11-22-15 Old Fockers vs Crystal Fieldhouse
Doc, the master passer, is actually taking a shot in this pic! Check out the form!
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11-22-15 Ergomatic vs MoJoes
Game Action Photos!
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5 Tips to Skating Smarter, Not Harder
The notion of working smarter, not harder, has become a well-worn cliché. But within every overused expression is an element of truth, and when it comes to becoming a better skater, the smarter-not-harder approach certainly applies.
If you’re looking for an extra skating edge in your league, here are five tips from Sean Cromarty, a former NCAA Division I player at Colorado College and currently the owner of Competitive Advantage Training – many of which come from a simple change in approach.
Out not up: One of the biggest mistakes skaters make comes from wasted movement, Cromarty says. There is a natural tendency to recoil upward at the start of a skating burst toward the puck; if a player can work on making that first motion forward instead of upward, the resulting efficiency increase will be easy to see.
“Some people get excited and almost start running toward the puck, but their momentum is bringing them upward vs. someone whose momentum is bringing them forward, they are losing a step,” Cromarty says. “And that’s where someone going forward might appear quick or fast.”
He compares it to a sprinter in a 40-yard dash.
“They’re almost falling into those first few strides because their forward propulsion is so great,” Cromarty says. “If you go from that beginning stance to upward and then forward, you’re behind. It’s critical when you talk about the first-three-step quickness.”
Body in unison: Cromarty’s next tip also has to do with efficiency of movement. Skating shouldn’t be a herky-jerky movement, but sometimes in the excitement to get to a loose puck or to switch gears to chase down an opponent, bodies get out of whack. The “quieter” you can keep your movements, the better your skating will be.
“Every action has an equal and opposite reaction,” Cromarty says. “You want equal motion, with the hips and shoulders in unison, you’re going to be a much more fluid skater than someone who has shoulders, arms and pelvis going all over the place. We’ve all seen the guys, from little kids all the way up to men’s league guys, but the ones who are most economical in terms of use of energy are usually the fastest and most efficient players.”
Off-ice advice: When it comes to training off the ice, Cromarty advises adult players to skip the simulated skating devices like slideboards or skating treadmills because, as he says, “I don’t think there’s anything better than the real thing.”
Instead, work on squats because those in some ways mimic the beginning skating position, and also try short-burst speed work on land to become faster on the ice. Cromarty says he went to a speed school and worked with football players training for the 40-yard dash. But even just going to the local track and running short sprints is a great idea, he says.
“If you can build that into your off-ice conditioning, you’re killing two birds with one stone,” Cromarty says. “Instead of being the guy who goes to the gym and does an hour on the elliptical, go to the track and do short sprints to build up quick-twitch muscle fibers.”
Get the reps in: Repeated work in key areas – quick bursts in one direction, starting and stopping, explosion of stride – are particularly important because, well, practice makes perfect.
“I think with the on-ice skating things – power skating methods and ways to become comfortable with your edges – the commonality is reps,” Cromarty says. “You need that time. That’s the number one thing, and they have to be quality reps.”
Gain the mental edge: It might seem disconnected, but simply becoming a better hockey player can make you a better skater – bringing us to Cromarty’s final tip.
Thinking a better game won’t make you physically faster, of course, but it can make you appear faster.
“If you’re thinking a step ahead of everyone, you might not be a great skater in terms of edge control and work, but you can anticipate where the play is going to be and get a head start,” Cromarty says. “Gretzky is the perfect example of someone who had it put together mentally and who was never the biggest, fastest guy.”
It sounds like he’s saying the greatest player of all time worked smarter, not harder. So why shouldn’t you?
EHL Update November 22nd
Another fun Sunday of hockey is behind us!
Old Fockers was worried about their short bench, but their puck handling skills dominated the play as they beat Crystal Fieldhouse 7 – 2. The rosters are not frozen until January 3rd, so there is still time for Crystal to reorganize a bit.
Long standing rivalry between MoJoes and Ergomatic Products wasn’t a disappointment. I know that MoJoes wanted the win badly. It was a rare occasion to have a full bench for Ergomatic and the battle ended in a tie. With our revised By-Laws which you can read here, we now run a three man shootout. Mike held strong in net for Ergomatic Products and won the game, nice job Mike!
Note To All Players
Just a quick reminder to everyone. This is a recreational league. Just for fun. Don’t whack at the guy because his is skating away with the puck, keep your stick down. Don’t wack at the goalie when he gloves it, you will get a negative response. So play hard. Skate hard. Just don’t be a hack.
Photos
You might have noticed that photos were taken of the games. The camera is a hand me down and the photographers are not trained, so don’t expect too much! But scroll down for the action shots from Sunday. If anyone knows of a volunteer to take photos of the games, send them my way.
Reminders
Final payments are due from players. Get your money in. You can use the website to make payments if you need to. Talk to your team rep if you are uncertain about your payment status.
The Turkey Cup has been canceled do to lack of interest. We made a lame attempt to pull this off, way too late. Regular game schedule on Sunday.
EHL patches are in, so you can show off the league colors on your favorite hoodie or sweatshirt. We have t-shirts available also for EHL & Gear.Beer. Check them out in the shop.
I run a Friday night skate from 7:30 – 9pm, but it is getting maxed out. If you are interested in the opportunity to skate on Friday night, fill out the form to let me know. This is a fast paced, fun skate.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
I do appreciate you! Thanks for joining the league. With your help we will build a cool recreational hockey league!
Dave
Find the photos on our Facebook page for EHL or click the links below.
EHL Update November 18th
The ninth game of the season is fast approaching.
Remember that game times are now 11:30 am and 12:45 pm.
Payments must be in by December 10th. All those paid in full will be eligible for the $50 Hop & Barley Prize.
Top point leaders so far to earn The Guzzler $50 prize are Brian Savard, Matthew Day, Bob Gidcum, Jason Taylor, Joey Cozart, Dwayne Gidcumb, your humble league commissioner is in seventh! I do edit the score sheets upon email request to dave@gears.beer – with legitimate requests! Lots of hockey left, so that is sure to change.
There is a tough contest for the St. Paulie Girl prize! Only 50 penalty minutes in the league so far! Nice job guys! I’m out of the running on that one – but it wasn’t my fault! Remember, $50 goes to the player with the least penalty minutes. A drawing of those tied will be held for the $50 prize.
EHL jackets, patches and shirts are in, as well as some cool Gears.Beer shirts. Sue will be out front to collect payments and sell shirts and patches. Great Christmas gifts!
The rink and I made an attempt to put together a 2015 Turkey Cup tournament. I have some interest, but not enough to pull this off at this point. Expect your regular game schedule to be in place for next Sunday. Here is the info on the tournament. http://gears.beer/product/2015-turkey-cup/
Polar Palace is working on a 35 + league and the deadline is this Friday. If that falls apart and the teams want to play here, then we will be game on.
Thanks for playing in the EHL!
See ya Sunday!
Dave
EHL Updates for November 11th
First off, thank you to all Veterans!
We are privileged to be able to do battle on the ice! We owe our freedom to a strong military.
Now onto the big upcoming rifle event!
Opening day is Sunday, so games were not scheduled.
SUNDAY ICE TIME 1-2:30 pm
Many asked about renting the ice, so I have it book for 1pm – 2:30 pm. That gives you time to bag your buck and make it to the rink. I use a service called Whoozin to organize these drop in skates and I’m testing a feature that has never been tested by me before. You can get a little price break by prepaying. No big deal if you don’t want to go that path, just call or text me at 810-471-7767 and I’ll put you on the list. Cost is $20 and I’ll buy you a beer. Please let me know if you plan to skate. I try to keep the benches full, but not overflowing!
Thanksgiving Is Coming! Interested in making it a total hockey weekend?
2015 Turkey Cup
Your family will forgive you, grab a spot or put together a team. We are running a 25 and older hockey tournament at Crystal Fieldhouse. Only $50 per player. Guaranteed three games. First game will be Friday night, then two on Saturday and finals on Sunday. If we can get the EHL teams on board, we can push our Sunday games to the end of the season and just play the tournament.
I know this is a busy time for many, but there are a number of guys who asked me about other tournaments for that weekend. The rink asked me to help them set this up and I figured we could make it a fun weekend. There are prizes involved, and bragging rights. So talk to your team mates and let me know if you in. Individuals can register here and I’ll put together teams.
Here is the link to register: CLICK HERE
EHL Reminders
Let me know if there are edits to be made in score sheets. You can find the score sheets through Hockey Community. https://hockey-community.com/league/gearsbeer
We are doing great with the extra time and stop time periods! This should be the last change for the season I hope! With this format, we are still under the Polar Palace pricing, and we have prize money.
Shirts and jackets will be at the rink again for our next game.
A hockey banquet will be held. I’m working on some plans. More to come on that at a later date, enough going on for now.
Keep your stick on the ice,
