Minneapolis Storm - Sweden

SWPrez · Post by **SWPrez** » Wed Oct 27, 2010 9:36 pm

Just returned tonight from a great trip to Vasteras, Sweden with 18 Bantams, Peewees, and girls players from our association.

A great experience for our kids with hockey, bandy, school tours, and being tourists.

A few observations on their practices habits and other things:

Most of the teams show up an hour and a half prior to ice and do 'gym' (dryland training/pliometrics/weights), running (2.5 km = 1.5 miles), or other fitness. After most practices a 2.5km light run takes place to warm down.

Neck guards are mandated.

Most practices are station driven and there appears to consistently be an emphasis on passing throughout the practices.

Most practices finished with 5 on 5 scrimmages.

Several of the rinks our kids skated in had walls on only three sides and open air on one side.

Our Swedish hosts were great and we'll be heading back in a couple of years!

http://tinyurl.com/vasteras2

5thgraders · Post by **5thgraders** » Thu Oct 28, 2010 8:09 am

Thanks, I am glad everyone had a chance to see what Tier 1 Hockey looks like. Our Ass ociation does not offer anything like this. Did the Prez vote this in ????
What about if you are Stuck in a Bad Ass ociation who chooses to only play 30 miles from it's Litter Box. Sad Yes But It is what it is..

old goalie85 · Post by **old goalie85** » Thu Oct 28, 2010 8:20 am

Sounds like a great way to mix hockey, culture, travel, and fun!!!! Way to go.

observer · Post by **observer** » Thu Oct 28, 2010 9:37 am

Remember the business axiom..

Don't be part of the problem, be part of the solution.

If the trip sounds cool put one together and offer it through your association. Part of being a strong association is having strong offerings developed by strong leadership. Be a leader, not a fusser.

Way to go SWPrez. Very cool trip. It's one thing to go to Europe with your parents but to go with 15-20 buddies will provide some awesome lifelong memories for these hockey players. Would you be willing to consult with associatioins looking to do something similar?

SWPrez · Post by **SWPrez** » Thu Oct 28, 2010 10:42 am

observer wrote:Remember the business axiom..

Don't be part of the problem, be part of the solution.

If the trip sounds cool put one together and offer it through your association. Part of being a strong association is having strong offerings developed by strong leadership. Be a leader, not a fusser.

Way to go SWPrez. Very cool trip. It's one thing to go to Europe with your parents but to go with 15-20 buddies will provide some awesome lifelong memories for these hockey players. Would you be willing to consult with associatioins looking to do something similar?

Observer,

This was our third trip to Vasteras and it has taken three trips to develop strong enough ties where our kids have been invited for home stays and other activities. We have developed excellent contacts across many age levels (both bandy and hockey) that allows us to get our kids opportunities with kids of like skill and age.

We have taken kids and parents over these years from Eden Prairie, Roseville, Highland, Saint Louis Park, Hopkins, etc. in addition to our Minneapolis kids. We could work with associations to get this up, or, if an association has interested members they could have their interested kids participate in one of our trips. Parents are also welcome to contact us directly.

We look at going every other year to Vasteras (next trip 2012), but there are some other Swedish towns that we have contacts in (Gothenburg, Karlstad,etc.) that similar 'sister hockey/bandy cities' could be established.

Next year I plan to take a high school group over to play some of the top 16/18 year old hockey clubs (modo, vasteras, djurgarden, etc.), so I most likely won't be pulling together a Storm trip.