Today’s post is inspired by Charlie Greenwood. He left a comment on our site asking for advice in his training camp. We figured it could be some useful advice for the rest of you as well, so we decided to write about it. Here goes…
It’s a 3 step process:
-Preparation
-Game-plan
-Evaluation
-Confidence
Firstly, you need to be prepared. What you did all summer will determine your success. Did you train hard enough? Did you practice your strengths & weaknesses? Are you a better player than you were last year? This is what the off-season is for. Yes, it’s to take a break and do things other than hockey. But it’s also to re-focus and improve for the next season.
Every season is a new season. You start at square one. It doesn’t matter what happened last year. Whether you made the cut or you were told you weren’t good enough, this year you have a fresh start. It’s up to you to make the best of the summer and get better!
If you haven’t been training hard and pushing your limits yet, you still have the month of August. It’s not too late! You can follow our workout plan by clicking here.
Now that you’re prepared, it’s time for the next step. You need to figure out your game-plan before going into training camp. What other players are trying out? What are their strengths & weaknesses? Are you better than them in certain areas of play? You need to take a step back and size up your competition.
Once that’s done, you can evaluate yourself and see where you fit in. Like we mentioned to Charlie, you need to stick to your strengths. Everybody has weaknesses, but not everyone has strengths that they can make people notice. Your goal in training camp is to take what you’re good at and be the best on the ice at that specific thing. If you’re a fast skater, be the fastest. If you’ve got a hard shot, use it every time you can. If you’re the hardest worker, make it evident to the coaches that no one is getting to that puck before you are.
Every team is made up of individuals who all bring something different to the table. You don’t have to be good at everything. Just find one thing you’re good at and be the best on the ice at that specific thing. Other players will notice. Coaches will notice. Scouts will notice. You’ll be known as the best at something, and that can go a long, long way.
Lastly, you need to believe in yourself. All your summer training and preparation has come down to these few weeks. It’s time to show what you’ve got. Be confident, stay calm, and just do what you know best. That’s the game of hockey. You’ve been playing it all your life, whether it be in the street for fun or on the ice. It’s nothing new. You know how to play.
There’s one thing left to do. And that’s impress. Turn some heads. Play bigger than you are. Take your game to the next level. You can do this because you’re ready. Now get out there and make the team!
Best of luck to everyone in their upcoming training camp!
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