Feature Story
What is girls’ hockey speed training all about?
By Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS
Being a fast player in female hockey has
very little to do with how fast you can skate in a straight line. The reality
is that when most girls’ hockey players of the same age and ability level get
up to their full speed, they are all pretty much equally fast. There are, of
course, some exceptions to the rule, but for the most part, everyone is moving
at the same relative speed once after their first 4 or 5 strides. It’s how fast players can get up to full speed, their
ability to change direction and their ability to react to the puck and their
opponents, that really make a player fast.
Speed is about being fast in every
direction you move and being fast with every decision you make. Being able to
read and react to the play instantaneously is what separates the best female
hockey players from the rest. You can be the fastest skater with the fastest
shot, but if you can’t react to the play quickly enough to capitalize on your
speed, you aren’t going to be able to gain an advantage over your competition.
So how do you develop multi-directional
speed and the ability to read and react off the ice?
It all starts with your solid foundation
of single-leg balance, the ability to control and generate power off of one leg
and your foot quickness. Developing each one of these components of speed is
critical, but single-leg balance is the most fundamental. If girls don’t have
the ability to stay low to the ice, they lose their ability to generate power,
fight off checks and win battles. Your power and quickness will always be
limited unless you have a great foundation of single-leg balance. Once that
foundation is in place, the sky is the limit.
Once these three pillars of speed are
set, players can start to develop the multi-directional speed that will allow
them to be quick and explosive in every situation out on the ice. Integrating
these skills into drills that challenge the athletes from a physical and mental
perspective is really the key.
My favorite drill of all time that
addresses multi-directional speed and the ability to read and react on a
physical and mental level is called “ABCD/1234.” The reason why I like it so
much is because it is all about reaction time, quick feet and and change of direction.
Here’s how the drill works: set up five
squares marked by cones that are 3 feet by 3 feet apart. There should be 3 or 4
players assigned to each square. Have one player from each group stand in the
middle of a square with all players facing in the same direction. The cones are
labeled in a clockwise direction (starting at the bottom left) as “A,” “B,” “C”
and “D.” The A cone is also named 1, B is 2, C is 3 and D is 4. A coach,
trainer or leader will call out a letter or number and all of the players who
are inside the squares must run to touch the corresponding cone and get back to
the middle of their square as quickly as possible so that they can react to the
next call from the leader. Players will perform the drill for approximately
10-15 seconds and then the next players will jump in.
When I first start using this drill with
my athletes, they usually complain that it is too hard and they are getting
confused. It just happens to be a drill that requires players to think while
they’re moving, which also happens to be what they have to do every shift out
on the ice.
Developing multi-directional speed and
the ability to read and react instantaneously are the keys to become the
fastest female hockey player possible. Once girls
hockey players develop single-leg balance, ability to generate and control
power and foot quickness through proper off-ice speed training, they will have
the foundation they need to take their speed and performance to the next level.
To learn more about
how to take your game to the next level with off-ice training this off-season,
visit http://totalfemalehockey.com/off-season.shtml.
Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS, is an expert in the
development of aspiring young hockey players. Kim’s player
development websites give coaches and parents of young players access to
programs, articles and advice on how to help their players take their game to
the next level safely and effectively.
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