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Q: I am a sophomore, and I just started ice hockey and have a strong determination to succeed and go to an excellent hockey college someday. My first question deals with becoming a better hockey player. I'm not as good as some other guys, but I play three times a week and hustle more than anyone. I want to know what things I need to do to become a better skater, and stick handler. My slap shot could use some work too. As well, I would like to know what to do in the off-season. I would like to build up my muscles and build up my endurance tremendously. Please let me know how I can become a better hockey player.

A: To answer your first question on how to become a better hockey player through improving your skating, stick handling and shooting abilities, we suggest this: First, continue to work as hard as you do. Through your hard work and dedication to getting better, it is only a matter of time before you'll start to see improvements in your overall game. Now, let's deal with your skating. Skating is something that will improve through time. As you get older and stronger you will begin to see that you are also a stronger and faster skater. If you haven't already, we would like to encourage you to take a power skating class. These are normally offered during the summer months at local ice rinks and hockey schools. The power skating class will help you with the fundamentals of skating, which will allow you to learn the proper techniques which are the basis of any good skater.
      Stick handling, once again, comes down to practice. Handle the puck as much as possible during practice. The more you handle the puck, the better you will become. Stick handle around pucks, gloves or cones. It doesn't really matter what you do, but what matters is how often you do it. One piece of advice is to keep your head up. The best stick handlers in the world rarely look at the puck. They stickhandle by feel not sight. As for your slap shot, it's tough to tell you how to take one through words, so here's what we encourage you to do. Get your coach to show you the proper techniques involved with a slap shot. The transfer of weight, the bending of the knees, the cupping of the stick, the follow through. Once you have the mechanics down, your improvement will come with practice. Over the summer, you can also spend time working on your shot, and you don't have to be on the ice. Gather a bucket of pucks, or as many as you can find, and then find a place to shoot. Make sure you have something hard to shoot against (like a brick wall) or an old mattress. Wherever you choose, make sure your parents have given you the ok first. (Over the years, we've put many a hole in walls, garage doors, and windows.) If you have roller blades to wear, then do so. They'll give you the proper perspective to the puck. The last thing you'll need is something to shoot off. We recommend using a plastic chair mat (allows your desk chair to roll on carpet) or the side of a collapsed cardboard box. Both will give the puck the slide that you feel on the ice. I'm 25 years old and have played hockey for 21 years and I still work daily on my skating, stick handling and slap shot. One thing I have learned is to watch my teammates, and we encourage you to do the same. Through watching players who may do something better than you, you will be able to see what makes them successful, and you can then incorporate that into your game.
      When it comes to summer training, there are a number of things that we advocate. First, take a little rest. After a long season of playing, you should take at least 4-6 weeks off from playing and training. Your body needs time to recuperate, and your mind needs a break. A lot of players overlook the importance of rest, so be sure to take a break. After you've had your long overdue rest, we suggest playing other sports. Otherwise known as cross-training, playing other sports will help you develop better eye-hand coordination and will give other, new muscle groups a solid workout. The truth is that the best athletes, including Gretzky and Jordan, spend their summers playing other sports. Summer is also an opportune time for you to get a solid gym routine started. For the last half of the summer, professional athletes generally hit the gym regularly. Lifting weights helps you develop your strength on the ice. Given the fact that you are a sophomore, you may not want to hit the weights too hard. Ideally, you should be waiting until your body has matured before starting to weight lift intensely. As an alternative, you may want to try plyometrics. Plyometrics are widely used by hockey players to develop strength and speed. For more information on plyometrics, we suggest the book "Jumping into Plyometrics" by Don Chu (you can read more about it by clicking on the book in the Must Read Books section of the site).
      When everything is said and done though, it all comes down to practice. The more time you spend with your stick in your hands, the better you'll get as a hockey player.