WHY the Nationwide Participant Mix?

In a time with main occasion overload and new occasions popping up far and wide, it might be arduous to find out what occasions to attend and what units every aside.  Here’s what units aside the Nationwide Participant Mix and why we extremely encourage all athletes, from rising freshmen to dedicated seniors, to attend and return every year.

The Nationwide Participant Mix (NPC) is an occasion like no different.  It’s focus is on athlete improvement, in a excessive stage showcase atmosphere on a world-class water-based floor.  It’s a 3-day occasion, beginning at night time time of Day #1 with Physiology Assessments.  Why physiology assessments?  Pace, power, and health are such an vital a part of the sport of area hockey, particularly on the subsequent stage.  The NPC assessments are modeled round Division 1 school and USA Nationwide Group applications to offer athletes with a benchmark and present image of their physiology compared to their friends.  The place do they presently stand, what areas do they excel in and what areas do they should work on.  On the NPC, athletes are capable of follow these assessments in a protected studying atmosphere and acquire confidence.  Our purpose is to vary the mindset of physiology assessments and coaching from being nervousness driving and stomach-wrenching, right into a motivating problem and one thing athletes work arduous to enhance upon to turn into higher athletes and area hockey gamers.  One of many highlights of yr 2 of the NPC was the athletes who returned from yr 1 pushed to beat their IFT rating (aka the beep check).  That subsequent stage mentality is what we are attempting to foster.

NPC Physiology Assessments (Study Extra)
Most Velocity
Agility/Change of Route
Vertical Energy Manufacturing
Linear Energy Manufacturing
Cardio Endurance/VO2 Max

Day #2 consists of three periods.  The morning session is the Expertise Mix.  Athletes rotate by means of stations that consider important stick and ball skills- dribbling, passing, hitting, aerials, the drag flick, and many others.  Goal efficiency scores are recorded and lots of stations are timed to simulate recreation strain.  After the occasion, we offer class analytics that enable athletes to see the place they excel and the place they should enhance.  Coaches additionally take notes on type and method to offer suggestions in these essential talent areas.

The afternoon session is Small Recreation Play.  On this session, athletes rotate by means of 3 stations led by excessive stage school coaches.  Every station has a special theme- it could possibly be midfield transition, attacking or defending within the circle, and many others.  Athletes are offered with a drill in a brand new atmosphere, with new teammates, very similar to they are going to once they arrive to school or be a part of a brand new high-level staff.  They’re challenged with deciphering directions, adjusting to suggestions, and performing in a brand new state of affairs.  Coaches take notes and particular person suggestions is offered on these periods after the occasion.

The night time session and Day #3 are all 11v11 Video games on the Villanova College water-based turf.  Athletes are damaged into groups and compete in a complete of three games- 1 on night time 2 and a pair of on Day #3.  They’ve the chance to be coached by and be taught from 2 totally different units of coaches- 1 set on night time 2 and one other set on Day #3.  They’re uncovered to totally different teaching kinds and strategies and are given suggestions from 4 totally different coaches all through the video games.  There are additionally NPC coaches on the sideline watching the video games and taking notes to offer priceless suggestions for athletes.  This suggestions is much like what school coaches recruiting would see when observing their play.

Following the occasion, every athlete receives a web-based NPC Athlete Profile that they will select to share or preserve for their very own private use.  Profiles embrace all measurable physio and abilities mix knowledge, in addition to subjective suggestions from coaches all through the periods.  Moreover, athletes are supplied with some key takeaway numbers inside the ranking scale beneath within the following areas: Total, Assault, Protection, Technical, and Tactical.  These numbers present a present projected trajectory on the subsequent stage of the game primarily based upon the snapshot captured on the NPC.  It’s meant to offer the athlete with significant details about how they’re perceived in every space evaluated and to direct subsequent steps of their improvement.

On the NPC, we compile a training employees of elite school coaches, former nationwide staff and world class gamers who know what it takes to carry out on the highest stage.  They’re world-record holders, Olympians, Nationwide Group captains.  They aren’t solely elite coaches seeking to encourage the subsequent era of area hockey gamers and discover the subsequent members of their collegiate groups, they’ve been in your footwear and need to enable you develop and obtain your objectives.  They’re academics at their core and unbelievable position fashions.  All through the 3-day occasion, athletes could have the chance to work with a majority of the teaching employees.

Schools Represented by Present/Previous NPC Teaching Employees
American College
Boston Faculty
Brown College
Duke College
Indiana College
Columbia College
Lafayette Faculty
Liberty College
Ohio State College
Princeton College
Rutgers College
St. Joseph’s College
Stanford College
College of Delaware
College of Louisville
College of Massachusetts
College of New Hampshire
College of Pennsylvania
Villanova College

Within the first 2 years of the NPC, we’ve seen an unbelievable quantity of expertise.  200+ athletes who’re presently ranked in MAX Discipline Hockey’s High 150 Rankings for the Courses of 2022 by means of 2025 have attended.  We simply launched a submit on our Participant Rating Course of (Learn Publish Right here) the place we shared a few of the methods athletes can set themselves aside for Participant Rankings.  The NPC is a superb alternative for athletes to Show it on the Discipline and present their skill to carry out on the highest stage and compete with high gamers from throughout the nation.