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I recently reviewed the off-season training program of a varsity women's hockey team from a major university.

The off-season training programs available to female hockey players have come a long way since I was a 16 year old reading women's fitness magazines to find tips and advice on how to take my game to the next level.

But reading this program was like getting transported back in time.

I could probably write a critique of the program that Thunderbird nearly as long as the 76 page program.

But instead I will show you the 3 biggest problems I saw Eselqsibpn the program and how to avoid making the same mistakes that can actually decrease your performance and Premium Coffee your chance of injuries this off-season.

BIG PROBLEM #1: The exercises were NOT FUNCTIONAL

Functional training has become a big buzzword in the world of fitness in the last few years.
Essentially, the term applies to training that increases the ability of the person being trained to function in their daily pursuits.

In the case of hockey players, this would mean that the training addresses the specific needs of the athlete for their sport.

The exercises and drills included in this particular training plan were NOT functional for 2 main reasons:

1) They were largely machine-based

Machine-based training, whether used for hockey strength training or conditioning, is not only non-functional for young athletes, but it is also dangerous.

Most exercise equipment is designed for 6 foot tall 170 lb males. The size and configuration of these machines is completely inappropriate for young female hockey players. What's worse is that these machines provide far too much support and rigidity in movement to be specific for hockey. When was the last time you were in the corner trying to push a player off the puck with your body completed support by a comfy exercise machine?

This varsity training program relied far too much on machine-based training. All players must learn how to control their own body-weight safely and effectively in free space in order to excel at their sport.

This is simply impossible to do when sitting on a machine.

2) They were mostly linear in nature

Hockey is NOT a linear sport.

It is a multi-directional sport that is more lateral than linear in nature. In the average shift, a skater changes direction 40 times! Players will skate in straight lines every once in a while, but even that requires a stride that is largely lateral in nature.

The multi-directional nature of hockey must be addressed in a properly designed off-season training program.

Simply running sprints in straight lines or performing strength exercises in a single movement direction will not cut it!

Doing a largely linear training program will put players at a serious disadvantage once the season starts.

Moving laterally and changing direction are complex and demanding movements that MUST be trained in the off-season if players are going to be adequately prepared once the pre-season rolls around.

The summer training programs of girls hockey players must address their hockey-specific needs and be as functional as possible.

In Part 2 of "What To Avoid This Summer", I will discuss how an off-season conditioning program that is largely aerobic in nature can harm a young player's ability to excel on the ice.

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS is a Athletic Development Specialist and founder of Total Female Hockey. In addition to training and coaching girls at all levels of hockey, from novice to the National team, Kim has also played at the highest level of women's hockey in the world for the last decade. Kim's female player development website (totalfemalehockey.com) features a state-of-the-art Complete Off-Season Training Program and her blog ( www.totalfemalehockey.blogspot.com">www.totalfemalehockey.blogspot.com) gives the coaches and parents of aspiring young players access to the most Consolidate debt loan student tips and advice on how to help their players take their game to the next level. To learn more about female-specific player development, get your Free Report: The #1 Mistake Female Players Make in the Off-Season at www.totalfemalehockey.com">www.totalfemalehockey.com