The 16u program is a multi-week program for birth years 2008 and 2009, designed to train young hockey players to reach their potential. Players can choose to train for one month, or for the entire summer. Players who sign up for the entire summer will receive additional training days July 5-7.
All programs are held at The Ice Ranch in Littleton, Colorado
14u, 15u, High School
Players are used to being the best on the ice. There is a lot of time and space during games to make passes and decisions. Many opponents lack agility and can easily be manipulated and beaten.
16u to NCAA
Everyone has a higher level of speed. There is less time and space during the game and the defense is in your face. Players need new tools along with accurate decision-making skills. Opponents are either extremely agile or have the strength and skills to make up for lack of agility.
Off-ice training has complemented their season and summer training regimens to build strength, flexibility, and endurance. Players’ bodies are still maturing and their mindsets around physical preparedness are becoming more disciplined. Many hockey teams and/or parents invest in private trainers to build a foundation of understanding around the importance of strength and conditioning for elite-level performance.
Players are expected to play at full intensity for 24 40-second shifts every game over an 80-game season, with as much power and speed in their last shift as their first. Off-season is designed for players to get stronger and more agile and to prepare for fitness testing (e.g. lower and upper body power output, VO2 max capacity, Wingate Anaerobic Test). Off-season is viewed as a time for strength gains. In-season is for maintenance, correcting imbalances, and quick recovery from injury.
Parents often take responsibility for purchasing and preparing food. Some players have a healthy diet and others have been able to maintain a high level of performance while eating pancakes and pizza. Players choose what to eat based on what tastes good and is “healthy enough.”
Players eat with purpose and choose appropriate nutrient-dense food to optimize performance. Players often live on their own and must take responsibility for grocery shopping and cooking all meals. Meal planning and rest are intentional daily efforts. Body mass and fat management are taken very seriously by their team and considered a reflection of their professionalism and commitment, or lack thereof.
Players have always made the top-level team and have been selected to play in specialized game-time situations (PP, PK). Coaches are there to develop players first, win second. Performance is assessed over a season with long-term improvement as the primary focus. The intention up until now is to evolve as a player and to grow up from a boy into a young man within the game of hockey. Players are mentored by coaches, parents, and trainers in goal-setting, mindset, and how to see the ice.
Everyone was the best player on their previous team. A player must compete for their position in the line- up and on the team every shift, every game, and every season going forward. Hockey is now a business, and players are on paid, short-term contracts. The coach’s job is to win and his livelihood depends on it. Players alone must be proactive about their self-development, and consistently possess the grit to handle the ups and downs of a season and a coach’s not-so-subtle feedback. Players must be resilient in a relentlessly competitive, high-stakes environment.
Average
Before: 17.04After: 18.78
Before: 14.96After: 14.24
Before: 19.17After: 20.28
Before: 4.00After: 3.88