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.”

Lappy knows injuries — including concussions — come with the territory. “It’s the nature of the sport, and a choice we make,” he says. “We take pride in playing injured and playing through pain. But you also have to think about consequences. A shoulder or knee, you can always get fixed … but your brain, you don’t want to mess with it.” Even the league’s leading tough guy, it seems, knows that head injuries are nothing to play around with.

Laperrière came face to face with that reality during the most recent Stanley Cup playoffs. In a game against the New Jersey Devils, he again took a puck to the face. This time, it caught him in the forehead, between his right eye and the lip of his helmet. The result was a concussion and a brain contusion. That one was different than others in my career,” he says. “When they tell you you’re bleeding in your brain, it puts everything into perspective. I’m a father of two, a happily married man.”

Lappy eventually returned to the playoffs, though he now always wears a protective face shield. As the oldest player on the Flyers’ roster (he’s 36), his days in the NHL will come to a close sometime in the foreseeable future, and he looks forward to a happy — and healthy retirement back in Colorado. “We really enjoyed our time out there and were sad to leave,” he says. “I really liked Denver and the fans. It was awesome.” The mountains and Colorado’s active lifestyle don’t hurt either, he says.

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Peter Bronski and Denver Magazine for sharing this story. Click here to read the entire story about concussions in youth sports and what can be done about it.

Youth hockey parents have plenty of volunteer opportunities—from coaching to managing to running the clock—and they have plenty of opportunities for criticism. (Play my kid! My kid had that assist! Pizza again?!) But it’s not just criticism that leads to burnout. Volunteering can also eat into your family time, work time and workout time—and possibly exhaust your creative energy and patience. When recruiting and managing volunteers, keep the following in mind to prevent burnout:

1. Ask in person: You might get volunteers via email or at a team meeting, but if you still have positions to fill, ask someone in person. They’re more likely to feel needed and less likely to say no.
2. Learn volunteers’ names: If you’re the coach or team manager, everyone will know your name. My friends still talk about a coach who thanked the wrong mother for hosting an end-of-season party—as he left her house.
3. Thank loudly and often: Express your appreciation for volunteers, privately and in front of the team. After a team event, send an email to the team thanking the organizers. Don’t forget to thank volunteers for mundane administrative tasks that others don’t see as well.
4. Watch for burnout: Be on the lookout for signs that a volunteer has had enough—looking tired, snapping at people, being unprepared—particularly with jobs that have potential for confrontation such as treasurer. Offer to recruit helpers.
5. Be thoughtful: Getting yourself a coffee? See if the tournament desk volunteer needs one.
6. Provide time estimates: For more significant jobs, such as team manager or treasurer, find out how long they really take so people know what they’re getting into.
7. Break down jobs: If possible, break down jobs into smaller, more manageable jobs. One coach used to assign parents to bring both pucks and water bottles to practice—a tough job for moms with strollers. Which leads to…
8. Don’t volunteer other people: Why would mothers with infants volunteer to bring pucks and water bottles? They didn’t. Their spouses signed them up when they weren’t there.
9. Spread the work around: Some parents emerge as leaders and it’s easy to just have them do all the work—but if they can’t be there or have too much to do, other volunteers need to know how to help.
10. Offer backup: Make sure volunteers know that they can say no.

The more fun and rewarding you can make the volunteer experience, the more people will want to help. If you’re a volunteer yourself, you understand!

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Kelly Kordes Anton with the Grow the Game Initiative for this story.

1. Schedule it: Take your volunteer commitments as seriously as your commitments—put them in your calendar and on your to-do list.
2. Go with your strengths: If you’re not outgoing, don’t volunteer to greet out-of-towners at the tournament desk. But if you’re hyper-organized, you might put together the volunteer schedule.
3. Learn to do it: If you volunteer for something, learn to do it right. The last thing you want to do is let someone out of the penalty box early.
4. Get help: If your time commitments change or you find you’re just not good at something, ask for help rather than struggling or doing a poor job. If you end up being out of town all the time for work, don’t promise to bring the water bottles. If you don’t have time to set up activities during a tournament, ask someone else to do it rather than skipping it.
5. Don’t overcommit: Ask someone whose done the job before for a realistic estimate of how long it takes. (Just be sure that person isn’t downplaying the time because they want to pass off the job to someone else!)
6. Share the wealth: Let others share in the responsibilities and learn. That way someone else can run the clock when your college buddy comes to watch a game. (Of course, when your in-laws come, they might really need you at the clock…)
7. Keep a positive attitude: If you volunteer for something, just do it without complaining. If you think of a better way to do it, discuss it with the association, coach or manager later.

Helping with the team in any capacity—from being on the ice to organizing a team potluck—will make the experience more fun and more rewarding for you, your player and your whole family.

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Kelly Kordes Anton with the Grow the Game Initiative for this story.

“The goalies worked extremely hard at improving their skills,” explained Steve Carroll, USA Hockey’s Minnesota District goalie coach-in-chief who served as director of the camp. “They 
did an excellent job of listening to the coaches and trying new movements and techniques. The goalies made the most of the challenging and demanding development opportunity and we could see noticeable improvements by Sunday.”

Goalies were invited to participate based on their performance in the USA Hockey/Minnesota Hockey’s Spring Advanced Festivals. There were 25 boys and 25 girls at the camp. “Everyone was getting better, the drills were awesome, you learned new techniques, you learned new movements, you learned new save selections, it’s a really competitive group of guys,” said Jack Kenney, who will be a junior at Breck. “You got really tired by the end of camp, but everyone was still working hard. It’s awesome and it’s really, really fun.”

More than 250 goalies have participated in this Minnesota Hockey program since it started in 2005. The camp is designed to provide the goalies in this age group with the foundation of fundamental skills and advanced techniques so they can continue to achieve success in high school hockey and perhaps at the next level.

“On-ice was great, six different stations with six different coaches,” said Charlie Lindgren who will be a junior at Lakeville North. “They worked you hard, they worked on your movement, and it’s a really good camp. It’s a blast and a good experience, I have been here for two years and I’ve loved it.” Breck senior-to-be Ahsha Payne agreed.  “It was a lot of fun, you got to meet a whole bunch of new people. I know I got better because I have a lot of new tools in my tool box that I can use and learn to perfect.” Another unique aspect of this camp is the talented coaching staff. Throughout the weekend, 
17 of Minnesota’s best college and high school goalie coaches shared their knowledge and expertise with the goalies.

The coaching staff featured: Steve Carroll, Steve Debus, Steve Guider, Steve Houge, Justin Johnson, Doug Long, Toni Menth, Mike Moline, Tom Peart, Jeff Polski, Bob Rajanen, Ed Roethke, Dave Rogalski, Pete Samargia, Brent Solei, Jim Van Dusartz, Nate Ziemski. “There are so many different coaches and they teach so many different things and if you got a questions you got answers right away,” explained Amanda Koep, who will be a junior at North Wright County. “I absolutely love it.”

The on-ice demonstrators/counselors included four Minnesota college goalies: Alyssa Grogan, Eagan, University of Minnesota; Lauren Joarnt, White Bear Lake, Harvard University; Jake Kremer, Eden Prairie, University of Minnesota; Justin Lochner, Sauk Rapids, Augsburg College.

“The counselors were awesome and served as tremendous role models and leaders,” said Carroll. “They demonstrated the various on-ice drills and were very good about interacting with the participants.”

Off-ice presentations include an equipment seminar, goalie yoga, dryland training, nutrition, mental sports performance, video analysis and post-high school hockey options. Players from Bemidji State University, Gustavus Adolphus College, Blaine, Buffalo, Eagan, Elk River high schools worked at the camp as shooters.

Below is a video from the camp:

And as always, visit the goalie page at www.minnesotahockey.org to get the latest information about being a Minnesota goalie.

ABOUT DAVE PETERSON
Minneapolis native Dave Peterson was an international hockey coaching legend who passed away in 1997. He was head coach of two U.S. Olympic teams (1988 and 1992). He also served as head coach of three U.S. National teams and two U.S. Junior National Teams. In addition to his international coaching experience, Dave was a long-time head hockey coach at Minneapolis Southwest High School and led his team to 1970 State Championship.

Peterson also was a passionate leader in goalie development not only in Minnesota, but also throughout the U.S. USA Hockey is still using many of his goalie development ideas and concepts today

Minnesota Hockey is honored his family has allowed the organization to add his name in support of this exciting goalie development program.

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Dave Peterson for this story.

Plus, USA Hockey requires a mouthguard for all youth hockey players, and players are often checked for mouthguards at tournaments. Beyond that, it’s just common sense for anyone playing hockey to wear a mouthguard. Read on for top practical tips on what to buy and how to care for it.

Why to Wear a Mouthguard

The reasons for wearing a mouthguard range from safety to vanity, but all are significant:

1. You have to: USA Hockey requires all youth hockey players in the United States to wear a mouthguard to protect their teeth and to prevent concussions and injuries to the temporomandibular joint. In addition, Minnesota Hockey has the following rule: “All players, including goalkeepers, are required to wear a colored (non-clear) internal mouthpiece, which covers all remaining teeth of one jaw, customarily, the upper.”
2. Keep safe: Mouthguards do more than protect your teeth—they can protect your lips, cheek, face, jaw, neck and more.
3. Protect your smile: Everyone looks better and is more confident with teeth.
4. Avoid the dentist: Dental work is expensive, time consuming and sometimes painful.
5. Improve performance: Beyond preventing the trouble you may have eating pizza or chewing gum—or attracting members of the opposite sex—without teeth, there may be another reason to wear a mouthguard. Mouthguards may improve athletic performance, which you can read about in Time magazine in the best-headlined article on the topic ever: Big-League Chew.

What to Choose

To be of any use, a mouthguard needs to be (1) in the mouth and (2) fit well. Chewing on a corner is not the same thing as wearing a mouthguard—nor is letting it dangle from your helmet. Given the importance of this piece of equipment to your health, find one you will like and wear.

1. Stock: Ready-made mouthguards come in small, medium and large. They are inexpensive and yet often uncomfortable. These may be good for kids whose mouths are changing rapidly or tend to lose them often.
2. Formed: Known as “boil-and-bite,” these mouthguards are a little sleeker and more comfortable than stock mouthguards. Boil it in water to soften it and then bite on it to form it to your mouth. These are a good middle-of-the-road solution between stock and custom mouthguards.
3. Custom: Made by a dentist or with an at-home kit, custom mouthguards fit extremely well and allow for easy speaking and breathing. They can, however, be expensive and time-consuming to acquire (from around $60 to $300). If you think it will be lost or outgrown quickly, these may not be for you.

Note: On the theory that the best mouthguard is the one they’ll wear, my sons have had custom mouthguards in the past. The first time, a very nice dentist dad offered the entire team one—in team colors—as an ingenuous introduction to his practice (which worked—he’s our dentist now). The second time, I paid for them at his friends-and-family rate, still a lot for a mouthguard for kids with rapidly changing mouths. Did it work? One loves his except when coaches think he’s not wearing one due to its sleek fit. The other one, a Mite, chews on it as it hangs out his helmet—something he can just as easily do with a $5 guard, except with the $5 guard the coaches are more likely to notice and make him put it in.

How it Should Fit

Like all other pieces of athletic equipment, you will not have your mouthguard forever. It will wear out or you will outgrow it, usually within a year.

1. It should be tight yet comfortable.
2. You should be able to breathe and talk with reasonable comfort.
3. Trim a stock or formed mouthguard as necessary to fit—just be sure it still covers all the teeth.
4. Replace a distorted or frayed mouthguard.
5. Replace it if it has holes or jagged edges.
6. Replace it after growth spurts or changes in teeth (lost, new, moved, braced).
7. To get more value out of it, wear it for any activity that poses a risk to the mouth: scootering, biking, skiing, snowboarding and the like.
8. Have the dentist check the mouthguard for fit during regular cleanings.

How to Care for It

Ever seen a kid dig a mouthguard out of the bottom of his hockey bag—a bag full of dirty socks, sweaty pads and spilled sports drinks—and pop it in his mouth? Maybe he’ll rinse it in the drinking fountain first, but that’s about it. So I admit, the official mouthguard care rules made me laugh out loud—and yet commit to doing a better job of taking care of them.

1. When to clean: Sanitize after each use to remove bacteria, fungus and mold. While this may not happen, if your mouthguard has been languishing in your bag all summer, for example, clean it before the season starts. After that, try cleaning it once a week.
2. How to clean: Clean it according to the manufacturer instructions, likely denture cleaning solution, a toothbrush and toothpaste, or soap and water.
3. Where to store: Store it in a box, preferably one with a little airflow. (You can actually buy sanitizing mouthguard cases.) If you don’t have a box and are on the way to a game or something, at least grab a baggy for it.
4. Keep it cool: Don’t leave it out in the sun or it can melt and change shape.

Tips from the Trenches

Experienced hockey parents and players have run into every mouthguard situation you can think of; a few things to watch out for follow.

1. In the bag: After you clean your mouthguard, make sure to get it back in your hockey bag. One way to remember this is to put it by the car keys, ready to go out, or just take it straight to the bag.
2. Keep a backup: Always have a cheap backup mouthguard in your hockey bag in case you forget yours. Just leave it in its packaging or a baggy.
3. Keep germs to yourself: Leave your mouthguard in and your gloves on when you shake hands after a game to keep from spreading the flu, meningitis or even just colds.
4. No clear: USA Hockey requires colored mouthguards as clear ones are hard for refs and coaches to find and remove if you’re injured.
5. Wear it: Think like Dr. Seuss. Wear it with braces. Wear it to open skate. Wear it to stick-and-puck. Wear it to games. Just wear it.

For more information, you can view these special informational flyers from Shock Doctor: Mouthguard Facts (pdf) Mouthguard Matters (pdf).

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Kelly Kordes Anton with the Grow the Game Initiative for this story.

Stay dry and rash free…

Long-sleeve shirts and leggings in synthetic moisture-wicking fabrics keep players dry. “If it keeps the sweat off of you, you’re not going to get a rash or anything like that from sweat buildup,” says Keegan, a roller and ice hockey player from Northern Utah and creator of schoolyardpuck.com.

…but only if you sweat in the first place.

A synthetic base layer is not a requirement for hockey. Jeremy, a longtime Canadian player and creator of howtohockey.com, only recommends a base layer for players once they hit puberty and start sweating more. “Unless you’re sweating profusely you wouldn’t really need to wear it. If you have young children and they’re not really going to break a sweat, it’s just an added expense,” he says. (Unless, of course, you’re facing the aforementioned eczema situation.)

Do you need the brand name?

High-end brands can run $40 for the top, $30 to $40 for the leggings and $10 for skate socks. Do you need to add that expense to an already costly sport? Not really. “UnderArmour is the first, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a better brand out there that’s making something better for cheaper. I would give the other products a try,” says Jeremy.

Many parents say the brand names hold up (to repeated washings, skate blades, Velcro and more) better than discount store brands such as Champion. But at a quarter of the price, you can buy more (meaning fewer laundry needs) and replace them as growth requires.

Keegan also stresses to not let the lack of a base layer stop children from playing the game. “Don’t let equipment cost hinder your opportunity to play. Don’t think you have to wait until you have all the right gear to play. I remember I started out with pants that had huge holes on each leg. It didn’t matter; I just really wanted to play,” he says.

Tips from the Trenches

Whatever kind of base layer a player wears—whether an old cotton T-shirt or a high-tech compression shirt—you’re going to need to wash it. Often.

• Buy at least two pairs so you can wash one, wear one.
• Remember to switch the clean and dirty set as soon as you get home.
• Consider a color other than black so you can find it in your black hole of a bag.
• For males, look for synthetic leggings or compression shorts that can hold a cup, so they serve as a jock as well.
• According to Total Hockey, for best fit under your pads and top mobility, be sure your base layer is snug and doesn’t bunch or gather.

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Rose Conry, an intern with the Grow the Game Initiative, for this story. Rose studies journalism at Northwestern University, loves all sports and sails competitively with the university’s club team.

Origins in Cricket

Although many players aspire to attain a hat trick, most have no idea of its origins. In addition to hockey, athletes in soccer and lacrosse compete for hat tricks, but cricket players first coined the term. In cricket, a hat trick occurs when a bowler knocks over three wickets with three consecutive balls. Both the consecutive aspect and the number of wickets needed to attain a hat trick make it very challenging to conquer.

Several myths surround exactly how this athletic achievement became known as a hat trick. According to one story, club owners honored players who accomplished this feat by presenting them with a new hat. In another version, players who knocked over three wickets passed around their hat to collect pennies from fans.

Introduction to Hockey

Mystery also persists on how hat tricks entered the hockey world. One legend attributes their introduction to a Toronto player named Sammy Taft. In 1946, he agreed to give Chicago Blackhawk Alex Kaleta a free hat if he scored three goals in an upcoming game. Kaleta scored three times, and Taft followed through with his promise. He gave other players who achieved this feat free hats as well.

In another story, the Henri Henri Ltée hat store in Montreal supposedly brought the term to hockey because the store awarded any NHL player who scored three or more goals in one game with a free hat.

Regardless of how the term entered locker room and bleacher conversations of hockey enthusiasts, players of all levels dream of scoring three goals and making a hat trick. Today, when NHL professionals score three goals in a game for a hat trick, fans honor their feat by throwing their baseball caps onto the ice. Most arenas allows fans to reclaim their hats after the game and donate the remaining caps to charity.

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Rose Conry, an intern with the Grow the Game Initiative, for this story. Rose studies journalism at Northwestern University, loves all sports and sails competitively with the university’s club team.

Check out your game plan for good nutrition based on the following scenarios—all of which work for tryouts and practice times.

Tryouts Immediately After School

If possible, fuel up during school, about 2 hours prior to tryouts, with a mini-meal or snack. To do this, he needs to bring this meal to school (along with his lunch of course, unless he eats the school meal). Good pre-workout snacks include:

• Granola bars
• Low-fiber fruit
• Yogurt
• Peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich
• Bagel with light cream cheese
• Nutrition bar

Pick from one or more of these depending on hunger level and how well food settles in your player’s stomach.

Early Evening Tryouts

If your hockey tryouts are in the early evening (7 pm or so) and your kid has time to come home first, she can eat a mini-meal right after school (4–4:30 pm) and then a mini-meal for dinner. This meal should be low in fiber and fat and include easy-to-digest foods such as:

• Eggs and toast
• Spaghetti noodles sprinkled with Parmesan cheese
• Cereal with milk
• Chicken breast on rice
• Broth-based soup

If your kid plays another sport and has practice after school before tryouts, she must refuel immediately after her practice with a sports drink (for calories, electrolytes and hydration) and a portable snack. In this scenario, nutrition bars are very handy (and portable)!

Late-night Tryouts

Kids who are trying out for a team as late as 9 pm should consume a snack or mini-meal after school and another one 2 hours later. So, if they get home from school at 3–3:30 pm, they should eat a light meal and then eat again at about 6 pm. Going hours without food isn’t recommended as they may crash (especially those on the smaller size) before practice. Check out some of the bullet points above for ideas.

Hydration & Snacks: During tryouts, your player should need only water or a sports drink. But, it’s always a good idea to throw a baggie with cereal, pretzels or a nutrition bar—one that is easy to digest like Clif Bar or PowerBar—into the hockey bag.

Refuel: Don’t forget to refuel your player immediately after tryouts as well—with a meal or chocolate milk right away.

Editor’s Note: Marie Spano, MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS is a sports nutrition expert who works with athletes throughout the country. Her website is: www.mariespano.com.

July 6, 2010, this dream became a reality for 30 young 15-year-old boys who were invited to train with those who have gone before them. Coach Larry Hendrickson pulled a page out of Herb’s manual of coaching. You see in the State of Hockey there are players, and then there are these guys: Pat Westrum, Guy Gosselin, Justin Johnson, Scott Bell, Chris Brown, Scott Sandelin, Shjon Pjodein, Bob Motzko, Darby Hendrickson, Tom Chorske, Larry Olimb, Jeff Boeser, Bill Lechtner and Troy Jutting. Coach Hendrickson specifically chose instructors who had played their youth hockey in Minnesota.

Old School Approach
The idea of the camp was to go old school. With the rising cost of the game, we looked to make this camp affordable. In addition, we used host families to house players, allowing players to develop friendship that will last a life time! As only a hockey Mom could say it “For a small town kid to get to stay in a house in the cities and hang out with other guys was absolutely awesome! As you have stated—memories and friendships forever were created!”

The primary objective of the July 6–9 camp was to prepare these athletes for the experience they would soon have in Rochester, New York, at the USA Hockey National Summer Festival for 15-year-old boys. At the camp, these athletes were trained by the best hockey minds Minnesota has to offer. Each day started off with a skate from 9–11 am that included high speed skill and technological speed drills. A classroom session followed to help them understand how making good decisions beats self-defeating behaviors. The last skate of each day, a long one from 2–4:30 pm, stepped up the pace and had the players work in small areas to create scoring opportunities. Each day the development increased. In the end, 23 players advanced to the USA Hockey Summer Festival in Rochester, New York, July 16–23, 2010.

Unforgettable Experience
These young men represented communities from throughout Minnesota. If you see one of them at the grocery store, ask them about their experience. Just make sure you plan some time to listen to their response!
Mike MacMillan and Larry Hendrickson were the driving force of this camp and without their leadership this would have been a missed opportunity. As President Abraham Lincoln once stated “I will prepare and some day my chance will come.” Congratulation to all who participated and good luck in the future!

Participants
o Gauge Ausmus, East Grand Forks
o Michael Brodzinski, Ham Lake
o Taylor Cammarata, Plymouth
o Tyler Cline, Blaine
o Ryan Daniels, Thief River Falls
o Devin Donohue, Cottage Grove
o John Dugas, North Oaks
o Nathan Erickson, Maple Grove
o Hudson Fasching, Burnsville
o Jordan Gross, Maple Grove
o Zachary Hartley, Minneapolis
o Blake Heinrich, Cambridge
o Karson Kuhlman, Esko
o Daniel Labosky, Edina
o Ryan Lundgren, Duluth
o Hunter Miska, North Branch
o TJ Moore, Edina
o Dylan Parker, Duluth
o Jack Pieruszewski, South St. Paul
o Neal Pionk, Hermantown
o Parker Reno, Edina
o Aaron Rouse, Buffalo
o James Schuldt, Minnetonka
o Andrew Scofield, Northfield
o Tyler Sheehy, Burnsville
o Connor Thie, Minnetonka
o Conner Valesano, Duluth
o Luke Voltin, Blaine

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Minnesota Hockey for providing this story.

Benefits: Get in the Game
First, let’s take a quick look at the potential benefits of playing cross-ice of half-ice hockey as proscribed in USA Hockey’s American Development Model (ADM).

• Every player should get to touch the puck more.
• Every player should have the chance to score.
• Goalies should face more shots.
• Average players get in the game.
• Higher-level players face more of a challenge than just taking advantage of breakaways.

I’ve actually seen the benefits of playing cross-ice in action as I have one son who learned before the ADM was in place (and played on full ice from age 5), and one who is learning now. But I overhear tons of talk about the smaller playing area and realize that it’s a concern for other parents. So I jotted down some of the most common questions and brought them to Joe Doyle, a USA Hockey Manager for the American Development Model.

Q: What if my kid—who is extra special—is ready for full ice?
A: USA Hockey’s position is that no 8 and Under players are “ready” to play full ice games. “Ready” is in no way a knock on the players’ skill level or skating ability. It is merely the fact that the smaller surface is age appropriate, and it is in the best interest of any 7- or 8-year-old—developmentally and fun wise.

Think of it this way: Could an 8-year-old run 90 feet down the first base path? Yes, but what would his stride look like the last 30 feet? That is why Little League baseball diamonds have 60 foot base paths—not to mention a shorter distance from the mound to home plate, 210 foot fences instead of 400 feet fences, etc. Soccer, basketball and football all shrink their playing surface and ball because it’s in the KIDS best interest in learning that particular sport’s fundamental skills.

Q: Is my super star being held back to benefit the average kids?
A: The “super star” is, in fact, put in a more challenging environment due to having less time and space with the puck—an environment that will more readily put her on the path to super stardom! At cross-ice and half-ice, he is required to play around and through players, learning real puck protection skills.

For Mites, full-ice hockey is commonly called “breakaway hockey” for good reason. The better player picks up the puck in his end, makes maybe one move, and then skates three-quarters of the length of the ice on a breakaway. That is not real hockey. The number of pivots, shots on goal, saves and true hockey plays that occur increase exponentially in cross-ice and half-ice games.

Q: How will my player get fit enough to skate full ice when the time comes?
A: This is exactly why they NEED to play cross-ice/half-ice at ages 8 and under—their bodies aren’t ready muscularly, physically, etc., to skate 200 feet and then have the energy to make a play once they get there. As their bodies grow and develop, they will become more physically able to play on the same surface that 6’4” men play on.

Q: How will they learn off-sides for when they become Squirts?
A: They’ll learn off-sides at the time they need to learn off sides—when they are Squirts. And it will likely take less than one practice or game for most of them to learn, especially for the kids who watch hockey on TV or who have older siblings who play.

For more explanation of the philosophy behind and benefits of playing cross-ice/half-ice at ages 8 and under, watch this video:

Also, check out the 10 Myths About the American Development Model here.

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Kelly Kordes Anton with help from Joe Doyle for this story.