RMU Hockey: Specialized Training Powers Rising Colonials Program

RMU hockey strength and conditioning coach Jeremy Hoy (center) goes over training plans with Dalton Izyk, Cody Wydo and Chase Golightly (from left to right). Photo: Matt Gajtka

NEVILLE ISLAND, Pa. – By now, the story of the 2013-14 Robert Morris University men’s hockey team has been well-chronicled.

Last year’s Colonials won just two of their first 16 games, threatening to take a significant step back from their 20-win total in 2012-13. But instead of folding, RMU posted a 17-5-5 record from Jan. 4 through March 22, culminating in an Atlantic Hockey Association championship.

Any casual observer could tell that the Colonials made significant improvements over the course of the season, but for strength and conditioning coach Jeremy Hoy, those strides were even more evident earlier this month during annual off-ice team-building activities.

Instead of arguing and struggling with communication as they did last fall, the Colonials efficiently rolled through their assigned tasks this time around.

“All of a sudden, something that took three hours to finish last year was done in 45 minutes,” Hoy said. “It was a new group (last year) and some of the older leaders had graduated. It was something we worked on throughout last season, but this year they nailed it.”

Hoy’s early-morning outdoor conditioning sessions are supposed to be stressful, with the purpose of exposing weaknesses that can be improved upon.

“We’re making them uncomfortable,” said Hoy, a certified strength coach and performance specialist who holds degrees in exercise science and performance enhancement. “They’re cold, they’re dirty, they’re tired. Anybody can play well when they’re feeling good, but when you challenge and test them, you find out who they really are.”

Here’s what the Colonials are this year: defending AHA champions. Because of that, it’s nearly certain that league rivals will be more inspired to beat them. Not only will RMU need to be precise tactically and physically, but also psychologically.

While Hoy admits that the mental side of athletic performance “isn’t as cut and dried” as physical training, the concept of fine-tuning remains similar on both sides of the coin.

“We try to find that optimal emotional level for performance,” Hoy said. “There’s a good deal of science behind that. We focus on emotional resilience, because things aren’t going to go your way. How are you going to bounce back from that?

“By now, I know these guys pretty well…how they play and how they respond to things. You look at their body language and how they interact with teammates and referees. Once we know that, we can put together some kind of a plan.”

Hoy owns and operates Finish First Sports Performance, based just down the road from the RMU Island Sports Center on Neville Island. Whether he’s working with other clients or the Colonials, the self-proclaimed farm boy from the central Pennsylvania burg of Lewistown believes in tailoring his performance program to the individual.

Junior forward Greg Gibson watches his form during a lunge. Photo: Matt Gajtka

“Coach Hoy knows hockey and hockey-specific training,” said RMU head coach Derek Schooley. “It’s completely different from other sports and he knows what makes a hockey athlete tick. He knows how to improve an athlete’s strength over a long season.

“We want to make sure our players are in the best physical condition possible for the upcoming season and we feel our strength and conditioning puts us there. Not only do we want to be the strongest, fastest and best-conditioned team, we feel that the program coach Hoy implements makes sure we don’t get injured during the season or in the weight room.”

Hoy grew up as a three-sport athlete, competing in track and field, wrestling and football in high school and college, but his first experience with hockey came more than a decade ago during a wide-ranging internship at the Olympic training center in Lake Placid, N.Y.

He’s been captivated by the sport ever since, winning the loyalty of elite teams and Pittsburgh-based professional players such as Matt Bartkowski, Christian Hanson and Michael Houser in the process. Notable RMU alums Chris Kushneriuk, Denny Urban and Brianne McLaughlin have also espoused Hoy’s training methods.

Judging by the terrific shape the Colonials showed up in last month, Hoy has the respect of this group as well.

“When we came back, our team was in the best shape we have ever been in the history of our program,” Schooley said. “Our guys were stronger, leaner and prepared. Usually you can tell who trained hard and who didn’t. Our testing results prove that our returners have 100 percent bought into coach Hoy’s program and believe the work they have done in the summer will make them better hockey players in the winter.”

Senior captain Cody Wydo praised Hoy’s techniques, but he also mentioned his motivational tactics.

“(Hoy) just pushes you harder to make sure that you are giving everything you have for each workout,” Wydo said. “He makes everything a competition between everyone on the team so we all push harder to beat the next guy.

“I give him a lot of credit for what he has done with this team to make sure we are physically prepared for each season. It’s the reason why we feel as strong at the end of the season as we do in the beginning.”

Seeing that improvement is what fuels Hoy to stay on the cutting edge of the performance industry.

“It’s about the difference you’re making, helping people and seeing those results,” Hoy said. “I try to learn as many methods as possible, because everyone is going to respond differently. Everyone’s needs are unique, but you’re trying to help build a team.”

And as the Colonials discovered last year, team building doesn’t stop until the final buzzer sounds.

Learn more about Finish First Sports Performance at its official website. Follow Hoy on Twitter.