Once again we will have a cover contest for our Award Ceremony Yearbook.
Please submit 8.5x11 artwork electronically to
shetterich@sabrehockey.com
by February 7, 2020.
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REMINDER FROM RULES & ETHICS
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Dear Sabre Families,
As we enter the second half of the season with playoffs on the horizon, the intensity tends to pick up as do the number of incidents referred to the Rules & Ethics Committee. At this time, our Committee, would like to remind our parents that our sport is about the spirit of competition and creating an environment where our kids can learn and have fun. The games may feel more intense and important, but let's remember to treat the opposing teams, referees, fans, and rinks with respect and conduct ourselves appropriately.
Please also remember that many rinks, including our two Sabre home rinks, prohibit alcohol. Consuming alcohol on the premises is a violation of the rink policy and the rink personnel reserves the right to involve the authorities.
Our organization does a tremendous job leading the hockey community by setting an example of good sportsmanship, so let's finish the season strong. Thanks in advance for your understanding and cooperation. Good luck with your drive towards the playoffs, and GO SABRES!
Regards,
Blake Rosenberg
Chair, Rules & Ethics Committee
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12U Canada Tournament
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10U Secret Santa Party
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10U Cleveland Tournament
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SABRE GIRLS PROGRAM BY CARISSA BAIER
To end the calendar year, our 12s and 14s made their annual bus trip to Guelph, Ontario to play in the Guelph Girls Winter Classic. While in Canada, the girls and parents found time for team bonding experiences and had a chance to catch a Guelph Storm OHL junior league game. Both teams went 4-0 in their pool play and in heartbreaking fashion, both teams lost their semi-final game in overtime. The first couple hours of the bus ride home were quiet but eventually the sounds of girls chatting and laughing filled the bus again.
The following weekend, the 10s traveled to Cleveland, Ohio for their last out of state tournament. The girls had as much fun off the ice as they did on, using every bit of free time to do a Secret Santa gift exchange, have a pizza in pajamas party, and even catch the new Jumanji movie. The girls went 2-1-1 in pool play and earned their spot in the Championship game against the USA Wildflowers. It was a nail biter, but the Sabre girls were able to pull out the 2-1 win against the only team who had beat them earlier in the weekend. Congrats ladies on your 1st place finish.
In mid-December the 14s hosted a friendly game against the Rocky Mountain Lady Rough Riders from Boulder, CO. while they were in town to play friendly's with other NIHL teams in Illinois. The weekend before Christmas the 14s headed North again to Appleton, WI to play in the Fox River Girls Classic. While there, the girls had a great time getting together with family and coaches for dinner and sharing gifts for the Holiday season.
The remaining girls teams hosted holiday celebrations with their hockey families and the 12s made sure to remember the season of giving by making a donation to PADS.
UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES
Our 19Us will be hosting their Senior Night at All Seasons Ice Rink on Saturday, February 1st at 8:40 PM. Please help support our girls and help pack the stands.
SABRE GIRL SPOTLIGHT
Each month we'd like to recognize those girls who are not only contributing to their team on the ice but who also work towards making a positive impact in their community. This month we'd like to recognize:
Cori Mathey (19U) - Cori is currently coaching special Olympics and volunteering in a Kindergarten class while also participating in track.
Teegan Mathey (19U) - Teegan is participating in golf, volunteering in a Kindergarten classroom, and has also organized and implemented a school wide Saturday campus clean up at OEHS with another clean up coming up soon.
Lauren Deutsch (10U) - Lauren has volunteered at Feed My Starving Children and is working in her school's peer buddy program that helps work with classmates with special needs.
Molly Salvino (14U) - Molly was elected to her school's student council and is also a member of her schools Literacy Navigator Program where she uses her lunch period to help first graders learn to read.
We hope you were all able to enjoy the holiday season! Happy New Year from the Sabre Girls!
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COACHES CORNER -- BY MIKE MCGINNIS
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Coach's Corner: "Elements of Activities in Practice"
In choosing activities for practice, often we look at either what physical hockey skill is at hand or some sort of team strategy. There are many more elements to consider than just skill and team concepts. Other ones to consider in choosing activities are the level of competition, decision making, intensity, and real game element. This is not to say that every activity we do in practice needs to have every component, but do reflect on all these elements in choosing activities for practice.
Let's focus on decision making as a component of an activity. A common set of drills often found during a practice involves a series of cones where the skater needs to maneuver though the cones in certain pattern and then finishes with a shot. The drill may be designed to involve a forehand turn, a backhand turn, and then a transition finishing with a wrist shot. Now yes this drill involves many skating components and shooting, but it misses one major element, decision making. Many times as coaches and players, we will get frustrated in a game because we are not "doing the things" that work on in practice. The difference is that in a game, there is not scripted patterns or set cones. In a game, the players are the ones making all the decisions on the ice. So the question is, during practice did you coach the skaters as to when to use a forehand or backhand turn or when to transition? Many times we ignore that element of the skill and just assume the skaters will know when to perform the right skill. Just like the physical skill, the mental skill of decision making needs to be coached as well. So looking back at the cone and shooting drill, what can we do differently to practice both the skill and also the decision making?
Here are three different components you could add to easily address this drill to keep the physical skill, but yet increase the decision making process which is most needed in any game situation.
- Don't refer to the cones as just cones. First distinguish for the skaters, are the cones targets to go around or are the cones defenders where you want to protect the puck from. This mental shift alone makes the skaters realize the purpose of the drill. Don't just say, "Go around this cone to the right, then transition around this cone to the left and then turn at the last cone." Instead, say, "the first cone is a defender so you need to protect the puck as you escape from it. Then the second cone is a target you must transition around in order to maintain your gap control as a defender, and then the last cone is another defender that you must protect the puck to get around in order to shoot. Here the cone has a purpose, and you were able to work on different elements of the game as both a defender and puck handler.
- Instead of cones, put in a skater. Many times in our activities we will put a person (perhaps an assistant coach in) where the defender cones are to model some pressure forcing the skater to make decisions as they move around the now human cone. The assistant coach can force the player one way or another, so the player can work on reading that pressure and knowing when to use either a forehand or backhand turn.
- Have the player choose the pattern instead of the coach. If your goal is to work on forehand and backhand turns with the puck and also transitions, then don't just set out three cones and tell the players what to do at each cone. Have the players decide their maneuvers through the cones. Here you could set out 10 cones and tell the players is to perform one forehand turn, one back hand turn, and then a transition to all be finished with a shot. The skaters can choose any cones and perform the moves in any order. Here the players can still work on the physical skill, but they are in charge of making the decisions on how to navigate through the cones. Encourage them to be creative and pick a different pattern each time. This way they still get quality repetitions in which still creating diversity for each skill.
In developing your practice plans, make sure you are developing all parts of the player both physically, mentally, and both technically and tactically. Hockey is a game of high skill, high decision making, and incredibly fun! Make sure your activities model those components as well.
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CHICAGO BLACKHAWK ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIP
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Attention Sabre Seniors that also play high school hockey........The Chicago Blackhawk Alumni Association (CBAA) distributes college scholarships annually to the three most deserving high school hockey players. Awards are determined from a candidate's level of community service, volunteerism, good citizenship, academic performance as well as the hockey talent of the individual. Recipients will receive an annual $7,500.00 scholarship over four years for a total of $30,000.
December 1st of each year, scholarship applications are available for download on the Blackhawk Alumni website. Fully completed applications including letter of recommendations, original transcripts, and scholar essays are due no later than February 1st of each year. Once all of the forms are gathered, a selection committee from the Blackhawk Alumni Association (CBAA) will review all of the candidates and then select the three recipients.
We encourage all of the senior high school players to take the time to submit their applications. We also encourage all of the coaches, managers and team/league presidents to promote and support this effort.
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Tip #24 Goaltending and Keeping it Simple
Hello Goalies!
We are beginning to approach the most important stretch of the season. Every game and every point matters as we carry through trying to solidify a playoff spot. During this time I like to remind goalies of the simple things that can make your game better in net not only for yourself but your teammates as well. With so many things to focus on during a game, goalies can get caught up thinking too much at once. In a game, we rarely want to think but instead react. Do not chase the play but instead anticipate and try to stay one step ahead. The best way to do this is to know where every opposing player is on the ice so you know where every shooting threat is.
Now you're beginning to read the play and prepare yourself for the next move. The hardest part about goaltending is staying in position. Two things control positioning and that's angle and depth. As goalies, we attack the angle first and adjust depth for best positioning. This is something I state very often and will do it again here: "You cover 80% of the net just by getting into the shooting lane. If you watch the best goaltenders in the game today, it is all about positioning."
The next important part and the final thing that can make a goalie elite is rebound control. There is nothing tougher to defend against than a goalie who gives up rebounds. Many times teammates will scramble and lose positioning due to loose pucks in the crease. Your team will begin to lose momentum and now give up opposing chances.
Know where every player is on the ice, stay square and connected to the puck, retain pucks and redirect your rebounds out of danger. Come to practice with this focus and build yourself up to be the goalie that makes a difference!
Coach Petrak
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ROCKET ICE PROGRAM INFORMATION
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ALL SEASONS PROGRAM INFORMATION
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C2 Hockey - For upcoming Camps and Clinics click here. Go to Chelios Hockey and like us on FaceBook.
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Join us at All Seasons for our Developmental Hockey Programs and Leagues.
For more information,
click here
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MEGA MITES HOCKEY LEAGUE
*Geared toward Jr. Sabres U6 & U8 players.
For more info,
click here.
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