Training program

HDW is completely different in almost every way. Skating, shooting, passing, and puck reception are all completed in a seamless and effortless way once HDW players have been taught the proper body mechanics in an easy, clear, and fun set of presentations. We are experts at breaking down the individual body movements required to be masterful at each hockey task.

In order for the player to master proper body movement to pass or shoot or skate, they must first perfect each individual step in the total movement flow. We teach each progression and build strength and muscle memory before moving on to the next step.

Mental approach, IQ elevation, Body Control, Awareness, Calm Execution, and every other element of your game will improve once you complete HDW training. There is no other hockey training method that is structured to do what HDW does.

Hockey training (and most youth sports training) has become a one size fits all, homogenized set of individual/group instruction. Everyone is immediately given a puck or ball and sent through a maze of obstacles in the pursuit of “skills development”. In truth, teaching skills before teaching the mastery of the fundamental body structure and universal movements necessary for successful body/mind development simply leads to the development of poor habits that need to be reversed before any real growth can occur.

The first weeks of HDW training heavily focus on erasing poor structures and movements and replacing them with proper form and body position.

Very simply, conventional training methods are not built for individual success.

Conventional training puts titles on kid's teams and clinics in order to put money in pockets. The focus is on revenue models and not individual player development. Hockey Dino’s Way is ONLY about Individual player development.

I grew up playing street hockey in a city. We played mostly on fenced in basketball courts. I trained myself in my small concrete driveway. Well, before there was internet, I had a subscription to the Hockey News and other hockey magazines. I studied photos of the players in the hockey magazines. They always looked so cool, and I wanted to be just like them. I copied their body position on my driveway. I remember how uncomfortable each position was until I did it for so long that it became comfortable, and I began to improve.

A few years later I switched to ice hockey. I was lucky to find a coach who taught and reinforced the fundamental body positioning and control that I had been working on. He also presented a mental approach to each activity, explained the “why” of the drills we were doing, and gave proactive step-by-step instruction for mastery of each movement.

I was an above-average player because of my advanced understanding of body positioning and movement.

Altered a Female 16U AAA Goalie’s playing style away from conventional training and toward using her own athleticism. She’s not tall and was being conventionally trained like a 6’ Goalie. Her entire game and confidence level has changed and her numbers look like a different goaltender, because that is what she now is.

Significantly boosted points and ice time using new offensive zone attack angles for excellent skating AAA defender with previously low offensive production.

Upgraded multiple player's space creation using intelligent lateral movement training to expose conventionally trained players in tight spaces and in open ice.

Trained 3 14U AA players who are now all 16U AAA players being recruited by the top Prep Schools in the Country.

Very easily. Aside from using your edges, almost all of the things that one does on a hockey rink can be practiced and mastered off ice. All of the training, methodology, thought processes, body positions and body mechanics are the same on or off the ice and interestingly, many of the movements are translatable to most other sports. I always tell my students that while they are in pursuit of becoming better hockey players, don't be surprised if you improve at soccer or lacrosse or basketball as well. 90% of athletic movement and body position is similar through most sports.

That’s why some kids are good at multiple sports. We call them great athletes but at younger ages, they are more aptly described as great fundamentalists.

For multiple reasons. One is that most coaches simply don’t understand it. They’ve never been properly taught. They teach what they know.

The last is stagnation. Once coaches have a bit of success with a player or a team then they continue to do what they have always done. Many times in youth sports you have a dominant athlete on your team so you win a lot.

Having the best player once is not a coaching plan for the next decade.