “great ones” do every day what the “good ones” do occasionally.


A great player works on their mental game...
A good player thinks it’s “weird”.


A great team warms-up for every session...
A good team does a warm-up when they feel like it.


A great player stretches after every ice session...
A good player stretches only when they are sore.


A great team trains off the ice throughout the whole season...
A good team trains off the ice in the off-season - if at all.


A great player goes out of their way to eat properly each and every day...
A good player eats whatever is available.


The great ones do whatever it takes on a daily basis...
The good ones do it when it’s convenient.


--> You don't just want to have a good season.

--> You want to have your best hockey season ever.

--> You want to be great.


There are many good players and teams out there, but very few of them are great.

The difference between the good ones and the great ones is
what they do on a daily basis, away from the crowds and away from the rink.

I know that mental preparation, warming-up, on-ice conditioning, off-ice training, stretching and eating healthy are not nearly as exciting as playing in the big game.


But it’s your attention to detail on all of these “little” things that will make the biggest difference in your season.

If you are ready to have your best hockey season ever, then this is the in-season success system you have been looking for.


Make the choice to be great this season.


Until next time,

Kim

2 Minutes For Stretching

After 10 years of training over 10,000 hockey players, I have NEVER met one who didn't have tight hip flexors.

And I wouldn't expect anything different.

The hip flexors are the main muscles you use to drive your knees forward while skating.

They work hard with every stride you take and start to tighten up quickly after just a few weeks of the season.

This tightness is made worse by the fact that players spend the majority of their day sitting in school, in the car or in front of the computer.


So why is hip flexor tightness a problem?

Because it is the #1 cause of low back pain in young hockey players.


The hip flexor muscles attach on the front of the upper leg and connect to the lower back. As the hip flexor muscles tighten up, they pull on the lower back.

The pull of the hip flexors leads to irritation in the muscles and joints of the lower back, which ultimately leads to back pain.

The solution to this problem is simple:

Stretch Your Hip Flexors!

Don't wait until you feel sore...

Don't wait until your back starts to hurt...

I guarantee you that your hip flexors could use a great stretch right now!

Taking two minutes for hockey-specific stretching can help you avoid a season of back pain.


That's a pretty easy decision to make.


Until next time,

Kim

Season Starts, Training Stops

As a young player, there was one "secret" I had that allowed me to continuously take my game to the next level all season long.

I did off-ice training all year around.

Speed, strength, stamina - you name it, I was working on it.

But for most young players, the season starts and the training stops.

And they are missing out on a HUGE opportunity to get better.

More and more young players are using off-season training to arrive at training camp in shape and more and more coaches are doing a good job of getting their team physically prepared during the pre-season.


--> But what are you doing to get better once the season starts?


--> How can you make sure that you are still fitter and faster than
your competition in December?


Developing on-ice skills, strategies and systems will only take you so far because everyone else is working just as hard on the ice.


Off-ice training might just be the difference between a long playoff run and an early summer.


You may not have the time to go to a fancy training facility or the budget to work with a strength and conditioning coach.


And thatʼs fine. Because you donʼt need to.


The "secret" of in-season off-ice training is that it can be done anywhere and anytime, with an entire team and without any equipment.


--> Exercises like the Partner Row, Bridge Push-ups and Stick Squats will help players shoot harder and skate faster, without having to touch a single weight.

--> Drills like ABCD/1234 and Calf Tag will help players think, react and move more quickly on the ice, without having to waste precious ice time working on agility.


The truth is that building speed and strength is much easier and efficient to do OFF the ice than is it ON the ice.

If you can find 30 minutes twice a week to get faster and stronger off the
ice starting today, you will leave the opposition in your dust come playoff time.


Now all you need is the right off-ice training plan.


Until next time,

Kim

An On-Ice Conditioning "Miracle"?

Do you remember the scene in the movie "Miracle" where coach Herb Brooks lines his entire team up on the goal-line and skates them into the ground after they played a sub-par game?

It is commonly referred to as the "Again!" scene.


By skating his players into the ground, Herb was sending a simple message:


--> If you can't work hard and stay focused during the game, there will be a price to pay.


The problem is that minor hockey coaches everywhere are re-enacting this scene every night with their teams at practice.

They line the players up on boards or across the blue-line and have them skate widths, lengths, circles or laps until players have to drag themselves off the ice.

Coaches may think that they are sending the message by having their players skate "Herbies", but the truth is that they are sending a very different message to their players...

That SKATING equals PUNISHMENT

I know there are going to be times that coaches feel that they "need" to skate players. I too have been guilty of standing against the boards and blowing the whistle again and again.

But if every time the team fails to perform up to expectations, you punish them by “skating” them into the ground, it makes sense that the players might develop negative attitudes towards conditioning.

And that is the wrong message to be sending.

On-ice conditioning is a critical piece of the puzzle for teams and players looking to take their game to the next level.

And it has to be used properly.

It is important for players to learn to push themselves when they are already fatigued, as they must be prepared to maintain a high-level of intensity throughout the third period, overtime and the entire season.

Players have to understand that this type of conditioning is a part of the season-long plan to improve, and not just something the coaching staff decides to do at the last minute to "send a message".


Coaches must stick to the fundamental principle of hockey-specific conditioning - interval training - if they want to take their players' fitness and performance to the next level.


And that means no more "Herbies".


Until next time,

Kim

Off-Ice Warm-Ups Are Mandatory

When I was a young hockey player, I never warmed up before hitting the ice.

I used the 30 minutes between when I arrived at the rink and when the buzzer went to start the game (or whistle blew to start practice) focusing on the "important things" - talking and messing around with my friends.

It wasn’t until my last year of high school that I started doing an off-ice warm-up before practices and games. And I was the only one on my team that did it.

While everyone else was hanging out in the dressing room, I was doing my warm-up routine in the hallway by myself.

And you should have seen the looks I got from people around the rink.

That was just over 10 years ago now and very few players in the NHL warmed up before putting on their gear, let alone young hockey players. I was definitely a rarity running around the rink.

Now you can go to any rink anywhere and you'll see kids running around to get warmed up for their game.

Forget the fact that most of them aren’t doing a proper off-ice warm-up - the fact that they are warming up at all is a major move in the right direction.

Last night, I saw a team of 7 year-olds doing jumping jacks and skipping before they hit the ice. It wasn't a perfect warm-up routine but it was definitely a st They always say hindsight is 20/20, but I still find it hard to believe that I didn't start warming up before heading out on the ice until I was 17.

It has taken 10 years - but hockey coaches, parents and players are finally getting the message.


Off-ice warm-ups are mandatory.


Kim

The Hockey Drive-Thru Diet

You are driving back after a late hockey game and the only place to stop is at a fast food joint on the side of the road.

Or you are on your way to an early morning practice and you need to grab your players something to eat before they hit the ice.

The "drive-thru diet" is a reality for hockey coaches, parents and players.

You know that the majority of fast-food meals are nutritional disasters...

But they are fast, convenient and inexpensive.

The bad news is that these “quick fix” meals can wreak havoc on a player's performance.

These meals can cause your energy levels drop half way through the game because your digestive system is working overtime or because your huge "sugar high" has worn off.

The good news is that you can make better choices at these fast-food joints that won't leave you feeling like you got run over by the zamboni.


Here are a some suggestions to help you "nutritionally navigate" through some of the most popular drive-thru destinations:

--> Tim Hortons: Have a grilled chicken sandwich on a multi-grain bun, or the chili with a whole wheat bun. If it's early in the morning, you can grab a breakfast bagel - just ask to have the processed meat and cheese left out and ask for it on a multi-grain bagel.

--> Subway: Choose whole grain bread, load the sandwich up with veggies and add grilled chicken or turkey. Stay away from mayo and cheese - stick with mustard.

--> McDonalds: Stick with the Chicken McGrill without mayo. Their salad selections are decent too - just make sure to hold off on the sugar-filled dressings. If it's breakfast time, an Egg McMuffin - without any processed meat or cheese - is a decent choice.


When it comes to hockey-specific nutrition, the "Drive-Thru Diet" is not ideal...

But anything is better than "rink food" - everything goes through the deep-fryer there.


Until next time,

Kim

Hockey Is A Game of Mistakes

Hockey is a game of mistakes.

When was the last time you watched a game and saw one of the teams do a perfect breakout or score a tic-tac-toe powerplay goal? There is a reason that when you see it happen on TV, the announcers get so excited about it...because those "perfect" plays don't happen very often.

A coach of mine used to always say, "The ice is slippery. Take advantage of it."

Mistakes are going to happen and it is those teams and players who are able to recover the quickest that are going to have the advantage.


You might be focused and confident before you head out of the dressing room...


--> But how do you react when those mistakes happen on the ice?


You have to regroup quickly and refocus on the task at hand.


After you have made a mistake during a game, you have to let it go and to forget about it as quickly as possible.


"Easier said than done”, right? Especially when you score on your own net or miss a sure goal on an open net.


No matter how big you think the mistake was, there is absolutely nothing that you can do to change it. It is now in the past and you canʼt go back in time and make it go away.


But you do have control over how you react after a mistake.

When you react negatively to a mistake, whether outwardly (like slamming your stick against the boards) or inwardly (by telling yourself that you canʼt do anything right), you let that mistake take control of you.


You need to stay focused on what you can control.

You canʼt control what happened in the past.


You have the choice:

--> Let the mistake get to you

--> Or move on


Since there is absolutely no benefit to dwelling on the mistake,
the choice is clear: you have to let it go.


One tool that has worked well for many players is to think about “flushing” their mistakes down the toilet. I know, it sounds a little strange -
but trust me, it works.


When you get back to the bench after a tough shift, just take your mistake and “flush it”. Once you “flush it”, it is gone forever - or at least until after the game when you want to take the time to reflect on both the positive and negative aspects of your performance.


The most important thing is that you move on immediately.


Because in hockey, a few seconds can change everything.


And your ability to control your mental game can completely transform your physical game.


Until next time,

Kim

Your Best Season Ever Starts Today

Your new hockey season is here.

The "pros" may have a few weeks to get themselves ready, but you've probably been on ice for a week or so and your first game might be in a few days.

I know that you are excited to get the season underway.

But...

--> Are you really ready?


We all go into the season with a ton of energy and enthusiasm.

But being excited doesn't mean that you are prepared.

If you are committed to taking your game to the next level and having your best hockey season ever, you need to have a PLAN.

With all of the practices, games, power-skating and extra skill sessions...

Your ON-ICE player development plan for the season is in place.


But...

--> Do you have a plan for OFF-ICE player development?


Because on-ice ability is only one small part of the player development puzzle.


You have to fit in 6 other critical pieces into your player development puzzle if you want to guarantee that you will have your best hockey season ever.


1) Mental Preparation
2) Nutrition
3) On-Ice Conditioning
4) Off-Ice Training
5) Warm-Ups
6) Recovery


Sure, you can play without these 6 pieces in place & focus entirely on on-ice development.

But...

--> Will you play your best?

--> And will you be prepared for those big tournaments and for the playoff run?


To have your best hockey season ever, you need to find a way to fit these 6 pieces in.


That's why I am here.

I am going to show you how you can put these pieces together in a way that best fits your needs.


I know that no two players and no two teams are the same.


You need an individualized plan to help you fit those pieces into your puzzle.


That plan starts today.



Until next time,

Kim