From the Trainer’s Room

Running for hockey

“But I hate running! Why are we running? I skate, I don’t run!” solid load. Skating is at a minimum for now only working on skill work until we transition into the next phase of the training program as we get closer to the start of next season. Ice touches will then increase. There are several methods that can be used for the day of speedwork in this phase.

I hear this from almost every hockey player this time of year. But guess what? We still run as part of our offseason training.

There are quite a few variables that go into the prescription of the proper amount of running that we do.

First and foremost, we take injury history into account. Proper running technique is also taught for injury prevention.

Long Term Athletic Development describes the need for young athletes to be multi-sport athletes and running is an important ingredient to making a resilient skater.

At this time of year in the offseason, aerobic conditioning plays a larger role in our training than any other time of year. Our ability to recover between shifts on the ice during a game largely comes from our aerobic base.

Compete in Yorba Linda has a great hill to run on and a large stairway. These two methods are more similar in ground contact times and forces to skating than running alone.

Mike Hannegan

Proper amounts of repetitions and distances should be monitored by a professional strength coach or athletic trainer as to keep the workouts age appropriate and safe. The old-fashioned school of thought or running stairs until you’re exhausted is a fast track to injury.

Yes, running can be boring. Yes, running can be hard. But yes, running can help you be better.

Common hockey injuries, how to prevent them

In a high-velocity contact sport such as ice hockey, injuries are bound to occur.

NHL players can reach speeds of over 20 mph on the ice and a puck can be shot at over 100 mph. With players ranging in size, the amount of force created in a check or simply skating or shooting can cause injuries.

Injuries range from sprained ligaments and strained muscles to contusions (bruises), broken bones and concussions. Though some of these injuries seem severe, many are minor, and athletes return to the ice quickly or don’t miss time at all.

According to USA Hockey, injury rates will increase as the players get older. For example, looking at injuries per 1,000 game hours, a Squirt player will incur 0.6 injuries where at the high school level, that number increases to 9.3. Other statistics will also show an increase in injuries at a higher level of play. This means AAA players are at a higher risk than an A player.

Different research may show which injuries are more common than others, but the following is a list of the most common ones.

• Shoulder separation: This is a sprain of the ligaments of the joint made up of the acromion and clavicle or collarbone. It typically occurs when absorbing a force from an opponent or the boards towards the top or side of the shoulder.

• Collarbone fracture: This occurs

See COMPETE on 10

We are able to utilize our energy systems to skate hard for our shift, recover, and skate again over and over for a 60-minute game.

To build this base, we can go for long, easy runs (heart rate of 6070%) once or twice a week. This can then be supplemented with one day of sprints and speedwork on a third day of the week.

Add in a minimum of two days of lifting in the gym and that’s a pretty

Mike Hannegan is an athletic trainer and strength coach with 10 years of experience in the NHL with the Anaheim Ducks and St. Louis Blues.

He is currently the director of the Compete Sports Performance and Rehabilitation facility inside The Rinks-Yorba Linda Ice located in beautiful Orange County. He can be reached by email at mike@competeperformance.com.

Compete

Continued from Page 8 in a similar fashion to a shoulder separation where an athlete gets hit from the side compressing the body together shoulder to shoulder. In this case, the clavicle or collarbone breaks and is more common in younger athletes.

• Knee sprain: the most commonly sprained ligament is the medial collateral ligament or the one on the inside of the knee and can occur when getting hit or fallen on forcing the knee to collapse inward.

• Groin or Hip

Flexor strain: strains occur when the muscle either gets over stretched such as catching an edge and the skate slips further away from the body or when strenuously using a muscle that may be fatigued and causing tears of the muscle fibers.

• Concussion: these occur when there is a direct force to the head or body that causes a disruption in brain activity leading to symptoms such as headache, dizziness, vision problems, cognitive issues or just not feeling right. These are the more common symptoms, but there are many others as well.

All of these injuries should be seen by healthcare professionals such as a physician, athletic trainer or physical therapist to assess and develop a course of action. In many states, including California, there are laws that if a concussion is suspected by anyone including a parent, coach or healthcare practitioner, the player must be removed from activity and see a doctor for further evaluation.

So what can be done to help prevent these injuries? There are a few things out of a players control such as enforcement of existing rules during play and curbing dangerous play by opponents.

Below are some things that you can do to help limit injuries on the ice.

• Wear properly fitted equipment. Using older shin pads or shoulder pads that are too small may leave areas unprotected. Make sure your helmet fits you properly. The best helmet is the one that protects you the most. This means it fits snuggly to your head with the chin strap close to the chin and J hooks that stop the face mask from hitting your face on contact.

• Prepare for games both on and off the ice. Off the ice, a proper strength and conditioning program developed for your age and ability is key in limiting injuries. Your program should be designed by someone experienced in both sports performance training and hockey. Improving strength, mechanics, mobility and flexibility has shown to decrease injuries. Strength and conditioning should be varied throughout a season, but not ignored because of increased ice time. On the ice, proper preparation starting with the basics and advancing in skill and intensity leading up to the season is also beneficial.

• Injury recognition or know when your hurt versus injured is another key. Any injury that limits what you can do on the ice should be assessed by a healthcare practitioner. Athletic Trainers and Physical Therapists can help treat conditions that hurt before they become injuries that keep you out of practices and games. With concussions, if there are any signs and symptoms, seek medical advice from a qualified physician before returning to activity.

Overall, hockey is a safe sport to play. It does come with inherent risks, but the rewards can be pretty great. Enjoy the game, learn to be physically active and embrace the lasting friendships made with teammates and coaches.

Chris Phillips is an athletic trainer and strength and conditioning specialist with over 30 years’ experience in professional sports.

Chris spent 17 years in pro hockey, including eight in the NHL with the Ducks and Capitals. He is the owner of Compete Sports Performance and Rehab in Orange County and can be reached at chris@competeperformance.com.

Hypomobility vs. Hypermobility

Mobility is often a buzzword that is thrown around in training, rehab, and sports performance settings.

Here, we are going to look at what it means when an athlete is hypomobile (less mobility) and what it means when an athlete is hypermobile (more mobility), and if one is better than the other.

First, it’s important to get some definitions out of the way. What does mobility even mean? Is it the same as flexibility? How does it relate to stability?

Mobility: the ability of a joint to move actively through a range of motion.

Flexibility: the ability of a muscle to lengthen passively.

Stability: the ability of the body to maintain posture and support joints during movement.

While mobility and flexibility are related and can affect each other, the terms are not interchangeable. For example, the hip joint’s flexion mobility may be restricted because of poor hamstring flexibility. But mobility can also be affected by other factors, including joint surfaces, weakness, pain, or issues with other structures (ligaments, cartilage, etc.).

Stability vs. mobility. These two can be thought of as being on either end of a spectrum. The more mobile a joint, the less stable it is. The more stable a joint, the less mobile it is. So when an athlete is described as being hypermobile, it usually means that there is lower stability.

This can lead to range of motion beyond the joint’s capacity and can put you at higher risk of injury. An example of this would be a hypermobile athlete over-rotating through the trunk, causing stress on the spinal column and potentially a stress fracture.

On the other hand, a hypomobile athlete cannot reach full range of motion and this can also increase injury risk or affect their performance. For example, an athlete that cannot rotate at the trunk fully, putting a higher demand on the shoulder, causing excessive wear-and-tear.

So is one better than the other? Not necessarily. But it does change how you train, highlighting the importance of treating each athlete individually and meeting their specific needs. A hypermobile athlete is going to need more stability work while the hypomobile athlete is going to need more mobility work. It varies by joint, as well.

For instance, the shoulder needs a lot of mobility to do its job while the hip needs a lot of stability.

The main takeaway? A happy medium between stability and mobility should be the goal.

Jenna Janadi is a certified athletic trainer at Compete Sports Performance and Rehab in Lake Forest.

For more information, visit competeperformance.com.

Tibbetts

Continued from Page 3 challenges that came with living away from home and how to deal with them along with how to balance hockey, social life and school.”

The Demons finished as 4A state runners-up, losing 1-0 in triple-overtime to Cheyenne Mountain.

Tibbets was named to the 4A Mountain Conference First Team as a defenseman and was also selcted to play for Team Colorado at the America’s Showcase event during the spring in St. Louis.

Tibbetts said he started playing hockey nearly 14 years ago in his hometown.

“Both of my older brothers played hockey, which is how started to gain an interest,” said Tibbetts. “I always remember going to the Avs games with my hockey team and playing in between the periods as Mini Mites. That experience really reinforced my love for hockey and wanting to play it at a higher level.”

Aside from the Demons, Tibbetts also played for the Glenwood Grizzlies, Mountain Wilderness, Mountain Militia, High Altitude Hockey Academy and Colorado Springs Tigers.

“The coach the stood out to me the most was Coach Lada (Ladislav Majkus),” explained Tibbetts. “I played for him with the High Altitude Hockey Academy. He really helped me hone in my skills and become not only the best player, but the the best person I could be.”

Going forward, Tibbetts’ plans are simple.

“Short term, I plan on playing juniors for a couple years and then playing college hockey,” said Tibbetts. “In college, I plan to study economics and become a stock broker.”