Every player, even professionals, endure the quandary of what to do with your off�season. What can I do to make myself better for the next season? What will keep me fresh? In this article we address the most commonly asked questions about what to do with your off�season.

Should I play ice

Not necessarily. Marquee players such as Wayne Gretzky recommend participation in other sports in the off�season to give the player diversity and agility. We agree with that advice. To quote the old adage, Too much of a good thing can be bad.� There is nothing wrong with continuing to compete year round in hockey, however, you should try to tone down the competitive level in the off�season compared to the regular season.

For example, it is typical for high school players to compete in spring house leagues at the conclusion of the regular season. The difference between the two seasons is usually the competitive level. Unless a balance is reached, burnout is certainly possible.

What is the best �other sport� for me to participate in?

There is no �best sport� which everyone should participate in. The best sport for you is determined by your interests and desired effect. But, first and foremost, you should get into a sport which really interests you and one that you will have fun with.

You can usually pick between two types of sports: team and individual. Between both of these types you should look for either hand�eye or foot�eye coordination activities which feature aerobic qualities. Thus, for team sports, baseball, soccer, lacrosse, basketball and roller hockey are recommended.

Of the individual sports, cycling, running, golf, weight lifting and martial arts are recommended.

We have found that roller hockey is the most popular off�season sport for ice hockey players. It certainly offers qualities which compliment ice hockey. Although the ideas of both games are essentially the same, roller hockey tends to focus more on offense and does not usually involve the grinding play that ice hockey offers.

The more �open� play tends to offer a different aspect to stick handling and passing. Moreover, many experienced ice hockey players recommend roller hockey as a great conditioning sport for the off�season.

Finally, no matter what sport or activity you choose, always stress certain basic skills. For example, stretching activities are crucial. So is weight training (weight training is discussed below). Again, achieve a balance and seek agility. These qualities will go a long way in improving your worth as an ice hockey player.

What is the most common

The most common mistake players make, as simple as it sounds, is allowing themselves to become �out of shape.� This is usually due to lack of an off�season plan to remain in shape as well as a collapse of the player�s healthy diet.

Sports have changed in the last 20 years. Many professional athletes now make great strides to remain in shape year round. In a sense, the �off�season� is a misnomer. For some athletes there is no off�season. That school of thought is attributable to the highly-competitive nature of athletics in this country. However, again, too much competition is not good. The athlete should strive to achieve balance in his or her life. Failing to achieve that balance is the biggest mistake an athlete can make.

Is weight and trength

Perhaps more than any other activity, weight training for any athlete (not just an ice hockey player) is very important. As well as spending our time as high school coaches, we spent a reasonable amount of time in the weight room as players should too.

Weight and strength training is critical for a hockey player�s development. We believe that a general power�oriented strength program should be followed during the off�season. That same program should be modified into a sport�specific program during the preseason (approximately six to seven weeks prior to the start of your season).

During the season itself, the player should try to work out two times per week to maintain his or her gains. One recent study in Florida found that athletes who have trained hard in the off�season can lose up to two thirds of all they have gained if they stop training once the season starts.

Our general weight-training philosophy is to have the freshmen players work on machines in the context of a general total�body program three days a week. Sophomores keep to this format, although they begin to work with free weights. While performing all exercises in three sets of 10 repetitions, both with machines and free weights in these two years, a good foundation is laid.

Only in the junior and senior years do we allow our athletes, including hockey players, to work in sport�specific programs oriented towards power and size (i.e., repetition sets under five repetitions and lifting exercises such as heavy bench presses and squats two days per week in a heavy day/light day program).

For individuals who are not in high school, this same philosophy should be modified to reflect a natural progression in the development of the player�s strength and ability.

Obviously, the legs are crucial to the hockey player so they deserve special attention. Admittedly, squats may be the best exercise for the legs (some weight training experts maintain that squats are the best overall exercise for the entire body). Some athletes are wary of free weight squats because of great stress to the knees. These individuals can opt for other exercises such as the leg press.

Consult your strength coach and have him or her design a program for you. Also make an effort to meet with your coach after approximately 12 workouts to monitor your progress and offer advice for encountered problems.

Another good habit to get into, assuming your school or gymnasium does not offer it, is to get an index card and keep a record of your exercises, weights, and other personal information such as your body weight. The usual exercises included in a basic program are the bench press, behind the neck pull-downs, upright rows, seated presses (or military presses), bicep curls, tricep extensions, squats, leg curls and sit�ups.

Of course the more physically-developed or experienced you are in weight training should be taken into consideration. More advanced (and better conditioned) athletes should take on more advanced programs. (No rigorous physical education programs should be undertaken without the care and advice of a physician, coach or trainer).

For the average athlete, the three sets of 10 reps formula is recommended. Research has shown that muscle tissue tires at about six to seven repetitions. To get beyond that point more muscle fibers would be needed to accommodate the stressful, workload demands. Additionally, the 3 X 10 formula is oriented towards strength rather than size. This is, of course, a concern to hockey players. In fact, to train specifically for ice hockey, we recommend the following program:

� Squats or leg press (3 X 10)

A final word on weight training. Remember, most modern athletes train with weights. The days of worries about becoming �muscle�bound� are gone.

What is the best advice you can give to athletes for training in the off�season?

More than anything, enjoy your off�season, have fun and stay fit. Many players are surprised to find that a fresh mind and body dramatically increases their worth as an ice hockey player once the regular season comes around. Have fun!