Featured Blog: More Youth Hockey Myths Dispelled

School buses are running their routes, the leaves are beginning to turn and the 2012 State Fair is now come and gone. All signs that summer are coming to a conclusion and that winter will soon be here. The Roseville Area Hockey Association will be holding its annual registration on Sunday Sept. 9 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Monday Sept. 10 from 6 p.m.
to 8 p.m.  The event will happen in the Olympic room of the Roseville Ice Arena. More detailed information can be found at www.rosevillehockey.org.

There is little in life quite as rewarding as introducing a kid to something they
will love for the rest of their lives. Hockey is one of those joys.  But as a board member, and as a parent that has always been approachable, I hear a lot of questions about hockey – “Why should their kid sign up, what is the cost” etc.  I have learned that there is one consistent –there is a lot of misinformation about youth hockey. In the days leading to registration, I will list and debunk the top 10 myths of youth hockey.

Hockey is a great sport. Don’t let bad information keep you from enjoying it!

Since today’s myths are so easy, we will knock out a couple of them.

Myth #7 – “My kid has weak ankles and can’t skate.”

Parental Mumbo Jumbo!

For this myth, I went to an expert – Moose Younghans of Strauss Skates and Bicycles.  When asked about the myth,Moose responded “It is definitely a myth, your ankles do not bend they pivot on the bottom. If the skates fit correctly they will learn to stand on the proper edge and do fine.” 
Pretty hard to argue with Strauss, who will be celebrating their 125^th
anniversary of selling skate this weekend!

Myth #6 “My kid is already in 1 sport and needs to specialize.”

Crock of Beans!

I have heard (and unfortunately seen) this, and just can’t believe that otherwise
sane people believe this.  Specialization at a young age can cause overuse injuries, unachieved potential, burnout and in the worst cases, broken hearts.

The issue of overuse injuries is pretty straight forward, and can be researched
with ease so I will not elaborate on it. The last three though are worth
exploring a little more closely.

Kids develop skills in one activity that can translate over to other activities. My
boys ran track this spring and will take several things they learned to the
hockey rink. Breathing techniques, training regimen, developing explosiveness
are among the many tools they added to the toolbox.  I have no doubt those skills will transfer to the rink. And even if they did not, they learned new skills and made new friends in the process. I can’t think of a better outcome.

The issue of burnout and broken hearts is real.  I have seen it in kids that only have one activity that they are involved in.  They go at it year round,
being sent to camps, specialized training etc. At some point, they it just does
not hold the joy that it once did.

Just like a food, if you only eat one thing,you are going to get tired of it sooner or later. Steak is great but chicken and pork is nice too. Heck, you can even mix in a salad too!

Broken hearts – If the only reason your child is playing youth hockey is to become a professional, well, get used to disappointment.

A couple of years ago, Minnesota Gophers head coach Don Lucia gave a speech and noted that at the time there were 35,324 boys playing youth hockey. There were 6200 boys playing HS hockey. 250 Minnesotans playing men’s hockey at the D1 level, and 20 in the NHL.   If your whole reason for playing hockey is to go pro and nothing else is acceptable, your odds are 17,662 to 1.  

Youth athletics is a lot like a forest. It has a lot to offer everyone, don’t miss
out by focusing on just a single tree.