Tony, I agree that starting hitting at 13 isn't a good decision. Boy's are just going into puberty and the size difference is the biggest it will ever be.
They should either start it at 15 when most boy's have grown and only a few late developers are still way behind (like I was) or better still RECOGNIZE THAT HITTING IS PART OF THE GAME and introduce it in a gradual manner.
1. Always allow rub outs as long as the stick is on the stick and it is incidental contact, as in female hockey, which is quite physical.
2. Introduce one step hitting at 12-14 with the requirement that the player must be playing the puck at the same time with the stick on the body.
3. Allow two step hitting and call it but the player must be playing the puck, stick on puck and body on body.
I would do light weights for the upper body, make sure neck strengthening is included as in boxing training and work on the core. Hitting or no hitting this should be part of hockey training especially now between seasons and then have a maintenance program.
Tony
TRX Training
I starting training with this two weeks ago and it is kicking my ass (some days, I am a bit of a masochist! Other days, I feel like a bowl of jelly!) Unreal stuff. Check it out.
http://www.trxtraining.com/
Ridiculous how simple and efficient it is. Best of all, it is 'functional fitness across three dimensions' so it will directly translate into improvements in 'real world' movements! With weights, you isolate muscles and movements in a static fashion - yeah, you get stronger in 'that plane of movement', but sports are multidimensional. Best idea is to train smart!
Dr. Stephen Norris told me, "Your core is your weapons platform. If you don't train it, you are not maximizing any of your other muscles."
The TRX certainly trains core and stabilizers as well as all muscle groups of the upper and lower body. Even when you train upper or lower body, you MUST engage your stabilizers and core. Brutal / Awesome at the same time!
John and I are incorporating it into our team workouts at the U12 and U16 levels (soccer) and based on our recommendation, the Catholic School Board is looking at purchasing a bunch of these for their PE and Hockey Canada Skill Academies in Calgary. (They ordered 14 yesterday to do a trial and further evaluate them.)
I just attended a clinic this weekend where John's sons demo'd the TRX for an hour. Lots of hockey and soccer specific movements. Very little equipment / portable. You can fasten several across the top of a soccer goal. You can train 2-3 kids per unit so you get a good W:R ratio. Because everything is performed with body weight, there is no risk of damaging the growth plates in younger kids. By training with different angles, etc. this means you can easily accommodate the strength / skill level of each individual. They can make it as tough or easy as they want. You can buy a basic model with an instructional DVD and workout guide for about $180 CDN.
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Also, you could check out the Crossfit exercises online as they usually post a few free workouts per day based on beginner, intermediate, expert.
http://www.crossfit.com/
Basically, you do body weight exercises, as many as possible, in a certain time, write down the number of reps, and move to another movement. Minimal equipment again. Fun and functional. It is like circuit training. You challenge yourself to push as hard as you can for the 30 seconds / whatever, so it is as tough as you want to get it (or you can cruise along in your comfort zone, and not see much improvement.) I have a kid who trained 2 times per week starting last June while in Grade 8. He did it all summer and he was the most improved / noticeable kid come September. He moved up a couple of divisions in community hockey and just went to the U16 zone tryouts here. (He didn't make it but he said the coaches told him how fast he was / quick foot speed, never seemed to tire out, etc.) He isn't overly skilled but if he keeps working on his skills while he maintains his Crossfit - look out!
I am going to recommend checking out Crossfit as well. They have a journal you can subscribe to that has TONS of information and videos, some specifically for coaching kids, proper techniques and how to teach them, exercise/nutrition theory etc. Its amazing how many kids can't squat properly unweighted! I highly recommend http://journal.crossfit.com as an inexpensive reference source!
As Tom and Dean have said, some of the best stuff is 1) core and supporting muscle development (unstable TRX, exercise ball, BOSU, medicine ball etc) 2) linked full body movements (body weight, Olympic style lifts, plyos) and 3) lower body/leg stuff for power and increased lactate threshhold.
We are looking at making up some Bulgarian training bags to use with the kids to provide some inexpensive moderate resistance. Basically it is just an inner tube cut in half and stuffed with wood or rubber mulch (like a curved sand bag). We can do many different exercises with them while still protecting the players and gym floors.
Also, in my experience, energy system conditioning has a large impact on player skills. The skills fall off rapidly when they get tired. A program like crossfit that incorporates strength and energy system development together (primarily anaerobic and lactate as aerobic seems to take care of itself when training this way) should give you great results like Dean described, keep the kids motivated, and be safe for them when applied intelligently.
Good Luck!
Dave
I'm looking for Strength training for 13-14 yos with Hockey in mind.
It has become very apparent at the Bantam travel level that the players need to begin a strength training program.
The games this spring look more like wars to me now that checking is in play. Much more so than they did when checking was legal at the Pee Wee level. I'm not certain USA Hockey has done the right thing. Bigger stronger bodies no accustomed to checking. We have had a lot of injuries already.