The pressure to rise above the rest to secure a top spot is real. Tryouts and practices can be demanding and exhausting, with only a few key decisions and plays separating between those who play and those who sit. Preparing and training properly to adapt to this added pressure to make the right plays can give players an incredible advantage, boosting their overall performance.
Adaptability is a skill that elite athletes have refined, no matter their chosen sport. In a hockey context, understanding how to react to different situations on the ice and perform at the right moment is a skill. And it is one that can be developed. As Roger Grillo, ADM Manager at USA Hockey stated, “There are three key components to being an effective player: effort, decision-making and execution.”
You Weight Train? Now, Brain Train.
There is a common understanding about the physical routines needed to improve as a hockey player. Skate training, technique drills, weight exercises, cardio regimens, scrimmages, reflex drills – the list goes on. Individually, these types of workouts are great, but to thrive on the ice players need to know how to utilize their benefits at the right moment. The better and faster players can do this, then the better chance of them making the team.
Players train their muscles, their endurance, and, now, they can train how to adapt. The Hockey IntelliGym online platform engages players in customized, interactive hockey drills meant to train on-ice readiness, decision-making, and adaptability. Developing what is commonly known as “hockey sense”, IntelliGym has been used by thousands of players to heighten rink awareness and ultimately make better decisions under pressure. As a hockey player, you can now actually train your mindset to adapt better to the game at any time.
Train Like a Pro
The Hockey IntelliGym is based on cognitive performance development and uses scientifically based drills to help athletes enhance their playmaking abilities. It is these abilities that even the greats of the game understood.
Stanley Cup winner Shjon Podein points out that developing an advanced hockey sense is key for player development. “I got to be on the ice with the best players in the game. I learned one main thing from being around these great hockey players and that was you must have a great mind to excel at the highest level.”
If you are looking for that extra edge during your tryouts, the Hockey IntelliGym is the right addition to your gear bag.
