Improving my Game

[Canadian2199]

I am 15, and my game improved a lot this spring but has kind of started to "plateau." Does anybody have any tips on how to bring my game to the next level. Also, I just play in house leauges right now but a lot of people say I should join a travel team. What should I do to prepare for the higher level of play

"Stephen P..........

[DannyG]

find whatever workout/practice/training regimen will move your skating ability up to another level, and you will find that everything else will also move up another level.

All this will occur over whatever time period it takes to move the skating up to the next level.

Over the past 15 years, I have applied this technique over and over (not that my total ability is elite or anything)...

Travel team, or competitive play, is one environment, just don't make it your only one. In contrast, the more different "environments" you play in regularly, the more you will develop. Play rec hockey, play in more than one league, more than one division, play in a mixed teen/adult league, play in a local elite division, play on a travel team, anywhere, everywhere you can.

Also, take at least one hour each week where you go our on the floor and just skate and shoot all by yourself, hopefully at minimum 300 shots in the hour.

two of these "personal work" hours each week is great. Add up all the team practice, games, and personal work hours that you play each week..they should total 7 hours per week, or more...we find again and again that the players that show a "Quantam leap" in their development have reached this magic number of 7 hours per week (or more) playing hockey. "Wow, look at that, Jeremy just got real good!"

good luck, have fun.

<font color=purple>DannyG</font color=purple>