Skating is more important by Steve Serdachny 04/24/2004 - Steve Serdachny training the Division 1 Arlanda Wings on a recent trip to Sweden with Power Skating. Submitted photo All players, whether they are an NHL star or a Novice beginner, want to be faster. A player뭩 skating ability is often the lone differentiating factor between winning and losing a battle with an opposing player. Knowing this, players of all ages and abilities are trying to improve their speed. This does not magically happen. It takes years of hard work and dedication to improve your stride. Today뭩 NHL is a big man뭩 game. Players get bigger, stronger and faster with each passing season. One constant remains ?a player with superior skating ability can always play the highest level of hockey. Skating is often the main differentiating factor in making it to the top level of play for all ages. Skating has really come to the forefront in today뭩 game. The leading scorer in the NHL Martin St.Louis is not a player of great size, but he possesses great speed and skating ability. Because of these skills he is able to put himself in offensive situations and dominate the game. Other smaller players have made amazing impacts on the game. Paul Kariya is a great example of a smaller player that uses speed and skill to dominate. His quickness and skating speed allow him to be the player that he is today. If players wish to progress to the next level or make the highest team they are capable, they need to work on improving their skating ability. Explosive skating speed is something that few players are born with. Several key factors including technique, physical strength, agility and dynamic balance are some of the main attributes needed. Players must dedicate time and substantial effort in order to learn and refine their abilities. Skating is the most important skill any player needs in order to be a great hockey player. It is the skill that is used in over 98 per cent of their game time and is often practised less than 10 per cent of the time. I am not talking about skating through practice, but specific technique instruction dedicated to skating. What can you do The best advice I give players is to get some professional help. Take a Power Skating course to improve your stride and skating ability. It is an all-the-time thing. You can also look for DVD뭩 and books that can help you improve on the most important skill. When you get on the ice take some time to work on your skating rather than just working on the old howitzer! Train during the off-season. Work on safely and efficiently building your strength and flexibility. Dedicate yourself to improving your speed and you will become an impact player. It does not matter if you뭨e the smallest player or the biggest guy in the league. In order to be the best you can be, you need to continuously develop your skating. The simple fact of hockey is: 밒f you can skate, you can play.?It only makes logical sense to improve your game. Seek a professional뭩 help and it will make an amazing impact on the way you play the game. (Steve Serdachny conducts Power Skating and Hockey Schools worldwide. His power skating and skill systems are highly effective in developing maximum performance on ice. You can catch Steve on the national television show?Hockey Academy?on the NHL Network. For more information on camps, schools and driills, visit www.elitepowerskating.comor call 1-877-30-SKATE)