Improve Speed and Acceleration with Slide Boards

The following is a product review from the archives. As one of our most popular product reviews of all time, we thought it was worth another look.



Hockey Slide Boards claim to help improve the lateral speed and power for hockey players. Many consider the slide board to be the best piece of training equipment available for off-ice training. So are they worth it? Here’s our review of Hockey Slide Boards:

Overview: Slide boards are a helpful training tool for a hockey player wanting to improve lateral speed and power. Using a slide board for 10-20 minutes, 2-4 times per week can improve a player’s skating speed and acceleration, as well as a player’s overall conditioning. Slide Boards are currently being used by most hockey schools and training centers, and becoming very popular with home users.

Purpose of slide boards: The slide board develops lateral speed, agility, coordination, balance, and explosive power. It’s designed to condition and target the specific muscles used in skating without the need to be on the ice. Many consider the slide board to be the best off-ice piece of training equipment for hockey players. The fact that it’s used by most hockey schools and many professional hockey teams worldwide, give merit that the slide boards work and players get results.

Prices: Prices for the hockey slide boards range from $109.95 to $329.95. Here’s is a breakdown for each:

• $109.95 for the 6-foot Junior Slide Board


• $149.95 for the 8-foot long PowerSlide Board


• $154.95 for the 10-foot PowerSlide


• $219.95 for the 8-foot G1 Slide Board


• $234.95 for the 10-foot G1 Slide Board


• $329.95 for the G1 Extreme Extra large 5′ x 8′ Slide Board

All slide boards come with slide board booties that offer better sliding on the slide board surface. The slide board booties are available in small, medium, large and extra large sizes.

Video: Here is a video detailing some of the training features of slide boards.


Top Features: The slide boards are made from a specially formulated sliding surface designed to give players a smooth slide. All slide boards are equipped with solid end stoppers to help players push off when executing sliding strides. (All slide boards sold at HockeyShot.com come with a pair of sliding booties designed to help provide maximum slide.)

Knowing what off-ice exercise to perform can be difficult with all the products and various training programs out there. A benefit of the slide board is that it is a simple and effective tool that can be incorporated with every hockey player’s off-ice program.

Below are some other key slide board features mentioned on the HockeyShot website:

• Will help improve your skating speed and acceleration.


• Improves core stability and agility, leading to a more efficient skating stride.


• Great for injury rehabilitation and physical therapy.


• Improve overall fitness and endurance.

It’s important to note that the hockey slide board is not the answer for players who are not motivated or do not enjoy the game. There is no sense in purchasing the hockey slide board if your player is not motivated to practice on their own. However, if your child enjoys the game, then the hockey slide board will help them improve their performance.

Examples of how to use slide boards: Below are examples of how a hockey player can use a slide board. The slide board can be used to improve puck control, improve skating stride, as well as help with shooting technique.



Slide Boards can help your child become a stronger and faster skater. If you are looking for a training piece of equipment to help your child’s off ice training, the slide board is a proven option. HockeyShot offers various slide boards at different price levels. Click here to view the different slide boards available.

Final period: The slide board is an excellent tool for hockey conditioning. The slide board works important muscles that aid in improving the biomechanics of the hockey stride. The slide board also improves core stability while taxing the anaerobic energy system. These are all benefits of training on this piece of equipment. The slide board, if used correctly is an excellent tool for ice hockey conditioning.

Parent and Player Perspective: The 8-foot PowerSlide Board Package, designed for off-ice conditioning, is above all fun — like skating on your socks on a slick hardwood floor. You roll out the “board,” adjust it for your size, put on the little booties, and slide away. Use it in front of a mirror (or even a reflective surface such as a window or TV) and concentrate on keeping your head up. In addition, the anchors on either side of the board force you to focus on lengthening their stride. While the booties are too big for Mites, socks work fine on the surface as well.

The $149 PowerSlide is a hit with the whole family — for mom and dad, it’s a cheap treadmill; for hockey players, it’s great for conditioning and improving form; for little kids, it doubles as a Hot Wheels track (maybe not recommended…). The portable PowerSlide rolls up into a shoulder bag and is slightly bulky but not terribly heavy. You can easily store it in a closet, but it tends to remain out as it beckons even the most reluctant exercisers.

Editor’s Note: For a limited-time, when you use the code “teamcares″ at HockeyShot.com, you will receive 10% off any purchase.

The Four Most Powerful Words of a Coach

In this article for coaches, youth coaching expert Steve Horan discusses the four most powerful words a coach can say to a player.

“I bring you the gift of these four words: I believe in you.”

This quote comes from the great French Coach Blaise Pascal.  Actually Pascal was not a coach, he was a 17th century physicist, mathematician, and religious philosopher.  But based on this quote alone, the guy had potential as a coach.  He knew a lot about people.

Most of us, if we are lucky, have had an experience where someone said ‘I believe in you,’ or words to that effect, at a crucial point in our lives.  Those words probably came when we were struggling in sports or in school or a discouraging life situation.  The idea that someone believed in us transformed the way we looked at ourselves and our future.  We moved forward with a new outlook and spirit.

“It’s an amazing thing if you can look in someone’s eyes and tell ‘em you believe in them. It’s one of the things that we do not do enough. I get kids that come to my summer camp, parents go to these Little League games and they’re watching kids… they’ve gotta tell them, ‘I believe in you. I believe in you.’”   Mike Krzyzewski

One of the pleasures of coaching is we get to deliver that same experience to our athletes.  The challenge, as Coach K alludes to in the quote, is remembering to do it often enough.

Coaches have a lot to deal with in a very compressed period of time.  We find ourselves preoccupied with all of the demands of life in addition to preparing a team to function in a competitive environment.  Amidst these responsibilities it is easy to forget that each of our athletes looks to us for affirmation.  This is especially true for those athletes who are injured or at the end of the bench.

The good news is we can incorporate brief affirmations into our daily coaching practice without spending an inordinate amount of time.  It only takes about 30 seconds to pull an athlete aside, affirm what he or she is doing well, and say:

‘I believe in you.  You can do this.  It’s inside you.  I’ve seen it in flashes.  You can bring it out all the time if you work hard and have fun with it. And I will help you.  But you have to be willing to do the work.’

The even better news is, ‘I believe in you’ wins.  Think about the things that bring athletes down.  At or near the top of the list are lack of confidence, lack of motivation, lack of commitment, and lack of trust. An ‘I believe in you’ from the coach is an immediate confidence builder.  “I believe in you’ also says ‘ I care about you,’ which is a key motivating factor in any player-coach relationship.  That sense of being cared about — that I as an athlete matter to this coach and this team - is the foundation of commitment and trust.  And it is commitment and trust which move the athlete to play hard and smart and quick and tough and together with their team.

Think about your athletes.  Which of them may be struggling?  It might be the star in a slump.  It might be the rising star confronting new responsibilities.  It might be an injured veteran who feels isolated from the team.  It might be a role player who sees little playing time.  They all need affirmation - and will play better as a result.  To look in their eyes and say ‘I believe in you,’ and mean it, is perhaps the greatest gift you could give them.  And in return, they will believe in you too.

Fuel Like a Champion: Nutrition for Young Athletes

In this article for parents, youth nutrition expert Mitzi Dulan discusses sports nutrition for young athletes and how parents can help their child fuel like a champion.



More prevalent than ever, over 35 million youth are participating in organized sports today. According to The Wall Street Journal, more than $4 billion dollars are spent each year on personalized training and coaching for young athletes in the United States. One component of training which is often overlooked by parents, coaches and athletes is nutrition. Given the increasing rates of pediatric obesity it is a perfect opportunity to teach your child how to maximize performance and build better eating habits to last a lifetime.

Over half of all NFL teams and many collegiate athletic programs now use the services of sports nutritionists. The good news is more and more young athletes are starting to make the connection between what they eat and how they play. “Staying well fueled is just as important for young athletes as it is for professional athletes”, says Heidi Skolnik, Sports Nutritionist for the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants.

I like to use the analogy of thinking of your body as a high performance sports car, let’s say a shiny, new, red Porsche. The fuel you put in your gas tank is food. Would you put the lowest grade of fuel in your Porsche? Of course not- but if your kids are enjoying McDonald’s on a regular basis you are putting gunk in their gas tank. Would you let your Porsche run out of gas? No, you would always make sure it had fuel. Peak athletic performance requires plenty of high quality fuel-not gunk.

Below are some of the most common topics that come up with parents, coaches and athletes.



The Truth about Sports Drinks

Forbidding young athletes to consume sports drinks during games or practices is still enforced by some misinformed coaches across the country. This is not only bad information but it can also be dangerous and ridiculous. In the past, recommendations have suggested that sports drinks really aren’t necessary for events lasting less than 60 minutes. However, we know that it is important for all athletes to be adequately hydrated at the beginning of a practice or game. Sports drinks do offer several advantages over water. Research has shown that kids drink more sports drinks than water during physical activity because it tastes better. In fact, a study of preadolescent boys showed that they consumed almost twice as much sport drink as they did water during 3 hours of intermittent exercise in the heat when allowed to drink as much as they wanted. Sports drinks help to replace fluids lost during exercise and provide energy by maintaining better blood sugar levels during exercise. Additionally, they contain electrolytes like sodium and potassium which are lost in sweat. When large amounts of sodium are lost an athlete may develop muscle cramping.

Hydration Tips:

-Encourage your child to drink by a schedule-not by thirst.

-Have your child monitor their urine color. If their urine is pale like lemonade that’s a sign of good hydration. If it is dark like apple juice, they need to drink more fluids.

-Have your child weigh herself/himself before and after physical activity to gauge how much weight is typically lost.

-A few hours before exercise consume about 16 oz of fluids

-During exercise consume about 4-12 oz every 15-20 minutes

-After exercise, have your child replace every pound lost with 24 oz of fluid.

Eating for Recovery

Immediately following exercise your muscles act like a sponge for refueling and optimal recovery. The critical time for replacing these energy stores called glycogen is within the first 15-30 minutes after exercise. Simply waiting two hours can impair recovery and performance. The best option for quick recovery is typically a fluid as athletes are often not hungry right after exercising and it is usually more practical than eating a meal. Surprisingly, one of the very best options for quick recovery is chocolate milk. Yes, you read that right. The additional carbohydrates in chocolate milk give it the perfect ratio of carbohydrates and protein for refueling. Then you want to follow it up with a good recovery meal. The best foods for refueling are primarily carbohydrates with some protein like eating a skinless chicken breast with some whole wheat pasta and red sauce and vegetables.

Recovery Tip: Try low-fat organic chocolate milk for recovery.

How to Help Your Child to Gain Weight Safely and Legally

“How can I help my son gain weight?” is the most common question I am asked by parents. Did you know that it takes approximately 2500 extra calories to build one pound of muscle? Adding lean muscle is accomplished by combining a good resistance training program along with taking in additional calories. This often requires eating even when your athlete is not hungry. Skipping meals is a definite no-no for gaining weight. With limited time to eat at school along with practice and games a planned meal/snack schedule can help add good calories to accomplish a gradual and healthy weight gain.

Weight Gain Tip: Add a peanut butter and jelly sandwich after school/before practice and/or before bed. Snacking on trail mix is another easy way to add extra calories. Aim to add about 400-500 calories per day.

What to Eat

Fueling muscles with high performance fuels will improve performance by optimizing energy levels. Eating well gives you energy to practice better which will ultimately help you to play better when it really counts. An easy way to think of eating right for mealtime is 1-2-3.

1. Always have a source of protein such as skinless chicken breast, fish, pork tenderloin, or extra lean ground beef. If you are a vegetarian athlete beans, lentils and tempeh can provide your protein. This should be about 25% of the plate.


2. Choose whole grains such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, quninoa, whole wheat pancakes, whole wheat pita, whole wheat English muffins, etc. This should be about 25% of the plate.


3. Finish off the plate with vegetables. Spinach, broccoli, carrots, bell peppers- the more color the better. Take your kid grocery shopping with you and let them help pick out some new vegetables to try. Let them know vegetables provide powerful antioxidants that are great for athletes. Talk performance. Adding fresh spinach to a smoothie of frozen berries and organic milk is a great way to get some veggies in and you can’t even taste the spinach. However, I am not a fan of trying to “sneak” healthy foods into their diets without them knowing. I think you can lose a level of trust with your child with this approach. Vegetables should cover about 50% of the plate.

Sample Meal Plan for a Young Athlete
(Varies greatly based on individual goals, activity, intensity, current weight and gender)

7:45 am Breakfast
Bowl of Kashi Heart to Heart Cereal with fresh berries
1 cup organic 1% milk

10:00 am Morning Snack
½  cup trail mix with dried fruit and nuts (dried cranberries/cherries with raw walnuts/almonds) you can make your own

11:30 pm Lunch
Minimally processed turkey meat on whole wheat bread with light mayo
1% organic milk
Bag of Sun Chips
Small bag of baby carrots
Banana

3:30 pm Snack
2 slices whole wheat bread with organic nut butter (cashew, almond, peanut) and agave nectar
10 oz Gatorade

5:30 pm Recovery
20 oz Gatorade

6:30 pm Dinner
5 oz grilled chicken
1 cup broccoli and carrots
1 cup whole wheat pasta with red sauce

8-9 pm Snack
Raw Revolution Organic Bar or Lara Bar or Peanut Butter* and Banana Sandwich on Whole Grain Bread or trail mix

*Note: buy organic, natural peanut butter. The only ingredients should be nuts and salt to avoid the partially hydrogenated fats

About Mitzi Dulan
Special thanks to Mitzi Dulan for this article. As America’s Nutrition Expert^®, Mitzi is a trusted source of information and has conducted over one hundred seventy-five television interviews appearing as a nutrition and fitness expert across the country. Her television appearances include segments on NBC, ABC, CBS and FOX in numerous big market cities.

Additional Resources for Young Athletes
Fuel Like a Champion: A Young Athlete’s Guide on What To Eat DVD by Mitzi Dulan and Dr. Chris Mohr visit www.fuellikeachampion.com.

Train Without a Partner with Tape 2 Tape!

The Tape 2 Tape “3 in 1″ Passer is quickly gaining popularity and becoming one of the most popular training aids on the market today. This training aid states that it will help your child develop better hockey skills faster.  So is it worth it? Here’s our review of Tape 2 Tape:



Purpose: The Tape 2 Tape is a product designed to help players work on their skills at home without having to be on the ice. Players can practice passing, shooting and stickhandling.

Prices: $169.95 for the complete system (features: roll up shooting pad)

Video: Below is a video that shows the Tape 2 Tape in action.



Top Features: Tape 2 Tape allows your player to practice three essential hockey skills: passing, shooting and stickhandling. The Tape 2 Tape is also useful for practicing one-timers, which are often not practiced.

Tape 2 Tape has the ability to be set up on any angle to stimulate real game situations. It can be set up on a 45 degree angle to stimulate a pass coming from the corner of the rink. At 90 degrees it will stimulate a point to point pass. Or you can position the Tape 2 Tape in the net and simulate rebounds.

Like an actual game, the puck is constantly in motion with Tape 2 Tape. It also gives the flexibility to practice game situations in the backyard or basement without the need of a partner to feed passes. Tape 2 Tape also teaches players to get the shots on net more quickly, a necessity in competitive hockey. Some other key points:

• The passer provides puck rebound and is helpful with mastering passing and practicing one-timers.


• It can be setup and used in any basement, garage, or driveway.


• Tape 2 Tape’s slippery surface allows for realistic puck handling.


• The shooting surface is flexible and rolls up - it can be set-up and stored anywhere. (The exact measurements are 10ft. by 2ft.)


• The passer is made of durable materials (the same material as ice rink boards).


• The Tape 2 Tape Passer can be used by players of all ages.

Parent and Player Perspective: The Tape 2 Tape is a roll-up shooting pad with a “net” that passes the puck back. It claims to allow players to practice passing, shooting, and stickhandling. Well, not only can players practice these essential skills, but they can practice them alone or with a partner. In addition, they can practice anywhere—inside, outside, in a dorm room, in the basement, in a hallway. Players were impressed with how accurately the Tape 2 Tape mimicked both good and bad passes to actual players. Because the puck bounces back better when hit from the center of the stick to the center of the net, players can concentrate on accuracy. A Bantam player who practiced backhand shots one evening credited a backhand goal the next day to practicing with the Tape 2 Tape while a U8-C declared it “Awesome!”

The Tape 2 Tape is lightweight, easy to setup and move, and easy to store. For smaller kids, you do not even need to weigh down the “net” with water or sand. The word “eventually” in relation to how soon the plastic shooting surface would flatten out was a concern. Surprisingly, though, “eventually” was almost immediately. The Tape 2 Tape performs best when you keep the surface and pucks or balls clean. At $169, it’s expensive, but it’s function and convenience cannot be duplicated with other items. For someone living in an apartment or dorm room, it would be invaluable.

Final period: The Tape 2 Tape is a valuable training tool. The Tape 2 Tape gives young players a training aid that will help them practice essential hockey skills without being on the ice. It a valuable training aid that will help your player improve his/her skills without the need for a partner.

Editor’s Note: When you use the code “cares2″ at HockeyShot.com, parents will receive 10% off the Tape 2 Tape Passer.

Hockey Peer Pressure: Help Your Child Overcome It

Many hockey players today worry too much about what others think of their game. I call this social approval, which you probably know as peer pressure. Young athletes often worry too much about what others might think about their game and thus what judgments people make.

Young athletes want others such as teammates, coaches, and parents to hold them in high esteem. In other words, they want to be accepted, respected, or liked by others. To some extent, this is normal in our society.

But when you are too concerned about what others think of your performance in hockey, it pokes holes in your mental game and focus on the ice.  When you worry too much about “keeping up with the Jones” in your league, your game can suffer. You might spend too much time worrying, tighten up in close games, or paralyze yourself with the fear of letting others down.

Most young athletes rely too much on what they assume others think about them to boost their own self-worth. Athletes can fall into the trap of associating their self-worth (how they feel about themselves) with achievement in sports. They often think that if friends, coaches and family members respect or admire their hockey abilities, they’re better people.

If you fit this mold, you might even crave approval if you perform well in hockey (of course, this belief is not always true). Here are other signs that you worry too much about what others think: Athletes who crave approval from others often become anxious in competition, worrying about failing or becoming embarrassed in public.

Do you focus too much on what your peers think? If so, you should ask yourself what is so important about what others think about me? A lot of the time, your worry is not rational. You might make things up in your own mind that does not help you feel confident. Stop reading into what others might think about your game and instead focus on what you need to do to perform your best.

Editor’s note: Special thanks to Dr. Patrick Cohn for the above article. For more information on mental game coaching, you can read reviews of Dr. Cohn’s popular programs, The Confident Athlete Series and Kids’ Sports Psychology.

Review: The Confident Athlete Series

Review: Kids Sports Psychology