In a World Where Rude Rules—Especially at the Hockey Rink—This Dallas Team Dares to Be Different by Kim Goss

In a world where rude rules—especially at the hockey rink—this Dallas team dares to be different by Kim Goss id we really need American doing much currently to deserve a up in the pros, but it hasn’t gone D pop idol Justin Timberlake better reputation. However, hockey unnoticed in Dallas, where the Ice exposing Janet Jackson at the athletes, coaches and true fans Jets embrace honor and Super Bowl to prove that our recognize that the guts that it takes statesmanlike behavior above moral fiber today is barely a to play an aggressive sport like jaw-grinding nerve and a gladiator thread? Football—at the Super hockey are not the ones spilled on attitude. Bowl, of all things! Now, if it had the ice. It’s a tough sport that happened at a hockey game. requires tough training. That very The Ice Jets Take Off There, you might expect toughness is what makes something like a full-scale riot competing in hockey—and The Ice Jets Hockey with team members beating each competing well—such an Association program started two other senseless to get a closer accomplishment. Of course, if you years ago when Paul Taylor and look, only to be buried beneath a are somehow able to combine Karson Kaebel, two recently barrage of crazed fans believing maturity with toughness in an retired professional hockey that the guys in front stood up just athlete, you’ll have a player who is players, and businessmen John to block their kids’ view. prepared to be tested beyond the Searfoss and Ralph Searfoss It’s true that hockey, on the limits of his training. decided to start professional level, may not be That fact may not be played a hockey 1-800-628-9737 Bigger Faster Stronger • Spring 2004 - BFS 29 Worth area train 12 months out of the year.” Stefan Noesen that the Ice One nationwide characteristic Jets were of hockey now is that the sport has developing changed so much that it’s difficult kids and to play the sport part time. making good “Athletes are becoming specialized players great at a fairly young age, so to play and average four or five different sports today players better is tough because the competition is in a short time so high. We’ve found that by the through time athletes turn 12 years old, correct they probably need to specialize in training hockey or pick other sports, and methods. By they need to do weight training, the following plyometrics and sprint work—the year the type of training the Ice Jets do.” number of One training approach that participants the Ice Jets don’t believe is had grown to effective is the use of intensive Photo: William Snyder 150. training camps that many rinks program. “Paul and I wanted to According to Kaebel, there is hold in the summer. “The give something back to hockey, a misconception about hockey that workload at these week-long, and we felt that through our strength training and other forms intensive camps is unrealistic,” experiences with so many different of dry-land training are not says Kaebel. “Working four-, six- coaches and trainers we could important. “When I grew up, the and eight-hour days and telling bring all those training only dry-land conditioning I did kids that this is what they have to philosophies together. We wanted was some upper-body strength do to play professional hockey— to teach kids the sport of hockey in training, nothing like what we’re nobody in their right mind could depth and also make them better doing with the Ice Jets. I think the ever work that hard, and there’s no athletes,” says Kaebel. Europeans coming over in the quality repetitions.” The initial turnout for the first hockey world in the late ‘80s and “Another problem with the Ice Jets program was good, with early ‘90s really changed hockey,” camps,” Kaebel adds, “is that kids about 40 kids participating. From says Kaebel. “In the old days you may learn some things but they’ll there the word got around the came to training camp to get in seldom get much better because Metroplex and the Dallas-Fort shape; nowadays NHL players there’s not much continuity among All Weightroom Photo:Weightroom All Sasan Mehrabanzad Tyler Hope squats as he is spotted by Arya Mehrabanzad performs the power clean, his father. a core lift in the Ice Jets hockey program. 30 BFS - Spring 2004 • Bigger Faster Stronger 1-800-628-9737 the camps. There are so many the Ice Jets different trainers who all have program: Goalie J.P. Billingsley conflicting opinions about stride Parents are work and types of dry-land encouraged to training—some still don’t believe participate in in weight training. So the kids who the attend several of these camps don’t organization. know what to believe.” Kaebel notes, Consistency of training is not “Our parents a problem with the Ice Jets; the are very athletes make steady progress over involved in time with a dedicated team that no our program, one camp could offer. Parent Glen and it’s very Noesen has a son, Stefan, who rewarding for plays on the Ice Jets. Says Noesen, the coaches “We have played in other when the associations in Dallas, and the Ice parents are Jets Hockey Association is the there only one that truly focuses on supporting skills development and imbeds the their kids. Photo: William Snyder off-ice conditioning and training Our parents into the core of their hockey know what the program is, they competitions. “Traveling all over development philosophy. Also, the respect the coaches and they give the United States, eight to ten Ice Jets employ only professional the coaches room to do what they times a year as some of these coaches who have played hockey need to do. The Ice Jets are like a youth teams do, was not the best at very high levels and know what family, and we need both player use of our players’ time or money. it takes to develop these athletes.” and parents—it all works It would be better to spend money As a side note, Stefan is one of the together.” on getting more practice on the most talented athletes on the team; Another philosophy of the Ice ice,” says Kaebel. and although he is only 10, he can Jets concerns travel. As the When the Ice Jets do power clean bodyweight and program was being created, the compete, they frequently try to deadlift double bodyweight! coaches agreed that the practices play teams that are several years Glen and Stefan Noesen and dry-land training were the first older than they are. Explains represent one important aspect of priorities, not traveling to distant Kaebel, “It’s one of the unique John Wickman performs a Chris Schnurr deadlifts a personal record as he is glute-ham raise while holding cheered on by his teammates. a medicine ball. 1-800-628-9737 Bigger Faster Stronger • Spring 2004 - BFS 31 freshman, or maybe even as a sophomore, but then it’s time to move on.” Gearing Up for Greatness Throughout the season the coaches test their athletes throughout the program on speed, strength and jumping ability, and continually develop these qualities with dry-land sprint drills, weight training and plyometrics. “We find that athletes in our program often make dramatic changes in speed and strength, and we believe it’s because we are very specific in what we want.” Mike Molge performs a In terms of training details, Coach Ericka Dove helps chin-up with added the Ice Jets perform dry-land David Ashton during the resistance. training three times a week, and group stretch class. lift weights two to three times a aspects of the Ice Jets program. week. The coaches implement a Beyond Slap Shot We believe that the only way to proven training formula that offers get better in the game is to a variety of innovative advanced When asked if the movie Slap compete against players who are dry-land training regimens such as Shot has created any mis- bigger, faster and stronger than on-ice overspeed sprint intervals, conceptions about how hockey you so you are never in your plyometrics, strength and speed players behave, Kaebel replied, comfort zone. A lot of coaches in training, dynamic balance and “Yes, not only on the ice but off- youth programs want their teams conditioning the anaerobic ice too. If you look at who is to win every game. We want to threshold capacity. Stretching is dominating this sport it’s the win as much as the next team, but performed in groups, and at the Europeans, and these athletes are that’s not our focus. If you’re Plano facility once a week the not dropping their gloves and playing against competition that athletes take a 30-minute, hockey- fighting every shift—they’re you’re always beating, it’s difficult specific stretch class taught by playing skillful power hockey. to improve. In this sense, we don’t Erika Dove, a former ballerina Hockey has established zero mind losing because in the long with extensive experience in tolerance policies about run losing is going to make our teaching stretch classes. unsportsmanlike behavior, and you athletes better.” The Ice Jets weight training find that at the college level there’s Although older athletes in the takes place in two Texas no fighting allowed.” Ice Jets program undoubtedly locations, the Blueline Ice As for the Ice Jets’ approach would excel in high school hockey Complex in North Richland Hills, to off-ice behavior, Kaebel says programs, Kaebel says this and the Dr Pepper Star Center in there is no cussing and they teach additional play is discouraged after Plano.

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