Adapted from
Original Article by Kevin Neeld
I was recently asked by a parent on the team how
to help their son conserve energy during their shifts, as they are one of the
kids who always takes short shifts due to the energy expended while on the
ice.
This is a great question and one that is relevant for my son as well, and for players who are smaller in stature as they expend much more energy "in the corners" fighting for pucks.
The most obvious thing a player can do is to look at their strength and conditioning. This is something that can be consistently improved on by putting in a maximum effort at practices and with an effective off-ice strength and conditioning program.
However, there is another way to help manage your "on-ice" energy expenditure.
Constant high-speed movement is inefficient. At any given level of conditioning capacity, a player can improve his/her level of expressed conditioning by learning how to conserve energy on the ice.
Think about it this way: The goal is rarely to skate as fast as possible at any given moment on the ice. Instead, the goal is to skate just fast enough to win possession of the puck or positioning relative to an opponent. Sometimes this requires all-out efforts. Sometimes it does not. In every case, a player can improve his/her ability to win the race or gain optimal positioning
by reading the play faster than their opponent. This will allow the player to put themselves in a better position without using a maximum effort.
Here are a few other tips for younger players to help them conserve energy:
- always be moving - starting from a "stopped" position requires a lot of energy to gain momentum
- hydrate between shifts - small sips of water
- try and stay in your position so there is less 'catch-up' required
- spread out and find open ice to minimize opponents checks
This takes time for a young player to learn, but being aware of this strategy is the first step to effectively manage your energy expenditure on a shift. Remember, even if a player is able to be efficient in their energy expenditure, few players can sustain a shift longer than 45-60 seconds.
Short shifts for the win.
Coach Jon