Marian Hossa, the incredible right winger, for the Chicago Blackhawks is so much more than just an elite athlete. All the discipline, hard work, and how he played with his whole heart showed every time he stepped on the ice.  And it showed in every picture he took with his fans.

In our brief meeting it was clear why he was such a magical player. One of the leading scorers and one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL.  An elite player who hustles back to help his defense out and win the puck back before it goes into the defensive third. Marian Hossa became an essential part of the Blackhawks’ success and helped them win 3 Stanley Cups in 5 years. Incredible!

What most people don’t see is that beyond the success is the willingness to explore new techniques, seek new ideas, and find new solutions. In 2016-2017 season, Hossa decided to change up his training regimen by incorporating advanced speed work and increasing cardio intervals. He did this to keep up with the younger players and the fast pace of the game. He did this because he is a champion and that is how an elite athlete thinks, trains, and wins.

Great athletes know this and so do great coaches. Speed development; sport specific conditioning, looking for that next edge. For Hossa that it paid off that year as he scored his 500th career goal and became the 44th player in the NHL to achieve this benchmark.

Young athletes need to realize all the time, hard work, dedication, and effort professional players put in for their sport. If you ever want to play at the next level, you need to do off-season training that consists of speedwork, functional strength and power, yoga, meditation, and positive mindset. It’s also important to cross-train by playing other sports when in middle school and high school. Finding balance between hard work and recovery is key! Hossa is the kind of player that everyone wants on their team.