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Diversification Raises Better Athletes, Individuals |
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There are a number of people
who contribute to your individual and team success during a
rigorous hockey season. Your teammates, coaches and parents all
play vital roles in helping you achieve your goals. Once your
season ends, all the responsibility of improvement falls on your
shoulders. Do you take time off, and how much? Do you play
another sport? Do you join a different team and continue to play
hockey for another season? What is best for you and your
specific situation?
A soccer-hockey-lacrosse athlete or a football-hockey-baseball
athlete is an active, competitive athlete who is learning new
skills and strategies year round. Multi-sport athletes will
challenge their bodies to learn new physical skills, utilize
different muscle groups and motor patterns, and develop
coordination at a much faster rate than those who specialize too
soon. The mental benefits are just as significant when you
consider that the athletes must understand movement, spacing and
strategy for each sport.
This usually brings about a better understanding of competition
and inspires more creativity.
There are also levels of activity to consider. Multi-sport
athletes are more fit because they play more often. Thirteen
years old is usually the age when athletes will consider and
benefit from structured resistance training. Until that time,
the more physical outlets young athletes have the healthier
they’ll be. Variety will also keep them mentally fresh for each
season and prevent burnout – a problem for a growing number of
young hockey players. You can only blame yourselves as parents
and coaches if your 15-year-old tells you he or she wants to
quit because they’re sick of hockey. We are developing young
people first and young athletes second. There is nothing wrong
with helping your athlete along, just remember they don’t have
to be a star to succeed, they just have to try.
At the high school level, playing more than one sport is both
healthy and fun. At Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning, most
of our pro hockey players have been multi-sport athletes. They
enjoyed the competitive aspects of sports without sacrificing
any of their ability. In today’s society, we are overly
concerned with specialization. Diversity within sports helps you
succeed and doesn’t detract from performance. A great sample
plan to follow for a high school athlete would be:
1. Use the fall or spring to participate in a sport that you
enjoy and that will help transition you into or out of the
hockey season. In some cases soccer will develop the leg
strength and stamina leading into hockey season that will help
you achieve success. For others, lacrosse may be the sport that
continues on the base of fitness you have built and provides you
the outdoor stress relief you need after a long season.
2. Use one season to work on physical improvement in a
structured setting with strength and conditioning coach or
personal trainer. Develop the strength, speed, and stamina
necessary to excel in the sports of your choice. The physical
benefits will be matched only by the confidence and self-esteem
that accompany hard work and dedication.
3. Use the winter to enjoy the great game of hockey. It’s a long
season. Don’t rush to start early or extend the year. Let your
athlete’s passion and love for the game dictate when they play
again.
4. Use the summer for all of the above. This is the time for
activity. Let the athletes improve their bodies, skills, and
expand their choices when they have the most time and the
weather allows it. There are hundreds of great camps, clinics,
and choices for the parents and athletes to make together. |
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