Strong Females:
Strength Training and Female Hockey

By Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS

The game of hockey is fundamentally the same for males and females. The specific skills needed to play the game, and the relevant athletic abilities that must be developed in order to execute these skills, are virtually identical.

However, there are a few notable differences in the female game:

•   Absence of body checking

•   Smaller players

These differences make the women’s game less physical than the men’s game in general, however, the female game can no longer be viewed as the ‘non-contact’ version of the male game. Female hockey players are becoming stronger and faster, and as a result, the women’s game has become much more physical in the last few years.

For a young female hockey player to achieve her highest level of performance, she must develop the strength to match the demands of her sport.

However, some young female athletes and their parents have concerns about strength training. Some of the more common concerns are addressed below.

Concern #1:  With no body checking in the female game, off-ice strength training isn’t necessary.

‘No body checking’ doesn’t equal ‘no body contact’. Since female hockey players are not allowed to use body checking as a means of separating the opposition from the puck, they must rely on their speed and body positioning in order to do so. By participating in a properly designed strength training program, female athletes will develop the total body strength needed to win races for the puck and battles along the boards.  

Concern #2:  If I start strength training, I am going to ‘look like a man’.

Fundamental physiological differences between genders makes ‘looking like a man’ virtually impossible for female athletes.  Females have fewer muscle fibres and much less testosterone than males, which makes gaining large amounts of lean muscle extremely difficult. Furthermore, gaining a large amount of lean muscle mass requires very specific programs that are not effective in young athletes due to their lack of physiological readiness for this type of training and their lack of strength training experience overall. 

Concern #3:  Starting strength training at a young age will lead to injury.

Females are no more likely to be injured while performing strength training than males. Young athletes tend to get injured when they receive poor instruction on technique or are exposed to a level of training that is inappropriate to their age and ability. Proper instruction of correct techniques, coupled with a safe and gradual progression of intensity, will actually help to prevent injuries both on and off the ice.

Concern #4:  Males strength train. Females don’t.

Perhaps more important than the structured physiological development of a young female hockey player is the proper psychological development. Young females are constantly bombarded with images and messages about what constitutes the ‘ideal’ female body shape. As a result, female athletes competing in sports that require strength and power may be more susceptible to psychological issues related to body image that are not typical with male athletes. Most young male hockey players desperately want to get bigger, faster and stronger. Young female hockey players must be empowered: parents and coaches must let them know that it is to their benefit to be strong, both as athletes and as people.

Taking the time to address the concerns about strength training with young female players will help them to realize that developing strength off the ice is critical to achieving success on the ice.

© Total Female Hockey 2008

Kim McCullough, YCS, MSc, is a Athletic Development Specialist and founder of Total Female Hockey. In addition to training and coaching girls at all levels of hockey, from novice to the National team, Kim has also played at the highest level of women’s hockey in the world for the last decade. Kim’s female player development website features a state-of-the-art Complete Off-Season Training Program and her blog gives the coaches and parents of aspiring young players access to the most up-to-date tips and advice on how to help their players take their game to the next level. To learn more about female-specific player development, get your Free Report: The #1 Mistake Female Players Make in the Off-Season at http://www.totalfemalehockey.com