Outdoor Skills Center

 

The center enhances an already popular instructional program. It features innovative field drills and exercises that reinforce on-ice techniques and can be taken home and practiced to further a player's skills.

These exercises, which feature individual attention, increase players' agility and stamina.

In addition to individual testing for upper and lower body strength, quickness, and agility, we have incorporated a grip strength and oxygen test for cardiovascular conditioning.

The off-ice program also emphasizes the essential skills of puck handling, stride boarding, and shooting, along with goalie-specific drills. Tennis balls and the Swedish Speed Ball complement puck work and are used in conjunction with the ladder drill and soccer ball drill (simultaneous puck handling and footwork), attack triangle (deking), PVC-pipe drill (upper hand control), step-up drill (puck handling/cardiovascular), and a new shooting accuracy drill using swinging tires.

Mix in a little fun and this off-ice program is a great advantage to learning hockey at Michigan Tech.

Classroom Sessions

Students will attend lectures that relate to instructional videos and techniques taught on the ice.

Videotapes of scrimmages will be shown in Thursday and Friday sessions.

Stretching Sessions

The importance of proper stretching before play cannot be stressed enough. Players are taught a specialized stretching program, designed for hockey, that increases flexibility and helps prevent injury. Players will find this knowledge valuable and useful throughout their careers. Participants in the Bantam, Midget/High School, and Elite programs learn the safe use of weight-training equipment.

There's More—

Recreation

Due to the intensity of the program, participants have limited free time. Recreational periods are supervised and may include swimming or organized games, such as soccer, basketball, and dodgeball.