When Wayne Gretzy was a kid, his dad Walter wouldn’t let him go outside and practice without a purpose. So Wayne learned from a very young age how to set little goals every day that would move him closer to his big dreams.
Wayne would work on SPECIFICS. He would spend countless hours out on his backyard rink working on building the foundation for all his future success.
I really like the idea that the best player ever didn’t just got out and go through the motions during practice. I like that he took the initiative to think about the parts of his game that he really needed to work on and zoned in on those specific areas so that he could take his game to the next level.
He wasn’t worried about being FANCY. He was building his FOUNDATION. The reason he could do the fancy stuff so well was because he had a great foundation in place first.
This is a really critical concept when it comes to female hockey player development.
Too many players focus their time and efforts learning the latest shootout move they saw on Youtube, instead of working on their backhand. They spend hours working on some fancy new toe drag, instead of reinforcing the basics of stick-handling. Don’t get me wrong - developing a great shootout move and a wicked toe drag are things that will make you stand out on your way to the next level…
BUT…
You need to make sure your FOUNDATION of skill is cemented in place before you worry too much about the fancy stuff - especially when it comes to shooting and stickhandling.
Ever since I started Total Female Hockey, people have been asking me to help them with their shooting and stick-handling. You may have seen one of the really quick YouTube videos I’ve posted about the push-pull of the wrist shot or the importance of hand position when stickhandling.
These videos were all about teaching you the basics and now I’ve created 16 new shooting and stickhandling videos that will not only help you reinforce your foundation but help you with the fancy stuff too.
I created 2 quick samples of these new videos for you - one for stickhandling and one for shooting - that you can check out by clicking on the link below:
http://totalfemalehockeyclub.com/video-sample/shoot_handle/
Enjoy and please feel free to pass this message along to any player, coach, parent, friend or teammate who you think might benefit from it.
Your friend and coach,
~ Kim
PS - My brand new Shooting & Stickhandling video series is coming soon and includes 16 “how to” videos that show you step-by-step how to take your stick skills to the next level. They cover everything from wrist shots, backhands, snap shots and slap shots as well as dribbling, toe drags, fast feet drills and fakes.
More information on this brand-new product will be coming your way next week. In the meantime, you can watch two video clips about the key factors in effective shooting and stickhandling by clicking on the link below:
http://totalfemalehockeyclub.com/video-sample/shoot_handle/
Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS
?Director, Total Female Hockey
Girls’ Hockey Director, PEAC School For Elite Athletes
