Tag Archive: the project
February 14, 2022 7:06 pm
Published by Russ Sinkewich
We’re down to the wire! Whether your team is in position to take home a championship or you’re seeing the season end in sight – There’s no better time than this moment to finish the season off the right way!
Prioritize what matters most right now:
- Your contributions to your team
- Focus on your controllables and give nothing short of your best every time you have an opportunity to contribute.
- Your mindset
- Shift at a time mentality. Every rep, every shift, every practice, every game – you’re ascending to the best version of yourself!
- Your perspective
- Take a step back [metaphorically] and don’t lose sight how much fun you’re having. The laughs with teammates, pressure situations in games, depleted feeling you get when you know you gave it your 100% – These experiences are a gift, cherish them!
Block out the noise:
- Upcoming Tryouts
- They don’t matter right now. Fun fact; the better you perform today will provide more for you tomorrow!
- Spring Sports
- They’re not going anywhere.
- Lingering frustrations
- Lows and challenges are what make the successes that much sweeter. Some of the most successful athletes will tell you – “you’ve got to have short memory.” It takes a lot more energy out of your battery to hold on to something versus letting it go and moving forward!
Leave everything you have on the ice – skate with no regrets down these final few weeks!!!
December 31, 2019 10:45 pm
Published by Russ Sinkewich
We hope everyone has had a great, refreshing holiday break. Friends, family, time off for the holidays – it’s the best! With the break, there’s no better time than NOW to reset, reevaluate, and focus on making your goals a reality heading into the new year! Take a hard look at 2019 – celebrate the positive, embrace the negative, and grow through the hard lessons learned along the way. Most importantly establish your plan to make 2020 your year! It’s about the game plan, and the ACTION! Set your game plan, and get after it this year!
We can’t wait to watch you make it happen in 2020!
October 29, 2019 4:54 pm
Published by Russ Sinkewich
When one of the most exciting parts of the game presents itself – “the breakaway”, don’t waste this one on one opportunity to light the lamp! Whether you’re watching a game on TV, or a youth practice or game, here’s some next level secrets that will make all the difference!
- Speed
- Your attack speed is a vital element on your side. Understanding when you should be skating at full speed to push a goalie back in their crease, or when to slow down (time permitting) to allow you to out wait the goalie. The speed and timing of your approach is crucial!
- Deception
- This features your stick handling ability, as well as your lateral (side to side) movement with your head and shoulders. The sneakier the better! Remember, when stick handling, its the top hand that drives each cradle of the puck!
- Angles
- If possible, take an angle in your approach to the net. This will challenge the goalies positioning in net. The more you’re able to get a goalie moving side to side, the more holes will open.
Have a safe and fun Halloween!
September 9, 2019 4:38 pm
Published by Russ Sinkewich
A new season! A fresh start, a clean slate! You only get one first impression – Make the most of it! Start the year off the right way:
o Some short term, easily attainable, others, big picture and months away from achieving. Speak them into existence!
o What better time than TODAY to take action! Don’t ease into the year, get after it early!
o Success will always follow preparation. Set your athlete up to be as successful as possible this season! Academics, Practice + Games, Nutrition, and Rest + Recovery should all be highlighted in the game plan!
Let your off-season training take over this fall! We’re so excited to watch everyone’s growth and goal crushing efforts this season!
April 21, 2019 1:20 pm
Published by Russ Sinkewich
Just because you’re not on the ice as much as you would be in season doesn’t mean you can’t be putting in the work in other parts of your game! For all of our athletes not yet in a gym consistently or working with performance training specialists here’s some simple key factors to work into your home training regimen!
- SPEED
- Agility foot speed ladder
- Sprinting – focus on short bursts
- Agility cone drills – focused on aggressive, cutting patterns.
- Jump rope
- POWER
- Body weight pushups, squats
- Any type of jumping exercises
- Squat jumps, tuck jumps, single leg jumps, lateral jumping
- Single leg balance exercises
- Hill or Stair running
- Band resistance exercises.
- CONDITIONING
- Jogging for distance or time
- Rollerblading
- Burpees
- Join Mom at a spinning class!
- CORE STRENGTH
- Countless number of ab and core exercises.
Don’t worry about getting too hung up about “hockey specific” workouts. Focus on improving athleticism, with some added attention on speed and power. The main mission is to build a foundation, so when you’re throwing around weights in the years to come your body is prepared to make some serious gains!
Looking for some extra professional guidance? Let us know! We’ve got some awesome industry contacts!
February 26, 2019 9:15 pm
Published by Russ Sinkewich
Being a “bubble” player… To the many young players living in the bubble, rest assured, you’re not alone. I spent many of my formidable years in this frustrating space – being good, but often times falling short of the end goal. Here’s some key concepts that will help burst that bubble and lead to future successes.
- Persevere
- No matter what, there can never be any quit! Every NO, gets you that much closer to the YES you’re looking for! Valuable lessons are learned with falling short of your goals!
- Jump off the page
- You MUST compete with an extremely high level of desperation! Make a panel of evaluators say, “Wow, who’s that?”OR “We love that kid’s heart and hustle!”
- Find Your Role
- An extension of “Being A Swiss Army Knife”… What role or series of contributions can you make to a specific team that will make you a desired player?
Looking back on my career, life in the bubble (where I spent A LOT of time) was the best thing for me – I’d take that over life on “easy street” any day! The adversity shaped my character and put the growth of my mental toughness into hyper drive!
February 14, 2019 1:06 am
Published by Russ Sinkewich
Being a Swiss Army Knife – The ultimate compliment!Simply, this is a player’s ability to carry and excel at many skills. Sure, being very good at specific traits helps catch an early eye… However, the players that stand the test of time in their careers and ultimately “make it”,are the ones who have the capacity to bring many quality traits to the table at the same time that better their team. These (positive) shape shifting, utility players are ready and able to contribute however they’re called upon.
Swiss Army Knife Players are…
- Good at a number of skills. Versus only dominating one or two.
- Not hung up on what role they play on that team.
- Great teammates. Prioritizing how they can help the team.
- They can do a little bit of everything!
- Necessary on every successful roster.
Swiss Army Knife Player are NOT…
- Selfish
- Worried about their “role” or “place” on a team.
- Single skill focused.
Sure, every team can use a star… Never forget for every star on a team there’s 2-3 Swiss Army knife players that fly under the radar, that are an invaluable piece to that team’s success!
January 31, 2019 3:49 am
Published by Russ Sinkewich
One of the greatest tip’s I wish I could go back and tell my younger self: Enjoy the ride! Hard to believe we’re rounding out the final month of the season. Rest assured the upcoming tryouts, (all that go into those; good and bad) and future opportunities are on their way… But, before you punch the gas to the finish line, take a moment to let the gratitude of this year’s experiences soak in! All the hard work your athlete and their teammates have put in! Some of the great families you’ve shared memories with this year! The highs, the lows and everything in between…
Speaking from the heart on my experience, the ride was 10x greater than any destination I ever arrived at! Here’s to a great final month of the season! Make it count!!!
January 14, 2019 5:08 pm
Published by Russ Sinkewich
Let’s face it… Hockey gear can flat out stink! I used to love the negative comments made by friends and family about my hockey aroma. I would always respond with a simple, “that’s the smell of hard work and commitment, You’re Welcome!”
Here’s some great tips that will go a long way in preventing long term nasal damage from your athlete’s hard work and commitment:
- Wash the “Soft Gear”
- Little known fact: The majority of your hockey gear can go in the washing machine. Of course, underwear gets the regular wash…
- Gloves – Elbow pads – Shin pad liners – Shoulder Pads can be washed on a gentle setting using warm water with little to no detergent.
- NEVER USE THE DRYER, simply hang to air dry.
- Disinfect the “Hard Gear”
- Items that missed out on the bath get the regular disinfectant shower: Helmet – Skates – Pants
- AIR IT OUT
- Be sure your athlete is hanging their gear so it fully dries! Fun fact: removing the insoles of your skates greatly increases the longevity and durability of your skates, plus greatly aides in killing bacteria!
Here’s to a stink-free hockey future!
December 3, 2018 3:46 pm
Published by Russ Sinkewich
One of the many incredible “life skills” hockey teaches us, is leadership. As we know there’s many types of leadership; from the vocal captain encouraging teammates, to the silent, more reserved player just consistently going about their business in order to help team success. Leaders do not have to be Captains, or the most talented player on the team. Anyone and everyone has the opportunity to take steps to becoming a leader! Leadership ultimately comes from a few simple acts:
- Action
- Whether you’re up on the bench shouting words of encouragement, or you’re quietly putting in the work. Leadership always starts with the DOING!
- Accountability
- The absolute BEST leaders are the most accountable players on the team. You’ve got to put in the work and be a role model with your actions.
Remember leadership never ends! Take the same desire to lead from the ice and locker room and apply it everywhere; the classroom, your nutrition and off-ice preparation habits, even among other social groups or amongst siblings!