How I Use Testing Results

Once I have tested the  team what do I do with the information?  Maybe I will have to shift the direction I am heading in.  There could be a flaw in my program design.  There may be some things that I am doing very well.  

The first thing I look for in the numbers is any trend.  Are standing long jump results or endurance results poor across the entire team?  If the answer is yes than there is most likely a problem with the training.  If there is something in which the entire team is making good progress I will make sure to leave that segment of training intact.

The next thing I look for is any individual that strays from the pattern of the rest of the team.  If 20 players make great increases in vertical jump and one player declines by 3 inches I want to find out why.  Is this player not putting forth effort?  Maybe he had an injury and was unable to train?  I need to know why there is deviation in order to move forward.  

I do not simply look at the raw data either.  I use testing to chart progress.  Many times the lowest performers on a given test have often made very drastic increases.  Often the smallest players gain the most lean mass.  The weakest players increase strength and power the most.  This is very important and should not be over looked.  Simply ranking the players from strongest to weakest does not tell the whole story.

Physical training is one part of the puzzle so keep the test results in perspective.  Ice Hockey is very dynamic and there is a lot that goes into making a good team.  Physical fitness is part of what makes a team.  The numbers do not lie and if you understand how to interpret them you will see results.