How to Keep Players Locked In and Focused During Tournament Weekends

American Thanksgiving is almost here, and that means one thing for a lot of hockey families: It's tournament season. 

This is one of the best parts of a long hockey year, but it can also be one of the toughest to manage. Between the travel, the hotel chaos and the long breaks between games, it’s easy for players to lose focus or run out of gas before Sunday.

A little preparation goes a long way; here ere are some simple ways to help a player stay sharp, rested and ready to compete from the first puck drop to the championship game:

Manage Energy Before and Between Games

Every parent knows the scene: knee hockey in the hallway, team pool time, parents socializing and staying up a little too late. It’s all part of the experience, but too many energy-draining activities can show up on the ice during games.

By now, parents and coaches know that proper fueling at night and immediately before games, as well as proper sleep, are imperative for high-energy performances on the ice. 

But with so much down time between games, kids often burn through much of their energy before day two of a tournament weekend. One approach to avoid this is encouraging them to mix in quieter activities such as stretching, video review or a bit of VR training to keep the mind active without draining the body.

Using NHL Sense Arena between games can help players stay mentally sharp without wasting energy. Short 10- to 15-minute sessions train hockey IQ, passing awareness, puck retrievals and reaction speed. It’s a good way for players to use their brain and remain focused while still resting their legs.

For goalies, Sense Arena drills help them maintain their timing and stay on their angles. For skaters, it’s a great way to visualize game situations and build confidence before heading back on the ice.

Teams with multiple headsets can join together in mult-iplayer mode, which allows up to 20 players to join a “room” and participate in drills at the same time to see who can earn the most points. 

Keep the Hands Hot with DanglePro

Another way to keep players engaged when the team is hanging around the hotel is by pulling out the headset and firing up DanglePro, Sense Arena’s mixed-reality stickhandling mode. It’s a fun and challenging way to keep the hands quick and eyes sharp between games.

Players can weave around virtual obstacles, test their reaction speed and work on puck control without needing a full setup. You can even create your own mini DanglePro “tournament” with teammates by establishing a score target, having a leaderboard and giving out a small prize for the winner. DanglePro keeps skills sharp, and it’s more productive than another round of hallway knee hockey.

Visualize the Games Before Game Time

The night before, morning of or immediately prior to a game, players can use Sense Arena for short pregame sessions focused on visualization and mental priming. Completing drills that simulate real game situations helps calm nerves and improve anticipation.

Whether it’s reading the play, making quick passes or reacting to shots, these sessions help players feel mentally prepared when they step on the ice.

Enjoy the Weekend!

Tournaments are about more than hockey; they’re about friendships, family time and creating memories. The key is balance. The best approach for a successful and enjoyable weekend is to make sure players eat well, get enough sleep, conserve their energy and stay mentally engaged.

Players who are rested and focused will play better and enjoy the weekend a lot more.

About NHL Sense Arena
NHL Sense Arena is the leading off-ice VR training platform for hockey players and goalies, officially licensed by the NHL®. 

With training programs for all positions and skill levels - and now including new DanglePro stickhandling - it helps develop hockey IQ, reaction time decision-making and confidence, all while at home. The new NHL Sense Arena 26 season now includes all NHL teams and full NHL player rosters and likenesses, so players can skate and train with the stars for the first time ever!

Learn more at nhl.sensearena.com