Parents, Let’s Talk About Speed
If your hockey player wants to get faster, I get it.
Every parent wants to see their kid win more races to the puck.
Every athlete wants a better first step.
Every coach wants players who can play fast.
But here is the truth.
Your athlete may not need more random speed drills.
They may need to find out why they are not fast yet.
At Hardbody Athlete, we do not guess.
We test.
We coach.
We build the plan.
Because hockey speed is not just “move your feet faster.”
Hockey speed comes from a body that is strong, powerful, mobile, and ready to move.
The Big Mistake Most Hockey Families Make
A lot of parents hear this:
“Your kid needs to get faster.”
So they add more.
More skating.
More lessons.
More camps.
More treadmill work.
More conditioning.
More footwork drills.
Some of that can help.
But if we do not know what is slowing your athlete down, we may be fixing the wrong thing.
Your athlete may be slow because they are weak.
They may be slow because they do not have enough muscle.
They may be slow because they do not produce power well.
They may be slow because they cannot hold good skating positions.
They may be slow because they are tired and under-recovered.
They may be slow because their first three steps are poor.
They may be slow because their top speed is low.
They may be slow because their skating skill does not match their strength.
That is why testing matters.
Speed Is Not One Thing
When a hockey player says, “I need to get faster,” I want to know what they mean.
Do they need a better first step?
Do they need to win races in small areas?
Do they need to skate faster through the neutral zone?
Do they need to stay fast late in the game?
Do they need to change direction better?
Do they need to be harder to knock off the puck?
These are not all the same thing.
A player can be quick in small spaces but not have great top speed.
Another player may be big and powerful once they get moving, but slow in the first few steps.
That is why the plan must match the athlete.
First-Step Speed vs. Top Speed
Most hockey parents talk about the first three steps.
That matters.
A better first step helps your athlete:
- win loose puck races
- separate in small areas
- close space faster
- attack open ice
- defend better
- get out of trouble quicker
But top speed matters too.
Top speed helps your athlete:
- skate through the neutral zone
- backcheck
- forecheck
- create breakaways
- recover after mistakes
- play at the next level
A complete hockey player needs both.
That is why we do not just train “speed.”
We look at what type of speed your athlete needs most.
If Your Athlete Is Weak, Strength May Be the First Fix
This is one of the biggest things parents need to understand.
Some hockey players do not need fancy speed drills first.
They need to get stronger.
If an athlete cannot put enough force into the ground, they will have a hard time putting force into the ice.
A weak athlete may need to build:
- legs
- hips
- glutes
- hamstrings
- core
- upper body
- grip
- muscle mass
This is why strength training matters for hockey.
Not bodybuilding.
Not random lifting.
Not maxing out with bad form.
Real strength training.
The kind that helps your athlete build the engine behind their skating.
At Hardbody, we want athletes to become strong, capable, and hard to break.
If Your Athlete Is Strong But Still Slow, They May Need Power
Some athletes are strong, but they still do not move fast.
That means they may need more power.
Power is the ability to use strength quickly.
In hockey, power helps your athlete:
- explode off the line
- win puck races
- shoot harder
- absorb contact
- give contact
- change direction
- separate from defenders
At Hardbody, we use tools like jumps, medicine ball throws, sled work, and ForceDecks testing to help us see how well an athlete produces power.
We are not just trying to make them tired.
We are trying to make them explosive.
Bag Skating Is Not Speed Training
This is important.
Getting tired is not the same as getting faster.
A lot of hockey players do “speed work” that is really conditioning.
They skate hard.
They get tired.
They sweat.
They breathe heavy.
But that does not always build true speed.
Real speed work needs:
- high effort
- short reps
- full rest
- simple drills
- great intent
- low fatigue
If your athlete is tired every rep, they are not really training speed anymore.
They are training fatigue.
There is a time for conditioning.
But speed training and conditioning are not the same thing.
Hockey Players Need Chances to Skate Fast
Many hockey players do not hit true top speed in practice.
They are doing drills.
They are handling pucks.
They are reading the play.
They are stopping and starting.
They are thinking.
That is hockey.
But if we want a player to get faster, they also need simple chances to skate fast.
That can be as simple as:
- short sprints
- full rest
- straight-line races
- flying starts
- resisted starts
- 5 to 10 minutes of true speed work
It does not need to be fancy.
It needs to be done well.
This is something hockey coaches can add to practice without taking over the whole ice slot.
This Is Why We Use the MAP Assessment
At Hardbody, the MAP Assessment helps us find the starting point.
MAP stands for Movement and Performance Assessment.
Before we build the plan, we want to know:
How does your athlete move?
How strong are they?
How much muscle do they have?
How powerful are they?
How well do they sprint?
How well do they jump?
Are they tight?
Are they weak on one side?
Do they have an injury history?
Are they ready for harder training?
What is the biggest limiting factor?
This matters because every athlete is different.
One athlete may need strength.
One may need power.
One may need body composition.
One may need mobility.
One may need better training habits.
One may need better recovery.
One may need help learning how to move with intent.
The MAP helps us stop guessing.
How We Build Speed at Hardbody
At Hardbody Athlete, we use a simple process.
First, we assess.
Then, we build the plan.
Then, we coach the athlete.
Then, we track progress.
For hockey speed, we may train:
- strength
- power
- sprinting
- sled work
- jumping
- landing
- core strength
- hip strength
- mobility
- conditioning
- recovery habits
But we do not give every athlete the same plan.
That is the key.
A beginner hockey player does not need the same plan as an advanced athlete.
A small, weak player does not need the same plan as a big, powerful player.
A player with hip pain does not need the same plan as a healthy player.
A 12-year-old does not need the same plan as a 17-year-old.
That is why our system matters.
How This Works in Semi-Private Training
At Hardbody, we train in a 1:5 semi-private model.
That means one coach can train up to five athletes.
But that does not mean all five athletes do the exact same thing.
They may all train speed that day.
But each athlete may have a different path.
One athlete may need trap bar deadlifts.
One may need split squats.
One may need sled pushes.
One may need jumps.
One may need resisted sprints.
One may need more mobility.
One may need lower volume because they are in-season.
Same room.
Same system.
Different plan.
That is how we personalize training while still building energy, culture, and accountability.
What This Means During the Season
A lot of hockey players get slower as the season goes on.
Why?
Because the season is long.
They have games.
They have practices.
They have tournaments.
They have school.
They have stress.
They have travel.
They may not sleep enough.
They may not eat enough.
They may not recover well.
If they stop training strength and speed, those qualities can drop.
That is why in-season training matters.
In-season training should not crush your athlete.
It should help them stay strong, fast, and durable.
At Hardbody, we adjust training based on the season.
The goal is not to beat your kid up.
The goal is to help them keep their engine.
Parents, Here Is the Big Takeaway
Your hockey player does not just need to “get faster.”
They need to know what is slowing them down.
Then they need a plan.
If they are weak, we build strength.
If they lack power, we build power.
If they need better acceleration, we train that.
If they need better top speed, we train that.
If they need better body composition, we support that.
If they need better recovery, we coach that.
If they need better habits, we build those too.
That is the Hardbody way.
Why Hardbody Athlete Is Different
We are not here to give your athlete random workouts.
We are here to build the body behind the hockey player.
Our process is clear:
Discovery Call
We learn about your athlete, goals, schedule, and what is not working.
Discovery Visit
We meet and talk through the best next step.
MAP Assessment
We test movement, strength, power, body composition, and performance.
3-Week Body Mapping Trial
We coach your athlete and learn how they respond.
13-Week Training Rhythm
We build the plan and develop the athlete.
This gives your athlete structure.
It gives you clarity.
It gives us the information we need to coach with precision.
Final Word From Coach K-Mac
Parents, I know you want the best for your athlete.
You want them to feel confident.
You want them to be safe.
You want them to be strong.
You want them to be fast.
You want them to enjoy the game and keep growing.
That does not happen by accident.
It happens with the right plan.
So before you add another random speed drill, ask this:
Do we know what is actually slowing my athlete down?
If the answer is no, that is where Hardbody can help.
We will assess.
We will coach.
We will build the plan.
And we will help your hockey player become stronger, faster, and harder to break.
Ready to Help Your Hockey Player Get Faster?
If your athlete is serious about hockey, start with the right first step.
Book a Discovery Call with Hardbody Athlete today.
Let’s find what is slowing your athlete down.
Then let’s build the plan.
