The ABC’s of ADM – Part 2
Do you know how many times the average 6 to 9 year old touches the puck during a game or how the NHL is getting involved with USA Hockey’s American Development model? The following article, which is part two of the ABC’s of ADM series (letters I to R), provides answers to these questions and much more.I is for Implementation -Support from around the country has been overwhelming as many local associations, affiliates and districts will begin phasing in the ADM at the Mite level starting with the 2009-10 season.
J is for Jamborees - Cross-ice or half-ice jamborees can be included in a Mites’ season schedule to showcase each players’ skill development and add interest for parents.
K is for Kingston - A 1976 study by George Kingston found that the average player at the 6- to 8-year-old level touches the puck for only 20.7 seconds over the course of a 60-minute full ice game. This study has been repeated and proven with similar results over the years.
L is for Long-Term Athlete Development - The cornerstone of the ADM, forming the foundation for developing athletes. It integrates training, competition and recovery programming with relation to biological ages and maturation.
M is for Multiple Sports - Players are encouraged to play other sports to improve their physical literacy and overall athleticism by taking a mental and physical break from the rink.
N is for NHL - A generous grant from the National Hockey League will provide the financial backing to get the ADM off the ground and moving forward.
O is for Off-Ice Training - Conducted once or twice a week, before or after on-ice practice, to focus on agility, balance, coordination and speed.
P is for Periodization – This means dividing the calendar year into intervals for preparation, competition, rest and recovery.
Q is for Quality Over Quantity - A basic principle of the ADM is to make better use of the time a player spends on the ice, mainly through skill-developing practices, rather than increasing the number of games played during a season.
R is for Regional Managers - There will be six regional managers strategically located around the country to implement the principles of the ADM by providing full-time staff support and guidance to youth hockey associations in their area.
Editor’s Note: For more information on USA Hockey’s American Development Model, please click here.
USA Hockey Presents the ABC’s of the American Development Model Part 1
The American Development Model was designed by USA Hockey to provide guidelines and continuity in youth hockey. The following article is part one in the ABC’s of the ADM and provides background on how the model was started as well as other interesting facts.
- A is for ABC’s - Improving agility, balance and coordination among all youth hockey players is a main goal for the ADM.
- B is for Balyi - Internationally recognized coaching educator Istvan Balyi developed the Long-Term Athlete Development model based on scientific data of how young people develop their maximum sporting ability, linking more closely coaching and the development of players to their physical and psychological growth.
- C is for Competition - While competition is great at older ages, it is not the best way for younger players (ages 8 to 14) to develop their skills. Studies have proven that the average player touches the puck a little more than 20 seconds during the course of a game.
- D is for Development Stages - The eight stages of long term athlete development are active start, fundamentals, learn to train, train to train, learn to compete, train to compete, train to win and hockey for life.
- E is for Equal Ice Time - At the youngest age levels, all players should receive the same number of ice touches, opportunities and exposure to quality coaches. This is a stark contrast to the current structure where early bloomers are given more and better opportunities to the detriment of kids who grow slower and develop later in life.
- F is for Fun & Fundamentals - Keeping things fun and more age appropriate while helping every player improve his or her fundamental skills will help create more hockey players for life.
- G is for Growth & Retention - Getting more kids to try hockey and keeping more kids in the game for life is vital to the growth of the sport. Too many families are leaving hockey because of the cost, time commitment and win at all-costs attitude that is pervasive in our sport today.
- H is for High Performance Clubs - High Performance Clubs will be located around the country with teams at the 13U, 14U, 15U, 16U and 18U levels to compete in a National HPC League.
Editor’s Note: For more information about ADM, please click here.
USA Hockey Introduces 2 & 2 Growth Challenge
The idea of growing hockey on the local level can be daunting. Youth association growth by big numbers happens with small steps.The number of children between the ages of 4 to 8 playing hockey has been shrinking. Over the last 10 years, acquisition of new players has dropped from 47,752 to 39,212 in 2008-09. To add to the shrinking numbers, 43.1% stop playing hockey by age 9, showing that retention is as important as recruitment.
The 2 & 2 National Challenge is a call to action for local associations. USA Hockey is asking hockey associations to recruit two more players than last year. For example, if an association brought in 22 new 4 to 8 year olds last year, then next year they should aim for 24 players.
The second half of the challenge is to improve the retention of 4 to 8 year olds by two players. If a club retained 30 players from the previous season, next year they should shoot for having 32 hockey players back on the ice.
For more information on the 2 &2 Challenge program click here (pdf).
Important: USA Hockey Announcement About H1N1 (Swine Flu) Virus
Below is an important announcement from USA Hockey about the H1N1 (Swine Flu) virus. Please read and then pass on to other team parents and volunteers:From USA Hockey: We’ve worked with our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Michael Stuart, to provide you with pertinent regarding the H1N1 virus, including recommendations to reduce the likelihood of spreading the infection. Specifically, USA Hockey recommends:
- Provide individual water bottles for players; do not share water bottles
- Regularly wash hands
- Clean workout gear for each practice/competition
- Keep gloves on during the traditional handshake with opponents
You should be aware that symptoms of the virus include: fever (102 degrees fahrenheit or greater), cough, muscle aches, runny nose, headache or sore threat, with the potential for more serious complications, including pneumonia.
Those affected by the H1N1 virus typically have been children and young adults.
Transmission of the virus may occur from the day before the onset of symptoms and during the five to seven days that the symptoms are present. Infected individuals should stay home until signs and symptoms have resolved, with no fever present for at least 24 hours. The 24-hour no-fever timeline should be achieved naturally, without the aid of fever reducing medications.
Additional information regarding H1N1 is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by visiting www.cdc.gov/H1N1Flu/.
USA Hockey Helps Squirt Players to Learn to Train
Keeping players ages 8 to 12 motivated to train can be a daunting task for even the most motivational parents and coaches. Additionally, the stress of regular training can be very taxing on growing bodies. Because of this, as part of their American Development Model, USA Hockey has created the Learn to Train program for this age group. The program creates guidelines and outlines special considerations to ensure that young players not only have fun while training, but are also doing so in a safe manner.
USA Hockey’s American Development Model has created specific guidelines for player developmental stages. The following article outlines the Learn to Train stage, which focuses on girls ages 8 to 11 and boys 9 to 12.
The objective of the Learn to Train stage is to refine overall sport skills and develop sports specific skills.
General Description of the Learn to Train stage - This is the period of accelerated learning of coordination and fine motor control and is the critical stage for the acquisition of hockey skills. At this stage participants are developmentally ready to acquire the sports skills that are the cornerstones of all athletic development.
In late specialization sports such as ice hockey, early specialization can be detrimental to later stages of skill development and refinement of the fundamental sports skills. Participants should develop a solid base in a variety of sports in each of the physical literacy environments (e.g. swimming, athletics, gymnastics & skiing/ skating). Club to club competitions should be introduced but they should not be the main focus of the program.
USA Hockey’s key focus for this stage:
- Continue to develop physical literacy
- Continue to participate in three complimentary sports
- Participants at this stage should learn solid basic skills in skating and puck control
- There is no need at this stage to specialize at a specific skater position, however goalies may begin to focus on their position
Editor’s Note: For more information on USA Hockey’s Learn to Train Stage, please click here (pdf).
USA Hockey Puts Fun Into Hockey for Young Players
Any parent can tell you that in order to keep children ages 6 to 9 engaged, it is important that an activity include an element of “fun.” Using that as a basis, USA Hockey has come up with several steps to ensure that young hockey players are having fun while learning the game of hockey. The following article outlines USA Hockey’s FUNdamentals program, which provides a guideline for hockey programs to more effectively reach and teach young players.
The objective of the FUNdamentals stage is to refine fundamental movement skills and begin to acquire basic sports skills. This is the time when a foundation is laid for future acquisition of more advanced skills.
General Description of the FUNdamentals stage:
- This is the stage where children learn physical literacy; the interrelationship between
- movement skills and sport skills.
- The skills that children acquire during this stage will benefit them when they engage in any activity regardless of their level of participation.
- By-passing the acquisition of ‘basic and specialized movement’ and ‘sport skills’
- during the FUNdamentals stage is detrimental to a person’s future participation in physical activity and sport (A, B, C’S = Agility, Balance, Coordination, Speed;
- gymnastics, swimming, running, gliding; throwing, striking, kicking).
- Basic sport skill development in this stage should be well structured, positive, and one in a FUN and social environment.
- All programs should be structured with proper progression, and monitored regularly by trained certified coaches, volunteers and parents.
USA Hockey’s key focus for this stage:
- Help ensure our participants gain physical literacy
- Develop a passion for hockey in all our children (keep kids & families in the game)
- Encourage participation in a variety of complimentary sports to help our children
- Maximize their ability to reach their genetic potential in hockey
- Develop on-ice balance, coordination, agility and speed
- Introduce basic puck control skills
Editor’s Note: For more information on Hockey FUNdamentals, please click here
USA Hockey Introduces American Development Model
The American Development Model (ADM) provides age-appropriate guidelines and curriculum to hockey associations across America to help more kids play, love and excel in hockey.
Once the kids are on the ice and playing, the game itself can only take them so far. To love hockey, they first have to play it. And to excel at it, they need to play it and love it. To love the game of hockey, kids first have to play it in an environment that brings out their passion. One that encourages them. The more the love the game, the more they’ll play. And the more they play, the better they’ll get.
There need to be reasons to love the game. And if all they’re doing is playing hockey 365 days a year, there’s a good chance the game they’re supposed to love becomes more of a chore than a passion. That amount of exposure too early on can put undue stress and pressure on them and give the kids plenty of reasons not to love hockey.
Play - Playing the game is where kids learn that the game is, in its simplest form, fun. And if you can mix in age-appropriate training and practice with skills and athleticism introduction, kids will have even more fun. And to keep it fun, there should be a low priority placed on winning and losing and a high priority placed on just introducing the game to a young kid.
Love - Once a kid learns to play the game and begins to develop skills and athleticism, hockey starts to take priority among other activities. Skills become more refined, their physical and mental makeup is stronger and the friendships they developed early on continue to grow. The games become more important and hockey in general becomes a bigger part of their life.
Excel - Now that they play and love the game, a higher premium is placed on excelling at it. Tougher competition and more of a focus on mastering skills play an increased role in their development. Hockey starts to take a larger priority over other activities. But, above all, the game is still fun and the friendships that were forged back in Mites are as strong as ever.
The bottom line is that if we can give kids reasons to stick with the game, we can unlock their potential and help them excel at the game they play and love.
Editor’s Note: For more information on the American Development Model, please visit: http://www.admkids.com/
USA Hockey Announces New Development Model
We’re extremely pleased to share the news of the revolutionary American Development Model that will be available for local associations to utilize beginning with the 2009-10 season. The ADM was endorsed by the USA Hockey Board of Directors at the recently completed Winter Meeting and has also been endorsed by the National Hockey League.
The American Development Model furthers our growth and development efforts as it will provide our member associations — for the first time ever — an optimal development blueprint for youth players that will lead to a better experience for our current players and also help attract new players to our sport.
As Mike Mullally, the president of the Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois, recently remarked, “This is the best thing to come out of USA Hockey in the last 25 years.”
The ADM includes, as a component, a high performance club program. While implementation of the ADM is highly recommended, its implementation will be required for those clubs wishing to apply to become a high performance club.
There are many details to follow in regard to the ADM and high performance club program and you can expect the following in terms of education:
| Jan. 26 | An executive summary of the American Development Model posted on http://www.usahockey.com/adm/ |
| Jan. 26 | Detailed materials on the American Development Model posted on http://www.usahockey.com/adm/ |
| Jan. 26 | Detailed information on the high performance club program, including criteria and the application process. |
| Jan. 28 | A blog at http://www.usahockey.com/adm/ at which you can ask questions and view on-going dialogue about the American Development Model and high performance club program |
In addition, a frequently asked questions document will be posted at http://www.usahockey.com/adm/ on Jan. 26 and will be added to on a regular basis.
It’s hard to put in words the excitement and buzz that has been and will continue to be generated by this new initiative. It will take time for local associations around the country to educate their constituents on the merits of adopting the American Development Model, but there’s no doubt that the principles of the program are indeed right for kids.
Editor’s Note: From Ron DeGregorio, USA Hockey President
USA Hockey/AAHA Parent Quiz
The USA Hockey/AAHA Parent Quiz is now online! The section consists of USA Hockey Videos, USA Hockey Parent Awareness Packet, and a short parent quiz. At the conclusion of each month, one (1) family will be randomly selected from all quiz participants. This family will receive four (4) lower-level tickets to an upcoming Coyotes game. The winner will be notified via email at the end of each month. To view the USA Hockey/AAHA Parent Quiz section, please click here.
USA Hockey Parent Awareness
Below is a link to the USA Hockey Parent Awareness PowerPoint. We recommend all parents take the time to read through this PowerPoint. Click Here to view the USA Hockey Parent Awareness PowerPoint (.ppt)
