Nothing limits the development of young athletes more than our ignorance of age-dependent training.  Simply stated, young hockey players should not train in exactly the same way as older, established professionals or college players.  Yet, way too often we copy their training regimes.

There are windows of (greatest) opportunity for establishing the intricate neuromuscular patterns of coordination, quickness, and skating skill that last a lifetime.  Not that these attributes can't be enhanced at older ages by rigorous training, but we better get it right when we have the chance, or the task of correcting poor habits becomes much more difficult.

In individual sports, coaches are decades ahead, probably because it is widely accepted that their mission is to help young athletes improve.  In team sports, however, youth coaches are required to win during the season.  Forget development if it stands in the way of winning.

We're into short-range goals: win today; win tomorrow; and especially win next weekend when "we play my office colleagues " from down the road.  Too often that's our in-season mentality, leaving little hope for individual improvement in the winter months.  As soon as the snow melts we tend to focus more on development and will often pay anything for advice - - the more expensive, the better.  After all, our sons/daughters deserve the best.

They do, indeed. But the best training advice may not be the most expensive.  The best equipment may not be the newest and brightest.  Bells and whistles may not be helpful. "Experts" might even be wrong.

I believe the logic and "feel" of a former hockey player about off-season training is apt to be better than the advice of many "experts" who waited until the outside rinks were shoveled and flooded to insert themselves into our sport.  Seeing that hockey was moving to suburbia, and there was a buck to be made, "experts" rushed in, eager to sell their bells and whistles.

Beware. Experts might be wrong.  They're often wrong in basketball.  When I see junior high kids running endless "killers" up and down the court, I wonder when they are going to work on speed, quickness, or anything explosive.  How can we develop another Michael Jordan in this overly structured, poorly planned environment?

I've asked basketball folks to list the reasons why Jordan was so good - - maybe the best ever. Forget his mental assets, certainly major reasons for his dominance.  What combination of skills and athleticism set him apart from the pack? Invariably, they'll start with things like speed, explosive jumping ability, his ability to change directions on a dime, or quick acceleration after a fake.

Jordan could twist his body in the air and shoot from positions that would be great comedy if this author tried it in public.  And amazingly, he did all this with the grace and smoothness of a ballet dancer, exhibiting incredible coordination, rhythm, and balance.  Who practices that in a structured environment?

No one, unfortunately.  It's a backyard thing.  Athleticism and skills put together in a package that rivals a slow-motion video of an antelope running through tall grass.  Randy Moss has it - - when he's not driving over traffic cops.  So do Carl Lewis, Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, Neal Broten, Sergei Fedorov, Paul Kariya, and Peter Forsberg.

Actually, everyone has it that makes it to the level of the NHL, the Olympics, or any top college team.   Of course, some are faster, more agile, and more graceful than others, but at this level, all players have great athleticism.  They are excellent skaters, very quick and technically sound.  Even the big, rugged warriors who may not look as smooth.  They often have great athletic power that helps them get the job done.

We've tested athletic qualities of hundreds of elite hockey players, and like football and basketball players, they combine awesome skills with measurable athleticism.  To get to the NHL, players must be fast at top speed, quick in the first few strides, agile and powerful when they change directions quickly.  Actually, many of the big men in hockey are among the quickest we've tested.

When Jordan and Moss are compared to their opponents - - to discern what sets them apart from others - - no one would say the first things that come to mind are strength and endurance.  Yet, invariably when we copy the training programs for college or professional athletes, the highest priorities are strength and endurance.

I recently saw a video for youth hockey, in which the "expert" said the most important athletic attribute was strength.  Whoa!  What about coordination, balance, rhythm, quickness - - and the ability to twist that body around and make a graceful lay-up from an awkward position???

OK; so basketball is a different sport.  Then what about the ability of a Kariya to dance and twist through traffic at incredible speeds - - and make it look like a figure skating routine?  Broten, Gretzky, and Orr could change directions on a dime and accelerate away from defenders, looking so smooth and rhythmical one would think they were born with skates on their feet.

But that's the whole point of this discussion.  They were not born with skates on.  Their awesome talents are largely a product of what they did when they were young.  Oh, they had superior genetic gifts, of course, but if they had spent their childhood in a weight room or jogging great distances, they might not have developed their athleticism and skill to the extent they did. Instead, they spent their time on a hockey rink - - as Jordan spent his shooting buckets in the back yard, practicing creative moves and dunks.

If they had copied the training of a college nose tackle or a marathon runner, they would not have been the great athletes they were.  There is one (best) chance to develop athleticism and skill - - especially the combination of skating skill and athleticism - - and this occurs at a young age.

If a very young athlete wants to spend time and energy effectively, the activities should emphasize qualities like coordination, balance, quickness, explosive jumping ability, speed, and agility.  Picture Michael Jordan - - or a sprinting antelope - - and model your dryland training after that image.

The clock is ticking, and sometime after high school, the windows of greatest opportunity will virtually close.  Get as much of it as you can while you're young, because it takes hours of work later in college to accomplish what a 12-year-old can through minutes of intelligent training. Strength and endurance can be improved at any age but skating skill and quickness are permanently imprinted while you're young, and major changes are difficult later on.

Consider that a person's skating style is determined to a great extent by his/her athleticism.  The ideal model would be to develop quick feet, leg strength with good knee bend, and powerful extension at the same time the skating stride is being learned.  That way, a more efficient, technically sound stride is more likely.

At young ages, leg strength should be developed totally outside the weight room, handling body weight or small amounts of extra weight.  Remember, we want to look like Randy Moss, not like nose tackles.  Leg strength for hockey must be expressed - - and therefore, developed in a graceful, coordinated way.  At a young age, off-ice explosiveness and balance on one leg in a skating posture will do wonders to support the skating stride.

Activities - - including many other sports - - that encourage Jordan-like athleticism and skill are essential at a young age. Running a lot of "killers" or skating "Herbies" will not develop speed or correct skating habits.  Jogging distances will not increase quickness.  Leave the slow aerobic distance work to adults who need it.

Get out and race.  Sprint, then cut at right angles, accelerate again to a sprint.  Jump as high as you can.  Skate at a learning pace to ensure good mechanics, then push yourself to full speed - - elevate your comfort zone.  Develop leg power through dryland training in a range of motion that mimics skating.

Become an antelope, not an elephant.  This is determined when you're young, and the programs for older college and professional players cannot possibly be the best for youth hockey.  Hey, the pros and college players rarely get the best advice possible.  It's usually a hand-me-down football program.