Beerleagueringer.com

This section will cover all things related to skating:

Edge Work
Speed
Agility
Transitions
Starting / Stopping
Strength & Conditioning

As is the case with any sport, if you can’t move swiftly and strongly to where you need to be, the game takes on an increased level of difficulty and gives your opponents with better mobility the advantage. As adult players, it is an ongoing challenge to get the required amount of time to train and reinforce skating fundamentals, especially on the ice. Fortunately there is a lot we can do on and off the ice to keep our mobility sharp. In this section I have included some of my favorite and most useful tips, best practices and videos.

SKILL #1 – Forward Crossover
The forward crossover may very well be the single most important skating skill for a hockey player to be able to swiftly move around the ice. Most beer league players can do a forward crossover yet may lack the speed and precision of more advanced players. While not impossible, it is difficult to practice the forward crossover off ice, but I’ll provide more on that later. Ideally, you’ll find ice time to work on your forward crossover. I’ve provided two good instructional videos here that highlight the basic mechanics of the move. Practicing the crossover weekly will reinforce good skating habits and keep your skills sharp.

Note: I don’t recommend holding your stick behind you like the individual in the Laura Stamm video does. This is not a natural “hockey position” and would make it difficult to receive and control the puck. I always look to practice “game situations” so I recommend keeping your stick in a more natural game position like you see in the second video. That said, the Laura Stamm video is a great example of use of edges and technique.