ADM Kids

The older you get, the harder it is to stay in shape.

But even for kids, there is an element of needing to knock the rust off when returning to a sport after significant time away.

While that isn’t a reason to shy away from playing multiple sports – far from it, in fact, given the many benefits of engaging in a variety of activities – the reality is that a 12U player returning to hockey after the summer and fall will need an acclimation period.

With the help of a couple of USA Hockey experts, here are five keys to shaking off that rust and returning to hockey.

One of the main points emphasized in conversations with both Dan Jablonic and Guy Gosselin – each of them player development managers for USA Hockey – is that any type of physical activity is helpful when it comes to serving as a base to transition back to hockey.

“Hopefully they have stayed active in the summer. As long as you're moving and not just sitting on the couch all summer or sitting on the computer, it’s good,” Gosselin says. “We're looking for physical literacy and active kids and that's the key for me – seeing how active kids can be so it's not like you have to turn the light switch and say OK, I'm ready to go.”

Jablonic says there are plenty of activities that complement hockey, but kids (and parents) shouldn’t just be picking things they think pair well with the sport. Really anything that keeps kids having fun and staying active will keep them on a good path when hockey season arrives.

“The goal isn't to peak in August when it comes to hockey,” Jablonic says. “It's to get these kids to have new experiences, new learning opportunities and develop new skills.”

The most challenging thing about returning to the ice full-time is regaining the timing that hockey requires, Jablonic says. That can be everything from the speed of the game to how fast players need to make decisions on the ice.

“Kids are resilient at that age and they are going to bounce back quickly, but I think it's just the timing and feeling good on the ice. And you're bent over a little bit more so you're going to be using some muscles you probably haven't used in a while in the back and the legs and things like that.”

To keep some of that timing without being on the ice too much – and while still giving full attention to different activities, organized or not, in the summer and fall – Jablonic has a suggestion.

“A lot of associations across the country offer preseason skates and summer skates,” he says. “I think it's important to take advantage of that. You know, it's not a pre-evaluation. It's not like, hey, you go 100 miles an hour the first time you're out there. If you haven't been on the ice for a couple of months, you can go get a warm-up and work on the skating, passing and shooting in increments. It should be fun.”

It should be enough to keep kids excited about the start of the winter season but not so much that they get burned out.

“Being hungry to get back on the ice and that excitement helps out because if you're playing year-round every year, it’s tough to stay excited about anything,” Gosselin says. “There’s a balance there and it's different for everybody. We just want them to be active humans, and hopefully they’re excited to be back on the ice and they’re not getting tired of it by Christmas.”

Another important thing to note is that rust isn’t just physical. It’s mental.

Jablonic suggests that even things that seemingly have nothing to do with sports, like a music camp, can be beneficial for hockey players because they stretch their minds and expose them to new experiences and peer groups.

There are things that we can learn in other settings that kids can carry back and benefit from in their ice hockey experience.

All that said, there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to the offseason or shaking off rust. Some kids might want to be on the ice more because they just love the game. Others might relish going full speed in different activities and picking hockey up when that season starts. Still others might need a longer reset away from all organized sports.

“Each family has their own choices to make,” Jablonic says, “and the biggest thing with kids is obviously to have fun.”

How you define that is a little different for everyone.

“What's best for you is what works. I'm not big on extremes one way or the other, but I'm just saying that it seems to be that a greater percentage of kids are getting too much than not enough,” Gosselin says. “But it looks different for everyone. Every athlete is an experiment in one.”