The Best Time For Extra Hockey Training To Get Ready For Play-offs.

Wanna know the best time to do extra hockey training so you are in peak condition come play-offs?  That would be the time between May and February.

So you cannot ‘catch up’ and you cannot make up for lost time by doing more.   Does the term ‘better late than never’ apply?  Yes, in some ways it does, but not in the 2-3 weeks leading into play-offs.

You guys must see it all the time, play-offs start in two weeks, so the coach brings in your off-ice trainer a few extra times to really get the team into shape.

I used to get the call all the time when I worked with teams.  So for the entire season they have been doing team off ice once per week or every other week, but then for the two weeks before play-offs, in addition to their practices and games, the coach wants the team working hard three days per week off the ice.

What a waste of time and money on the part of the coach for several reasons….

• No one is going to get into top shape in two weeks
• Adding more volume and intensity heading into the most important part of the season will only lead to more fatigue, greater risk of injury and more stress during an already stressful time.

I would way rather see the coach incorporate some off-ice strength and conditioning drills as a part of every practice that the players can complete throughout the entire season.

I would rather have an athlete do 20-minutes three days per week than an hour once per week any day – it is a much better dose over time.  Then when play-offs roll around, your team has done a great job of maintaining their strength and power throughout the season and you can scale back the physical demands leading into play-offs and focus on the skills, systems and recovery that will lead to success down the stretch.

Check out the video below for some of the key elements you should include throughout the season, I give you all the coaching cues, so you will know exactly how to teach your players.

Hockey Training You Can Include During The Season (video)

Leading into the play-offs, you should definitely include the flexibility and dynamic warm-up drills at the beginning of the video – those are simple things you can do to help them prepare to hit the ice.

Have a great day gang.
Cheers,
M

…this year faced the most shots in prep school and have had Junior and D-1 interest and I definitely couldn’t have done it without your program.

Never get tired of emails like this – please let me hear about your successes, I love it.  If you want to take your game to the next level, whether that is Junior, D-1 or the top Men’s League, this is a great (and really affordable) place to start – SKATERS CLICK HERE  GOALIES CLICK HERE