Ten years ago, as an aspiring female hockey player, I thought I had found the secret when it came to off-ice training. No other girls hockey player I knew was working as hard off the ice as I was and I knew that would give me a serious edge over the competition. I truly believe that my willingness to push myself to be the best player possible off the ice was what allowed me to take my game to the next level. But another consequence of my dedication off the ice was a career filled of injuries and frustration. Here’s what I did right and here’s what I did wrong…

What I Know I Did Right:

I was never out-worked.

I may have been over-trained and over-tired for most of my high school and college career, but my decision to never be out-worked really paid off on and off the ice. Whether it was in a drill or in the classroom, I would never compromise on giving my best effort. This is what allowed me to go from learning to skate at the age of 13 to playing college hockey 5 years later and what helped me go from being on the fourth line to being the leading scorer and team captain in college.

What I Know I Did Wrong:

I thought that “More Was Better”.

Playing through injuries, training when I was completely exhausted both physically and mentally, and always pushing myself to my absolute limit. This is what I did for 11 of my 15 years playing hockey. I always had the warrior mentality that you had to play through pain no matter what. That you never stayed down on the ice unless there was no physical way that you could get up. And while my willingness to work harder took me pretty far, it ultimately cost me the ability to perform at the highest level due to all my injuries.

Off-ice training is critical for any female hockey player who wants to take her game to the next level. But there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it. Aspiring players need to work hard, but they also need to work smart.

Helping you take your game to the next level,

~ Coach Kim