With
over 25 years experience in developing skating abilities for both amateur and
professional hockey players in North America and Europe, Marianne Watkins has
become one of the leading instructors in the field of power skating. Her
experience and innovative approach makes her one of the most sought after power
skating coaches in hockey. Marianne has worked with many of the top players,
coaches, and teams in the game including:
Wayne Gretzky, Paul Coffey, Tie Domi, Mike Ricci,
Chris Pronger, Jason Arnott, Jamie Langenbrunner, Darren McCarty, Cory Stillman,
Roger Neilson, Jacques Martin, Florida Panthers (NHL), Toronto Maple Leafs
(NHL), Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL), Syracuse Crunch (AHL), Peterborough Petes (OHL),
Oshawa Generals (OHL)
Marianne is a proud Peterbough native and OMHA supporter.
Off-Season Skating Training
By: Marianne Watkins
I believe to succeed and survive in
hockey at any level, a player must be committed to training
on and off the ice, and must prepare
to continually develop his or her individual skating skills,
hockey skills, and conditioning. A
player’s body and mind must be ready to perform, react, and
endure the challenges of one the
most physically and mentally demanding sports in the world.
This training should be going on
from season to season, but unfortunately some players don’t
understand the importance of this
process. I see it all the time, that players tend to concentrate
more on their hockey skills than
they do their skating skills and off ice body development.
Sooner or later this uneven balance
of skills catches up with you, and ultimately may limit your
playing days!
Each year the need for speed,
strength, skills, technical efficiency and conditioning becomes
more apparent and necessary to
compete. The off-season is the time to build up that foundation
and “train it up a notch” to
your respective level and prepare for the upcoming season.
“The biggest improvement you can
make to your skating is through your off-ice training.”
Increasing your hip, knee, and foot
flexibility, core body and leg strength, cardio vascular
endurance, foot speed and explosive
power, will ultimately accelerate your skating improvement.
I have a friend by the name of Tie
Domi whom I have worked with since his junior hockey
playing days as a Peterborough Pete.
Even though Tie is probably best known for his physical
presence, he’s a very strong, and
technically sound skater who can keep up with the best of
them. He has told me, that after
fourteen years in the NHL, he’s in better playing shape, and
skating better than ever. He credits
this to his off-season, off-ice training program.
“The biggest improvement you can
make to your game is through your skating.”
The off-season power skating program
that I offer players of all levels is called “Survival
Training.” Our motto is “Sweat
it now or sweat it later,” because if you don’t take the time to
develop your skills now, it will
catch up with you later. A lot of players wonder what more do
they need to know about skating.
They have learned the basic fundamentals, and play just fine.
The first thing I try to emphasize
to players is, how solid are your basic skating skills? Are they
technically efficient and can you
perform them with the speed necessary for the level you are
playing? How is your lateral
movement, agility, transitional movement, reaction time,
acceleration, quickness, and
endurance level? Is your game performance restricted by the lack
of skill base that you have? For
example, look at all the ways crossovers/crosscuts are used in
the game. They are needed for
forward and backward lateral movement, turning, acceleration,
and starting up. There are two kinds
of crossovers that you need to perform effectively. Quick
crossovers where you are using the
lower half of your leg, focusing on quick feet. These are
used to maneuver quickly and gain
speed. Then there extended leg crossovers, which involve as
much leg and ice as possible to
create more room to maneuver and accelerate speed. I try to
demonstrate both types and how they
are used in the game depending on the situation. Hockey
is a game of reaction; you don’t
know what’s going to happen next, so you need to be prepared
to move quickly and effectively with
the confidence to perform any skating move that is needed.
The more moves you have, the better
a player you will become. The last thing you want is to be
restricted by your limited
abilities.
The real benefit to developing your
skating through “power skating” instruction is learning and
understanding proper techniques
specific to hockey. Also being shown the proper way to utilize
those skills in the game, and having
the exercises and drills that you can take away to practice
on your own time.
The last comment I’d make in
regards to the off-season. It’s called the “off season” and that
means, “GET OFF THE ICE!” Even
the pros know that it can’t be an all year round routine, being
on ice, playing competitive games
throughout the year. Other sports and activities can be a real
asset to your hockey through cross
training. Soccer and lacrosse, for example, are excellent
complimentary sports.
So, take a break, get away from the
rink and when you do return, remember that developing
your skills will be the key to you
continuing to play at the highest level you can. You’ve come
this far; you owe it to yourself -
Invest in your hockey future!
Keep you’re head up, stick down,
have fun, don’t forget, you’re #1!
Your friend,
Coach Marianne Watkins
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Robert Morris University
Island Sports Center
- Home of the Robert Morris University Colonials
Private Instruction Coach Marianne Watkins
