Who will win the gold medal tomorrow night in women’s hockey?  Canada or the United States?

The games leading up to this gold-medal match-up may not have been nail-biters, but this showdown between the best two women’s teams in the world will definitely be a classic - they always are.

For the last two weeks, these 2 teams have shown the rest of the world that they have no intention of letting them catch-up.  I am tired of listening to the TV commentators talk about how these blowouts aren’t good for women’s hockey.  I can’t stand reading yet
another article about whether our sport should be taken out of the Olympics because it is a two-horse race. 

The reality is that the other countries competing are in fact getting better - much better.  The problem is that the US and Canada keep raising the bar even higher.

And here’s why:  Speed and Strength

The North American players are faster skaters, passers and shooters and they make faster decisions. There might be one or two players on each of the other countries’ teams who are at the same level of the Canada and US players - but one or two fast players
can’t compete against a whole team of 20.

I’ve watched all or part of every single one of the women’s hockey games in the Olympics and the one thing that has stuck out is how much more physical the North American players are. 

They definitely appear to be much stronger physically, but more than that, they are able to translate that strength into smart physical play.  They understand how to give and take body contact properly with and without the puck, while avoiding taking a penalty or getting hurt.  Players from the other countries look like they are either scared to engage in the physical game with the
North American players or that they don’t know how to be physical without taking a penalty.

Here’s the interesting thing about all this…

=>  These are the 2 areas that young girls’ hockey players need to improve on most as well!!!

If you perform all your skills faster and make faster decisions about when to execute those skills…

And are able to give and take contact safely and effectively to separate players from the puck…

You too will dominate out on the ice.

It works for the Canadian and American players and it will work for you too.

That’s why I’m running a MARCH BREAK SPEED & STRENGTH CAMP for 2 days on March 20th and 21st in Toronto.

The entire camp is about taking your speed and your physical game to the next level.

On the first day, we’ll show you how to be faster in all aspects of your game…whether you are a forward looking for the ability to change direction instantaneously, a defenseman looking for faster first-step quickness, or a goalie looking for a quicker reaction time, we are going to work on that on and off the ice. Quick feet, quick hands, quick decisions - we’ll cover it all.

On the second day, I’ll teach you how to give and take contact (not checks) so that you can win 1-on-1 battles in open ice and dominate battles in front of the ice and in the corners.  Off the ice, we’ll teach you how to develop the strength and explosiveness you need to take your speed and physical game to the next level.

This is a 2 day camp that will be held at Chesswood Arena in Toronto and will include 1.5 hours on-ice and 1.5 hours off-ice each day. You will be split into a group based on your age with a younger atom/peewee group and an older bantam/midget group. 
There is only enough room for 25 players per group.

The cost is $90.00 for this 2 day camp -  but there are ONLY 27 spots left so you’ll need to take action quickly to secure your spot now.

Click on the link below to secure your spot now:

http://totalfemalehockeyclub.com/camps-schools/

Enjoy the game tomorrow night.  It will be a great one.

Work Hard. Dream BIG.

Your friend and coach,

~ Kim

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS
Director, Total Female Hockey
Girls’ Hockey Director, PEAC School For Elite Athletes

PS - Secure your spot in the March Break Speed & Strength Camp now:

http://totalfemalehockeyclub.com/camps-schools/

 

Don’t you just love watching the Olympics (especially the women’s hockey)?  It doesn’t matter which sport I’m watching, I literally get goose-bumps during almost every event.  Watching athletes achieve a personal best, compete their hardest and realize their Olympic dream is so awe inspiring.

But there has been one moment for me that stood out among all the rest.

During the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics, one of the organizers made a terrific point during his speech that really struck a chord with me and I wanted to make sure that I shared with you.

He said that we should all, “Aspire To Be Olympian”.

He didn’t say we should all aspire to be AN Olympian, but to “Be Olympian”.

Let’s be honest - The reality is that there are very few players or coaches that are ever going to realize their dream of being AN Olympian.

But we can ALL aspire to embody the QUALITIES Olympians have:

::  Commitment & Desire
::  Confidence & Focus
::  Humility & Belief in Themselves

Whether you are a player, parent or coach, you can display these qualities on the ice, off the ice, at school, at work and with your family.

Take a moment and think about what you can do today to embody these ideals in your life.  We won’t all have the chance to compete on the world-stage or stand on top of that podium, but we can learn a lot from these amazing athletes and role models and use their achievements as a guidepost for our own lives.

Keep Working Hard, Dreaming BIG and Be Olympian.

Your friend and coach,

Kim

PS - This past Monday, 103 players came to the Total Female Hockey Speed Camp in Toronto.  The enthusiasm and effort all the players showed was absolutely awesome.

Click on the link below to learn more about future Total Female Hockey Camps and Events:

http://totalfemalehockeyclub.com/camps-schools/

Here is an overview of the upcoming Toronto events:
::  March Break - 2 Day Speed and Body Contact Camp
::  July - 4 Day Complete Player Development Camp
::  August - 3 Day Total Female Hockey “Experience” (high school age only)

You can find out more at:

http://totalfemalehockeyclub.com/camps-schools/

If you aren’t in the Toronto area and are interested in bringing a
Total Female Hockey event to you, email me back with the subject line
“TFH Hockey Travel Event” and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

 

I took pages of notes when I was watching women’s college hockey games between the University of Wisconsin and the University of Minnesota-Duluth last week. And while I was thinking about drills to run at this week’s practices with my team, I looked back at those notes and realized that I had 4 more key points (to add to last week’s 7) that I wanted to share with you after watching these two elite teams play and execute at such a high level.

So I created a new list of “4 More Skills Player Must Improve On” based on my observations at these games:

1. Forwards Look To Feed The Defense:

This skill was one that I saw both teams use extremely effectively in these games and made me realize that it is not used nearly enough at younger ages.  Moving the puck back to the points while in the offensive zone forces the defensive team to adjust their positioning which quite often opens up holes in their defensive coverage.  You don’t want to blindly throw the puck back to your defenseman, but you are probably not using them as much as you could to create opportunities on offense.  One extra point on this - once you make the pass to the point, make sure you move to get open so that you are in position for either a pass or a rebound.

2. Defense Picking Up Bodies In Front Of The Net:

This is something that has been an even greater challenge for players ever since obstruction and interference were removed from minor hockey. We used to be able to push players out of the way before the puck arrived - but now that’s a penalty, This means that forwards are easily gaining inside position on the defenseman and getting opportunities to score in tight.  To make matters worse, defensemen get  caught staring at the puck in these battles for position in front of the net, instead of finding their player.  This is one of the key skills that scouts and coaches at the
next level are looking for from their players and it is one that you will need to learn to do properly (without taking a penalty) in order to compete at that level.

3.  Find Open Ice To Support Your Teammates:

I believe this is the biggest difference between bantam age (13-14 year olds) and midget age players (15+).  While there can be a significant difference in overall skill levels between these two age group, at the higher levels, most bantams and midgets have the same relative skill level.  Most players at both age groups are very good when they have the puck - but the midget players do a much better job of getting open and supporting their teammates than the bantam players do.  This can certainly be taught, but it also comes with years of experience.  As the game continues to become faster and even more physical, players cannot rely on skill alone.  They need to develop their hockey sense and understand where the space is on the ice and how to use it effectively.

4. Every Pass Is Hard, Fast & Made With Authority:

This is something that you don’t really recognize as a player until you start playing with and against players who pass as hard as you normally shoot.  This happened to me the first time I played out with the national team girls out in Calgary.  I spent the first few weeks getting used to the fact that I thought my stick was going to break every time I received a pass.   As the game gets faster, the passes get harder and faster too.  The earlier you start passing with authority, the sooner you help yourself and your teammates get used to the speed and strength of passing you will encounter in the future.

Speaking of speed, the Total Female Hockey Speed Camp, on Monday, February 15th, 2010, that I told you about a few days ago sold out in less than 2 hours. 

So I decided to open up a second one in the afternoon from 1:00-4:00pm to accommodate players who really want to take their speed to the next level on and off the ice. 
 
As of 7am this morning, there were only 15 spots left in the afternoon camp - and they won’t last long either.

==>  Click Here To Sign-Up For The *Afternoon* Speed Camp Now <==

Keep Working Hard and Dreaming BIG.

Your friend and coach,

~ Coach Kim

We all know that speed kills in girls’ hockey. And I have to admit when I first started playing hockey, my speed (or serious lack of speed) was killing me.  It may have had something to do with the fact that I could barely skate and I was 25 pounds overweight.  Either way, I was a "human pylon".

After a few embarrassing season as a slow, fat, defenseman,  I realized that if I wanted to realize my dream of playing elite level of women’s hockey, I had to get faster… a lot faster.  And I knew my speed would have to improve overall - not just skating.  Sure, I needed to have more explosive starts and faster changes of direction.  But I also needed quicker hands, quicker feet and had to make quicker decisions.

My dedication to getting stronger, faster, quicker and "fitter" off the ice, combined with on-ice sessions that taught me how to execute every skill faster, took my speed (and performance) through the roof. 

And it will for you too.

That’s why I’m inviting you to the…

2010 Total Female Hockey Speed Camp - featuring ON and OFF-ice training - AFTERNOON SESSION ADDED!

Last year, 67 players showed up to the camp and learned what they needed to do OFF the ice to take their speed to the next level.

But this year, I’m taking the camp to the next level too.

I’m still going to teach you what you need to do OFF the ice to get faster…
….But I am also going to show you what to do ON the ice too!

 
On Monday February 15th (Family Day here in Ontario), from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at Chesswood Arena in Toronto,  girls will have the chance to learn exactly how to develop the speed they need to separate themselves from the competition.

They will be coached by me and my Total Female Hockey staff ON ice for 1.5 hours and OFF the ice for 1 hour.  All players will be placed into groups according to their age and ability level.  
 
In this fast-paced session, players will learn how to develop:

=>  Incredible first-step quickness
=>  Game-breaking agility
=>  Explosive starts
=>  Breakaway speed

This ON-ice and OFF-ice training workshop is for any girls’ hockey player who is serious about taking her speed and her game to the next level.  This is a high-level camp - attendees must play rep hockey to attend.

The cost of this speed camp is $40 and is being held in Toronto at Chesswood Arena.  

Deadline for registration is Friday, February 5th.

But there are only 40 spots available at the camp, and this message is going out to over 2000 players,so you need to act quickly to secure your spot.

==>  Click Here To Sign-Up For The Speed Camp Now <==

Because once those 40 spots are gone, you’re out of luck.

Get ready to GET FAST.

Your friend and coach,

~  Kim

PS - As always, feel free to pass this message along to anyone on your team or any of your friends who might be interested in taking their speed and their game to the next level.  
 

But remind them to act fast and register immediately, because with only 40 spots available, it’s going to fill up fast.
 

They can find all the Speed Camp Registration Details here:

http://totalfemalehockeyclub.com/SPEED-CAMP/
 

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS
Director, Total Female Hockey