I can tell you that staying OFF the ice this summer will make you a better player.

But most of you won’t listen.

If you are as passionate and committed to the sport as I was as a kid, you want to be ON the ice as much as possible.

If I could have skated every day, I would have.

Instead, I went to the occasional hockey school and played summer hockey once a week.

The rest of the time I was playing soccer, playing basketball and training off the ice to be better on the ice.

And that is what made me a better athlete and a better player.

Participating in any kind of sport other than hockey this summer WILL make you a better player.

Participating in a summer off-ice training program WILL make you a better player.

Skating and playing all summer long may NOT make you better - in fact, it might actually make you WORSE.

While right now all you can think about is getting out on the ice as much as possible, playing too much out of season can actually decrease both your performance and passion in-season.

I remember being so excited for my first team practice in the fall that I could barely think about anything else. But if I had been playing all the way through the summer, I don’t think my level of excitement would have been nearly the same.

The hockey season is already 7 or 8 months long and can be very physically and emotionally draining. The last thing you want as a player is to get to December and think, “I am tired of being on the ice”.

The best way to build your passion and increase your performance ON the ice this season is to get OFF the ice this off-season.

Kim

PS: Wayne Gretzky NEVER skated during the summer. You might argue that the game has changed, but you definitely can’t argue with his results.