IN THIS ISSUE
Being a Positive Sport Parent
Mark Your Calendars for Try Hockey For Free Weekends
Cross-Ice Prominent at NHL Development Camps
Kirkwood Pipeline Pumping Home-Grown Talent
Skill-Focused Falmouth Girls Thriving on the Cape
No Talent Needed
Video: Elite Athlete Syndrome
Just for Coaches:
On- and Off-Ice Practice Plans
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Volume 3 Issue 7
July 27, 2016
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By USA Hockey ~ It is important to be supportive and respectful, not only of your child, but also of the others on the team and of the coaches. As a parent, you have the power to help shape your youth athlete's attitude about sports. It's natural to get excited when watching your child play but it is important to keep your emotions in check on game day. Here are some tips to help you:
- Be supportive before the competition even starts. Tell your youth athlete you are proud of him/her, regardless of how well he/she plays.
- Remind them that it's normal to be nervous and to have fun even when playing hard.
- Let the coaches coach; avoid instructing your child or other players from the sidelines.
- Cheer for good plays and great efforts by both teams.
- When the game ends, set a good example for your child by thanking the officials, coaches, teammates and opposing teams for their efforts.
After following these guidelines, go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back! And know that your support role doesn't end there. Read more for three tips when talking with your children after they compete. READ MORE>>
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 MARK YOUR CALENDARS: 2016-17 TRY HOCKEY FOR FREE DAYSLast year Illinois had more than 13 rinks and over 700 skaters participate in USA Hockey's Try Hockey For Free Weekend in February alone. We look forward to even greater numbers and participation this year. There is no better way to jump start growth than these offerings from USA Hockey. READ MORE>>
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 CROSS-ICE HOCKEY PROMINENT AT NHL DEVELOPMENT CAMPS
By USA Hockey ~ It's NHL Development Camp season and all across North America, teams are utilizing cross-ice hockey, small-ice hockey and small-area games to teach their prospects.
"To me, the (small-ice) 3-on-3 is more important than the full-ice scrimmage," said Buffalo Sabres general manager Tim Murray. "It's a lot harder type of game than it is playing end-to-end. It's a battle. Everything's a battle. The guys that don't battle are on the periphery and they don't have a big impact."
Those battle characteristics are intrinsic with cross- and half-ice hockey, making it more like the pace and style of elite-level hockey. As a result, it's a development tool used by every NHL team. And while it's important for aspiring professionals, it's even more valuable for 8U players, emphasizing fast-twitch bursts of skating speed, agility and competence in traffic that define success at advancing levels. It also creates more puck touches and confidence for every player, making it both functional and fun.
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SKILL-FOCUSED FALMOUTH GIRLS THRIVING ON THE CAP
By Mike Scandura ~ Since the implementation of its 8U/10U girls house program four years ago, the Falmouth Youth Hockey League has given Cape Cod-area girls a place to learn, grow and have fun in the game. "Basically it's the beginner program," said Laura Moynihan, the Falmouth girls program director who doubles as the associate coach in chief for girls/women in USA Hockey's Massachusetts District. "But it's also set up for girls that don't want to play on boys' teams but want to play on all-girls teams. They're new to the game. It's a low-cost program that's held once a week. READ MORE>>
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KIRKWOOD PIPELINE PUMPING HOME-GROWN TALENT
By Jayson Hron ~ Organized youth hockey in St. Louis sprouted six years before the Blues, in 1961, but when the NHL arrived, a surge of new players and rinks sprang forth in the newly cast Gateway Arch shadows.
Among the startups, in 1968, was a club in Kirkwood, founded by St. Louis hockey enthusiast Bill McKenna. Future Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine skated his first strides there, and today the Kirkwood Youth Hockey Association continues to thrive as a USA Hockey Model Association in Missouri. READ MORE>>
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10 THINGS THAT
REQUIRE ZERO TALENT
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THE ELITE ATHLETE
SYNDROME
An orthopedic surgeon lives out another nightmare visit from a delusional sports mom. He nails the diagnosis.
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PRACTICE PLANS FOR ON-ICE
Double Shot Drill
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PRACTICE PLANS FOR DRYLAND
10U+: Multi-Directional Sprints
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This is a great drill for any age level that incorporates skating, passing and shooting. The drill includes multiple goaltenders, but a shooter tooter or empty net would suffice.
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Dryland Plan for Multi-Directional Sprints. VIEW PLAN>>
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