Strength Train Safely

I train a lot of athletes in a team setting and have done fitness training with kids as young as 8 years old. Most of the kids I work with really enjoy a fun strength-training session with their teammates. Occasionally, I will have a player sit out of a training session because a parent told the child that he or she is too young to participate in the workout. Sometimes, the parent is basing this decision on misconceptions about strength training. Both the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Strength and Conditioning Association state that children can safely engage in strength training with the proper instruction and supervision.

According to the Mayo Clinic, children can start strength training as young as age 8—as long as the child is mature enough to follow directions and practice proper technique and form. An article authored by Chan et al. in Team Physician, estimates that 15 percent to 50 percent of all injuries sustained by youth while playing sports could be prevented if more emphasis was placed on developing fundamental fitness abilities prior to sports participation.

Strength training is defined as a specialized method of physical conditioning that involves the progressive use of a wide range of resistance loads designed to improve muscular fitness. Using this definition of strength training, probably the most appropriate resistance load for the younger athlete to start with is his or her own body weight. Examples of effective body weight exercises include the prisoner squat, front plank, and push-ups.

Prisoner Squat


Front Plank



Push Up


Once the younger athlete feels that body weight resistance training is manageable, free weight training can be included in the training program. When using free weights, the younger athlete should focus on doing the exercises correctly with lighter weights. When done correctly, strength training can help the younger athlete improve body awareness, control and balance. One of my favorite light resistance exercises to help athletes with body awareness is the 3D dumbell sequence. Once younger athletes decides to start strength training, it is important that they follow some type of plan that will ensure that they do each exercise safely and effectively with the appropriate amount of resistance and number of sets and repetitions.

At Hockeyot.com, we create age and skill-level customized workouts for athletes as young as 11 years old. To ensure safety, the workouts feature:

• Athletes begin each strength-training session with five minutes of light aerobic activity, such as jogging or jumping rope. This warms up the body and helps reduce the risk of injury.


• Many of the exercises take into account the three-dimensional nature of human movement.


• When working with external resistance such as dumbells, the weight is kept light so that the exercise technique is not sacrificed.


• Text and video descriptions are provided so each exercise can be performed correctly and safely.


• Easy stretching is performed at the end of each workout to help promote flexibility and decrease any muscle soreness related to the training.


• Rest periods are important between each exercise session.


• At Hockeyot.com, we recommend that younger athletes only do three or four workouts per week so there is no risk of overtraining.


• If you have any concerns about your child’s health or safety, you should check with your child's doctor before you begin any strength-training program.

Remember, strength training is more than just increasing muscular strength. Teaching youth about body awareness through strength training can have a significant impact on reducing injuries during sports participation and can help form the habit of regular exercise while encouraging the child on a lifetime path to better health and fitness.


Editor’s Note: Thank you to Dr. Chad Moreau for this story. Moreau has trained hockey players from youth players all the way up to NHL players and Olympic champions. He is well educated in the biomechanics of the sport, which makes his off-ice hockey training workouts specific to the game of hockey. Watch for his tips in this space and check out HockeyOT, a comprehensive, personalized dryland training program on the web.

Call Your Shot and Visualize Success

How do you help your child when he strikes out time after time in baseball? Or when he is so frustrated because he doesn’t think he’s good enough to play. Here is a sample of declarations related to sports that are helpful to counter negative thoughts.

Keep in mind that having your child say nice things to herself is not bragging. It is building a sense of self-worth and confidence. Acknowledgment of herself and her abilities is important in growing not only as an athlete, but as a person. As the great American boxer and three-time World Heavyweight Champion, Muhammad Ali, once said, “In order to be a great champion, you must believe that you are the best…and if you’re not, pretend that you are.”

Have your child practice visualization every day. He shouldn’t wait until the day of the performance, when he is apt to be stressed and nervous. This activity needs to be integrated and automatic for it to be useful during stressful times. Sports preparation starts at home with your child working on his own personal preparation. Here is a summary of how you can structure your child’s visualization practice for sports preparation and learning.

Ready, Set, Go for Sports Preparation

Practice visualizing at home or at your sporting activity.

1. Visualize using a lot of detail: color, size, shape, form. The more the detail, the more real the experience seems (See It!).
2. Include other sensory systems especially hearing and touching/feeling—even the smell of the surroundings.
3. Include movement and motion (running, walking, jumping).
4. Go through specific action sequences.
5. Envision alternatives—if you falter, how do you recover?
6. Be aware of other things around you (people, field, lighting).
7. State your declaration loud and clear (Say It!).
8. Practice frequently (Do It!).
9. Breathe!
10. Relax.
11. Have fun. It’s as easy as 1,2, 3...Ready Set, Go!

Editor’s Note: Optometrist Dr. Lynn Hellerstein, O.D., FCOVD, FAAO, has been a pioneer in vision therapy for more than 30 years. See It. Say It. Do It! provides easy, practical, step-by-step strategies and activities to enhance children’s visualization skills.

3 Insights on the Body-Checking Rule Change Proposal

Parents and players—particularly upcoming and current PeeWees—are all abuzz about the possibility of USA Hockey changing the age of legal body checking in games from 12U (PeeWee) to 14U (Bantam) for the fall 2011–2012 season. Well, you’ll know soon enough. The USA Hockey Board of Directors will vote on the proposal in June 2011. See what the experts are saying here:

1. USA Hockey’s team doctor, Dr. Michael Stuart, summarizes his recommendation—to delay body checking in games until the Bantam level while promoting a structured, progressive curriculum in practice to teach body contact, angling, anticipation and checking—in this video. (Watch the full video here.)



2. At the August 2010 World Hockey Summit, Brendan Shanahan weighed in, saying “I think player safety and skill development is more important.” Shanahan would know: he played for 21 years in the NHL and is now the NHL’s vice president of hockey and business development. Read the full story here.

3. Get answers to commonly asked questions on the rule change proposal here.

Remember, the rule affects legal body checking in games—not body contact in games, not checking in practice. Get the facts, then discuss among yourselves (we know you can't help it!).

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Kelly Anton, managing editor of the Grow the Game initiative, for rounding up these resources.

Do Flypucks Really Fly?

Flypucks are designed to be used off ice, but slide and feel like a hockey puck does on the ice. Flypucks are the same size as an ice hockey puck but they come in three different weights—4 oz, 6 oz and 8 oz. The 4 oz puck is meant for repetition and speed, the 6 oz to match the weight of a real puck and the 8 oz puck is to build stickhandling muscles. Check out our tests of the slide, feel and durability of each Flypuck on various surfaces while stickhandling, deking, passing, shooting and more. Read the full review here.

3 Keys to Improving Player Stickhandling

One sentence introduction/overview about the three keys...

Explain the three keys (explain in one or two paragraphs)

Short video demonstrating the 3 keys: For more information you can watch the video below or contact Sean Skinner by clicking here.