Whether it’s offense, defense or goaltending, we’ll take them at all levels, but I do believe the development is there and our development path in our country with junior hockey is really growing. Perhaps even before a player takes the ice, USA Hockey is dedicated to developing boys and girls, able-bodied or disabled, to be […]

How three inspired innovators used soccer to take down poaching and inspire a new generation of athletes in southern Africa. On the night he met Matt Bracken, Protrack Anti-Poaching Unit founder, Vincent Barkas, watched the barrel-chested American’s long hair flop wildly as he jumped up and down – apparently dancing – and thought to himself, “This guy […]

“Guys like that are out there possessing the puck,” Gosselin said. “That’s what we do today. That’s the way the game is played, and that’s what we’re promoting.” In 2011, USA Hockey rocked the youth hockey world by delaying legal body-checking from Peewees (ages 11-12) until Bantams (13-14) for boys. While most have accepted and […]

Give Specific, Positive Feedback: Coaches can help the confidence process by giving players specific, positive feedback. A volleyball coach is all too familiar with the dread that can affect a player in serve receive during a tight match. Coaches see it on the athlete’s face and the athlete certainly feels it.  The face seems to […]

The bane of volunteer youth coaching is the contrived hoops and barriers that discourage otherwise willing adults from participating Sports has been a lifelong passion of mine, the initial source of hope when I arrived in the United States at the age of 6 from South Korea. In those first few months, when I couldn’t […]

Losing a starting spot can be very frustrating, but the good news is that it doesn’t have to spell the end for your recruiting. Plenty of non-starters have gone on to compete at the next level and have successful collegiate careers. However, you will have to work hard at your recruiting and make sure you’re […]

The off-Season can be a difficult time for athletes. You are removed from your coaches and teammates. Often this is when great athletes separate themselves from the rest of their competitors. One of the best things athletes can do during the off-season is to play other sports. There are a variety of different reasons why […]

By playing multiple sports, kids will avoid burnout and overuse injuries, all while developing other skills and all-around athleticism that will ultimately translate into being a better hockey player. “I’ve never really been a one-sport kind of guy.” That’s been Hermantown native and New York Rangers blue-liner Neal Pionk’s stance on being more than just hockey […]

Serving is a critical part of the game.  A server can make the job of the passer a lot more difficult by serving to spots on the court at different speeds and locations. Here are 4 serving strategies and tactics that will elevate your beach volleyball game.  By working on these techniques during practice and at every […]

Mental toughness will not necessarily win you a championship, but not having mental toughness will lose it for you. Let’s dive into the 4 skills in the hierarchy of mental toughness, and why it’s important to develop one skill in order to progress to another. 1. MOTIVATION An athlete needs to find a “why.” Why do […]