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14U/16U: Personalized Summer Strengthening Leads to Winter Wonders

07/18/2014, 1:15pm MDT
By USA Hockey

A three mile-per-hour increase in shot velocity. Two seconds faster around the ice. One more burst of energy in the third period.

These may not sound like game-changing improvements, but in hockey, that’s precisely what they could be. It could be the difference between winning and losing; between scoring or being scored on.

That extra shot power could beat the goaltender stick side or generate a juicy rebound. That extra speed may be enough to beat the defenseman 1-on-1. That extra stamina could create a last-minute scoring chance to win the game.

Hockey players can make these gains by strength training in the offseason. But how should a player get started? How can a player maximize results and on-ice impact during the season?

Find the Right Trainer

When it comes to an athlete’s body and training regimen, it’s not just about finding a trainer. It’s about finding the right trainer. Making sure a trainer and training program is the right fit is a small adjustment that can make a major impact. Satisfying specific needs with the help of a well-educated, certified specialist, as opposed to general training, can be the difference between an athlete maximizing his or her potential or underperforming.

Scott Caulfield is the head strength and conditioning coach for the Colorado College men’s hockey team and the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He stresses the foolproof nature of education and certification.

“Ideally (athletes should work with) somebody who has a background educationally and has an accredited certification,” Caulfield said. “By ‘educationally,’ I mean a degree in exercise science or a related field. At the National Strength and Conditioning Association, we have an accredited certification called a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, which is one of only two accredited certifications specific to strength and conditioning.”

Especially for the 14U/16U athlete, the easy-to-use tools provided by the NSCA are perfect for parents seeking the right trainer for their young athletes.

“I think for parents it’s really just about looking for someone who understands the specific needs of children based on what developmental level they’re in, so again that background education and certification and experience is important,” Caulfield said.

Get Started Now

The summer should be used as a time to rest and revitalize, but at 14U/16U, the most successful athletes are the ones that also utilize this time to put themselves in a better position to thrive when the new season begins.

“You have a really good opportunity in the summer to work on your athleticism,” said Caulfield.

The 14U/16U age group is ideal for maximizing results from strength training. As sport science has shown, this represents an optimal window of development for strength. At this point, the growth of most adolescents decelerates. Their ability to adapt in regards to motor skills, as well as muscular and/or aerobic power is at its peak.

In the long-term athlete development plan, this is the Train to Train stage. It’s essential for young athletes to build the physical engine – endurance, speed and core strength – during this time. This stage is critical to an athlete’s development.

Hindsight is 20/20

Anthony Tabbacchino, the assistant varsity coach at Indian Hills High School in New Jersey, preaches the vitality of offseason training to his players.

He doesn’t want them to miss out on these opportunities to improve.

“Now that I’m no longer playing and I’m coaching, I stress that message to all my players to make sure that they are taking care of their bodies at a younger age than I did,” said Tabbacchino, who’s also a goaltending coach for the New Jersey Bandits, a youth hockey club that adopted USA Hockey’s ADM in 2010.

“Even if all the workouts (the players) have done all summer only gained them and extra five seconds of endurance in the middle of the game, that is five more seconds that they did not have the year before, and in hockey, five seconds is huge deal.”

Reliable Resource

The NSCA is the worldwide authority on strength and conditioning and can provide a prospective athlete with much of the information he or she needs to get their offseason training regimen going. The association’s website, NSCA.com, has a user-friendly trainer locator service that can help people find certified trainers in their area.

So remember to encourage your 14U/16U player to enjoy the offseason, play other sports and spend time outdoors. But also remind them to place an increased focus on strength training to continue developing overall athleticism. It could pay off big time.

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