| When it comes to achieving "mastery" in your chosen | | | | realistic that starting this intensity of training schedule |
| activity, experts say you need to spend 10,000 hours | | | | could get you to your goal by the time you were 24 or |
| perfecting your craft. Now 10,000 hours is a lot of time, | | | | 25, which is the average age of the women's national |
| especially when you consider that most girls' hockey | | | | team members in the US and Canada. |
| players are only on the ice for an average of 7 hours | | | | The reality is that whether you start at the age of 5 or |
| a week during the season and much less frequently in | | | | 15, it's going to be pretty hard to collect all these training |
| the off-season. | | | | hours only through on-ice training. In fact, it's virtually |
| So how would a young player looking to make it to the | | | | impossible (and highly discouraged) for younger players |
| highest levels of hockey be able to accumulate | | | | to be on the ice for 3 hours every day of the week. |
| enough hours to reach the top of her sport? When | | | | By the time girls get to college hockey, 3 or 4 hours of |
| would she have to start? | | | | training per day is pretty standard. But that doesn't |
| Here's how those 10,000 hours might breakdown | | | | start until you are 17 or 18 years old - when you are |
| (assuming that she is training all year around with a | | | | physical and mentally ready for that level of focus and |
| two week break): | | | | intensity of training. |
| => If she spent 10 hours per week training for 50 | | | | So how can aspiring players start to accumulate the |
| weeks of the year, she would collect 500 hours of | | | | hours they need to achieve mastery in women's |
| training time per year. At that rate, it would take her 20 | | | | hockey? |
| years to reach the "mastery" level. Considering many | | | | By thinking beyond ice time. |
| girls hockey players don't start playing until they are 7 | | | | The hours girls spend training off the ice count too, and |
| or 8, that might just be too little, too late. | | | | might even be more important for younger players |
| => If she spent 15 hours per week training for 50 | | | | who don't have access to hours of ice every day and |
| weeks of the year, she would collect 750 hours of | | | | haven't built up the foundation of strength and speed |
| training time per year. At that rate, it would only take | | | | necessary to play high-level hockey yet. On-ice ability |
| her 15 years to reach the "mastery" level. So she | | | | alone is not enough to get girls to the elite level. It's |
| doesn't need to start quite as early, but it is still a long | | | | what players do off the ice that separates the best |
| time. | | | | from the rest. |
| => If she spent 20 hours per week training for 50 | | | | By building their foundation for elite performance off |
| weeks of the year, she would collect 1000 hours of | | | | the ice at an early age, players give themselves the |
| training time per year. At that rate, it would only take | | | | opportunity to be great on the ice years later. If they |
| her 10 years to reach the "mastery" level. It would be | | | | wait until they are 16 or 17 to start, they might just run |
| 10 years of intense hard work, but it could be done. | | | | out of time. |
| Since most girls hockey players decide that they want | | | | If you are ready to make a dent in those 10,000 hours, |
| to get to the elite level around the age of 14 or 15, it is | | | | start working as hard off the ice as you do on the ice. |