Hi guys. I’m trying to put together a really good test for overall athletic potential for young athletes. They will all be in their early teens and they will all be hockey players.
I will be helping a friend of mine with his scouting for a WHL hockey club.
I would like to put together a test that can be completed in 5 mins MAX !
I figure Height, weight and 5 measurements to get an idea on BMI.
Standing jump and standing long jump are easy too.
There are some medicine ball ones I’ve read about in the past but I don’t have anything concrete to go on.
So if anyone has anything they can suggest that’ll be great.
Over at LSU, they have an athletics pentathalon for the track folks:
-30m
-Standing Long Jump
-Standing Triple Jump
-OH shotput throw
-Underhand forward shotput throw
You could switch either of the shots with medicine balls.
As far as the technique for the throws, where would I look to see some photos of them?
Also, do you have any guidelines for good and bad scores for each test. I’m assuming you’d ratio the jump to the height of the person. For the throws, what are you using and what does it weigh?
The jumps wouldn’t relate to height all that much, except for maybe the extremes.
As for technique of the throws, they’re pretty simple. You just grab a medicine ball with both hand and throw it over your head behind you. The underhand forward throw would be the same. I’m sure you could find some videos with a simple search on google. The weight would be dependent on the level of the athletes. I think LSU uses a 4kg ball. You might be better suited with a 3 or even maybe 2 kg ball depending on the level of these athletes.
As far as how to score the overall test, I personally forget the scoring table. You can probably go ask mike over at burgerking.com as he is one of the people who helped come up with the test itself.
I couldn’t really tell you what would be a good or bad score because I don’t know the level of these kids and it would be hard to say. Take a bunch of them, test them, and start comparing from there.
Plook, considering the fact that the age level you will be assessing is early/late teens, this would indicate that these athletes have already been on the ice for many years. Thus, I would be more inclined to construct various tests to be initiated on the ice that would assess not only physical ability but also skill.
Try to avoid making the mistake of creating a test that is not a true indicator of playing ability (e.g., NFL combine)
There is already a scout that looks at skill on the ice. He’ll have watched them play for hours.
I was just trying to put something together that would give us an idea “quickly” if there is any kind of athletic potential.
Here’s what Central Scouting does when the guys show up to Toronto.
A. Grip Strength
B. Upper Body Push and Pull Strength
C. Bench Press Repetitions (150 lb): Conducted using a standard padded bench with 150 lb of free weights (including the barbell) in time with the metronome.
D. Curl-ups: Conducted on a mat in time with a metronome
E. Push-ups: Push-ups are performed at a rate of 25 per minute in time with the metronome (set the metronome at 50 so that each click signals a movement either up or down).
F. Standing Long Jump: The player stands with feet slightly apart with toes behind the jumping line. Using an arm swing to assist, the player jumps as far as possible. Record to the nearest centimetre the distance from the jumping line the heel mark in the best of three trials.
G. Vertical Jump: Conducted using a Vertec Jump measurement apparatus.
H. Wingate Cycle Ergometer Test (30 secs):
I. V02 Max 10 min test.
J. Trunk Flexion (Sit and Reach Test):
Plus skinfold measurements, height and weight.
I feel I could put together something that would find some results quicker and easier than what is shown above.
If I have a group of kids that my partner would like me to have a look at them but there is a group, it might take awhile to set things up, get to a special location, get equipment etc…
I have read stuff before about the east germans doing things with wrist and calf measurments. Also medicine ball throws with balls increasing in weight.
Plook,
At my University, and many others, the track team gets tested each year in the “quad test,” which is exactly the same as the test Davan mentioned above, except there is no forward throw. I have attached the scoring system used for each event, so you’ll be able to use that to score your athletes. Also, this scoring scale is the same for males or females.
As far as good scores, I can only speak for track athletes at the University level. At this level, the athletes that test the best are the ones that excel in speed and power, and also can jump. I’ve seen male scores range from 240 (usually from weaker middle distance runners, to 306 from a 60m sprinter - me!).
Also, male sprinters are usually not able to make the track roster with a score lower than 240.
There is no adjustment of the scoring based on height for any part of the test.
The overhead ball throw is done with a 16 lbs shot for males, and a lighter one for females (I think 10 or 12 lbs). The test is designed so that not too much technique is needed to test the athletes performance here. The athlete stands with his heals at the zero meter mark, and about shoulder width appart. He then uses both hands to grip the shot from either side. He usually tries some up and down movements of the arms, shoulders, and legs, and then explodes into the throw. The throw goes over the athletes head and as far behind him as possible. The distance is then measured. The athlete is permitted to step over the line after the shot has been released.
The jumps are done with both feet aprox shoulder width apart, and from a standing (ie. no forward movement) position.
The standing triple jump is done dynamically (ie. 3 consecutive jumps with no pauses).
In the 30m, the athlete starts from a bent over position, and starts when he’s ready. The clock is started by a hand time, based on the first movement of the athletes back foot. The clock is then stopped by a laser at the 30m finish line.
I hope this helps.
whoops,
sorry, but my attachment won’t attach…I think because it is an excel file. The file contains 4 graphs - 1 for each event - which shows the point scales for performance. Does anyone know how I can get excel made graphs on to this board?
For now, I can give you the equations of the lines on each graph. From these equations, all you have to do is plug in the athletes performance (time or distance), and solve for Pts awarded:
STJ: Pts awarded = 12.359 X athletes jump distance in meters - 36.403
SLJ: Pts awarded = 36.957 X athletes jump distance in meters - 36.686
OHBT: Pts awarded = 5.8073 X athletes throw distance in meters - 22.573
30m: Pts awarded = -35.673 X athletes time in seconds + 206.77
Thanks for the input, but I think you’re taking it a bit far from the overall general information I was looking for.
Ok how about this
Other than the medicine ball throw over head and the standing jump, is there a test with a sitting or standing medicine ball push/throw from the chest you know of that has a standard for testing?
This is a test for a lot of hockey guys. All of these tests are all power as well which makes up over 80% of the game.
I have one client who was drafted by the Senators and he was saying that this year they have a new and “Revolutionary” test that will be the benchmarks of all benchmarks for physical ability.
From what I remember, he holds a bar on his lower neck and lifts his foot up and over a string around 1 foot off the ground, then touches the floor on the other side and then brings it back.
Now there are probably many other variables I’m forgetting he mentioned but this was the majority of the test.
B,C,D,E and J have no value whatsoever. Trust me, I’ve played junior and college hockey and all of these tests prove nothing in relation to conditioning or strength.
F and G are the best indicators of power. H is the best test for level of condition or lactate threshold. I is also a fairly decent test.
SHOULD anyone have a definitive list?? The Toronto Maple Leafs got caught up in this kind of stupidity a couple of years ago. They weren’t playing well and some genius decided that they should have a fitness test- three quarters through the season!!! Including, of all things,a VO2Max test!! The test trashed the team for even longer, the results don’t mean shit anyway, and, even if they did, what could you do about it at that point? (except fire the idiots who came up with the idea in the first place!)
Plook are you talking about the “DUB” what team?? I went to high school in Saskatchewan for a couple years, went to rookie camp in brandon, and played in the “Q”…as for the tests take height out, it has ruined the game, just my opinion
I’m trying to put together a really good test for overall athletic potential for young athletes.
Isn’t there testing on ice (skill requirements) that you can perform that would give you a better indication of what kind of players you have and their potential?
I’ll say it again. If you can’t skate, shoot well, play D or make saves it’s pretty obvious.
It takes a trained eye to find that “diamond in the rough” No test or tests will fully be able to predict athletic potential. You still have to play the game.
Watch how they play the game, how they approach practice and off-ice conditioning, mental approach to game, interaction with coaches and players, etc… This will tell you more about their future.
it has ruined the game, just my opinion 