Hang like a ninja pro

How to Get Started with Ninja…Just Hang!

How to start Ninja training: tips from the pros

You know the hardest part of starting any new hobby or goal?
STARTING!
Getting started to train ninja isn’t as hard as you may think. it’s starts with JUST HANGING! How simple is that?!
The first step is to just get used to hanging from a bar. Let the hands figure out how to squeeze, how to relax your shoulders and come to a full hang, and NOT flail your legs around trying to stay up! The more movement you have, the harder you will make the deadhang!

Start with just hanging for 10 seconds! See how it feels! Then each time you hang, just go up another 5 seconds! You’ll be up to a minute in no time!

Once you get comfortable with a deadhang, see if you can let go with 1 hand! Now DO NOT, just let go with 1 hand and think your grip is developed enough to take that weight transfer! Before you let go with 1 hand, shift your bodyweight over to the side that is going to be staying gripped on the bar. THEN let go with the other hand. Doing the weight transfer this way allows your body to be where it is going to have to be in order for your weight transfer to work. If you let go before shifting your weight, then your body is going to just swing in the direction of the hand that’s hanging still, and it will be ALOT harder to hang on!

Now hop up on a bar and start working that grip strength!

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601 Laurel Oak Rd.
Voorhees, NJ 08043

Ninja warrior hockey performance

How Can Ninja Help Improve My Hockey Performance?!?!

How Can Swinging Around Like a Ninja Increase Performance?!?!

 

 

Alright, I know what you’re thinking…how the heck does swinging around on things help me with hockey or the sport I play!? Let’s break it down!

How Ninja Improves Performance!

  1. Movement Efficiency – improve your ability to move your body more efficiently and increase the  fluidity of body mechanics! The more fluid your body moves the quicker and faster you’ll be on the ice or field!
  2. Grip Strength – Hanging and swinging can greatly improve your hand and grip strength, improving your shot power and efficiency!
  3. Hand Eye Coordination – Swinging and grabbing different holds can increase your hand eye coordination ability. You can also throw in some fun variations like tennis balls!
  4. Spatial Awareness – Flying around and understanding how to swing you hips and body can improve your ability to move and feel your body in space which leads to better awareness and movement on the field or ice!

These are just a few ways ninja can help imorve your performance on the ice or any sport you play! Stay tuned for more ninja tips and tricks!

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Inside of the Flyers Training Center
601 Laurel Oak Rd.
Voorhees, NJ 08043

Ninja Summer Camp Coming to Training Aspects Voorhees!!

All New Ninja Experience Coming to Voorhees!!

 

 

Ninja Summer Camp Options

We’ll be hosting a 1 week Ninja summer camp this summer! Filled with fitness, food, and fun! Oh…and of course Ninja!!!

Ninja Camp Essentials

  1. Ninja Courses
  2. Movement Assessments
  3. Learn to Move Well
  4. Games and Competition
  5. Reaction Lights
  6. Food and Fun

It’s going to be a blast this summer! You won’t want to miss it! Dates and details to be released soon, stay tuned!

Visit us:
Inside of the Flyers Training Center
601 Laurel Oak Rd.
Voorhees, NJ 08043

Kip like a ninja warrior

Ninja Warrior Tip! How to Kip!

TA Ninja Tip! What’s a Kip?!

 

 What is a Ninja Kip?

Kipping is a way of getting more power out of your entire body while performing ninja moves. You use your knees, hips, and arms to throw your body up explosively, this will increase your overall power output and efficiency on ninja obstacles!

Have you ever seen Superman do obstacles with a strange accent?

Here are some tips on kipping, when to use it, and how to properly use it

To begin the process of learning a kip, you’ll have to hang from a bar. Let your body fully dangle! Once you’re ready, drive your knees straight up, while simultaneously pulling down on the bar, in order to project your body upward!

Once you’ve successfully performed this movement, your body will rise up a few inches & you will essentially be floating or weightless for a moment! Once you feel that, you’re able to make your move! Whether it’s a muscle up, salmon ladder move, dyno, or just a kipping pull up, your technique is very similar.

3 Great Obstacles to Practice Ninja Kips

  1. Flying Monkey Bars
  2. Salmon Ladder
  3. Muscle Ups

A ninja kip is a very tough move to master but once you can synchronize the body movements involved it will open up a whole new level of ninja performance!

Stay tuned for more ninja performance tips and tricks!

Let us know your thoughts and what information helped you today!

Visit us:
Inside of the Flyers Training Center
601 Laurel Oak Rd.
Voorhees, NJ 08043

weight loss tips

4 Most common weight loss obstacles to overcome

Personal training, diets, habits, and The New Year:

Small changes, over time, lead to big changes. The big change usually does not present itself  until the change is out of control. Then, like many, The New Year comes around and resolutions are set but the plan is a temporary ! Understanding how the life puzzle is structured, allows for true solutions and applicable habits, that overtime will become the dominant habits. The life puzzle will be altered and success attained! With all that said, here are 4 of the most common obstacles.

Don’t take away… Add:

Don’t start dieting and don’t wait until January 1st to start. The usual plan, no carbs and eat less. Instead, here are 3 things to add into your diet that may promote weight loss/inches dropping:

Please keep in mind, these are tips and may not be meant for everyone. Depending on allergies and health history. Please make sure to check with your doctor before adding any of the tips below.

  • Get results with Training Aspects trainingIncrease water intake. Water is an essential variable in health success. When people talk about their metabolism, one of the best ways to help the metabolism, drink more water. Technically, 80-100 fl.oz is need for women and 100-120 fl.oz is needed for men. However, if you currently drink  2 regular bottles a day (that means you have about 30-40 fl. oz a day. Make a goal of doubling that. Get a clear water bottle(at least 36 fl.oz)  that will remind you to keep drinking or set alarms for yourself. Your choice, just drink more water!
  • Hit your protein intake goal. No, not eat high protein and low carb. Just make sure to eat enough protein in a day. Protein needs vary between individuals. For the average person with no true health issues,  divide your weight by 2.2 then multiply by 1.4. If you’re already active or extremely active multiply by 1.8-2.2 . Example, if you weigh 165lbs. 165/2.2= 75 then take 75 and multiply by 1.4.
    75 x 1.4= 105. Eat 105grams of protein a day. This doesn’t mean you can eat as much carb or fats, as you’d like but if you eat enough protein it may help keep the cravings and help decrease the desire of overeating .
  • Increase fiber intake through out the day. Fiber needs range between 25-30g for women and 30-35g for men. Nuts, seeds, beans, fruits veggies are all good choices to increase fiber numbers. Fiber is great for helping insulin stability, as well as, satiety.

This task becomes much easier if food logging is a daily activity. Whether by hand or with an app. My fitness pal* and lose it* are good tools that are free and you can get it in the app store (it may prompt you to sign up for the paid version, it’s helpful but not essential, free version works just fine). The things that are learned when food logging are eye opening.

You time:

Many ways to go with this one. Kids, work, meetings, friends, family, commitments, obligations… the list can get lengthy. When identifying the current schedule, change the mind set from “everyone needs me, and if I’m not there, everything will collapse” to “I know I’m great and everyone needs me but where can I make 20mins to an hour happen for me time”. The world will survive for an hour. Stop giving everyone, including your kids, all of your time. Your time, is your time, even if it’s 20mins. Make

it valuable, a workout doesn’t mean sweaty and needing a shower. It also doesn’t mean there needs to be gym equipment or a gym membership. Depending on your goal, pull up bar, squats and push ups or find a walking path, use the emergency stairs or even the stairs at home. A workout doesn’t have to be intense to start. “Your time” and Nothing disturbs your time! The assignment, work, the kids, the dog or whatever else can wait 20mins. Your health and abilities must be a priority. Plan your workout and make it an appointment that is not flexible. The same goes for food. If meal prepping isn’t an option. The night before decide where and when you will eat. Put that into your schedule, Non-negotiable. Don’t get stuck with the “I had no choice” excuse. There is always a choice, prepare the night before and when it comes to food, you’ll never utter the words “I had no choice”.

No Gym membership, no problem:

SquatOne of the great parts of the identifying stage, is realizing what were some of the good habits that are no longer present. If you had a dog and used to walk the dog twice a day for 30-45mins. Job/career change and the current one is in a chair. Competed in a sport or activity. Though workouts are beneficial, not being able to get to the gym or not wanting to pay for a gym membership doesn’t mean you can’t workout.

  • Variations of Push ups, squats, lunges pull ups (amazon, $25 bar and put it in  most doorways),plank, burpee, get ups.
  • Go for a walk, Walk the stairs (home, work or park), mountain climbers, jumping jacks, running man, step ups, jump rope ($5-10 on amazon),

These are all basic exercises which can be done pretty much anywhere! Check out our youtube page or check out our training app with Stan, our virtual trainer.

Create your own success story:

“Did you hear? John started this diet and lost 20lbs in the first month!” Good for John! John committed and his body reacted immediately! Unfortunately, Your health variables for success, may not be the same as John’s, physically, mentally, timely etc. What works for one person doesn’t necessarily mean it will work for another. This is why identifying your personal needs are so important, before committing to any program. Yes, there is a need for discipline and will power! Especially, as you begin the journey. Don’t let other people’s results discourage you, the comparison isn’t equal. Instead, Let those stories encourage you that it is possible! Look into what you’re committing to. Is the program that they committed to, the right program for you? Don’t force it! If you can’t commit, your just setting yourself up for failure. However, because you identified your habits, you can figure out, quickly, what you can and can’t commit to. Start there!

New year’s resolution Success:

The new years resolution is one of the most exciting times in the fitness world. People are excited for the new year and are ready to change their life. It is a wonderful time, challenge your discipline and commitment-muscle but start with a challenge that is manageable. Check back monthly on the habits that are being created and if you’re ready, progress them to the next level! Make health and fitness a priority and be the success story that everyone talks about!

      

Kirill Vaks
Sports performance movement specialist
BA-CSCS-ACSM-NFPT

 

If you missed article 1 of this series follow the link below:

 

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2020 new years resolution

No diet or workout can fix bad habits

Truly succeed with your 2020 new year’s resolution2020 new years resolution

The 3 pieces of habit you didn’t realize are Essential for Health and fitness Success in 2020:

The 3 pieces of habit formation that you must keep in mind while creating your New Year’s resolutions. I hear many share the popular “No great workout out runs a poor diet”. Catchy and there is truth to that saying, however, no diet or workout outruns poor habits, the biggest piece of health and fitness success. The question is, how do our daily habits affect us and how easy is it to change them? Habits are the body’s automations that we’ve created through reinforcement. Not realizing, there are specific activities that you do or that you no longer do, daily, that have deconditioned and sculpted (from a physical, movement, and mental way) you into the person you are today.  The following are three important processes to make sure any goal that is set, is achieved!

Habit Formation 1: The 4 stages of competence-

The 4 stages of competence either boost our abilities to dominance or our demise. There are various levels and intensities that these stages fit. We’ll be focusing on the smaller ones that we may not realize affect us on a high level. If a task we often do can be automated it allows us to focus on other tasks that take thought. For example, if you’ve woken up went to brush your teeth and at the same time, in your head, went through the main points of your extremely important presentation at school or work. A few hours later, you may not even be sure if you brushed your teeth because of the focus on the presentation. The task of brushing teeth is, for most, an automated process. The 4 stages of competence is the process the body uses for task automation. The 4 stages are defined below:

  • Training Aspects, Weight Loss, Sports Coach, Sports Performance, Health, Healthy Lifestyle, Fitness, Fitness Coach, Health Coach, Fat Loss, Losing WeightStage 1 Unconscious – Incompetent:  The individual doesn’t understand how to do the task and isn’t actually aware that the task is even needed. Example: If There was a time, where coffee wasn’t a part of the morning routine. Whether, the first cup was an instant favorite (for most it isn’t, still not this writer’s drink of choice ) or it was indulged due to necessity, that would be considered stage 1.
  • Stage 2 Conscious – Incompetent: Now with the awareness of the task, the individual decides to add it in to the schedule and learn to use it.  Example- Tasted coffee, enjoyed it’s energy boost, now decided to understand how much or little is needed to drink, what can be added to it, the flavors of coffee and any other tricks of the trade.
  • Stage 3 Conscious – Competent: Aware of the task and now somewhat skilled but still has need to think through steps.  Example: The flavors of coffee, the amount, how much sugar or cream should be added are now known but still take some thought. If arguing on the phone while making your coffee, you’ll probably mess it up because it still takes focus.
  • Stage 4 Unconscious – Competent: It has become “second nature” Can now be performed at the same time as another task. Example: Walking into a coffee shop on the phone arguing about something important and not even thinking about how much or what to add to your coffee. It needs no thought.

The 4 stages of competence is an important process the human mind goes through. Becoming aware and able to complete a task without thought. It is an extraordinary ability and it has its many positives, however it has some drawbacks as well. The ability to make certain task automated allows for more processing power to focus on the tasks that aren’t as proficient. Stage 4 becomes automatic. Unlike a computer, when a person makes something a regular process good or bad it becomes a part of them. The only way to over ride the now natural task is to create a stronger process and avoid the one learned.

Habit Formation 2: The Habit Loop

2020 New year's resolution health and fitness

   example with stress eating

The brilliance of the human body,  Fight or flight! The body must survive, with all the remarkable capabilities a human being has the ability to automate processes to conserve energy. One of the processes is called the habit loop. The habit loop is present during the 4 stages of competence. The habit loop reinforces the act and makes it automatic. Based on 3 parts: The cue, the routine and the reward.

The cue is what sets off the habit. It’s the trigger to begin the regular routine. Been strong on a diet for a month, you sit down with a friend and as any great host put a batch of home made cookies in front of you. You say “No thank you, I just ate”, like the good dieter you are. As the conversation continues to pick up without realizing the person offered the cookie to you in the middle of a story you’re telling them, you grab the cookie and without thinking about it you eat it.

The routine- the diet may be on the forefront of your mind but subconsciously eating the cookie allows for the reward. Once your mind is focusing on the stories and discussions you realize you are chewing a cookie!

The reward- For each person and situation it may be different, whether it’s being a part of the experience of eating and talking with friends or the taste. The reward may be a negative affect once the loop has been complete, but once the cue triggers, there needs to be a stronger reward that can override the current routine. Translation- If coffee with extra cream and sugar is the desired drink in the morning changing it to black coffee may not be the long term answer. It would be better to identify a drink that gives similar reward, taste, timing, experience etc. instead. The goal is to create a habit loop stronger or won’t make you feel like your missing out too much.

Habit Formation 3: The Healthy Life Style Puzzle:

Training Aspects LIFE STYLE CHANGE PUZZLE PIECE FOR SUCCESS IN 2020Looking back, when you were in the best shape of your life. What was a prominent theme in your life, regular activities, what were the people surrounding you into? Most likely, sports, active hobbies, active lifestyle, active friends, support, more time/less obligations  etc. The people we surround our lives with and the things we do, sculpt us into the people we are today. Most groups of friends, family, teams act and look similar. The person that doesn’t have similar qualities usually ends up choosing to do other activities or spend time with others. As mentioned earlier, No amazing diet or workout regimen will change a weak life style and poor habits. It may change for the short term even a few years. However, unless there is true commitment to the new lifestyle there won’t be true results.

Bringing it all together:

There are many places to invest in training, nutrition, surgery… before making an expensive mistake, understand what your goal is and if it’s an aggressive one adjust your expectations or be ready for an overhaul, depending on how strong the current habits are in your life puzzle. Placing a new puzzle piece into a puzzle isn’t just a one piece change, the whole puzzle may need a change.

For part 2: follow the link
Part 2: The one exercise that will help you succeed in the new year

 

Kirill Vaks
Sports performance movement specialist
BA-CSCS-ACSM-NFPT

New years resolution articles you may have missed:

 

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Train movement not muscle 3 reasons

The athlete versus the sport

Sports Training for Athlete Development Versus Sport Development:

3 Thoughts Shared by a Sports Performance Coach:

“If I, as an athlete, eat, sleep and breathe… the sport I play… I will have the chance to become a professional and compete in the game I love as a career.” Consuming yourself with the sport you love is great! Having a passion and obsessing over the result is an important piece of the success puzzle. In the past, it was harder to come by but present day, no matter the sport, there is an avenue to play it year round. Often, the year round “one sport athlete” finds a strength and conditioning program that is based off of their sport further proving their commitment to the sport. Commitment is a great attribute, but let’s dissect it a bit further.

Athletic training for sport

1. Sport Development vs. Personal Development:

Others’ Thoughts and Actions:

 

I have been fortunate to work with some high end athletes in their respective sport. What often interests me is the athlete that has extremely impressive ability in their sport and yet, has little athletic ability in any other sport or athletic movement. As mentioned earlier, committing and becoming obsessed with the result is essential for success. However, too much of anything can be bad without a road map. Committing to run as fast as you can west is great until you stop and realize that you arrived at ‘a destination’. However, along the way, you missed a few turns and you’re further from the actual destination than you were before you started.

Sports performance coach thought:

Each sport has its own specific needs that are important to develop. That doesn’t mean that’s the only focus! Develop the other movements, senses, and getting stronger isn’t the only answer. Define what stronger actually means, in your actual case. Developing the sports specific needs is important but don’t forget the other areas of athletic need that may propel you to another level!

 

 

2. Athletes are Healthy and In Shape:

Others’ Thoughts and Actions:

Athletes are looked at as symbols of health and fitness. They are at the top of their sports chain of command. Their life is playing the sport they love! Often, in conversation, I’ll hear “Did you see what this athlete said about training?” or “Did you see what that athlete was able to do?”. The amazing feats of an athlete often make us believe they are the standard of health.

Sports Performance Coach Thoughts:

Training Aspects Voorhees Cherry Hill Marlton Personal TrainerYes, in ways, athletes are extremely powerful and capable of much more than that of the average person. This is true. However, the athlete also has much more wear and tear, compensations, and imbalances that a majority of the public can’t imagine. Think about buying a car. Would you want to buy a regular car for $20,000 with 30,000 miles or a sports car that has 120,000 miles for the same price? The point is athletes get beat up! Each sport has its own flaws. Hockey– always shooting and leaning into one side of the body (depending on the shooting side). Soccer- always kicking and pivoting a specific way (depending on the side you play on). Boxing- jab hand is endurance based while the cross hand is the power side, Baseball -pitching, good luck with the pitching shoulder and landing leg. Athletes have it tough!

Athletes are extremely powerful and capable but their needs to keep the body in balance are a necessity. No matter how talented, powerful and capable, an athlete that’s injured isn’t any help to themselves or the team. This is why there is such a strong importance to not only focus on developing the athlete for the sport they play but also developing the athlete for performance. Developing the other branches of performance allows for the athlete to stay better in balance and away from injury. It also allows for their sport specific branches to become more effective (more on that in a future article).

3. The Puzzle is More Important than the Puzzle Piece:

Others’ Thoughts and Actions:

“Coach, if I do bench and deadlifts, I’ll get really strong right?!”…. “Coach, I do like 100 crunches a day and a lot of planks, that will make my core really strong, right?!”….. “Coach, if all summer I run and do sprints, that’ll make my conditioning much better”… “Coach, if I do yoga that’ll make me more flexible, right?!”

Sports Performance Coach Thought: 

Training AspectsThere are many programs, formulas, and answers on how to develop the perfect athlete with all of the variables that need to be touched on for the greatest performance. This coach may not agree with all of them. However, when the puzzle pieces fit the puzzle, the result is always a success. That is the most important part of the formula for success. As a coach, understanding how to maneuver and find the right puzzle pieces to make the puzzle come together. That is what performance training is. Helping athletes as a whole become their greatest self. Unleashing their true potential. That’s why the exercises and the different actions to develop the athletes aren’t necessarily right or wrong. It’s the actual program or the complex athlete formula (personal puzzle) that must be developed as a whole.

Bringing it all together:

Training the athlete for their sport is essential! Each sport has specific needs that must be met. However, that doesn’t mean that the needs of the *athlete* shouldn’t have a high priority. Developing the foundation of the athlete while allowing for consistency and maintenance, will allow the athlete to enjoy a career of success!

 

Kirill Vaks
Sports performance movement specialist
BA-CSCS-ACSM-NFPT

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Sports performance Fancy Versus Simple 3 thoughts

Sports Performance – 3 simple thoughts

Fancy versus Simple. Yes, having a machine that lifts the weights for your clients is great, but that may also go against the principal of overload. Just kidding.. kind of… 3 things that drive me crazy about the fitness and yes, sport performance world.

1. What’s the hot piece of research or what are the top “experts” in the field discussing

Keeping up with the latest information is important, as well as, paying attention to the people who have made a name for themselves. However, stop focusing on their research or whats the next hot technique. Define yourself with your training style, your results, your niche. When I started in the field, I wanted to be the best in nutrition, performance, “corrective”, you can only be truly great at one. The ability to research, apply the research and reset (yes, you will have to reset/start over, you will continue to find variables in the research which was missed.)

2. Equipment- Fancy Vs. Basic

 State of the art equipment makes everyones job easier. There is something about that scene in Rocky 3 when Apollo takes rocky from a state of the art performance facility and takes him into a dirty and questionable boxing space. Less equipment and more focus on the foundational principals. Train in the various planes, understand energy systems and develop movement ability and power through movement. … The trainer’s ability to help develop an athlete has less to do with the training toys available and comfort of the facility but the trainer’s understanding of the most effective way to approach a developing athlete. One of my favorite drills we run monthly at Training Aspects, each trainer is challenged to use a random item in the gym or outside and must come up with 15-20 various exercises with it. That’s right everything even a trash can could be used as a piece of equipment.

3. The amount of business focus versus results focus

Keeping the lights on is important but so is allowing clients to succeed. That’s *why* they invested in your services! Getting and keeping clients is a challenge and finding ways to cover overhead helps. The business part is an important piece of running a successful facility. However, The amount of “Business minded” people in the field is insane. More people focus on business models than genuinely caring about the client and developing their craft. It takes sacrifice and doesn’t always pack the wallet, until the rumor begins to spread… there is someone out there that genuinely wants to help.

Just a 4th of July thought. Posted on a Wednesday :-)!

Kirill Vaks
Sports performance movement specialist
BA-CSCS-ACSM-NFPT

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Unleash the Potential Episode 2: Angelo Dibattista 4 take aways

Unleash the Potential Podcast, is here to help hockey players, parents and the hockey community get a better sense on how to help the athletes develop and achieve their goals in the hockey world and help transition those successes and failures into positives in the next chapter of their life. The stories will feature, coaches, scouts, players, parents, trainers, various experts all to hopefully bring information and experiences to help the community. It is not meant as advice, each person’s situation may be different.

Angelo Dibattista played Junior hockey and currently climbing up the coaching ranks. Coach of the AA Flyers youth midget team, Ang is known for his up beat practices, strategic team development and passionate bench demeanor.

Quick video summary Below:

Be flexible be strategic

Understand the team that is present. If the team is fast but not necessarily big, don’t focus on a force focused approach. Create a strategy that fits the team.

Support system:

Find people you can rely on, then let them do their jobs, don’t interfere.

Motivating players

All players are not built the same way. Identify what communication style works as a group and what works from an individual  approach.

Standing out during tryouts

Do something, really well and keep doing it. DO not be afraid to show the coaches the game you play. Show you care through the effort you give on the back check, forecheck etc.

 

Written By:

Kirill Vaks

BA, CSCS, NFPT-SNS

 

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Unleash the Potential Podcast: Episode 1- Scott McKay 12 Take aways

Unleash the Potential Podcast, is here to help hockey players, parents and the hockey community get a better sense on how to help the athletes develop and achieve their goals in the hockey world and help transition those successes and failures into positives in the next chapter of their life. The stories will feature, coaches, scouts, players, parents, trainers, various experts all to hopefully bring information and experiences to help the community. It is not meant as advice, each person’s situation may be different.

Episode 1- Scott McKay 12 Hockey development Take aways

 

The head coach and organization president:

Scott started as a Jv B coach in 2000 and quickly moved not only the coaching ranks but the administration side as well. By 2009 became the president of the organization and head coach of the varsity team.

 

President Vs coach:

The job of coach, focus of about 17 players and at the job of president, 40 plus players plus the duties of running an organization,  being able to deal with concerns of parents, players, coaches and continuing the building process of the organization. Often the two jobs collide.  Scott, however, has been able to balance both and keep the teams focused on winning.

 

Developing talent to continue to winning culture:

Having a great feeder program has been essential for the Cherokee organization. Most players start in the Marlton street hockey league. By the time middle school comes around the players interested move into the middle school hockey program, for stage 2 of development. By the time they get to 8th grade they begin transitioning to the high school level. Besides the development of the players , Coach Scott mentions the importance of creating an organization of value and fun. Have players want to be a part of the program.

You control effort, give 100% :

If you’re talented and you don’t give effort, you most likely won’t make it. Work on progressing your abilities every step of the way. The one ability you do control is your effort.

 

 Playing time, players earn it :

The Cherokee coaches want you to take risks without hesitation. If there is a mistake, they’ll let you know and then it’s the players job to correct it.

How to get benched :

From the last point, pick your head up, don’t hesitate to make a play. However, if you continue to make the same play after being told contnuosly that’s the wrong play… your playing time will most likely be cut. Have an open line of communication with the coaches.

 

Approach a coach :

Parents looking to approach a coach. Make sure you’re not heated give it 16-24hrs if you’re heated. look at it from both sides. Could there be a reason why the player isn’t getting as much time?  As with anything in life don’t go into a conversation angry. It probably won’t be very effective.

 

Bench etiquette:

Whether you’re the best player or the not so best player, bench etiquette is every player job. Keep it positive and if a mistake is displayed, ask the player questions about it instead of degrading the player. Win, lose, tie.. keep the bench energy upbeat, teams have come back from worse!

 

Compete to play:

The chiefs are one of the top teams, if you a player wants to make it, have to compete! Stay in front of the coaches, show the work ethic, development, mind set, show the value you can bring. The organization wants to win, you don’t make it, keep working there is a good reason.

 

Player thoughts:

There are no guarantees, figure out how to continue to progress. Off ice training, on ice training, mental training, nutrition etc. continue to develop.

 

Organization tips:

Create a board that has the least bias possible. Develop a board that is looking to stay on whether they have kids in the program or not. To accomplish a plan time is needed, if there is no consistency no plan will have enough time to become successful.

 

Transition next level :

The next level, is faster, stronger, more experienced. What can you bring to the table? Know your strengths and continue to develop those bright spots.

 

 

Written By:

Kirill Vaks

BA, CSCS, NFPT-SNS

 

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