POWER...is it the answer?

What one hockey skill do you seek most?  Is it speed?  A harder shot?  More creative puck control?  How about power, now that's the answer, right?

My career training hockey players, the confusion with the term "power skating" and my ongoing disapproval of the term "power skating" that have led me to write this column.  An important rule to follow, "Power should never precede skating"....literally.

The term powerskating may have served its purpose through the 80's and early 90's, but hockey has changed for the better.  We can no longer afford to confuse, misdirect, and misinform our youth (and adult) hockey players and coaches.  Today's hockey players no longer play straight up and down the ice.  Team success now stems from weaving, drop passes, and creativity which have replaced the power, roughness and linear skating of the past.  The hockey world salutes this evolution and its new focus on precise mechanics, balance and body control.

My problem with the term "power skating" stems from its misleading nature.  Perhaps it is the best term we currently have, but it overemphasizes the importance of power, implies priority attention to power, implies power is a quick fix and can create discouragement through lofty expectations.

IMPORTANCE

Don't be misled by labels such as power skating and overspeed training.  Efficient technique is 90% of speed.  We have built powerful cars that can travel at great speeds, but have yet to develop one that can handle a tight turn at 300 mph.  The point is, hockey players should focus on developing a superior suspension rather than adding horsepower.  Easier said than done.



PRIORITY ATTENTION

True power comes last and is the result of great technique and a productive skills training approach.  Assuming you are ready to put the last piece of this intricate jigsaw puzzle into place is a bit premature for most hockey players.  Power makes sense only after you have mastered skating and puck control techniques.  Power is the end result of perfect execution and precise control.

QUICK FIX

Who wouldn't want power or a little roughness, they are both huge parts of the game.  The problem arises in one's infatuation with and relentless pursuit of power.  Often times, fundamentals and technique are neglected and their importance overlooked on the way to the quick fix that people associate with power skating.  There are no shortcuts, only more direct routes through logical, progressive technique training.  In fact, the recent trend of NHL off ice training centers around plyometrics and speed and efficiency of moving one's body, not lifting heavy weights.

LOFTY EXPECTATIONS

Frequently, people seek power skating as a fix-all to their ailments which generally stem from weakness in technique, not lack of power.  Again, there are no short cuts when developing hockey skills, especially when building correct skating mechanics.  When building a mighty skyscraper, one must begin with a sturdy base, not with the revolving restaurant on the 100th floor.  The top floor is only as strong as the basement.  Perfect fundamentals are your basement and power is your top floor.  Effective skating instruction must focus on speed being the product of well rehearsed skating mechanics, not increased foot speed.

There are powerful skaters at every level of hockey.  However, productive players who are of greatest value to their teams are the players possessing solid skating fundamentals, and overall body control.  Players who are agile or "shifty", in top condition, who have good on-ice awareness and vision, not only enhance team performance and individual value, but tend to maximize enjoyment and opportunities throughout their entire hockey journey.  Fundamentals begin with FUN....literally.  Hockey, like life, is a journey, not a destination.

This concept of technique and control preceding power and brute force is not new.  It is accepted and evident in other sports such as the martial arts, gymnastics, and basketball.

FUN + FUNDAMENTALS + TRAINING APPROACH + ADVANCED SKILLS = POWER

My concerns are the overall quality of, the approaches utilized and the instruction available to our nation's hockey players.  The magic of hockey draws you in, and its unavoidable passion consumes us.  We become almost powerless in its icy grip, paralyzed by our pursuit of perfection, which too many players and coaches confuse with power.    

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