Hey – what up?
Back from Slovakia and the Czech Republic and what an amazing experience it was! Had a blast meeting with about 80 goalie coaches during my time in those two countries, got to see a HC Sparta Praha game (which was awesome), but there were so many highlights; meeting the people, exploring the beautiful High Tatras mountains, wandering the streets of Prague and Bratislava and trying to navigate the language (hello, please, thank you, good-bye were challenging enough).
Thank you again to the Slovakian and Czech Hockey Federations for the invitation.
Now, back on my home turf and back on Eastern Time. After being up for 26 hours during the travel home, I only had to battle through a couple of days and then it was the weekend so that gave me a good chance to get back on track and here we are MONDAY! Wooohoooooo!
Let’s talk about Hips baby!
What would it feel like to have the loose, flexible, strong and pain-free hips you see (you envy) in other goalies. They can rip around the crease like liquid mercury, flowing from one position to the next.
And after the game you see them walking out of the rink like Travolta at the start of Saturday Night Fever ;). Meanwhile, you feel like you can hardly stand up straight as you shuffle for the car.
Even if you feel like you are pretty mobile out there, this one will give you more, you will be surprised. The reason this mobility drill will expand your envelope of mobility is this: It doesn’t just focus on stretching a muscle. It mobilizes a pattern and adds trunk stability to the equation.
What that gives you is more functional range of motion. It gives you strength and control in different and awkward postures on the ice.
Keypoints
- Start with two of each and hold for 5 seconds
- If you cannot get in a good deep squat then put your heels up on a 1.5 inch lift
- If you feel stuck or have discomfort in the front of your hips when you get in this deep squat, then this mobility drill is NOT for you. Just skip this one, that’s okay.
Go get it!
Cheers,
Maria
PS – I always give you guys the inside scoop – so here is a HINT: if you have been waiting for the In-Season Solution For Goalies program… you should probably check your inbox over the coming weekend (Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada). And that is all I am going to say about it.
