Jr. Crusaders Youth Hockey AssociationCoach’s Handbook

ContentsWelcome Letter to 2012-2013 Jr. Crusaders Coaches.............................................................................................3Jr. Crusaders Youth Hockey – Mission Statement.............................................................................................4

Core Values..........................................................................................................................................................4Jr. Crusaders Youth Hockey – Program Description for 2012 – 2013.............................................................5

Learn to Skate......................................................................................................................................................5Mosquitoes...........................................................................................................................................................5Mites.....................................................................................................................................................................5Squirt Through Bantams......................................................................................................................................5Goalies.................................................................................................................................................................6Tournament Teams..............................................................................................................................................6Midgets.................................................................................................................................................................6Game Shirts..........................................................................................................................................................7Lakers (Arthur Sachse) Youth Hockey Tournament...........................................................................................7Tournament Policy Notes.....................................................................................................................................7

Duties and Responsibilities of Coaches................................................................................................................8Coaching Education Program (CEP).................................................................................................................11Last Few Notes.....................................................................................................................................................12

Planning.............................................................................................................................................................12Coaches Resources.............................................................................................................................................12In Season Age Appropriate Skills Sessions.......................................................................................................13

Jr. Crusaders Youth Hockey - GAME DAY PHILOSPHY & TIPS..............................................................14Pre-Game...........................................................................................................................................................14Game..................................................................................................................................................................14Post Game..........................................................................................................................................................14Ten Most Frequent Criticisms of Coaches.........................................................................................................14Parent/Coach Team Meeting Outline.................................................................................................................15

I Hope They Didn't Bring Apple Juice..................................................................................................................16

Welcome Letter to 2012-2013 Jr. Crusaders Coaches

Dear Coaches,

Welcome to the 2012 – 2013 hockey season. Jr. Crusaders Youth Hockey (JCYH) values your dedication and participation in developing our young athletes and helping us build a premier youth hockey association. As we begin a new season, we hope this coaching manual will provide you with some important information regarding our Player Development Skill Program along with Mass Hockey, District 7 and JCYH policies. As a coach in our association, we ask that you become familiar with the contents of this manual.

How we approach player development has long been an issue of debate within our association. By looking at other successful youth and High School programs around the State, we discovered we were missing a defined development curriculum for each level (Mites-Bantams). Although we do not want to restrict the individual creativity of our volunteer coaching staff, JCYH believes that continuity in our approach to teaching skills will optimize player development at all levels. In support of that approach we will be following the American Development Model (ADM).

You can go to http://www.admkids.com/ to read more about the ADM.

A key responsibility as a coach within our association is to be sure your team practices include the developmental skills that have been defined for your level in our Skill Development manual. The Skill Development Manual, and a number of other documents intended to assist you in planning your practices, defining your coaching philosophy and enhancing your communications skills are available on our association’s website through the “Coaching Resources” section under the “Documents” link.

We want every player to have equal access to learning the skills necessary to become a good hockey player.

Again, thank you for your commitment of time and dedication to our youth hockey program, and I wish you the best of luck this season!

Sincerely,Earl H. Corey Jr.Jr. Crusaders A.C.E. Coordinator

Jr. Crusaders Youth Hockey – Mission Statement

Jr. Crusaders Youth Hockey Association (“JCYH”) is committed to providing the highest quality ice hockey programs to help young individuals develop as athletes, leaders, and members of the community through a competitive hockey program that emphasizes excellence, commitment, self-discipline, determination, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Our goal is to have every participant, whether it be a coach, player, or parent to have the opportunity to improve their knowledge of the game of hockey and still experience the enjoyment the game provides. The Jr. Crusaders will focus on academics, skill development, competition, community and family.

Core ValuesJr. Crusaders Youth Hockey is built on a foundation of core values:

Advocate USA Hockey’s core values of sportsmanship, respect for individuals, integrity, and the pursuit of excellence, enjoyment, loyalty and teamwork. Emphasize that honesty, integrity and fair play go hand in hand with developing playing skills, winning and having fun.

Provide a fun, safe and rewarding experience for all participants and their families. Provide top-quality coaching and playing experience for participants of all levels of ability. Provide the best practice and game facilities reasonably available to Jr. Crusaders Youth Hockey

within our community. Develop and promote positive relationships with all parties providing those facilities.

Develop and maintain a positive reputation for Jr. Crusaders Youth Hockey by requiring all participants – players, coaches, parents and administrators – to exhibit sportsmanship and behavior that is beyond reproach at all times.

Attract and retain coaches of the highest personal and professional caliber. Provide ongoing educational opportunities for all coaches.

Acknowledge and appreciate all organizations and individuals who donate financial assistance and volunteer time to support the Jr. Crusaders Youth Hockey Association.

And above all else... "Its always about the kids".

Jr. Crusaders Youth Hockey – Program Description for 2012 – 2013

Learn to SkateLearn to Skate is an instructional program that runs in two 8 to 10 week periods over the hockey season. The first session starts in October and the second in January. Sessions are held once a week on Saturdays or Sundays. The goal of the program is to teach its participants the fundamentals of ice skating by letting them enjoy a playgroup environment that is safe, noncompetitive and encouraging enough to give children the confidence they need so they can skate and learn to play hockey. Equipment recommended:

Skates Helmet Elbow and knee pads Gloves

Mosquitoes The Mosquito program is designed to take kids who have graduated from learn to skate and introduce them into the game of ice hockey. With roughly one cross ice game and one practice a week the program provides an excellent way for both parents and children to be introduced to the game. The program starts in October and runs through March. Equipment needed:

Full Hockey Equipment

Mites The Mite program takes skaters from total beginners to players with 1 to 2 years of experience and places them in a league for their games. These teams practice weekly from August through April. They will be entered in the North Star Youth Hockey League.The majority of Mites will play a cross ice season. Our Mite A team, will play in a division that allows for full ice games. The Mite A team will need to fulfill its USA Hockey Cross Ice requirement independently. Our Mite B team, will play in a division that allows for half a season of cross ice and half a season of full ice games. The Mite B team will need to finish its USA Hockey Cross Ice requirement independently.

Squirt Through Bantams Our Squirts through Bantams will play in the North Star Youth Hockey League which will increase the number of games this year to a guaranteed 27 games including playoffs (up from 20). These skaters will practice on a weekly basis.One difference between this season and in seasons past is we will not offer tournaments as a built in part of tuition. Each team can pick and choose what tournaments they would like to participate in. The board will be there to offer advice and help guide coaches and team managers through the process.Tuition will obviously reflect these changes. At the Peewee and Bantam levels we will be co-opting with Shrewsbury Youth Hockey to ensure strong parity on these teams. This is not a merge of the organizations but rather a situation where the Shrewsbury skaters will be skating on our teams under our banner to create strong evenly skilled teams for all skaters involved.

Goalies In 2004 recognizing there was a lack of quality goalie training at all youth levels of hockey and combined with the short comings of having a single goalie coach for an entire program, a group of 4 Laker coaches developed a model for developing goalies that has become the model that all programs are judged. In the 8 years since then the program has received such praise as “the Best Goalie Program in the Country” from Mass Hockey and “the Lakers own the franchise on developing goalies” from USA Hockey. This program was built upon a few key principles.

A goalie coach on every team. Teaching one system. One set of terminology. Monthly goalie clinics - where both goalies and coaches could learn one specific topic based on the

time of year. Email communications – to reinforce the teaching at the clinic. Online repository of goalie articles for reference.

The season outline is as follows: Sept – Movement Oct – Position Nov – Rebound Control Dec – Recovery Jan – Save Selection Feb – Tips and Screens Mar – Puck Handling

Tournament TeamsWe are exploring the idea of creating “Tournaments Teams” by cooperating with Shrewsbury Youth Hockey. The concept here is to combine the top talent from the mite and squirt age groups and have those teams participate in upper level tournaments.Only members from either our program or the Shrewsbury Youth Hockey Program are eligible for the tryouts for these teams. The selected skaters would appear on special tournament based rosters.There would be additional practices for these teams and of course the extra games that will come along with their tournaments. The complete details have not yet been worked out and we will share those with you as soon as we can. We do not expect to have the details until after tryouts.

MidgetsWe will offer two separate midget programs for the 12-13 season. One will be a Half Season program which will start in August and end right before Thanksgiving. The Half Season Program will be designed for kids with varsity high school aspirations. A brief outline of the half season option:

Minimum of a 10 game schedule Games will be a home and home format vs. other top area HS programs. Weekly practice(s) Focus on conditioning and skill development for HS try-outs.

The other will be a full season program which will offer roughly 50 games and weekly practices and entry into the Connecticut Valley Midget Hockey League and the New England Midget Hockey League. The full season midget team is strictly for players who do not have a varsity hockey option.

Game ShirtsWe understand that having to buy new game shirts for each skater can be a burden on families. With that in mind, we have decided to do our best as an organization and will subsidize 50% of the cost of the new shirts for all skaters who have bought Laker or Bay State – Griffin shirts in the past. If you are new to the organization or an incoming mite you would have to purchase shirts in any case, therefore there will be no subsidy in these circumstances.

Lakers (Arthur Sachse) Youth Hockey TournamentAll Jr. Crusader teams should initially consider themselves as participants in the Annual Lakers Arthur Sachse Youth Hockey Tournament. The Tournament Director will have final say on which teams participate in the tournament based on applications/interest received from other organizations. If, for any reason a team wishes to be excluded from the Annual Lakers (Arthur Sachse) Youth Hockey Tournament, the Head Coach must communicate this in writing to the Executive board and the Tournament Director by November 1st. Each team will be responsible for all costs related to the Annual Lakers (Arthur Sachse) Youth Hockey Tournament.

Tournament Policy NotesPlease note that Tournaments will be the sole responsibility of each team. Coaches and Team Managers will organize tournaments for their respective teams.

Duties and Responsibilities of Coaches

The families of JCYH appreciate the time, effort and energy put forth by all of the people who serve as its coaches. At the same time, it must be remembered that parents are entrusting their children to the care of the coaches, and that coaches have the primary responsibility for achieving JCYH association's goals and enforcing its policies. Therefore, everyone who serves as a coach for our association agrees, as a condition of their service, to accept the following Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Abide by all JCYH rules and policies, including certification and safety requirements established by USA Hockey and Massachusetts Hockey.

2. Respect your fellow coaches and work together in a cooperative manner. Never criticize your fellow coaches in front of players or parents.

3. Keep your relationship with parents strictly professional. The Head Coach should be available to discuss any problems with players and/or parents, keeping in mind that the coaches' prime responsibility is to the whole team and not to any one individual.

4. Meet the general and basic expectations of JCYH's skill and/or system level development plans as set forth by JCYH's Hockey Development program for your team's age level.

5. Attend mandatory coaches meetings and clinics when requested.6. The Head Coach will select a team manager or co-managers and designate the duties they will have.

Coaches will provide parents and players with a clear explanation of team goals, philosophies, expectations and team rules for the upcoming season. This communication can be written in an email or be distributed at a face to face Parent-Coaches meeting. The information should include consequences if players fail to meet rules regarding behavior, attendance at practices, respecting the coach and other players, etc. Parents should be made aware of any additional expenses involved for the season, such as out of town tournaments or extra practice ice.

7. There will be no abusive language in the locker room, on the bench, or on the ice by coaches or players8. Coaches are expected to be in the locker room at least twenty minutes prior to the scheduled ice time for

all practices and games.9. A coach must accompany the players off the ice and into the locker room following all games.10. Coaches are expected to use the team's practice ice effectively and efficiently. A written practice plan

should be used for all practices. Know what you will be doing every minute of your planned practice. Ice time is expensive so "chalk talks" should be reserved for off-ice instruction. In other words, "keep the kids moving" after briefly explaining a drill or your expectations.

11. The Head Coach is responsible for providing a pre-season and end of season evaluation for each player. A template has been developed to identify strengths and ideas for improvement. This year we will be basing our evaluations on the ADM Model and the skill levels that are associated with each age group.

12. Coaches will not be evaluated on win-loss records, but rather on the degree of progress and advancement of individual and team skills. The Head Coach and assistant coaches will be reviewed at the end of the season by the JCYH A.C.E. Coordinator, the JCYH President and/or appointees from the JCYH Board of Directors. The review will include information obtained from year-end coach evaluations completed by the parents and players. These reviews will be used in a constructive format to help educate and train coaches. Reviews and evaluations will be taken into account in choosing coaches for the JCYH program in the future.

13. Head Coaches will select assistant coaches.

Persons selected should have similar hockey philosophies thereby creating a good working relationship beneficial to the players.

An assistant coach candidate who has a child trying out at the same level shall not be considered until the team in question has been selected.

All assistant coach candidates must acquire the required CEP certificate level and complete the Online Modules for each level they are coaching.

14. Tryouts and Team Selection. Head coaches will attend all tryout sessions for their age level. They will also aid in helping the

tryout phase as requested by the tryout coordinator/A.C.E. coordinator. Coaches must avoid actions that give the appearance of impropriety or favoritism in tryouts, such as

extended conversations with evaluators or special skating arrangements for specific players.15. Coaches should realize that the team is made of all the players selected.

Give fair and equal treatment to all players. Be consistent and strive for consistency from the team. The game is for the players. Coaches should keep this foremost in their thoughts when working with

their teams.16. The Head Coach will formulate practice procedures and game decisions so as not to create dissension

between coaches and players.17. The Head Coach has the freedom to run the team, but must comply with the spirit and letter of the rules,

policies and guidelines established by the League and JCYH Association. It is the philosophy of the JCYH that all players will receive equal playing opportunity over the

course of the season. At the Head Coach's discretion, in accordance with team rules, loss of playing time may be used for

disciplinary reasons such as non-attendance at practices and games, tardiness, not following instructions, unsportsmanlike conduct, etc.

18. The Head Coach's prime objective is to teach HOCKEY. Have the benefit of the players in mind at all times, teaching them new skills and furthering the

development of present skills. Off ice "chalk talks" should be used to supplement on-ice instruction. Teach and condone "clean" hockey only. Teach each team member to praise each other for good plays and never allow players to criticize

each other. Teach the correct rules of hockey. Attempt to learn more about the game and coaching methods to improve coaching effectiveness.

19. Coaches must use their discretion to keep games and practices in good proportion. Correct age related practice to game ratio must be followed at all levels Practice time is where the learning experience is the greatest.

20. Set a good example of sportsmanlike and good conduct on and off the bench and be a good role model for the players. Use of alcohol or any other mood-altering chemical before or during any game or practice is not

allowed. Use of tobacco in any form is not allowed while players are under the authority or supervision of any

coach. Profanity by coaches will not be allowed. Unreasonable physical contact by coaches shall not be allowed. Violation of JCYH's rules or policies shall be cause for review and possible dismissal of a coach.

21. Coaches should report any criticism of refereeing to the Jr. Crusaders Board of Directors.22. Any coaches having program-related issues should contact a member of the Jr. Crusaders Board of

Directors immediately.

Coaching Education Program (CEP)

Summary of new CEP requirements for coaches which will be effective for the 2012-13 season.There are four requirements for coaches:1. Register with USA Hockey as a Player/Coach (only one registration required for both).2. Submit a CORI form to Earl Corey at earlcorey@yahoo.com.3. Comply with Coaching Education Program requirements – Coaching Level Clinics

Coaching Level Clinics 1st year coach – must take Level 1 classroom – Good for 1 season. 2nd year coaching – must take Level 2 classroom – Good for 1 season. 3rd year coaching – must take Level 3 classroom – Good for 2 seasons. 4th year coaching – MAY take Level 4 classroom. 5th year coaching – MAY take Level 4 classroom or must take the Level 3 Track 1 online re-

certification. – Good for 2 seasons. 6th year coaching – MAY take Level 4 classroom. 7th year coaching – MAY take Level 4 classroom or must take the Level 3 Track 2 online re-

certification. 8th year coaching – MAY take Level 4 classroom. 9th year coaching – MUST take Level 4 classroom.

You may only take one classroom level clinic a year.

After the third year, coaches of Tier I and Tier II (National Tournament Bound) 14U, 16U and 18U/19U teams must complete Level 4 in their fourth year. All other coaches may take the Level 4 clinic the fourth or subsequent year. For all other coaches who do not wish to attend the Level 4 clinic in their fourth year, the initial Level 3 classroom clinic will be valid for TWO YEARS only. Once that expires, you must take the Level 3 Track 1 online re-certification. That will be good for TWO YEARS only. Once that expires, you must take the Level 3 Track 2 online re-certification. That will be good for TWO YEARS only. Once that expires, you must take the Level 4 clinic. No exceptions.

4. Comply with Coaching Education Program requirements – Age-Specific Online ModulesAge-Specific Online Modules ($10 each, available September 1)In addition to the Level clinics above, you must also take these online modules according to the age group you are coaching. For example, if you are coaching a mite team and a peewee team next year, you must go online and complete the mite module and the peewee module. There are no requirements for re-certification at this time. Level 4 and 5 coaches must also comply. There is no limit to the number of age-specific modules that you can take in a year.

Grandfathering in the new coaching education program only allows you to enter the program at your current level, it does not exempt you from any of the requirements going forward.

Last Few Notes

PlanningPractice: Ice time is VERY expensive….. Planning out every minute of your practice ensures that your players are getting the maximum benefit out of their time on that expensive playing surface. Understanding that some drills only work when you have a FULL SHEET, and certain other drills allow you to run multiple versions “cross-ice” to keep more players involved at the same time – keeps the practices “flowing”. Staging your drills, so that each subsequent drill adds a new level of complexity or an additional “skill” that needs to be demonstrated keeps the players engaged and energized. There’s nothing that gives me more satisfaction than walking into my TEAM’s locker-room after a practice and finding sixteen players that are red faced, dripping wet and every one of them is SMILING from ear to ear.

Players will inevitably play the game as they practice it. If you allow your players to skate through practice at say 60-65% of their effort level, then on game day you cannot expect to see more than that same 65% of effort from them. Because that’s the level they have been training their bodies to perform at. Practice drills should be run at a slow pace initially until they get the fundamentals down. Once they can execute the fundamentals properly, increase the speed of execution, keeping an eye on the fundamentals, until they have attained “game speed”. We should be TEACHING our players exactly what “Speed of Execution” means: “Speed of the player, Speed of the game, Speed to make good decisions quickly”.

Season: Coaches should have some form of a long-term plan for their TEAM that encompasses the entire season. Understanding that the Hockey season is a more like a “Marathon” than a “Sprint” – what are your plans for evolving your TEAM over the course of the season.? You need a plan. And more than just “win games”. “If you Coach to win every game, then more likely than not you will never win the last game” – Paul Cannata (Milford Academy Hockey Coach @ CEP Level IV Clinic 2011).

Coaches ResourcesOn the JCYH website, under the Documents section there is a Coaches Resources area that has been setup for you. There are a number of documents here that explain the new ADM Model, the Jr. Crusaders Skill Progression Guides for all age groups, USA Hockey practice plans, as well as drill books from a number of other reputable sources – all of which can be mapped to skills that are to be mastered and measured for each age group per the ADM model. There are also a number of publications on Body Contact and SMALL AREA GAMES. I have also updated two versions of the Jr. Crusaders Game Sheet template that coaches can use to create printed copies of rosters onto standard AVERY office labels – no more hand written game sheets!!! We have access to technology – we should use it.

Print and pass out all practice plans to your assistants prior to practice. This will save time during practices. It helps all of the coaches to understand - what we are working on, the sequence of drills (so we get setup faster), and helps to set our focus area for each coach (“here you take the 1x1’s and focus on defensive body position, I’ll take mid-ice and concentrate on their transitions….). Divide and conquer. If there are three coaches on the ice, then there should be THREE COACHES providing instructions to players as they execute the drills.

If you are on the ice and shooting pucks off of the boards/glass while another coach is trying to give instruction or while players are running through their drill progressions – then you are a distraction to your players and to what your TEAM is trying to accomplish.

In Season Age Appropriate Skills SessionsThis year we will be continuing these skills sessions “in house” and saving the expense of having “some outsider” come in here and teaching our players what OUR coaches could be teaching them.

It is my hope to offer one skills session per age group per month over the course of the season. The frequency of these sessions will be somewhat dictated from our ice contracts but we do have a commitment from the Jr. Crusaders Board of Directors to use a “team’s” practice ice if we cannot acquire ice specifically for Skills Sessions. All coaches should attend these skill sessions as these are intended to ensure that we are working on the appropriate SKILLS for each age group and that we as Coaches are TEACHING correctly and with consistency. The A.C.E. Coordinator will facilitate the first two or three sessions for each group then pass that primary responsibility to the Head Coaches for each age group – the A.C.E. Coordinator will continue to attend and participate in the Sessions performing in a support role to the Head Coaches.

We’ll get more clarity around the Skills Sessions as far as the format, schedule etc as we get closer to the start of the season. Notifications will be made to the Head Coaches giving them as much advanced notice as possible (hopefully at least two weeks - I know I wouldn’t want someone to just show up at my practice and tell me my TEAM was doing skills after I had spent time to develop my own practice plan) – I’ll be respectful of you and your time, and I will ask the same of you.

Jr. Crusaders Youth Hockey - GAME DAY PHILOSPHY & TIPS

Pre-GameAll though there are obvious items to cover before a game, we want to review some of the basics. Mandate that all players are dressed and ready to go 15 minutes prior to the game start time. The majority of the rinks we play our league games in maintain a policy whereby they can start games up to 15 minutes prior to their scheduled start time – this JCYH policy ensures that the Jr. Crusaders will always be able to field a team for games that may start early. Communicate lines/positions for the games. Emphasize 3 goals for the game, NO MORE THAN 3. Stay positive and do not fill their heads up with a lot of concepts and suggestions. Practice your pre-game warm up in your weekly practice sessions.Keep the players moving and get a lot of shots on the goalie.

GameThe majority of your coaching was done at practice. Excessive yelling at players during the game is a distraction. Teaching a player to learn from their mistakes will only work if the player remembers the situation they were in and the choice they made at that given moment. If you can get the player back to that point and ask them what choice they made, or what they saw then you can teach them what a better choice might be. If the player cannot remember you are wasting your time. In the reverse, if a player makes the right play go through the same sequence and compliment the player for making the right choice. Keep in mind you see the game through different eyes than the player sees it. Take notes on things to work on for the future. Do not compliment the result, compliment the effort!!

Post GameMeet briefly as a coaching staff and agree on 3 points to review. Keep it brief, be respectful of the parents and players time. No matter what the situation was end on a positive note. Acknowledge all players after the game individually. Review as a coaching staff items to be worked on at the upcoming practices.

Ten Most Frequent Criticisms of Coaches1. Coach shows favoritism, unequal discipline.2. Coach is too negative, belittles players.3. Practices are too unorganized and not planned out.4. Lack of communication.5. Lack of team discipline.6. Lack of skill development.7. Coach plays the “star” system, lack of teamwork.8. Goalies forgotten in practice.9. Borderline language.10. Not a good teacher - Parent coaching.

Parent/Coach Team Meeting OutlineAs discussed earlier in this handbook, while a face to face meeting is always more productive in creating that “name to a face” association for both the parents and the Coaches, a well written email distributed to the players/parents and covering all of these items can be just as effective in establishing clear lines for bi-directional communication.

1. Head Coach and Assistant Coach Introduction2. School/Grades/Homework4. Coaching Philosophy5. Team Objectives6. Player Ice Time Policy7. Team Manager8. Player Rules and Responsibilities (coaches written expectations of players)9. Tournaments/Out-of-Town Trips10. Team Assessments11. In-season sessions with Hockey Development Director – Age appropriate Skills Sessions12. Parent/Player Roster (names, addresses, telephone numbers)13. Use of Website – www.JrCrusadersyouthhockey.com – and your Team Page14. Volunteer Sign-up15. Parent Introduction

I Hope They Didn't Bring Apple Juice

By Steve Simmons, Toronto Sun-There was about two minutes to play in the playoff game and I was anxiously pacing behind the bench, barking out whatever instructions seemed important at that very moment. You watch the game and you watch the clock in those final seconds, sometimes precisely at the very same time. We were up by a goal, poised to advance to the next round of the playoffs, when I felt a tug on my jacket. "Ah coach," one of my players said on the bench. "Yea," I answered, concentrating more on the game and the clock than on him at that instance. "Is there snacks today?" "Whaaaat?" I barked exasperated. "Did anyone bring snacks today?" "Huh," I looked away. "I hope they didn't bring apple juice." The young boy said. "I don't like apple juice." The moment froze me in all the playoff excitement, the way all special and meaningful moments should. If somehow, I could have captured that conversation on tape, I would have had one of those special sporting moments for parents everywhere, the kind you need to play for coaches and executive and trainers and managers and all of us who take kids hockey way too seriously. It isn't life or death, as we like to think it is. It isn't do or die as often as we pretend it to be. In one tiny moment in one game minor hockey was reduced to what it really is about. Apple juice. OK, so it's not apple juice. But what apple juice happens to represent in all of this. The snack. The routine. The ritual. Kids can win and lose and not even give a second's thought about either, but don't forget the post-game drinks. If anything will spoil a good time, that will. You see, it's all part of the culture of hockey. Not who wins, not who scores goals, not which team accomplished what on which night, but about whether Mom and Dad are there, whether their grandparents are in the stands watching, whether their best friend was on their team and they got a shift on the power play, and yes, about what they ate. When you get involved in hockey, when you truly put your heart into the game and into the environment and into everything, it can be when it's at its best, the game is only part of the package. It becomes a social outing for parents. It becomes a social outing for children. It should never be about who is going for extra power skating and who is going straight from minor tyke to the Ottawa Senators but about building that kind of environment, the kind of memories kids and parents and families will have forever.

Sometimes, when I stand around the arenas I can't believe the tone of the conversations I hear. The visions are so short-sighted. The conversations are almost always about today and who won and who lost and who scored. Not enough people use the word fun and not enough sell it that way either. Hard as we try to think like kids, we're not kids. Hard as we try to remember what we were when we were young, our vision is clouded by perspective and logic, something not always evident with children. Ask any parent whether they would rather win or lose and without a doubt they would say win. But ask most children what they would prefer:playing a regular shift, with power play time and penalty killing time on a losing team rather playing sparingly on a winning team, and the answer has already come out in two different studies. Overwhelmingly, kids would rather play a lot than win and play a little. Like we said, it is about apple juice. It is, after all, about the experience. You can't know what's in a kid's mind. I was coaching a team a few years ago when I got a call from the goaltender's Father. It was the day before the championship game. The Father told me his son didn't want to play anymore. "Anymore after tomorrow." I asked. "No," the Father said.

"He just doesn't want to play anymore." "Did something happen?" I asked. "He won't tell me," the Father said. I hung up the phone and began to wonder how this happened and who would play goal the next day when I decided to call back. "Can I talk to him?" I asked the father. The goalie came on the phone. "I don't

want to play anymore." "But you know what tomorrow is, don't you? Are you nervous?" "No." "Then what? You can tell me." "I don't like it anymore." "Don't like playing goal?" "They hurt me," he said. "Who hurts you?" "The guys," he said "What guys?" "Our guys. They jump on me after the game. It hurts me and scares me." "Is that it?" "Yea." "Do you trust me?" "Yea." "What if I told you they won't jump on you and hurt you anymore. Would you play then?" "Are you sure?" "I'm sure." "Then I'll play." And that was the end of the goalie crisis. The kid was scared and wouldn't tell his parents. The kid loved playing but didn't love being jumped on after winning games. You can't anticipate anything like that as a coach. You can't anticipate what's in their minds. It's their game, we have to remember. Not our game. They don't think like we do or look at the sport like we do. They don't have to adjust to us, we have to adjust to them. We have to make certain we're not spoiling their experience. Our experience is important too, but the game is for the children and not for the adults. We can say that over and over again, but the message seems to get lost every year. Lost in too many coaches who lose perspective and who think nothing of blaming and yelling and bullying. Lost by parents who think their son or daughter is the next this or the next that and they are already spending the millions their little one will be earning by the time they finish hockey in the winter, 3-on-3 in the summer, power skating over winter break, special lessons over March break, pre-tryout camp before the AAA tryouts in May and a couple weeks of hockey school, just to make certain they don't go rusty.

I have asked many NHL players how they grew up in the game. My favorite answer came from Trevor Linden, who has captained more than one team. He said he played hockey until April and then put his skates away. He played baseball all summer until the last week of August. He went to hockey camp for one week then began his season midway through September with tryouts. No Summer hockey. No special schools. No skating 12 months a year. "I didn't even see my skates for about five months a year. I think the kids today are playing way too much hockey and all you have to do is look at the development to see it really isn't producing any better players. "We have to let the kids be kids." When, I asked Gary Roberts recently, did he think he had a future in hockey. "When I got a call from an agent before the OHL draft," he said. "Before that, it was just a game we played." Do me a favor: Until the agent comes knocking on your teenager's door, let's keep it that way. A game for kids. And one reminder, I don't care what the age: Don'tforget the snacks.

* Steve Simmons writes a city column for the Toronto Sun when he isn't coaching his Avenue Road minor atom select team or Vaughan peewee house league team. His syndicated Sunday sports column is the most read sports column in Canada.