Graig posted on October 21, 2015 16:08
When you think of some of the qualities that good hockey players should have what comes to mind? Speed, balance strength, skill...maybe? To me a quality that comes to my mind is grit which hockey athletes have to be some of the toughest people in the galaxy, but how do they get that way?
Sources for grit can be found in many places such as surviving a tough situation, the weight room, the rink, a great book or movie or any number of other avenues. But the source isn’t really the issue, the issue tends to be whether you have it or not. As a player, being self motivated tends to be better than having to get your motivation externally. Coaches tend to trust athletes who come into competitive situations and they're ready to roll is an athlete who understands what is at stake every time they lace up their skates. This player then allows the coach to concentrate on creating a game plan that will put the team in the best possible position to succeed.
I am a true believer in the mind-body connection and as a conditioning coach, I understand the effect that being in shape can have on effort. Think about it. If you’re willing to pay the price to get your body right so when you're in the moment of that big game you have to reach back for that little extra effort, and you find it’s there. You then put your team in a better position to win and more often than not, you do.
As a hockey player who is fit can expect to be able to utilize their ability more efficiently, you will be able to fight the fatigue factor. You will be more resistant to injury and by chance you do get injured, you may recover faster from soft tissue injuries. Lastly you will be able to handle the stress of traveling, training and competing a lot more efficiently.
The amateur hockey player may some time have to pick and choose which aspect of preparation is more important at the given moment and sometimes strength training is put on the back burner allow me to make the case for strength training.
My case for a stronger hockey player is a better hockey player is the fact that the success in this game comes from the ability to create force. It’s proven that larger muscles produce greater forces while also having the ability to absorb greater force as well. You get stronger on the puck, most importantly you get increased muscular endurance for repeated physical contact.
Getting fit may not be as glamorous as other aspects of the game but one thing to keep in mind is it costs to be the boss. Are you willing to pay the price?
Written by Graig White