
The Mistake of Leaving Home and Advancing Too Quickly
Freddy Adu, at age 14, was the brightest young star in American soccer. Featured on “60 Minutes” and “David Letterman,” Adu was signed by Nike in 2003 for $1 million. ...
7 Tips for Volunteers
When you know a lot about hockey, it’s easy to commit to doing too much for a team. When you know nothing about hockey, it’s easy to shy away. But ...
Parent Meeting Agenda
Every coach knows that communication is key to a successful season. To set the tone for the season, start off with a productive parent meeting that follows an agenda that ...
The Mistake of Leaving Home and Advancing Too Quickly
Freddy Adu, at age 14, was the brightest young star in American soccer. Featured on “60 Minutes” and “David Letterman,” Adu was signed by Nike in 2003 for $1 million. Many said he was the most skillful young player in the world. (Click here for more details.) Read the story »
7 Tips for Volunteers
When you know a lot about hockey, it’s easy to commit to doing too much for a team. When you know nothing about hockey, it’s easy to shy away. But you’ll have more fun, get to know more people and understand what’s going on if you volunteer for at least one activity, whether it’s managing a team or planning a pizza party. As with everything else, it’s important to do what you say you’ll do—and do your best at that. To be a good volunteer: Read the story »
Parent Meeting Agenda
Every coach knows that communication is key to a successful season. To set the tone for the season, start off with a productive parent meeting that follows an agenda that keeps everyone on track. Read the story »
6 Tips for a Productive Parent Meeting
I’ve been to a lacrosse parent meeting in a bar (loud), a basketball parent meeting in a lobby (chaotic) and many, many hockey parent meetings in tiny ice arena party/meeting rooms (during which the kids run wild rather than going home to do their homework). I once sat in a glass-walled room and watched my son’s teammates take turns carrying his little brother around upside-down. Meanwhile, one dad explained the family’s entire vacation schedule (we’re going to Europe, aren’t you?) and one mom takes five minutes to say she doesn’t want to go to any out-of-town tournaments. These were not productive meetings. Read the story »
10 Ways to Prevent Volunteer Burnout
When my son was in grade school, I switched all my volunteer activities to Scouts rather than PTO—because the Scout dads were just glad I showed up while the PTO moms preferred to micromanage and criticize. And nothing can make you more bitter and burned out than being criticized for volunteer work. Read the story »
Contest
A sampling of entries into our HockeyShot.com-sponsored best-bag contest reveals backpack styles are the most popular and...
Thank you to the players, coaches and parents who submitted their top skating tips in the last couple weeks to win a free...
We asked you to provide input regarding the best way to build team camaraderie. The individual who provided the best answer...
Parenting
Freddy Adu, at age 14, was the brightest young star in American soccer. Featured on “60 Minutes” and “David Letterman,”...
When you know a lot about hockey, it’s easy to commit to doing too much for a team. When you know nothing about hockey,...
Every coach knows that communication is key to a successful season. To set the tone for the season, start off with a productive...
Coaching
From the dawn of youth sports, there has been debate over the qualifications an individual should have to coach a team. In...
Coaches can play many roles – including medic, psychologist, chauffeur, and sometimes equipment manager to name a few....
One of the key factors to keeping kids in youth sports is the element of fun in the activity. In this article, Executive...
Player Development
“Most of the time, you’re a great player on a mediocre team or a mediocre player on a great team. Only when the stars...
Keeping players motivated when they are playing a “not as skilled” team can be difficult. Hockey expert and author, John...
The whistle blows and the puck is dropped. The fastest and most skilled player is about to win the hockey face-off. The following...
Nutrition and Health
Every coach in every sport has athletes at risk for concussions. A concussion is a brain injury caused by a blow to the head....
Sustaining energy during a regular game can be difficult. However, when an athlete is involved in an entire weekend of tournament...
The sheer number of energy drinks on the market today is staggering. There are so many options, it might seem as though they...
Youth Hockey Training
Today’s child athlete is pushed and pulled in many directions. While being involved in extra curricular activities helps...
Weight training for kids is often a controversial subject area. Many people believe that it is too taxing on a child’s...
Endurance training for young athletes is often a misunderstood topic. On one hand, there are strength coaches who tend to...
Youth Sports Character
While there are many players on a hockey team, sometimes it might feel as though there are only a few shining stars. This...
When your player faces uncertainty or a difficult season, it can be easy for them to just throw in the towel and quit playing....
Whether or not parents put pressure on their kids, kids will put pressure on themselves. This pressure can result in fears...
