Q&A: Do Canadians Really Check at Age 7?
We’re not just doling out advice to hockey parents here—we’re living the life. We’re at the practices, camps, games and tournaments, listening to the latest gossip and opinions about hockey development. Then, we go ask the experts for the real truth. For help with ADM issues, we turn to USA Hockey ADM Regional Manager Joe Doyle, who we have actually made laugh out loud with the rumors we hear. See what he has to say about the idea that Canadians are checking at age 7.
ADM Q&A: Winning vs. Development
Q. In our last jamboree, my 8-year-old’s team played a team that is not using the ADM. That team beat every team by at least a 10-point margin, leading all the parents to bemoan the ADM as “setting us back.” How can you argue with results like that?
ADM Q&A: Do Canadians Really Check at Age 7?
We’re not just doling out advice to hockey parents here—we’re living the life. We’re at the practices, camps, games and tournaments, listening to the latest gossip and opinions about hockey development. Then, we go ask the experts for the real truth. For help with ADM issues, we turn to USA Hockey ADM Regional Manager Joe Doyle, who we have actually made laugh out loud with the rumors we hear. See what he has to say about the idea that Canadians are checking at age 7.
Winning vs. Long-term Development
Q. In our last jamboree, my 8-year-old’s team played a team that is not using the ADM. That team beat every team by at least a 10-point margin, leading all the parents to bemoan the ADM as “setting us back.” How can you argue with results like that?
The Numbers’ Game
Possession, as they say, is nine-tenths of the law. In hockey, it may be worth even more. That’s what a comprehensive USA Hockey study suggests, adding statistical muscle to back the belief that puck skills are learned in practice, not games. From the smallest PeeWee to the most-talented Olympic player, the ability to effectively handle the puck is in short supply these days. Many coaches within USA Hockey attribute these diminished skills to a mindset that advocates more games and less practice.
Does Winning Develop Players?
The world of soccer is continuously changing; news now regularly breaks on Twitter, and rarely does a day pass where a link to an interesting article fails to land in your inbox. This easy access to information has been a good thing. It has brought clubs closer together, allowing them to reach out and connect with other clubs across the country, enabling them to benefit from sharing knowledge. It has also given people a forum in which to exchange ideas, discuss problems, and develop solutions to the myriad of issues that are holding back the game in our country.
10 Tips to Improve Your Stickhandling
Find out how to make the time you spend noodling around with a stick and puck more productive. This excerpt from the new e-book The Complete Guide to Stickhandling by Jeremy Rupke of HowToHockey.com showcases the book’s detailed stickhandling tips designed to help you score more goals! You also get a video of 20 drills and a worksheet to track your practice.
Tip: Assists = Points, Too!
For all those puck hogs out there—you know who you are—it’s time for a reminder: assists count, too. In USA Hockey, you get a point for an assist and a point for a goal. Think about that the next time you give up a head-man pass. But don’t think too long or you’ll lose the puck!
Keep Up the Training!
Strength and conditioning is critical to the success of hockey players at all levels. Athletes will spend time in the off-season increasing speed, power, strength, endurance and agility as well as rehabbing injuries. Considerable amounts of time and resources are spent in these endeavors.
Equipment QA: Goalie Throat Protection
Question: Do goalies really need throat protection? My daughter says it limits her visibility too much. Answer: Currently, throat protection is recommended but not required for youth players. Rule 303: Goalkeeper’s Equipment (3) in the 2009–11 Official Rules of Ice Hockey booklet says: “It is compulsory for all goalkeepers to wear helmets and full facemasks. Hanging throat/neck laceration protectors are recommended.” Poke around online for real-world advice from goalies, however, and you’ll rapidly discover a consensus: If you’re going to get hit in the neck with a puck or stick, you’d rather be wearing throat protection than not. Furthermore, the neck is one of the goalie’s most vulnerable body parts, exposed to flying pucks, slashing sticks and sharp skates. To be safe, wear both a throat collar/bib to protect against skate cuts and a dangler to protect against impact from pucks and sticks. Note that your daughter’s hockey association may very well require neck and/or throat protection. If visibility is an issue, many online reviewers recommend a clear shield.
