Teaching Individual Game Skills

Submitted by Hal Tearse on Mon, 06/30/2014 - 23:13. | comments

Individual skills are the foundation for the next level of coaching, which are Game Skills. Many players are utilizing skills coaches to help them throughout the year. Goalies are often working with a goalie coach, and there are many programs devoted to off-ice training and strength training and conditioning. In order to take advantage of higher skilled players, youth and high school coaches are faced with a challenging proposition about how to best teach their players how to use these individual skills to play the game effectively as a team.

Just as head coaches rely on assistant coaches and private skills trainers they should also reach out to professionals and experts to help them with the professional mental training and on ice effectiveness training systems.

Hal Tearse

Why Tougher Rules for Dangerous Hits in High School Hockey Will Not Work

Submitted by Hal Tearse on Sun, 05/12/2013 - 01:14. | comments

As I watch the Stanley Cup playoffs I am reminded each spring about the ever-changing rules in hockey: One set for the regular season, and one set for playoffs. Or should I say one rule book and two or more interpretations of the enforcement of the rules in the book. Clearly there is much more leeway from the rule book during the playoffs. Players tripped on breakaways do not draw a penalty. Obvious rule violations are ignored. But lets be clear about the NHL: the league is an entertainment business that happens to play hockey. Fans like the brutality and violence. It sells tickets so it is allowed to happen.

Tougher rules against checking from behind and blind-side hits in hockey won't make the sport safer. The problem is a lack of training, certification, education and compensation for on-ice officials, argues one longtime Minnesota hockey official and coach.

Brooke de Lench

Pop Warner Concussion Scandal: Lessons Learned

Submitted by Brooke de Lench on Thu, 10/25/2012 - 17:36. | comments

The Pop Warner concussion scandal - one that, sadly, occurred right in my backyard here in Massachusetts - has put youth football under the microscope once again.

The Pop Warner concussion scandal has put youth football under the microscope once again. But is what happened in that single game reason enough to pull a kid out of football, or never sign him (or her) up in the first place? I don't think so.

Preventing Overuse Injuries in Youth Athletes

Overuse injuries account for fifty percent of all youth sports injuries, but half are preventable, says the National Athletic Trainers' Association in a new position statement.

Stress Fractures In High School Athletes: A Growing Problem

New research suggests that more intense training and inadequate diet are placing high school athletes at significant risk for developing stress fractures in the bones of the back, hip, leg and foot, with girls more likely to suffer such overuse injury and at an earlier age than boys.

Maximizing Athletic Performance: The Art of the Taper

Whether it be track cycling, swimming, track and field, or cross-country, a taper is an extremely important part of achieving peak performance, but a full taper should only be done before the most important competitions, says two-time Olympic track cyclist and mom, Erin Mirabella.

Youth Basketball Survey: Keeping Kids in The Game & Having Fun Are Keys To Better Experience

Finding ways to keep kids playing and making programs more fun are seen by coaches, administrators and volunteers as the best ways to improve the youth basketball experience in a survey conducted by youth basketball expert and reform advocate, Bob Bigelow.

Dirt, Drama and Distance

Submitted by CrazyBMXMom on Thu, 09/23/2010 - 07:37. | comments

It is late on Wednesday night, well, actually it is very early Thursday morning and in light of recent actions, I just can't sleep. My mind keeps ruminating over the past weekend and our recent trip to the San Diego area for Nicholas' final BMX National event until the Grands. It was an emotional weekend, as it is his last race as a 7-year-old and also because it was a very difficult weekend for him emotionally and mentally.

One Year Older and Miles Forward

Submitted by CrazyBMXMom on Wed, 09/15/2010 - 00:16. | comments

It has been awhile since I have contributed a blog article to this website; a year of grief, chaos, school, travel and sporting events keeping me from my passion of writing. Although I have not written here, I continue to visit this site and my previous articles to revisit just how far Nicholas has come as an athlete an individual and, more importantly, just how far our family has come as a "team".

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