Our Latest Newsletter July 22nd 2010     Dear Hockey Friends, I am often asked by families when they should begin the process of college selection, placement and recruiting, and what to expect. They often rely on current coaches to help promote their sons (and daughters) to other (higher level) programs and assume it is part of the coach's job. Midget coaches (as an example) have a limited amount of time in their schedules to coach their team, train their players and prepare for upcoming games. Really, the process is almost entirely left up to the players and their parents to explore and secure future academic and athletic opportunities for young athletes. Although I highly suggest including your coach(es) in the process, as references for prep school, junior and college coaches, it really is in the players best interests to "take the bull by the horns" and get it done, through your own means.... As one very well regarded hockey scout recently told me...., "too many people just expect that the white limousine is going to show up one day with an unbeliveable offer.... but that is not the way that it works....the days of college coaches camping on athletes' front lawns are over...." It really never was like that for hockey anyways..... In today's world, with all the recruiting rules, it defnately does not happen that way, and with so many advances made in training and coaching, most teams are looking for a solid team made out of dedicated and skilled athletes, and pay less attention to those players they consider to be superstars at a younger age. Most college teams are most interested in players that have incrediable work ethics, and are seen as team players... players who want to contribute..... In today's world, college hockey players must be well educated, have an excellent level of skill, and be very efficient at letting teams know of their sincere interest in playing college hockey (or at whatever level it may be).... In most cases, through the process, a player will only ever have one chance to make a first-impression. With most coaches receiving thousands of videos and resumes/letters on their desk each year, how will you leave a lasting impression? How will you stand out from all the rest.... How will that coach know that you are serious about wanting to make his team.... You need to be prepared.... you need to have taken the steps so coaches know that you are serious....and you need to market yourself... always being aware of the message being sent..... on and off the ice.... Last week, I spoke to a player who talked to a Division I coach while on holidays, and he told me that the coach brushed him off when he had the chance to talk to him after a morning skate. I asked him what the coach and he talked about, and he said that the coach talked about the league they played in and some of the competition. The player told me that he didn't know anything about the other teams and felt dumb. I told him that likely the coach was testing to see if he was serious enough to at least know a little about the teams in the conference. These guys are busy and they will brush a player off if they feel that someone is just wasting their time, which often is indicated by the level of interest that a player should have in his future endeavours.   Some important questions Here are a few critical questions that a young athlete (and families) should ask themselves at the time they go about deciding that they may be interested in considering the academic route, while pursuing their hockey career. 1. What do I want to become in life? A doctor, engineer, business manager/owner, teacher, etc.? 2. What type of school is of most interest to me? Big school, small school, co-ed, etc.? 3. What are the academic entrance requirements? 4. Have I completed all the NCAA core courses at my high school? Do I know what I have to complete by my senior year? 5. Have I visited a small college campus and a large campus? Which is more my style? 6. Have I met any college coaches in person? Have I talked to any current or former players on the team or league? By having a look at some of these sorts of questions (there is actually close to 100), a player is able to at least demonstrate to a coach that he is serious about the possibility of attending college and has given some thought to the process. Grade 9 is the best time to begin considering your options. This gives a player and his/her family time to consider all the various options that may present themselves, as well as to consider the pressures and decisions that may become necessary in the near future. It is at this time that strategic decisions need to be made to ensure that options are later available. Some players are younger when they start with our program for various reasons, one of which is that it costs no more (or less) to subscribe as a 13 year old, or as an 18 year old.It is completely up to parents and players to consider when they shoul dbegin the process. Many people think that grade 9 is awful young to be thinking about college/university, but two out of the three Canadian Major Junior Leagues conduct a bantam draft with most players in grade 9. It is at this age that players and parents must be prepared to know what lies ahead, and be prepared to make some strategic decisions. If there is a chance that a player may wish to consider college hockey in the US, it is important to plan one's high school (grade 9 to 12) course decisions. Remember, if you wish to pursue an NCAA hockey program, there are required core courses in each of gades 9 to grade 12 that must be completed within a 4 year window. If a player waits until their senior year to learn that they are short on core courses or their grades are not strong enough to be admitted … he/she could be the best player and never set foot on that campus. Having said that, we work with players of all ages, and most do not join our program until they are in grade 10, 11 or 12 (and some after high school graduation). However, the earlier one gets started, and the more thought (and weighing of options is considered),the easier it is to identify true opportunities, and make certain strategic decisions for the long-term benefit of the player. And remember, for those that feel you may not be interested in the college route, I recommend that you still keep all options open. By exploring scholastic opportunities, the other options remain, but not necessarily the other way around.... I know of too many players who closed that door too quickly, only to regret it later. I don't recommend that you necessarily spend money on our assistance, but at least make sure that you are making well-informed decisions, at every step of the way. If you think we can help out, please do not hesitate to drop me a line. Sincerely David MacDonald Email David Note: Please be advised that I do not necessarily agree with all information provided in the following articles, nor do I believe that they necessarily contain all the information and data that should be taken into account when making important decisions.... It's just the way that they have been written by these independent writers.... These articles should only form part of the background information one needs to consider.... About NCAA Athletic Scholarships What are athletic scholarships? Athletic scholarships are 1-year contracts called "National Letters of Intent." These contracts are between the university and the student-athlete and are awarded based on athletic ability and academic competence. What is covered by an athletic scholarship? Funds for tuition, books, room and board, and sometimes travel expenses to and from the university. Are scholarships guaranteed for 4-years? There are no guaranteed 4-year scholarships. All scholarships are renewed on a year-by-year basis. However, it is common for university athletic programs to make longer-term verbal commitments of 4 years. However, it is important to note that verbal commitments are not legally binding. Who decides if I get a scholarship? In theory, admissions offices can refuse the admission of any student thereby refusing any athletic scholarship. However, university athletic programs have considerable influence with the admission office which allows coaches to scout and recruit players and offer scholarships to those who they want for their programs. Does every student-athlete receive a 100% "full-scholarship"? Typically university hockey teams carry 22-26 players and have 18 "full-scholarships" to distribute at they see fit. Typically these 18 scholarships are usually divided into partial scholarships, or "partial rides." Most teams have student-athletes who receive only a portion of their expenses in scholarship, ranging from 0-100%. Can athletic scholarships be cancelled if I play bad or the coach doesn't like me? Although scholarships are only 1 year contracts and longer-term verbal commitments are non-binding, scholarships are very rarely cancelled based on athletic performance. Universities, hockey programs and coaches depend on a reputation of honesty and integrity in recruiting student-athletes. If they become known as a program that cancels scholarships to those whom they have made longer-term verbal commitments, they will have a very difficult time recruiting quality prospects in the future. Safeguarding reputation serves as an incentive to honor commitments made to student-athletes, and makes cancellation of verbal commitments and scholarships very rare in NCAA hockey. Can my scholarship be cut for non-hockey reasons? Universities can cancel scholarships and withdraw verbal commitments if you fail to uphold academic standards or break team or university rules. Can I keep my scholarship if I am not playing on the team? Because athletic scholarships are awarded for athletic participation, students who either quit the team or are released based on academic or disciplinary grounds will lose their athletic scholarship. What universities offer athletic scholarships? Athletes can receive athletic scholarships to Division I and II universities only. However, there are a number of universities within Division I that offer financial aid rather than athletic scholarships.  This Teacher Is Truly A Genius! An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before, but had recently failed an entire class. That class had insisted that socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer. The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on socialism".  All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A. After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little.  The second test average was a D!  No one was happy. When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F. The scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else. All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great but when the government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.  Could not be any simpler than that..... How can these underlying principles be applied to some of the rewards, disciplinary and motivational tactics used by coaches during games.... and are some of our local policies interfering with the natural development of athletes in our game....? Self Myofascial Release Self myofascial release techniques (SMRT), although not new, have become more and more prominent amongst athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike. Both allopathic and alternative Therapists have embraced the use of myofascial release massage to reduce chronic pain and rehabilitate a range of injuries. Some therapists claim a long list of benefits, from curing tennis elbow to IBS relief. While some claims may be contentious, it seems likely that many sports men and women can benefit from this regenerative therapy. Its important to understanding two key terms in order to appreciate how self myofascial release technique acts favourably on the body. They are fascia and trigger points. Both are explored below before moving on to some sample self myofascial release exercises. Fascia & Trigger Points Fascia is a specialized connective tissue layer surrounding muscles, bones and joints and gives support and protection to the body. It consists of three layers - the superficial fascia, the deep fascia and the subserous fascia. Fascia is one of the 3 types of dense connective tissue (the others being ligaments and tendons) and it extends without interruption from the top of the head to the tip of the toes. Fascia is usually seen as having a passive role in the body, transmitting mechanical tension, which is generated by muscle activity or external forces. Recently, however some evidence suggests that fascia may be able to actively contract in a smooth muscle-like manner and consequently influence musculoskeletal dynamics. Obviously, if this is verified by future research, any changes in the tone or structure of the fascia could have significant implications for athletic movements and performance. This research notwithstanding, the occurrence of trigger points within dense connective tissue sheets is thought to be correlated with subsequent injury. Trigger points have been defined as areas of muscle that are painful to palpation and are characterized by the presence of taut bands. Tissue can become thick, tough and knoted. They can occur in muscle, the muscle-tendon junctions, bursa, or fat pad. Sometimes, trigger points can be accompanied by inflammation and if they remain long enough, what was once healthy fascia is replaced with inelastic scar tissue. It has been speculated that trigger points may lead to a variety of sports injuries - from camps to more serious muscle and tendon tears. The theory, which seems plausible, is that trigger points compromise the tissue structure in which they are located, placing a greater strain on other tissues that must compensate for its weakness. These in turn can break down and so the spiral continues. According to many therapists, trigger points in the fascia can restrict or alter the motion about a joint resulting in a change of normal neural feedback to the central nervous system. Eventually, the neuromuscular system becomes less efficient, leading to premature fatigue, chronic pain and injury and less efficient motor skill performance. An athlete's worst nightmare! What causes a trigger point to form? The list of proposed causes includes acute physical trauma, poor posture or movement mechanics, over training, inadequate rest between training sessions and possibly even nutritional factors. Self myofascial release is a relatively simple technique that athletes can use to alleviate trigger points. Studies have shown myofascial release to be an effective treatment modality for myofascial pain syndrome, although most studies have focused on therapist-based rather than self-based treatment. Self Myofascial Release Exercises For these exercises you will need a foam roll (which is very inexpensive). You can get them from anywhere that sell sports medicine or physical therapy supplies.   Self myofascial adductor stretch Adductor Self Myofascial Release 1. Extend the thigh and place foam roll in the groin region with body prone (face down) on the floor. 2. Be cautious when rolling near the adductor complex origins at the pelvis. 3. If a tender point is located, stop rolling, and rest on the tender point until pain decreases by 75%. Self myofascial hamstring stretch Hamstring Self Myofascial Release 1. Place hamstrings on the roll with hips unsupported. 2. Feet can be crossed so that only leg at a time is one the foam roll. 3. Roll from knee toward posterior hip. 4. If a tender point is located, stop rolling, and rest on the tender point until pain decreases by 75%.     Self myofascial quadriceps stretch Quadriceps Self Myofascial Release 1. Body is positioned prone (face down) with quadriceps on foam roll 2. It is very important to maintain proper core control (abdominal drawn-in position & tight gluteus) to prevent low back compensations 3. Roll from pelvic bone to knee, emphasizing the lateral (outside) thigh 4. If a tender point is located, stop rolling, and rest on the tender point until pain decreases by 75%. Self myofascial IT band stretch Iliotibial Band Self Myofascial Release 1. Position yourself on your side lying on foam roll. 2. Bottom leg is raised slightly off floor. 3. Maintain head in neutral position with ears aligned with shoulders. 4. This may be PAINFUL for many, and should be done in moderation. 5. Roll just below hip joint down the outside thigh to the knee. 6. If a tender point is located, stop rolling, and rest on the tender point until pain decreases by 75%. Self myofascial upper back stretch Upper Back Self Myofascial Release 1. Place hands behind head or wrap arms around chest to clear the shoulder blades across the thoracic wall. 2. Raise hips until unsupported. 3. Stabilize the head in a neutral position. 4. Roll mid-back area on the foam roll. 5. If a tender point is located, stop rolling, and rest on the tender point until pain decreases by 75%. General Guidelines * Spend 1-2 minutes per self myofascial release technique and on each each side (when applicable). * When a trigger point is found (painful area) hold for 30-45 seconds. * Keep the abdominal muscles tight which provides stability to the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex during rolling. * Remember to breathe slowly as this will help to reduce any tense reflexes caused by discomfort. * Complete the self myofascial release exercises 1-2 x daily.   How to Impress Your Coach At Tryouts By: Roger Neilson (one of the greatest all-time hockey coaches) It's that time of year again - preseason tryouts. Whether you are a returning "veteran" or a "rookie" tryout, this is an important time for you. Coaches know that many young players make huge gains in their development from one season to the next. Certain players suddenly emerge as team leaders. Will you be one of these players? Coaches are always looking for unexpected talent to surprise them. Could this be you? Whatever the situation, here are some tips to help you be at your best for the preseason practices and games. 1. Be Prepared Be prepared for each practice or game. Check your equipment to see that everything is in order - skates sharpened, sticks taped, all accessories included. You don't want any distractions once you are at the arena. Be in the dressing room early. Show everyone that you are ready. 2. Be Alert Listen carefully to your coaches. Watch the drills closely. Figure out the purpose of each drill. Coaches like alert players who are focused on the job at hand. During games, notice everything that is happening. Players on the bench can be a big help to players on the ice. 3. Give Your Best Effort While skill is obviously important, a hard working player always catches the coach's eye. Be the hardest worker every time you are on the ice. Hard workers never give up in any situation. 4. Always Bounce Back Strongly Coaches like to observe a player's reaction after a bad play - a forward misses a breakaway pass, a defenceman gets deked, a goaltender allows a soft goal. How does the player react? Coaches notice the players who bounce back after a missed assignment. It's the sign of a strong character. 5. Be A Team Player It's great to see young players who are concerned about their teammates. In fact, it's great at any level, even in the NHL! A pat on the back to a teammate on the bench, a tap on your goaltender's pads at a faceoff, a word of encouragement to an incoming player at a change - these are indications to a coach that you are a good team player.  Tips For The Returning Veteran 1. Give your best effort during the preseason even though you are assured of a position on the team. 2. Show your coaches and teammates that you intend to be a leader this season. 3. Never "coast" during tryouts. This is unfair to teammates who are battling to make the team. 4. Remember to always support your teammates on and off the ice. For The "Rookie" 1. You need to make an "impression" on your coaches quickly. 2. Work hard - Battle at every opportunity. Whatever your strengths are, be sure to demonstrate them. 3. Be alert, enthusiastic and a good team player. 4. Without being a nuisance, ask the coach for instructions - for example, where he wants you to be at a faceoff. Show the coach you are eager to learn.   Good luck to all of you. I sure hope you have lots of fun this season…and don't forget to cheer for the Senators once in a while! Your friend, Roger Neilson   A Bit About Our Hockey Hall of Famer, Roger Neilson The Gentleman Who Wrote The Above Advice Roger Neilson, the much-loved and much-travelled National Hockey League coach, has been immortalized for his innovative coaching, often employing non-traditional methods in trying to gain an edge over his opponents. His successes in life and at coaching led him to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Born June 16, 1934 in Toronto, Roger Paul Neilson was always an entrepreneurial spirit. By the time he was nine, he and his dog, Jacques, were delivering the Globe and Mail, growing the route to almost 850 subscribers, necessitating helpers. "It was a good business," Neilson recalled. "It just kept getting bigger and bigger." Roger maintained the route for 23 years, which later supported his income from being a full-time teacher. But while that was a busy schedule, he was also a good hockey player and was coaching. Roger was a very good goaltender, and was part of the Toronto Marlboroughs chain as a youngster, but his religious family prohibited him from playing hockey on a Sunday and soon left the chain. He Roger Neilson coached the Toronto Pee-Wee Shopsy's Pee-Wee team in 1954-55. (HHOF) progressed as far as Junior 'B,' playing with theWoodbridge Dodgers. Broadcaster Harry Neale, who knew Neilson back then, recalled, "Hap Emms was coaching the Barrie Flyers at the time, and he wanted Roger to come up to Barrie for a tryout. Roger's Mom and Dad were very religious and didn't want him going where he'd have to play on a Sunday. I don't know whether that stopped him from pursuing a career in hockey, but Roger was a very religious guy, so I wouldn't be surprised." Roger Neilson coached the Peterborough Petes in the 1970s leading the club to 1972 Memorial Cup final. (HHOF) Roger's coaching career actually began as a 17-year-old student attending McMaster University in Hamilton. The adolescent coached both hockey and baseball. In fact, the Toronto Sun quoted a Neilson friend saying, "When it comes to Roger's likes, hockey would be third behind coaching baseball and delivering the Globe and Mail." Through two decades beginning in 1951, Neilson guided various collections of youngsters through sporting pursuits, winning a number of baseball and hockey championships along the way. In the mid-sixties, Neilson's accomplishments caught the attention of Sam Pollock, general manager of the Montreal Canadiens, who hired Roger as a regional scout in the Toronto area. "I had a good midget team and the Canadiens wanted my players (for their junior affiliate in Peterborough)," chuckled Neilson. "To get my players, they made me a scout." In 1966, Roger was hired to work with the Peterborough Petes in player personnel. In December 1966, the team's coach, Roger Bedard, was suspended for six games for his role in an off-ice fight and Roger was asked to step in as temporary coach. Neilson and the Petes lost just once in those six contests, and when Bedard resigned later that season, Roger was hired as the full-time coach. True to form, he continued teaching high school while coaching the Petes. Neilson quickly added his imprint on the Petes, shuffling the roster and nurturing various unique strategies. He tried various tactics to mystify opponents, including alternating goaltenders every five minutes, but it was in Peterborough where he first used video to evaluate his team, a trait that later earned him the tag, 'Captain Video.' While filming games was something the Toronto Maple Leafs had done since the mid-1940s, it was extremely rare, and completely outside the realm of possibility in junior ranks…unless you are Roger Neilson. The Peterborough Petes' coach continued to teach during the first seven of his ten seasons with the junior squad. "I was teaching high school and we used audio-video as a tool to teach," he stated in 'Roger's World.' "I thought, 'This would be good for our games,' and so we used to sneak it out of school at night and I'd get a couple of kids to run the equipment." Innovative thinking became his trademark. He took the Petes to the Memorial Cup final in 1972, and was rewarded the next year by being named coach and general manager of the Petes. In 1976, Roger Neilson was hired as coach and general manager of the Dallas Blackhawks of the Central Hockey League, an affiliate of both the Chicago Blackhawks and Toronto Maple Leafs. Dallas finished third that season, and went to the Adams Cup final, losing to the Fort Worth Texans in overtime in the seventh game. During that season, Neilson so impressed Jim Gregory, GM of the Maple Leafs, that on July 25, 1977, he was hired to replace Red Kelly as coach of the Maple Leafs. "It never really hit me until one day around the end of training camp, I was walking through the end reds behind the net (at Maple Leaf Gardens) and I stopped and said to myself, 'Hey, I'm the coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs!'" Roger engineered the Leafs to a fine season in 1977-78, winning 41, losing 29 and tying 10. Only the season before, the team had finished one win over ..500. The team beat the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the playoffs, then eliminated the New York Islanders on an overtime goal by Lanny McDonald in Game Seven. Although Toronto was defeated by Montreal in the semi-finals, it was the first time the franchise had progressed that far in the post-season since their Stanley Cup triumph in 1967. Roger Neilson behind the bench of the Toronto Maple Leafs. (Robert Shaver/HHOF) Then, late in Roger's second season behind the Leafs bench, he was fired by owner Harold Ballard. "We lost in Montreal on a Thursday night. After the game, Harold Ballard told the TV announcers that he was going to fire me. I asked our GM, Jim Gregory, and he said, 'Yeah, you're done,'" Neilson recounted in his biography. The next morning, Neilson showed up at the rink to clear out his office and was surrounded by a horde of sports reporters, but no one from Leafs management was there. "I had to announce my own firing. It was a bizarre situation." But even more bizarre was the fact that the team hadn't hired a replacement. Although he was fired on March 1, 1979, he was rehired on March 3! During the national anthem of the Saturday night game on 'Hockey Night in Canada,' there was no coach behind the Toronto bench. Roger had resisted a scheme by Ballard to wear a paper bag over his head, then remove it just before the opening faceoff to the astonishment of fans. "I must admit that at the time, I was embarrassed being a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs," admitted Ron Ellis. Nonetheless, when Neilson emerged behind the bench, he was greeted by thunderous applause. Roger kept his job with the Leafs until the conclusion of the season, a second round playoff loss to Montreal, and then was summarily fired for good on April 22, 1979. Roger Neilson during his time with the Buffalo Sabres. (Robert Shaver/HHOF) Roger wasn't out of work long. A day later, he was hired by Scotty Bowman to coach the Buffalo Sabres for the 1979-80 season. The two strong-willed men butted heads, and Neilson's tenure with the Sabres lasted but one season. In 1981-82, Roger served as an assistant coach to Harry Neale with the Vancouver Canucks. The succession plan was for GM Jake Milford to retire and be replaced by Neale, allowing Roger to assume the head coaching duties. The plan was altered somewhat when Harry Neale was suspended for his role in a brawl with a fan in Quebec City, and Neilson took over the position with five games left in the season, then continued into the post-season. The Canucks caught fire in the playoffs under Neilson, rolling over the Calgary Flames, the Los Angeles Kings and the Chicago Blackhawks. During Game Two in the series with Chicago, Neilson and the Canucks believed they were being penalized unfairly by referee Bob Myers, then lost a goal on a phantom offside. Neilson insisted his players stay on the bench and not skate out for the ensuing faceoff. Then, noticing the towels hanging behind the team's bench, grabbed Jim Nill's hockey stick, placed a towel on the butt end and waved it at the officials as a sign of surrender. Several players followed suit. All the towel wavers were ejected. But that started a phenomenon. Returning home to Vancouver, the team was greeted by hundreds of fans waving white towels. And before the commencement of Game Three, the Vancouver Coliseum was a sea of white towels being waved in support of their beleaguered coach. "I had no idea what I was starting," Roger later said. Vancouver went on to defeat the Hawks, but in the Stanley Cup final, bowed out to the powerful New York Islanders, who were in year three of their four-year dynasty. In January 1984, Roger was dismissed by the Canucks. He first took a role breaking down videos for the Los Angeles Kings, then performed the same function with the Edmonton Oilers during the 1984 playoffs, an important role as the Oilers won their first Stanley Cup championship. He served as an assistant to coach Orval Tessier with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1984-85, then served for two more seasons under Bob Pulford in Chicago. Roger was a pro scout with the Blackhawks for two seasons, but was enticed with the job of head coach with the New York Rangers in 1989-90. Neilson served as the Rangers' coach for three-and-a-half seasons. During that time, New York won the Patrick Division title 1989-90 and in 1991-92, the Rangers finished first overall, winning the Presidents' Trophy. That season, he was runner-up as the NHL's coach of the year. Midway through the 1992-93 season, Roger's tenure with the Rangers came to a conclusion when he and captain Mark Messier butted heads. "There was that tension between them and it made you uneasy," related Colin Campbell, assistant coach to Neilson that season. "They wouldn't say anything but you knew something was wrong." Mike Keenan, who had also once coached the Peterborough Petes, later assumed the coaching role and road Neilson's team to a Stanley Cup championship in 1994. "Neilson Roger Neilson is all smiles following the Canucks win over the Chicago Blackhawks and earning a birth in the 1982 Stanley Cup Final. (Paul Bereswill/HHOF) taught them how to check and play disciplined hockey," wrote author Wayne Scanlon in 'Roger's World,' "lessons that didn't leave them when they opened up their game under Keenan." It was Roger's longest tenure as a coach: 280 games. Months later, Neilson's coaching career was rejuvenated a few months later when he was hired to coach the expansion Florida Panthers. Roger instituted a highly defensive system, and in doing so, the Panthers set regular season records for a first-year club, winning 33 and earning 83 points, way above expectations. "He loved that team," suggested friend Nancy Nichols. The team missed the playoffs by a single point in that inaugural season. That feat was repeated in the second season, but Roger was fired at the end of that campaign. "I've been fired pretty much every way there is," he stated at his Hall of Fame induction. "The ones that hurt the most are the ones where you don't figure it should happen, or out of the blue, like in Florida." He added, "When you're underachieving, the coach often takes the hit, but when you're overachieving and you still get fired, it's tough." Roger Neilson behind the New York Rangers bench has word for the officials. (Paul Bereswill/HHOF) Turning down a scouting position with the Panthers, Roger was hired as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues, serving first under Mike Keenan and then rookie coach, Joel Quenneville. Then, on March 9, 1998, he took over the head coaching responsibilities with the Philadelphia Flyers. Implementing a solid system, the team won 45 games in 1999-2000 and looked like they were bound for a Stanley Cup celebration. But star Eric Lindros suffered four concussions that season and the plan unravelled. So did Neilson's health. Roger had flu symptoms never seemed to subside. A doctor's diagnosis provided the reason - Roger had multiple myeloma, a cancer of the white blood cells. "I don't want people feeling sorry for me," he said at the time. "I've got strong religious beliefs. I believe God has plans for my life, and this happens to be part of it. If the plan is to beat it, then I'm going to give everything I've got to beat it. If that's not in the plans, then at least in the games up in Heaven, we won't have to put up with Kris King and Tie Domi." On February 19, 2000, Neilson underwent a stem cell transplant. Craig Ramsay, an assistant coach, took over as interim head coach of the Flyers. While Neilson was declared ready to return, the team had done well in his absence, and general manager Bobby Clarke held off on replacing Ramsay behind the bench. Roger was livid, but Clarke was steadfast, and told TSN, "We didn't tell him to get cancer. It's too bad that he did, and we feel sorry for him, but then he went goofy on us." Relieved of his position, Roger Neilson was subsequently hired by the Ottawa Senators for what would be his final NHL position. Employed by an eighth NHL team was overwhelming. As assistant coach of the Ottawa Senators, Rogers aided head coach Jacques Martin. In one of the classiest moves in hockey's legendary history, Martin was informed that his assistant was two games shy of coaching in 1,000 regular season NHL games. Martin stepped aside for the final two games of the 2001-02 season to allow Neilson to become just the ninth NHL coach to reach that hallowed plateau. Roger and the Senators beat the Bruins in game 999. Toronto defeated the Senators in game 1,000. Roger's health deteriorated by the start of the 2002-03 season, and by December, doctors drilled into his skull to address four separate brain tumours. Yet, Roger continued in his role as assistant coach for Ottawa. "He's been through more than I'd even want to think about facing, but you never hear him feeling sorry for himself," stated Wade Redden. The Senators went on to finish first overall during the regular season. Fragile and weak, Roger was so sick he could barely watch the playoffs that spring. Before Game Five of the semi-final against the New Jersey Devils, he shuffled into the dressing room and addressed the team. Quietly, he talked about the fragility of life, and how it was important to seize every moment. Roger Neilson behind the bench of the Ottawa Senators. (Ottawa Senators/HHOF) Shaken but inspired, the Senators went out and captured a 3-1 victory over the Devils while Roger watched the game on TV at his home. Ottawa won again in Game Six to tie the series but lost late in Game Seven, allowing Roger's dreams of winning the Stanley Cup to evaporate. In the end of season announcement, the Senators stated that the coaching staff, including Neilson, would return for the 2003-04 season, but insiders knew it was highly unlikely that Roger would see the opening game of that next season. He didn't. Roger Neilson died on June 21, 2003. But fortunately for all, especially Roger, in 2002, he received the Order of Canada, the most prestigious civilian award given to Canadians, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, the greatest honour in the hockey world. Neilson's gift to the game was his absolute devotion to hockey. Whether it was his many NHL coaching roles, that saw him behind the bench for 460 wins, 381 losses and 159 ties through the NHL regular season, or the time he lavished on youth hockey, both for players and coaches, Roger ate, breathed and slept the sport. The eccentric and enterprising will always be regarded as a pioneer, and one of the greats of the game. This article was written by Kevin Shea, the Editor of Publications and Online Features for the Hockey Hall of Fame. Tryouts! HERE'S HOW COACHES, PARENTS AND YOUTH PLAYERS CAN HELP MAKE SURE THAT TRYOUTS AREN'T SUCH A TRYING EXPERIENCE. An excellent article by John L. Pitts It happens every fall. It's back to school time, of course, but it's also very busy in the world of sports. While some youngsters are playing football and others may be getting excited about baseballs looming World Series, young ice hockey players are preparing themselves for a different kind of challenge - the team tryout. Whether you're and eight-year-old looking to join your first organized team, or a teenager hoping to join a travel squad, you have to prove yourself to the coaches, who are picking the team. And if you're the parent of a youngster who is getting ready for a tryout, you have an important role too. Talk to enough coaches, and you'll find that the key to successful hockey tryout is to be properly prepared - physically and mentally - before taking the ice in front of the people who are going top be evaluating you. There are probably as many different styles of tryouts as there are coaches. But most of them are going to have a few things in common - prospective players will be evaluated on the basic skills (skating, passing, shooting, stickhandling, etc.) and how ell they function as part of the team. The first thing a player needs to do, a few weeks before the tryouts, is to begin getting into "Hockey Shape". Even if you've been active all summer, you'll still need to flex your hockey muscles after several months of inactivity. (If ice time is hard to come by, inline skating can help you with conditioning in warm weather. But keep in mind, you still will have to get accustomed to your ice skates and pads again.) Make no mistakes - the coaches will be able to tell if you're in shape or not, and it plays a significant role in how they'll evaluate you. It's the same whether you're a beginner or a more advanced player. "We're looking for players who are already in reasonably good condition," says Chris Coury, who runs a Midget AAA (age 17 1Ú2 and under) team in Detroit's huge Little Caesar's League. "The best advice we give is this - before the tryout, get yourself in shape," says Dan Esdale, a Massachusetts District Director who helps oversee player development for USA Hockey. "Get some ice time, do some skill work and be in the best shape you can." In royal Oak, Mich., the local house league opens rinks for preseason conditioning sessions. "We have 16 or 17 skate sessions scheduled for the preseason, and I'd say maybe a third of the house league kids will participate," says Robert Kristophik, who oversees the league, which involves about 1.300 youngsters. Getting into shape before a tryout is important, but so is having a good understanding of what you'll be facing when you get on the rink. Players, or their parent s, should talk to a coach before the tryouts begin to get an idea of what's going to be required. Young players, trying to impress coaches before the local association holds its draft, may spend more time on skill drills during tryout sessions. "We'll divide the kids into age groups, then have each group skate five times while the coaches are on the ice to evaluate," Kristophik says of his house leagues evaluation process. "It's not really a tryout, but it's a chance for the coaches to look at skating, stickhandling, passing and shooting skills." After the evaluations are over, he says, the house league coaches conduct their draft to fill their rosters. Older players will likely find themselves on the ice in more controlled scrimmages. "Our typical tryout? What we do is simple - we scrimmage and we scrimmage a lot," Coury says. What is hockey sense? Coury explains: Some players are really good skater or have some skill with the stick, but they really can't play. Others, maybe they're a little ragged in terms of skills, but they know how to play." To better evaluate different combinations of players, Coury says he conducts scrimmages over a span of five days. "For the first day or so, you may have some players who are going on pure adrenaline, then gradually you realize that they can't keep up. Others may start slowly, then really get into the flow of things." The bottom line, these coaches say, is that the tryout process is all just part of the process of putting a team together. It isn't a question of whether a coach likes you, it's a question of whether your skills can help the team better and what the coach can do to help you with your skill development. USA Hockey High School Section Chairperson, Ted Brill of Grand Rapids, Minn. echoes that philosophy: "we're are just trying to figure out one thing: Who is ready to play when you drop the puck. Skill are important, but having the sense of what is happening on the ice is the most important thing." A typical tryout for Bill and his coaches may involve as many as 500 teens hopeful of making a 20 player travel roster. "There is no magic formula, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder," Brill says. "The thing that players and parents need to keep in, mind is that we're doing the best that we can." Physical preparation is an important part of the tryout puzzle, but so is mental preparation. Coaches agree that players need to enjoy themselves during the tryout process. Parents have an important role to play in keeping expectations realistic, especially for young players who are just getting started in the sport. Brill, who has been coaching since 1960 at all levels in Minnesota, with state and national tittles to his credit, his tryouts always start with a little talk. "I'll tell the kids this not a matter of life and death," he says. "It's supposed to be a game. Pressure is the biggest enemy that a player has to deal with in a tryout situation. Be relaxed, go out and have some fun." That's always good advice.   All About Pucks Nine questions and answers about that elusive object hockey players spend so much time chasing. Q: Who invented the hockey puck? A: Originally, hockey players weren't picky about what they used as a puck: a piece of coal, an apple, a knot of wood, even a hunk of manure. Eventually, a rubber ball similar to a lacrosse ball was used. But -- the story goes -- in the 1860s, when games started to be played in Montreal's indoor Victoria Rink, the ball broke so many windows that the fed-up arena manager grabbed it, sliced off the top and bottom and threw what was left back on the ice. The players quickly discovered that the new shape reduced bouncing and made passing easier.   Q: Where are pucks made? A: Most of the hockey pucks used in Canada are made in an old building in the west end of Toronto. The offices of Viceroy Reliable Group look like they must have in the 1950s. Not much has changed in the plant either, since the way Viceroy has made pucks over the years has undergone few refinements. The machines are the same, although in some cases the controls have been automated. "The nice thing about rubber technology is it hasn't changed much," says Todd Bruhm, general manager of Reliable. "The hockey puck has stayed relatively the same for 50 or 60 years."   Q: What's in a puck? A: As simple as a puck looks, it's made of at least a dozen ingredients. Natural rubber, synthetic rubber and a filler (usually carbon black, or coal dust, which also gives the pucks their black colour) make up about 90% of a puck. Additives such as sulfur and an anti-oxidant make up the rest; they help in the curing process that gives the final product its strength and hardness. Q: How is a puck made? A: The ingredients are poured into an automated mixer called a Banbury and then pushed though a form in a process called extrusion. This result is soft logs of rubber compound roughly three feet long. These logs are sliced into slugs, called pre-forms, which are roughly the same size as a puck but a little thicker. At this stage, the pre-forms have none of the characteristics of the final product; in fact, a key can easily be dug into them. So the slugs are placed into molds and cured at 150 degrees C for about 22 minutes.The pucks come out of the mold with knurled, or dimpled edges. The knurling gives the puck texture for better control on the stick. After the pucks are cured, the flash (the excess rubber left over from the mold) is trimmed. If necessary, logos are then applied, usually done by silk-screening. Q: Are pucks made in Canada tested? A: Viceroy, which started producing hockey pucks in the 1940s, can test its pucks for hardness and tensile strength, but usually only needs to when it switches suppliers. As long as the formula stays the same and there is no change in suppliers, the variation in pucks is negligible. The key to making a good puck is achieving the right hardness. If a puck is too hard, it will bounce too much and, in some cases, break the glass around the boards. If it's too soft, it won't respond properly and will deaden when it hits the boards. Q: Why are some pucks made in China and Eastern Europe considered dangerous? A: "Making pucks is not really a difficult process," says Todd Bruhm, general manager of Viceroy. "There's no challenge at all for us. The challenge is to set up quality control across the industry." Some shipments of pucks made in eastern Europe have been too hard and have broken the glass in rinks. Some pucks from China have broken apart producing potentially dangerous projectiles. Bruhm believes that puck makers in these countries have trouble getting raw materials and that's played havoc with their formulas as they've used inappropriate fillers such as clay. "The problem," says Bruhm, "is all pucks look the same." Q: Does the NHL use the same pucks the rest of us do? A: The NHL rule book states that pucks must be one inch thick and three inches in diameter and weigh between five and one-half and six ounces. That's the same puck normally used by all hockey players, except younger kids, who often use smaller, lighter pucks.Although Viceroy sells almost 2.5 million pucks in Canada each year -- more than any other puck maker -- it no longer makes the pucks used in the NHL. Those are made by Inglasco Corp., of Sherbrooke, Que., using a more expensive injection process that sees the rubber compound is liquefied, injected into a mold and allowed to set. According to Andre Blanchette, general manager of Inglasco, this method allows the puck maker better control over the final product. Q: Why are NHL game pucks are frozen? A: Timekeepers in NHL rinks keep a bucket of frozen pucks in the penalty box with them. When a puck is frozen, a thin layer of ice forms on it, reducing the friction between the puck and the ice surface. After freezing, pucks slide better, go faster and bounce less, making it easier to puckhandle, pass and shoot. Q: How did the puck get its name? A: In Shakespeare's A Mid-Summer's Night Dream, a mischievous sprite called Puck appears and disappears without warning and early hockey players thought their projectile had similar qualities.   Good Gap Control, Tips From the Stars Brian Leetch Brian Leetch, Toronto Maple Leafs GOOD GAP CONTROL LET'S YOU DICTATE THE PLAY   Scoring chances are born out of the amount of time and space given to the team with the puck. Your job as a defender is to limit that time and space, forcing your opponent to give up the puck and put your team on the offensive. That's why gap control is an important part of the game. A gap is the amount of space between the puck carrier and the defensive player. Win the battle of the gaps, and you will likely win the hockey game. TIP #1 By playing a tight gap a defenseman is taking away time and space from his opponent. Doing so will allow the defenseman to dictate where he wants the offensive player to go, which is generally toward the outside of the rink and away from a prime scoring area. TIP #2 Too often a defenseman will play a loose gap out of respect for an opponent's speed and skill, and for fear of getting beat. If that's the case, the offensive player is generally going to take the middle of the ice and have a better angle to shoot on net. You may not get beat physically, but your opponent is going to get a good scoring opportunity. TIP #3 It's important to know whether your opponent is a left-handed or right-handed shot, and if he is playing the off-wing or his strong side. If the puck carrier is on his strong side, you may be able to give a little more of a gap because he has to expose the puck by bringing it in front of you as he cuts toward the middle of the ice, which may allow you the opportunity to poke the puck away. Tip #4 If the forward is on his off-wing and you play too loose a gap, he can cut to the middle of the ice while protecting the puck with his body. That's why you need to play a tighter gap in these situations. Tip #5 Always remember to play the body, not the puck. As the puck carrier is skating toward you, watch his chest and play stick on stick to contest the shot or pass. REMEMBER THIS … It's important to work on maintaining tight gaps, especially in practice and in early-season games. Don't be afraid of getting beat. You want to dictate the play, not your opposition. Passing With a Purpose Once players have begun to develop the skills of passing and receiving the puck, they need to begin to figure out just when, and more importantly, why, to utilize those skills. Hockey is not like football with designed plays beginning from a standstill, or even basketball for that matter, where the ball movement and player movement is slower and more designed plays can be used. In hockey, virtually every situation that a player is confronted with on the ice is different as there are players in a variety of different spots on the ice, moving at a variety of different speeds. When controlling the puck, a player needs to be able to assess the situation and make the best available play, whether it is passing the puck to a teammate, or keeping it himself to move it up the ice. That's not to say, that there shouldn't be a "basic team structure" or "system" for controlling the puck, with players in the properly designated positions on the ice (in any of the zones) when their teammate has the puck. But what can't happen is that the players feel they "have" to pass the puck to a specific teammate in a specific situation. That can't happen, because they will never learn how to read the play and make the best play available. That is something that every player needs to learn to be able to compete effectively as they progress in the game. Every pass should have a purpose. If it doesn't, it shouldn't be made. Teams, and individual players work very hard to gain control of the puck. Once they get it, every effort should be made to maintain it. So every pass should be made with that in mind, team puck control. The following are key points to instill in your players for better team puck control. Make the Easy Play Great players make the game look easy. That's because they make the easy play. Going for the "home run" more often that not results in a turnover, when the intended result could be achieved with "a couple of singles". Trying to pass through a defender or trying to connect on a sixty-foot pass, is not the right play, when you can make a 15-footer to a teammate with more time and space to make a play once they get the puck. Make Quality Passes It goes without saying that every pass should be on the stick. If a pass is not made "tape to tape", that split-second it takes for the teammate to collect it and start to move with it is all of the time it takes for a defender to close in on him and take it away. Just as important as accuracy is velocity. Different situations dictate different passes, but in most instances where a direct pass can be made, the puck should be passed crisply and on the ice. Bouncing, wobbly, slow passes allow the defenders more time to adjust and pursue the puck. Crisp, accurate passes catch defenders out of position and don't allow them time to get back into the play. Many players recognize the correct situation to make a pass, but if they don't deliver the pass with authority, it doesn't matter that they made the right choice. Move the Puck Quickly Recognizing which teammates are "open" and "where to move the puck" are essential skills in team puck control. More importantly, players need to be taught to recognize "when" to move it, and the answer is IMMEDIATELY. By waiting just a split second longer, that pass will probably no longer be an option, especially if it is a "long " pass. Short Passes are the Best Passes Occasionally, you can catch 3-4 opposing players out of position and beat them all with one good, long pass. Short passes, 10 to 15 footers, are always the best passes for a couple of reasons. First, they have a greater chance of success. It is much easier to hit your teammate's stick from 10 feet than it is from 50 feet. Secondly, the puck receiver will most likely have more time to make a play with it when he gets it. As a long pass makes its way to its target, so do the opposing players, as they have more time to adjust. Often, just as the puck arrives, so do the defenders, and the pass is never completed. Create Something out of Nothing If a puck carrier has no time or space to make a play, and is being confronted by a defender, the best thing to do, rather than try to beat the defender 1 on 1, is to move the puck to an open teammate, then get open. By moving the puck to a teammate, the player shifts the focus away from himself, which is only an advantage if he moves quickly to an open area to receive a pass back. The "give and go" is an essential part of team puck control and can be used anywhere on the ice. But it is only effective if the initial passer actually "goes" to open ice after making the pass, and breaks down if the payer "gives and watches". Use the "Extra Teammate" Using the boards to make a pass to himself is the most basic "give and go" play a player can make. Moving the puck off the boards (or ff of the back of the goal net), then skating around the defender to pick it up is an effective move to create something out of nothing. The boards can also be used to "bank a pass" or "rim a pass" along the dasher boards in the corners, when there is not a direct pass available to a teammate. Time to Lace Up for Another Hockey Season The minor hockey years should be a magical period for our kids. PAUL STOTHART In hundreds of rinks across Canada (and the USA) - thousands of minor hockey players will be immersed in the unnerving process of tryouts for competitive hockey teams. In areas such as Toronto, where competitive players were already selected in the spring, teams will begin the equally exciting process of preparing for the upcoming season. The kids will be equipped with new gear and will be fresh from a summer of video games, soccer and hockey schools. Many over-enthusiastic Dads will undoubtedly have invested $220 in new synthetic hockey sticks -- to increase their kid's shot-speed from 12 mph to 15 mph. Parents and grandparents everywhere will be preparing mentally for another season of shuttling kids up and down the Queensway, the 401, the Bow Valley, or the Metropolitan. Coaches will be dusting off their clipboards, enticing helpers to run the tryout sessions, and hiring experts to help with the difficult task of selecting the two best goaltenders. And the local hockey association executive will be poised to deal with the complaints that will inevitably follow the final cuts. It is a time that is fraught with frayed nerves for kids, for parents, and for coaches. This is not surprising for, like it or not, hockey is Canada's game. While ( American and) Canadian kids by the millions play other sports and pursue dance and music lessons, none of these pursuits instill the broad passion and emotion that is associated with hockey. Even soccer, the global sport, remains dogged by one-nil scores and images of grown men flopping, diving and writhing like fish around the pitch -- it cannot approach the fervour with which hockey is treated in Canada. The challenges that face minor hockey players and their coaches evolve significantly as kids grow for 10 years -- from child to adult -- through the minor hockey system. In the 7-10 age bracket, the strongest players are those who have attended power-skating and hockey camps since they were five years old. These kids will be capable of "going end to end," victimizing defencemen who are desperately trying to back-pedal. The challenge for coaches at this stage is to provide all kids with relatively equal ice-time and attention. One challenge for the top kids is to withstand the taunts from parents, some of whom will jeer the star players for "not passing" or will perceive their own child as being short-changed by the coach. For 11-12 year olds, the games become longer in duration -- usually 45 minutes stop-time. This can present a deceiving picture of progress or lack thereof, as the extra time allows strong teams to run up scores in the final minutes of games. What would have been a close 4-1 score the previous year in short games can easily become a 10-2 score in this age bracket. The challenge for kids and coaches is to persevere and to continue to work on their basic skills and team play. Kids in this age bracket often present an entertaining mix of dressing-room personalities -- some are in mid-puberty talking with bravado about kissing girls while others remain more comfortable talking about Lego. The notion of teamwork is also beginning to take form: I recall an incident from my minor peewee team last season where one player realized he had forgotten his mouthguard at home and, by league rules, would therefore be unable to play. Not to be fazed, a teammate quickly pulled an old mouthguard from the mouldy corner of his hockey bag, squirted water in it, and lent it to his teammate for the game! Kids are also beginning to develop self-confidence and attitude; after one particularly strong game last season my post-game remarks were: "Hey, you kids are starting to learn how to play hockey," to which one cheekily replied: "Yeah, and you're starting to learn how to coach!" By the time kids have reached 13-14 years of age, the games become more physical and dominant kids of a few years earlier discover that there is no longer much room to manoeuvre on the ice. The gap in basic skills -- skating, agility, and stick-handling -- narrows. Those teams that were not competitive a few years previously begin to compete quite aggressively. Some players also begin to drift away from the physical play and the time commitments toward other interests. Age 15, as young as that may seem, is currently the most important year for competitive minor hockey players. This is the year that will determine whether a player will continue in a top stream -- destined for Junior A or university hockey -- or whether the player will evolve toward a more recreational stream. Scouts are present at many games to observe players in this age bracket. The top players become those who develop unique skills: exceptional quickness, a powerful skating stride, clear vision of the ice, strong physical presence, or an explosive and accurate shot. The minor hockey years should be a magical period for our kids. The advice for parents, as their kids evolve through these years, is simple. Encourage your kid to practise hard and to play clean. Focus on the entire team and not simply your own child. Don't criticize star players because they want to score goals. Don't count ice-time minutes. Don't burn your kids out. Emphasize school first and foremost. Enjoy the games and the times. In many of these respects, there are life lessons to be learned as our kids move through the minor hockey years. Paul Stothart lives in Ottawa. He was two-time Canadian university player of the year while at Queen's University and subsequently played in Europe and with Team Canada in Russia. He has coached minor hockey for several years. He scored 50 goals last season on the outdoor rinks of Ottawa. Letting You Know About Some NCAA Recruiting Guidelines When can universities start contacting and recruiting? University hockey coaches can contact you or your parent's once during the month of July after grade 10 and once in grade 11. After July 1 of the summer between grade 11 and grade 12 college coaches may contact you once a week throughout the year. What is an "official visit" or "fly-down"? An "official visit" or "fly-down" is a visit to a university campus paid for by the university or hockey program. Fly-downs are used by athletics programs to introduce you to the university and members of the team, give you a flavor for the campus and induce you to attend their university. How many official visits can I make? You can receive a maximum of 5 official visits but may only visit each campus once. What are the rules concerning official visits? In order to make an official visit you must have started classes in grade 12. Also, before a university can bring you to campus on a visit you must provide high school transcripts and a completed SAT or ACT score. Each official visit may last no longer than 48 hours and can cover food, entertainment, lodging and transportation.   Why is unstable surface training not "functional"….and pretty much useless by Kevin Neeld Functional training is a term used quite a bit these days. Functional training might have totally different meanings depending on who you talk to. It can also be used for a variety of training methods and exercises. One that is refered to a lot as "functional training", and in my own opinion is just a load of crap is unstable training surface. This is probably the stupidest thing I have ever seen: And don't get me wrong, this is not just because I dislike it unstable surface training is totally useless and counterproductive from a performance training standpoint. Before I get too much hate mail about this, I am just going to prove my point. - First of all, I don't know of any sports that are played on a surface that is unstable and/or moving under you (with the exception of alpine and water skying). As far as I know, sports are played on floors, grass and ice which are all really stable surfaces. - From a safety standpoint, I am not sure how safe it is to perform this kind of exercise in training. There is a significant risk of falling off the stability ball, Bosu or whatever implement you're using. Keeping in perspective that my first two goals as a strength and conditioning coach are to avoid hurting my athletes during training and preventing their risk of injuries, I want to stay away from anything that ressembles loading my athletes with weights on a very unstable surface. Performing exercises on unstable surfaces require extra stabilization at the joints involved (mainly the hips, knees and ankles for lower body training). At first, more stabilization might sounds interesting, but consider this: while performing an exercise on an unstable surface, your antagonist muscles must are required to activate to take care of the unstable demand placed on the joint(s). On the other side, if you're trying to improve strength and power in your athletes' program you need the exact opposite; you need the antagonist to relax as much as possible if you want to improve the force production of your agonist muscles. So right here, we have two totally conflicting situations and different goals. Why not improve both at the same? Well, the bad news is that studies have showed that incoporating as little as 5% of your total training volume in unstable surface training decreases maximum force output in trained athletes. Doesn't sound too good to me. I don't think I need to go much further; if you're looking to improve speed, power, strength and overall performance you might want to reconsider using unstable surface training if it is unsafe, totally non-sport specific and decreases force production.  The only valuable use unstable surfaces might have is to reestablish proprioception in people who had ankle sprains, as there is sufficient proof in the litterature to support that, but that is pretty much all it is good for. As for as training for improved stability, I am all for it; but I think it should be done in a more sport-specific context. For example, single leg exercises might have tremendous value in a training program as almost everything in sports happen on one leg at the time, for example running and skating. Using single leg exercises like the reverse lunge will take care of all the stability you need. But I won't go into more details about this, as it could be the topic. If you want to learn more about the use of unstable surface training, you need to pick up The Truth About Unstable Surface Training by Eric Cressey. Eric goes into great details on everything that touches unstable surface training.  NCAA - "The 21-Year Old Rule"  What happens if I turn 21 during the junior hockey season? If you play a junior hockey game after your 21st birthday you will lose 1 year of NCAA athletic eligibility leaving you with 3 years remaining. This rule applies only to Division I. How can I turn 21, play junior hockey, and still retain NCAA eligibility? Using the NCAA "transfer rules" you can continue playing junior hockey after your 21st birthday and retain 4 years of athletic eligibility if you enroll full-time at a college institution that does not sponsor a hockey program. Although you will lose some of your 5-year academic eligibility you will not lose any of your 4-year athletic eligibility. When should enroll full-time if I am going to play junior hockey after my 21st birthday? In order to avoid the hassle of registration when the hockey season is busy, you should enroll full-time in September. Also, in order to avoid difficulties with the NCAA Clearinghouse, you should register with the Clearinghouse before enrolling full-time. It is important to note that once you enroll in college level courses you can no longer write the SAT. Does The 21 Year Old Rule Apply To All NCAA Programs? No. The 21-year old rule applies only to student-athletes wishing to compete in Division I. It does not apply to those student-athletes wishing to compete in Division II and III. NCAA Recruiting Guidelines Recruiting at Tournaments. If you are at a tournament and the NCAA does not talk to you don't take it personally. The National Collegiate Athletic Association has specific recruiting rules that puts limits on communication at tournaments. A college coach can sit down with a guardian or parent at a competition site. This is counted as one of the three in-person off- campus recruiting contacts a coach is permitted. College coaches cannot have any personal contact with student- athletes during tournaments. As stated above a simple hello is fine but anything more is not allowed anything more is considered a contact. NCAA National Collegiate Athletic Association - Recruiting Guidelines and Rules High school Freshman and Sophomore year These rules also apply until September 1 of your Junior year. Coaches are allowed to: - Send you athletic or sports camp brochures, NCAA Educational Information and Questionnaires. - A coach can also accept phone calls from you as long as they are at your expense but remember that if you leave a message on an answering service the coach is NOT ALLOWED TO CALL YOU BACK. Coaches are not allowed to: - To call you on the phone. - A coach cannot send you any written recruiting information. NCAA Recruiting Guidelines, Unofficial Visits: - You can make unofficial visits to a college campus. - It is also permissible for you to receive a maximum of three complimentary tickets to a college sporting event. - You can talk with college coaches but this must be on campus. Junior Year from September 1 - College coaches are allowed to send you information about their athletic program and about their school. this can include: media guides, schedule cards, personalized letters, photocopies of newspaper clippings and official university admissions and academic publications. - The college coach is now allowed to answer your emails and send emails to you as well. Junior Year from July 1 - A college coach is only permitted to contact you in person off the college campus only on or after July 1st when you have completed your junior year of high school. If the coach meets with you or your parents and says anything to you or them then this is considered a contact. Anything more than a very basic hello is a contact. - College coaches are permitted to make one telephone call each week to you or your parents. You can call the coach as often as you wish. Senior Year - You can make up to five Official - expense paid visits to college campuses. the visit to the campus cannot be longer than forty eight hours in duration. you are are not allowed to have an official visit until after your first day of classes of your senior year. - College coaches need to have an official ACT or SAT score and a copy of your official high school transcript before you can make a visit. Coaches can make telephone calls and send written correspondence as per the rules for your junior year. It's a Unique Sport - So Train With That In Mind An ice hockey training plan should develop a combination of aerobic power, strength and muscle bulk, explosive speed and power as well as good anaerobic endurance. One thing is certain - the game is certainly unique... On average, players perform for 15-20 minutes of a 60-minute game. A typical interval on the rink lasts 30-80 seconds with a 4-5 minute rest interval between shifts. These shifts tend to be anaerobic in nature with short, intense bouts of high speed skating and aggressive body contact, demanding a high level of anaerobic endurance and muscular strength. And a player's aerobic capacity and tolerance to lactic acid are related to a player's time on the ice and the number of scoring chances. The intermittent nature of the game means that aerobic endurance becomes important, helping players to recover between shifts and produce the same level of performance in the 59th minute as in the 1st minute. Couple all this with the unnatural movement of skating and holding a stick and it becomes obvious why ice hockey is highly physically challenging. Today's elite hockey players are physically bigger, faster and stronger than their predecessors. They are one of just a few groups of athletes that may benefit from hypertrophy training for increased muscle bulk. However, while weight training is an integral part of the annual ice hockey training plan, it must be specific. Increased lean mass is not the only goal of strength training. Gains in maximal strength are only useful on the rink if they are converted into explosive power and power endurance. This takes a more refined approach than a typical bodybuilding routine. As the intense physical contact in hockey exposes players to an increased risk of injury, conditioning also plays an important role here too. In the words of Wayne Gretsky... "For a better conditioned athlete there is less chance of injury, and conditioning promotes career longevity. The player also becomes mentally stronger, after enduring the intense efforts required for conditioning...". By preparing the body adequately for competitive games, a well- designed ice hockey training program can help to prevent many of the chronic and acute injuries that are inherent in the sport.