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OCT/NOV 2012 “Keep your kids out of hot water, put them on ice” Hockey is Expensive, This Magazine is FREE TAHA Jr. Player Update pg. 4 Success Through Failure A Hockey Story pg. 16 The Importance of Hydration pg. 8

Ice Times Magazine October 2012

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The only amateur hockey magazine that supports the growth and success of amateur hockey in Texas and Oklahoma.

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Page 1: Ice Times Magazine October 2012

OCT/NOV 2012

“Keep your kids out of hot water, put them on ice”

Hockey is Expensive,This Magazine is FREE

TAHAJr. PlayerUpdatepg. 4 Success

Through FailureA Hockey Story

pg. 16

The Importanceof Hydration

pg. 8

Page 2: Ice Times Magazine October 2012

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Michael Bowlings (Allen Americans Midget Major) Oh MY!#6 Jacob Wooters (Ice Jets PW A) and #8 Brock Bartlett (Wolves PW A) battle for the puck.

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Michael Caldwell (Jr. Brahma Pee Wee Vipers)

Cameron Williams (Texas Aces #16)

Glove save by Peri Donaldson of the Alliance Bulldogs 12U Girls

Josh Mehr, getting checked! Calvin Stewart Alliance Bulldogs ‘97 Bantam AA

Euless Mite Calgary Flames protecting the net fromMcKinney Mite Blackhawks.McKinney Lightning Goalie Sean Triece stopping a shot to secure the win.

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TAHA JR Player Update By Tanner Wilson

The start of the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League & Quebec Major Junior Hockey Leagues seasons are underway.

Here are local players who are most likely going to play or at least are fighting for Roster Spots in these leagues this season. Western Hockey LeagueKelowna RocketsColten Martin (Arlington, Texas)2011-2012 Team: Kelowna RocketsInvited to the Dallas Stars Prospect Development Camp back in July and was ranked 146th in the NHL Central Scouting Mid-Season Rankings last year despite not getting drafted.

Medicine Hat TigersMatt Staples (Coppell, Texas)2011-2012 Team: Dallas Stars Elites U16Was possibly one of the most important players to help the Stars Elites U16 Team reach the USA Hockey U16 Tier 1 National Cham-pionship Game last year. He was also taken by the Tri-City Storm in the USHL Entry Draft & is a 2013 Draft Egilible Prospect this season.

Prince George CougarsColin Jacobs (Coppell, Texas)2011-2012 Team: Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)Traded from Seattle to Prince George back in August and was a 4th Round Draft Pick of the Buffalo Sabres back in 2011.

Portland WinterhawksSeth Jones (Plano, Texas)2011-2012 Team: United States National Team Developmental Program U18 (USNTDP U18/USHL)Has won back-to-back IIHF U18 World Championships with Team USA and is expected to be one of (If Not the Top Defensemen) for this year’s Draft Class. Possibly the best player to ever come out of Dallas and played on the Dallas Stars Elites U18 Team during the 2009-2010 season as a 15 year old. He probably would have played in the World Junior Championships last year if he didn’t get hurt in a Pre-Tournament Game against Russia about a week before the Tournament Started.

Ontario Hockey LeaguePlymouth WhalersStefan Noesen (Plano, Texas)2011-2012 Team: Plymouth Whalers (OHL)Has lead the the Whalers in Scoring each of the last two years and is an Ottawa Senators Prospect who signed in 2011. He was also just recently named an assistant captain this season for the Whalers.

United States Hockey LeagueDes Moines BuccaneersTanner Karty (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)2011-2012 Team: Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)

Duggie Lagron (Plano, Texas)2011-2012 Team: Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)Announced his NCAA Commitment to Colorado College (WCHA) Last season and is expected to begin his NCAA Career next year.

Tri-City StormJason Cotton (Murphy, Texas)2011-2012 Team: Colorado Thunderbirds U16Announced his NCAA Commitment to Northeastern University (Hockey East) back in August and was also ranked in the NHL Cen-tral Scouting Pre-Season Rankings in the C Catergory.

Ryan McMurphy (Broken Arrow, Oklahoma)2011-2012 Team: Dallas Stars Elites U18Had 50 points in 39 Games in the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League (T1EHL) for the Stars Elites last year where he was 2nd in team goal scoring last year. He also played in 3 games for the Cedar Rapids Roughrid-ers last season.

Christian Frey (Arlington, Texas)2011-2012 Team: Des Moines Buccaneers/Tri-City StormHe was traded from Des Moines to Tri-City back in February last season.

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Dallas Jr Stars 18UA - Page / Celebrating a goal. Odessa Jr. Jackalopes A players with their banne from SWHS.Photography by Jo Steck Photography

Page 6: Ice Times Magazine October 2012

On the CoverOct./Nov. 2012Now In Our Seventh Season!

On The Cover:Dallas Oilers Pee Wee Lapane team Southwest RumblePee Wee A Division Champions holding the trophy.Photography by Jo Steck Photography

Want to be our next cover shot?Send in your high resolution picture to [email protected]

Cover Shot Contest! PARENTS: Send in your picture and if it makes our Cover Shot of the Month you will win a gift certificate to

YOU SHOOT. YOU SCORE… THE KEG!

TAHA Jr. Player Update . . . . . . . 4Crull Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Success Through Failure . . . . 16, 17Women’s Hockey Life . . . . . . . 18Keeping Youth HockeyIn Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Ice Times Magazine is published monthly by Tink Ink Publications, LLC & distributed free of charge at ice rinks and pro-shops. Copy and Photographs are welcome and must be submitted by the 20th of the month prior to publication. ITM reserves the right to edit, reject or comment editorially on all material contributed. Reproduction in whole or part without express written consent of the Publisher is prohibited.

Scott Tinkham, [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tink Ink PublicationsGraphic Artist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sara Sparrowgrove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] Opportunities . . . . . [email protected]

888-878-8465To submit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.icetimesmagazine.com• Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . click on “send info”• Photographs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . click on “send pics”

WIN A PRIZE!!Find Doright somewhere in the

magazine.

Kim Tinkham (1957 - 2010)Ice Times Magazine is dedicated to the memory of Kim Tinkham.

Kim lost her brave battle with breast cancer Tuesday, December 7, 2010. Kim was a hockey mom, wife, youth hockey enthusiast, and editor and publisher of Ice Times. She will be greatly missed.

Monthly Columns

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Advertise in theONLY

amateurHockey

magazine in Texas and Oklahoma!

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Ice Times Magazine is distributed within the first week

of each month and is entirely supported by

advertising revenue. Please spend your money with

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It is their advertisements that make this

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Thank you!

In stands 30+ days

and online for7 months!It’s not easy.

Email us his location to [email protected] and be entered in a drawing for a prize.

In the August issue Doright could be found on page 22.Did YOU find Doright?

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Remington Schugart -Dallas Jr Stars 18UA - Page celebrates his goal.

OKC OILKING and NTXHL Champion PeeWee, Bryce Johnson, readies for a game at Nationals last April 1st. Following Nationals, Bryces’ off-ice was spent on the baseball field with his Jr. High Team, Latta Panthers.

PARENTS, COACHES and PLAYERS…Send your pictures, jokes, or stories for the

November issue to [email protected]

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Many people often undervalue the importance of proper hydration; in fact

many of you reading this article may be in a state of dehydration right now! I find very few of my clients and athletes consume enough water. Drinking water is one of the easiest performance enhancing tools of the trade and one of the least focused upon. Almost every chemical reaction in the body happens in a water environment, cells, muscles organs are all filled with water. In order for your brain to function well you must be hydrated, if you want your organs and digestive system to work properly you need water, if you are noticing pain in your back or joints you may be dehydrated and the lack of fluid in the joints and disks may be causing some of that pain. Your body’s ability to create energy to properly fire muscles is reliant on water. The lack of hydration can decrease your ability to create these necessary chemical reactions causing a decrease in overall performance. So now of course the question is how much water do we need? A minimum requirement for any person of any age is about 2 quarts of water per day for males and 1.5 quarts of water a day for females. Male athletes should be consuming about 2.5 quarts if you’re less than 150lbs and 3 quarts a day if you’re less than 200lbs. Females athletes should be around 2 quarts a day if they are under 100lbs and 2.5 quarts of water if they are less than 150lbs. You should also consume about 4oz of water for every 15 minutes of physical activity. Another great tool to use to verify how much water you need is to weigh in before a workout and weigh yourself again after the workout.

For every pound you lose you should consume 16-24oz of water to make up for losses. On top of this try to make sure you are getting trace minerals such as zinc, copper, manganese and chromium. A great source of these minerals can be found by replacing normal table salt with Celtic or Himalayan salt as it retains these naturally present minerals. They are also lower in sodium as well! Please stay away from caffeinated beverages or at least take note that caffeine is a diuretic so you will need to increase your water intake to counter. Also try to remember to stay away from sugary beverages as it increases

inf lammation, fa t , and has literally zero positive nutritional value for your body. It may feel like a pain to get used to drinking so much water but the benefits of proper body function, increased performance, weight loss (Its true!), and pain reduction I feel are well worth drinking more water every day! As always feel free to ask me or

any of my trainers about more information on proper hydration programs by emailing [email protected]. ■

The Importance of HydrationBy Luke Beltrand

Luke Beltrand is a Former Collegiate Hockey player and Current Manager of Crull Fitness Valley Ranch. Luke is Certified as a Certified Fitness Specialist through the Cooper’s Institute and Sports Performance Coach through USA Weightlifting. Luke is the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for over 40 local Hockey Teams..

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Erik Masengill (DSYHL Mite Gold Champion - Farmers Branch Senators) Texas Aces #9 Brendan Finn

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Dallas Oilers Pee Wee A ChampionsPhotography by Jo Steck Photography

SWSHS Ice Jets AA ChampionshipPhotography by Jo Steck Photography

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Texas Aces #77 Connor Jubenville

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Eric Eaton (McKinney Lightning Bantam) - “Flying to the Net”Photography by Jo Steck Photograhy

Mitchell Anderson (Dallas Stars Elite 98)follows through on a shot.

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Success through Failure: A Hockey StoryBy Jon E Clutton

Even though more than a decade has passed, it doesn’t seem like long ago. I remember my door opening, my father carefully

walking across the dark room, shaking me gently, the disoriented walk down the stairs, the immediacy of brisk morning air, the sleepy car ride, the feeling of a different briskness as I stepped into the rink, the unlit walk to the locker room, finding the perfect spot, my father patiently tying my skates, feeling the cool rubber floor on my face as my dad laced my pads, the smell of a chin strap, the somewhat awkward walk to the rink, the first step onto the ice – that indescribably feeling. I remember the frozen ponds. I remember sleeping with my new helmet. I remember tying my own skates. I remember growing older. I remember becoming a better man. I remember that feeling and I need to continue to remember that feeling because it kept me coming back week after week and coming back week after week helped make me the man I am today. My intention is to defend the value of youth hockey regardless of whether it manifests into college hockey or something higher because I believe that youth hockey provides the potential to learn far more than just how to skate, shoot, and score. I am a junior neuroscience major at the University of Texas at Austin. I TA a critical thinking based calculus class, work as a lab assistant on neurogenesis in adult mice, proposed and am developing a minor entitled Flow: An Inquiry into the Neuroscience of Athletic Peak Performance, and play club ultimate frisbee. I do these things because I wholeheartedly enjoy them, but I think that many would admit that I have had the good fortune of being fairly successful. The majority of my hockey career had a similar feel: four nationals appearances, two bronze medals and one silver, acting captain on many of my teams, all while playing at the highest levels Dallas had to offer. I won’t try to persuade you that I was the best or that I should be playing college right now because I wasn’t and I shouldn’t, but I would like to try to convince you that at one point in time I was good. Despite this, my hockey career ended three years ago in a small city north of Vancouver playing bad hockey on a worse team and struggling the entire time. I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I believe that youth hockey provides the opportunity to teach and enhance a wide range of moral characteristics. I could argue that it teaches you how to work hard or that it teaches you how to be a leader or how to work with teammates or that it gives you the opportunity to consistently test and measure yourself and honestly, youth hockey does provide all of these opportunities; however, the opportunity that I would like to talk about is one that I believe to be very undervalued – the opportunity to fail. I remember sitting in a locker room with a 1, 3, and 2 record being

painfully aware that my hockey career was coming to a close. For thirteen years hockey had been my life. I had lived and breathed and bled and sweat and bruised and broken for hockey. The team had brought in one goalie and was bringing in another. I had a feeling my time was done. When you have lived the majority of your life defining

yourself by one characteristic, losing that characteristic is quite an experience. Losing hockey shook the entire foundation of who I believed I was. After our next practice, my coach asked to see me in his office where he explained that he was bringing in a 20 year-old goalie and that I would be his back-up. I did not want to be his backup. I quietly quit. I did not argue. I did not try to tell him that I was the better goalie. I am not sure that I handled that situation in the best manner, it was just kind of who I was. I did, however, listen to my

coach tell me that I was smart enough I could do anything I wanted. I couldn’t though. I wanted to play hockey. By my own very rigorous standards, I had failed. Two aspects of failure provide the greatest opportunity for growth – the immediate reaction to failure and what happens next. Often times in youth sports, you hear the story of the “bad loser.” I remember seeing my fair share of broken sticks, slammed doors, angry tirades, thrown water bottles, thrown helmets, and even thrown stereo systems. This “bad loser” is a perfect example of an immediate reaction to failure. I chose to use the example of the “bad loser” because it is an easily recognizable trap of failure. The truth is that there are many. There is the over-analytical goalie who allows a bad goal to affect his self-confidence, the young forward who begins to believe that apathy is an acceptable response to being sat, and the defenseman who criticizes a teammate for a mistake for which he was really responsible. What each one of these responses has in common is that they are the easy, automatic way out. It is easy to bang your stick on the boards skating off the ice. It is hard to realize that maybe you aren’t quite as good as you thought you were. This is where failure is headed. Failure causes a reevaluation of self. Who you thought you would be isn’t who you ended up being and you need a way to reconcile this dissonance. I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself because the way in which you handle this dissonance falls under the category of what happens next. Instead, I want to provide a remedy for the traps in which you can fall when reacting to failure, or at least explain what I learned. As you might have guessed, I was the over-analytical goalie. I was very good at finding all of the things wrong in my game and trying to fix them. In doing so, I usually undermined my own confidence. The remedy that I found to work was a certain state of mind. In this state

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of mind I had no doubts, no tensions, and no concerns. Things just kind of happened. Finding this state of mind was very difficult, and I imagine very different for every person, but what I found to work for me was a vigorous attention to my body and a constant, conscious awareness of the traps in which I could fall. To tell you the truth, I still don’t really know how to find this state of mind, but I know that when I do, I always have my best performances. So, failure has forced you to confront the realization that maybe you are not quite as good as you thought you were. What happens next? This is the most important aspect of failure. This confrontation provides the opportunity to really Learn something about yourself. There are, more or less, three ways to manage this confrontation: run from it, fight it, or let go. I won’t focus on either running or fighting. They are identifiable in the player who is working hard but in the wrong way, the player who quits because he is afraid of failing, and the player with the over-sized ego. Running and fighting serve only to delay and lessen both the pain of failure and what it can teach. I want to talk about letting go.

Failure is not fun… ever. It hurts. Regardless of whether you are the mini-mite who forgets to grab his post-game refreshment or the goalie who lets in a bad goal during the national championship game, it hurts. Let it hurt. Don’t be afraid of it. This is the letting go I am talking about. Letting yourself hurt is hard. It takes courage and strength and discipline, but if you can do it – if you can avoid running from it – when the pain dissipates you will be immeasurably stronger. I am not saying anything new. We all know this already. It’s been codified in Nietzsche’s “What does not destroy me, makes me strong.” What I am trying to say is that failure is all around us. Not only is it on our hockey rinks, it is in our relationships, our jobs, our hobbies, and even in our cars on the way home from the grocery store. Failure is inevitable. But if you can learn how to manage failure, then when it comes to the really important things in life – integrity, honesty, humility, courage, discipline, empathy, awareness – failure has the potential to be an excellent teacher. And somewhere in the Rockies on my way home from Vancouver failure taught me how to live. ■

Jason Owings - #5 on the Squirt Texas Junior Stars (Austin).

Dallas Jr Stars 18UA - Page / Do not pass Go...or my stick!

Hockey players come in all sizes:) at Hockey Ambitions Skills Clinic

Allen Americans Midget Major

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Coach Us Like Men and Treat Us Like WomenBy Jordan Elkins

Girl’s hockey in Texas, and all over the United States for that matter, is still flying under the

radar of most people. Though the growth in the popularity of the sport has been exponential even in the past 5-7 years many when they hear about girls hockey say something like, “Really, girls play hockey?” or, “Oh, I didn’t know there was college hockey for girls too.” Yes, for us involved in the sport this sounds silly, but I’d be willing to bet we all have had an encounter like this, and it definitely won’t be the last. In most, or all, of my posts I find a way to relate the game of hockey to life, because hockey provides for everyone a chance to learn valuable lessons at a young age that can help later in life. Yet, for girls, I believe some lessons dig a little deeper. Allow me to explain, Mia Hamm, a great athlete and leader for team USA’s Olympic soccer team once said, “ Coach us like men and treat us like women.” Girls and women are constantly seeking to find a balance between being seen as a woman, but not having that held against them. Most of us want to be seen for the potential we have, and not just our gender. Though we are proud we are women, we truly want to be looked at as a person who has power, potential, and is capable of making an impact. Hockey gives young girls first hand experience at dealing with this ever-teetering balance. Many girls growing up in small towns, or areas where girl’s hockey isn’t so common, often have to buckle their helmets and step onto the ice with the boys, and with a lot more to prove. We all would like to believe that the playing field is equal, that it really doesn’t matter to young players, their parents, and coaches if there is a girl on the ice with the boys, but I think we know the truth. Some girls may have to work a little bit harder and give a little bit more in order to be seen as the hockey player they want to be. This lesson can either be incredibly helpful, or incredibly hurtful. However, it’s a lesson nonetheless, and one that I am committed to helping my young players see. Here in Texas we don’t have any other all girls teams to play so we play against boys teams. At first some teams are skeptical to schedule games against our U14 team, but when they do, before we step on the ice I remind the girls to see the bigger picture. To prove to themselves, and everyone else in the rink that they will be competitive no matter who they are playing against, to show that it isn’t a “girl’s team” versus a “boy’s team,” but two hockey teams

competing against each other. You may think asking 13 and 14 year olds to see the bigger picture is a lost cause, but it’s really not, not for girls. These girls have chosen hockey for a reason, because it started as something unknown, because it’s about hard work, because it’s about their team, because it gives them a challenge and intrigues them, and more importantly because being defined as a hockey player is something that makes them so proud. Young girls don’t just want to be told what to do in a drill, they constantly want to know why they are doing the specific drill. And for a coach, who once was that young girl asking tons of questions, it’s the greatest thing to be apart of. This is the perfect age to help them foster confidence in themselves any way possible. They need to be able to count on each other as a team, and also learn to trust themselves, and believe in what they personally can accomplish. Because if they can first learn these lessons within the walls of the rink, they will be more willing to have confidence in themselves and their potential when they take their gear off and head out into the world. They really do need to be coached like men, but treated like women. They want to have fun, they want to be social, but they are also thirsting for hard work. There will always be assumptions, there will always be stereotypes, and many will never take girl’s sports as seriously as they do men’s sports, so it is up to the players, and the coaches to constantly prove the value and worth. As coaches of women’s teams we should expect more, push more, find a balance between the details and having fun, and aim to show them that working hard as a team is what will ultimately make the season as fun as possible. As we’ve heard before, hockey isn’t all about winning, but for the girls who choose to wear their bows in the form of hockey laces, there is an incredible amount up for the taking. ■

Article and bio found atwomenshockeylife.com

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Last April the McKinney Bluejackets beat the Wichita Falls Wildcats 7-3 to win the Squirt Gold Championship game.

Tyler Freed (Allen Americans Midget Major)

Dustin Parman of the Bay Area Hounds racing to the puck.Frisco’s Daniel Patrick rolls to the backhand for a goal.

Jason Farris, Chief Operating Officer of the NHL Dallas Stars is presented with the Dallas Stars Elite Corporate Sponsorship rink banner by Allan Griebenow and players on the DSEHC PeeWee 2000 team.

Odessa Jackalopes - Photography by Jo Steck Photography

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Keeping Youth Hockey in PerspectiveBy John Buccigross

If you are a hockey parent, or dream of one day spending more than $10,000 and sacrificing weekends for a decade of glamorous youth

or “minor” hockey, here are 13 important things you need to know about the youth hockey universe. 1. Under no circumstances will hockey practice ever be cancelled. Ever. Even on days when school is cancelled, practice is still on.. A game may be cancelled due to inclement weather because of travel concerns for the visiting team, but it would have to rain razor blades and bocce balls to cancel hockey practice at your local rink. It’s good karma to respect the game. 2. Hockey is an emotional game and your child has the attention span of a chipmunk on NyQuil. The hockey coach will yell a bit during practice; he might even yell at your precious little Sparky. As long as there is teaching involved and not humiliation, it will be good for your child to be taught the right way, with emphasis. 3. Hockey is a very, very, very, very difficult game to play. You are probably terrible at it. It takes high skill and lots of courage, so lay off your kid. Don’t berate them. Be patient and encourage them to play.. Some kids need more time to learn how to ride the bike, but, in the end, everyone rides a bike about the same way. Your kids are probably anywhere from age 4-8 when they first take up hockey. They will not get a call from Boston University coach Jack Parker or receive Christmas cards from the Colorado Avalanche’s director of scouting.. Don’t berate them. Demand punctuality and unselfishness for practice and games. That’s it. Passion is in someone, or it isn’t. One can’t implant passion in their child. My primary motive in letting my kids play hockey is exercise, physical fitness and the development of lower-body and core strength that will one day land them on a VH1 reality show that will pay off their student loans or my second mortgage. 4. Actually, I do demand two things from my 10-year-old Squirt, Jackson. Prior to every practice or game, as he turns down AC/DC’s “Big Jack,” gets out of the car and makes his way to the trunk to haul his hockey bag inside a cold, Connecticut rink, I say, “Jack, be the hardest, most creative and grittiest worker ... and be the one having the most fun.” That might be four things, but you know what I mean. 5. Your kids should be dressing themselves and tying their own skates by their second year of Squirt. Jack is 67 pounds with 0 percent body fat and arms of linguini, and he can put on, take off and tie his own skates. If he can, anyone can. I don’t go in the locker room anymore. Thank goodness; it stinks in there. 6. Do not fret over penalties not called during games and don’t waste long-term heart power screaming at the referees. My observational research reveals the power-play percentage for every Mite hockey game ever played is .0000089 percent; for Squirts, .071 percent. I prefer referees to call zero penalties. 7. Yell like crazy during the game. Say whatever you want. Scream

every kind of inane instruction you want to your kids. They can’t hear you. In the car ride home, ask them if they had fun and gently promote creativity and competiveness, but only after you take them to Denny’s for a Junior Grand Slam breakfast or 7-Eleven for a Slurpee. Having a warm breakfast after an early morning weekend game will become one of your most syrupy sweet memories. 8. Whenever possible, trade in your kids’ ice skates and buy used skates, especially during those growing years and even if you can afford to buy new skates every six months. Your kids don’t need $180 skates and a $100 stick no matter what your tax bracket is. They will not make them better players. 9. Missing practice (like we stated above) or games is akin to an Irish Catholic missing Mass in 1942. We take attendance at hockey games very seriously. Last week, the Islanders’Brendan Witt was hit by an SUV in Philadelphia. Witt got up off the pavement and walked to Starbucks for a coffee, and then later played against the Flyers that night. Let me repeat that: BRENDAN WITT WAS HIT BY AN SUV ... AND PLAYED THAT NIGHT! Re-read that sentence 56 times a night to your child when they have a case of the sniffles and want to stay home to watch an “iCarly” marathon. By, the way Philadelphia police cited Witt for two minutes in jail for obstruction. Witt will appeal. 10. Teach your kids not to celebrate too much after a goal if your team is winning or losing by a lot. And by all means, tell them celebrate with the team. After they score, tell them not to skate away from their teammates like soccer players. Find the person who passed you the puck and tell him or her, “Great pass.” We have immediate group hugs in hockey following a short, instinctive reaction from the goal scorer. I am proud of my boy for a lot of things, but I am most proud at how excited he gets when a teammate scores a goal. He isAlex Ovechkin in this regard. 11. There is no such thing as running up the score in hockey. This is understood at every level. It’s very difficult to score goals and unexplainably exhilarating when one does. Now, if we get to 14-1, we may want to take our foot off the gas a tad. 12. Unless their femur is broken in 16 places, Mites or Squirts should not lie on the ice after a fall on the ice or against the boards. Attempt to get up as quickly as one can and slowly skate to the bench. 13. Do not offer cash for goals. This has no upside. Passion and love and drive cannot be taught or bought. I do believe a certain measure of toughness and grit can be slowly encouraged and eventually taught. Encourage your kid to block shots and to battle hard in the corners. It will serve them well in life. Enjoy the rink. Keep it fun, keep it in perspective and enjoy the madness. In this digital world of electronics, you may find hockey to be the most human endeavor you partake in. Cell phones run on batteries. Hockey players run on blood. Blood is warmer. ■For the complete article please visit ESPN.com

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Joshua Levitz takes a face off in OKC 9/29/12 10u Jr. Stars AA.

Texas Aces #43 Jeff Kirkendall

Jacob Levitz - Alliance 13uA vs Houston Hitmen

Hayden Rivers Dallas Stars Elite 98

Preston Lamm #25 - DJHA PWAA / Playing the in Winter Classic

Cameron Boudreau Allen Americans Midget Major

Page 23: Ice Times Magazine October 2012

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888-878-8465 Keep your kids out of hot water – put them on ice!23

Page 24: Ice Times Magazine October 2012