Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Habs Private Training Session at Hawk Sports Performance 9/26/2011

Select Habs Player get great Workout at Hawk Sports Performance!

Hockey Specific Speed, Strength, and Performance Training at Hawk Sports Performance this fall
Hawk Sports Performance proudly held an open house for the Jr. A Trenton Habs on Monday, September 26th at 6pm. Coach Kevin Hawke tailored his revolutionary sports performance program to meet all of the teams hockey specific needs. Coach Hawke's facility and system has produced some of the best results in the State of New Jersey this past year, and the Habs really benefitted from the experience.  Assistant General Manager Andrew Trimble had this to say, "Hawke Sports Performance is second to none when it comes down to speed, strength and athletic training facilities.  His system is detail-focused and hones in on the technical aspects of achieving superior results.  We were honored to have the opportunity, and train again with Kevin in the future!"
 
Here are some of the highlights of Coach Kevin's workout-
1) PVC Barefott Balance Training- Players walked on PVC pipes forward and backward strengthening their ankle, calf, and core muscles in an advanced functional drill.
2) Plyometric Series-  Using platforms and obstacles, players were taken through a series of 1-legged and 2-legged explosive manuevers.
3) Accelerator Machine-  This advanced machine was, as Forward Russel Armbruster put it, "The most grueling calf training he's EVER had."
 
 
 
 
 
 

Thursday, September 22, 2011

3 Skating Errors Observed on Day 1 of "10 Weeks to Success" Clinics

After running our students through some speed training on Sunday night I'll reconstruct for you the three most common mistakes our students made. Typically they were: not enough kneebend, using two hands on the stick, and poor edge-control. Correcting one or all of these common errors will automatically improve your skating ability.
KNEEBEND
Detail:
I constantly remind kids to remember that if they only focus on one aspect of that will definitely make them better skaters, that fundamental would be to bend the knees more than what feels comfortable. You will find that your balance improves, as well as your stride length, mobility and speed.
Tips:
* Bend your knees deep enough so that they are about 2" out in front of the toes of your skates.
* Except for in the tight turn, where the outside edge skate should lead you into the turn, the Knee should always be out in front of the toes of your skates.
* If your legs are not burning at the end of practice, than you know you are not bending the knees to the optimal position.
STICK CONTROL
Detail:
Obviously, when you shoot, pass, catch a pass, you should use two hands. However, when you are attempting to gain top speed in open ice you should have one hand, yout top hand, on the stick. This includes when you are controlling the puck. Be sure to stretch your arms fully to the front, rather than side to side, so that you are able to keep all your momentum and speed going in the direction you are traveling, not against or across it.
Tips:
* Use one hand on the stick whenever you are in open ice situations.
* Remember to turn the palm of your stickhand up once the arm has fully extended to the front, this will flatten your stick out on the ice, allowing you to maintain top speed while pushing the puck on your backhand side.
* Keeping one hand on the stick will dramatically improve your balance, especially when skating backwards.
EDGE  CONTROL
Detail:
You have to be able to grip the ice with all 4 of your edges in order for you to get maximum power and control. The proper angle of an edge rolling to the ice should be maintained at 45 degrees, halfway to the ice. Too many players we see never roll the ankles of their skates which means they are standing mostly on the flats of the blades. This mistake will severely hamper your power, turns, starts, etc.
Tips:
* Make sure your edges roll at least halfway to the ice.
* Be sure to center all of your bodyweight directly over your edge to create a Counterbalancing effect.



Monday, September 12, 2011

Fall Clinic Announced!



The constant complaint I hear from youth hockey parents is that mites, squirts and pee wee coaches focus on systems and positional play.  Obviously, this stuff is important, but not, in my opinion, till the pee wee level, and more so at the Bantam level.  Coaches with a defensive forecheck or "homeplate-style" D-zone scheme can win a ton of games... but it drastically hinders the kids skill development.
The Fall clinics I am doing are ONLY skill focused.  In addition, I plan on tailoring these clinics to high school kids by implementing a game situation conditioning element.  They will be great for all ages and abilities, and be perfect for guys gearing up for the season.  10 WEEKS TO SUCCESS!
If you are interested reach out to me at scoringconcepts@gmail.com