If you are interested in coaching the 2010 / 2011 season (House, Travel or Presidents League), please contact me (
) and let me know what level and team you may be interested in (for instance Pee Wee, Travel, C or Mite House).
Also, please fill out an application and leave it at the QYH office or email completed application to
. Applications will be posted by Sunday 2/7.
This is an interesting article from Kevin Paul DuPont in today's Globe
New program emphasizes development
Add Mike Milbury(left), father of two young hockey players, to those who believe Massachusetts youth hockey has gone to hell in a puck bucket, a theory underscored by the fact that not one Bay State boy will suit up in Vancouver for the Olympics.
“What we are doing is just not right,’’ said Milbury, NESN’s outspoken commentator. “We are not developing players. We’ve got a lot of parents out here spending a lot of time and money and it’s obvious that we’re still not getting it right.’’
But the former Bruins defenseman from Walpole believes that help has arrived. USA Hockey, in tandem with the NHL, over the last two years began rolling out a new initiative, the American Development Model, across the country. Now four Massachusetts rinks have committed to the program. ADM’s focus is getting young players to the rink, but not grinding them into the ice by encouraging them to join travel teams, play in countless out-of-town tournaments in pursuit of $5 trophies, or play the game year-round.
For many young players, and especially their parents, that runs counter to the way Massachusetts youth hockey has operated for the last couple of decades (often to pull money out of parents’ pockets). Roger Grillo, the ADM director for the Massachusetts-New England region, wants players and parents to know they now have an alternative.
Beginning next season, rinks in Dedham, Hingham, Bedford, and Dracut will be fully ADM-compliant, meaning that their programs will focus on skill development, building a love and passion for the game, and finding a comfortable balance between developing skills and playing games.
“Not everything Massachusetts has done is wrong,’’ said Grillo. “But the balance is out of whack. I mean, in some cases we’re talking mites [5- and 6-year-olds] out there checking, playing as many as 60 games a year.
“The idea behind ADM is for kids not to play year-round, to have balance in their life, play other sports, and when they come to hockey, have a passion for the game, not get burned out. Some of what goes on in Massachusetts, well, it’s like taking a T-ball player, dropping him in Fenway Park and saying, ‘OK, kid, let’s see what you’ve got.’
“It’s just not healthy. The kids don’t develop their games.’’
According to the ADM website (admkids.com), 60 percent of those who try hockey drop the sport by the time they reach peewees. Another considerable percentage, said Grillo, will leave soon after peewee.
“It’s a scary environment in Massachusetts,’’ said Grillo. “For some parents, it’s like an arms race. They think, ‘If I don’t get my kid on a travel team, if he’s not playing 80 games a year, uh-oh, he’s falling behind.’ All that happens is that the kid really doesn’t develop - because he’s too busy playing - and he gets burned out.’’
“Finally, a break in the iceberg,’’ said Milbury, who didn’t start playing the game until age 12. “Time for a change. It should not be a 12-month-a-year sport, and kids shouldn’t be put in a car for a three-hour drive to New Hampshire where they’ll be in a game that has three 12-minute periods and they play, what, 10 minutes each?
“Limit their games. Increase their training. Keep them focused, happy, and having fun.’’
The 2009 / 2010 season is under way: Kids are back in school! The Drills Players are on the ice. Mite Skills has returned. The Wednesday Skills Program with Matt Gibbons has kicked off. House League games commenced last week. At least half of the travel teams have started playing games and the other half will begin in Mid-October. What a great time of year.
As always, at the beginning of this season we are experiencing small issues around scheduling, rosters etc. We ask your indulgence as we get everything on track and move into an exciting and enjoyable season of Quincy Youth Hockey!
On a different note, I would like to address something that has come to my attention on many levels. There have been an inordinate number of complaints of poor behavior in the rink, both on and off the ice, including disrespecting coaches, vandalism of locker rooms and children running around the rink unsupervied.
I ask that you talk to your players and other children to address the following:
In The Rink:
If your child is running around the rink, skateboarding inside the rink, playing hockey inside, wrestling etc., they will be spoken to by a board member, rink employee or coach and the behavior will be brought to the attention of the child’s parents for action. This type of behavior has gone unchecked far too long and is extremely unsafe, as well as disruptive to those who are trying to enjoy a game or watch their child practice. Please, speak to your children about this and help us curb this behavior before it gets out of hand this year.
On The Ice / In The Locker Room:
At the coaches meeting this year I informed the coaches that we will have Zero Tolerance for disrespectful behavior during practice, during games, in the locker room and in the rink. Each player must respect coaches, competitors, officials, parents, fans and arena employees alike.
QYH coaches are volunteers and many have been around for a long time. They take coaching seriously, but it is impossible to teach the game of hockey to those that are trying to learn when other players are back talking, shooting pucks off the boards, talking when the coach is talking (both on the ice and in the locker room), etc.
I have let the coaches know that they have the leverage to bench or remove players from the ice during practice and games for any disrespectful or behavioral issues. Please feel free to email me directly if you have any questions regarding this (
).
Having said all that, here’s looking forward to a great season for all our players and families.
Please familiarize yourselves w/ GBYHL Procedures, especially those concerning rescheduling games. Basically, if you are the team that reschedules, you are ultimately responsible for all arrangements for the make up, including refs and timekeepers.
