icehockey

Adjusted summary of articles by Kim McCullough

girls hockey

Girls hockey is a contact sport which means that players are going to get hit and knocked off balance. Having great single-leg balance is absolutely essential to being strong and stable on the ice. Without it, girls hockey players will be weaker, slower and more susceptible to injuries. The exercise is called, Single Leg Balance with Partner Pushes.

You know that you are low enough when the knee of your non-balancing leg touches the calf of your balancing leg. Getting and staying low is hard work. Players may complain that their legs start to burn or shake. This exercise is hard work, and it will make every girls hockey player better.

What separates the fastest players from the rest is how fast they can get up to full speed, their ability to change direction and their ability to react to the puck and their opponents.

Developing multi-directional speed and the ability to read and react off the ice all starts with a solid foundation of single-leg balance, the ability to control and generate power off of one leg, and foot quickness. There should be 3 or 4 players assigned to each square. Players will perform the drill for approximately 10-15 seconds and then the next players will jump in.

Developing multi-directional speed and the ability to read and react instantaneously are the keys to become the fastest female icehockey player possible. Once girls hockey players develop single-leg balance, ability to generate and control power and foot quickness through proper off-ice speed training, they will have the foundation they need to take their speed and performance to the next level.