Being a fast player in female hockey has very little to do with how fast you can skate in a straight line. The reality is that when most girls hockey players of the same age and ability level get up to their full speed, they are all pretty much equally fast. What separates the fastest players from the rest is how fast they can get up to full speed, their ability to change direction and their ability to react to the puck and their opponents.
Speed is about being fast in every direction you move and being fast with every decision you make. Being able to read and react to the play instantaneously is what separates the best female hockey players from the rest. You can be the fastest skater with the fastest shot, but if you can't react to the play quickly enough to capitalize on your speed, you aren't going to be able to gain an advantage over your competition.
Developing multi-directional speed and the ability to read and react off the ice all starts with a solid foundation of single-leg balance, the ability to control and generate power off of one leg, and foot quickness. Developing each one of these components of speed is critical, but single-leg balance is the most fundamental. If girls don't have the ability to stay low to the ice, they lose their ability to generate power, fight off checks and win battles. Your power and quickness will always be limited unless you have a great foundation of single-leg balance. Once that foundation is in place, the sky is the limit.
Once these three pillars of speed are set, players can start to develop the multi-directional speed that will allow them to quick and explosive in every situation out on the ice. Integrating these skills into drills that challenge the athletes from a physical and mental perspective is really the key.
My favorite drill of all time that addresses multi-directional speed and the ability to read and react on a physical and mental level is called "ABCD/1234". And the reason why I like it so much is because it is all about reaction time, quick feet and and change of direction.
Here's how the drill works: Set up five squares marked by cones that are 3 feet by 3 feet apart. There should be 3 or 4 players assigned to each square. Have one player from each group stand in the middle of a square with all players facing in the same direction. The cones are labeled in a clockwise direction (starting at the bottom left) as "A", "B", "C" and "D". The A cone is also named 1, B is 2, C is 3 and D is 4. A coach, trainer or leader will call out a letter or number and all of the players who are inside the squares must run to touch the corresponding cone and get back to the middle of their square as quickly as possible so that they can react to the next call from the leader. Players will perform the drill for approximately 10-15 seconds and then the next players will jump in.
When I first start using this drill with my athletes, they usually complain that it is too hard and they are getting confused. It just happens to be a drill that requires players to think while they're moving, which also happens to be what they have to do every shift out on the ice.
Developing multi-directional speed and the ability to read and react instantaneously are the keys to become the fastest female hockey player possible. Once girls hockey players develop single-leg balance, ability to generate and control power and foot quickness through proper off-ice speed training, they will have the foundation they need to take their speed and performance to the next level.
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