We hope you are all well and as the days get a bit lighter and hopefully warmer, we can all enjoy a little more outdoor time activity whilst the ice rink remains closed.

Whilst the players can’t get on the ice to train, we want to continue to support their further development. As part of this we have already provided a variety of material and links to support ongoing physical exercise, and also held some tactical online sessions for older age groups, however the mental side of sport is also vitally important.

With this in mind, Manchester Storm Academy will be running a number of sessions about personal wellbeing, that will be hosted by former professional Ice Hockey Player and Coach, Gerad Adams. (https://Geradadams.com)

These sessions will be held for each age group over the next few weeks and will cover the importance of mental toughness as well as how we treat ourselves, which will help our players consider how they approach training and playing to achieve their potential.

The aim of these sessions is to also transcend beyond hockey and show how important mental wellbeing is in other aspects of life. We would also encourage parents to attend so that you can hear and understand the areas covered and also discuss this with your child following the event. As well as Gerad’s presentation there will be time for Q&As, however if you do not get chance to ask any questions on the night or your think of something afterwards please send these to your Manager who will pass these on.

The following dates have been set out for each age group, so please check the Team App and confirm your attendance as soon as possible. If you can’t make the date set for your age group, please let your Team Manager know and they will see if we can add you to another time.

• Under 18s – 3rd Feb – 8.30pm – 9.30pm
• Under 15s – 9th Feb – 8.30pm – 9.30pm
• Under 13s – 11th Feb – 7.30pm – 9.30pm
• Under 11s – 16th Feb – 7.00pm – 8.00pm
• Under 9s – 18th Feb – 6.30pm – 7.30pm

Over the coming weeks we will be looking to host some more online sessions, following on from the work that Nick Crawley has already done with some of the older age groups around contextualising concepts by analysing some professional games.