With two National Championships and 17 NCAA appearances, the University of Maine is no stranger to success. Consistently ranked in the Top 15 in the USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine Men’s College Hockey Poll, the Black Bears are using a different type of tool – the Hockey Intelligym – to remain on a winning track.
“I think the Hockey IntelliGym will help players over the course of the season with hockey sense and decision making on the ice,” said Head Coach Tim Whitehead, who’s team began using the product at the start of the 2010-11 season.
“It’s easy to do on their own time. With the busy schedule that these collegiate athletes have with school, homework and training, to be able to do it online at a time that fits best with them is great. ”
The Hockey IntelliGym, released to the public this past October, is a program that allows players to improve on a variety of hockey-related skills, including perception, short-term memory focus and decision-making skills. In addition, coaches like Whitehead are able to follow each player’s progress and fine-tune their programs as necessary.
“It’s still early on in the year, but judging by the players’ reaction to the Hockey IntelliGym, and their reaction time on the ice, I can already see the difference it’s making,” Whitehead said. “Most of the players’ reaction time has seemed to improve and they are making quicker decisions on the ice and under pressure. I am thrilled that we are able to utilize this type of tool in our program.”
The scientific concepts implemented in the Hockey IntelliGym were originally developed by Applied Cognitive Engineering to train fighter pilots in the Air Force. The same principles were used to create a Basketball Intelligym and now the Hockey Intelligym.
Teams with the National Team Development Program worked with the program last season, and experienced almost immediate success on the ice, winning the World U-17 Hockey Challenge and the IIHF Under-18 Championship. Now the program is ready to be used by players at all levels of the game.
“I think especially in today’s fast pace world, anytime you can gain a competitive edge or advantage over opponents it goes a long way,” said Black Bears sophomore defenseman Mike Cornell.
“The IntelliGym helps keep you one step ahead of the play and helps you read the on-ice plays better, so you can react differently in any given situation. It’s easy to see how it can benefit any player, and I am definitely excited that I am able to train with it and help apply it to my game.”
To purchase the Hockey IntelliGym go to TheHockeyIntelliGym.com.