Director's Note
Past, present and potential future Sabre Families,
As we head into our final week of Spring programming, the official off season for youth hockey will be setting in. It is that tricky time of year for parents who are trying to understand the best way to approach the off season as everyone involved in youth hockey, both player and coach, has a slightly different opinion as to how the off season should be treated.
As I've always personally stated, there is no one blanket answer that can be said is the correct approach. Every player has a different mindset towards the game of hockey, and while some kids thrive off never slowing down, for others that can be counter-productive. Only you as a parent know your child best and should judge how much, or how little hockey training they should be doing during the summer months.
My personal advice is that while every kid should definitely find a few weeks here or there to take a break and recharge their hockey batteries, any players who are very committed to the game of hockey and continuing to move up competitive levels, should be training through the off season to continue sharpening their on ice ability. It is also extremely important that kids are active athletes, playing multiple sports (whether they are involved in official programming, or just playing pickup sports with their friends). Sitting around eating potato chips and playing video games all summer long will not turn you into a better hockey player.
The Sabres are very excited to announce our latest evolution to our Summer Training Program. Rather than having specific days for each athlete and running the risk of possible conflicts with our summer sports, we are now offering every participant the chance to skate on any day that works for your family scheduling, Monday through Thursday. This will be treated like a gym membership with one flat fee. You can come once a week, twice a week, or if your player just can't get enough, come four times a week and maximize your cost per ice touch as low as $15 a skate.
These skates will all be run by our well established hockey committee and birth year travel coaches with a heavy focus on functional training of your athlete's hockey specific skill sets and mechanics, so players can perform better come next fall. Skating, Shooting, Passing, Puck Handling, etc...
Summer Skate Registration
I hope everyone takes a little time to enjoy the summer months while continuing to see you all around the rinks here and there working to become next year's batch of Sabre State Champions!
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Brandon Lewandowski
Hockey Director