USA Hockey Parent Awareness
Below is a link to the USA Hockey Parent Awareness PowerPoint. We recommend all parents take the time to read through this PowerPoint. Click Here to view the USA Hockey Parent Awareness PowerPoint (.ppt)
USA Hockey – Relax It’s Just a Game Video
USA Hockey – Hide and Seek Video
USA Hockey – Pin the Tail on the Donkey Video
USA Hockey Zero Tolerance Policy
The USA Hockey Zero Tolerance Policy was put in place to curb disruptive behavior which may interfere with other spectators or participants of a game. This policy covers treatment of officials and spectator behavior - Click Here to view the PDF.
How to Make Tryouts Less Stressful
Below is a special article by Keith Andresen who has been involved with USA Hockey and coaching youth hockey for the past ten years. In this article, Keith discusses travel team tryouts and how parents can keep this process in perspective and make it less stressful for the family.For youth hockey families this can be the most confusing and stressful time of the year, especially for you folks who have never been part of the travel hockey world. There are so many options and so many people trying to "sell you" on their program. Which one is best for my child? Should I sign up for a spring camp? Will attending a spring camp help my child's chance of making a team? All of these are good questions and I will try to help you better understand what you're getting yourself in to.
Let me start off by saying that most travel hockey clubs have good intentions and work very hard to do what's best for the local hockey community and each child in their program. I often compare the local hockey associations to a donut shop: many varieties to choose from, they are all good but everyone has their favorite. It's important to do your homework and find out what each club offers and what their philosophy is.
Let me start by talking about Mites so please give me a moment while I climb up on my "soapbox". The only thing 6-8 year old kids need is to have fun and the opportunity to participate. Whether or not your child plays recreational or travel hockey at the Mite level will not affect their ability to get a college hockey scholarship or play in the NHL. However, in many cases, it will affect their ability to enjoy the game as they get older, as I have seen many kids quit playing by the time they are 12 and 13 years old because they are burned out. You won't even see the burnout coming. One day your young hockey player will just quit and you'll be left wondering what happened. Ask any USA Hockey official what they think of Mite travel hockey and you'll find that the people who do not have a financial stake in a travel hockey association will tell you that Mite travel hockey is crazy. The folks from these clubs who are selling Mites on $3500 programs are the ones who make a living coaching these kids and they want to make sure their pipeline is full at the bottom.
If you're a recreational player looking to try travel for the first time, or a player who enjoys multiple sports and activities then you will want to find a program that will give you the opportunity to grow as a hockey player without demanding too much of your time and money immediately. There are several programs designed to offer competitively priced travel hockey options that give you a challenging environment while still recognizing that people have lives outside of hockey. Talk to folks who run the different programs and find out exactly what type of commitment is required. You don't want any surprises so doing your homework before tryouts is important.
If you currently are involved in a travel hockey program then you probably have a fairly good idea of the landscape. You are either happy with your association or possibly looking for something new. If you're looking for a new home your experiences from the past will help you decide where to go. What did you like about your previous club and what challenges did you face. Were you particularly impressed by one of the teams you played this past season? If so, go on-line and gather information about the program and see if they would be a good fit. The travel hockey community is relatively small so talking to other hockey families will give you good insight.
Whether you are new to travel hockey or a veteran it's important to find out about the coaches at the age group your child will be playing at. No single person can have a greater affect on your child's enjoyment of the season than the coach. Regardless of the age or the skill level every coach should possess some combination of hockey knowledge, coaching skills and people skills. Don't discount the people skills in this equation. I have known many coaches who have vast hockey knowledge but have no business coaching kids. On the other hand I know quite a few great coaches whom are not "hockey experts" but have sufficient knowledge to assure an excellent hockey experience. A good coach must be able to teach hockey skills and life skills. They must be able to take 15-20 individuals and make them into a team with each player having a role.
Last but not least is the subject of spring camps. The spring camps that many of the local associations run are a fairly recent innovation. While I believe that these camps serve a purpose, I don't believe attending a camp is going to assure you of making a team in that organization. While a camp may help you improve your skills they won't transform your game in a matter of a few weeks. Don't be led to believe that the only way you'll make a certain team is if you attend a pre-tryout camp. Remember that the coaches selling you the camp will make more money if they have more participants. When it comes to tryouts those same coaches will be selecting the best players, not necessarily the ones who attended their camp. As long as you understand the dynamics you won't be disappointed.
Like I mentioned earlier, all of the associations have something good to offer. Do your homework and go into the tryout process with your eyes open and as much information as possible. The more work you do on the front end will help assure that you won't be disappointed. Good luck!
Just a thought: No matter your age or skill level make sure you have fun! Teams at every level, including the NHL, will have "fun" at every practice.
Special thanks to Keith Andresen for the above article. Keith Andresen has been involved with USA Hockey and has been coaching hockey for the last 10 years in Texas.
The 24-Hour Rule
Do you want to improve the parent/coach communication on your hockey team? At the beginning of the season implement a "24-Hour Rule." This rule states that parents wait 24 hours after a game before talking to the coach, player or official.It will give you the parents the perspective they need. Youth sports can be an emotional experience. For parents, it is important to separate their kid's sports development from game emotions. For this reason, many leagues and coaches have adopted the 24-Hour Rule which simply states that coaches will not discuss a game or situation until at least 24 hours after the fact. This important rule does two things: First, it moves the discussion away from the presence of the team. Second, it allows all parties to have time to put things in perspective.
Editor's Note: Thank you to Grow the Game for this tip.
3 Keys to Hockey Fundraising Success
3 Keys to Hockey Fundraising Success - The secret to youth sports fundraising success is 1- Properly motivating your sellers, 2- Choosing products to sell that are in demand with prices above $7, and 3- Sell only products with profit margins of 50% or more. If you don't motivate your sellers, sales will be mediocre.If you sell inexpensive products, then revenue will be too low. If you don't sell products with high profit margins, it will be difficult to meet your funding goals. Sell products people really want, that offer good value, and that provide good profits. Do that and your sports team fundraiser will be a big success. Special thanks to Kimberly Reynolds for this fundraising tip.
Warning! Recruiters Browse Social Network Sites
Social networks are the craze amongst our youth. Facebook, myspace, SportsGist.com, MyStack.com and Badjocks.com are examples of social network sites where our children may be listed or at least browse.A recent study by Frank Butts, University of West Georgia takes a look at college athletes and monitoring of the social networks by universities and colleges. The article states 'NCAA athletes have come under intense scrutiny from college officials in recent months. The current level of monitoring by athletic departments ranges from mere advisories as to what athletes should post, to a complete ban on the use of any social networks'.
'The NCAA has not formally taken a stand on the social network issue rather leaving the monitoring to universities and colleges. Universities are concerned about the negative images portrayed on social networks, thus impacting recruiting, team morale and the universities own image. Parents should be concerned about the excessive information posted by their kids. Bookies may pose as a friend and solicit illegal contact and take the information and use it to their own advantage in gambling and point-shaving opportunities. If this connection is made, the athlete's eligibility may be at stake and the scholarships as well,' states Mr. Butts. Students have been suspended, ticketed, and dismissed for posted information on social networks.
The article states that, Cornell University IT Director, Tracy Mitrano say, Google's online cache, may be retained even after deletion. Mitrano says a cache allows material to be viewed through a search engine even when you think the material is deleted. A high potential graduate was refused employment when the employer found an inappropriate remark made by the applicant in an online cache.
The findings of this study suggest that NCAA II athletes need further education about or at least the implications of the image issue associated with public social networks. These schools have less staff to work with the athletes on image issues. The greater perception of a positive image projected on the social networks reported by NCAA III athletes is perplexing to the researchers and needs to be looked into further. With the relative visibility of NCAA Division I athletes, it is to be expected that these athletes' social network accounts would project a positive image, and they did, according to the athletes and the study. The study reports there is a growing trend of high school athletics-related abuse of social networks where policies are merited.
Parents need to assure their younger athletes are aware that recruiters browse at social network sites to learn about their athletic abilities and their character. Rebellious images, underage partying and free expression may cause the recruiter to think twice about scholarship offers.
Thank you to The Sport Journal, a quarterly referred sports journal by the United States Sports Academy for this very interesting article. View the entire article by clicking here.
9 Keys for Success when Coaching Your Child’s Team
When you register your child to play hockey, you always run the risk of being asked to coach. In the younger ages, most of the coaches are parents. Some times you have a choice -- coach or your child doesn't get to play.How should you coach your child's team? Here are 9 keys for success that can help you when coaching your child's hockey team:
1. Know the game - So, you think your son or daughter will be delighted to have you for a coach just because it means you can spend some "quality time" together? Wrong! If you don't know what you're talking about on the ice -- and you don't make the effort to learn -- they would rather you just stay home.
2. Listen to your players - Kids like to feel respected. Yes, you need to establish your authority -- to keep both kids and parents in line -- but players are people too. Kids can often see more about what is going on on the ice than can parents in the stands. Ask them, listen to them and value their input.
3. Don't play favorites - For most kids, being the coach's pet is bad enough; being one just because of bloodlines is unbearable. On the other hand, no child wants to be singled out for extra harsh treatment because Dad's the coach. As hard as it may be at times, treat your child like any other player.
4. Get everyone in the game - All kids like play more than to win. Sure winning is fun but kids like to play and be a part of the team and the game. Make sure all of your players get plenty of playing time and opportunities to try different positions.
5. Make it FUN - The No. 1 reason kids play sports is to have fun. You can help. Avoid repetitive drills, instead use good-humored small sided games. Make games exciting, not terrifying. Treat the team to pizza or ice cream after a game now and then - not as a reward but as a group activity. Enjoy yourself. Kids don't want to feel like a burden.
6. Don't baby them - No kid wants be told everything to do and pay attention all the time, but players expect the coach to make them do whatever they need to do to be ready for the game. Once on the ice, allow them to make their own decisions if if they make mistakes. They will learn more from the mistakes than doing what they are told to do from the bench.
7. Be a teacher - Kids play sports for fun, but if they don't improve, they'll eventually get bored or frustrated, and perhaps quit. Help them learn skills, rules, and strategy so that they can maximize their abilities. If you are not sure what to do, watch games by more experienced or older teams and see what they are doing or better yet, watch them practice.
8. Act your age - It's embarrassing for kids when their parents argue with officials and yell obscenities. It's even worse when the parent is the coach. Keep your anger in check and your language decent. The old adage "an apple does not fall far from the tree" is true in sports, set a good example of sportsmanship and good will and your team will as well.
9. Care -- but not too much - Care about the kids and not the results of games. Kids want their activities to be taken seriously, but not too seriously. "She did not care if I won or lost" and "He's not too emotional" were the most common reasons kids gave for why their mom or dad was a great coach.
Special thanks to Kentucky Youth Soccer for the above article.
