Summer Fun

These last few weeks, we have investigated other sports and activities that help hockey players become elite. We touched on there being a lot of athletic activities that one can focus on as a discipline or as a hobby that can help players when they return their focus to the ice.

Watersports: For those who are fortunate enough to have a boat, a day on the water can really wear a body out. In the past few years, research and practice has shown that Olympic lifting isn’t the optimal way to train for a hockey player. Instead, dynamic and body weight workouts are where players turn when not in the bulking phase of their training. Tubing, Water Skiing, Wakeboarding, and many other water sports done repetitively will definitely keep the body in shape. Just be sure to do proper recovery afterwards.

Golf: Although golf may seem leisurely to most, there is a great way for young athletes to use it as a training advantage in hockey. The most obvious is the hand eye coordination to be a good golfer. Utilizing muscle memory, rotation, and leg explosion on a repetitive basis will definitely keep the body toned up. To take it up a notch, ditch the cart and lug the bag. Nothing like walking around 4 miles with a 35-40lb bag on your back, many times with hilly terrain. It is also an incredible mental strain to remain focused and dialed in for hours at a time. Golf will give one the roller coaster of emotions any other sport will, and its up to the athlete to keep themselves locked in to try and perform their best over long periods of time.

Taking hockey and any activity, or combination of activities we have highlighted over the last few weeks will show come wintertime on the ice.  No player under the age of 15 should feel the need to train like a professional year-round to “keep up” with their peers. Go out and enjoy the summer in your favorite way. Hockey will always be there for you to drop in and train for, but it is important to give the mind and body the rest it needs.