By Greg Bates, Special to AHAI – Even at a young age, it can be easy to pick out which players on the ice are great teammates.

They are the ones working hard, motivating their teammates, showing respect, communicating in all phases of the game and leading by example. Being a great teammate is a key attribute as a player continues to climb to higher levels of the game.

“I know when we’re dealing with our national teams and looking at teams, the value of being a good teammate is paramount,” USA Hockey ADM Regional Manager Dan Jablonic said. “What separates that level of skilled players is, do you make your teammates better?”

By Jim Clare, Illinois Coach-in-Chief – Recently Steve Thompson, ADM National Goaltending Manager for USA Hockey joined 20 goalie coaches in Illinois for a Bronze Level Goalie Coach Seminar.

Bronze Level is the first step in the goaltending coach development program. The idea behind the clinics is to begin to educate more goaltending coaches across the state, develop their practice planning skills, and eventually have them progress through the Silver and Gold levels. Coaches can then take their knowledge and use it in two ways; help the state find more new goalies and better develop the ones we have.

Tomorrow USA Hockey and 15 local associations/rinks across Illinois will host Try Hockey For Free Day events! Participating locations encourage kids, ages 4 to 9, to come try youth hockey as part of Come Play Hockey Month. All locations will have limited equipment available for use. Click button below to find the Try Hockey event nearest to you. Questions? Contact USA Hockey at [email protected].

By Mike Doyle - A common misconception is that to be a good hockey player, you need to specialize your workload and focus it all towards on-ice hockey training. However, long-term athlete development science shows that players need a well-rounded athletic upbringing to reach their potential as hockey players. 

By Michael Rand - At a time when player safety and sportsmanship are hot-button issues in youth sports, USA Hockey took a proactive step this summer toward reiterating how seriously it takes such matters.

The Wide Dribble drill focuses on the expansion of reach and hand quickness while keeping hands and arms away from the body for proper technique.

By Guy Gosselin - When I was growing up in Rochester, Minn., we had six outdoor community rinks within two miles of my house. Depending on the weather conditions, we would play various types of games. Even as a little guy, I was always honored if the big kids let me play, but that usually meant I was the goalie. We seem to have lost some of that freewheeling fun with today's overly-structured environment.

 

That's why the American Development Model is so important. Too often, kids show up at the rink and are immediately told what to do and how to do it. Such a structured environment is like throwing a wet blanket over the creativity of our players. Kids are already overly stimulated enough with all the things going on in their lives away from the rink. Once they step onto the ice, that is their time to have fun. Here are a few games that will help kids develop their skills while having a lot of fun.