Feature Story
Get in-shape for the in-season
By Kim McCullough, M.Sc,
YCS
When I went to
university as a freshman, I was projected to be a fourth-liner. I wasn’t a
high-profile recruit – I never made any provincial teams in high school and
never went to any National team camps until after my first year at college. I
was by no means a “polished” player – I was definitely a “project”.
And yet I was
able to go from the fourth line to being the leading scorer on the No. 1 ranked
team in the country in less than two years.
I may have had
fourth-line skills, but I also had first-line fitness. It was my dedication to
being the strongest, fastest and fittest player off the ice that allowed me to
take my on-ice performance to the next level so quickly.
My commitment to
off-ice fitness in the summer gave me a significant edge over both my teammates
and my competition on the ice in the fall.
While everyone
else was struggling to make it through our off-ice and on-ice training
sessions, I was able to push myself to take both my fitness and performance to
the next level.
While my tired
teammates were staring up at the clock wondering how much time was left in
practice, I was able to stay completely focused on learning the skills and
systems that would allow me to move up from the fourth line.
If you are going
to be a great player, you have to develop extraordinary skills and amazing
game-sense. But you must also have the fitness to be able to consistently
showcase those skills in every practice and in every game all season long.
You could have
the best one-on-one moves in the world, but if you are struggling to get down
the ice at the end of your shifts, your effectiveness will be limited. If you
have fourth line fitness, your first line skills will only get you so far.
How to develop first-line fitness...fast!
With training camp and the start of the
season just a few short weeks away, players still have time to develop the
first-line fitness they need to compete at the highest level.
Ideally, players
would be involved in an off-season training program all summer long. But life
and leisure get in the way, and all of a sudden, you find yourself a few weeks
away from the start of the season and you are not in hockey shape.
It is
physiologically impossible for young players to get stronger, faster or more
powerful in only four weeks. The muscular and nervous systems simply cannot
make significant changes in that amount of time.
However, the
cardiovascular system can adapt much more quickly, which means that it is still
possible for players to develop first-line fitness in only a month.
Players of all
ages can use conditioning circuits that combine short sprints and strength
exercises to vastly improve their hockey-specific fitness in a relatively short
period of time. These high-intensity circuits simulate a shift out on the ice
by incorporating both the change of direction and change of body position that
is inherent in the game of hockey.
Here is an
example of a conditioning circuit that can be used with players during training
camp or early in the season:
• Start with 10
push-ups.
• Sprint 20 meters
as fast as possible.
• Perform 10
squat jumps.
• Sprint 20
meters back to the start.
• Perform another
10 push-ups.
• Sprint 20
meters.
• Perform 20
meters of walking lunges back to the start.
• Sprint 20
meters.
Perform one round
of the circuit and then rest for three minutes. Repeat this sequence 3 or 4
more times and you will be well on your way to getting in shape for the
in-season.
By developing
first-line fitness through the off-season, you are putting yourself in a
position to excel in training camp and beyond. And when you are a few steps
ahead of your competition in September, you can open up an even bigger gap in
fitness and performance as the season continues.
About the
author
Kim McCullough, M.Sc.,
YCS is a highly sought-after expert in the development of aspiring girls’
hockey players and has played at the highest level of women’s hockey in the
world for the last decade.
Kim’s female player development website (www.totalfemalehockey.com) gives coaches and parents of
aspiring young players access to programs, articles and advice on how to help
their players take their game to the next level.
To learn more about how to have your best hockey camp
ever, get your
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