| Hockey fitness for 8-11 year old kids may seem like | | | | with one other teammate. Make it a competition or a |
| something unimportant but it's not, and in reality, it's | | | | fun challenge and they'll jump all over it. |
| something every parent and coach should be working | | | | Remember that kids aren't adults... |
| into young players' hockey schedules. Not only will | | | | 8-11 year old kids (and young teens as well) aren't |
| training help the kids perform better on the ice, boosting | | | | developed enough to work out the same way that |
| their confidence and in turn their love of the game, but | | | | kids 15 and over, and adults do. In fact having a young |
| instilling a love for fitness in kids at a young age will | | | | kid do the same workout as a fully developed teen or |
| help to ensure they grow up to be healthy adults as | | | | adult is actually detrimental and will hinder them more |
| well. Here are three extremely important things to | | | | than it will help them. It's still massively important for kids |
| consider when it comes to fitness training for young | | | | to start training early, and it has huge benefits for them |
| hockey players. | | | | on the ice and in life, but you have to be sure that the |
| It has to be fun or there isn't any point... | | | | workouts they're doing are right for their age group. |
| You absolutely need to find a way to make fitness | | | | Follow a program designed for hockey... |
| training fun for the young players or else all it's going to | | | | If you don't have a coach or a trainer with specific |
| do is sour them on the game and they won't see the | | | | knowledge in fitness training for kids, specifically training |
| results from it that they would if it was enjoyable. | | | | with hockey in mind, then your best bet is to follow a |
| Make working out or doing dry-land training a fun | | | | program. You can hire a trainer to design a program, |
| experience and the kids will excel. The best way to do | | | | but that can be very costly. The other great option is |
| this is to have the kids workout as a team, or at least | | | | to follow a pre-designed hockey specific program. |