In hockey — whether on turf or ice — the ball is rarely still, the environment is visually chaotic, and the margin for error is measured in milliseconds and millimetres. While strength, conditioning, and tactical awareness dominate most training programs, visual acuity across all vision attributes remains an under‑trained determinant of performance (Poltavski & Biberdorf, 2015). We can all do better. Image copyright Anastasia Badun.

When the whistle blows and the mercury climbs, tournaments stop being just about skill — they become survival tests. Heat stress doesn’t care about rankings, reputations, or how many hours you’ve logged in the gym; it hits fast, drains faster, and can turn a match on its head before you’ve even caught your breath. Understanding how it works — and how to fight back — could be the edge that keeps your game sharp when everyone else is wilting.

In hockey, tactical systems such as the 4-3-3, 4-4-2, 3-4-3, and 3-5-2 serve as strategic frameworks that shape team identity, match tempo, and player responsibilities. These systems encode not only spatial arrangements but also physiological demands, cognitive load, and role clarity. Understanding their strengths and weaknesses—and knowing when to deploy each—can significantly influence match outcomes and long-term athlete development.

In our game, physical conditioning often takes centre stage — but beneath every sprint, pass, and decision lies an invisible force shaping outcomes: cognitive load. The brain is constantly juggling tactical awareness, motor execution, emotional regulation, and environmental scanning, all in real time. This mental multitasking isn’t just exhausting — it directly impacts reaction speed, decision quality, and injury risk. Understanding cognitive load isn’t a luxury for elite athletes; it’s a necessity

When players hit their mid-30s and beyond, the scoreboard of performance shifts subtly—from pure speed and power toward precision, adaptability, and recovery. Nervous system training becomes a secret weapon. It’s not just about reaction speed or coordination; it’s about keeping the internal wiring sharp enough to sustain skill execution, resist injury, and recover between bursts. Learn more

It’s winter - get out onto the snow and boost your hockey fitness, coordination and overall wellbeing with XC skiing. We explain how and why. Great photo TomDils photography .

We thought it time to expand a little some thoughts, science & actions to improve forearm strength for hockey.

As a masters athlete, juggling back-to-back fixtures over a weekend or longer demands more than grit—it hinges on smart nutrition that primes your engine, sustains intensity and accelerates recovery. Here, we share the latest science and practical menus for each phase—pre-game, in-game and post-game—with a special eye on catabolite clearance (especially cortisol), longevity and tournament play.

As we age, declines in joint range, muscle–tendon compliance and neural reflexes blunt our ability to accelerate, decelerate and change direction on ice or turf (Evans, 2022). Yet targeted mobility training—melding Western sports-science protocols with Eastern movement arts—can restore functional range of motion, refine biomechanics and sharpen agility well into our 40s, 50s and beyond.