Here are the answers to 3 of the most common questions I’ve been asked about the “special holiday offer” on the Total Female Hockey Complete Training System.

The 3 most common questions so far have been:

:: Is this Training System Right For Me (Or My Daughter)?

:: What Does The Training System Include?

:: Is It Worth It?

Here are the answers:

1.  Is this Training System Right For Me (Or My Daughter)?

First, let me tell you who this system ISN’T for…

If you or your daughter aren’t serious about getting to the next level and aren’t willing to do what it takes to separate yourself from the competition, then this isn’t for you.

The road to success in female hockey isn’t an easy one, and I want to make sure you realize that it’s your willingness to outwork everyone else on and off the ice that is going to separate you from the competition.

Most players won’t choose to do that hockey-specific speed workout I sent you yesterday. They’ll do it if someone makes them - but they don’t make the choice to do it when no one else is watching or keeping score.

And I am going to let you in on a little secret.  That mini workout I gave you yesterday - it’s not enough.  It may be tough, and more than most people are willing to do, but that one workout alone is not enough to make you stronger, faster or more fit.

There is no “magic bullet” when it comes to taking your game to the next level.  There’s not just one workout, one skill or one ability that’s going to make a difference.

I’ve designed the Total Female Hockey Complete Elite Training System to address all the critical needs of aspiring girls’ hockey players aged 10-20 - strength, speed, stamina, stability, confidence and focus.  And one little workout isn’t going to give you all of that.

But if you are ready to start stepping it up and want to dramatically boost your confidence, performance and game, then - yes - this training system IS for you.

2. What Does The Complete Training System Include?

You will get a complete 16 week female-specific off-ice training program that you can use to take your strength, speed and conditioning to the next level.  It includes a step-by-step manual with the entire program laid out for you, as well as 3 DVDs where I show you exactly how to perform every single exercise in the program.   You will also receive a Goal Setting Guide and a Peak Performance Logbook to ensure that you are on your path to success!

You can use the Complete Training System in the comfort of your own home - no travel necessary or any fancy equipment.  If you ever have any questions on how to make the program work best for you and your individual needs, I am only ever an email away.  All my customers get the “all-star” treatment - and you will too.

3.  Is The Mentorship Program Worth The Investment?

The cost of this 16 week training system is only $97 CDN, which is half of the regular price and comes out to less than $7 per week - that’s almost as much as you pay to get your skates sharpened once (at least it is here in Toronto)!

A single 1-on-1 training session with me is double the cost of this entire program.  On the other hand, with this system, you can do the exact same workouts I do with my players in-person.  You can start today or wait until the summer - whenever you decide you want to take your game to the next level. 

There’s just one more thing…

This “Holiday Special Offer” will ONLY be available until tomorrow - Friday December 4th - at midnight.   When you order before then, I can guarantee that the manual and DVDs will arrive before the holidays, After then, the program going back up to full price!

Click below right now to take advantage of this special offer?

http://www.totalfemalehockey.com/cts_sale.shtml

In the last 4 days alone, I’ve had 7 girls’ hockey parents email me with concussion concerns.  Some were worried that their daughter had one and others were scared they might end up with one.

It’s hockey season, which means it’s concussion season, so I thought I would send you some critical information about
the concussion problem in girls hockey and share my thoughts on some possible concussion solutions.

Did you know….

That girls’ hockey players are TWO TIMES more likely to suffer a concussion than male hockey players and almost THREE TIMES more likely than football players!

Last year, I shared these (and other) scary concussion statistics, as well as my own concussion story, with the media here in Toronto and the story spread like wildfire.

All that coverage sparked a great debate about WHY these injuries are happening and IF the research numbers are accurate.    It’s true that these stats came from a single study and don’t necessarily represent a trend across the entire female hockey world.  And after spending two years doing my master’s research on the brain activity of elite hockey
players, I know that researchers will sometimes skew their numbers towards the result they are looking for.

BUT the concussion stories that players, parents and coaches like you have shared with me tell me that these numbers are "bang-on":

I’ve heard heart-wrenching stories from parents who have had to help their 13 year-olds cope with the lingering effects of a head injury for over 6 months. I’ve heard from 16 year-olds who have had to quit hockey after suffering from
multiple concussions.  One university coach even told me that her team had 12 concussions in just 1 season!

These stats and stories tell me one thing…

==>  This is a problem that needs a solution NOW.

We can debate the statistics and the causes until we are blue in the face. But I am NOT willing to wait for more girls to sustain serious head injuries to support (or refute) the numbers before I start taking action.

And you shouldn’t wait either.

To tell you the truth, I am tired of talking about IF and WHY concussions are a problem in girls’ hockey.

They are.

So please read the important information below and please feel free to pass this along to any player, parent or coach who you think might benefit from reading it.

********************************************************

What’s the most devastating injury in female hockey?

1) Knee injuries
2) Shoulder injuries
3) Back injuries

The answer is…

None of the above.

One injury has by far the most devastating effects of all.

Concussions are one the most common injuries in women’s hockey. In fact, the NCAA sport with the highest concussion rate (by far) iis women’s hockey. Not men’s hockey.  Not men’s football.

At the university level, female hockey players suffer 1 concussion for every 1000 "exposures" to the game - with each practice and game counting as one exposure. On a team of 20 players, that means 1 concussion every 50 exposures!

Female hockey players are TWO TIMES more likely to suffer a concussion than male hockey players and almost THREE TIMES more likely than football players.

Pretty amazing for a sport that doesn’t allow full body-checking, isn’t it?

Although statistics on younger players are harder to come by, I would guess that their concussion rate would be just as high (and maybe even higher) than with the women. Girls are having more exposures than ever to the sport - they compete on school teams, club teams, travel teams, Olympic development teams and weekend tournament teams.
Girls’ hockey players are playing just as much as the boys - but are getting hurt twice as often.

So what’s the solution?

* New helmets?
* Mouthguards?
* New rules?
* Neck exercises?

One injury researcher said that:

"If the numbers in women’s hockey are even close to correct, they should just stop playing until they figure out how to lower them".

I definitely wouldn’t go that far - but have to find a way to prevent these potentially devastating injuries from happening.

Knee, shoulder and back injuries can be devastating to a young player who wants nothing more than to play the sport they love at the highest level possible…But they rarely have the same long-term effects as a concussion.

=> So what’s the SOLUTION?

These are the 2 suggestions for prevention that I recommend
at all of the Concussion Clinics I run for teams and associations:

1)  Girls Have To Be Better Prepared Physically.

A lack of overall strength and conditioning is a big reason for the alarmingly high incidence of concussions in girls’ hockey.
The stronger a player is, the better she will be able to hold her ground when she is hit unexpectedly (which is how a large number of concussions happen in girls’ hockey).

By building better core stability, balance and overall strength, players are better able to control their bodies in space and
withstand the force of impact.

2)  Girls Need To Be Taught How To Take A Hit.

In every girls’ or women’s game I have ever watched or played, there is always at least one instance where I think,
"Good thing we don’t have full body-checking because that player would have been run-over".

The female game may not have full body-checking, but girls are going to get hit - and most of them have never been taught how to take a hit properly.  We are doing our players a great disservice by not teaching them how they can protect themselves if (and when) they do get hit.

If more coaches, teams and associations start showing girls how to take a hit properly, it will go a long way towards preventing concussions, as well as a whole slew of other injuries.

Bottom Line:

It is our responsibility to make sure that our players are prepared each and every time they step out on the ice.  If we don’t teach girls how to take a hit, or how to build strength and stability out on the ice, we can’t be surprised when they are getting hurt.
That’s why I’ve created a basic body-weight strength and stability program that players can use off the ice to make sure they are protected on the ice.  It will not only help prevent injuries, but also make the girls stronger, faster and better players.

To find out how this training program will help you "bullet-proof" your players, click on the link below:

==>  http://www.totalfemalehockey.com/strength.shtml

Work Hard, Dream BIG and Stay Safe.

Your friend and coach,

~ Coach Kim

Today is my 30th birthday, and as a special gift to you, I wanted to share this interview that I did about the mental game in girls hockey with my friend Kevin Neeld, who is a former elite hockey player and an off-ice player development coach as well. Enjoy!

KN: Kim, I’d like to start off by asking you a question that a teacher of mine once asked me: What percentage of hockey performance do you think is mental?

I have two answers to this. In the beginning, when players are still acquiring basic skills, like skating, passing and shooting, that you might be at a 50-50% split between mental and physical. Once players have the ability to play the game without having to consciously think about performing the physical skills, I’d say we shift closer to a 70% mental and 30% physical split. I’ve played with and against many players who were great practice players – but as soon as they had to think on the move during the course of their game, their skill all but disappears.

KN: I think we all have played with players like that! Considering that such a high percentage of performance is mental, what aspect of hockey players’ mentality do you notice is preventing them from playing their best?

I would say the two biggest challenges for players on the mental side of the game are a lack of confidence and a negative attitude. The lack of confidence issue I see more in girls hockey than in boys hockey, but it is a big issue in both games. Players constantly downplay their accomplishments and allow the one or two little mistakes they made overshadow their overall performance. I had a player score her ?rst goal last season (she actually scored a hat-trick) and yet she was angry after the game because of one stupid pass she made on the power-play.

Players will say things like, “I sucked today” or “I played the worst game ever” when they make a few mistakes out there. Hockey is a game of mistakes and I can count on one hand the number of “perfect games” I played in my 10-year career. I always made a few mistakes - the important thing is to move on as quickly as possible and focus on the next shift. The negative attitude issue is huge in both boys and girls hockey. It drives me crazy when players say, “I can’t do that”, “I can’t shoot a high backhand”, “I can’t score”. Using the word “can’t” automatically puts you in a negative mindset and you basically give yourself permission to under-perform on that skill. I’m not saying players need to be 100% positive all the time, but there is never an instance where positivity will hurt you - and negativity always will.

KN: I can’t agree more. I’m an outspoken supporter of unconditional optimism, in sports and in life. I know you went into great detail about this in your book “Best Hockey Season Ever”, fill us in on what hockey players can do to correct these performance-limiting attitudes?

Players need to own their accomplishments and own their strengths. There is nothing wrong with saying “Thanks” after someone tells you that you played a great game. You aren’t being conceited – you are acknowledging your accomplishment. On the same note, players need to know what they are good at and commit to being the best at those things each and every time they are out on the ice. All too often, players get wrapped up and focus on their weaknesses instead of showcasing their strengths. Don’t get me wrong – players have to improve their weaknesses as well, but they also need to know what they are best at and commit to being the best at those things all the time. The negativity issue is a hard one to fix, but it can be as simple as getting players to stop slamming their stick against the boards in frustration after missing a sure goal. That’s a little step in the right direction that will get them to think about being more positive.

KN: Great point. Taking small steps and cutting back a few negative behaviors is a great way to start improving your playing mentality. Most people are familiar with the fact that an off-ice training program can help improve the strength, speed, power, and conditioning of ice hockey players. I’m a strong believer that these things are just the tip of the iceberg. Do you notice changes in your players’ confidence and mental toughness after a few months of training?

My favorite thing about off-ice training is the psychological benefit it gives players. I know that when I was a young player, I took great pride in the fact that none of the other girls I played with trained as hard as I did off the ice. I may not have been as skilled as them on the ice, but I knew that I was fitter, faster, and stronger. Quite often, when it comes to off-ice training, the most skilled player on the team isn’t the best athlete off the ice. Sometimes it’s the 4th liner who is the most fit. While fitness isn’t the only thing that will get that player better on the ice, the confidence they will gain knowing that they are in the best shape will have tremendous benefits to their performance.

KN: I felt the same way when I trained! As a 13 year-old I got cut from a Bantam Tier II 2nd team! I remember training that whole year just knowing that nobody was working as hard as me off the ice, treating the whole world as my competition. It sounds like that mentality paid off for both of us!

For anyone that hasn’t already looked into this, Kim has put together the most comprehensive resource for youth hockey players that I’ve ever seen. It includes step-by-step formulas to improve your training, nutrition, and mental preparedness. It’s truly a must-have for dedicated hockey players (and coaches!). Click here to read more about how Kim’s Book, “The Best Hockey Season Ever” can start helping you compete at a higher level.

KN: Thanks for taking the time Kim!

My pleasure Kevin.

Keep Working Hard and Dreaming BIG.

~ Coach Kim

Osgood Schlatter Disease (or O-S for short). This is a knee condition that many female hockey players deal with when going through their growth spurts and it can be very frustrating to deal with if not handled properly. The condition occurs in players aged 11-15, coinciding with periods of growth spurts. During a growth spurt, where the bones grow faster than the muscles and tendons do, there is increase stress on the patellar tendon that attaches the quadriceps muscle at the front of the thigh to the tibial tuberosity just below the knee.

Knee pain usually happens during running, jumping, squatting, and especially ascending or descending stairs and during kneeling. Initially the pain is mild and comes-and-goes but it can also be more severe and continuous. The symptoms usually go away with treatment, but may be ongoing for 12–24 months before the bones and muscles are finished maturing.

Enough of the medical mumbo-jumbo….how do we fix it?

First, the good news…

Although there is a lot of contact in hockey, it is technically not an impact sport. Girls with O-S usually have a lot of pain during running and jumping. This is because of the large amount of force that goes through the knee when they land on each stride or jump. Because hockey is a gliding sport, they don’t experience the same amount of impact with each stride. Many girls hockey players who feel pain from O-S when playing running-based sports will not feel pain while skating.

The bad news….

The recommended cure for the type of knee pain that results from Osgood-Schlatter disease is rest. Right….rest during the hockey season. I don’t know of many girls hockey players who are going to take a week or two off during the regular season to rest. Asking a young athlete to rest may be good for them physically, but it is absolute torture psychologically.

So what should a player do if her knee pain is preventing her from feeling and playing her best?

1. Stretch!

The quadriceps and hamstring muscles are going to be very tight in girls hockey players as they go through their growth spurts. Stretching these two muscle groups every single day (multiple times a day is preferable) is going to keep these muscles loose and decrease the amount of tension that is on the knee joint.

2. If it hurts, don’t do it (with exceptions)

When the pain is bad, try to avoid running and jumping as those are going to have a huge impact on the knee joint. However, players should still be able to participate in off-ice training. When players perform exercises like lunges and squats properly, there should be little pain through the knee.

Players must focus on keeping their weight through their heels when doing squatting and lunging movements instead of pushing up through their toes. This is tough for young hockey players to do since they play such a quad-dominant sport and athletes that are quad-dominant tend to push through their toes instead of their heels. Any good off-ice training specialist should be able to modify any squatting and lunging exercise so as to minimize the impact on a player’s knee.

There is no easy answer - but the key is going to be icing, rest (when appropriate), stretching and continuing to train off the ice.

For an off-ice training program that will keep you feeling and playing your best all season long, and will avoid putting too much pressure on injured knees, visit: http://www.totalfemalehockey.com/strength.shtml

Work Hard. Dream BIG. Train Smart.

~ Coach Kim

Wayne Gretzky’s skating style was distinctive. He was dramatically more bent over at the waist than most male hockey players. When I watch girls hockey players skate, their body position looks very similar to Gretzky’s. And while I can’t argue with the way the best player of all time skates, I have to admit that the way girls are “getting low” when they skate is doing a lot more harm than good.

It all boils down to a basic physiological difference between boys and girls.

Girls hockey players are very “quad” dominant - they use the muscles on the front of the legs (the quadriceps) more than the muscles on the back of their legs (hamstrings and glutes). Boys naturally use their hamstrings and glutes much more than girls do. This is one of the main reasons that boys can run faster and jump higher than girls — because the muscles on the back side of the legs are much stronger and more powerful than the quadriceps are.

What does all this have to do with skating like Gretzky?

Boys are naturally more able to “sit back” into their skating because of the strength of their hamstrings and glutes. When we ask girls hockey players to “get low”, they want to use their strong quadriceps to get there. The problem is that the quads are not nearly as strong or powerful as the hamstrings and glutes, and as a result, girls tend to bend over at the waist to get low instead of sitting their hips back.

When a girls hockey player bends forward from the waist at the expense of bend from her hips and knees, she not only loses the ability to get power from her glutes and hamstrings, but she sets herself up for injury. The more forward a player is when they skate, the less likely they are to keep their head up. And “heads-down” hockey is always more dangerous than “heads-up” hockey. The other problem is that many girls lack the strength and stability in their abdominals and lower back to be able to skate in that flexed-forward position efficiently. In fact, another main reason they skate so far forward in the first place is that they lack the core strength and stability to keep themselves upright.

So what can you do to solve the problem?

Strengthen the muscles on the back side of the legs - hamstrings and glutes - and build strength and stability in the core through proper off-ice training.

Here is an example of a glute/hamstring strengthening exercise I use with all of my girls hockey players. It’s very basic and extremely effective.

Single Leg, Bent Leg Hip Extension:
Start lying on your back with knees bent, feet together and heels on the ground. Bend one knee and hold it in towards your chest. Push down through the heel of the leg on the ground and squeeze your glute to lift your hips off the ground. You want to lift as high as possible without arching your lower back. Lower under control and then push back up through the heel. Perform 15 repetitions with one leg and then switch sides.

As much as we’d all love to be able to play like Gretzky, skating like him actually does more harm than good for girls hockey players.

To start taking your game to the next level with an in-season strength program that will dramatically improve your skating, visit: http://www.totalfemalehockey.com/strength.shtml

Work Hard. Dream BIG. Get Strong.

Your friend and coach,

~ Kim

The “5 Player Rule” in women’s hockey has absolutely nothing to do with the number of players out on the ice. On every team, there are usually 5 players who are really dedicated and driven to get to the next level. It’s not that the other players aren’t trying their hardest or giving their best. It’s just that they’re not quite as focused on getting to the elite level. It’s neither good nor bad…but it is a reality.
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To help those of you out who haven’t been doing your off-ice training this summer, I have put together this 10 minute workout video for you. Watch the video below to see how you can take your skating to the next level:

Here’s how to perform the 10 minute Girls Hockey “Kick Start” Workout properly:

NOTE: Warm-up first (to see how, check out one of the 1 minute warm-up videos)

The “Kick-Start” Workout:

=> Start with 20 seconds of Jump Squats.

Take 10 seconds rest.

=> Then do 20 seconds of Lunge Hold on your left leg.

and immediately switch legs (no rest)

=> And do 20 seconds of Lunge Hold on your right leg.

Take 10 seconds rest.

=> Do 20 seconds of Wide Skating Strides.

Take 10 seconds rest.

=> Then do 20 seconds of Single Leg Squat Hold on your left leg.

and immediately switch legs (no rest)

=> And do 20 seconds of Single Leg Squat Hold on your right leg.

10 seconds rest

***Then REPEAT this entire sequence of 4 exercises again.

That equals 1 set (I like to call it the “1st period”).

Take a 2 minute rest.

And then do another set (ie. the “2nd period”) for 2 periods total.

NOTE: If you are feeling ambitious, you could throw in a 3rd period too (no overtime though).

Your legs should be absolutely burning by the end of the workout.

If not, you aren’t getting low enough.

That’s how you build the strength, power and endurance in your legs that is going to take your speed to the next level and allow you to dominate in the third period and overtime.

As of next Tuesday, July 14th at 12 noon, you’ll have no more excuses for not training this summer.

I will be making a “Excuse-Free” offer that only 33 members of the Total Female Hockey community are going to have the opportunity to take advantage of.

Get ready to really “kick start” your summer off-ice training.

Work Hard. Dream BIG.

~ Coach Kim

PS - Let me know how your legs feel after this workout by posting a comment in the comment box below.

Players who aspire to play at the highest level either “get it” or they don’t. You have to put in the hard work off the ice in the off-season or else you will be left behind. While more girls hockey players are training than ever before, many of them will not get the pay-off they deserve when they hit the ice in the fall because of self-sabotage. So here are the 9 most common ways players sabotage their summer training. Make sure to avoid these if you want to be at your best in September and all season long.
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I just finished watching the first round of Under-18 team tryouts this past weekend, and while the skill level was high and the competition was fierce between these elite girls hockey players, there was one glaring weakness in almost all of the girls’ games that I noticed most during the pre-game warm-ups. Watch the video below to see what the 3 slap shot sins the majority of players were committing:

***Did you notice what makes my shooting different than 98% of all the female hockey players out there? If you think you know what it is, post it in the Comment box below. The first person who gets it right will win a Total Female Hockey T-shirt.***

To develop a “boomer” that people will notice, you have to avoid the 3 biggest slap-shot sins in girls hockey:

Sin #1: The BIG Wind-Up

I never understood why players think that they need to have a huge wind-up to have an effective shot. While it’s true that generating speed through a bigger range of motion will help players to generate more power by the time they get to the puck, the big wind-up is the last thing players should be worried about. When I am working on developing the slap-shots of my players, I get them to perfect the motion from the hip down first. Once they have maximized the power and accuracy of their shot with a shortened wind-up, we work on opening it up.

Sin #2: Poor Puck Placement

Most girls hockey players could benefit from bringing the puck in tighter to their body before shooting their slap-shot. Players will have their individual preference as to whether they prefer shoot with the puck closer to their back foot, front foot or in the middle of their stance. But most have the puck to far away from them body when they go to shoot. The further away the puck is from your body, the less force you will be able to put down into the ice with your stick, and the weaker your shot will be. It takes some practice to get accustomed to having the puck in tighter, but you’ll be able to generate a lot more power that way in the long run.

Sin #3: Not Closing The Blade

The single biggest slap-shot sin I see girls making is that they don’t close the blade on their follow-through. Even those who start with the blade turned over and closed before they make contact with the puck tend to open it up right after and then keep it that way throughout the entire follow-through. To be honest, girls tend to leave the blade of the stick open on their wrist and snap-shots as well. Instead of using a higher follow-through after contact to get the puck up off the ice, they try to achieve that same height by using the stick like a golf club with an open face. To get power and accuracy, you need to keep the blade closed. Period.

Avoid these three slap-shot sins, focus on the quality of the shots you are taking instead of the quantity and you will start to develop the laser-like shot that will get noticed and help you on your way to the elite levels of women’s hockey.

Work Hard. Dream BIG. And Hit The Net!!!

~ Coach Kim

PS - There are less than 10 weeks left until the season starts. Are you doing what you need to do to take your game to the next level this summer and be the fastest, strongest and fittest player on the ice in the fall? Click here to get started with the Total Female Hockey Complete Training System today and start taking your game to the next level.

PPS - If you want to win that t-shirt, don’t forget to guess what makes my shooting different than 98% of all other female players. Write it in the Comment box below.

Most girls hockey players I know are just starting their off-season training (so if you’ve already been at it for a few months, you are way ahead of the game - and it will show in September). I have been receiving a lot of emails from girls who are coming off injuries or have just gotten hurt while playing summer hockey or another sport, looking for advice on how they can keep pace with their healthy teammates and still take their game to the next level this summer.

The first thing I always tell them is that you have to make the distinction between training THROUGH an injury and training WITH an injury. Let me explain…
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