The OMHA Player’s Club presented by Bauer Hockey is still going strong as the calendar flips to 2016. If you’re still looking for a resolution, it is a great goal to set as the new year gets underway.

As a fun way to improve skills and self-development, the Player’s Club consists of three separate challenges. Each has its own unique plan to develop certain hockey skills.

During the holiday season alone, nearly 50 completed tracking sheets were submitted from across all the challenges, including two team submissions! Those sending in finished forms have often exceeded the target asks of 5,000 Pucks or 10,000 Touches.

The Player’s Club is easy to fit into a schedule and can be added into most daily routines, even with school and other hockey commitments.

The aim of the Player’s Club is to celebrate hockey skill and develop the game off of the ice through fun, repetitive exercises and drills. Those who successfully complete the challenges receive some amazing prizes from our friends at Bauer Hockey. There are different prizes for each challenge and completing multiple challenges means more rewards!

These challenges aren’t just limited to individual players. Get the whole team involved – submit everyone’s completed forms and keep each other motivated and on track!

Sign up here and get started on the challenges!

The aim of this challenge is to improve a player’s shot accuracy and technique. This is done by shooting 5,000 pucks over a 10-week span (or 100 a day, five times a week for 10 weeks). The plan features a variety of shots to practice and is suitable for all ages.

Tips:

• Get into a routine. Choose a time when you can practice at the same time every day. Plan ahead for days that you can’t practice.
• Have a dedicated place to shoot.
• Be accountable. Do what you can without technique breaking down or losing your focus – don’t just go through the motions.
• Break your workout into smaller chunks - for example, do half the workout early in the day and finish the rest later on that day.

The 10,000 Touches Challenge will help in increasing co-ordination and hand skill through the 15-30 minutes a day (or 75-150 minutes per week) requirement. Players of all ages should notice improved stick handling ability and puck control after completing this challenge.

A ‘touch’ can simply be defined as every time there is a change in direction of the ball.

With some skills, you will be able to perform many touches in a short period of time (Quick Hands – Front) while others (Wide Reach) are more deliberate motions with wide motion and path.

These skills are technique building with foundational movements.

Tips:

• Space – Have a dedicated place to practice. A safe, flat, practice surface (floor, driveway) ideally with a wall or rebounding surface (wall, curb).
• Equipment - Hockey gloves; ball to stick handle with (tennis ball, stickhandling ball [heavier]); Stick (should be a few inches shorter than the one used on the ice as player will not be wearing skates).
• Additional equipment or house hold items to use as obstacles.
• Skill Buckets divide touches into manageable groups and have a Goal Number of Touches.
• Start slow – Rehearse each movement/skill then convert each movement into Game Speed.
• Identify Weaknesses – Don’t just work on your favourite skill or ones that you’re good at.

Perhaps the most physically demanding of the three challenges, the 30/30 Challenge is divided into two age-appropriate categories. This program will help players improve their physical literacy skills and help with off-ice training.

Each program is set up as a circuit and consists of 10 exercises. Each week requires a minimum of just three days commitment.

Tips:

•    The exercises require minimal equipment so they can be done at home, on the playground or on a field.
•    Perform each exercise in order for 30 seconds; followed by 30 seconds rest.
•    Athletes track the number of repetitions they complete with good form for each exercise.
•    For the first four weeks of the program, complete the Circuit one time. For the last four weeks of the program, complete one Circuit, then repeat a second time.