• The four-hour workshops include a classroom presentation, a Q&A segment and an on-ice demonstration session where participants will be shown—and get a chance to try—various goalie-specific movements.
• Coaches should bring their helmet, stick and skates.
• Coaches can earn the Level 3 USA Hockey Coaching Card recertification sticker or a skills sticker for their coaching card by attending a workshop.
• Sponsored by USA Hockey, the workshops are open to registered USA Hockey coaches.
• The cost is $60 per coach; pre-registration is required and space is limited to 60 coaches per workshop.

Check the workshop schedule at www.usahockey.com.

Goalie Coaching Clinics

The Minnesota Hockey player and coach development team is offering a limited number goalie coaching clinics this fall for youth hockey associations.

• The clinics are designed to increase the level of competency of youth hockey coaches while helping develop higher skilled goalies.
• The clinics consist of a one-hour classroom presentation followed by a one-hour on-ice demonstration session.
• Host associations are responsible for providing the meeting space and for paying for the hour of ice time.
• All expenses related to the assigned skills instructors will be covered by the Minnesota Hockey coach-in-chief budget.

For more information, visit the goalie page at www.minnesotahockey.org or send an e-mail to scarroll@minnesotahockey.org.

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Mike Snee, USA Hockey’s Minnesota District Goalie Coach-in-Chief and Director of Minnesota Hockey’s Dave Peterson Advanced Goalie Camp, for this story. Thank you to UMD for the photo of Brady Hjelle, International Falls, Minn., making a save for the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs.

Kids are not pros! The developmental model of sport has a far different focus—to develop the individual. The most important product is the quality of the experience for young athletes. In this sense, sport participation is an educational process whereby youngsters can learn to cope with realities they will face in later life. Although winning is sought after, it is by no means the primary goal. Profit is not measured in terms of dollars and cents, but rather in terms of the skills and personal characteristics that are acquired.

What, then, is the problem? Most of the negative consequences of youth sports occur when adults make a big mistake: They impose a professional model on what should be a recreational and educational experience for children. When excessive emphasis is placed on winning, it is easy to lose sight of the needs and interests of the young athlete.

Key Principle: Professional sport is a commercial enterprise where success is measured in wins and dollars. In a developmental model, sport is an arena for learning, where success is measured in terms of personal growth and development.

Editor’s Note: This article is an excerpt from the booklet Sports and Your Child by Frank L. Smoll and Ronald E. Smith.

Should boys and girls compete against each other?

The situation changes drastically during adolescence. As boys gain more in height, weight, muscle mass and strength, it is not possible for girls to fairly and safely compete against them in most sports. After age 11, boys and girls should have their own competitive opportunities in those sports in which strength and body size are determinants of proficiency and injury risk.

Key Principle: After puberty, girls should have separate but equal opportunities for sport participation.

Editor’s Note: This article is an excerpt from the booklet Sports and Your Child by Frank L. Smoll and Ronald E. Smith.

The latest fad is the use of creatine supplements, which increase the normal level of a natural body substance (testosterone) that energizes muscles. Creatine supplements allow the muscles to work longer and harder, and they have been shown to result in an increase in endurance and recovery from fatigue, and the ability to train harder. However, the long-term effects of creatine supplements are unknown. Nonetheless, there is enough concern that several professional football teams have forbidden their athletes to use creatine. As a parent, you should be equally concerned.

It is important to counsel your youngster against the chemical “shortcuts” to strength and performance enhancement. These substances are out there and are used by even some preadolescent athletes. The glamour of athletic stardom is so great for many young people that they are vulnerable to the use of substances that may have negative effects on their future health and well-being. The strength of temptation was shown in one study in which high school athletes were asked if they would be willing to take a drug that would reduce their lifespan by 10 years but would also result in their ability to have a career in professional sports. The vast majority of the athletes said that they would take the drug. In today’s world, the watchword is BEWARE.

Editor’s Note: This article is an excerpt from the booklet Sports and Your Child by Frank L. Smoll and Ronald E. Smith.

The parent who was a star may be resentful and rejecting if the child does not attain a similar level of achievement. Some parents thus become “winners” or “losers” through their children, and the pressure placed on the children can be extreme. The child must succeed or the parent’s self-image is threatened. Much more is at stake than a mere game, and the child of such a parent carries a heavy burden. When parental love and approval depend on how well the child performs, sports are bound to be stressful.

What can parents do to help combat competitive anxiety? One of the great benefits of sports is that the consequences of failure are temporary and unlikely to have a long-term impact on the future of a child (as failing in school might). This places you in an ideal position to help your young athlete develop healthy attitudes about achievement and an ability to tolerate failure and setbacks when they occur. The starting point for such training is the philosophy of winning presented:

• Doing the very best one can at any moment should always be the focus and the goal.
• Winning will take care of itself; the only thing that can be directly controlled is effort. In addition, here are some specific attitudes that you can communicate to your child:
• Sports should be fun. Emphasize to your young athlete that sports and other activities in life are enjoyable for the playing, whether you win or lose. Athletes should be participating, first and foremost, to have fun. Try to raise your child to enjoy many activities in and of themselves so that winning is not a condition for enjoyment.
• Anything worth achieving is rarely easy. In particular, the mastery of sport skills is a long and difficult process. Becoming the best athlete one can be is not an achievement to be had merely for the asking. Practice, practice, and still more practice is needed to master any sport.
• Mistakes are a necessary part of learning anything well. Very simply, if we don’t make mistakes, we probably won’t learn. Emphasize to your child that mistakes, rather than being things to avoid at all costs, are stepping stones to achievement. They give us the information we need to adjust and improve. The only true mistake is a failure to learn from our experiences.
• Effort is what counts. Emphasize and praise effort as well as outcome. Communicate repeatedly to your young athlete that all you ask is that he or she gives total effort. Through your actions and your words, show your child that he or she is just as important to you when trying and losing as when winning. Above all, do not punish or withdraw love and approval when he or she doesn’t perform up to expectations. It is such punishment that builds fear of failure.
• Do not confuse worth with performance. Help youngsters to distinguish what they do from who they are. A valuable lesson for children to learn is that they should never identify their worth as people with any particular part of themselves, such as their competence in sports, their school performance, or their physical appearance. You can further this process by demonstrating your own ability to accept your child unconditionally as a person, even when you are communicating that you don’t approve of some behavior.
• Pressure is something you put on yourself. Help your young athlete to see competitive situations as exciting self-challenges rather than as threats. Emphasize that he or she can choose how to think about pressure situations. These attitudes will help to develop an outlook on pressure that transforms it into a challenge and an opportunity to test themselves and to achieve something worthwhile.
• Try to like and respect sport opponents. Some coaches and athletes think that proper motivation comes from anger or hatred for the opposition. We disagree. Athletics should promote sportsmanship and an appreciation for friendly competition. Sport opponents are not the “enemy.” They are fellow athletes who make it possible to compete. Hatred can only breed stress and fear. Tom Osborne, former University of Nebraska football coach, emphasized respect for the opponent because, in his experience, “Athletes who play in a generally relaxed environment where there’s good will toward their opponents are less fearful and play better.”

When children learn to enjoy sports for their own sake, when their goal becomes to do their best rather than be the best, and when they avoid the trap of defining their self-worth in terms of their performance or the approval of others, then their way of viewing themselves and their world is one that helps prevent stress. Such children are success oriented rather than failure-avoidant.

Editor’s Note: This article is an excerpt from the booklet Sports and Your Child by Frank L. Smoll and Ronald E. Smith.

Between the ages of 10 and 14, the human body undergoes tremendous physical changes. Players at these ages often struggle to regain coordination lost through growth spurts or to take advantage of new abilities arising from an increase in muscle, height and bone mass. During this time, it is vital that players seek a broad diversity of athletic experiences to fully develop their capabilities. As body changes slow past the age of 14, players can begin more specialization. Paul Hornung, Heisman Trophy winner and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, advises young athletes to delay specialization for the following reasons:

• Each sport develops different physical skills, coordination and conditioning—all of which will result in overall athletic growth.
• Each sport requires a different mental approach, yields a variety of experiences and breeds discipline that can be applied to other sports.
• A variety of coaches, in different sports, can provide a broader background of fundamentals, strategies and performance tips.
• Playing different sports can help youngsters avoid mental burnout, injuries and a sport becoming work, instead of fun.
• Playing different sports early on can give athletes an edge, because of their well-rounded experiences, when they are forced to specialize later on.
• Besides playing different organized sports, young athletes should have time to play plenty of pick-up games for fun and peer competition, with no adult supervision, because these promote creativity and freedom to improve, instead of the pressure to always successfully perform.

The sports learning process should be similar to the one that kids go through in school where class time is divided among many subjects. Parents should encourage their kids to seek this variety of sports education knowing that the more well-rounded they are with all skills, the better kids will play in any sport they choose.

Editor’s Note: This article is an excerpt from the booklet Sports and Your Child by Frank L. Smoll and Ronald E. Smith.

• Don’t try to hide an injury. Report the injury to the coach or trainer.

• Don’t apply treatment other than simple first aid until a specific diagnosis has been made by the trainer or a doctor.

• Don’t apply heat to an injury without orders from the doctor. A common but mistaken belief is that heat helps a new injury. By increasing swelling, it can actually make things worse rather than better.

• Don’t use an injured part if it hurts. More pain means more injury.

• Don’t take any drugs unless they are prescribed by a physician.

• Don’t tape or splint an injured part without specific instructions from a doctor.

• Don’t go back to practice or competition until you have full range of motion, full strength (both sides are equally strong), and full function of the injured part.

The quickest and safest way to get back into active participation is to limit activity as long as there is any pain or swelling, then to follow rigidly a prescribed rehabilitation program, which will include a schedule of special exercises.

Editor’s Note: For more information please refer to the Minnesota Hockey Sports and Your Child booklet.

Marital bliss doesn’t just happen automatically — it comes from actively working at it.

Once involved in a program, you should also keep in mind that you can easily be seduced into more and more involvement. Before you know it, your responsibilities can snowball. Many families find that practices are held during the dinner hour and that their kitchen becomes a cafeteria with several shifts. The fun and togetherness of family meals can become a thing of the past. For most families, this is only a seasonal happening. But for families whose youngsters are heavily involved in sports, this becomes the normal pattern of living. Spouses and children can begin to feel neglected.

Here are some tips for dealing effectively with the special challenges of being youth sport husbands and wives:

• Find ways to spend adequate time with all your children, particularly those who are not involved in sports.
• Likewise, it is important for spouses to devote time to their own relationship. Private moments spent away from the children can serve to maintain and invigorate their marriage. Recreational pursuits for you and your spouse, an occasional weekend away by yourselves, dinners out, and a cultivation of interests you share in common can help maintain the sparkle in your marriage.
• All couples must continue to find ways to improve communication.
• Get into the habit of talking regularly about your thoughts and, especially, your feelings. As long as the lines of communication are kept open and problems openly discussed, your relationship with your loved ones can not only endure, but deepen.

Editor’s Note: This article is an excerpt from the booklet Sports and Your Child by Frank L. Smoll and Ronald E. Smith.

• My parents started out by driving me to every practice, game, or tournament. This showed me their support for me.
• They also bought all of my gear for me all the way up until juniors, otherwise I couldn’t have played.
• They supported me and came to watch me whenever they possibly could.
• They always gave me constructive criticism about my play. I feel this always made me a better player.
• My parents told me that even though I’m not the biggest player out there, I should play like I am and don’t back down.
• One of my dreams was to play college hockey and I feel that their hard work and support is a big reason why I got to achieve that.
• They are the ones that got me involved in the game in the first place and taught me how to skate.
• Whenever I got injured when I was little, they told me to keep my head up and do my best to avoid those situations on the ice.
• My parents got me into camps and worked with me off the ice to be the best player I could be.
• They stressed the importance of shooting pucks and that I should try and shoot whenever I had the opportunity to.

Jack is currently second in division-I scoring and offers his thoughts on how his coaches facilitated his development and becoming a collegiate player:

• My youth hockey coaches stressed how important skating is in the game of hockey.
• Every coach I have played for has always stressed that hard work is one of the most crucial parts of hockey. I was always told to work hard, and that nothing comes easy.
• My high school coach taught me to be creative on the ice, and that creativity is always a sign of a good player.
• My junior coach taught me to make the game a lot simpler and not to overdo anything.
• All of my coaches have told me to use my skill and play-making ability to try to make others around me better.
• I feel a big part of my coaches getting me to the collegiate level is that on every team I have played on, I have been given a great opportunity to step in and try to contribute.
• I was taught at a young age that the team comes first and that I don’t just go out and play for myself.
• The coaches that I have played for have always told me one thing: To always have fun. Every time I step on the ice it is always fun for me.
• My coaches have always told me, “Hate to lose more than you love to win.” Losing should never feel good, and when it happens, look to the next game and see what you can do better.
• All of my coaches believed in me and had faith in me as a hockey player. I feel that this allowed me to gain confidence in my game at every level.

Jim Winges is a Certified Sport Psychology Consultant, HEP committee member and Instructor at the University of Minnesota. You can reach him at: jwinges@innovativesport.com.

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Jim Winges and Jack Connolly for providing this story.

I recently asked several high caliber collegiate players to offer their tips on how parent and coach support helped them reach their current level of play.  The result is this multi-part column of practical tips straight from the stars themselves.  Current University of Minnesota Gopher, U18 World Champion & 2008 Minnesota Ms. Hockey winner Sarah Erickson offered her guidelines for any successful hockey parent to facilitate their child’s performance.

“When I look back at the history of my career, I reflect on all of the fantastic opportunities that made me the player I am today.  These opportunities would not have been the least bit possible without the support of my parents.”  Sarah, who is currently a top five leader in division I scoring, offers her tips and guidelines for being a successful hockey parent.

• Sacrifice – being willing to put your player before yourself at times
• Encouragement – positive words go a long way
• Open to Opportunity – be aware of the endless resources available
• Investment – hockey is not a cheap sport; but invest now and it will pay off
• Humbling – others know if your player is good, you as a parent don’t need to tell them
• Pride – be your player’s biggest fan
• Critique – a lot of times players need advice, but know when enough is enough
• Understand – while it is competitive, hockey is just a game
• Support – support always; especially when things aren’t going their way, that’s when they need it the most
• Fun – The game should be just as fun for you as it is for your player

This season Sarah has consistently been among the top scorers in the nation and is currently ranked fifth in the WCHA.   “Many coaches have been part of getting me to where I am now.  My most influential coaches used these principles to help me become successful:”

• Best Interest in Mind – do what’s best for the players, not what is easiest for you
• Encourage Creativity – hockey is not supposed to be all about structure.  Creativity is a big key to success
• Provide Feedback – let the players know right from wrong
• Have a Competitive Edge – enjoy a good win, just as you would if you were a player
• Provide Leadership Opportunities – bring out the leader in everyone
• Challenge – challenge each player to be the best they can be
• Vary Practice – new drills bring out new challenges
• Play Up A Notch – provide the best level of competition.  Your team will benefit more from losing to a good team than beating a bad one
• Praise – confidence is built through words of encouragement
• Fun – coach for the thrill of the greatest game on earth, and have fun with it

Jim Winges is a Certified Sport Psychology Consultant, HEP committee member and Instructor at the University of Minnesota.  Correspondence can be sent to jwinges@innovativesport.com