Hello families,
Wow! Where did July go? If your kids are like mine, the halfway point of the summer can be where the boring summer blahs begin to kick in. "What can I do?" and "I'm bored." are common phrases heard in the Greason household in August. As promised I have posted some hockey skill builders below to help battle this summer lethargy.
1.
30/30 Challenge - This is a an age appropriate physical activity challenge where players perform a physical activity for 30 seconds and then rest for 30 seconds. The exercises focus on core strength, agility, and activating many of the muscles used in hockey. This program was created as a development opportunity for hockey players to develop physical literacy skills and introduce them to an age-appropriate at-home dryland program.
A video of the exercises can be found here:
30/30 Challenge - 10 and Under
A tracking sheet can be found here:
30/30 Challenge Tracking Sheet
2.
Stickhandling - 10,000 Touches Challenge - This challenge focuses on different stickhandling techniques and seeks to improve puck control skills through increased hand speed, quickness & coordination. It is my goal to have all the girls develop their ability to control the puck with confidence and to have a variety of tools to help them elude opposing players in tight situations. Practicing these skills will help.
Videos of each skill: 10,000 Touches Challenge
Tracking sheet: 10,000 Touches Tracking Sheet
Both of these activities have been taken from the
OMHA Player's Club <you can click this link for more information.
3.
Shooting - Although the shooting challenge on the OMHA Player's Club is excellent, it is simply a bit too advanced for 9-10 year olds. What we really want the girls practicing is a good solid wrist shot. If our girls can get the puck off the ice with consistent aim and speed - we'll be in good shape. It would be great if the girls could work on their shots before we hit the ice. I spent some time looking around for a video to explain wrist shot fundamentals that were easy to follow and not too long. I settled on the one below. Players are encouraged to set their own goals (for example, 50 shots per day).
Wrist Shot Video
I really want to stress that the intention of these activities is not to have your child dedicating hours a day to hockey skills. If you are still bogged down with summer activities or are heading out on an extended vacations - no problem. These are just some extra things that our girls can do 'off ice' to improve their skills. However, if you child is bored in August - you can now direct her to practice these skills :)
The coaches are meeting later this week and we will be having a parent meeting either later in August or at the beginning of September.
Looking forward to a great season,
Coach Scott