A clear, frozen winter morning means only one thing to hockey players – A Day on the ODR! When we say ODR we’re of course referring to an outdoor rink! There are so many reasons why we love it, so we’d love to share some of them with you to help you get the most out of your outdoor rink experiences. They're the perfect place to meet new people, form new friendships, and create memories that will last a lifetime. Sometimes, if you play at the outdoor rinks long enough, you may even spot the rarest creature of all – the ODR goalie!
This week we were also privileged to have a chat with none other than Cassidy Hilworth, a female hockey enthusiast! You can read more below to find out what she had to say.
Outdoor Rinks and Hockey PerFUNmance
There’s a unique concept here at STÄRK that we’ve adopted to our workday and can easily be applied to the ODR experience. A mantra of sorts, we call it Hockey PerFUNmance. That’s right – per*fun*mance. To put it simply, PerFUNmance is what we like to call working hard while having fun.
So, how can we fully capitalize on the ODR experience? We can still improve our game and practice our skills, but while we perform, we can have fun too. Being outside is a natural stimulant and endorphin rush so it makes it easy to enjoy the environment while also focusing on the puck with a little friendly competition and rivalry. Whether it be a relay race, a few drills with makeshift cones, or a quick fitness skate, there are always ways for you to improve your skating while having fun! Adapting these activities is easy and can work with multiple levels of skaters when necessary. Everyone can benefit from a skate at the ODR, experienced player or not.
Introducing Our Guest Blogger : Cassidy Hilworth
And now for the moment you’ve been waiting for, our chat with Cassidy! Let us introduce this absolute dynamite hockey player of a woman, Cassidy Hilworth of Total Speed Hockey. A total rinkrat, Cassidy has seen and done it all. She played pro with the Toronto Fury in the CWHL after her incredible career at Elmira, where she set the NCAA single season PowerPlay scoring record with 17 goals and won the national championship. Here at STÄRK Hockey we love working with Cassidy and Total Speed Hockey, as they provide training for players of all ages and skill levels. Our wish is that you can get some tips and tricks from reading about such a legend and be able to apply it to your ODR experience in the future.
Cassidy shared with us, “I am originally from Edmonton, Alberta, where I grew up playing hockey.”
She stated with a smile, “the ODR is where I have my earliest memories of skating. When I was really young, my whole family would go out and just skate. My Grandpa actually taught me how to do Crosby turns! Growing up in Edmonton, there are full sized ODRs with boards and lights where we would have team practices or go out with your friends and family to play shinny. Although it was always FREEZING, I loved how the ODR made you feel; free and completely creative.”
“The great thing about the ODR is you don't need a lot of space to work on your skills! I am attaching some drills below that are filmed on a regular sized rink but will work perfectly on any ODR! As we specialize in powerskating, these drills have a skating focus (of course!)”
“We also have a workout for you to do at home! This workout has 8 exercises that will work your whole body with a slight focus on skating :) The link is below!”
And there you have it. Wise words from an incredible hockey player and all-around amazing human being. With ODR season in full swing, STÄRK Hockey has the perfect gear for you to pay homage to your favourite backyard rink while staying warm, dry, all while looking ultra fly. Check out our Limited edition ODR collection here. Order Now, Ends February 12th!
