IN THIS ISSUE

Jablonic Joins USAH ADM Staff

Michigan Clinics Emphasize the Skills of Proper Body Checking

The Battle Worth Fighting at 10U

Why Every 8U Player Should Try Goalie

VIDEO: Rick Davis on Pre-Game Preparation Tips for Parents

VIDEO: The Worst Part of Youth Sports is the Car-Ride Home

Playoff Time: Key to Being Ready When Puck Drops

5 Key Habits for Playoff Hockey

Practice Plan Analyzer is a Game-Changer for Coaches

Just for Coaches: On- & Off-Ice Drills

Volume 5 Issue 2
February 22, 2018
"Don't Shorten the Bench!"
By Jamie MacDonald

When the clock is winding down and a youth hockey coach looks up from the bench at a one-goal game, there is a natural temptation ... to win. And with that temptation comes the competitive-nature's no-brainer to handpick the best players for the next few shifts and salt away the W.
 
And when that temptation to shorten the bench comes ... don't. Instead, roll the next line. 
 
"If you're in a critical moment of the game, it's imperative that everybody plays," says Roger Grillo, USA Hockey's Regional Manager of the American Development Model for New England. "Everybody plays the same amount. Don't send a message that you don't believe in a young player. Because you don't know who the best player will be five or six years down the road - even a year down the road. Giving every kid the opportunity to be in critical situations is imperative."
 
The arc of every player's hockey life extends far beyond any single youth hockey game, almost no matter of its perceived importance, and it's up to coaches to place the development of all of his or her players ahead of winning that single game. 

A shortened bench runs the risk of curtailing both the joy of the game and the length of time a young athlete might play the sport. FULL ARTICLE>>
ILLINOIS NEWS
Jablonic Joins USAH American Development Model Staff
USA Hockey today named Dan Jablonic (St. Cloud, Minn.) as a regional manager for its American Development Model. Jablonic will begin his work with youth hockey associations in Illinois, where he will serve as a leading resource for age-appropriate programming, training, competition and long-term athlete development.  "Dan brings a wealth of knowledge and experience," said Kevin McLaughlin, senior director of hockey development for USA Hockey. "He has an extensive playing and coaching background along with tremendous passion for our sport at the grassroots level. We're excited to have him as part of our ADM staff." READ MORE>>
Try Hockey For Free on March 3rd!
On Saturday, March 3rd, USA Hockey and 400 local association across the country will host Try Hockey For Free Day! Participating locations encourage kids, ages 4 to 9, to come try youth hockey as part of Hockey Weekend Across America celebration. All locations will have limited equipment available for use.  Find the closest Try Hockey event to you in the list below or click  HERE  to search by your zip code. Try Hockey events are indicated with a red pin on the map. Click the pin most convenient to you to register your child.

Center Ice of DuPage
All Seasons Ice Rinks
Carol Stream Ice Rink
Crystal Ice House
Decatur Civic Center
Fox Valley Ice Arena
Franklin Park Ice Arena
Leafs Ice Centre
Owens Center
Robert Crown Center
Rolling Meadows
Southwest Ice Arena
Triphahn Center
Glacier Ice Arena
Ice Valley Ice Arena
ADM ACROSS AMERICA
Michigan Clinics Emphasize the Skills of Proper Body-Checking
By Stephen Kerr ~ Joe Provenzano grew up playing youth hockey on the east side of Detroit. Following a stint with Des Moines of the United States Hockey League, Provenzano received a scholarship to the University of Alabama-Huntsville, where he spent four seasons.  It wasn't until he got into coaching youth hockey and conducting clinics that Provenzano realized the importance of proper body-checking and body contact in developing young players. READ MORE>>
USA HOCKEY ADM NEWS
The Battle Worth Fighting at 10U
By Michael Rand ~ Congratulations, hockey parent. You've made it through the beginner years of 8U hockey and watched your child get better thanks to a lot of skill development drills and cross-ice games.  Now it's time for 10U hockey, which means ... a lot more of the same?  You might be thinking: Wait. Wasn't all that just for the little kids? Aren't we done with that?  Not really. READ MORE>>
Why Every 8U Player Should Try Goalie
By Michael Rand ~ Being a hockey goalie is not for everyone, but USA Hockey wants to make sure that it could be for anyone.  That's an ambitious task, but the payoff that comes from breaking down barriers and dispelling myths about playing goalie make it well worth the effort.  Phil Osaer, goaltending manager for USA Hockey's American Development Model, helps explain why it's so important to encourage players at the 8U level to give the position a try - and how the organization is trying to make it easier to do just that. READ MORE>>
MULTIMEDIA
Rick Davis on Pre-Game Preparation Tips for Parents
Rick Davis, a PCA National Advisory Board Member, is a retired professional soccer player and former member of the U.S. National Team. In the video above, Davis,  an experienced coach at the youth levels shares the two pre-game preparation strategies on which he relies.
The Worst Part of Youth Sports for Kids is the Car-Ride Home
In the video above John O'Sullivan, Founder of Changing the Game Project, says that when people are asked what their worst memory is about youth sports, most respond that it is the ride home from the game. Kids are physically and emotionally exhausted, yet parents want to make the car ride home a "teachable moment."
PLAYOFF ONE-TIMERS
It's Playoff Time: What Coaches Say Is Key to Being Ready When the Puck Drops
By Greg Bates, Special to AHAI ~ The playoffs are often referred to as "the second season."  It's a time for players to think beyond the regular season and start fresh. But there's added pressure in the one-and-done playoff scenario. With so much hype leading into the playoffs, M.J. Laggis believes the head coach shouldn't change the message to the players or add more emphasis. READ MORE>>
5 Key Habits for Playoff Hockey
By Minnesota Hockey ~ Playoff hockey is special. There's no arguing that playoffs in any sport are intense and exciting to watch or play in.  There's just something unique about hockey, and playoff beards, while certainly a trademark at higher levels, are only a very small part of it.  With every shift and every game, the bar is raised a little bit. Passes are crisper, puck battles turn into small wars and shots become lasers with the power to make entire arenas "oooh" and "ahhh".  It is a gut wrenching, stick clenching and utterly thrilling time of year where players and teams have to find new ways to elevate their game with each passing night in order to keep their season alive. READ MORE>>
JUST FOR COACHES
Practice Plan Analyzer is a Game-Changer for Coaches
"Am I doing it right?"  It's a question coaches, from the beginners to the most experienced, often ask themselves. With the latest update to the USA Hockey Mobile Coach app (version 4.0), coaches now have a tool that instantaneously tells them if their practice plans have the optimal mix of development components.

The new Practice Plan Analyzer allows coaches to assess practice plans and make sure they are lining up with American Development Model-recommended guidelines.  "You can check where you are on the spectrum," said Cameron Eickmeyer, USA Hockey's director of internet content and development. "You can compare it with USA Hockey's age-specific guidelines, get real-time feedback, and then, if you see an area that might be lacking, change your practice plan accordingly." READ MORE>>
On-Ice Drill: Sparta Passing

Purpose:  To create a high-tempo, high-repetition passing drill with movement, timing and strong-stick passing.
VIEW DRILL>>
Off-Ice: Body Contact & Body Checking Drills
Body Contact should be taught at all ages. Body checking should be taught at practices at 12U in preparation for 14U full check hockey. WATCH DRILL>>