How to Score Deals on Hockey Equipment
Are you looking to get the latest and greatest sporting equipment? Are you hopping back into the game after a layoff or do you have children who are just starting their athletic careers? If your answer to any of these questions is yes, then you already know that athletic performance is often tied to quality [...]
Celebrate with Class During Blowouts
No matter what you think about teams running up the score against a significantly weaker opponent (and there’s plenty to read about that!), there’s one thing everyone seems to agree on: Parents and players on the winning team need to act as if they’ve been there before. Don’t celebrate every goal in a blowout of [...]
Should We Switch Hockey Associations?
Every year you see—and can’t help but hear—parents who think their player is not being treated fairly. He’s not getting a fair look at tryouts. She’s not getting enough ice time. The association is too political. You know the drill. Whatever the issues, many families start to think about switching hockey associations. And some even [...]
I Hate Sports, Now What?
Not all kids like sports. Don’t be surprised or concerned. I strongly support that all kids should participate in some type of exercise program for their physical fitness and health, whether it be a group sport such as football, baseball, basketball, hockey or soccer or an individual one, like walking, running, dance, gymnastics, swimming, or [...]
Mite Hockey = Fun!
If your child is playing hockey for the first time this season, you are probably interested in helping him or her have the best possible experience. Youth sports are a wonderful way for kids to get regular exercise and develop physical skills. Team sports also teach children how to get along with their teammates, how [...]
Mouthguard Cleaning
Q. My son just tosses his mouthguard into a front pocket of his bag, which is cleaner than the rest of his bag but still not pristine. My wife says we need to keep it in a baggie or box, but given how many kids pick them up off the floor and put them back [...]
Food and Rest Key
It is important to stress to youth athletes and especially to the parents of youth athletes the significance of proper rest especially the day before and day of a game. With many youth games starting at 6 a.m., this point needs to be emphasized to parents (even if teammates are clamoring for sleepovers). Also, players [...]
Education Reduces Stress for Parents and Athletes
Some parents unintentionally become a potent source of stress when they over-identify with their child’s sport performance. How might this happen? All parents identify with their children to some extent and want them to do well. Unfortunately, in some cases, the degree of identification becomes excessive, and the child becomes an extension of the parent’s [...]
4 Signs of Overtraining
Given our access to experts, we like to offer plenty of advice for off-season hockey training. But all these training options are meant to keep kids busy, fit and having fun – not burning out to the point that they no longer love hockey! Often, when a child’s performance decreases, the instincts of both parents [...]
3 Steps for Handling Issues with a Coach
In every sport you will hear parents and players complain about “bad” coaches. We asked a long-term hockey director what parents should do when this situation arises. Read on for his advice. First, you need to dissect what you mean that the coach “isn’t working out” or is a “bad coach.” Oftentimes, a close look [...]