The transition from youth, high school or midget hockey to juniors brings a host of emotions for players and parents. As a parent of a former NAHL player, I know the excitement that comes with this accomplishment along with a new set of hopes and dreams. Also, as a NA3HL/NAHL team trainer, I’ve witnessed the disappointment and frustration that reaching the next level brings as well. It’s been said that somewhere between 2-5% of all youth hockey players make a junior hockey team, which speaks volumes about the players that move on. Like with all opportunities in life, you get out of junior hockey what you put into it.
Over my years of working with the local junior team, I’ve had the privilege of watching some really good players. I’ve seen kids have a great experience and end their playing career leaving happy and fulfilled. I’ve also seen kids that flatlined and left junior hockey with a bad taste in their mouth. Every now and then, I’ve also watched a player advance from juniors to college, and even the professional ranks. Being involved with these players for over 15 years, it has become apparent that junior players fall into one of two buckets.
Bucket one players are hockey players. They come to the league to seize the opportunity, put in the work every day and have a relentless drive to develop their on-ice playing and off-ice leadership skills. Some of these players are highly gifted with athleticism and a high hockey IQ. Most of the players in bucket one, however, are the lunch pail guys that come into the league with mid-level talent and skills, are coachable and willing to do whatever it takes to improve. Bucket one players can be described as high potential, underdeveloped, hard working, team players with a drive to improve.
Bucket two is full of guys that play hockey. These players come into the league simply looking to extend their playing career and take advantage of the “junior lifestyle”. They never seem to fully commit to the team vision/goals and put in just enough work to not get cut. They tend to take summers off, skip a few weight room sessions and show up for camp out of shape. Bucket two players can be described as high potential, low drive, unmotivated players simply wanting to keep playing the game.
If you are looking to maximize your junior hockey experience, be a bucket one player. For some players, it just comes naturally and for others, it takes hard work and focus. My favorite players are the guys that show up day one for camp as a bucket two player and finish their first season in bucket one. The opportunity is equal for every guy on the roster. The difference, however, is what you do with the opportunity. So let’s talk about getting the most out of your junior hockey experience.
For many players, this is the first time away from home, out from under the watchful eyes of their parents. One of the biggest mistakes I see players make is not sticking to a healthy lifestyle routine. What does that mean? It means staying up too late at night, playing video games all hours of the day and into the night and not prioritizing their body’s recovery and their health. With most practices being two to three hours, players are expending incredible amounts of energy, burning calories and breaking down muscle. They must give their bodies proper time to recover. That means focusing on getting eight-plus hours of sleep at night, where going to bed happens before midnight. There is something magical with the human body and the circadian rhythms when we go to bed on the same day that we got up. Staying up past midnight and sleeping until 10 a.m is not as restful or as recuperative as going to bed at 10:30 and getting up at seven. Altered sleep patterns not only affect physical performance and recovery, it also has a negative impact on cognitive function. Players that are sleep deprived look “a step slow”, struggle to make the “tape to tape pass” and don’t “see the game” as well. The greatest performance enhancing activity a junior hockey player can do is focus on consistent, regular sleep habits that result in eight or more hours of sleep each night.
Being away from parents also puts a player’s eating and nutrition habits to the test. Living with a billet family means eating the food provided for you. Unfortunately, not all billets know what it takes to feed a high level athlete. This is where the player and parents can sit down with the billet family and discuss the nutritional needs of the athlete. I’m definitely not saying that skaters need filet mignon and crab cakes. But, there needs to be a strong emphasis on high quality protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fat intake. Quality nutrition is right behind sleep when it comes to enhancing performance. For skaters, it’s important to have healthy options available throughout the day. Look to keep protein bars and shakes, fresh fruit like bananas, apples and berries, hard boiled eggs, oatmeal and meat/beans/rice meals around for snacking before and after practice. These players need calories and, as much as possible, they should be quality calories. The average player needs between 3,000 and 5,000 calories a day to maintain muscle mass, strength and the endurance it takes to excel in the game of hockey. While pizza and Gatorade after a game provide calories needed in the moment, making wiser and better food decisions during the week is key to maintaining high performance over the course of a season.
The last issue I see players struggle with when away from their parents is injury management. Here’s the reality: every player will have some type of injury during their career. Some you can play through, others require rest or treatment, or both. The worst thing a skater can do is avoid seeing the team trainer or doctor to have potential injuries evaluated. As a team doctor, I know players don’t want to miss games. Practices? That’s another story. Anyway, my rule is that I want to evaluate everything and anything that doesn’t feel normal or is affecting your ability to play hockey. Many times, nothing needs to be done and you can carry on. In some cases, however, the skater needs to be shut down to heal and recover. My belief is that it is not doing the team or the player any good skating when they are less than 80% of their full capabilities. Sitting out one or two weekends to let a shoulder or knee heal up is not the end of a player’s career. Proper injury management can be the difference between a long, productive hockey career and a short one.
Enjoy your time in juniors. You are going to make life long friends and create some of the best memories possible. Take full advantage of the opportunity you have earned. Train hard in the off season. Practice everyday like your career depends on it. Sleep, eat and recover like your life depends on it. Because it does.
by Mike Powell
Dr. Mike Powell was born and raised in Iowa, went to school at Buena Vista University and graduated from Northwestern College of Chiropractic in 1996. Growing up, Dr. Powell was a 4 sport athlete and played NCAA Division III college football. Dr Powell moved to Alexandria to open his practice in 1997. Dr. Powell has served as team doctor for the local NAHL and NA3HL hockey team for over 14 years.
As a lifetime athlete, Dr Powell has earned multiple certifications in rehabilitation, sports injury and fitness including the prestigious Titleist Performance Institute that have served him in helping his patients achieve optimal results.
In his spare time, he enjoys all aspects of fitness including weight training and cycling. He and his wife Kelly love to spend time on the water wake-surfing and paddle boarding, as well as touring the countryside on their Harley. Dr. Powell has 2 grown boys, Tom and Jack along with Kelly’s three girls, Reise, Jada and Devyn.