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D a n Jablon ic c a n remember watch i ng h is Wa sh i ng ton Lit tle Capitals face off against elite teams like Little Caesars Hockey of Detroit and noticing a look of concern crossing the faces of his young players. Lit t le Caesa rs at t rac t s some of t he most t a lented players from all over the country, while the Little Caps Tier I program typically fills its ranks from the Mid-Atlantic region. "The kids kind of had the mindset that, 'We are a lower ranked, and we are playing a top team and we don't have a chance,'" recalls Jablonic, the Little Caps former hockey director who now works as a regional manager with USA Hockey's American Development Model. That all changed the day Ify Achebe walked through the doors of the MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va., in 2012 and took over as the program's new strength and conditioning coach. Almost immediately she turned out to have the magic key to unlock the players' mental barriers. Achebe instilled a dose of confidence with teams in each of the program's age groups, ranging from 10 & Under on up to 18 & Under level by employing an infectious personality and her own brand of sports psychology. "She focuses on the person, then the athlete, then the hockey player," says Doug Plocki, the Little Caps current executive director. One Of A Kind Talent It's hard to find someone like Achebe in competitive travel hockey ranks. Her work with the Little Caps is mainly athletic training, but she estimates 20 percent of her time involves talking to players in both group and individual sessions as needed, and engaging them in team-building activities. " Fo r s o m e t e a m s i t c o u l d b e a n i s s u e o f communication. Other teams, it could be role identity," says Achebe, who holds a master 's degree in athletic counseling & sports psychology from Springfield College in Massachusetts and a bachelor's in human performance and athletic training from Marymount University in Virginia. One common struggle players have on competitive travel teams is adjusting to reduced playing time. Strength & Conditioning Coach Ify Achebe Brings A Holistic Approach To Hockey With The Washington Little Caps By Tom Worgo MARCH 2020 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 33 PHOTOS BY Daniel Kucin Jr.