Contributed to Players By: Eileen Peerless

With the end of the hockey season and summer approaching, the question is what to do now: play pick-up hockey, take hockey clinics, play in spring/summer leagues, take skating lessons, switch sports, do all of the above, or do nothing at all. It certainly does not hurt to take a break from hockey and direct your energies in another direction. Taking some kind of break is beneficial and can prove helpful in your skill development. To work continually for twelve months at one sport can cause burn-out. Every athlete needs a rest. The body cannot perform at its peak without rest. However, to do nothing for several months and expect to resume your level of play where you left off at the end of the hockey season is not a wise choice. The off-season may be the time to take those skating lessons and skating clinics that will help elevate your level of play. Both individual lessons and clinics play a roll in overall skating development. Individual lessons provide the learning of skills that will improve over-all skating ability. Clinics for the most part may not provide the individual attention required to improve skating ability but can be useful for comparing your ability to others and providing that competitive edge which is not always present in an individual lesson setting. There are dozens of camps, clinics, courses and classes that offer instruction in all elements of the game. The time between the end of the hockey season and the beginning of the new season provides ample time to get the much-needed rest, pursue another sport, keep your aerobic conditioning up and improve skills. Just don't wait until two weeks before try-outs to do it all. As is the case with any skill, the more you work to improve, the better you will become. Preparation means practice, and those who prepare will be those who succeed.