While the 2019-20 hockey season was forced to an early end due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no reason why the focus cannot begin to shift to next season.

One positive of social distancing is the opportunity for players of all ages and abilities to focus on improving away from the rink.

Off-ice training is just as important for hockey development as being on the ice. It allows for athletes to focus on other ways to enhance their on-ice skills. 

Let’s break down the ways to improve at home to make sure players are ready to lace up the skates in the fall.

PART 1: SPEED | PART 2: POWER | PART 3: STRENGTH | PART 4: FLEXIBILITY | PART 5: CONDITIONING | PART 6: NUTRITION | PART 7: SKILL DEVELOPMENT

PART 8: MULTI-SPORT

While it can be tough being away from the rink and off the ice for such a long period of time, this forced time out of your skates will allow you to turn your attention to the participation of other sports.

The term multi-sport athlete means that through the developmental years or stages of long-term athlete development (active start, FUNdamentals, learn to train), athletes are exposed to many different sports instead of focusing all of their time on a single sport.

There are numerous benefits to multi-sport exposure for athletes, including:

-- improved movement abilities (physical literacy)
-- increased physical fitness
-- skill transfer across sports (hand-eye coordination)
-- less chance of developing an over-use injury, which requires time away from their specific sport
-- less likely to develop burn-out, which causes an athlete to quit their sport later in life

A great way to develop physical literacy is to challenge yourself in different ways, using different methods. Challenge your hand-eye coordination with a tennis racket or lacrosse stick next time you want to play catch or shoot pucks. Increase the intensity of your agility and speed sessions while playing tag with a sibling or parent. Multi-sport participation can also include learning new physical skills like juggling with your hands or feet (like a soccer player).

Learning and engaging in new and challenging sports are an excellent way to pass the time indoors – and to add some fun new activities into your daily training.