National ice hockey players embark on an intensive training

National ice hockey players embark on an intensive training. June. 26, 2015 08:46. creating@donga.com.

The national ice hockey players have recently complained that they have been estranged from their friends. It’s not that they don’t have time to meet their friends but that they have no energy left to hang out with friends due to long commuting time to and from Korea National Training Center.

Having scouted a renowned trainer from EXOS, an American company for professional performance training, at the expense of some 40 million Korean won (approx. 36,000 U.S dollars), the national team began its training at the center on May 18. The 9-week program aims at enhancing muscular and physical strength required for playing ice hockey. Baek Ji-seon, national ice hockey team coach, believes that having strong physical strength is a must to take on the world-class players who have exceptional techniques and physical power.

The training of the national team has been based on the rule of thumb so far. “Up until the last year, the training was all about running as long as we can and lifting as much as we can,” said one of the national players. Sources from Korea Ice Hockey Association, however, expressed the satisfaction by saying, “Now, they say the training intensity of the ice hockey team is as high as the other events such as wrestling.”

The players were soaked in just 20 minutes after they started the training on Wednesday. They hardly smiled or talked to each other as the training itself was too demanding. In the beginning of the training program, not a few players threw up what they ate due to hard training. “When we go back home after tough training, we usually don’t go out. Even on Sunday, the only day without the training, many of us just stay home for the next day,” said defender Lee Don-gu (Anyang Halla). “Believing that I can’t come and meet them anyway, many of my friends don’t even contact me to set the time,” one of players expressed his concern.

Most of the players, however, seem to be satisfied with their improved physical and muscular strengths. “I think I have gained much muscles given that my body fat has decreased while my weight has increased by 2-3 kilograms,” said Shin Sang-hoon (Anyang Halla). Sources from the national team said, “Thanks to the training specialized for ice hockey, the players now show much stronger shootings.”

Having started its project in earnest for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, the national team is slated to have warm-up matches with European countries such as Austria. It is also expected that the team would change its system to full-time national team where players continue trainings and matches all through the year instead of doing national matches while they belong to a particular team.