The winners of the “Hockey Is…” contest are as follows:
1) Ted Miskolczi Sr – Hockey is knowing that you are going to the arena to teach kids a game that could alter their life in some way, also knowing that they are with friends and family but most of all at the end of the day hockey is when the kids come up to you with a big smile and says I had fun today coach.
2) JIM – hockey is filling a void in your life that only you, yourself can place the value on. The game by nature is an ever changing enviroment of recognizable patterns , yet it lends itself well to those individuals that bore easily and seldom tire. It is the freedom to be outside of your present life if only for a brief moment in time. It is a dream come to life , in a childs heart. A heart still young no matter what the age.
3) Thomas Guarino -Hockey is very important to me. Hockey is me! I love to play it. It is something that I know is good for my body and my mind.I have learned alot of things by playing hockey. Not only have I learned how to play the game of hockey but I have also learned many lessons.
I have learned that to be a “great hockey player” I must be a team player and not just the leading goal scorer. I know that my teammates have alot of respect for me because I do what is expected of me from my team and from my coach. It makes me feel good when I choose to pass to the lead man to score instead of “hogging” the puck just to prove that I can score. I know that I need to play for my team and not just for myself.
My life is good because of what hockey has taught me. I play my hardest and I play as a part of a whole team. I know that I am well liked because of this. This is how I try to live my life outside of the rink, in school, and at home. I pitch in to help out at home and I am always there for my friends if they need me. Whether I am helping out as a part of my family, as part of my group of friends, or as a part of my hockey team, I know that I always need to work well with others.
I learned that hard work on the ice is like hard work at school. When I play hard on the ice, I feel better at the end of the game whether we win or lose. When I work hard at school I know that I am learning alot of good things for when I am older and go to college. If I put all my best effort into my work I know that I will get a pretty good shot of getting something good out of it.
In the future, I believe that I will be whatever I want to be because of what hockey has taught me. I know that I have to work hard to get things done. Hockey made me see that I have to trust people, be generous, and always help people who need it without expecting anything back. Hockey has taught me lessons that have made me a good person and these things that I have learned will let me do anything I want in my life.
4) Rick Vaile – hockeys is a game of fun and skill where everyone involved learns something new just about everyday they are at the rink. Hockey is spending time with the family and fFriends. Hockey is being there when they need help, to see all the smiles when something great happens. or console when something not so good happens. Hockey is teaching and learning respect for the game on the ice as well as taking that respect and applying it to off ice life. Hockey is a great way to teach and learn life lessons that will arise when we get older.Hockey is a way to stay in shape and stay active. Hockey is plain and simply the best game in the world with some of the best people and role models I have ever met. Without Hockey my life would have never been as great as it has been. Thank You Hockey and to all the people who have help make me who I am today.
5) Gary – Hockey is the ultimate combination of teamwork, artistry, discipline, creativity, athleticism and passion!
We were originally going to do only 3 winners, but both Brett and I thought we could go with more. Winners #4 and #5 will both receive a copy of “In Pursuit of Excellence.” This is a great motivational book with lots of ideas to apply to sports and life.
Winners – please contact me via email (kevin@hockeyshare.com) using the same email address you used to post the comment (this allows us to verify who you are). Please include your full name, shipping address, and phone number to include in the shipment.
As I entered the locker room to address my team before a tournament game last weekend, for the second time in as many weeks I was over-powered vocally by a coach from the adjoining locker room screaming and cursing out his team. Both times myself and my team were basically forced to listen to a curse-laden tirade while we were attempting to get ready for our own games. One of them even went so far as to kick the exit door open on his way out. These incidents led me to contemplate a few issues after our own games and evaluate the lessons being taught by these coaches.
5 Small Areas of Focus to Improve Practice
Tags: hockey coaching, hockey practice, youth hockey coaching
1) Drill Start – If the drill starts on the goal line, make sure your players feet are completely behind the goal line. Don’t allow cheating in any of your drills. If a player cheats 5 feet on every drill repetition 20 times during practice, for 50 practices a season, that’s almost a mile of skating the player has cheated his/her way out of! Little stuff adds up.
2) Drill End – Just as starting is important, finishing is just as important (if not more). If the drill finishes at the blue line, make sure your players don’t stop skating until after they have crossed the blue line. This habit reenforces not letting up. Letting up early can lead to sloppy play or even injury. If you’re running a more advanced drill that finishes with a rush to one end, have the players hustle back to the red line on the whistle ending the drill. This will help players naturally get in the habit of hustling back – hopefully for a backcheck during the game.
3) Quick Starts – When beginning a drill, force your players to execute a proper quick start. The degree to which they are able to execute the quick start depends on their age, but it should still be reenforced at all age levels. Making this a habit in practice will help your players transition this into the game.
4) Stop in Front of the Net – Too often, drills are run at a tempo that forces players to “get out of the way” quickly to try and keep as many players moving as possible. While it’s good to have players moving, don’t force your players to abandon a rebound in front of the net. Give them time to stop in front and play their rebounds. As the goaltenders get better, more and more shots need to be scored on rebounds – give your players time to work on this during practice. Try making a simple rule for all your drills – after you shoot, you must stop in front of the net and look for a rebound.
5) Carrying the Puck – If a drill begins with a player carrying the puck, make sure they start with it on their stick instead of pushing it 10 feet in front of them. If you force them to practice their quick starts at the beginning of the drill, and also carry the puck, you’re forcing the player to improve his/her explosive abilities with the puck. Also, if the drill involves a tight-turn around a cone, don’t allow your players to chip the puck to the side of the cone they’re turning and pick it up – force them to carry the puck all the way around the cone.