The Importance of a Pre-Game Routine

A pre-game routine is a critical form of preparation for practices, workouts, games, and a successful season! Pre-game routines (dynamic warmus) get your body and your mind right for as consistent and successful of a performance as possible. Your athlete’s pre-game routine should be focused around a few simple guiding points:

1. Pre Performance Nutrition

• We need to feed the machine! A well-balanced diet, especially the 2-3 hours before practice, workout, and play a game is essential to an optimum physical output!

2. Pre Dynamic Warm-up

• A simple 5-10 min active movement comprised of off-ice warm-up exercises warms up our bodies and minimizes the risk of injuries.

3. Mental Visualization

• From walking through in-game scenarios, to simple positive self-talk and reflection of what our game goals and objectives are, is absolutely critical as we prepare our mind to be firing on all cylinders going into our performance!

As your athlete progresses and advances up the hockey pyramid so should their pre-game routine and approach to preparing for success!

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”