PERFORMANCE AND TALENT IDENTIFICATION OF FEMALE ICE HOCKEY PLAYERS

Abstract

Female ice hockey continues to take a higher profile after two Winter Olympics in which women have played for medals. Canadian and American University, and youth hockey, are flourishing. Female ice hockey has also been enhanced by a professional league in Canada. As such, ongoing investigations of the physical performance characteristics of female ice hockey players are essential to the continued improvement of this wonderful game. Dr. Geithner will present data that show female ice hockey players, across a wide range of ages, tend to be tall, heavy, and heavy for their height. Body composition and physique vary with both age and playing ability, and age at menarche varies with the latter. Physical characteristics of players are generally consistent with the sport's requirements, probably reflecting a selective factor for performance. She will present other pertinent data on female hockey anthropometrics. Dr. Bracko will present data that show 40 yard dash and vertical jump height are predictors of skating speed and on-ice anaerobic capacity, the differences between elite and non-elite female ice hockey players are age, skating speed, and on-ice fitness, and the on and off-ice fitness of university players stay the same during the season. He will present other pertinent data on the performance characteristics of players aged 8 - 35. Dr. Rundell will present the testing and training plans for the U.S. Women's Ice Hockey team during the year preceding the Salt Lake Olympics: a retrospective analysis of what went right, and what went wrong, will be discussed. He will provide a complete physiological profile of the world's top female ice hockey players and present the training involved to achieve top physical conditioning.