Feature Story
Why girls need strength training more than boys
By Kim McCullough, MSc,
YCS
Building strength is critical for all
hockey players. But it is even more important for girls.
Compared to the boys, young female
players are already at a physiological and psychological disadvantage when it
comes to developing strength. Most young male players desperately want to get
bigger and stronger, and have higher testosterone levels that allow them to
build that size and strength. On the other hand, young female players do not
develop strength as naturally as the boys and are typically less eager to do
so.
Although developing strength is critical
for a young female player’s success, concerned parents are hesitant to get
their daughters involved in strength training. They want to make sure that
their daughter doesn’t miss out on any opportunity to reach her full potential
on the ice, but don’t want to risk her getting injured while training off the
ice.
There are a lot of misconceptions out
there about strength training for young athletes, so let’s set the record
straight on the four most common myths as they relate to young female hockey
players.
Myth #1: With no body
checking, strength training isn’t necessary.
”No body checking” does not mean “no body
contact.” Girls may not need to worry about being able to take a big hit, but
they’ve got to be able to win battles in front of the net and along the boards.
Building this battle-winning strength off the ice is critical to a young
player’s ability to excel on the ice and does not require them to lift heavy
weights.
Myth #2: Strength
training at a young age will lead to injury.
Most parents avoid getting their
daughters involved in a strength training program because of concerns about
safety. Young athletes tend to get injured when they receive poor instruction
on technique or are exposed to a level of training that this inappropriate to
their age and ability. However, proper instruction of body-weight strength
exercises, coupled with a safe and gradual progression of intensity, will
actually help to prevent injuries both on and off the ice.
Myth #3: Strength
training will make girls “muscle-bound.”
It is virtually impossible for a young
female player to become “muscle-bound” from strength training. Even the most
elite female hockey players in the world do not build huge muscles and they are
using the most advanced weight training techniques around. A properly designed
“body-weight first” strength training program will not cause a young female
player to become “muscle-bound,” but it will make her a stronger, faster and
better player.
Myth #4: Male players strength
train. Female players don’t.
Girls are constantly bombarded with
messages from the popular media about how “thin is in” and being strong is “not
feminine.” Female athletes competing in sports that require strength and power,
such as hockey, may be even more susceptible to psychological issues related to
body image than their peers. Therefore, it is our job, as coaches and parents,
to encourage and empower every young girl to become strong and assure her that
this strength will be of great benefit to her on-ice performance and her
off-ice confidence.
Building a foundation of strength is
critical to every young female player’s success. A properly designed training
program will not require them to lift heavy weights and will not lead to them
becoming “muscle bound.” With “body-weight first” strength training, girls can
build strength and stability in all of the muscles and joints that support and
power hockey-specific movements. This will not only give them a physical edge
on the ice, but also give them a psychological edge off the ice.
Every girls’
hockey player must train to get stronger – because her strength off the ice is
just as important as her strength on it.
About the author
Kim McCullough, MSc,
YCS is a certified Youth Conditioning Specialist and Founder of Total Female
Hockey. In addition to training and
coaching girls at all levels of hockey, from novice to the National team, Kim
has also played at the highest level of women’s hockey in the world for the
last decade (NCAA & CWHL).
Kim’s female player development website –
www.totalfemalehockey.com gives the coaches and parents of aspiring young players access to state-of-the-art programs and the most
up-to-date tips and advice on how to help their players take their game to the
next level.
To learn more about female-specific
player development, get your free report: The #1 Mistake Female Players Make in the Offseason at
www.totalfemalehockey.com