The Importance of Pre-Game Preparation

First off, let me say that if you do not approve of me using a quote from Joe Paterno, I can't help you there.  It's a quote, take it for what it's worth.  Now, time to move along.

Hockey players, as I am sure you know, are quite an interesting group of individuals when it comes to pre-game preparation.  Some people have a routine, others just simply go with the flow.  Some shut down and listen to music while going over the game with visualization techniques in their head while others are just off-the-wall crazy and having fun (that was me!).  Some tape their sticks and others put every bit of equipment on the same way every single time.  This is all well and good, I don't think any coach is going to tell a player what to do in this sense.  What I am talking about here happens long before you ever set foot in an area.  Eating.  Sleeping.  Check-listing.  It's all a part of game-day and each is just as important as the next.  To start - Your body is a machine, plain and simple.  It needs fuel.  Now I am not a nutritionist nor do I try to act like one, but I know what a body needs in order to be fueled correctly.  When you get into your car to prepare for a road trip, you're not going to stick oil in the gas tank.  You're going to give it exactly what it needs, gas, in order to get you where you need to go.  So why don't you do the same thing for your body?  Who knows.

Gary Roberts is an ExNHLer (pictured left) who was well-known around the hockey world for the way he took care of his body.  He played his tough, physical style of game into his 40's and was a factor until the day he decided to hang up his skates and call it a career.  Could this be attributed to being lucky and not being injured all the time?  Sure, why not?  Could it be attributed to his genes and the fact that he was a bit of a freak of nature?  Yeah, that may have played a role as well.  The only thing that can be proven is that when it comes to Gary Roberts' longevity in a tough, no-nonsense type of league, he lasted because of the way he took care of himself.  His workouts, meals, pregame routines.  It was a religion to him.  Now that his playing days are behind him, rest assured he is still having an impact on the NHL.  Because of his reputation as a fitness and health guru, many current NHLers have sought guidance from the individual known throughout the league as "Scary Gary".  He has since started the "Gary Roberts High Performance Training Center" in North York, Ontario, Canada (http://www.fitnessinstitute.com/gary-roberts-hpc/).  This is where he trains NHLers and others on the "right way" to take care of your machine, to prepare it and maintain it.  If you're a young player or parent and have signed up for Twitter, I urge you to follow him at @GaryRobertsHPT.  The stuff he puts out via the social networking site is pure gold.  For instance, in one of his tweets, he decided to make his own version of a balanced diet food chart.  This is what it looked like:

Fairly simple, wouldn't you agree?  This is a great segue into STEP ONE of game day preparation - fueling your machine.  This is very likely the most important step when it comes to being prepared to play the game of ice hockey and parents, sometimes you only fuel this fire (for better or worse).  When you're getting ready for a game you have to understand how it will impact your body.  If you don't have enough fuel in your system it will greatly impact your performance on the ice, as well as recovery time.  As we all know, in youth hockey, sometimes recovery is VITAL when it comes to our schedules as we may have multiple games in a very short span of time.  Eat Right!  Plain and simple.  Drive past McDonald's, Burger King, move away from the fancy burger joints and head to Subway, Olive Garden, even a pizza place would suffice.  Load up on Carbohydrates.  This is challenging, especially in the morning.  If you have a 6AM game, prepare yourself the night before.  That's right parents, don't go down to that hotel bar and help your young hockey player get prepared for the next morning.  Go pick up some bagels, WATER and the like and eat just as you wake up.  It's a challenge but you can do it.  Coke-a-cola, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Red Bull, 5-Hour Energry and all that other fancy energry crap, not a good choice for a pre-game drink.  Grab water, Gatorade, Powerade, something like that to help revitalize and hydrate your machine.  Take care of your body first thing in the morning and it will take care of you.  In between games, again stay away from those places mentioned before, stay away from those drinks, grab some carbs, something that will rebuild your machine.  Go back to your hotel, take a nap, clean up, freshen up and get ready for game two.  Sounds pretty simple, right?  What did you not see in there?  X-Box, Playstation, pool, that's right, NAP was about it.  Rest the machine so it can be ready to go when called upon.  Speaking of naps...

Coach Wagner on NO sleep!

STEP TWO - Get PLENTY of sleep before a game!  This one is tough, especially when you're visiting a hotel on a fun little road trip.  I coach U16 hockey players...try telling a bunch of 15 and 16-year-olds to go to bed at 10.  Two words - good luck!  If you're a player, this is ON YOU!  You want to be the best you can be on the ice?  For you, for your team.  Simple - get some rest!  By no means does this mean four hours of sleep because you were playing XBox all night long.  Sorry.  If you have a 6AM game and need to be at the rink by 5:15, this means going to bed by 9PM so you can get a good, solid 7 hours (and that's only if the rink is within a few minutes).  This is a hard task to complete but it's an absolute necessity.  As a coach, I love watching the other team walk in with wrangled hair, shirts untucked looking like they just rolled out of bed, mismatched socks - the works.  It makes me wish I was a player again so I could get moving before they even wake up and realize there is a game going on.  BUT, there is always that wonder - how many of my players got sufficient rest?  If they're smart and want to play a great game, then it better be all of them.  What step two boils down to is simple, get plenty of rest.  Don't go swimming until all hours of the night, don't play XBox until 2 AM, and by all means, don't play games right outside the coach's door while he's trying to sleep.  Your body is a machine, it won't be at its full potential unless it has rest.  Even the king of the jungle gets tired and needs a nap.

STEP THREE - Look/Act like a hockey player!  This one is quite simple and something I often stress.  There is a common phrase heard around sports, "if you look good, you'll feel good.  If you feel good, you'll play good."  This starts with how you look/feel walking into the arena.  If you look like Harry and Lloyd from Dumb and Dumber (kind of like Jonathan Toews and Adam Burish in the picture to the right), my guess is that you'll play like you could have starred in that movie.  When you walk into an arena you have to understand, you're not just there for YOU.  You are there representing the organization in which you choose to play the game of ice hockey.  Dress appropriately.  You're a hockey player, not a clown.  Strangely enough, there can be a small intimidation factor that can come into play as well.  When I see opponents walking into an arena, I never think twice about a kid who is dressed in a set of sweatpants or the first shirt they could find in the dark.  I got worried about the teams who look like teams.  Either wearing a team warmup, a tie and slacks.  Simple fact is, they look good, they look confident.  Before we even step onto the ice I was thinking about them, their game and the way they were going to play.  Hockey players dress like they deserve to be there.  Like they fought to be there.  Check out NHL Superstar Claude Giroux (pictured below).  Suit, tie, nice shoes - he looks good, he looks confident.  I only wish he would have combed his hair.  Simply put, he looks like a hockey player.  Your coaches should layout a pre-game uniform for you and your team so there is some sort of uniformity.  Don't bend it, don't try to do your own thing.  Look like you're a part of the team because no one man is bigger than the team - period.  "If you look good, you'll feel good.  If you feel good, you'll play good."

 STEP FOUR- Check, check again, and triple check your equipment.  This is short and sweet because it's the easiest one of them all.  Before you leave home, go through a checklist.  Make sure you have your equipment, and I mean ALL of it.  Don't leave your skates, jerseys, gloves, helmet or any other piece of equipment at home.  If you do, don't walk up to a Coach smiling because you realize that you made a mistake.  No Coach wants an excuse, just a solution.  This is a silly mistake that shouldn't happen.  There's a lot you need to get through a game.  Don't forget ANY OF IT!  It's not up to Mom or Dad to pack your bag for you, especially if your a Bantam or older.  If you're younger, well, that's up to you. That is all, just don't forget your equipment. When it comes to having your equipment, take accountability for your actions.  If you forget something, don't sit in the locker room with your head in your hands.  Try to find a replacement.  Take action.  Don't wait for the Coach to say "what's up?"

When it comes down to it, preparing for a game is 100%, without a doubt, on YOU.  Not the Coach, not your parents, not your buddy bringing XBox on the road trip.  You have to take responsibility for being prepared.  I don't care if you're 17, 14, 12 or something along those lines...it's on YOU!  If your parents say "let's stop by burger king and get you a quick meal".  Say "No thanks, rather have a sub packed with protein and carbohydrates so my body is ready to handle the rigors of a hockey game."  Hockey is a very demanding sport.  When you're coming off the ice after a shift or when the game is over, your body didn't just sweat out water, it sweat out fuel.  When the game is over, you will notice that your equipment is a bit heavier than before the game started.  Everything that is in that equipment has to be replenished.  What happens when you don't refuel the gas tank in your car?  Can't go anywhere, can you?  You're stuck.  You have to put fuel in the car so it's ready to go and get you where you need to be.  Same thing with your body.  You can't wake up after 7 to 8 hours of sleep and expect to have enough energry to play a hockey game.  You have to wake up, early, to start fueling your machine.  It's on you.  Don't ask your parents to get you up.  Don't ask anybody to remind you.  Just get it done!  No excuses!


So in closing I leave you with this - a challenge.  Next time you have a hockey game begin a new routine.  Make sure your food is equal to fuel.  Make sure you get enough sleep, and by all means, MAKE SURE you have everything you need to be ready.  That includes clothes, skates, gloves, EVERYTHING.  Be prepared, always, because it's on you!

Photo By: Frank Walsh of Frank Walsh Photography (http://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/Pittsburgh-Magazine/December-2011/Evgeni-Malkin-Will-Speak-to-You-Now/)