IN THIS ISSUE
10 & Under Illinois State Champions Crowned
Pick Six with Dan Jablonic
474 Kids Try Hockey For Free in Illinois
Hockey is for EveryBODY!
Miami U. Aligns with Youth Program to Foster ADM Excellence
Growing Hockey in the Lone Star State
USAH Sets 8 & Under Player Participation Record
But My Kid Loves Hockey...
VIDEO: The Bulldozer Parent
VIDEO: Parents Need to Stop Trophy Chasing
Just for Coaches: On- & Off-Ice Drills
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Volume 5 Issue 3
March 23, 2018
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The Right Team vs. The Elite Team
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By Michael Caples, Special to USA Hockey
Keeping up with the Joneses may as well be an epidemic for the hockey community.
What is he or she doing this summer to get ahead? What team is she playing on next year? Who are they working out with now?
Finding a spot on an elite youth or high school team is one of the most worried-about aspects of a hockey player's development and advancement.
It doesn't need to be, however. Sure, playing on a top team in your age group or making a showcase squad for a major tournament may help in the quest for more exposure and better skills. But it's not the most important thing for a hockey player's growth overall.
The best hockey players will be found, no matter where they are playing. Opportunities will come to those who earn it.
Minutes and Responsibility
Mike Cavanaugh, head coach of the University of Connecticut hockey program, said that when it comes to being the best hockey player you could be, getting the opportunity to compete and lead your team is more important than what jersey you are wearing.
FULL ARTICLE>>
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ILLINOIS STATE HOCKEY CHAMPIONS
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Congratulations to our 10 & Under State Champions!
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Girls 10U A
Warhawks
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10 & Under AAA
Chicago Mission
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10 & Under AA
Chicago Jets
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10 & Under A
Chicago Bruins
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10 & Under B
Sabre Hockey
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PICK SIX WITH DAN JABLONIC
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AHAI recently spoke with Dan Jablonic at The Edge Ice Arena during the Illinois State Hockey Championships. When asked about his new role for USA Hockey, Dan stated, "It is an honor to represent USA Hockey and serve the Illinois market. I'm looking forward to working together with AHAI, associations, coaches and parents to deliver world class age-appropriate training to boys and girls in Illinois."
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By Jason Kates, USA Hockey Magazine ~ In early February, USA Hockey announced the hiring of Dan Jablonic as the newest American Development Model regional manager. Most recently the hockey director at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Virginia, a USA Hockey Model Club, Jablonic brings experience as a USA Hockey Level 4-certified coach and longtime contributor at USA Hockey National Player Development Camps. The St. Cloud, Minn., native attended the University of Minnesota Duluth, where he played for the Bulldogs from 1993-97. While working as a coach in Sweden, Jablonic helped develop seven first-round picks in the NHL Draft. USA Hockey Magazine recently caught up with Jablonic to talk about joining the USA Hockey team.
What do you see as your new role entailing? What areas of the country will you cover?
My main focus as an ADM Manager is going to be on Illinois, making sure associations are aware of and take advantage of the extensive resources that USA Hockey can provide and support their efforts to deliver age appropriate training. It's kind of neat, obviously,that after seven years as the hockey director at Kettler that I now get to work with and support other associations and share the experiences that I've had and the many business and development benefits of the ADM.
FULL ARTICLE>>
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Hockey Weekend Across America Celebrated Coast to Coast: 474 Participants Tried Hockey For Free in Illinois
By USA Hockey ~ The 11th annual Hockey Weekend Across America proved to be a success on every level, highlighted by 13,460 children experiencing Try Hockey For Free Day at 379 rinks nationwide on Saturday, March 3.
Michigan led the way 1,373 participants, followed by Pennsylvania (1,064) and Wisconsin (1,021). Illinois had 15 rinks/associations host THFF events with a total of 474 participants: Sabre Hockey Association, Decatur Youth Hockey Association, St. Jude Hockey, Leafs Hockey Club, Admirals, Glacier Ice Arena, Firewagon Hockey, Peoria Youth Hockey Association, Evanston Hockey, Center Ice of DuPage, Chicago Bulldogs, Rolling Meadows Renegades, Franklin Park, Kankakee Coyotes, and the Cyclones. Firewagon hockey led Illinois locations with 65 participants, followed by the Cyclones with 59 and St. Jude with 47.
READ MORE>>
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Hockey is for EveryBODY!
By Christine Tepper ~ Jack's Bar Mitzvah project. What to do to give back? Something that he can connect with, get others involved in and be motivated by? So many need so much, and he's just a kid. But, it all starts with one...
Reading the October AHAI newsletter, the headline was "Volunteers needed for the 2018 Disabled Hockey Festival in Chicago!" Wait. How perfect! I've never even heard of this! It's the second largest USA Hockey event, after the Pond Hockey National Championships. Fast forward five months, and our entire family has become involved with this incredible event. Even better, Evanston Hockey has become involved, and our players and families are giving back, in a big way. READ MORE>>
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Miami University Aligns with Youth Program to Foster ADM Excellence
By Stephen Kerr ~ In the spring of 2016, the Miami (Ohio) University RedHawks hockey program formed a partnership with the Butler County Youth Hockey Association. It was a win-win for both parties.
RedHawks varsity players and coaches would get an opportunity to teach the game and be positive role models. The youth program, which became known as the Miami Youth Hockey Junior RedHawks, would benefit from the experience of older players in creating a culture that would have a lasting impact on kids on and off the ice. READ MORE>>
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Working Together to Grow Hockey in the Lone Star State
By Ryan Williamson ~ When describing the hockey community at Chaparral Ice Arena in Austin, Texas, General Manager Angie Vaught had one analogy come to mind.
"We're the island of misfit toys in Texas," Vaught said. "We're not baseball and not football. We work to foster a tight-knit community that has a family-like atmosphere."
Vaught and the Chaparral staff have worked tirelessly to help build a hockey community in Austin. By helping foster this friendly environment through events such as USA Hockey Try Hockey For Free Day, this southern haven has become a place where hockey families can go and feel welcome. READ MORE>>
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USA Hockey Sets 8-and-Under Player Participation Record
Paulina Doughtie from Antioch, Tennessee, today became USA Hockey's 115,695th 8-and-Under player in 2017-18, setting a single-season 8U participation record. It marked the third consecutive record-breaking season for USA Hockey in the 8U age classification.
"Hockey continues to grow at every level in the United States, and as our participation numbers indicate, the best is yet to come as these young players continue to play, love and excel," said Jim Smith, president of USA Hockey. "With initiatives like Try Hockey For Free Day and our American Development Model welcoming more and more young players to the sport, the sky's the limit for hockey in the U.S." READ MORE>>
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But My Kid Loves Hockey...
By Todd Smith ~ So your child loves hockey. Awesome! Do they also love it so much that they want to play year-round?
Dr. Heather Bergeson is a hockey mom, and like many, has difficulty in deciding how much hockey is too much hockey for her two children. It's especially hard when the kids love it so much and want to play all the time.
Bergeson is also a leading expert in the field of sports specialization and the effects it has both physically and mentally.
READ MORE>>
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The Bulldozer Parent Who Protects Their Kid From Life Lessons
In this video, Anne Walker, one of the top college golf coaches in the country, describes the evolution of sports parents being Helicopter Parents (who always have a close watch over their kids), to Velcro Parents, to Bulldozer Parents. To Walker, Bulldozer parents do all the work for their kid because they don't want them to get hurt. They push all problems out of their kids way so their kid doesn't experience hardship. VIDEO>>
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Parents Need To Stop Trophy-Chasing And Let Their Kids Learn
In this video, former NFL player AJ Johnson says that it's a problem that parents don't let their kids learn life lessons in their continual chase for the trophy for their kid. Parents are too often willing to have kids change teams for the sake of wins, rather than being loyal to a team in their community and going through struggle. VIDEO>>
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On-Ice Drill: 3v3 3-Pass to Coach
Purpose:
This is a competitive way to start practice using a drill that doesn't require a goaltender. The purpose is to win puck battles, pass the puck, control the puck and offensively support the puck. Defensively, the purpose is to defend your player and steal the puck, either during a 1v1 battle or by intercepting a pass. VIEW DRILL>>
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Off-Ice: Weekly Training
A season's worth of off-ice practice plans broken up into two sessions per week for 20 weeks. Video links of each exercise are included within the PDF.
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