Raising the hockey bar
A new program can help hockey players improve their awareness.
NEW YORK, NY -- In this day and age, athletes are willing to go to
great lengths to make sure they can get a leg up on their competition.
Whether it be extra hours at the gym, working with specialized coaches
in the off-season, or spending an inordinate amount of time in the
film room, players are always searching for that extra something to
put them over the edge.
A new program created by Applied Cognitive Engineering, initially
developed to train fighter pilots, and tested by NASA has been tweaked
into the Hockey Intelligym. The new program is designed to improve
awareness and anticipation on the ice through cognitive video game
sessions.
An official release explains, "On average, teams utilizing the
cerebral training tool show significant improvement on the ice,
leading to the ACE guarantee that its program will improve players'
on-ice point totals by 30 percent."
The product was adapted by the USA hockey program, and has been
applied and tested at several different levels. At the NCAA level, the
Air Force Academy implemented the routine in 2011, and at the CIS
level the Concordia Stingers have also used the Hockey Intelligym. The
Air Force Academy captured the Atlantic Hockey championship this year
with the help of Hockey Intelligym.
The program has also been used at the national level, and yielded
impressive results. Since 2009-10 both the U17 and U18 USA National
Teams have added Hockey Intelligym. The players have, on average,
increased their point totals by 42 percent after just eight short
weeks.
The program is essentially a game using head-mounted cameras to
simulate the on-ice experience. It is then used to simulate and
emphasize different cognitive skills intentionally. One of the finest
aspects is the lack of bells and whistles. Hockey Intelligym focuses
strictly on the game, and making the players better. It teaches
anticipation, something that can rarely be taught. The program
hypothesizes that it will greatly increase your mental skills on the
ice.
Shjon Podein, former Stanley Cup champion and current Minnesota High
School Hockey Coach, has recently introduced the routine to his
players, and has been incredibly thrilled with the results.
"As a former NHL player and Stanley Cup recipient, I got to be on the
ice with the best players in the game of hockey. I learned one main
thing from being around these great hockey players and that was you
must have a great mind to excel at the highest level," he explained.
He continued by by describing its effect, "So far, our guys are
completely into it and I personally know that the numbers on the ice
will follow."
Podein is not the only former NHLer to preach to the success of Hockey
Intelligym. Danton Cole, who is presently holding the reigns of the
USA Hockey Under 18 program, very matter-of-factly believes in the
positive results of the unique training system.
"The IntelliGym program addresses an under utilized aspect of
training, and that is the mental side of the game. The deep learning
sessions enable our players to work on a variety of situations in a
controlled environment and continue to train their minds even after a
day of practice and workouts."
Like all things however, these coaches openly acknowledge that you
will get out what you put into it. It is no miracle drug, but a system
that requires its students to put in the time in effort to get better.
"It is a system that is easily usable by many athletes and like all
training, is limited only on how much effort the athlete puts into
it," he clarified. He did admit however, that it could be very
revolutionary, "The knowledge that we are gaining on how the mind
works and learns is the cutting edge on mental training for the
future."
Now, for the first time, the makers of the Hockey Intelligym program
are bringing their training acumen to the Ontario Hockey League.
Starting this summer, the Niagara Ice Dogs will begin utilizing the
routine as an integral part of their off-season workout. This is a
massive stepping stone towards making the program a mainstay in the
NHL.
"In an increasingly competitive Ontario Hockey League, the Ice Dogs
are always on the lookout for proven, innovative methods to better
prepare and train our player. Upon learning about the IntelliGym and
relaying its benefits to the coaching staff, the organization is fully
behind the program's implementation," explicated Niagara Ice Dogs
Athletic Trainer Pete Dobbin in an official press release.
Hockey IQ has always been something that needs to be developed at such
a young age. Previously, the NHL has seen many players with
world-class talent flounder because of a ten-cent head. Now,
regardless of level of competition, players around the world will soon
be able to build on their intangibles, and create a better
understanding of the game for themselves.
With the way the speed of the game is today, quick cerebral thinking
is a must for any players serious about making on a professional
level. It's phenomenal that players still in the developmental stages
of their game will now have a chance to learn one of the toughest
trades in the entire game.
Hockey has evolved so many times over the years, and Hockey Intelligym
just may help take the game to the next level.
Patrick Kearns is a Columnist for TheFourthPeriod.com and the New York
Correspondent for
The Fourth Period Magazine.
