Skating. Speed. - Pro Ambitions Hockey, Inc.

Skating. Speed.

You can't defend against speed. You just can't.

NHL players can reach speeds in excess of 30 miles per hour. Speed skaters hit those same numbers. That tells you something. The biomechanics of elite skating, whether it's hockey or speed skating, are not that different. The best players in the world have figured this out. Most youth programs have not.

What It Actually Takes To Get Faster

When accelerating, hockey players must dig their skates in and lean forward. That is what I call The Torque Forward. You can only hold that forward lean for the first three steps or you will fall. After that, your mechanics shift and your stride takes over. Most kids never get coached on this transition. That is where they lose time on every single rush up the ice.

Speed in skating requires well-developed muscle in the legs. Not just any muscle. Skating-specific strength built through the right training off the ice. You need a killer combo of plyometrics off the ice to be faster on the ice. Awesome if you are blessed with genetics and great leg muscles, but guess what, you still have to train. And train consistently. Fact. Studied. Analyzed.

To become faster on the ice it takes a tremendous amount of lower body strength, core and back strength, ankle strength and flexibility, and balance. All of this work is done off the ice. That is what D1 and NHL players do all summer. They train off the ice so they can be quicker on it come fall. It is not a secret. It is just hard work that most people are not willing to put in.

Our Hybrid Curriculum

We have developed a hybrid curriculum for getting faster on the ice. Our curriculum combines speed skating, figure skating technique, edge work, plyometrics, balance, power skating, and stride development. Longer stride is faster stride. That principle guides everything we build.

Our program includes on-ice training and off-ice leg strengthening with skating-specific plyometric training. We focus on individual training. Like in golf, you are competing against yourself. We keep analytics on your progress so you can see exactly where you were and where you are going. That accountability matters. Numbers do not lie.

We work with players of at least 10 years of age, not beginner skaters. We require a minimum of one year of travel hockey for this program. The foundation has to be there before we can build on top of it.

Off-Ice Exercises

How do I get my kid faster on the ice? That is by far the most frequently asked question I get from parents.

I wanted to get faster myself when I played. We all do. I have made it my mission to build a curriculum that is heads and shoulders above other power skating programs. The guys in the NHL are training this very same way.

You need to pick and choose what you are doing at home for 10 to 15 minutes a day to improve your game. You need to put in the due diligence. Two exercises that I start players with:

Skater Squats. This exercise takes its name from the midpoint of the movement. It isolates the exact muscle recruitment pattern your skating stride demands. Do it right and you will feel it in places a regular squat never touches.

Baby Crawl. Crawling mimics the movement pattern of skating while training the core to remain completely motionless. It reinforces stride mechanics. Killer core workout. Players always underestimate this one until they actually try it.

Off-ice training is not optional if you are serious. It is the work that separates the players who plateau from the players who keep climbing.

We Can Teach Speed

We cannot teach you how to defend against speed. We must teach you how to speed up to compete. And yes, we can teach speed. It is trainable. It is coachable. It requires commitment from the player and the family, but it is absolutely within reach.

For more information about our skating camps and programs, contact us at info@proambitions.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

At what age should my child start working on skating speed?

We work with players 10 years and older who have at least one year of travel hockey. Before that, focus on fundamentals and getting comfortable on the ice. Trying to layer speed training on top of a weak foundation does not work. Get the basics solid first.

Can you really coach speed, or is it just genetics?

Genetics give you a starting point. Training determines where you finish. I have seen players with average natural ability become fast skaters because they put in the off-ice work consistently. I have also seen highly gifted kids stall out because they never trained. The players who make it to D1 and the NHL are not just the ones born fast. They are the ones who kept working on it.

What off-ice training is best for hockey skating speed?

Lower body strength, core stability, ankle strength, and balance are your four pillars. Skating-specific plyometrics are the bridge between the gym and the ice. General fitness helps, but if your off-ice work is not specific to skating mechanics, you are leaving speed on the table. Ten to fifteen minutes a day of focused work beats one long session once a week every time.

How is this program different from other power skating programs?

Most power skating programs stay on the ice and work on drills. We pull from speed skating technique, figure skating edge work, plyometric training, and stride analysis all at once. We also track your individual progress with analytics. You are not just skating laps and hoping something sticks. There is a curriculum behind it, and it is built around how the best players in the world actually train.