DAN’S  WEB SITE…

            My dad and our web engineer are busy updating and upgrading the website.  New pictures, new colors (Purple and Teal instead of Black and Purple), and some new features, including some links to some really great sites that have articles that are worth reading if hockey is important to you, either as a player or the parent of a player.  Let me know how you like the changes and if there is something you would like to see on the site that’s not there now.  It should be ready November 4.

DAN’S TIP OF THE MONTH FOR KIDS...

“Skills don’t come in your genes any more than they come in your jeans”.

One of the reasons I really like playing for the Ducks is that every night we play I get a really good seat to one of the best shows in hockey.  Paul Kariya, Teemu Selanne, and Steve Rucchin doing magic tricks with the puck in our offensive zone.  Believe me when I tell you that watching from the bench is a lot more fun than watching from the ice (which I had to do when I played against them).  Their skating and puck handling skills are truly amazing.  It’s astonishing even to many of us in the NHL. 

You may be tempted to say, “I wish I was born with talent like that.”  I’m tempted to say that!  Tempted - but I know better.  Skills like that don’t come in your genes any more than they come in your jeans.  It comes from practice, more practice, and even more practice. 

Paul practiced stickhandling when he watched TV by maneuvering a tennis ball through the legs of a chair – by the hour.  Teemu came from Europe where kids have three of four practices for every game and don’t typically play games until they are 10 years old, they only practice their skills, over and over again.  So don’t wish away your life thinking you weren’t born right; if you want to be as good as Paul, you can be.  You just need to practice as much as he did… does.

I heard a story about Karl Malone, the NBA star.  A teammate on the Utah Jazz once made a comment to an interviewer he wished he was born with the talent that Karl Malone had.  That comment made Karl Malone very angry.  He knew how much hard work and practice it had taken to develop his skills and his teammate’s comments demeaned all that hard work and practice and chalked it up to a fluke of nature.

For most of you, playing hockey is a fun thing to do with your friends and you don’t have any goals for the sport other than recreation.  Others of you aspire to play hockey in high school, college, or even the pros.  To become good enough to play at those levels doesn’t come by wishing and it isn’t only the destiny of those who were “born with talent like that”.  It only comes with having a goal and working very hard to reach that goal. 

How much hard work does it take?  In our new book, I liken it to moving a mountain with your bare hands - one rock at a time.  And every moment you spend finessing a tennis ball around the legs of a chair, shooting against the basement wall, every chance you have to play pond or rat hockey, every practice, every shift you take is a chance to remove one more rock from your mountain.

So if you aspire to go on in hockey, don’t waste your time and energy wishing you were “born with talent like that”.  “Talent like that” comes from practice.  In a previous issue we quoted Eric Hoffer who said “We are told that talent creates its own opportunities. But it sometimes seems that intense desire creates not only its own opportunities, but its own talents.  The implied formula in Mr. Hoffer’s words are that desire plus practice creates talent.

  In other words, you turn aspiration into realization by determination and perspiration.

Orel Hershiser once said, “I’m proof that great things can happen to ordinary people if they work hard and never give up”.  

 So am I.

DAN’S HOCKEY TIP MONTH – “what kind of skill and tricks to you need to be a penalty killer”:

 My tip this month was inspired by a question we received on the web site having to do with penalty killing.  A hockey father asked:  You’re a penalty killing specialist.  What skills does it take and what tricks does one have in their bag to become a good penalty killer? Hockey Dad (whose kid doesn’t get to play on the power play).

Hockey Dad:  Your son and I can identify and be pals real quick.  The first thing you tell my little buddy is that good killing penalties skills are in high demand.  The Ducks went after me as a free agent because they were last in the league in penalty killing efficiency.  And as good as Paul and Teemu are, they need the puck to be good and you don’t get the puck much as a penalty killer. Killing penalties requires a certain attitude, a good work ethic, some intelligence as to how the offense works, a degree of unselfishness, verbal communications, some patience, and discipline.  Of course, I think the combination of these skills takes a very special person (?!).

The right attitude or mindset is important.  Every time I go over the boards to kill a penalty, I grit my teeth and say, “They’re not going to score on my shift”.  You have to make that a personal commitment.

A great work ethic is important because four PK guys have to out work and out hustle the five PP guys.  It means a lot of starts and stops, a lot of chasing; and frankly, it’s a lot of hard work.  It’s not a job for slouches.

Intelligence or playing smart can make the job easier.  You want to keep the puck outside of the box formed by the top and bottom of the face off circles.  So the 4 PKers form a box to accomplish that.  If the puck is outside the box, the other team may score, but it won’t be easy.  To keep the puck there, use your stick to force passes around the box, not into or through it.  You do that by facing the man with the puck, keep your stick toward the middle of the ice to force him to pass down the sides.  You make sure the box moves and collapses with the puck, and you always be alert to the players who don’t have the puck and where they are.  Watch a good NHL penalty kill (like the Ducks(?)) but don’t watch the offense, watch the defense: how they move the box, use their sticks, and collapse to the net on a shot or when the puck goes low.

A degree of unselfishness is important because there’s not much glory in killing penalties and sending the puck down the ice may be better than trying the end to ender, which may be the more glamorous thing to do.  Blocking shots by getting down in front of the opponent who has a “rocket” for a slap shot may require that you take one for the team.  In blocking shots it’s important to keep the front of your body to the shooter.  The front of your body is completely protected.  Your back side isn’t.  So don’t look away or present your back, face the shooter and you will avoid injury.

Verbal communication is important to keep your teammates advised as to things they can’t see, what you are going to do, or what they should do.

You might wonder why patience is important, but if there is a player with the puck outside the box and he just holds the puck, you need to have the patience to let him kill his own PP by standing there.  Don’t let him draw you out of position.

You need to be disciplined to stay with the plan.  Let them pass the puck around the box, stay in position, ice it quickly when you get the chance, and get off when you’re tired.

It’s my view that penalty killing is more and more becoming recognized as a developed skill, much like playing guard or tackle is in football.  As good as Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman is, he wouldn’t do so good as a offensive tackle.  So tell my little buddy that this is his chance to shine, to get an attitude, play with some intelligence, and take pride in a job well done that definitely contributes to the success of the team. 

I also think that a successful penalty kill is as good as scoring a goal. Why?  Because an unsuccessful kill is a one goal swing in the game as opposed to a successful kill.

UPCOMING PUBLIC APPEARANCES:

DAN:

December 1, 2000, at the Disney Grand California Hotel the Ducks in Tux will be serving dinner to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. .  (The Ducks are serving, they’re not serving ducks).  For information call 714-940-2910.

JAY:

November 29, 2000, at the Forest Hills Northern 5^th  & 6^th Grade Building, for the GRAHA (Grand Rapids Area Hockey Assn) Academic Excellence Awards Program.  For more information call Jean Laxton at 616-365-8041   

DAN’S HONOR ROLL  -

Those kids who understand one of the most important things necessary to make it to the NHL:

The first marking period will probably come out before the next newsletter so if you qualify, Email your Name, age, GPA (on a 4.0 scale A= 4.0, A- = 3.75, B+ = 3.25, B= 3.0, etc.- must be 3.50 or better) or average overall grade improvement (must be at least one full grade over last year), school, team, and state.

For example:

NAME                    AGE    GPA       SCHOOL                            TEAM                                             STATE   

Dan Doe                    11      3.75        Peach Plains Elementary    Muskegon Chiefs  AA PeeWee         MI

Peter Smith                 9       1.2+       Custer Elementary              Baker Lumber House Squirt              KS

 

(I hope all of you can make this list.)

 

PARENT TO PARENT – from JAY

From time to time we get questions about equipment and especially about head gear.  I’ve always thought of a mouth guard as protection for your teeth.  However, some recent research has been forwarded to us by a hockey dad and coach in Canada, Steve Pesner, about a new mouth piece that has been developed by a dentist - Dr. Edward T. Williams.  It’s called the WIPSS (short for Williams Intra-oral Protective Sports System).  The research on this mouth guard indicates not only that it protects the teeth but that its design will reduce closed head injury – that’s right, concussions – by protecting the jaw-joint or TMJ and the nerves and circulatory systems that travel through this part of the facial structure.  You can read the dentist’s credentials and see the research as well as order a WIPSS at http://www.wipss.com/. 

Helmets have been mandatory equipment throughout all levels of hockey for some time now and they’ve played a big role in reducing head injuries.  A lot of professional and amateur players are unaware that a loosely fitting helmet, including one that is not strapped on tightly does not provide the maximum protection the helmet was designed for. 

A loosely fitting helmet can fail when a player is upset on the ice and falls on his head.  Actually, if the helmet is loose fitting, the helmet hits the ice first and then the head hits the interior of the helmet.  Of course, it’s preferable to have the head hit the padding of the helmet (if there is any to speak of) rather than the ice, but much more protection is afforded if the players head is in contact with the helmet when the helmet hits the ice.

So insist your player wears a well padded helmet that fits snuggly around his head and straps it up securely.  As your player grows older (as I am all too aware - Daniel!) it becomes fashionable to have a loose or even dangling chin strap.  If you are bigger than your player or pay for his ice time and equipment, don’t let him get away with less than a tight chin strap.  It’s a luxury I no longer have.

*****

A hockey mom recently questioned us whether the obsession her player had about the game was healthy. “It seems all he thinks about is hockey.  If he’s not playing a game, he’s practicing.  I wonder if the stick isn’t growing to his hand.  I don’t think he is good enough to ever go anywhere with it and I’m concerned that all this energy is wasted on an unrealistic goal.”

After learning that his obsession with hockey didn’t effect his grades I suggested that it might be premature to assume that he’s not good enough to go anywhere with it.  But taking her assessment of his future in the game at face value, there are two good side benefits that may result from his obsession.  One is that he has already learned an important life lesson… that success in reaching goals doesn’t come from wishing, but rather a commitment to hard work (as Dan points out above).  That lesson will hold him in very good stead throughout his life if and when his goals change.   

The second side benefit is that his energy is being channeled into a tangible and worthwhile endeavor, that is, it beats chasing girls or idly hanging out at the mall.  

As to whether or not he’s good enough to go anywhere with hockey, no one including his father and mother ever thought young Danny Bylsma would wind up in the NHL (no one except perhaps Danny Bylsma).  Success in hockey like anything else comes from hard work and perseverance, something this player obviously has.    

So as long as his obsession doesn’t interfere with your family’s values, like education, religious instruction, family life… there are worse things he could be obsessed about.  

And who knows…

THIS MONTH’S SAYING TO PUT IN YOUR LOCKER:

"Winners form the habit of concentrating on what they want to happen; losers concentrate on what they don't want to happen.  In a pressured situation, winners call up past wins; losers recall past losses.  Both are self-fulfilling.-- Thomas Edison

THIS MONTH’S BEST QUESTION TO THE WEBSITE:

Dan:  How many stitches have you had in your pro career.  Broken bones? Do you have all your own teeth? T.P. Mich.

Dear T.P.  I’m not sure you really want to know.  The good news is that so far I haven’t lost any teeth.  But the bad news is I stopped counting the stitches in my face when it got to 550 two seasons ago.  I don't think I've had any more since I began wearing a half shield.  As to broken bones I’ve collected 25 (I broke the tip of my middle finger last night (10/21) against the Flyers), 11 of which came in my face in one incident (when I took a slapper in the face which also accounted for over 100 of my stitches). 

Some of the scars look like the stitches were put in by the Zamboni driver.  A plastic surgeon who attends the adult session of my hockey camp checks me over each summer.  He tells me to wait until my career is over and then he’ll try to restore my former good looks.  We’ll see what a magician he really is.

I’m telling you this and putting it in the newsletter to emphasize the importance of wearing well-fitting protective equipment, even when you’re are just messing around with your friends.  None of my stitches or broken bones came from someone intentionally trying to mess up my face or hurt me.  All of them were accidental.  But even unintentionally, the blade of a stick in the nose or around your mouth can make some nasty gashes not to mention someone skating over your hand without gloves on. 

So when your parents insist that you wear your helmet and full face protector as well as all your protective equipment even when you’re just messing around or playing rat or pond hockey, just remember 550 and 25. That’s not a misprint – 550 stitches in my face and 25 broken bones.  So wear your gear, all of it, every time you play. 

There is another reason I put this in the newsletter - to remind you how important it is to learn to play the game with your stick down and learn to control it.  There’s no reason to have your stick up around someone else’s head or to allow it to swing wildly out of control.  Controlling your stick is a good habit to get into while you’re young so you won’t hurt anyone when you’re in the NHL!

ABOUT ONE KID’S TRIP TO THE NHL—current installment  

Being elected Assistant Captain of the Mighty Ducks is a high honor and one I certainly didn’t expect being a newcomer to the team and not a first line player.  Steve Rucchin and I will alternate wearing the second “A” (Paul wears the “C” and Teemu is also an “A”) with Steve wearing it at home games and I’ll be wearing it on the road.  I’ve always said that you can be a leader and make a difference in the locker room and on the ice without wearing the “C” or the “A”.  But to be recognized by your teammates in a formal way as a leader is a high honor and comes with a responsibility I take seriously.

The Ducks are off to their best start in their history and there’s a good feeling in the locker room.  We don’t think we’ve played our best game yet.  It appears the changes the General Manager made over the summer are paying off.  The Ducks are bigger and stronger and we have a more balanced attack - taking the pressure off Paul and Teemu.  Even my line is chipping in with a goal here and there.  And so far the penalty killing efficiency is improved over last year, something I intended to improve on even further.

How’s your season going?  Those of you who attended my hockey school know how to respond to that, right?   If you didn’t and you’re curious, Email me.

  Dan Bylsma  #21

DAN AND JAY’S BOOKS

So Your Son Wants to Play In The NHL   Published in 1998 by Sleeping Bear Press in the US and McClelland & Stewart in Canada.  HC $24.95.  The story of Dan’s journey from the ice rink in our back yard to the NHL.  Autographed and personalized copies available at www.DanBylsma.com.

So You Want to Play In The NHL  To be published in early November, 2000, by NTC/Con- temporary Publishing Group.  Trade paperback—$14.95.  Thirty-five questions that aspiring young athletes have and Dan’s and Jay’s alternating answers. Forward by Luc Robitaille. Autographed copies available at www.DanBylsma.com on November 15th.

Pitcher’s Hands is Out    To be published in January, 2001 by River Road Publishing.  HC and Trade paperback.  A historical novel about what it was like to be a kid living in the Great Depression.  A baseball story.

Dan’s On the web

At www.DanBylsma.com