Rise Above the Ice: Effective Dry Land Training for Youth Hockey Players
July 7, 2023
Introduction Dry land training is an essential component of a
DriBlades For Youth Program
- Posted by DRIBLADES
DriBlades™ For Youth was created with the goal of progressing young skaters more
efficiently by developing their balance, strength and overall confidence.
There are many benefits achieved through a variety of movements and exercises while
training in your DriBlades.
As young skaters (ages 5 – 13 approx) develop physically, the DriBlades Youth Program is
a regressed series of exercises to better improve their development into more challenging
movements.
“What we are actually doing with our DriBlades™ For Youth program is helping to lay the proper
foundation. It’s honestly just like taking grade 1 math before you take grade 2 math,” explains
Co-Founder and program developer Kelly Riou.
DriBlades for Youth - Purpose and Design
One of the best things we can do for
young skaters is to help them improve
the required strength and confidence in
their skates off the ice as they develop
into skaters on the ice.
Skating is an extremely challenging
movement which is performed on an
unstable surface. The body is asked to
perform a specific sequence of
movements while standing on two
edges.
As we learn to skate, we are learning to
use muscles in a different pattern than
we do when we walk or run. When we
are performing a skating stride, there is
a multi-directional function greater
than running. In our skates is the only
time that demand of these muscles is
prominent.
DriBlades give youth the opportunity to improve the strength of their muscles needed to
deal with the weight of their skates and/or overall demand of the stride BEFORE getting
onto the ice, which will impact a young skater’s ability to progress quickly.
Most often, a young skater’s stride breaks down or shows lack of improvement due to
being physically incapable of performing the physical movements required, which could
also lead to injury
DriBlades for Youth program is the next evolution of hockey training because we
understand to be great in your skates on the ice, you need to be confident and strong in
your skates off the ice.
Recommended Movements
Movement #1 - Lateral load and leg lift
- Starting Position
Standing in a ready position. Legs shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent
- Details
We want to shift our weight to one skate and then slowly lift our other leg
laterally, balancing on the one skate.
(young skaters won’t be able to hold their balance very long to start)
Over time, a player will develop the strength to lift their leg and balance without
their entire body shaking to stay in control.
Eventually, we are working towards bringing our leg up laterally so that the lifted
leg is about one foot off the ground.
Movement #2 - Toe Tap (In a triangle formation)
- Starting Position
Standing in a ready position. Legs shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent
- Details
We want to shift our weight to balance on one skate.
With our other skate, we want to tap the floor 6-12 inches in front of us, then tap
the floor 6-12 inches away from us (to the side).
Finally, we want to tap the floor 6-12 inches behind where we started.
Each time we move our skate into one of the three positions (front, side, back),
we will tap the ground with the tip of our blade before slowly moving our skate to
the next position.
Remember, we balance on one skate while using the other to create our triangle.
The skate itself is more than enough weight to challenge young and new skaters
to remain balanced while moving positions.
Movement #3 - Squat
- Starting Position
Standing in a ready position. Legs shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent
- Details
Start with feet shoulder width apart.
Keeping hips and spine neutral, squat down to a 90 degree position.
If possible hold the 90 degree position for 1-2 seconds and return to standing.
Pay attention to spine alignment.
Many youths fold their spine rather than bend their knees.
(The goal is to build up to 3 sets of 10-12 reps, remembering to hold the squat position for a
couple of seconds)
Movement #4 - Goblet Squat
- Starting Position
Standing in a ready position. Legs shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent
- Details
The goblet squat is a slight variation of the traditional squat movement. Start by
having your heels lined up with your shoulders and have your toes pointed
outward at a 45-degree angle for goblet squats.
Goblet squats impact how much our hips are required to open up as we get in this
position. This movement will help with lower body strength as well as an
improved flexibility to allow skaters get lower in their stride.
The main breakdown for this movement will be the collapse of the knees inward.
If parents see their young skaters struggle to keep their legs locked in a position
without breaking down at the knees and ankles, encourage them to stay on the
outside of their edges with their heels down.
Movement #5 - Crossovers
- Starting Position
Lying down on our backs with both legs as straight as possible.
- Details
From this position, we open and close our legs crossing one skate over the other.
Be sure to alternate legs at a controlled tempo keeping them straight as possible.
Making sure one is going under, and one is going over.
The weight of the skate will be more than enough resistance for young skaters
trying to continually cross over their skates for an extended period.
It is important the blades do not clip each other when they are crossing over. If
this happens, this would cause a player to catch an edge on the ice.
Young skaters will struggle to hold the weight of the skates in the air while
performing this movement. This will help develop the core while highlighting the
abductor and adductor muscles.
Movement #6 - Inverted Stride
- Starting Position
Lying down on our backs with one leg straight and one leg pulled up so our knee
is above our hip and creating a 90-degree angle. (Make sure the knee doesn’t col-lapse towards the stomach area and the heel of the skate remains held high in the air.)
Parents can help by pushing and pulling on the bent leg, ensuring our young
skater can hold it up strong at a 90-degree angle.
Even in this starting position, you will notice the body working to hold the weight
of the skate in that 90-degree position.
From our bent knee 90-degree position, we extend the leg outwards and
upwards on a diagonal angle, like we are completing a skating stride while lying
on our back.
Reaching full leg extension at a very controlled tempo, we pause before slowly
returning the skate to 90 degrees. Repeat as necessary.
(To start, the straight leg can rest along the ground while extending the other leg. As the
young skater progresses, they can raise their straight leg and hold it anywhere from 1
inch to 1 foot off the ground while extending the opposite leg.)
This movement is much more difficult when your straight leg is being held in the
air and not resting along the surface.
Movement #7 - Table Top Position Skating Stride
- Starting Position
On our hands and knees, with our back in a straight position. (Tabletop position)
- Details
When we are on all fours keeping arms slightly bent, we will take our right leg and
raise it laterally as high as possible without letting our knee collapse towards the
armpit.
Once we have raised our leg laterally, we need to extend that leg replicating the
angle of a skating stride. Extend the leg at a comfortable tempo, allowing the core
muscles to work hard to keep the leg extended and hold the skate high in the air.
The skate will act as a strong resistance and force young skaters to engage their
core.
Safety First
Parents should be confident that the movements and positions recommended are safe
and age-appropriate. The positions will help parents identify breakdowns in their
children’s form and start correcting those immediately in an environment much more
conducive to learning.
Many of the muscles required to skate are actually activated or used only if we are in our
skates. This means youth are on the ice trying to learn how to skate, using muscles that
have rarely been activated and have never been developed. Young skaters are often asked
to perform skating techniques that they are physically incapable of doing.
If someone of any age doesn’t have the balance, coordination, or strength to perform in
their skates off the ice, then how can we expect them to perform in them on the ice?
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