Locker Room Supervision Policy
The new USA Hockey rule requiring locker room supervision is unfortunately timely. The high school football team hazing incident, however, is only the most recent of such events in Minnesota. And hazing is not the only locker room concern. Innocent rough-housing and verbal abuse can be just as damaging to the players. Indeed, some innocent shoving in a New England youth hockey locker room resulted in the player losing his thumb when he grabbed the door to catch his balance. The heavy steel door closed on his thumb.
Don’t Play Head Games: Take Concussions Seriously
While checking out your helmet for this upcoming year, take a look at what Ian Laperrière has to say about head injuries: Montreal native and former Avalanche right winger Ian Laperrière, known as “Lappy” to fans, has endured his share of injuries over his 16-year NHL career, beginning in 1994 with the St. Louis Blues, moving briefly to the New York Rangers, and then with the Los Angeles Kings for eight years. In 2004, he signed with the Avalanche, where he quickly became a fan favorite and valued teammate. In 2009, Lappy went east, to the Philadelphia Flyers, and in a November game against the Buffalo Sabers, he was hit in the face with the puck while attempting to block a slap shot. The blow knocked out seven teeth and required 70 stitches. He later returned to the game. The Hockey News honored him as the “toughest player in the NHL.”
10 Ways to Prevent Volunteer Burnout
When my son was in grade school, I switched all my volunteer activities to Scouts rather than PTO—because the Scout dads were just glad I showed up while the PTO moms preferred to micromanage and criticize. And nothing can make you more bitter and burned out than being criticized for volunteer work.
7 Tips for Volunteers
When you know a lot about hockey, it’s easy to commit to doing too much for a team. When you know nothing about hockey, it’s easy to shy away. But you’ll have more fun, get to know more people and understand what’s going on if you volunteer for at least one activity, whether it’s managing a team or planning a pizza party. As with everything else, it’s important to do what you say you’ll do—and do your best at that. To be a good volunteer: Read more
Mouthguard Primer: 25 Tips!
Rumor has it that mouthguards aren’t required in Canada—but neckguards are—because you can replace your teeth but you can’t replace your head. While I can find no confirmation of this, last season my son was coached by a recently retired NHL player from Canada who did, in fact, require a neckguard.
Armor Under Pads: The Base Layer
You know you’re facing a problem when two kids show up for practice late on the same day for the same reason: eczema infected by Velcro on their shin pads. And both moms spent more for the copay at the doctor’s office and prescriptions than the cost of spandex leggings or long skating socks to wear under the pads. In this case, it was a no-brainer—the boys needed to wear a base layer under their pads. But do all players need this? Take a look at opinions from experts.
Glossary: Hat Trick
A baseball cap is not something you associate with hockey often—except when you see them flying through the air and landing on the ice. And why would anyone do this? Because a player earned a “hat trick” by scoring three goals in one game. Equivalent to a grand slam in baseball, a hat trick is extraordinarily rare and difficult. Variations on the hat trick include the natural hat trick, consisting of three goals in a row, and the Gordie Howe hat trick, which involves a goal, assist and fight in the same game.
Tryout Fuel: Sound Nutrition Strategies for On the Go
Among the many challenges of hockey tryouts is the fact that they are not necessarily conveniently timed to your life. You may be rushing from school or scheduled hours after dinner—maybe even first thing in the morning. The key to fueling up to wow the coaches on the ice is planning. At least a day before your hectic week begins with back to school and back to tryouts, plan how your child will get everything he needs for the entire day—from school supplies to hockey equipment and a day’s worth of food.
Breaking (Up) the Ice
Playing hockey on a cross-ice or half-size “rink” seems to make sense for the 8 and under crowd. All other youth sports—football, basketball, baseball, soccer—reduce the size of the playing area. But since this spring, when USA Hockey announced it as the official new norm for all 8 and under players, you can’t go to a rink without overhearing plenty of chatter, questions and complaints on this topic. We asked a USA Hockey representative for help with parents’ biggest concerns.
Glossary: The Plus/Minus
In school, did you want to see a B+ or B– on your report card? You probably wanted a B+ and so did your parents—because everyone knows getting a “plus” is better than getting a “minus.” The same goes for hockey. Much like academic grades, the plus/minus system in hockey is a basic way to rate each individual player’s performance. When an even-strength or shorthanded goal is scored, every player on the ice for the scoring team is rewarded a “plus.” Every player on the ice for the team scored against is given a “minus.” A player’s overall total is calculated by subtracting the minuses from the pluses. (Note that power play goals — during which one team is shorthanded — do not count toward either team’s plus/minus.)
