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O: Overspeed

Hockey is a sprint sport. Players who can play the game at a very rapid pace are the most successful. Legendary Russian coach Anatoli Tarasov said hockey requires “speed of hand, speed of foot and speed of mind.” So how do we become faster?

Once players have developed technical proficiency, it then becomes important to add overspeed training. This is simply pushing players to a speed at which they are uncomfortable. It can be with their stick skills, skating skills or even competitive play.

When using overspeed training techniques, it's vital to monitor fatigue levels, because once a player starts to fatigue, they are no longer working toward the development of skill and speed.

For the more competent 12U players, overspeed components should be a regular part of the practice environment.