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Training

I was recently watching a TV feature on an NHL player who invited the viewing audience on a tour of his childhood home. We met his mom and dad, his siblings, his dog, got a tour of the house and hung out with some of his friends. What was really cool was getting to see where and how he spent most of his time growing up, which included his basement where he shot pucks, in his backyard on the family ice rink and even playing tennis, basketball and just about any competitive sport.

As the game of hockey has evolved into a national sport with great players coming from every corner of the U.S., it should come as no surprise to aspiring players that if you want to maximize your potential, it’s really what you to away from the rink that will determine how far you make it as a hockey player.

When players leave practice at the rink, they all have the same decision to make after they get their homework done. As an old coach used to say, ‘we all have the same number of hours in a day, it’s up to you how you spend them’. So players have a decision to make, will they watch TV, play video games, sit on their phone, or work on hockey skills and hockey development?

During one point of the TV feature the father of the NHL player was standing in their unfinished basement which served as their shooting room. The father was standing in front of a wall that, at one point before the color of vulcanized rubber took over, was probably the color of fresh wood and perhaps even the name of the shooting tarp was visible. The puck marks on shooting area of the concrete floor looked like the track at the Daytona 500.

“I can’t tell you how many thousands, and thousands of pucks have been shot down here,” said the father. Later in the show, talking about their backyard rink, it was again stated that the time, memories and frozen toes were too numerous to try to begin to quantify.

Meeting this NHL player via the TV show made me think back to some of my own experiences, and of those around me who were fortunate enough to play in college or even the NHL. They were the first ones on the rink and the last ones to leave. And they were also the players that had a net in their backyard and dozens of sticks in a barrel in their garage with the blades worn down to nothing. These worn out blades and banged up nets were a badge of honor for these players, and a testament to their dedication to the game. You could tell exactly how bad a kid wanted it by the condition of his training area.

And years later, after watching this segment on today’s NHL players, the same is true. So the question is, how bad to you want it? Are you willing to put in what it takes away from the rink?

After all, everyone has the the same number of hours in a day.

17

January

Tough Season? No Problem!

Posted by Greg Carter

Mid-season can be a challenging time of year for players, coaches and parents. It’s that in between time when the hype and anticipation of the new season has worn off, and although the playoffs are on the horizon, the next few weeks can be a bit of a grind. This can be especially true for players who just aren’t quite having the season they expected.

We have written about the importance of setting goals at the start of the season, and that development is a marathon, not a sprint. This is the time of year to remind yourself of these goals and that this is one season and one moment in time when regardless of how good, bad or average things are going, there is a ton of opportunity down the road, be it the next game, tournament or season!

Many coaches take the opportunity at this juncture to provide mid-season evaluations that should give players some specific examples of successes, as well as areas that need improvement. This feedback should be the motivation for players to refocus and get energized for the homestretch of the season and beyond.

Every team needs positive players who work hard and bring energy to practices and games. As the old saying goes, there is no substitute for hard work, and the best way to get the results that you want is exactly that, working as hard as you possibly can during each and every practice.

Changing the way things are going on the ice can also start with changing habits off of the ice. For example, if you aren’t scoring as many goals as you anticipated, try shooting pucks for 30 minutes prior to going to the rink. If you don’t feel like you have the energy or quickness you need during the game, try changing your warm up routine and pay attention to the types of food and drink you are consuming prior to the game.

Finally, I like to tell the story of a very successful coach who addressed our team prior to a big game by saying “In order to be good, you first have to believe that you are good.” While that is a relatively simple statement, it’s extremely meaningful in that players who enter games and practices with a positive mindset are well positioned to achieve the success they anticipate.

So as you start to enter the final stretch of your season, bring a great ‘can-do’ attitude with an excellent work ethic and you will help your team skate home with the hardware!

Each summer we work with hockey players from across Massachusetts as well as the entire country. Our staff is asked many questions about hockey development by both players and parents, and here are the most frequently asked questions.

What does my child need to do to get better?
Every parents wants the best for their child, especially hockey parents for their hockey players! The first thing to recognize is that development is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. For players to get better they need to commit to a long term development strategy geared towards working on specialized skill sets at each level from Mites on up. If a player masters each of these age-specific skills, they will have a great foundation to build on throughout their career.

Should my child play a variety of positions or just forward or just defense?
This is an interesting question because of how often it gets brought up. At young ages kids need to develop a full understanding of the game of hockey including skills, strategies and tactics at both forward and defense. Many great defensemen playing at the collegiate and professional levels attribute their ability to ‘see the ice’, step up into the play and contribute offensively to having played forward as a youth or even a prep player.

How can I score more goals?
Every player wants to score goals, and there is one surefire way to find the back of the net more often: shoot pucks. A great coach once told me that you can never shoot enough pucks, and he was right. Another way to score more goals is to become a great stickhandler. Spend time at practice, home and hockey camp working on stickhandling and it will pay off on the score sheet!

What can I do to improve my skating, speed and quickness?
We love this question at our hockey school because skating and stride is too often overlooked by hockey players. Even the smoothest, fastest and quickest skaters are continually working to improve in this area because they understand the importance of speed, quickness and stride in the game of hockey. To improve your skating focus on things like edge work and technique. We like to really focus on these two areas at our hockey camps and the results can be extremely positive.

What do I need to do to make the team next year?
This is always the biggest question as we work with players prior to tryouts. Regardless of what level you are playing at or team you want to make, there is no substitute for commitment and hard work. Create a list of skills that you need to work on and spend time on and off the ice mastering these skills. Shoot pucks and stickhandle rather than watching TV or sitting on your phone. Hockey is becoming more competitive every day and the players who make the team are the ones who put in the time and dedicate themselves to learning new skills and getting better everyday!

Do you have a question about your hockey development or summer hockey camp? Email us and we would be happy to answer your questions!

We have hockey camps in ten states this summer including Alaska, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Virginia. We hope to see you on the ice soon!

15

December

Hockey 2016 – By The Numbers

Posted by Greg Carter

2016 was another great year on the ice. Running hockey camps in 10 states again reminded us just how awesome this sport really is in the U.S.
Here are our some of the stats – and a black bear – behind the great states that we enjoy working in each summer!

We started out our hockey camp in Alaska with a black bear greeting us at our cabin. Hockey is alive and well in the Last Frontier. There are nearly 9,000 players in Alaska and the state currently has 16 men’s Division 1 players and 8 women playing Division I hockey.

Connecticut is one of our favorite spots with more than 13,000 players registered with USA Hockey. The also have a nice roster of Division I players including 30 on the men’s side and 15 on women’s teams.

Illinois is a hotbed of “Blackhawk’s hockey” with 84 Division I men’s players (5th most) and 35 women (3rd most). Illinois also has more than 31,000 total hockey players and is always a fun place to train aspiring young athletes!

New Hampshire hockey families are passionate about the game. With around 6,000 players in the state this season, they have the same number (13) of both men and women playing Division I.

New Jersey loves their Devils and has just under 20,000 players in the state. They also have 45 men’s Division I players this season and 4 on the women’s side.

New York is always among the leaders in the U.S. registering just under 50,000 players! We love our camps in the state that has 94 men’s Division 1 players this season and 33 women.

There are just over 30,000 players in the great state of Pennsylvania, all admiring the recent Flyers winning streak, or wanting to grow up and be like the incredible Sid Crosby. 47 men’s players and 9 women Division I players hail from Pennsylvania.

Vermont registers just under 5,000 players and has 3 men and 10 women playing Division I hockey this year.

Virginia has just over 10,000 registered players and 5 men and 2 women playing Division I hockey.

Finally, we close with our home state of Massachusetts, where we love the Bruins; and the Red Sox! Massachusetts (113) ranks third only to Michigan (145) and Minnesota (203) in producing Division I men’s hockey players. There are 72 women from Mass. playing Division I hockey this season, second only to Minnesota (147). As our friends at Mass. Hockey would say, we are #MassProud!

We hope you enjoyed your year of hockey as much as we did.

From our team to yours, have a very happy holiday season and we look forward to seeing you on the ice in 2017!

28

November

Holiday Shoppers & Hockey Parents

Posted by Greg Carter

A new holiday tradition has emerged within a circle of family and friends over the past few years that involves scanning the national news for the footage of outrageous behavior by black Friday shoppers. The excitement and anticipation all kicks off Thursday evening when long lines start to snake their way around the outside of stores as people wait for hours and hours for access to the best deals of the year.

And once the store doors open, it’s like the hole shot at a motocross race, the gates opening at the Kentucky Derby and the opening faceoff at Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals all rolled up into one incredibly intense moment. And what happens next is anyone’s guess.

TV footage of these mad scrambles from the front doors of the store to the electronics departments resembles the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. Hearts are pumping and adrenaline is at peak levels, it’s a complete frenzy. And then it happens, excitement turns to frustration, then aggression and ultimately anger. Arguments ensue and in some cases, fights break out and punches are thrown. You really can’t make it up.

So what does the behavior by some holiday shoppers have to do with the behavior of some hockey parents? There are actually some similarities – common denominators – in the behaviors witnessed in both hockey rinks and shopping malls. Unable to control the energy and excitement of the moment, some people tend to let emotions get the better of them, and their better judgement.

As we enter the holiday shopping season, and the invitational hockey tournament season, it’s a great time to take a deep breath and remember what is really important at this time of year, and what type of memories we are creating for our kids around the Christmas tree, and our hockey players around the rink.

Some of the best memories of playing youth hockey don’t involve the wins or losses, but instead the great teammates that turn into great, lifelong friends. Competition can bring out the best, and the worst in people, and it’s up to each individual to decide how they are going to react in emotional situations.

An old coach used to say that if you are properly prepared and confident in yourself and your ability to perform, then you are well-positioned to be successful. Hockey is the greatest game on Earth, and a sport full of excitement, energy and intensity. How parents and players manage emotions during a game can greatly influence the outcome of the situation and whether or not you achieve success.

So whether you are trying to win the race to the puck, or the race to a high-discounted flat-screen TV, remember that both on and off of the ice, this is the most wonderful time of the year!

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