MINOR HOCKEY CROSS TRAINING FAQs
 

ARE HELMETS MANDATORY FOR YOUR SPORTS?
Helmets are not used in our sports, in particular the sport of floorball (of which is best used for off ice cross training).  Discretion is left up to the Minor Hockey Association (MHA) coach/ parents for the need to wear a hockey helmet and cage/visor. Where young players have never played floorball, we do recommend some sort of eye protection as sticks and balls are not as controlled as the more advanced floorball players.

WHAT TYPE OF EQUIPMENT/CLOTHING DO THE PLAYERS NEED TO PARTICIPATE IN YOUR CROSS TRAINING CLINIC?
Players will need comfortable gym like clothing and clean indoor footwear that offers good traction and ankle support. It is important that the indoor footwear be able to be secured (tie shoelaces) as there are frequent stop-starts and turning and loose footwear can impede movement or cause ankle fatigue/ injury.

Players should also consider eye protective wear, especially if they are not experienced and just learning the sport of floorball.  Players do not need hockey gloves or hockey sticks as, unlike floor hockey, the sticks are lightweight carbon fibre and a light wiffle ball is used.

Premier Sports Leagues provides floorball sticks, floorball balls and nets to use during the MHA Cross Training Clinic. If players have their own floorball stick, they are encouraged to bring them to the clinic.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING A MHA FLOORBALL CROSS TRAINING SESSION?
Like many of our other clinics, workshops and programs, the preference is for the players to have fun and enjoy their time with floorball, so we usually opt to have them play a series of mini (floorball) games.

The sport of floorball is fast and requires an increased sense of awareness and agility. During a game of floorball there will be many ball touches, transitions in play, frequent stop-starts and quick decisions during the high tempo of play.  All this takes place in a small dry surface area (i.e. gym) and requires the same skill sets/ muscle use as hockey (stick handling, passing, shooting) just executed at a faster pace

While the players are engaged in the game of floorball, unbeknown they are developing their hockey skills and senses.  In particular players will develop fundamental skills such as:

• time and space
• read & react
• quick transitioning
• play options

As our instructors reference these fundamental terminologies throughout each clinic, the players will become more accustomed to how they are applied during the floorball games and eventually will transfer these skills and mental awareness to the ice during their hockey game (i.e. develop better “hockey sense”).

ARE THE PLAYERS INSURED?
Most MHAs have an insurance rider that permits teams to participate in third party approved sports/ activities outside their regular on ice practice or games that are deemed 'developmental'.  Floorball is used by Hockey Canada in their Skill Academy Schools to help develop hockey skills so fits well within the MHA guidelines.

Proof of this MHA insurance coverage is a requirement so we recommend that coaches try to obtain prior to participating in our MHA Cross Training Clinic.

In the event a MHA does not carry this insurance rider or the executive choose not to deem our Cross Training activity as developmental, Premier Sports Leagues can offers players and facilities insurance provided MHAs use one of their approved gym locations or each player registers with Premier Sports Leagues.  In some cases an insurance fee MAY be charged if the MHA team provides their own playing facility and the Cross Training Clinic not insured through their MHA.  Check with us for more details.

DO HOCKEY GOALIES NEED TO PLAY IN NETS DURING THE CLINIC?
Premier Sports Leagues' MHA Cross Training Clinics prefer not to have goalies simply because floorball goalies require specialized goalie gear, full size nets and the skill sets differ than those of ice hockey goalies. Outfiting goalies and transporting full size nets is encumbering to operating Cross Training Clinics. Instead, mini nets are used without goalies.  Although there are no goalies, the mini nets do challenge the players with scoring simply because the target is much smaller, so better accuracy is needed along with proper ball movement up the court to position the players for a better shot on goal.  This is in of itself a great skill development for players.

WOULD MORE THAN ONE CROSS TRAINING CLINIC BE RECOMMENDED?
Like all development clinics the more often players participate the more likely they will develop better skills to help them improve overall.

The sport of floorball provides more physical engagement for players to pass, stick handle and shoot simply because of the nature of the sport and the small playing area.  It also provides players more mental development as the quickness of the game challenges them to be more aware more often.  When this is repeated over several MHA Cross Training Clinics those physical and mental skills become more developed, more entrenched and more natural to hockey players.

Many of the European NHL players have been using floorball as part of their off season training regime and credit their better "hands" and game sense to hours of floorball.

If a MHA or team be interested in customizing Cross Training Clinics to suit their player development needs our Club operators are available to help in the design and delivery of those clinics. CONTACT US for more information