Hal Tearse

Kids speak out

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Last Updated on Sunday, 27 May 2012 23:31

By Hal Tearse

Minnesota Hockey Coach-in-Chief

While I was evaluating players at an Advanced 16 tryout session last week, I noticed a woman who was pacing the length of the rink behind us. It was apparent that when her son was on the ice, she was moving back and forth, following the play and occasionally stopping to focus in on the action. She was obviously very nervous and anxious about every shift her son took. I suspect she was exhausted by the end of the session. 

In the same week, I received an e-mail from an NHL coach who recently watched some Bantam and PeeWee games in Minnesota. He commented that the parents at one Bantam game nearly came to blows in the stands and at a couple PeeWee games, the parent behavior was so bad that most should have been removed from the building. He was appalled by the parents at the games.

While watching my son play lacrosse last summer, a parent of one player was running the sidelines shouting instructions to the players. During a break in the action I asked him if he played lacrosse growing up and he replied that he did not. My next question was, “Why are you yelling instructions to the boys?” He said because he felt that he was telling them what the coach wanted them to do and since he was closer to the players on that side of the field he was helping out.

My next question was, “What if it is not what the coach wants them to do?” To that he had no answer. I then commented that my rule is never to say anything out loud that might embarrass my son or his teammates. After thinking about what he was doing for a few minutes, he spent the rest of the summer quietly enjoying the games. Sometimes parents get caught up in games and react without thinking about the consequences. 

The Minnesota State High School League surveys 5,000 student athletes every four years on a wide variety of issues related to high school sports. The results are interesting and speak for themselves. The entire survey is located on the MSHSL website along with quite a bit of other valuable information.  www.mshsl.org

Here are the results of two questions in the survey as they apply to parent involvement in sports.

7. Rank the THREE things that you appreciate MOST about your parents’ attitudes toward your participation in athletics.

4,105 (27%)                  A. They encourage me

1,076                    B. They don’t push me

3,177 (21%)                  C. They attend most of my games

2,452 (16%)                  D. They let me choose those sports I want to participate in

1,512                    E. They are supportive when I lose

1,412                    F. They give constructive criticism

1,208                    G. They believe that participation in sports is an important part of my high school education

8. Rank the THREE things that you appreciate LEAST about your parents’ attitudes toward your participation in athletics.

1,543 (20%)                  A. They are too involved in my activities

1,914 (25%)                  B. They try to control my participation

761                       C. They seldom/never attend my games

392                       D. They behave poorly when they attend my games

838                       E. They don’t respect my coach

1,731 (22%)                  F. They criticize every mistake I make

629                       G. They feel participation in high school sports is not important

The survey questions above indicates that 45 percent of high school students feel their parents are too involved and try to control what their kids are doing in sports. This should be a wake-up call to parents of student athletes. Back off and let the kids work it out themselves. Less than 1 percent of all players will advance to participate past high school and there is nothing a parent can to do to change the outcome. Parents can create anxiety, frustration and disappointment for unfulfilled and unrealistic expectations. In the end, this is a losing proposition for parent and child.

Much has been written about the role of parents in youth athletics, and for the most part, the articles focus on negative parental behavior and over involvement. Minnesota Hockey has spent a considerable amount of time and effort with the HEP (Hockey Education Program) in an attempt to educate parents about the negative impact their behavior can have on their children in sports. Each youth association in the state has the materials and should be presenting the information to all parents each year in order to encourage supportive and positive attitudes at all games. Cheer for both teams on the ice!

T o look for ways to support your son or daughter in hockey in a manner that will help them enjoy the experience and get the most benefit out of participation go to the website for the Positive Coach Alliance and take their Positive Parent Online quiz (www.positivecoach.org/ParentCourse.aspx).

Evaluating players for the next level

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Last Updated on Sunday, 27 May 2012 23:31

By Hal Tearse

Minnesota Hockey Coach-in-Chief

At the conclusion of recent high school game, two parents of players on the winning team were visibly unhappy. Their team had won 6-0 but their sons had not scored. One parent was complaining that his son had been moved off a top scoring line and as a result the boy was not getting points. The other was furious that his senior son, a top scorer on the team, had not even gotten an assist in the game.

The mistaken assumption by these parents is that getting points is the automatic ticket to the next level. Certainly scoring is important but there are so many more aspects involved in the evaluation and recruiting process of players.

College and junior team scouts watch players for several years and evaluate them on a wide range of factors all in an attempt to project the player’s abilities two, three or four years down the road. Here is some of the things junior, college and professional coaches look at.

• Emotional Stability: Does the player have a fairly level and consistent approach to the game? At a fall tournament in Chicago last November, a midget player took exception to comments from a spectator and yelled a few things to the obnoxious fan. The USHL scout I was standing next to said the player was one of the best kids in the 30 team event and then because of the player’s decision to get involved verbally with a spectator, placed a big red X across his name.

• Mental Toughness: Does a player remain calm and play with grit regardless of the situations? Can the player maintain a high level of play on a consistent basis?

• Physical Fitness: Is the player in shape? Can he/she play hard through out the game without suffering from fatigue?

• Team Player: Does the player share the puck or is he/she just focused on scoring goals and takes poor quality shots. Easy to spot these players. They usually score but at the expense of their teammates.

• Adult Living Habits: How does the player present him/her self? Are they high or low maintenance individuals?

• Use of Size: Do they effectively use their size to their advantage?

• Net Play: Are they good around the net?

• Aggressive and Tough: Some very good high school players that can score goals do not do well in traffic. They are perimeter players and will not succeed at the next level.

 • Competes One-on-One: How well does the player do in these competitive situations?

• Digs Puck Out: Can the player win the battles in the corners or on the wall and retain/regain possession?

• Comes to Play: Every day. Intensity.

• Headmans the Puck: This is about team play. We instead of me.

• Faceoffs: If a forward, how does the player compete in this important part of the game?

• Speed: Important.

 •Acceleration and Quickness: Important for winning the short races and creating time and space.

• Agility

• Balance

• Puck Control

• Pass and Play: Moving to open ice and supporting positions after a pass.

• Scoring: Capitalizing on opportunities. Does the player score in tight, low scoring games or mostly in the “big win” games?

• Hockey Sense: Does the player have rink sense and anticipation?

• Defensive Play: This is important for players that want to play after high school. The USHL and other junior leagues play defense first and offense second which is the opposite of most high school teams. Many good high school players have a very difficult time learning to play defensively in all three zones. 

• Focus: Can the player stay focused on the immediate task on hand?

All of these factors and more go into determining whether or not a player will have a chance to move on to the next level. Defensemen and goaltenders will have other skill- and position-based elements that will be evaluated. Certainly scoring for forwards is important but no more important than the other 22 items in the list above and a whole host of other factors not listed.

One element not listed is baggage. Some players come with more baggage than coaches are willing to deal with, regardless of the player’s ability. It may be life style issues, marginal academic performance, or personality and social issues. Parents can also be baggage. Overbearing “helicopter parents” at all levels do far more harm to their kids than good. 

Scouts also recognize when some players who are noted in the scoring stats are getting more ice time than players on teams who play more of their players on a regular basis. Additionally, the unequal levels of competition in youth and high school sports lure parents and players into thinking that their son/daughter will continue to be “scoring machines” after high school. The reality is that everybody is good in juniors and in college. The teams are deep with talent and scoring becomes more difficult each level up.

Many high-scoring high school players will not move on to the next level because they do not have enough of what it takes from the list of 23 above. Parents and players who agonize over their personal “points” each night are missing out on a great experience of being part of a team of friends, playing for their school and enjoying the ride. After high school, hockey is a job.

Offseason means offseason

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Last Updated on Sunday, 27 May 2012 23:31

By Hal Tearse

Minnesota Hockey Coach-in-Chief

With the conclusion of another great High School Hockey Tournament and the Minnesota Youth Hockey tournaments this coming weekend, many parents and players are turning their attention to the off season. Offseason teams and training programs abound and many are tempted or feel pressured to participate. As you consider the myriad of programs please consider the following thoughts.

The Law of Unintended Consequences applies to youth hockey players who have ramped up to 12 months of hockey each year and an endless series of games year-round.

Many coaches and parents feel that more is better, and by spending all of their time at the rink, they will gain an advantage over other players. In the short run this may work but like any marathon, if you run too hard early in the race, you will run out of gas and falter at the end.

Here are a couple quotes from very qualified experts that are available in a recent issue of Athletic Management Magazine (www.athleticmanagement.com/news.php):

Jack Parker, Head Men’s Ice Hockey Coach at Boston University, says he is starting to recruit more athletes from out-of-state instead of Massachusetts high school and club stars who play hockey almost year-round.

“By the time I see these kids, they are bored, burned out and often injured,” he says. “There are more players ready to play college hockey in California and Texas right now than in Massachusetts because they don’t play it year-round. Specialization is killing hockey in our state.”

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Athletic directors attempting to encourage multi-sport participation are often hit with a tough question from parents: “My child is passionate about his sport and playing it year-round is what he wants. What’s wrong with that?”

“There’s nothing wrong with being passionate about something – it’s a great thing,” says Adam Naylor, Director of the Athletic Enhancement Center at Boston University and a sports psychologist. “But just because a child loves something doesn’t mean it’s healthy to give them as much of it as they want. Parents need help understanding that kids aren’t always the best judges of what’s best for themselves.”

Youth coaches & parents need to recognize the value of the offseason. In Minnesota we are very fortunate that our high school athletics is structured in a way that not only allows for but encourages kids to play two or three sports. Youth hockey is not as lucky, as kids seem to slide from winter season to spring season to summer training and then into fall hockey season without missing a beat. Youth coaches are the culprits in this increasing trend because they organize the offseason teams and activities when perhaps the kids should be doing something besides playing hockey. 

There are many things a youth player can learn playing other sports that will enhance their hockey skills. Lacrosse, baseball, soccer and football are great team sports that help to develop well rounded and balanced athletes. Sports like tennis, golf and cross country all have aspects than can contribute to a developing athlete. A change in seasons and sports allows for kids to refresh themselves and come back to the rink excited to play.

It is hard to change a culture but it can be done one coach and one family at a time. During the winter, find a couple opportunities to give your team a few days off. Maybe reduce your scrimmage schedule by a couple sessions and have an intra-team competition for fun. Ask the players what they want to do on those days.

For the offseason, consider limiting time on hockey and participating in other sports. Training for hockey can be accomplished without sacrificing the many great times and learning opportunities in other sports.

Parker’s comments are very telling of what is happening to our kids. I personally know of two recruited players who went to college to play hockey as freshmen this fall and both decided to quit hockey. Both players cited burnout and many years of too much hockey and nothing else. They both said that playing hockey had quit being fun.

Even though our kids say they want to play every day, parents and coaches should draw the line and insist they do other activities and take at least three months off a year from hockey and make sure they keep the game totals to 50-60 or less PER YEAR,  NOT SEASON.

Let kids be kids.

The world is changing

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Last Updated on Sunday, 27 May 2012 23:31

By Hal Tearse

Minnesota Hockey Coach-in-Chief

Every day we read of more layoffs – companies closing and general economic malaise here in the USA and around the world. The severe economic downturn will also have a direct impact on youth sports in general and hockey specifically. If the leaders of the hockey associations in each community do not take steps to mitigate the high costs to play, we will see a sharp drop off in registrations as soon as next fall.

Recent trends in Minnesota and nationwide show fewer registrations, especially for boys in the Mite age classes and an increasing dropout rate after Mites and PeeWees. Although our registrations numbers are increasing in Minnesota, it is due to more girls’ teams and adult teams that are registering for the first time.

Surveys conducted by USA Hockey have determined that the reasons that players are dropping out are related to the high costs to play and the ever increasing time commitment required. Here in Minnesota where hockey is inexpensive compared to the rest of the country, the increasing game counts, earlier starts to the season, increasing number of tournaments and extensive off-season programming have all contributed to this problem.

The basic issue is the false belief that more is better for our kids. Parents believe that the more games their kids play the better they will get. Not true.

Many think that if their teams could skate eight days a week that would be great and their kids would improve even faster. Not true.

Many think that if they travel to a tournament in Canada during the summer, their kids will get an edge on the other kids in their program. Also, not true.

Our current situation has Bantam game counts running into the 80- to 90-game ranges. A parent of a Bantam A player was lamenting to me recently that his son’s team has seven tournaments this year before the district, regional and state tournaments. Three of the tournaments are out of town and require hotel stays for the weekend.

These numbers are not uncommon and represent a significant increase from just a few years ago. If we add to the travel and team expense the cost of sticks at $200 each and ever increasing costs for all other aspects related to the game, many kids are getting priced out. That is just for the winter season.  Spring and fall leagues add to game counts and expense. Then the local high school coach runs a summer program for the kids in the area and that is another $500 and significant time commitment.

 Considering all of the time and money we spend on hockey, it is interesting that that our Division I player count has dropped and the U.S. continues to rank fifth in the world despite having the most registered players of any country. More expense is not better.

The game is in crisis along with many parts of our economy. Here are six ideas that local associations should consider for next season to ease the financial burden on families.

1) Reduce game counts for all teams in your association. Set game limits.

2) Set a maximum number for tournaments and especially out-of-town tournaments. For example, three invitational tournaments with one out-of-town for Bantams and PeeWees. Organize home association weekend events instead of going out of town. Be creative.

3) Use much more shared ice practices, especially at Squirts and PeeWees. Squirts can practice with three or four teams on the ice. PeeWees easily can share with one or two other teams

4) Reduce the number of days per week that teams play. Three to four for Squirts and four to five for PeeWees. No more.

5) Start the season after fall sports have concluded and cut back on the pre-tryout clinics.

6) Use off-ice sessions in low-cost facilities to help keep the cost down and to develop overall athleticism.

We all know people who are affected by the economic downturn and it would be a shame if their kids had to drop out of hockey due to the costs. Let’s all work together to make sure every youngster can still play this great game.