USA Hockey Love it, Hate it or put up with it?

Gray Mullet · Post by **Gray Mullet** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 6:23 am

Posted By Gray Mullet Subject: scottparker you are correct scottparker you have landed in politically incorrect territory with your biting yet very truthfull commentary. I will agree with you whole heartedly on both Shattuck and Ann Arbor. My observations of the US development program and USA hockey at large indicate that the wholescale development is very costly and the the product returned is not all the impressive. Take for example the team assembled this past winter at US Juniors. A lot of those kids had no clue what team hockey represents...pass the puck, puck movement was non existant from those folks. The college kids faired better in the team approach but just lacked the time to adjust to that level of play. USA hockey can fly a kite as they warrant mediocre hockey and have ruined association hockey as we once knew it to be. Any organization which is forced to march lock step with USA hockey should do the proverbeal 180 and launch their own course. Minnesota associations know how to develop kids and should kindly let USA hockey know that we no longer wish to be associated with second rate development. Shattuck is a whole other subject to dive into and certainly not my favorite topic when it comes amature youth hockey. Boot lickers like the Lets Play Hockey and MAHA who wish to pay undue attention to this organization need to get their head screwed on straight. Posted by Eddie Shore Quote: Boot lickers like the Lets Play Hockey and MAHA who wish to pay undue attention to this organization need to get their head screwed on straight. Which organization are you referrnig to, USA Hockey or Shattuck? Just curious. I assume it's USA Posted by slappy11 Re: scottparker you are correct If you don't care about Shattuck or USNTDP because they are not in your backyard or don't compete in the MSHL...fine, but Gray Mullet must be kidding by saying "Minnesota associations know how to develop kids." Minnesota does anything but that. There is little to no skill development in most associations practices. Minnesota associations are great at wasting valuable ice time. You talk about puck movement. Did watch any of the H.S. state tournament? How many times did you see more than one pass made?! And not during a power play when they pass it all around and do nothing with it. The defense puts the puck off the glass in their own zone 80% of the time. Is that what you mean by puck movement. I think you should tighten up your own screws. Posted by JLS81 I would sort of agree If you talk with most anyone who coached back before USA hockey put a "choke hold" on associations they pretty much concure with what ol' Gray Mullet is saying and I for one would probably lean towards believing them. As for the guys I have talked with it is pretty much their opnion that USA hockey has diminished the flexibility within associations by and large. One has to ask where are the high scoring lines of yester year? When will we see a line or number of lines that just rip up opponants with their puck moving capability. Warroad looked to have that this season but I am not certain they had points which matched lines of old. The game has changed indeed but where are the big scoring lines that just make you want to get to the rink? I think the game seems to emphasize individual play more now than days of old but maybe I am wrong on that notion. Posted by goldy313 Re: I would sort of agree Slappy 11, And just why do you think local associations waste so much ice time? As JLS put it USA hockey has a chokehold on development, coaching and dang near everything else in youth hockey. They tell you what to do , how to do it and when to do it, plus take 50 bucks out of every kid to boot. We still develop some elite players but the majority are no better if not worse than kids 20 years ago. In what other team sport is so much practice time used on individual skills? We treat our kids like figure skaters now. They go up and down the ice with ease, but is that hockey? Posted by slappy11 Re: I would sort of agree goldy-USA hockey is not the one running inefficient practices. USA hockey is not wasting valuable ice time with so called "captains practices"(I've never seen a lazier atmosphere) As for team sports-no other team sport requires as much individual skill. You can't see that?! I hope I don't really have to break each sport down. Stop and really think about what is involved with each sport and then hockey. Hockey-Skating, passing, stickhandling, shooting Yes. Hockey is a team sport. But, it is one that requires a lot of individual skills to play as a team. The most skilled individual can not do it alone. But, I guarantee you that if I took a team of mediocre skaters with great hands and passing and played them against a team of great skaters and mediocre stickhandling and passing....I will win. As a team! Posted by pokecheck Re: I would sort of agree The comment on Captain's practice is interesting because that is todays Rink Rat/ Pond Hockey experience for most players. The poor pass receiving (stone hands) can be attributed to the modern composite hockey stick. The players can pass the puck harder but it bounces off easier when trying to catch the pass. The lack of team play comes from many things but it is the safe way out for the player because the coach seldom yells at you if lose the puck stickhandling through traffic. Posted by Goldy313 Re: I would sort of agree Slappy11, I agree a team like you suggest would beat a team of pure skaters. I coached a rink bantam team that beat our traveling team handily a few years ago simply because we could forcheck and all their skating ability fails under pressure. As for individual skill I would go with baseball players over hockey players. The NHL is, and since expansion, is full of guys with little skill; just size and brawling ability. Most team sports, at their highest levels, value size over skill at most positions nowadays. Posted by juniorhockey AHA I think AHA has played a great team game, especially the last two years. They move the puck well and had great skill. In fact, I would argue that two years ago they played better as a team, but lacked the individual skill to finish. Maybe someone could open this as a new topic, so we can get opinions from others who don't skip over this thinking it's about Shattuck.

oldmanhockey · Post by **oldmanhockey** » Mon May 02, 2005 8:52 am

I wholeheartedly agree that USA Hockey is suffocating the MN associations. As a veteran coach for more years then I care to mention I have seen Minnesota Youth Hockey (the team kind we used to play in the 50s thru 80s) degrade to the individual, selfish, uncreative, unimaginative sport it is today. If we follow the USA guidelines we are totally focused on individual skill development and have little time for team concepts (and I'm not talking about "SYSTEMS"). I find it curious that USA hockey has this stranglehold on Minnesota Youth Hockey Associations. I have coached in MN and I have also coached in Colorado (Colorado Springs...home to USA hockey) and I'm here to tell you that USA hockey does not rule in it's host state. The local associations have and follow their own programs and totally disregard such useless programs as the "Initiation program". At least that was the way it was in the early to mid 90s. When I returned to MN (95) I was appalled at how badly the youth hockey had deteriorated as far as the team concept goes. Passing and receiving passes...let's forget the later as the former never happens! Try to bring a defenseman wide to open up the middle for a teammate...forget it. The worst is trying to instill team concepts and then getting ripped for not teaching individual skills. Man that's frustrating. Whoever said "teach skating skills and forget team concepts at the youth level. The better skating team will win the game 99% of the time" is full of S_ _T. Give me a group of enthusiastic kids willing to work their cans off as a team and we'll kick the snot out of the individual skilled team EVERY TIME!!!! Sorry for the ranting. Frustrated but won't quit!!!!!!!!!

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USA Hockey Love it, Hate it or put up with it?

USA Hockey Love it, Hate it or put up with it?

Re: USA Hockey Love it, Hate it or put up with it?