Just finished participating in the Canadian World Jr training camp in Newfoundland. It was a unique experience to participate in the camp and meet Canada’s top and up-and-coming talent. I was a member of the trainers providing the athletic testing.
The Nike Spark testing for hockey consists of:
-20 metre sprint
-2 hop jump
-Rotational MB Throw
-Shuttle Cross Pick-up
-Yo-Yo Intermit Recovery, Level 1
It will be interesting to test my own athletes in the near future and compare the result.
I will be adding my thoughts and perspective to this thread over the next few weeks as I review the event.
Yes Team Canada would utilize this data as well but it was a Nike Sparq initiative. I am not sure if Team Canada performed any other testing at the event?
This was the first evaluation camp for Team Canada World Jr. invites with the annual Red vs. White format. Approximately 42-44 players are invited to camp - with the players broken up into two team of 22-24. The Red and White teams are kept apart from one another the entire time they are at camp with the exception of competition and testing.
I helped to run some of the Sparq tests (SLJ) back in 2005 (based out of a Velocity SP center) at the Nike outdoor nationals (high school track) in Greensboro, NC.
Man does Nike try to turn everything into a combine. Seems like hockey selected players fine for a long time without them. Now we have combines for that too?
I work with hockey athletes predominantly over 500 a year, and they are like all other sports athletes - in great need of proper training. If there is a sport that is over-trained or undertrained its hockey!
Nike Sparq campaign is a very good start in this education process as majority of the testing is power based - the coaches designing the programs and developing the testing protocol are strength and conditioning coaches in the sport of hockey.
All testing to athletes is made available for free and can also be done individually by the athlete. Nike has created a Sparq testing site where athletes are able to see their results and compare. There are other resources there for those athletes who need some direction and training ideas.
I think it is a great initiative for hockey and hats off to Nike and Sparq for getting involved!
I am just amazed what these guys get into. Obviously Nike does it for their own business, but you are correct that it is a bit of a neglected market. I think most of what I have seen falls under over training of athletes in hockey. Too much exposure and conditioning. I guess I look at it from a stand point that the process like national selects does a pretty solid job of rating talent. I just hope the hockey doesn’t turn into the monster that combines have for football. I see too many combine babies in football, great testers, bad players.
I think a solid certification program to assist some of these clowns that are currently " innovationg" testing for hockey would be a great idea.
A guide to show what not to do as much as what to do.
I would like to see a list of those Nike hired.
I would also like to see who gets the final say.
Certainly it’s free
I love free stuff
Ummm
what would be Nike’s hook?
I knew someone well for the past 22 years that did a lot of free stuff but now he is gone ( yep 14 weeks and 4 days ago he left)
And btw
It wasnt for free
it was of sorts to save a part of his life
A part that Nike had a great hand in trying to win at their own game.
NOt to say it is not good this hockey attempt.
I cant comment too much if I wasnt there.
But make no mistake just because you can does not make it so.
I am a big believer in sticking to what you know
Last time I checked their shoes are not very good …is that not where Nike started? Now all of a sudden, they if I can generalize they want to do all things. STick to what you know …shoes? maybe get that right again and …well money talks and bullcrap walks
Ange, the Nike football combines have gotten out of hand. That is my fear for hockey. In the USA, they have selects camps to rate players on state and national level. I think that hockey is so unique that you really need to watch who has an impact on the kid’s. I train some pretty good players. I have used a lot of the things Charlie taught me to wonderful effect. I just fear there will be more yahoo’s applying lousy training to all these unknowing kids because they get associated with Nike camps.
I suspect anything that has people involved can be corrupted from something promising to something bad. However, being part of the process that has the potential to reach a lot of athelte’s is a better position than sitting on the sidelines and complaining about the results.
Nap- my comments were not directed at you. I only hope you can keep it on track. Some of the crap that goes on do to the Nike Sparq football is just over the top. I know hockey is a different culture and I hope it doesn’t get over run by guys who are just out for the quick buck. We both know that hockey parents spend more than any other sport out there, I just hope that the “bad” element doesn’t show up and make a mess out of it because they sniff quick cash. I love programs that are there for kids to get better. God knows there is enough s**ty training being done to some of these kids. Good luck with it.
I know what you and Ange are refering to and I’ve been to the circus enough times to not be fooled by smoke and mirrors, but the education process never begins if we never get involved. I like the people I’m involved with - all were former athletes as well - and they have the athletes best interests in mind. But make no mistake about it - it is still business. Programs and resources and people cost money.
I do appreciate the heads up - as it is easy to get involved in things without a clue as to the consequences - Lessons Charlie tried to warn us about all the time!
I really look forward to seeing what you guys come up with. It is good to know that there are knowledgable people involved in the grass roots of this. I think at one time, Nike Sparq for football had the right idea, just some of the wrong people implementing it with the wrong motives. Obviously, we all make money off of our efforts, so there is nothing wrong with that. Like I said, look forward to seeing the product.