We’ve all heard the expression, “you have to learn to walk before you can run.”

The same holds true in sports, where developing basic fundamental skills are the building blocks of athletic excellence. That includes the ABCs of athleticism, which are agility, balance, coordination and speed, along with fundamental movement skills such as running, jumping, skating and throwing.

To help youth hockey players develop these essential skills, the American Development Model has created a series of dryland training cards designed to provide coaches, parents and associations with age-appropriate exercises and guidelines to help every player become a better athlete.

“We can then develop these athletes into hockey players,” said Michele Amidon, an ADM regional manager who was the architect of the cards.

The series of cards are designed for athletes between the ages of 6 and 12 and feature a number of fun drills that will introduce the players to multi-directional movement skills, multi-directional speed, agility, balance, coordination, rhythm and special awareness.

The cards will be distributed at USA Hockey coaching clinics this year, and are available through the six ADM regional managers. In addition, copies of the cards can be downloaded at USAHockey.com. Plans are also in the works to include the cards on the USA Hockey Coaching app, which will be launched later this month.

ADM dryland training cards are available for download at USAHockey.com as well as at USA Hockey coaching clinics this season.