Building the Better Player: the College Advantage

Strength and conditioning have become a part of the year round training programs of every one of the 59 Division I hockey teams. Taking advantage of some of the best training facilities anywhere in the United States, college hockey has been committed to creating the ultimate training experience for its players. In most cases, this means working one-on-one with full time strength coaches throughout the off-season as well as in season.
 
The college hockey player’s significant advantage over players who play junior hockey is that the limited number of games allows players to train — both on and off the ice — with intensity throughout the season. This results in seeing continued increases in strength, power and explosiveness year to year. In a typical four-year period, college players will gain on average between 25-40 pounds of lean muscle mass, while at the same time maintaining or reducing body fat percentage and gaining speed.
 
Strength and conditioning is the building block of continued success for any player. Whether a players is a full scholarship player, a projected first-round pick or a player who is walking on at his school of choice, his continued success at the college level and beyond, in part, will be the result of his ability to develop more size, speed and power.