Industries across the world have been hit hard by the effects of the worldwide COVID outbreak, and sports are no exception. All major and minor sports leagues in North America have suspended play and are uncertain as to when we can expect them to return. The NHL played its last games on March 11th, and other hockey leagues followed suit.
While these steps aren’t ideal for the leagues or their fans, they are necessary precautions to take to ensure that the spread of COVID is slowed and that play can return to normal as soon as possible without incident.
All of these inevitably means that it is going to be very difficult for athletes to maintain their competitive level of play when there’s nowhere to practice and nobody to play against. Ice rinks are closed, and social gatherings are functionally cancelled until further notice, so traditional practices or scrimmages can’t be carried out.
Fortunately, there are things that minor hockey players can do to stay on top of their game and ensure that they return to the ice fresh and ready to go.
Virtual Training
Thanks to the power of technology, hockey players can stay in contact with coach and other players through virtual training sessions. While players don’t likely have access to an isolated hockey rink of their own, they can still benefit from conversations and workouts done over video conferences.
Coaches can lead physical training sessions that include workouts targeting hockey-related movements and muscles. This can help to keep players in shape and making it a scheduled program makes it more difficult for someone to blow it off.
These conferences can also serve as strategy meetings, allowing players and coaches to come up with ideas for new plays and even analyzing footage from previous games. Hockey is a highly physical sport, but the mental aspect of it should not be overlooked. Players need to remain sharp in both their physical and mental faculties.
Reviewing footage from old games can help players remember where they excelled and where they fell short. They can come up with plans to improve on their shortcomings during the downtime caused by COVID. While an actual game is a better way to test it out, there is no harm in mulling over your strategy for when you return.
Regular, Self-directed Exercise
Although coaches can lead the aforementioned training sessions, it is important for players to follow a regimen of their own. They can save the most intense training for their virtual meetings but should be mindful of staying on their feet and remaining active throughout the duration of the crisis.
Runs and bike rides are excellent ways to get exercise without needing any fancy equipment – players just need to be sure to follow social distancing guidelines. While having weights and workout equipment is ideal, players can get creative without them in order to increase resistance. Filling bags of sand, gallon jugs with water, or backpacks with bricks are all cheap and easy ways to increase weight for certain lifting exercises.
Regular exercise is important to stay in peak physical shape and can provide a myriad of mental health benefits as well. These are trying times for everyone, so it is essential to take care of yourself.
Online Videos
Live training through video conferences is the most effective for minor players, but they can also benefit from searching for online training videos. There are many tutorials available that can keep players on top of their game. Some might even be able to open their eyes up to new strategies or techniques that they wouldn’t have considered before.
One advantage of training videos is that they were recorded prior to the COVID crisis, and likely were able to make use of an ice rink, a full team, and plenty of equipment. Even though players can’t currently access these things, it will be refreshing to see them again and be able to learn how they are used.
Individual Skill Training
Players don’t need to have access to ice in order to keep their skills sharp. Going out into the driveway with a stick and puck is still immensely helpful, especially when compared with the alternative of sitting inside doing nothing. Stick handling, shooting, and passing can all be practiced without live competition.
There are many affordable skill training aids that can be found online, and it is likely that many minor players already have some. Setting them up outside while staying mindful of social distancing rules is a very beneficial ways to keep up with and improve your skills.
Meditation
These days, it is easy to become mentally exhausted and to feel stir crazy as your social and professional lives are brought to a halt. People can fall into depression, anxiety, and even physical illness if they don’t take care of themselves both physically and mentally.
Meditation is an excellent way for athletes in any sport to remain mindful and to ease the stresses of everyday life. It is important to maintain a calm, confident state of mind throughout the COVID crisis, as it will help players return with the right attitude and mental clarity when this is all over.
Have Fun!
Perhaps most importantly, minor hockey players, as well as everyone else, should make it a point to have plenty of fun in these times. They might miss their teammates and the excitement of the game, but that doesn’t mean that they have to sit in their rooms bored to tears. There are many online games that can be played, and thanks to the power of telecom, we can see our friends through our phones or computers with the push of a button.
Minor hockey players should still stay focused on their role on the team, but they can balance this with a home life that isn’t all about hockey. It is best to not dwell on the negative aspects of this and instead to keep a positive attitude and realize that hockey will indeed be played again.
