March 2019 Dairy Farmers of Ontario has been a proud sponsor of amateur sports in Ontario for many years now. And fortunately, for those young athletes living in Canada’s second-largest province, DFO extended that commitment to funding last year when they inked a 3-year deal with the Ottawa Senators and MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Group). The partnership agreement – which will see DFO, Ottawa Senators and MLSE (Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC and Toronto Argonauts) combining forces to increase youth access to sports – will be funded by Dairy Farmers of Ontario at a cost of…
Chris Schwarz is the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Ottawa Senators, and he likes to get to young athletes early. Why? Because he’s passionate about instilling ‘the fundamentals’ of sport, training, and the importance of play. Whether we are destined to be an elite athlete or simply want to enjoy a full life, Chris teaches that multi-sport learning is crucial not only to health and wellness, but to excellence in our sport of choice. He notes that the trend toward focused, single-sport training has had the side effect of diminishing young athletes’ potential. He observes that society has shifted direction at…
Your Focus in 2019 TIME or ENERGY? January 22, 2019 | Ryan Walter 1986 Stanley Cup Champion Ryan Walter with his wife Jennifer The Big Leadership Decision in 2019! TIME focus? Or ENERGY focus? The infamous and highly successful NBA basketball coach, Phil Jackson, was once asked about how he won championships. Phil replied with three short words: “I pay attention.” High performance is always activated and sustained by the attention of leadership. Professional Car drivers have learned that the car goes where the eyes go. They explain that as you ‘round the corner and see an accident, if…
How can you know whether your team has a Winning mindset?
June 1, 2018 | Contributed by Ryan Walter I believe the most difficult championship to win in professional sport is the first one, because even professional players must first believe that they CAN achieve the championship, before they CAN actually accomplish this success. And this principle, in fact, applies to most of life. It has been said that life is the opposite of school, because most of the time life gives you the test first and the lesson later. I am a good example of this… I was an NHL Captain at 22 years old and earned my Masters Degree in Leadership/Business at the age…
November 14 / 2018 – Contributed by Ryan Walter Amateur or Professional? Always our choice! We finally returned home! Jenn and I have been so busy training Companies and Organizations across North America these past years that we have not attended a Montreal Canadiens game for a long time. It was so much fun to finally get there with our friends Wayne and Aleesha. My old buddy and teammate, Réjean Houle, welcomed us to the Alumni Suite, Guy Lapointe shook hands with us, and another number 11 (just before me), Yvon Lambert, took a photo with us. It was already lots of fun and…
These tips, especially for beginners and intermediate forwards, are the important skills to master as they rise up through the ranks to high school and college level hockey. While some of these tips may seem obvious, it can take many years of practice to perform most of these automatically in the pressure of a game. This automatic action, is what coaches teach and help players continuously work on in their training programmes. 1. Know your job It’s vital to know your position and what your role is in all three zones (defence, neutral and offensive) at all times. At a…
A 2-on-1 is one of the most exciting plays in hockey – turning the tables in a game and, aside from a breakaway, it’s one of the best chances of scoring. There’s less chance of a turn-over as your team-mates are in the neutral zone, and it puts huge pressure on the defenseman and goalie – which is exactly what you want. If you’re a highly skilled player with experience, then you can make any play into a scoring opportunity, however, for basic to intermediate players – having an advantage such as this can really change your game and give…
Beating a defensemen is one of the most important and useful skills you need to know as a forward. Using these 5 proven techniques, you’ll be able to gain an advantage over most defensemen. Chip and Skate This one is the easiest to get started, and it is as it’s described – approaching the defensemen along the boards, chipping it by the defender and skating around them, either on the goal side, or using the boards to your advantage. Whilst it is simple in theory, it takes practice and, as always, a good bit of luck to pull off.…
Playing defense is a challenging position to play, you’re generally the last line before a forward gets a shot on goal, and you’re the one clearing the scrum in front of your goaltender. Like a goaltender, it takes many years of training to hone your skills, if you’re new to the position, or just need some reminders, here’s some great tips to apply to your game to raise your defensive skills. Read the Play, Read the Play, Read the Play Always keep your head “on a swivel”, keep looking around you and be aware of who is in front…