• All children need vigorous physical activity as part of their daily lives, and sports provide all the benefits of exercise and the potential for acquiring a sense of accomplishment. If a child is having trouble in the classroom, sports may be an important avenue of success in his or her life, so it could be harmful to take it away. In fact, when youngsters feel a sense of success in athletics, this can enhance their self-esteem, which carries over to other areas—including academics.

• On the other hand, practices and games can rob time from schoolwork. When sports-related demands become excessive, it might be in the child’s best interest to disallow participation.

What should parents do if their child is having trouble keeping grades up?

• Start by looking for other causes of poor classroom performance. Too much TV watching might be one problem; conflicts with other duties, such as a job, might be another cause.
• Parents should ask their child what they can do to help him or her improve at school. Plus, input should be sought from coaches, teachers, and school counselors.
• In some cases, the family and school may decide that the child is not studying enough. In this situation it is reasonable to make sports involvement dependent upon achieving better grades.

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Frank L. Smoll, Ph.D., for this article. Dr. Smoll is a sport psychologist at the University of Washington and co-director of Youth Enrichment in Sports. To see previews of his Mastery Approach to Parenting in Sports and Mastery Approach to Coaching DVDs, visit www.y-e-sports.com.

Q. At a recent select tournament for Squirts, I heard U.S. parents, players and even coaches complaining that Canadians learn body checking at age 7, and that’s why they’re “so far ahead” of the United States in hockey. Could that be true?

A. First of all, Canada’s hockey governing body, Hockey Canada, lets provinces determine what age to start body checking and as such it varies throughout Canada. In Quebec, players start at Bantam (13–14) while in Alberta they start at Atom (9–10).

Interestingly enough, Hockey Canada has taken an intensive look at USA Hockey’s recent age change and is considering similar guidance. As important, what separates hockey players at any age is their skating, shooting and puck-handling skills—so isolating a skill like body checking and trying to point to that as a reason players may be ahead makes no sense. That said, it is doubtful players anywhere are focusing on body checking at age 7 in lieu of all-important skating, shooting and puck handling.

In fact, Hockey Canada recently came out with a long-term athlete development document that very much mirrors the ADM, focusing on age-appropriate training that is very much individual skill focused at the younger ages. Most likely, at any age level, the reason a group of players are ahead of another group is because they skate better, handle the puck better—and consequently make more plays that result in the puck ending up in the back of the net more often—not because they are better at body checking. Period.

Editor’s Note: Thank you to USA Hockey ADM Regional Manager Joe Doyle for assistance with this story.

Q.

A. Americans need to quash their “mindset of worrying about the scoreboard,” says Joe Doyle, USA Hockey ADM Regional Manager. This is precisely why the U8 program holds jamborees and does not post the score in games (even if every coach, player and parent knows the score). The point is, according to Doyle, “Do you want your kid to win tournaments at age 8? Or do you want him to be a better player at 12, 14, 16, 18?” The ADM is about long-term athlete development, which emphasizes building skills in the early years—skills that will pay off when emotional and physical maturity hit in the later years.

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Joe Doyle for his assistance with this story from Kelly Anton, Managing Editor.

Q. At a recent select tournament for Squirts, I heard U.S. parents, players and even coaches complaining that Canadians learn body checking at age 7, and that’s why they’re “so far ahead” of the United States in hockey. Could that be true?

A. First of all, Canada’s hockey governing body, Hockey Canada, lets each of Canada’s six provinces determine what age to start body checking and as such it varies throughout Canada. In Quebec, players start at Bantam (13–14) while in Alberta they start at Atom (9–10).

Interestingly enough, Hockey Canada has taken an intensive look at USA Hockey’s recent age change and is considering similar guidance. As important, what separates hockey players at any age is their skating, shooting and puck-handling skills—so isolating a skill like body checking and trying to point to that as a reason players may be ahead makes no sense. That said, it is doubtful players anywhere are focusing on body checking at age 7 in lieu of all-important skating, shooting and puck handling.

In fact, Hockey Canada recently came out with a long-term athlete development document that very much mirrors the ADM, focusing on age-appropriate training that is very much individual skill focused at the younger ages. Most likely, at any age level, the reason a group of players are ahead of another group is because they skate better, handle the puck better—and consequently make more plays that result in the puck ending up in the back of the net more often—not because they are better at body checking. Period.

Editor’s Note: Thank you to USA Hockey ADM Regional Manager Joe Doyle for assistance with this story.

Last month, a Minnesota Hockey coach attended a speech given by USA Hockey Associate Coach in Chief Terry Evavold. That coach had a revelation about yelling that day—a revelation that might help other coaches from the old school:

“Terry, you really did a great job today and pointed out some painful things to me. When I got home I apologized to my son for being such a jerk about hockey. It was good to be reminded that it was his game not mine. He said, ‘That’s OK dad, I just wish you wouldn’t get so mad about how I play. You can tell me stuff, but don’t get so mad.’ That cut to the bone, I am now going to read all the USA Hockey materials available to enhance his positive experience and I will not interfere with his enjoyment of the game.”

“I came from yellers and jerk coaches, so I thought that’s how you do it. Before the season started, the head coach I am working with said, ‘We don’t yell.’ This was a new concept for me—so I adapted the positive model for everyone but my kid! Thanks for the story about your wife videotaping. This helped me reflect on my conduct with my son on the bench and in the miserable car ride home. I enjoyed every segment today and thought you and the other speakers did an outstanding job. I am sincere when I say starting today, I will do everything in my power so my son can now begin to have a great time in hockey.”

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Keith for sharing his experiences with us.

1. Set a good example of an active person.

What kids see has greater impact on them than what they hear. In other words, kids are tuned into observational learning. They will do many things their parents do, and physical activity is no exception. Active parents produce active children. If children see their mom and dad participating in and enjoying sports, then it’s going to be more natural for them to want to pursue those activities. On the other hand, if parents are couch potatoes….

2. Let kids participate in determining when they are ready for sports.

Children who are forced into sports before they are ready usually have bad experiences. When kids say they are interested, parents should start looking seriously at it. By involving children in the decision-making process, they feel a sense of ownership in the outcome. This creates a greater sense of commitment: “I’m doing it because I want to do it, not because I’m made to do it.”

3. Give priority to your child’s own interests.

Most kids develop a sense of their personal interests at an early age. And although parents might prefer that their child be active in sports, maybe the child would rather play the violin. Because of this, parents should let their children have a say in determining what tune they march to. Remember that youth sports are about what participation can do for kids, and not what parents get out of it.

4. Don’t use sports as a baby-sitter.

Some parents erroneously believe their involvement merely consists of getting their child signed up and driving them to and from games. But that’s just part of it. Parents not only have a right but a responsibility to oversee their child’s sport participation.

5. Emphasize the process of enjoyment rather than the product of winning.

Research on young athletes’ motives for playing sports has consistently shown that their primary objective is to have fun. Studies also indicate that the main reason why youngsters drop out of sports is, “It isn’t fun any more.” Simply stated, children want to play sports to have fun—and when the fun disappears, so do they.

6. Emphasize striving to improve skills rather than comparing oneself with others.

Physical development occurs at different rates in youngsters, and this should be made clear to them. It is particularly important that children whose skill is lagging not view this as a permanent condition. Parents who praise self-improvement efforts can help their kids derive pleasure from their progress over time. This creates many worthwhile experiences in sports—even for athletes who never will be stars.

7. Give kids an opportunity for early success.

Properly structured learning situations are designed to ensure some degree of initial success. And when children perform sport skills correctly, they should be given ample amounts of verbal praise and/or nonverbal forms of reinforcement—a smile, a pat on the back, a high-five. In other words, catch the athlete doing something right. In addition, liberally reinforce effort and achievement. Remember, whether kids show it or not, the positive things you say and do stick with them.

8. Establish and maintain open lines of communication.

Tell your children what you expect—things like giving maximum effort, listening to the coach, having fun—and ask what they are thinking. Make it very clear you want to know how they feel about what’s happening in practices and games. This type of two-way communication is essential.

9. Evaluate your child’s coach.

Parents should talk to the coach, regularly go to games and occasionally attend practices. Additionally, they should ask themselves the following questions:

• Are the young athletes treated with respect?
• Are they being taught?
• Are they given a chance to perform?
• Are they made to feel what they’re doing is a fun activity?

If not, it may be necessary to find another team for your child. Unfortunately, some coaches don’t understand what youth sports should be about, and the negative experience they provide can turn a kid off to sports forever.

10. Think safety first.

What can be done to prevent sport injuries? The American College of Sports Medicine offers the following guidelines:

• Have a preseason medical checkup, which can detect medical problems early and prevent new ones.
• Always warm up before playing and cool down afterward.
• Be in the proper physical condition before playing a sport.
• Have all the necessary protective equipment, and make sure it fits correctly.
• Inspect playing surfaces and facilities prior to the game or practice to make sure they are safe.
• Wear the appropriate clothing for the activity.
• Teach children the rules and the importance of following them.

11. Be alert for signs of pain or injury.

Kids might not say they are hurt because they believe it will disappoint parents and/or coaches. Because of this, adults must look for the symptoms of injuries common to the sport. Early detection is important. At the first sign of pain, get the young athlete out of the game or practice and get pain checked out. Additionally, an injured athlete should not return to play until the symptoms of injury have completely disappeared. Continued participation may make the injury worse and may place the athlete at a high risk for another injury.

12. Don’t live your dreams through your children.

All parents identify with their children to some extent and thus want them to do well. This is natural and healthy. But sometimes parents over-identify, and the child becomes an extension of themselves. Parents who are “winners” or “losers” through their children are experiencing the frustrated-jock syndrome, which places extreme pressure on the children. The young athlete must succeed, or the parent’s self-image is threatened. To avoid this, don’t define your own self-worth in terms of how good your children are.

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Frank L. Smoll, Ph.D., for this article. Dr. Smoll is a sport psychologist at the University of Washington and co-director of Youth Enrichment in Sports. To see previews of his Mastery Approach to Parenting in Sports and Mastery Approach to Coaching DVDs, visit www.y-e-sports.com.

Q.

A. Americans need to quash their “mindset of worrying about the scoreboard,” says Joe Doyle, USA Hockey ADM Regional Manager. This is precisely why the U8 program holds jamborees and does not post the score in games (even if every coach, player and parent knows the score). The point is, according to Doyle, “Do you want your kid to win tournaments at age 8? Or do you want him to be a better player at 12, 14, 16, 18?” The ADM is about long-term athlete development, which emphasizes building skills in the early years—skills that will pay off when emotional and physical maturity hit in the later years.

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Joe Doyle for his assistance with this story from Kelly Anton, Managing Editor.

To back up this opinion, USA Hockey commissioned a comprehensive study to calculate how much time the best players in the world had the puck on their sticks at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. While most people were glued to the Olympic hockey for pure viewing pleasure, members of USA Hockey’s Coaching Education Program were keeping a closer eye on the action. Perched high above center ice at the E Center in Salt Lake and the Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, coaches paired up to observe and record the action of players competing in 31 men’s and 24 women’s games.

Prior to each game, three players who were expected to be key performers for their teams were selected for the study. The coaches calculated the length of each player’s shift, how long the player had the puck on his or her stick, how many passes were received and made and how many shots on goal he or she attempted. They also counted the number of un-timed touches—those when the puck hit their stick if only for a brief moment.

Top Players Touch the Puck for 1+ Minute in Games

Canada’s Joe Sakic, who dominated play in the gold-medal game, touched the puck for only 1 minute, 19 seconds. In that time, he did tally two goals and two assists along with four shots in Canada’s 5-2 victory.

The purpose of the study was to determine the best way to develop puck possession skills with youth players. It also provided information when it comes to puck possession in checking and non-checking situations. On the women’s side, Cammi Granato slightly outdid her Canadian counterpart Hayley Wickenheiser, touching the puck for a little more than one minute (1:02.2 to 1:00.9) during their gold-medal outing. But when even the best player only touches the puck for one minute, what are other players doing?

When you factor in that we chose the players who handle the puck more than others on the ice, you could argue that the numbers we came up with were inflated compared to the average Olympic level player, said Mark Tabrum, director of USA Hockey’s Coaching Education Program. To follow up the Olympic study, USA Hockey volunteers brought their clipboards and stopwatches to the Youth Hockey Tier I National Championships in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Puck Skills Developed in Practice

While the skill levels varied, the results were pretty much the same. Even the best players, the statistics showed, don’t handle the puck as much as you might think. These studies validate what a lot of people have been advocating for a long time, said Kevin McLaughlin, USA Hockey’s Senior Director of Hockey Development.

The numbers showed that stick and puck skills can’t be developed in a game. It proves you can accomplish a lot more in practice with the puck than in a game. It also showed that you get so few opportunities with the puck in the game that you have to be proficient when it does hit your stick. USA Hockey hopes the results of the Observation Project will serve as a reference for coaches, parents and players as they set up their future practice and game schedules. I think we can safely say that games are not the environment to develop puck skills in our youth players, McLaughlin said.

Obviously, in practice, players will get a lot more ice time, will carry a puck a lot longer than one minute, can give and receive a lot more passes and will take a lot more shots.

Not everyone may agree with the statistical conclusions provided by the study. As Mark Twain once wrote, there are three kinds of fallacies: lies, damned lies and statistics. There will always be those who believe that letting a PeeWee play the equivalent of an 82-game NHL schedule is the best way to develop a hockey player.

The dilemma that virtually every coach of developmental-age hockey players is faced with is: How much ice time does he devote to practice and how much to games? Observation Project Chairman Rob Bruendl addressed this in his final report: Ice time is getting more expensive every year. Parents enjoy watching their children play and urge the coach to schedule more games. So coaches and parents try to convince themselves that their players are learning skills during the games.

Repetition Turns Skill into Instinct

USA Hockey’s National Coach-in-Chief Bob O’Connor disagrees with the idea of using games as a learning tool, and he says the numbers prove it. Having demographics of the Olympics with the best players in the world and then following it up by studying our National Championships just goes to show that you only have limited time to handle the puck and when you have it you better learn to handle it right, said O’Connor.

We’ve been saying this over and over. The more quality repetitions you get with any given skill, the easier it will be to turn that skill into instinct. If you only have the puck two minutes, you’re not going to get that practice of receiving it and controlling it.

George Kingston, a member of the physical education department at the University of Calgary, conducted a similar study back in the 1970s. Kingston looked at skill development in Sweden, Finland, the former Czechoslovakia and the former Soviet Union and compared their techniques to how players were developed in Canada. According to Kingston, Europeans typically had two to five practices for each game they played, compared to North American players, who played two or three games for each practice. Kingston said that in order to get one hour of quality work in practicing the basic skills of puck control, it would take approximately 180 games.

Our emphasis on a great number of games, in part, reflects the problem faced by minor hockey associations—namely, that they only get a restricted amount of ice that is primarily given to scheduling of games, wrote Kingston, who went on to become an assistant coach with the Florida Panthers. O’Connor has been leading the charge to reverse that trend in this country for an equally long time. We’ve been telling coaches and parents for a long time that the repetition of skills is the foundation of hockey, O’Connor said.

Ice time could be the best coach there is. The more often your son or daughter handles the puck, the more skill and confidence they will have. So what effect will these numbers have on the hockey community in the United States? Armed with this statistical ammunition, USA Hockey will continue advocating a 3-to-1 practice to game ratio in future coaching clinics in hopes of persuading coaches to use their ice time more wisely when it comes to skill development.

We’ll use these figures to preach the importance of skill development and practice-to-game ratios, Tabrum said. I think it’ll grab the attention of some people who have never stopped to think about it. Games are a measuring stick where you evaluate skill development, but its not where you teach it.

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Harry Thompson, Editor-in-Chief of USA Hockey Magazine, for this story.

1. Set a good example of an active person.

What kids see has greater impact on them than what they hear. In other words, kids are tuned into observational learning. They will do many things their parents do, and physical activity is no exception. Active parents produce active children. If children see their mom and dad participating in and enjoying sports, then it’s going to be more natural for them to want to pursue those activities. On the other hand, if parents are couch potatoes….

2. Let kids participate in determining when they are ready for sports.

Children who are forced into sports before they are ready usually have bad experiences. When kids say they are interested, parents should start looking seriously at it. By involving children in the decision-making process, they feel a sense of ownership in the outcome. This creates a greater sense of commitment: “I’m doing it because I want to do it, not because I’m made to do it.”

3. Give priority to your child’s own interests.

Most kids develop a sense of their personal interests at an early age. And although parents might prefer that their child be active in sports, maybe the child would rather play the violin. Because of this, parents should let their children have a say in determining what tune they march to. Remember that youth sports are about what participation can do for kids, and not what parents get out of it.

4. Don’t use sports as a baby-sitter.

Some parents erroneously believe their involvement merely consists of getting their child signed up and driving them to and from games. But that’s just part of it. Parents not only have a right but a responsibility to oversee their child’s sport participation.

5. Emphasize the process of enjoyment rather than the product of winning.

Research on young athletes’ motives for playing sports has consistently shown that their primary objective is to have fun. Studies also indicate that the main reason why youngsters drop out of sports is, “It isn’t fun any more.” Simply stated, children want to play sports to have fun—and when the fun disappears, so do they.

6. Emphasize striving to improve skills rather than comparing oneself with others.

Physical development occurs at different rates in youngsters, and this should be made clear to them. It is particularly important that children whose skill is lagging not view this as a permanent condition. Parents who praise self-improvement efforts can help their kids derive pleasure from their progress over time. This creates many worthwhile experiences in sports—even for athletes who never will be stars.

7. Give kids an opportunity for early success.

Properly structured learning situations are designed to ensure some degree of initial success. And when children perform sport skills correctly, they should be given ample amounts of verbal praise and/or nonverbal forms of reinforcement—a smile, a pat on the back, a high-five. In other words, catch the athlete doing something right. In addition, liberally reinforce effort and achievement. Remember, whether kids show it or not, the positive things you say and do stick with them.

8. Establish and maintain open lines of communication.

Tell your children what you expect—things like giving maximum effort, listening to the coach, having fun—and ask what they are thinking. Make it very clear you want to know how they feel about what’s happening in practices and games. This type of two-way communication is essential.

9. Evaluate your child’s coach.

Parents should talk to the coach, regularly go to games and occasionally attend practices. Additionally, they should ask themselves the following questions:

• Are the young athletes treated with respect?
• Are they being taught?
• Are they given a chance to perform?
• Are they made to feel what they’re doing is a fun activity?

If not, it may be necessary to find another team for your child. Unfortunately, some coaches don’t understand what youth sports should be about, and the negative experience they provide can turn a kid off to sports forever.

10. Think safety first.

What can be done to prevent sport injuries? The American College of Sports Medicine offers the following guidelines:

• Have a preseason medical checkup, which can detect medical problems early and prevent new ones.
• Always warm up before playing and cool down afterward.
• Be in the proper physical condition before playing a sport.
• Have all the necessary protective equipment, and make sure it fits correctly.
• Inspect playing surfaces and facilities prior to the game or practice to make sure they are safe.
• Wear the appropriate clothing for the activity.
• Teach children the rules and the importance of following them.

11. Be alert for signs of pain or injury.

Kids might not say they are hurt because they believe it will disappoint parents and/or coaches. Because of this, adults must look for the symptoms of injuries common to the sport. Early detection is important. At the first sign of pain, get the young athlete out of the game or practice and get pain checked out. Additionally, an injured athlete should not return to play until the symptoms of injury have completely disappeared. Continued participation may make the injury worse and may place the athlete at a high risk for another injury.

12. Don’t live your dreams through your children.

All parents identify with their children to some extent and thus want them to do well. This is natural and healthy. But sometimes parents over-identify, and the child becomes an extension of themselves. Parents who are “winners” or “losers” through their children are experiencing the frustrated-jock syndrome, which places extreme pressure on the children. The young athlete must succeed, or the parent’s self-image is threatened. To avoid this, don’t define your own self-worth in terms of how good your children are.

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Frank L. Smoll, Ph.D., for this article. Dr. Smoll is a sport psychologist at the University of Washington and co-director of Youth Enrichment in Sports. To see previews of his Mastery Approach to Parenting in Sports and Mastery Approach to Coaching DVDs, visit www.y-e-sports.com.

Like ignorance, for example.

I was sent a link to an article that was published last week, in which it was inferred that putting the emphasis on development in youth soccer, as opposed to winning, is a bad thing.

The question was raised, “Isn’t the whole idea in becoming better that you win more than you lose?”

Long-term player development will grow the game

My answer to this is yes, the purpose of becoming better is to win more than you lose. But in youth soccer in Canada, skill development does not happen as a natural extension of the current win-at-all-costs system that is in place.

The question arose because of a decision not to award medals to the winners of the Eastern Ontario District Soccer Association (EODSA) leagues. The justification for this decision was due in part to financial limitations, but also because, as the article quoted, “the presentation of medals is considered to emphasize winning versus player development, which is the new focus of OSA programs.”

The author then made the assumption that winning is no longer considered to be a part of player development, and that winning is a now considered a “bad thing.” The author then questioned the legitimacy of this policy—which is where I took exception. The policy in question is the CSA’s long-term player development plan, or LTPD. It is based on Sport Canada’s long-term athlete development plan, or LTAD.

It wasn’t something created on a whim, nor was it scribbled on the back of a napkin. It is backed by volumes of research on the growth and development of children, the stages of development that they all go through, and the optimal environments in which they flourish. Virtually every sport in the country has a long-term development plan based on LTAD.

Single-minded strategy a ‘mirage’

For years, the competitive structure of youth soccer in Ontario has been based on the “Pyramid for Play,” where teams are rewarded for winning by being promoted to a higher level of competition. The highest level of the pyramid is Level One, represented by the Ontario Youth Soccer League, which comes into play when children are 14 years of age.

The problem with this system of promotion and relegation is that, by its very nature, it forces coaches to “play to win” with children as young as 9 years old. There is no need for them to try to develop players who are technically skilled, because there is a shortcut available to them.

The easiest way to win in youth soccer is to choose the biggest, strongest, fastest kids, and rely on their physical superiority to outmuscle their opponents. In doing this, very little emphasis is placed on teaching kids the fundamental skills of the game—because there is no need to. Generally, the big, strong, fast kid who can “boot it” the hardest can be successful in youth soccer up until about the age of 14.

Unfortunately, this success is all a mirage.

Eventually, the physical advantage of these players levels off, and when it does, the kid who was a star player when he or she was younger—simply because of the physical advantage—is no longer able to compete at a high level.

Why does it even matter, you ask? What difference does it make if that kid can no longer compete? Why don’t we just play to win at all ages, survival of the fittest, so to speak? Because not only are we driving away players who have the potential to be top players simply because they are physically immature for their age, we are also doing a disservice to those kids who are athletically gifted at a young age by not teaching them the skills they need to be successful in the game over the longer term.

We have all seen a kid playing a game and dominating the opposition because they are athletically superior. It didn’t matter that they couldn’t trap a bag of cement, or that their first touch was about as soft as a brick wall—they could run like the wind and kick the ball harder than any of their peers.

Physically dominant kids need skills, too

Now imagine what those kids could do in the game if there were put in an environment where they were taught to control the ball, to have a velvety first touch, to spray passes all over the park. Imagine if they were free to develop those abilities in an environment where they were allowed to make mistakes, without the fear of losing a game and missing out on promotion.

How much better do you think that athletically gifted kid would become?

LTPD puts the emphasis on development because these are children we are dealing with. They all need to be given time to learn the game—not just the ones who finish first because they are physically mature for their age. Ultimately, we play soccer to win the game. That is the goal of all sporting contests. The issue here isn’t about whether or not to give out medals to kids—most would agree that there are life lessons to be learned through winning and losing, and I’m one of them.

The issue is the assumption that because kids are winning, they are developing effectively. I would argue that our lack of depth at the international level suggests otherwise. Our system is broken and needs to be fixed—and no amount of medals is going to do that.

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Mike Mullally, President of the Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois, for this story.