Ottawa Senators strength coach Chris Schwarz recently revealed severe concerns regarding youth athlete development. As we dive into offseason training, one part of the Ottawa Citizen article stuck out:

Hockey players lift fewer weights than they did, part of the game’s evolution toward speed and skill and away from brawn. For 10 years, Schwarz has been saying that hockey players would soon look less like football players and more like tennis players. That day is here.

Hockey is about speed, skill, explosiveness and overall athleticism. That fact should be taken into account when your young athlete starts strength training during the offseason.

We caught up with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program strength and conditioning coach Darryl Nelson to guide families through the spring and summer.

6U/8U: For the Youngsters

As 6-, 7- and 8-year-olds mature, just encouraging them to play and be active is big. These kids will naturally get stronger. Encourage games with running and multidirectional movement. Hop scotch, crab walk and jumping jacks are complementary exercises. Tag, tug of war and relay races add fun, excitement and competition to the mix – all critical to development.

10U/12U: More Formal Exercises

Nelson recommends a twice-weekly strength training program for the 10U/12U ages, focusing on chin-ups, pull-ups, single-leg squats, overhead kettlebell presses and Olympic-style lifts from the hang position (only if they have a coach or trainer who can teach them proper technique).

“A good program will be centered on correcting posture, developing power and explosiveness, and emphasize single-extremity training,” Nelson said. “This will have maximal carryover to athletics.”

14U/16U: Ramping Up Intensity

At 14U/16U, Nelson recommends an offseason training plan that includes three to four 90-minute workouts each week, which are more comprehensive in nature. This means their focus should be on proportion and balance, rather than building huge biceps.

Although a chiseled appearance might impress their friends at the pool, it can lead to pain, injury and poor performance down the road.

“When just select muscle groups and movements are trained, an imbalance occurs,” Nelson said. “The result of this is what we call ‘lifetime patient syndrome’ – where a person is always in pain. Being proportional in size, strength and mobility across all parts of the body is the best way to maintain health and reduce the chance of injury.”

In other words, maxing out on the bench press and curling dumbbells doesn’t translate to the ice – or overall athleticism. Explosive lifts, movements and exercises encompassing every part of the body is the way to go. Think about the game of hockey, and then think about how you train.

Along with similar strength training exercises, Nelson recommends that older kids focus on jumping, bounding, interval-style cardiovascular work, and plyometrics. Additionally, short sprints of 5 to 20 yards – which include starts, stops, tight turns, and directional changes – will also help increase their ability to break away and lose defenders next season.

3 Ways Parents Can Help

Following the training guidelines above will go a long way in helping your hockey player build strength, stay active and get ready for next year – all while having a fun offseason.

Here are three ways parents can help.

Limit technology time

“Sitting is the new smoking – it’s the habit people have that is destructive to health,” said Nelson. “I’m not advocating that people stop using technology or try to make some drastic lifestyle change, because it’s simply not realistic.

“However, if we’re aware of the potential downfall, some small steps can be taken to reduce or eliminate the negatives.”

Guide their nutritional choices

Since food fuels our bodies, make an effort to ensure that what your kids are eating or drinking will allow them to consistently perform at a high level.

“Sports drinks and fast food are just loaded with sugar and chemicals,” Nelson said. “They are the quick fix, the cop out, and they are also very poor choices.

“Remember, you can’t out-train bad nutrition.”

Play other sports

There’s more and more evidence that early specialization is bad for development and increases the likelihood of burnout and overuse injuries. Encourage your child to play other sports such as tennis, baseball, lacrosse, soccer, track and field, etc.

“At this age, cross-training is very important,” he said. “The real benefits are learning to move, to create power and speed in a wide range of situations. Plus, it helps kids learn to be competitive.”

For example, lacrosse is more meaningful than spring hockey, because it’s the real lacrosse season. So, by playing a second sport (and hopefully a third sport in the fall), younger players have a chance to participate in competitive situations during a greater portion of the year.

Enjoy the offseason!