In Minnesota, youth and amateur hockey can be a demanding way of life. Minnesota players and families dedicate a tremendous amount of their lives to the sport through weekly practices, games and tournaments and also by following high school, collegiate, pro and Olympic hockey.

This begs the question: how much hockey is too much?

Avoiding hockey burnout is crucial to the overall mental, physical and academic health of our amateur players. Finding an acceptable balance between on-ice and off-ice activities during the grueling season can greatly reduce overload among both players and their families.

Here are some tips to help players, parents and coaches avoid going overboard:

Keep it Fresh

A demanding schedule is usually the catalyst for burnout because it can turn a season into a grind. Lee Smith, head coach of the Eden Prairie high school boys’ hockey team, avoids drudgery in practice by rotating in fun games.

“Players need to have healthy competition built in along with skills,” Smith says. “We have Battle Days or sometimes focus our conditioning around high-tempo practices. We play a lot of small games and do chaos situations.”

Smith is in his 21st season coaching at Eden Prairie and he has won two state championships in 2009 and 2011. One of the veteran coach’s favorite things is to sprinkle in “The Eagle Olympics” into the practice routine.

“During the drills, forwards earn points as a line and defensemen as pairs and they tally them up themselves. There are winners at the end of each practice,” he explains.

This creates camaraderie and fun and a whole lot of chatter on the ice, which add spontaneity and spark to what might be a standard practice session.

Off-ice Alternatives

To promote overall team wellness, thinking outside the traditional confines of the rink can make a big difference. A change in scenery can shift the focus and rejuvenate players’ attitudes.

“I believe team outings are very healthy,” Smith says.

Creating alternative sport activities such as yoga, Pilates, rock climbing, and fitness training with ropes are all great ways to get away from the game without sacrificing development. On the lighter side of things, Smith also recommends hosting camaraderie-building awards ceremonies (the Eagles bestow a “Hard Hat” Award after each game for the player that shows the most hustle and best attitude), bowling tournaments, knee-hockey leagues, or a pancake breakfast.

The Gatekeepers

Parents play a critical role in helping their children strike the proper balance between off-ice and on-ice activities because kids aren’t usually the best judge of when they’re approaching overload.

Stress can build quickly if a proper amount of free time isn’t allotted for a player to step away from the dual pressures of hockey and school. This is the first step in a downward spiral in both performance and attitude that can eventually lead to burnout.

Parents need to closely monitor how much time is dedicated to their players’ activities as well as their rest and step in when the balance gets thrown off. This will help enhance both physical and mental stamina in the long run.

Talk Things Out

“Youth parents need to understand that they need to support their child and build a positive relationship with the sport,” Smith says.

Early signs of overload can be easily recognized if the lines of communication between players and parents are open. Smith recommends parents ask their kids a few simple questions that can act as an early warning signal to emotional or psychological fatigue:

• “Did you have fun today?”
• “What are you improving at in practices?”
• “What do you want to get better at?”

Limit Specialization

In today’s ultra-competitive world of youth sports, athletes are now specializing in one sport more than ever before but focusing on just one sport is often a recipe for burnout.

As Smith points out, there is real value to having an off-season.

“I believe in multiple-sport athletes,” Smith says. “This will make the athletes better and more balanced.”

Take the Temperature

Unfortunately, there is no magic formula for developing a healthy balance of on-ice and off-ice activities. Each person is different. That’s why it’s important for parents and coaches to constantly take the temperature of youth athletes to assess how things are going.

Parents and coaches should keep an eye out for changes in performance, such as decreased interest in the outcome and reduced motivation as well as emotional changes, like outbursts of anger and constant irritability.

Small alterations to the daily schedule can alleviate a lot of problems, Smith notes. For example, as the season grinds on he makes it a point to gradually shorten the length of practices.

“Players must be coached for a marathon and not a sprint. And all the players should feel valued,” Smith explains. “That is the challenge.”