Feature Story
Offseason means offseason
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
“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
#####
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
Youth coaches & parents need to
recognize the value of the offseason. In
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
Let kids be kids.
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