THE ‘WHAT’ OF WARM-UP:
What All Players MUST do in the Warm-up
By Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS
All hockey players must warm-up prior to heading out on the ice.
Performing a proper off-ice warm-up allows players to prepare themselves physically and mentally for the upcoming practice or game. When performed with the entire team together, warm-ups not only address the mental and physical needs of the players, but also serve to promote team unity.
But once we have established ‘why’ players must warm-up, we need to determine ‘what’ the warm-up will consist of.
There are three main stages of a proper off-ice warm-up:
• General
• Dynamic
• Specific
Each stage of the warm-up serves a different need of the player. The three stages progress from the lowest level of intensity (general) to the most intense level (specific). This gradual progression ensures that players will be optimally prepared for the on-ice session without risking injury from starting at too high an intensity level. A proper warm-up routine will start with general easy activity, progress through specific focused drills, and finish hard and fast.
Let’s look at each of the stages in more detail.
General Warm-up
Each warm-up session should start with at least 5 minutes of continuous aerobic activity. This general warm-up will increase the readiness of the heart, lungs and muscles for the next component of the warm-up. For most young hockey players, these 5 minutes will be spent jogging. Although this is the most basic stage of warm-up and jogging is simple enough to do, there is still an opportunity to be creative in this stage. The group can play any game that gets them all moving continuously for 5 minutes. In fact, games such as tag incorporate more change of direction than simple jogging, which will serve to warm-up the muscle groups needed to perform the complex movement patterns inherent in hockey...and they are more fun than running around in circles!
Dynamic Warm-up
Immediately after the general stage of the warm-up, players should perform a series of dynamic movement skills for 5 minutes. The movements used in this portion of the warm-up are commonly referred to as ‘dynamic stretches’. While performing simple movement patterns, such as shuffling and lunging, players are increasing the range of motion in the muscles and joints used while playing hockey. ‘Dynamic stretches’ are basically stretches done while moving. It is important to note that being able to shuffle and lunge properly is a ‘skill’ and learning the movement ‘skills’ included in the dynamic stage of the warm-up will take athletes time to master. The goal of this stage of the warm-up is to awaken the muscles and mimic the movement patterns that will be used in the final stage of the warm-up and on the ice.
Specific Warm-up
The final stage of the off-ice warm-up is extremely important - and often neglected. Although players will have ‘warmed-up’ the systems, muscles and movements involved in playing the game through the previous two stages, they still need to address a critical need prior to stepping onto the ice. The game of hockey is inherently unpredictable - players must constantly read and react to different situations on the ice that are largely beyond their control. The dynamic movement skills the athletes have just performed will also serve to prepare them for the upcoming activity, but they are predictable and, as the season progresses, will almost become automatic for the players. The specific warm-up stage forces players to adapt to the inherent variability of the game by participating in games that challenge their physical and mental readiness. Participating in a basic mirroring drill with a partner or playing a few small games of circle tag for 5 minutes will further prepare a player’s muscles and minds for the unpredictability of the upcoming ice session.
Once the puck is dropped, the young hockey player will be performing short, repeated near-maximal efforts. When a player has prepared, both mentally and physically, for this game-like intensity with a gradual build-up of intensity off the ice, they decrease their likelihood of injury and increase their performance. Properly progressing through these three stages of warm-up - general, dynamic and specific - will ensure that a player is optimally prepared for performance.
© The Young Athlete 2008
About The Author
Kim McCullough, M.Sc., YCS is a highly sought-after expert in the development of aspiring hockey players and has played at the highest level of women's hockey in the world for the last decade. Kim's player development website gives coaches and parents of aspiring young players access to programs, articles and advice on how to help their players take their game to the next level. To learn more about how to have your best season ever, visit: http://www.besthockeyseasonever.com
