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player tips

13

July

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Summer is an awesome time of the year for so many reasons. We obviously love to run summer hockey schools and train young hockey players June – August, but we also enjoy taking advantage of the great weather and spending time with family and friends. One recent sunny afternoon we took a trip to the beach and as we were sitting in the sand enjoying the scenery and blue water, the conversation of course gravitated to hockey and before long, we were drawing up plays in the sand!

We left the beach that day with 5 good lessons about the beach, and hockey!

1. Come prepared. I used to have a coach that said ‘take care of your equipment, and your equipment will take care of you’. Believe it or not, how you tape your stick is important. Having the proper amount of time to stretch and get dressed is important. Arrive at the rink in time to get mentally prepared for the game, not at the last minute scrambling to find the locker room, only to discover that you forgot an elbow pad . . . sort of like the family at the beach who forgot sun screen and left looking like lobsters.

2. Hit the ice with authority. Watching people at the beach tiptoe into the water can be hilarious. Rather than just taking the plunge, so many people try to take it step by step until they think it’s warm enough to dive in. The same can be said at the rink, we love to train – and coach – the players who literally run onto the ice they are so excited to be at the rink. And when it comes to game time, a team running onto the ice and skating a hard lap can be very intimidating.

3. Energy. Everyone loves a day at the beach, and the people having the most fun are those who are playing volleyball, swimming and taking advantage of every opportunity. When it comes to hockey, use your energy to get noticed on the ice and to be quicker, faster and always one step ahead of the competition. High energy people at the beach have more fun, and high energy hockey players are more productive and score more goals!

4. Awareness. The beach can get crowded, the current can get swift and the water can get deep. You always need to know where you are at the beach and in the water. On the hockey rink, you also need great awareness to be effective. Being able to see the ice, anticipate the play and separate yourself from the crowd can add up to great defense and a lot of scoring.

5. Respect. This is one that we talk about at our hockey schools quite often. Just like at the beach where you need to have respect for others around by not throwing sand or playing your favorite song too loud, hockey is a game of respect. Hockey players respect their opponent, respect their coach and teammates and most of all, respect the game.

We enjoyed our day at the beach and are planning a few more trips in the coming weeks. We do still have spots still available in most of our camps taking place in 10 states this summer so we hope to see you soon, either at the beach, or at the rink!

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