|
|
|
|
Written by: Adam Zukowski & Connor Bizal It is that time of year where players should start to reach out to junior and college coaches for future seasons! Coaches do NOT want to receive a novel, so we created this email template that players can send to them. We released a video about the template on our Instagram and Twitter, and here is our full breakdown:
0 Comments
Written by: Connor Bizal “Speak or sign?” is a question I never really thought I would be asked while stepping onto the ice for a hockey practice, but recently I was – and it changed my life. I was fortunate enough to participate in the USA Hockey Deaflympics tryouts in Amherst, New York, marking my first time getting involved with this side of hockey. Going into it, I was not entirely sure what to expect, but I came out of the experience with a changed perspective and an appreciation for the existence of these opportunities. On top of that, this was probably the most fun I have ever had playing hockey…
Written by: Connor Bizal The summer is a great time for players to get to work and train the skills they want to develop for the following season. Whether it is shooting pucks, stickhandling, doing sprints, or working on skating mechanics, the summer is a valuable time for players to improve their game and get themselves where they want to be heading into next season. However, when scouts, coaches, general managers, etc. are asked what they look for in a player, they rarely say any of these physical skills or qualities – the tangibles. More often than not, they include responses along the lines of confidence, mental toughness, good body language, etc. – the intangibles. Just like the physical areas previously mentioned, these skills can also be worked on and improved throughout the summer. Here are the necessary qualities you must tie into your game and how you can implement them into your summer training…
Written by: Connor Bizal At this time of the year, there are two things guaranteed: one team will walk out as champions, and all the other teams will fail to do so and fall short of their goals. Although the emotions and feelings experienced in both scenarios sit at opposite ends of the spectrum, there are valuable lessons to be learned from both. I have had the opportunity to end the season on top of the hill, but have also been at the bottom looking up – wishing my team was up there. Here, I am going to cover the latter portion: pursuing a goal and falling short. People may react to this scenario as if it is the end of the world, but it is not so bad after all – as long as the necessary actions and perspectives are put into place…
Written by: Connor Bizal Now that it is August, players should be starting to prepare to go away to their teams for the season. For many, this means moving away from home and learning how to live on your own. For myself, I spent all three years of juniors more than 1000 miles away from my hometown. Starting my junior hockey career as an 18-year-old boy who did not have a clue about how to take care of myself without my parents, this was a difficult transition for me and continues to be for others. Here is how to conquer living away from home…
Written by: Connor Bizal It is that time of the year again…the days are getting warmer and junior teams are looking to reload their rosters for the upcoming season. Players are waiting in long lines to get their camp jerseys and are anxiously waiting to show these teams what they got. It is officially junior hockey camp season. Whether junior camps have been good or bad for you, everyone can agree that there are many other factors involved with these camps. I recently posted about some of the “red flags” to watch out for when it comes to junior camps, and I feel it is necessary to dive further into this topic. Players and parents must know what they are getting themselves into before investing in these opportunities…
Written by: Connor Bizal After having a conversation about visualization on our latest podcast episode with Connor Galloway, I got to thinking about how it has changed my life and how important it is in the game of hockey. Sure, everyone sometimes daydreams about scoring that OT game-winner or putting up a hat trick in a big game. But how often do those things happen?
Written by: Adam Zukowski February is the month when the playoff picture starts to look clear. Each point a team earns starts to make or break their playoff seeding/season, and potential playoff matchups are starting to heat up.
Playoff season is a completely different game from the regular season. Records are wiped, point totals go to zero, and all that matters is having a score higher than your opponent that day. Not to say that regular season hockey lacks effort, but the stakes at hand make playoff hockey a much more intense game. For some players, this is an amazing opportunity to rebound from a tough season as well. As I watched my Boston Junior Rangers team from last year, I saw players who were not in the lineup much for the entire first half make amazing strides in the postseason and become unexpectedly key contributors to our championship run. If you are a player whose game thrives within your teams’ systems, the chances are good that you will be a playoff staple. Here are three concepts to reflect on before you start your playoff run! Written by: Connor Bizal By now, the 2021-2022 season is in full swing and everyone is (hopefully) enjoying the regular season. Being in-season means players are going through the routine of practicing every day, playing games, traveling on the road, and much more. However, I wanted to use this blog to talk about routines off the ice...
Written by: Adam Zukowski It seems like a question I will never stop hearing when I tell someone that I don’t go to college or receive any sort of skill-based education, and instead simply play junior hockey: “Well what else do you do?” It is not the easiest question to answer other than saying that I work 20 hours a week at whatever side gig I have going on at the time. People typically don’t know how to respond, saying “huh, interesting” or “do you go to college?”.
|