Top 5 donor sports to Hockey
Advancing your hockey skills by not playing Hockey
Hockey is the most difficult team sport in the world to play. Period. If someone struggles to figure out the coordination to skip, they will struggle to figure out how to navigate a full contact game, while standing on a tiny piece of steel, and handling the object of the game (puck) with another object made from composite material. There are many parents out there who are signing their kids up for more Hockey, often going from one program to another in hopes that it helps them jump up a level. The best athletes, most often times, make the best Hockey players. Focus on creating as big of a movement inventory of skills as you can, especially pre-puberty. The abundance of skills precedes the adaptability of skills.
Success in hockey isn't just about being able to do what the coach told you to do; it also hinges on mental factors like teamwork, adaptability, and your ability to problem-solve. Many young athletes benefit from participating in other sports before going full-time to hockey. In this blog post, we'll explore five of the best donor sports for hockey, with a focus on how they nurture essential mental attributes for success on the ice.
Soccer: Soccer is a fantastic donor sport for hockey, not just for its physical benefits but also for its capacity to cultivate mental skills:
a. Teamwork: Soccer teaches players to function as a cohesive unit, emphasizing the importance of communication and cooperation, which are invaluable in hockey.
b. Role Flexibility: In soccer, players must adapt to different positions and roles. Learning to accept and excel in various roles fosters versatility, a trait highly prized in hockey.
c. Strategic Thinking: Soccer players develop strategic thinking by anticipating opponents' moves and making split-second decisions – skills that are transferrable to hockey's dynamic, fast-paced gameplay.
Lacrosse: Lacrosse provides a solid mental foundation for hockey players due to its focus on teamwork, adaptability, and strategy:
a. Teamwork: Like hockey, lacrosse is a team sport that requires players to work together effectively. Learning to rely on teammates is a crucial skill for both sports.
b. Adaptability: Lacrosse players often switch between offense and defense, honing their adaptability and the ability to excel in diverse roles, similar to hockey's forwards and defensemen.
c. Strategic Awareness: Lacrosse strategies involve creating and exploiting openings in the opponent's defense, fostering strategic thinking that's directly applicable to hockey.
Basketball: Basketball offers a unique blend of mental challenges that can benefit aspiring hockey players:
a. Teamwork: Basketball is all about passing, setting screens, and working together to score. These collaborative skills translate seamlessly to hockey's teamwork requirements.
b. Adaptability: Players in basketball often change positions and roles, teaching adaptability and versatility – traits that are highly relevant in hockey.
c. Strategic Learning: Basketball players are constantly learning new plays and strategies, preparing them for the ever-evolving tactics in the world of hockey.
Tennis/Racquet Sports: Tennis and racquet sports like squash or badminton nurture vital visual attributes for hockey:
a. Focus: Racquet sports demand intense concentration and quick decision-making, fostering the ability to stay focused under pressure, a critical mental skill for hockey.
b. Mental Toughness: Tennis and racquet sports can be mentally grueling, helping athletes develop resilience and composure in high-stress situations, a quality indispensable in hockey. These are 1v1 sports most of the time. You cannot blame your teammates, linemates, or coach. It’s on you and you learn how to take ownership of that
c. Adaptation: Players need to adapt their game and strategies based on their opponent's style, a valuable skill that's directly transferable to adjusting gameplay in hockey.
Jiu-Jitsu or Martial Arts: Jiu-Jitsu and martial arts are outstanding choices for honing mental discipline and individual prowess, despite being 1v1 sports:
a. Discipline: Martial arts instill discipline and self-control, essential qualities for hockey players to maintain focus and adhere to training routines.
b. Mental Resilience: Engaging in one-on-one combat sports cultivates mental toughness, helping athletes remain calm and confident during high-pressure moments in hockey games. They also build the confidence you need in order to handle yourself in physical situations. Hockey is a rough and physical game, preparing yourself in a controlled environment and learning that you not made of glass will make you much more confident on the ice.
c. Self-Reliance: Jiu-Jitsu and martial arts emphasize individual responsibility for success, teaching self-reliance and self-improvement, which can benefit hockey players in their personal development.
The journey to becoming a successful hockey player involves not only physical training but also mental development. These donor sports, including soccer, lacrosse, basketball, tennis/racquet sports, and jiu-jitsu or martial arts, offer a rich platform for cultivating teamwork, adaptability, strategic thinking, mental toughness, and discipline. You will eventually move up the Hockey ranks and be on a team where suddenly you are not on the powerplay, or out there for pulled goalie situations. How do you handle that if you’ve never experienced that before? Not being the best on your soccer team, for example, teaches you how to be adaptable, mentally resilient, and be a great teammate
Whether you're an aspiring hockey player or a parent guiding a young athlete, rather than signing up for 4 different Hockey programs, choose one and consider exploring these sports as a pathway to building the mental resilience and versatility needed for triumph on the ice. Remember, abundance precedes adaptability.