In this Parent Segment, presented by Stop It Goaltending U the App, we dig into the importance of goalies taking a break in the offseason, borrowing advice from Carey Price, and sharing alternate activities.

Is It OK To Take Time Off In The Summer?

We may not have exactly answered this question, but we have certainly touched on it.

But since one of our young listeners wrote in, I thought I’d answer it directly:

YES.

In fact, it is essential.

No matter how much you love hockey, you need a break.

No matter how much you feel you might fall behind others—you won’t.

You need a break.

It’s a mental break.

Even if you love every minute of hockey, it’s a time to reset, to refresh, and to get even more excited to get back on the ice.

And if you’re tired and need a break, that’s OK too—the longer you play, the longer the seasons will be, and the more the pressure will be there. You need to release the pressure.

BTW—it’s completely normal to feel a bit burnt out or stale or to wonder if you want to keep playing. Don’t worry. Give yourself a break.

Mom and Dad—it’s OK if LJ doesn’t want to sign up for that summer skate. If the goal is raising a happy, confident kid—let him skip it and do something else. Something that isn’t competitive.

It’s a physical break.

The game is hard on your body—while you are young and growing, and when you are older and all the repetitions of butterflies and RVHs are taking their toll.

Take a break and let your body heal.

Elite athletes in all sports at all levels take breaks. The fancy speak is to “periodize your training.” Of course, it means a lot more than taking breaks, but it acknowledges that you need recovery time.

And it does not mean couch and TV time.

Yes, by all means, a week or two of complete downtime will not harm you, but even when you take a break, it’s good to be active. Ride your bike, go for a hike… we’re not scheduling a different workout that still feels like work—but do some active things that are FUN, refreshing, and relaxing, but still involve movement. Put the phone down and get outside.

How long should you take?
A follow-up question I got from our young listener…

Honestly, however long you need. Maybe a bit longer.

Woody has told the story of Carey Price telling us he put the gear away until August. That’s a good two months away from the ice.

But even if you LOVE goaltending and think you can play all summer long… don’t.

I can’t tell you how long to take off, but I can promise you this: if you go 12 months a year hard—you will eventually go backwards in your development. Your body will feel it, your mind will feel it, and again—Olympic athletes from all different sports can attest—you will develop more quickly if you give your body and mind a period of time to rest.

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