MINSK, 4 January (BelTA) – We need to train fledgling hockey players like professional athletes from their first days on the ice rink, Development Manager at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Aku Nieminen, who participates in the Christmas Hockey Forum hosted by the NOC of Belarus, told BelTA.
In his report Aku Nieminen spoke about long-term development of athletes. “The topic is important for many federations. How to develop skills in the long term? The answer to this question is one of the most difficult ones. Of course, it is difficult to cover all aspects of this topic given the tight schedule of the forum. I believe that professional attitudes should be instilled in aspiring hockey players from the first day of training. I told Belarusian specialists how the training process works in Finland, about the world trends in this field, the challenges coaches face during the training process which includes not only the work on ice but also off-ice,” he noted.
The IIHF manager welcomed the idea to hold the forum during the Christmas tournament, which gives an opportunity to bring together many representatives of the expert community.
The Christmas Hockey Forum, which drew over 100 specialists from Belarus and foreign countries, will conclude its work tonight. The Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation plans to organize similar seminars for domestic specialists in the future.
