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
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.)
How to Prevent Bacterial Meningitis & Tetanus
Hockey players 11 and older — particularly adults — should consider the MCV4 vaccination to prevent bacterial meningitis. This deadly disease affected adult players in Fort Collins, Colorado, this year, possibly from sharing water bottles or shaking hands after removing their mouthguards. According to KidsHealth.org “Children who have not had the vaccine and are over 11 years old should also be immunized, particularly if they’re going to college, boarding school, camp, or other settings where they are going to be living in close quarters with others.”
Making Plays vs. Playing It Safe
Safe hockey—a method of playing the game focused on giving youth teams better chances at winning—sounds like a good thing, right? Unfortunately, what safe hockey amounts to is simply playing it safe. In this “game of territory,” coaches discourage players from making hockey plays for fear of losing the puck and potentially getting scored against. Instead, players are encouraged to dump the puck in the offensive zone as opposed to trying to make a play on the initial rush. As a professional coach and player, I believe it is the biggest inhibitor of development that exists in youth hockey.
How to Prevent Heat Illness and Dehydration
You hear it all the time: Drink more water! Stay hydrated! But how do you know when kids are becoming dehydrated? Just how much water do they need? And is water the best thing? Hydration is key to performance in the hot summer sun both in off-season sports as well as hockey. Read on for details. Read more
