Personalized Development Plans for Elite Hockey Players: Achieving Success On and Off the Ice

As an elite hockey player, constantly improving your physical and mental abilities is critical to achieving success on and off the ice. That's why having a personalized development plan is so important. A personalized development plan is a structured approach to setting goals, creating an actionable plan, and evaluating progress towards those goals. By taking the time to create a plan tailored to your individual needs, you can identify areas for improvement, set specific and measurable goals, and track your progress towards achieving those goals.

We provide all the necessary information and resources to help elite hockey players create a personalized development plan that is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. We understand the unique needs and challenges faced by elite hockey players, and our goal is to provide you with the guidance and tools necessary to achieve success both on and off the ice.

Our comprehensive approach focuses on key areas such as on-ice skills development, team play, hockey sense, conditioning, and mental skills development. We understand that each athlete has their own unique strengths and weaknesses, and our resources are designed to help you identify areas for improvement and set specific and achievable goals.

Our website provides all the necessary information to help you populate your plan and understand all of the concepts involved. Whether you're looking to improve your skating, shooting, or decision-making skills, or seeking to enhance your teamwork, communication, or mental toughness, our resources are designed to help you achieve success in all areas of your game.

Creating a personalized development plan is the first step towards achieving your goals as an elite hockey player. We provide you with the guidance and resources necessary to help you create a plan that is tailored to your individual needs and that will help you achieve success both on and off the ice.

Steps to Create a Plan

Here are some steps that the elite hockey player can take to get started on creating a personalized development plan:

1. Self-Evaluation: The player should start by evaluating their current skills and performance on the ice. They can ask themselves questions like: What are my strengths and weaknesses? What areas do I need to improve in? What are my goals for the future? This self-evaluation will help them identify areas that need improvement and set realistic goals.  

Try our Self-Assessment questions to see the areas where you can improve.

2. Goal-Setting: Based on the self-evaluation, the player can set specific and measurable goals. These goals should be challenging but achievable. For example, a player may set a goal to improve their shooting accuracy by 10% or to increase their skating speed by a few seconds.

3. Identifying Key Areas: Once the player has set their goals, they can identify the key areas that they need to work on to achieve these goals. Some specific areas that the elite hockey player can focus on to develop a well-rounded personalized development plan:

• On-Ice Skills Development: This includes improving skills such as skating, passing, shooting, stickhandling, puck protection, physical play and individual tactics. To develop a plan for on-ice skills development, the player can identify their strengths and weaknesses in each area and set specific goals to improve. They can work with coaches, attend skill development clinics, and practice drills to enhance their skills.

• Team Play: Being a successful hockey player also involves contributing to the team's success. To develop team play skills, the player can work on communication, being accountable, learning team tactics, teamwork, and leadership. They can also work on understanding their role on the team and how they can contribute to the team's success.

• Hockey Sense: This involves understanding the game of hockey, including strategies, tactics, and situational awareness. To develop hockey sense, the player can watch game footage, attend team strategy meetings, and work on situational awareness drills.

• Conditioning: Proper conditioning is essential for hockey players to perform at their best. This includes nutrition, off-ice training, fitness, and sleep. The player can work with a sports nutritionist to develop a nutrition plan, work with a strength and conditioning coach to develop an off-ice training plan, and prioritize sleep to ensure they are well-rested for games and practices.

• Mental Skills Development: Hockey players need mental toughness to handle the pressure of the game, perform under stress, and stay focused on their goals. To develop mental skills, the player can work with a sports psychologist, practice visualization and relaxation techniques, and learn how to handle pressure and setbacks.

By focusing on these areas, the elite hockey player can create a comprehensive personalized development plan that addresses all aspects of their game. It's important to set realistic goals, create an actionable plan, and regularly evaluate progress to ensure the plan is working effectively. With dedication and hard work, the player can achieve their goals and become a well-rounded, successful hockey player.

4. Creating an Action Plan: With goals and key areas identified, the player can create an action plan that outlines specific steps they will take to achieve their goals. This plan should include activities such as attending skating clinics, practicing skating drills, or working with a shooting coach. The plan should be broken down into short-term and long-term goals and should include specific target dates.

5. Regular Evaluation: It's important for the player to regularly evaluate their progress and adjust their plan as needed. This will help them stay on track and make any necessary changes to ensure they reach their goals.

By taking these steps, the elite hockey player can create a personalized development plan that will help them reach their full potential on the ice. It's important to remember that this is an ongoing process, and the player should be willing to make adjustments as they continue to grow and develop.

Basic Personalized Development Plan Template for a Elite Hockey Player

Self-Evaluation

1. On-Ice Skills

   • Identify current strengths and weaknesses in skating, passing, shooting, stickhandling, and tactical training for scoring.  Try our Self-Assessment questions to help identify the areas where you can improve.

2. Team Play

   • Evaluate communication, teamwork, leadership skills, and understanding of team tactics

3. Hockey Sense

   • Analyze anticipation, decision making, influence of play, and experience

4. Conditioning

   • Assess nutrition, off-ice training, fitness, and sleep habits

5. Mental Skills

   • Evaluate mental toughness and ability to handle pressure

See our online self-assessment evaluation form. Self Assessment Scouting  

Goal-Setting

1. On-Ice Skills Development

   • Set specific and measurable goals to improve skating, passing, shooting, stickhandling, and tactical training for scoring

   • Identify comparable NHL or pro players for inspiration and to set performance benchmarks

2. Team Play

   • Set goals to improve communication, teamwork, leadership skills, and understanding of team tactics

3. Hockey Sense

   • Set goals to improve anticipation, decision making, influence of play, and experience

   • Identify comparable NHL or pro players for inspiration and to set performance benchmarks

4. Conditioning

   • Set goals to improve nutrition, off-ice training, fitness, and sleep habits

   • Identify comparable NHL or pro players for inspiration and to set performance benchmarks

5. Mental Skills Development

   • Set goals to improve mental toughness and ability to handle pressure

   • Identify comparable NHL or pro players for inspiration and to set performance benchmarks

Identifying Key Areas

1. On-Ice Skills Development

   • Work with coaches, attend skill development clinics, and practice drills to enhance skills

   • Watch game footage of comparable players to learn from their techniques and strategies

   • Research and study online resources and videos to learn more about specific individual tactics

   • Use comparables to set benchmarks for performance and evaluate progress

   • Focus on tactical training for scoring, including positioning, shot selection, and playmaking

2. Team Play

   • Work on communication, teamwork, leadership skills, and understanding of team tactics in practice and games

   • Attend team meetings to understand game plans and strategies

   • Analyze game footage to evaluate team performance and identify areas for improvement

   • Research and study online resources and videos to learn more about specific team tactics

   • Use comparables to set benchmarks for performance and evaluate progress

3. Hockey Sense

   • Practice situational awareness drills to improve anticipation skills

   • Analyze game footage to improve decision-making skills

   • Work on strategic positioning to improve influence of play skills

   • Play games regularly to gain experience

   • Research and study online resources and videos to learn more about specific individual and team tactics

   • Use comparables to set benchmarks for performance and evaluate progress

4. Conditioning

   • Work with a sports nutritionist to develop a nutrition plan

   • Work with a strength and conditioning coach to develop an off-ice training plan

   • Prioritize sleep to ensure well-rested for games and practices

   • Research and study online resources and videos to learn more about specific training techniques and conditioning tips

   • Use comparables to set benchmarks for performance and evaluate progress

5. Mental Skills Development

   • Work with a sports psychologist to develop mental toughness

   • Practice visualization and relaxation techniques daily

   • Learn how to handle pressure and setbacks through mental skills training

   • Research and study online resources and videos to learn more about specific mental skills development techniques

   • Use comparables to set benchmarks for performance and evaluate progress

Action Plan

1. On-Ice Skills Development

   • Attend skating clinics twice a week, take skating lessons once a week, and practice skating drills three times a week

   • Practice passing with a partner or team at least three times a week, study game tape twice a week, and work on accuracy drills once a week

   • Practice shooting drills four times a week, study game tape twice a week, and work on accuracy drills once a week

   • Work on stickhandling skills for 30 minutes every day

   • Attend tactical training for scoring clinics and work on positioning, shot selection, and playmaking

   • Use comparables to set benchmarks for performance and evaluate progress

2. Team Play

   • Communicate with teammates during practice and games

   • Work on building teamwork skills through team-building activities

   • Attend team meetings to learn game plans and strategies

   • Analyze game footage to evaluate team performance and identify areas for improvement

   • Study team tactics and strategies to gain a greater understanding of how to play as a team

   • Use comparables to set benchmarks for performance and evaluate progress

3. Hockey Sense

   • Practice situational awareness drills to improve anticipation skills

   • Analyze game footage to improve decision-making skills

   • Work on strategic positioning to improve influence of play skills

   • Play games regularly to gain experience

   • Use comparables to set benchmarks for performance and evaluate progress

4. Conditioning

   • Work with a sports nutritionist to develop a nutrition plan

   • Work with a strength and conditioning coach to develop an off-ice training plan

   • Prioritize sleep to ensure well-rested for games and practices

   • Use comparables to set benchmarks for performance and evaluate progress

5. Mental Skills Development

   • Work with a sports psychologist to develop mental toughness

   • Practice visualization and relaxation techniques daily

   • Learn how to handle pressure and setbacks through mental skills training

   • Use comparables to set benchmarks for performance and evaluate progress

Evaluation

1. On-Ice Skills Development

   • Record skating speed and agility improvements every two weeks, review progress with coach

   • Record pass accuracy improvements every two weeks, review progress with coach

   • Record shooting accuracy improvements every two weeks, review progress with coach

   • Record stickhandling improvements every two weeks, review progress with coach

   • Use comparables to set benchmarks for performance and evaluate progress

2. Team Play

   • Evaluate communication, teamwork, leadership skills, and understanding of team tactics improvements every two weeks, review progress with coach

   • Analyze game footage to evaluate team performance and identify areas for improvement

   • Use comparables to set benchmarks for performance and evaluate progress

3. Hockey Sense

   • Evaluate anticipation, decision making, influence of play, and experience improvements every two weeks with coach

   • Use comparables to set benchmarks for performance and evaluate progress

4. Conditioning

   • Record nutrition and fitness improvements every two weeks, review progress with sports nutritionist and strength and conditioning coach

   • Evaluate sleep improvements every two weeks, review progress with coach

   • Use comparables to set benchmarks for performance and evaluate progress

5. Mental Skills Development

   • Review mental toughness improvements every two weeks with sports psychologist

   • Evaluate progress in visualization and relaxation techniques every two weeks

   • Review ability to handle pressure and setbacks with coach

   • Use comparables to set benchmarks for performance and evaluate progress

Again, please remember that this is just an example template, and it can be adjusted to meet the specific needs of the elite hockey player. The key is to set goals, create an actionable plan, and regularly evaluate progress to ensure that the plan is working effectively. By doing so, the player can become a well-rounded and successful hockey player.