Hockey Father's Day

This is obviously one of the greatest weekends of the year. It is Father’s Day weekend and the U.S. Open is on. There is not a whole lot of hockey going on with the end of the NHL season just wrapping up. There are only a few showcase events being played around the country right now but it is unquestionably the best weekend of the year to think about hockey dads everywhere. Some are still with us. Some are not. But they are all loved and I know it is because many of them share or shared some amazing qualities that I am sure you will recognize and agree with.

So please take a break from golf this weekend and join me in taking a moment to say, "Thanks Dad……

-for introducing me to the greatest game on the planet. (and golf too.)
-for getting up with me in the freezing cold to go to practice before schoolwhen the car would only start if you plugged it in overnight.
-for having the patience to watch me learn.
-for taking me to Maple Leaf Gardens and allowing me to dream.
-for letting me pick my own team to cheer for.
-for encouraging me when I played well.
-for encouraging me when I played bad.
-for making me work as hard at school as I did on the ice.
-for informing me that Tim Horton was a whole lot more than a donut store owner.
-for keeping Mom calm when I got hurt.
-for keeping Mom calm when I played well.
-for keeping Mom calm when I played bad.
-for keeping Mom calm when I left home.
-for just keeping Mom calm……
-For teaching me how to be a teammate.
-for not yelling at the refs.
-for teaching me that it only hurts for a little while.
-for being tough when it was right.
-for being right when it was tough…..
-for tying my skates when I know your back killed you….
-for rubbing my frozen toes when you took my skates off.
-for making me carry my own hockey bag.
-for buying me that new stick when you probably couldn’t afford it but also…
-for teaching me that sticks don’t score goals, players do…
-for driving all weekend to get to tournaments on some pretty slick roads.
-for teaching me that the game is important.
-for teaching me the game is not the most important.
-for being there for me when I couldn’t play anymore….
-for reminiscing about all the good times we had at the rink.
-for not remembering the tough ones…..

and most importantly…..

-for making sure I introduced his grandson to the greatest game on the planet. (and golf too……)"

Thanks Dads.
Have a great weekend!

School's Out.....Now what? Ask Barney.

It's that special time of year when the school year is coming to an end and young hockey players everywhere are thinking, "Great! Time to sit back for a while and do nothing....."
Well that's not the advice we give those who are anxious to achieve scholarships or financial aid packages in the future. In fact it's just the opposite. It's time to plan, get organized and be ready to seek more information. Yes, that's right, learning even when not in school.
Last week this flog focused on some recruiting advice and we got some great feedback. People had some great questions so I thought we would build on that and get into the academic issues even deeper.
When I wrote "ask Barney" in the title, I did not mean the purple Dinosaur. I wanted to get some expert feedback from someone so I asked Craig Barnett, (Barney)who is the Director of Player Placement for our company to help out. Craig's vast experience and knowledge pertaining to the process allows him to give valuable advice.

1985-1989 - Student-athlete at Plattsburgh State (NCAA III) - NCAA Champions

1989-1991 - Player in NY Ranger system (Flint IHL, Binghamton AHL, and Erie ECHL)
1991-1993 - Assistant Coach, Mercyhurst College (NCAA II)
1993-1994 - Assistant Coach, Kent State University(NCAA I)
1995-2002 - Head Hockey Coach, University of Findlay (NCAA I and III)
2002-2004 - Hockey Director / Assistant Athletic Director, Lake Forest Academy(Prep)
2004-2006 - Director of Athletics / Head Hockey Coach, Becker College(NCAA III)
2006-2009 - Director of Athletics, Mercyhurst College (NCAA II, NCAA I hockey)


I asked Craig for 7 bullet points relating to the academic process and issues potential college bound players and families should be thinking about and addressing. Here is his advice. Hope you can use some of it.

"Academically speaking, some questions families should be thinking of and asking colleges/coaches especially during visits:"

1. What type of academic support services are offered? For example, tutoring, extended time for test, academic advisors for student-athletes, resource rooms availability, extra assistance for students with diagnosed learning challenges, etc, etc. 

 2. Does the athletic department offer any of these services (mentioned above) specifically for student-athletes or is it all provided through the general student body?

 3. Does the college offer priority registration for classes for student-athletes - thus, give them more flexibility to take tougher classes in "off-season" and also allows to build their academic calendar around team practice and meeting times.

 

4. What is the colleges retention rate? What is the colleges APR score (NCAA Academic Progress Report)?  Are there any teams falling under the NCAA minimum standard?

 

5. What about summer classes - are those costs included in my athletic scholarship/financial aid package?

 6. Are there any other expenses above and beyond tuition, fees, room and board that are not covered by scholarships? For example, books, health insurance, travel home at breaks, etc.

7. Do High School AP classes transfer into this particular schools curriculum for college credit?

You can contact Barney at:
cbarnett@cardinalsportsgroup.com
 (814) 449.9868

Or If you see him at the rink over the summer at the many showcase events, make sure you say hello or ask him any questions you might have. You'll recognize him. He will be the one in purple. :)

Thanks Craig! Great job.

Everyone have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend and remember who our real heroes are. The men and women of our armed forces that give us the freedom to enjoy our great game. Try to say thank you to one of them if you can.
Kerry Huffman Platinum Hockey Group/Cardinal Sports 609-339-5156
Khuffman5@gmail.com
www.khhockey.com
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Parentectomy

Recently I was fortunate enough to spend some time at the College Hockey Coaches convention in Naples, Florida. It was great to spend some time away from a rink with coaches and get an insight into some of their thinking.

While talking with one of the very well known coaches from a major division one school about a possible recruit for their program, I heard him describe the player in a very unique way.   He said to me, "yes we really like him a lot as a player but we are going to pass.....he needs a major Parentectomy....." It took me a very short time to realize that they were not going to offer him a scholarship because of the actions of his parents.....
It got me thinking quite a bit about the recruiting and scouting process of young players and how many different factors can affect the situation. I thought I would share this with everyone.

One of the most important factors that schools and junior programs do consider is what is the players' family like? Specifically what are the parents like?

I discussed it with our staff we decided to come up with five simple points of advice for parents. Specifically parents who have young players that are getting to that 14-15 year old age when the recruitment and scouting process starts to pick up and the game seems to change from just a game to a business opportunity for some. 
This is only our opinion and advice we are offering. We are parents too and have made many mistakes just like everyone else so take from it what you will. We have seen many players get recruited successfully and there are some common traits. Hopefully it helps prevent any more Parentectomies....
If you want more input please feel free to contact us anytime.

The five suggestions for Parents are:

1. Take a step back.
Be suggestive and be supportive but allow your young athlete to research things and make their own decisions concerning where to play and which route to travel. Trust their instincts. You've done an amazing job getting them to this point. Let it go a bit now, step back and watch the results of your good parenting. Enjoy the product of all the countless hours you spent driving all over the country drinking bad coffee and sitting in cold arenas spending time with your child. Let them begin to make their own decisions. It will then be their responsibility to make it work and usually they do.

2. The coach/gm is always right.
Always, always, always, always......Even when you don't agree with them and know they are wrong. I know how hard this can be for some parents to hear or agree with but trust me. A coach who has had his feathers ruffled by a parent can do more harm to a player in a thirty second conversation with a scout than any bad game or tournament can do. Scouts and recruiters are going to talk to these people and listen to what the coach has to say over anyone else 98% of the time.  They rarely will ever listen to what a parent has to say so stay away from them. The best thing you can ever do at this point is keep a great relationship with the coach.

3. Remember, there are more important things in life than hockey.
I know this is where we might lose some people, but it is very important. We try to encourage parents to remember, this is about what your student athlete is going to be like at age 19 and 20 not at 14. Their journey is not complete. It hss only just begun......help them become well rounded. Encourage other interests and challenges. Take good breaks from the game that will keep them hungry to play. Young players can burn and fizzle out from too much pressing and pushing. Also be aware that no matter how good they are, and I mean even if they are hall of fame caliber players, they will not be playing when they are forty years old. 

4. Encourage them to work as hard away from the rink as they do at it.
Too much time, money and resources are wasted on showcases, tryouts and many things that rarely pay off. Invest in a good marketing plan for the player. Build a resume and bio that stand out from the rest. Make sure you have the right schooling and class requirements.  Get powerful letters of reference from people that are not involved in hockey as well. Tell them to think of it like they are a lawyer. Tell them to build their case. They are going to trial and better be prepared. Remember these numbers. There are roughly 28,000 high school senior age boys registered to play hockey with USA Hockey. There are 59 Division I teams and 77 Division III teams. Each of those bring on average 6 new players a season to their rosters and about half of those are from the US… that means only 408 of the 28,000 registered players will get their chance to play in college. That represents roughly 1.5% of registered players. I'd say it's pretty competitive.

5. Enjoy the Process.
It should not be stressful. It goes very fast.....These are the last few seasons you will spend at the rink with your child. Be positive. It will be one of the last lessons you pass on to them. Positive, fun people get recruited way more!!!!! Think about it, who would you rather spend four years with......?




Kerry Huffman
Platinum Hockey Group
609-339-5156
khuffman5@gmail.com
www.platinumhockeygoup.us
Member of the NHL Alumni Association