11

December

Holiday Hockey Gifts To Improve Your Game

Posted by Greg Carter

Rails

The holidays are a great time of year both on the ice with tournaments and games in full swing, as well as off the ice celebrating the season with friends and family. I have actually found the the month of December to be a really interesting stretch of the hockey season because players are settling in and finding their place on the team.

How is your season starting out? Are you playing on the first line? How about the power play or penalty kill? Are you skating in your preferred position or do your coaches have you elsewhere? Are you scoring as much as you would like?

If you are having the success you anticipated, do you have a plan to continue playing at that level? Or, if you haven’t yet found your stride, are you prepared to work even harder? Youth hockey players at this time of year too often allow their current situation to dictate their work ethic. If they are not skating on the first line they resort to thinking they are a second or third line player. If they are not on the power play or penalty kill, they think they must not be good enough for special teams play. Conversely, some first line players get complacent and stop working hard, thinking that every time there is a power play they are going to be put on the ice.

The holidays are a great time to reevaluate your game and think about all of the hard work you invested over the summer to prepare for the season. It’s an excellent opportunity to rededicate yourself to being not just a good forward or defensemen, but a good, well-rounded hockey player who understands the game and can play in many different situations and positions.

Often times at summer hockey school we train forwards who say they don’t need to work on their backwards skating because they are a forward. Or we see defensemen who don’t work on their offensive moves and scoring because they feel their role is to prevent goals from being scored rather than scoring goals. The best hockey players are those who understand that it takes hard work and consistent effort in all areas to get to making the most out of the season.

As we enter the winter break, here are 3 holiday hockey gifts to help you get the most out of your season!

1. Attitude and work ethic. Playing hockey is one of the great joys of childhood. Make sure you remember this and bring a great attitude and awesome work ethic to every practice and game. A coach once told me that anything worth doing, is worth doing well. I have never forgotten this and it is especially true in youth hockey!
2. Coachability.  Coaches love players that show up ready to go and ready to learn. Make sure that you pay attention and digest what your coach is telling you. Many coaches have years of experience and played the game themselves. Take advantage of the opportunity to learn from those who have already been there and done it. Learn from them and do it better!
3. Pucks & Practice. This is simple. You can never practice enough, and you can never shoot enough pucks.

From our hockey home to yours, enjoy the holidays and we look forward to seeing you at the rink soon!

Greg Carter

Categories: hockey camp, hockey clinic, hockey fundamentals, ice hockey development, Massachusetts hockey camp, youth hockey

19

September

The Season Kick Off!

Posted by Greg Carter

Rails

With Labor Day and another summer in the rear view mirror, footballs are air born and preseason NHL games are starting to dot the TV schedule. This could only mean one thing; the youth hockey season is right around the corner.

As players gear up for the season, it’s important to take the time to reflect on what was accomplished during your summer hockey training, and your plans to use the development to be a huge contributor and leader on your team this season.

A good way for players to start this season, is to actually think back to last season.

What areas of your game needed work?
What were the goals that you set for the summer? 

Hopefully your summer training allowed you to refocus, work on new skills, get rid of any bad habits and position yourself for a great season.

The areas that you identified as needing work in your post season evaluation were hopefully the key areas of focus for you over the summer. Now is the time to apply everything that you learned, as well as show off those skills that you mastered. Maybe you needed to increase your speed, develop a better shot or improve your stick handling skills. Make sure you take what you learned and apply it to every practice, every game and every shift this season.

Hockey is a game that requires many skills, and putting forth the time and effort in the off season to work hard on your development is part of the equation, but what you do on the ice this season is the true test. Are you prepared to apply your development to your everyday hockey experience?

Everyone has heard the slogan that ‘practice makes perfect’ and this is especially true when it comes to using the tools that you learned over the summer to improvement your skills everyday this season.

Good luck with the start of  your season and we look forward to hearing about your next great hockey experience!

Categories: hockey clinic, hockey season, ice hockey development, ice hockey rink, NHL, youth hockey

27

August

Hockey Thoughts About An Awesome Summer

Posted by Greg Carter

Rails

August is the perfect summer month.

Running a hockey camp in August means that things are winding down after few great months instructing aspiring athletes who have been working hard to take their game to the next level.

Of course it never gets old walking out of the cool rink into the hot and humid summer air.

And in August, the excitement of the summer months is turning to thoughts of Labor Day, school, football and of course the start of another hockey season.

Yes, these are the dog days of summer and they are great times for hockey players.

All of the instruction received over the summer can be put to use during your personal training in preparation for the season.

Shooing pucks with proper form and increased velocity.
Stickhandling with your head up and practicing your new dekes and moves.

We really enjoy watching players in August as they have grown over the past few months, both as hockey players and also in height!

As you finish out your summer vacation we encourage you to continue working hard on everything that you learned at hockey camp this summer.

Players leave camp with the tools they need to become a better hockey player, and we sincerely hope that you use those tools each and every day in practice.

Repetition is a key ingredient to mastering skills so take the time and bring the energy to your training and preseason preparations.

Work the same skills over and over again until you are comfortable executing at full speed.

Enjoy the final weeks of summer and we look forward to keeping up with you this season!

Categories: hockey camp, hockey clinic, hockey fundamentals, hockey season, ice hockey development, NHL, youth hockey

15

May

Secrets to Game 7 Success

Posted by Greg Carter

Rails

There have been some awesome games in the NHL Playoffs. And nothing is bigger than a Game 7, when everything is on the line. One team goes home to get the golf clubs out of the basement, and the other advances one step closer to hockey’s biggest prize.

So what does it really take to win that decisive Game 7? What separates the winners? Sometimes it takes a combination of puck luck, momentum and of course hard work, but in all my years around the game both as a player and training hockey players, I’ve come to see some similarities among players who more times than not find themselves on the winning side of the scoreboard.

It’s important to understand that these are not just player traits that appear on the eve of a Game 7, instead they are engrained in a player from the time they learn to love the game and compete. Thinking back to the great players that I’ve played with and coached, they always seemed to bump up their game and take it to another level when the stakes got higher. The good players got great, and their ability to keep bringing the magic that it takes to win was even more evident in the biggest games.

These are the players, and I see them today at the youth level, that get off the ice after a shift and are so ‘wired’ that they can’t sit still on the bench to rest, they have to lean against the boards and watch every minute, every second of the game. They can’t wait to get back onto the ice for their chance to score the deciding goal.

Not all players are like this. Some players don’t have that killer instinct as they fear giving up the big goal more than they do putting it all on the line to be the hero.

So what are some secrets, both as a player and a team, to winning a Game 7?

  • Ability to play with a ‘win at all cost’ mentality. This means doing everything possible, every shift to make sure you are always in the best position to have an impact.
  • High Risk / High Reward. Great players are not afraid to take chances to score the big goal. They have the confidence in themselves that given the chance, they will beat the odds and score the goal.
  • Confidence. It may sounds simple, but confidence goes a long way in winning. When a team hits the ice with confidence, you notice. And when you execute on your confidence and get the job done, oftentimes you win the game!
  • Hard work. Nothing compares to hard work. So often one team may look flat, while the other is buzzing around like gnat. Is one team really flat, or is the other just out working and out skating them?
  • Rely on what got you there. And this is the key, that to win the Game 7 you have to recognize that all the long hours of dedication, practice and persistence all plays out in dramatic fashion. Sure, all the players have put in the time, but the best of the best are the ones who do just that little bit more.

Enjoy the rest of the NHL Playoffs and good luck scoring the big one in your next big game!

 

Categories: hockey camp, hockey season, ice hockey development, NHL, playoff hockey, Stanley Cup, youth hockey

05

May

Make the NHL Playoffs Productive for Your Player

Posted by Greg Carter

Rails

The excitement for the NHL Playoffs may be greater than ever. Regardless of whether your favorite team is in the hunt for the Stanley Cup, watching the best hockey players in the world compete at the highest level for the top prize in the game really is must watch TV.

From the intensity and speed to the awesome goals, amazing passes and phenomenal dekes, if you are a fan of hockey you are probably glued to the TV. For youth players it is a time when they can really sit and learn from the best of the best.  Cheering for your favorite team is always exciting, but for true students of the game who want to learn a new move, how to back check hard and pick up the weak side wing and everything in between, the NHL Playoffs are a great learning opportunity.

Not only can players watch intently on the individual and team play, but the NHL Playoffs should also serve as inspiration to take your own game to the next level. Watching a great wrist shot beat a goalie top shelf should inspire you to shoot more pucks. Watching a player dance around a defenseman into the open ice should provide the motivation to practice stickhandling even more. Watching the ‘give it all’ attitude of every  player on the ice should encourage you to train throughout the summer, stay in shape and hit the ice in the fall ready to go.

Most great players have that ‘ah-hah’ moment where they realize that to get to the top of the game they need to train hard to get there. Watching the best players in the world and picking out a few moves from a favorite player and then trying over and over to master the skill is a great opportunity to help your overall hockey skills.

Great players have all grown up watching their idols inspire them, and then headed out to the driveway or down to the basement to reenact the big play.

During the next NHL game keep an eye out for what you can learn and apply to your own game. Not only is watching NHL Playoffs awesome from a fan perspective, but it can really be the inspiration to help take your game to the next level.

 

Categories: hockey camp, hockey clinic, hockey fundamentals, hockey goals and assists, hockey season, ice hockey development, NHL, playoff hockey, Stanley Cup, youth hockey

22

January

Tips for scoring goals

Posted by Greg Carter

Rails

What is more fun than scoring a goal in hockey? Well, maybe assisting on a goal! But there is no arguing that putting the puck by the goaltender is what every player strives for to help their team win, and here are 5 tips to help you score more goals this season.

1. Shoot like you mean it. Too many players shoot like they are trying to just get the puck across the goal line. We often see this when players come to our hockey camp. Shoot like you mean it, and not only want to put the puck in the net, but right through the back of the net!

2. Crash the net. When you know a teammate has a shot on goal, crash the net. This means getting yourself to just outside the crease, not the hash marks or 10 feet out. Getting the rebound just after the goalie gives it up catches him/her out of position, and gives you the greatest opportunity to score.

3. Keep moving. Great players anticipate the play and where the puck is going. Wherever you are on the ice, move your feet and get to the open area or get to the puck first. Using your hockey sense and knowing where to go, and actually getting there, will put you in prime position to score goals.

4. Be confident and patient. These two goal-scoring attributes often go together. Some of the prettiest deke goals result from being confident in a move, and patient enough to wait for the play to evolve to the point you have a clear lane to the net, shot on goal or opportunity to put your move on the goalie.

5. Good old fashioned practice. There are no shortcuts to scoring success, and for every player that scores with a rocket ‘snipe’ and makes it looks easy, they have shot hundreds, if not thousands of pucks on and off the ice. Something we preach at our hockey school is that in practice, finish every drill with a shot on goal like it’s a game situation, not just a shot to finish the drill.

At our summer hockey school and hockey clinics we take great pride in teaching players the fundamentals, as well as advanced skill sets needed to score goals. Check out our summer hockey camps for more information about how we can help you become a better hockey player.

Have you found success scoring goals? We’d love to hear your story, share it

Categories: hockey camp, hockey clinic, hockey fundamentals, hockey goals and assists, ice hockey development, Massachusetts hockey camp, stick handling, youth hockey
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