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'The Ultimate Newsletter for Minor Hockey'
2009 ISSUE 17
Click here for our archive of past "Well Said" Newsletters
WELCOME to WELL SAID! - 'The Ultimate Newsletter for Minor Hockey'. This Newsletter, along with The Hockey Source comprehensive website, television show, product lines and new training program is part of our vision to provide you with valuable information about minor hockey so you can make sound decisions and have more fun. Whether you are a Player, Coach, Manager, Official, Trainer, Scout, Agent, Parent or Fan, you are sure to find valuable information on hockey topics.
Hygiene is Health!
The hockey season is underway, and you as parents are swamped with a schedule that has no end or breaks. The players have been going 3-4 times a week in either practices or games. This brings increased exposure to life's elements, and so you are lucky if they have not contacted some kind of virus or ''bug''. You have wisely been reading about the H1N1 virus that has been centre in the news (and if you are not informed, then read www.phac-aspc.gc.ca); as a parent, and, especially, a ''hockey parent'', your attention and awareness grew after the passing of a young 13-year old hockey player in Mississauga, Ontario. The good news is that the hockey world, such as Hockey Canada has decided to listen and encourage adherence to some simple, common sense, yet too often ignored rules, such as:
- Make sure players have their own personal water bottle.
- Do not share towels and soap.
- Add a good hand sanitizer to your hockey equipment bag.
What is interesting is the ''practice of prevention from spreading germs'' brought on a few years ago by SARS, and more recently by the H1N1 concern is really a part of overall, everyday good hygiene, and something that The Hockey Source has been talking about in its website material and newsletters for years. The Hockey Source has discussed the fact that those involved in minor hockey have larger exposure levels to germs because of the number of arenas they visit and people they have contact with in a season. While we are managing the current epidemic, and before we are faced with the next one, we encourage readers to consider adapting good hygienic habits that will lead to healthier game and life experiences.
Here are some invaluable tips that will benefit players and participants of all ages:
- Wash equipment - After a number of games and practices have your equipment properly washed and cleaned. There are several services in place that specialize in this process. The risks of infections and disease that will be avoided by doing this are staggering. And you will extend the life of your equipment at the same time. At a minimum, this process should be done at the mid-point and end of the season.
- Dress and undress at the arena - When players leave a game or practice in their equipment they are sweaty. Sitting in a vehicle for a period of time allows the perspiration to stay on the skin or in the clothing that is next to the skin. Exposure increases with the length of time, as does the chances of negative outcomes. Of course, the ultimate solution is to shower prior to leaving the arena, if such is possible and feasible. But at least changing out of the hockey gear is highly recommended.
- Wash under garments after each practice and game - Washing the under garments after each usage is necessary and vital. Leaving it until ''the next time'', allows for mold, bacteria and mildew to form and grow on these items. It is only common sense that reusing the unclean garments can only create and environment for problems for the user.
- Use soap to wash hands - After playing a game/practice, or before/after doing anything, everyone should wash their hands with soap and thoroughly. Quick swipes do not remove germs. Soap-based scrubbing should be a process that is about 2 minutes in duration.
- Use turtle necks, long sleeves, socks and long underwear - One wants to keep the body free and clear of bacteria, so wearing undergarments that serve as a layer of protection between the body and the equipment is a must.
These steps should become habit and routine, and they will lessen the risk of contact with and transmission of bacteria, germs and infection bases.
Dick Hoyt Story - Part 2
In the last Issue of "Well Said", Dick and his son Rick (Dick running and pushing Rick in a wheel chair) completed a full marathon race with a time that was fast enough to qualify them to enter the Boston Marathon. Problem was still that Race Officials could not agree to a competitor category for their entry.
At some point, somebody said to Dick, "Why not compete in a Triathlon Race?" And Dick''s initial response was, "How is a guy who never learned to swim and had not ridden a bike since he was six years old, going to possibly complete such a race even on his own, let alone hauling my 110-pound son through the three stages of such a race?"
But the more Dick considered the lunacy of such a challenge, the more it became another thing to be met head on. And so, he started the venture of pushing his son for 26.2 miles in a wheelchair, towing him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming, and pedaling him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars - all in the same day. At the time of the original story, Dick and his son had completed over 200 triathlons, including 4 full Ironmans in Hawaii. Over the years, Dick also pulled his son cross-country skiing and towed him across the United States on a bike.
Dick was often been asked why he did not try any of these races and feats on his own. He easily responded, "I do this purely for the awesome feeling I get when I see the cantaloupe smile on my son''s face when we run, swim and ride together".
The year that Dick turned 65 and Rick became 43, they completed their 24th Boston Marathon and they finished in the top 25% of the more than 20,000 competitors. Even more astonishing is the fact that their time was only 35 minutes off the world record. On his screen, Rick typed, "No question about it, my Dad is the Father of the Century".
The experiences were mutually life-altering. The top physical condition that resulted for Dick probably saved his life when he suffered a mild heart attack in one of their races. Doctors told him that otherwise, he probably would not have survived the 95% blockage in one of his arteries. And of course, Rick was freed from his disabled condition every time they set off on these ventures.
Dick and Rick continued to do events together, whether racing or delivering speeches about their accomplishments. Two truly amazing and inspirational individuals!
(This excerpt is adapted and structurally altered from an article by Rick Reilly of Sports Illustrated.)
THS on the Move!
In its 6th Season of providing valuable information, The Hockey Source has been diligent in its quest to help people in the various roles of minor hockey. The early journeys this season for THS have been to the Legends Game during the Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, the Sports Management Conference held in Toronto in November and increasing appearances on XM Satellite Radio across North America.
The Legends game at the Air Canada Centre offered fans the opportunity to watch their heroes from the past play in a fun, yet highly skilled fan-focused game. Hall of Famers like Mark Messier, Bryan Trottier, Lanny McDonald and Bill Smith suited up to play in a game featuring North American All Stars versus International All Stars. The game followed the jacket presentation ceremony to the 2009 inductees: Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, Brian Leetch and Lou Lamoriello. The afternoon was capped off with a Meet n'' Greet event for the fans with the stars of the day.
The Sports Management Conference focused on helping business people in the sport of hockey, and took place over a 2-day period. It featured a long list of well known and successful sports leaders such as David Branch, Brian Burke, Mark Cohon, Jim Devellano, Don Fehr and Gord Kirke Q.C. (SME for THS), to mention only a few.
Heads...Time to Use, Not Abuse!
Rule 6.5 of Hockey Canada''s rulebook defines a hit to the head as a penalty. It encompasses the concept of "a check to a player''s head in any manner". The severity of the penalty is left to the discretion of the referee. The most vivid outcomes of such action are neck and spinal injuries that result in the cessation of a player''s career.
Due to actions taken by such organizations as the Pashby Foundation (www.drpashby.ca) and the "Play it Cool" (www.playitcoolhockey.com) Program, it is becoming understood by a growing number of people that any physical contact that causes any kind of abnormal reaction by the brain and/or spinal column is by definition, a concussive act or a potential spinal cord injury. And it is a well known fact that concussive acts are accumulative in their affects on the player. The actions that leave a player lying on the ice, unable to respond are the ones that capture everyone''s attention. But are they any different than the accumulation of the smaller ones that over time and frequency can end up with the same outcome, but just later in life.
Programs such as "Play It Cool" believe that it is time to train players how to both deliver a proper body check as well as properly receive a body check. Is this enough? Or should there be, as some folks believe, a total ban on body checking in hockey? The reality is that the latter is an issue that will take time to resolve. So meanwhile, is it not paramount that proper training is made mandatory so as to increase the safety factor for players.
Other questions/positions that arise in this discussion are as follows:
- Should all body contact in hockey be eliminated for younger age groups?
- If so, what is a viable age for players to start to learn about body checking?
- Some prominent folks in the hockey world would argue that the earlier you start to teach it, the better players become at doing it right. How does this explain the significant increase in the number "above shoulder shots" recorded in Junior and Pro Hockey in the past two seasons?
- Is there any difference in the significance of the action related to whether it is done in open ice or along the boards?
- Again, knowledgeable hockey minds continue to espouse that it is the responsibility of each and every player to be aware by "keeping his head up" and protecting himself along the boards.
- Since ending careers is supposedly not an acceptable objective of any one player against another, then why is there not more support for the idea of players recognizing a player in a vulnerable position and taking evasive action, rather than "taking him out"? Why would any player, seeing that his opponent on the boards has just turned into the boards, decide that it was a good idea to hit him with a maximum force? Surely that represents more than intent to "free the puck"?
- And is it right or fair to leave all of the discretion of the call to the referee? If hockey is about teaching and learning positive skills and fair competition, then why not ensure that the harmful deed matches the outcome for the injured player? This would mean that the penalized player gets a minimum of two minutes, but the removal of that player from play continues and matches the period of return for the injured player, whether it is 5 minutes, next period or 2 months.
- Some "Hockey experts" would say that the latter would not be fair to the penalized player because the injured player put himself in a vulnerable position. The opposing view would be that the injured player "paid for his stupidity", and so should the player who saw the position of vulnerability of another as an opportunity to gain advantage.
What is probably most concerning is that a good number of readers of this article will react by saying, "but the questions you pose are related to Junior and Pro levels of hockey. The Hockey Source would invite those readers to spend a bit more time in arenas where minor hockey is being played, and listen to these various points of discussion being aired at events involving all levels of minor hockey. If the Pros cannot get it right, then perhaps the only solution is to train and raise the future Pros properly.
There is absolutely no question where The Hockey Source stands on this entire topic given its past and current involvement with Pashby Foundation seminars and Programs such as Play it Cool. What is your position?
Louise's Lyrics
The Hockey Source is pleased to share a couple more poetic creations from Louise Waronek. The first one is called...
Wrong Way
It was a high scoring game - tied eight goals to eight,
I thwart an attempt to end this gridlock.
Two minutes for tripping, the ref points over to me,
So I skate off to the penalty box.
As the seconds tick down, in it seems like forever,
I get ready to blast into play.
We still need one goal to claim victory,
So that in first place we will stay.
I race into the crowd and take control of the puck,
And shoot for goal number nine.
When suddenly, I realize that the goaltender's jersey,
Is exactly the same colour as mine!
The second one is called...
Something Worse
Mom always complains about the little things,
Like how her car is so scuffed up.
She says my hockey sticks leave big black marks,
So difficult to clean up.
She comments on how my practices
At seven in the morning suck.
And boy was she mad when I shot right through
The garage window with my hockey puck!
She claims there''s nothing worse, than a day stuck in a rink,
Tournaments are such a drag.
But I proved to her that there really IS something worse -
I just open my equipment bag!
Louise Waronek is a freelance writer from Regina, Saskatchewan, currently working on a collection of humorous poetry. She has also written a number of articles including a short story published in Homemakers Magazine. She is parent of a minor hockey player and can be reached at l.waronek@sasktel.net.
Lombardi "Isms"
"Winning is not everything, but wanting to win is" ...Vince Lombardi
"It''s not whether you get knocked down. It''s whether you get back up" ...Vince Lombardi
"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will" ...Vince Lombardi
"Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work" ...Vince Lombardi
"The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand" ...Vince Lombardi
"The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important that the events that occur" ...Vince Lombardi
DEAR VALUED READER, WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!
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Well Said! © Fire 'n Idea Inc. (producers of The Hockey Source) 2003-2009. All Rights Reserved.
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