The HockeyOT.com training system is completely customized for every athlete. As a result, the workout routines need to be simple enough that hockey players as young as Pee Wee age (10-12 years old) can perform the exercises. Children that are as young as 10 years old that have the desire to do off-ice or dryland hockey training need to be in a program that is safe, simple and that addresses the basic movement skills. HockeyOT.com defines the basic movement skills as the squat, hip hinge, core brace, crawl, jump, fall and run. Each of these basic movement skills are important for the development of the young athlete. For example, young athletes that are not taught the correct techniques related to the squat, hip hinge and core brace are probably at a higher risk of suffering from low back injury. The HockeyOT.com program is a great way for the young athlete with the willingness to perform dryland training for 45 minutes 1-3 times per week to improve their basic movement skills. It is HockeyOT’s contention that athletes with more efficient movement skills will be less susceptible to injuries and more efficient at learning on-ice skills. Below are videos of 2 exercises that incorporate some of the basic movement skills. The first video demonstrates the squat and core brace. The second video demonstrates the crawl movement pattern.
VIDEO 1
VIDEO 2
For young athletes, it is also important to have a focus on all-around athleticism rather than specialization. The following is a list of exercises that HockeyOT.com feels are appropriate for young hockey players that are mature enough to start a dryland hockey training program:
- planks
- pull ups/ chin ups
- push ups
- jump rope
- medball throws
- suspension cord presses and rows
- body weight and light dumbell squats
- barbell and dumbell deadlifts with an emphasis on core bracing technique
- sprinting with change of directions
- jumps and hops
As you can see, this list of exercises covers the broad spectrum of basic movement skills that we discussed in the first part of this article. When a young hockey player designs their workout routines on HockeyOT.com, many of the basic movement skill exercises are used to create the routines. HockeyOT feels so strongly about this list of preferred exercises for dryland hockey training for kids that we have incorporated many of the exercises into our unique HockeyOT testing sequence.
Personal note from Dr. Chad Moreau: One of my favorite exercises that I have begun to incorporate into the dynamic warm up patterns are forwards and backwards shoulder rolls. Shoulder rolls are similar to a somersault except that your first contact point on the ground is the back of the shoulder. Many of the young hockey players that I train really struggle to perform an efficient shoulder roll. Many of the hockey players I train in southern California have had no real training in gymnastics or martial arts (2 sports that do well in teaching their athletes how to fall). I think that if we teach our young hockey athletes how to fall correctly and efficiently then their chances of getting injured become much less.
Dr. Chad Moreau is the President of HockeyOT.com, an online training site dedicated to improving the fitness level of hockey players of all levels. He was the former Strength & Conditioning/Nutrition Consultant for the Edmonton Oilers (NHL) and the Long Beach Ice Dogs (ECHL). For more information please visit hockeyot.com.
