Preparation Takes Away Nervousness

Preparation Takes Away Nervousness

Try Outs Are Coming. Are You Ready?

Many of you have try outs coming up. That means the time to start preparing is right now, not the week before. Do something every day. Don't cram. Cramming doesn't work in school and it doesn't work in hockey. Your body needs consistent stress and recovery to actually get stronger and faster. One week of hard training won't undo months of doing nothing.

The players who walk into try outs with confidence are the ones who put in the work before they ever step on the ice. That confidence isn't an accident. It's earned.

Why Daily Preparation Matters More Than One Big Push

Everyone experiences fatigue during cold and flu season. Your energy isn't always going to be there. That's exactly why you build the habit now, so that even on your low days, you're still doing something. A little bit each day adds up fast. Ten minutes of focused work beats one hour of grinding once a week.

Use this month to realistically do something every day to prepare yourself for try outs. Make your body stronger. Faster. The players who separate themselves at try outs aren't always the most talented. They're the ones who show up in better condition and don't fade when the skating gets hard.

Strengthen Your Legs Off the Ice

Speed on the ice starts with your legs off the ice. This is non-negotiable. Skating power comes from your thighs, your hips, and your core. If those muscles are weak, you will get slower as the try out goes on. Scouts and coaches notice that. They're watching who competes hard in the third period of a try out, not just the first.

Slide discs are an excellent tool for building leg and core strength and balance. Set up in front of a mirror on a gliding wood or concrete floor surface. The mirror matters because it helps you check your form and stay honest about your depth and posture.

Slide Disc Lunge Exercise

Here is how to perform the exercise:

• ▸One leg is the base with no disc
  - The other leg lunges out on the disc while you squat down
  - Do 8 to 10 repetitions on each leg
  - Rest between sets and complete 3 to 4 sets total

This exercise is excellent for hockey players for several reasons:

• ▸Flexibility and stretching of your groin and hip flexors
  - Simulates and lengthens your stride
  - Builds and strengthens your thigh muscle for skating power and speed
  - Requires balance, just like skating

Go slow and controlled on the way down. If you're rushing through it, you're cheating yourself. Feel the stretch through your groin and the burn in your quad. That's where your skating power lives. Once you can do 10 clean reps on each side, add a second set and keep building from there.

Tips for Parents

As parents, you can talk to your kids about preparing daily for try outs. A little bit each day makes a difference. Show them this exercise over the weekend and get them started on doing it every other day. Better yet, do it with them. When kids see a parent willing to put in the work alongside them, it sends a message that preparation is serious, not optional.

The biggest thing you can do as a parent is change the conversation around try outs. Stop talking about results and start talking about preparation. When your kid knows they've been putting in the work every day, the nervousness shrinks. Preparation creates confidence, and confidence is what gets noticed in a try out environment. You can't fake it, but you can build it.

Don't put pressure on the outcome. Put attention on the process. That's a lesson that will carry your kid well beyond hockey.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How far in advance should my child start preparing for hockey try outs?

Ideally, preparation is something that never really stops. But if you're looking at a specific try out, six to eight weeks of consistent daily work will make a real difference. That gives your child enough time to build strength, sharpen habits, and walk in feeling ready. Starting one week out is too late. The work you do in the weeks before is what shows up on the ice.

What can my child do every day to prepare for try outs without burning out?

Keep it simple and manageable. Daily preparation doesn't mean two-hour workouts. It means doing something intentional each day, whether that's the slide disc exercise, stretching, working on stickhandling in the basement, or watching video of strong skating technique. The goal is consistency, not exhaustion. Short daily sessions build habits and keep your child engaged without breaking them down before try outs even start.

Why does nervousness happen at try outs and how does preparation help?

Nervousness comes from uncertainty. When you don't know if you've done enough, your mind fills in that gap with doubt. Preparation closes that gap. When a player has been doing the work every day, they have something to stand on mentally. They know what they put in. That knowledge doesn't eliminate nerves completely, but it takes the edge off and lets the player compete instead of worry.

Are off-ice exercises really that important for youth hockey players?

Absolutely. Skating power is built off the ice. Your stride, your edge work, your ability to hold your speed late in a game, all of that depends on the strength in your legs, hips, and core. The players who only train on the ice are leaving a lot on the table. Off-ice work is where you build the physical foundation that makes your on-ice skills actually show up under pressure.