Issues & Advice

Our kids don’t have to be on the biggest team to enjoy swimming or with the most famous coach to have a great swimming career. I’m reading a funny book with great ideas called “Bare Minimum Parenting: The Ultimate Guide to Not Quite Ruining Your Child.” Although I haven’t finished it yet, the main point […]

Coaches can use a journal “time out” when practice is not going well. Some athletes will love it and feel empowered immediately, others will take longer. In the most recent edition of “Tuesdays with Mora“: Better Your Mental Game One Thought at a Time – Mora shared how your athletes can better their game by […]

One of the key areas where it’s important to differentiate by age group is the balance between quantity of reps and the quality of them. After nearly 20 years of coaching at the NCAA Division I level, one of the most astonishing discoveries Roger Grillo, an Apple Valley, Minnesota native, made during his transition to […]

Watson: Don't forget to enjoy the moment, work hard and be humble

“I could never have taught him to skate or to do these things. Some other volunteer helped him. I can do certain things. I can’t go on the ice, but I can manage trips, manage camps and certain things.” Reid served numerous roles with USA Hockey, including 18 years as vice president, marketing council chair […]

Under USA Hockey rules, the determining factor is whether it was deflected or directed. If the puck merely deflects off the skate of an attacking player, it would be a good goal. The Minnesota Hockey Officials Association (MHOA) offers players, parents, coaches and officials the opportunity to submit questions regarding USA Hockey and Minnesota Hockey […]

The other key component is the fun factor. Kids who are being asked to work a lot harder than the fun they are having often choose to just walk away. Everybody involved in youth sports has seen the same play. A young athlete who has played his or her sport for several years decides to […]

“In general, adult players don’t need to go top of the line. The difference between one brand or another comes down to what you want to spend.” Although imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, opting for the same gear your favorite NHL star has won’t help you play like the pros. It could actually […]

Every player was assigned a coach or volunteer to rotate them through each station every five to six minutes. Record number of Try Hockey participants necessitated adding a second day in December Since 1971, the Howard County (Maryland) Huskies have emphasized many of the components endorsed by USA Hockey and its American Development Model: cross-ice programs, sportsmanship, teamwork, […]