July 15, 2010
Sioux Falls Stampede forwards Anthony Day and Sam Coatta spent their first season in the USHL in 2009-10. (USHL Images)
Although it is the middle of summer and the first thing that comes to mind for most people is the outdoors, the beach, cookouts, and swimming pools – the sport of hockey is the first thing on the mind for USHL players as they keep busy during the summer months in anticipation of the 2010-11 season.
USHL.com had a chance to catch up with a pair of Sioux Falls Stampede players who are enjoying the summer, but are making offseason training the top priority.
Sam Coatta and Anthony Day both spent their first season in the USHL during the 2009-10 campaign and are set to return to the League this fall. Coatta, a Minnetonka, Minnesota native, tallied 21 points (9g, 12) in 57 games for the Stampede while Day, hailing from Buffalo, New York, recorded 31 points (11g, 20a) in 54 games.
USHL teams provide a level of on-ice and off-ice training that rivals programs in both the NHL and college hockey. Coatta and Day have realized the value of this and have benefitted from the programs put together by Kevin Ziegler, Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Sioux Falls Stampede. The two forwards provide some insight into their training.
USHL.com: What has your training regimen consisted of up to this point in the offseason?
Coatta: We had tryout camp in early June and immediately after that, I took two weeks off to heal at the advice of Kevin Ziegler. He wanted our bodies and muscles to heal. Following that, I started going hard again and lift weights five days a week.
Where did you learn these workouts?
Day: Ziegler sends them to us over email and it tells us what to do and what weights to lift. If we are not sure how to do a certain exercise, we click on a link that has a youtube video to show us how.
Are these workouts customized to each player?
Coatta: The workouts are mostly the same, but they are customized to each player based on their weights. With each new set of workouts, I figure out my max weight for lifting and forward to Ziegler. He has a computer program that does all the calculations based on those numbers and it automatically sets up the workouts specifically designed for me.
How much time have you spent actually playing hockey this offseason?
Day: I usually skate a couple times a week and have been playing some roller hockey with my brothers.
Coatta: I have been attending a goalie camp at my old high school a couple days a week to shoot pucks on the goalies. Then I play some pick-up games with my buddies and once a week in a local men's league.
How come you don't spend more time on the ice?
Coatta: I know a lot of guys like to skate more, but I want to work on things more off the ice than on. It is important to skate, but we are doing so much of that during the season. If I can gain more strength and explosiveness, I think that goes a lot further and is lot more important that just skating.
What are some other activities/exercises you are doing in your training?
Day: In meetings at the end of last season, the advice was to try some different things in my workouts, so I actually started boxing. I never thought I would try it, but it has been cool. It's not like I am trying to become a big fighter in the League, but it is something different and a really tough workout.
Coatta: Our workouts have a little bit of everything. The boxing has helped my explosiveness and the jumprope has helped my quickness. We have been doing some plyometrics, bike workouts, running workouts, and sprints. It keeps me busy and it is paying off for sure.
In addition to workouts, what role has nutrition played in your offseason routine?
Day: I have always been a good eater, but I have learned some things during the year. It is really important to hydrate and get a nice meal in after workouts. Nutrition is just as important as the actual workout. Some people go to the gym and don't realize the importance of what you do after the workout.
Coatta: I am kind of a smaller guy, so in addition to gaining strength and speed, I am trying to gain some weight. I have been trying to eat five or six meals a day and have three protein shakes day. It is tough to do at times, but it helps me to gain weight and stay healthy. Ziegler told me the other day to even have a protein shake ready before I go to bed and if I wake up in the middle of the night, drink that shake and it will help me gain weight.
How much more important has off-ice training become since you began playing in the USHL?
Day: The summer before my senior year of high school was really the first time I worked out and did off-ice training, so this is only my third summer. I am kind of devastated that I didn't start earlier like a lot of guys. It is definitely a shock for someone who didn't really do a lot to then come to the USHL and realize you are playing against guys that are all NCAA Division I players – they are all big, fast, and strong. It is definitely good to have this summer because I know what I need to do and what to prepare myself for.
Coatta: My dad and grandpa are both football coaches so it has always been in my family to train for everything, but it has definitely picked up after a year in the USHL. I have realized how much more important it is, all the details, and how to go about it.
After experiencing a full USHL season, what is your mindset this offseason and what adjustments are you making in training?
Day: The season is long and a grind. Now being one year into it, I realize the need to have my body in good shape because it is going to be a haul. It is not a normal midget season. It is travel and all about preparing yourself. Veterans coming back into the next season will be in better shape because they know that it takes a lot of work and dedication to make an impact. I have definitely adjusted everything and know what is at stake.
Coatta: Last year – coming from high school to the USHL – it is a whole different animal. I know what is going on this coming year and how to prepare myself. That is what I am trying to do right now. I probably lost 10 pounds during the year just from skating so much and being so active with 60-game season. This year, I think I will be a lot better in terms of eating and keeping up on off-ice training because I know I will get worn down during the season. It is just the way it is and you have to deal with it.
So besides hockey and training, what else have you been doing this summer?
Coatta: I have been playing a lot of golf and have a match play tournament coming up in a couple weeks. We have a family vacation each summer at a lake in Michigan. I have been on the lake here in Minnesota a few times and playing some tennis here and there.
Day: After our tryout camp in June, I spent some time in Minneapolis with my buddy Sam Coatta. I have been playing some golf, hanging out with my brothers, and trying to relax. I am trying to take advantage of the time off before next season.
Neither of you are currently committed to a NCAA Division I program, so what are your thoughts on that heading into next season?
Coatta: I have talked to plenty of schools, but I am kind of open. I am not too worried about it and will see how the year goes. I know that if I play well and our team does well, things will work out for themselves.
Day: I have been talking to a lot of schools and visited three. Hopefully, I can play out east because I am from New York. It would be great to let my parents come watch me play college hockey.
USHL stats - Anthony Day
USHL stats - Sam Coatta
Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the USHL celebrated its eighth season as the nation's only Tier I junior hockey league in 2009-10. With over 240 players already committed to NCAA Division I schools and 35 NHL Entry Draft picks on League rosters this past season, the USHL is the nation's foremost producer of junior hockey talent. For more information, visit us on the web at www.USHL.com.
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