Volume 3, Issue  6 - February, 2003  

 "From the Right Wing…"

 

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Anaheim
MIGHTY DUCKS

#21

Dan Bylsma’s Newsletter --- A Feature of West Michigan Hockey Camp, Inc.

www.danbylsma.com

 This issue contains articles about        

  coaching and hockey school...         

         

For a printer friendly version - click here                                                                                                                                            

     

              

This month's issue contains:

 DAN'S TIP OF THE MONTH   THIS MONTH'S QUESTION   TRUST FUND AUCTION   TIPS FROM HOCKEY CAMP 

 DAN'S HONOR ROLL  COACH'S TIP   THE SAYING OF THE MONTH   DAN TRIP IN THE NHL   DAN & JAY'S BOOKS 

  A WAY TO SUBSCRIBE

 
JAY'S TIP OF THE MONTH FOR PLAYERS

I'm writing to you this month after I spent four days on a very special trip.  The Mighty Ducks took the players' fathers on a road trip.  It was very exciting to spend that time on the road with Dan and the team.  You can read more about it in the last article of this newsletter. 

This trip gave me the opportunity to become better acquainted with some of the players, but also meet their fathers.  Every father shared their story about their son's journey to the NHL and their tales were similar to Dan's - some worth repeating to you.

Adam Oates' father said Adam was about to give up on hockey after high school.  No Major Jr. team wanted him, but just about the time Adam thought he needed to start looking for a real job, R.P.I. called and invited Adam to attend and play college hockey for them.  Mr. Oates' words were, "I thank God every day for R.P.I. or Adam would have never played in the NHL."  The point of the story is that all the best minds of Major Jr. A, and all but one college, didn't think Adam Oates had any potential.  And he wasn't drafted by any NHL team either!  While I was in Anaheim, Adam passed Gordie Howe's assist record and Adam is destined to be in the Hall of Fame.

Jason Krog's father said that Jason was cut from his area's Major Jr. A team, and then from the local Jr. B team.  A coach in the area thought there should be a second Jr. B team, formed one, and invited Jason to try out.  Four of the five evaluators voted to cut Jason, but the coach insisted he make the team.  He was the Jr. B Player of the Year that year, went on to play for New Hampshire, and become the 1998-1999 Hobey Baker winner as the best college hockey player.

Other fathers told similar stories about Kurt Sauer, Kevin Sawyer, J.S. Giguire...

I've written before that Dan's coaches didn't believe Dan was good enough to play college hockey and his Jr. and college coaches (and his father) didn't believe he would play a game in the NHL.

The father of Matt Moulson - the young man who accepted a scholarship to Cornell and of whom we've written before - wrote me this week.  Matt has been named ECHA Rookie of the Week and more recently, NCAA Player of the Week and his father writes, "The Big Red finished with a perfect home record and are now #2 in the polls.  The Big Red rink has been packed every night with the Lynah Faithful - 3,800 of the greatest, most enthusiastic fans in hockey. His goaltender tied the school record for most shutouts, set by Ken Dryden 30 years ago.  Just an amazing season.  I still have to shake my head.  It's hard to believe three years ago five Midget AAA teams in Toronto didn't want him."

We think these stories are important because too many of you are told you aren't good enough to make this team or that or that you aren't skilled enough to play on the power play or in the third period in close games.  Supposedly knowledgeable coaches told that to Adam, Jason, Kurt, Kevin, Dan, Matt and many others too numerous to mention. 

We have a saying that we put on the bottom of every newsletter:

It takes three things to succeed: talent, hard work, and perseverance.  And the greatest of these is not talent.  

I think the reason these very successful players were told they weren't good enough is because their coaches and the scouts couldn't see the work ethic and the perseverance these players had.  Those characteristics are not visible - they're on the inside - part of your character.  Coaches can only see the talent... the least important ingredient to success.  And frankly, some coaches (like myself) and scouts make mistakes in judging talent. 

The lesson I want you to take away from my road trip with the Mighty Ducks is that you should not allow other people's poor or inadequate judgment detract you from your goals - in hockey or in life.

Mark Twain said, "Keep away from people who belittle your ambitions.  Small people always do that, but the really great ones make you feel that you, too, can become great."

Adam, Jason, Dan, and the rest are poster boys for every kid who's been told he isn't good enough.

Jay M. Bylsma

THIS MONTH'S BEST QUESTION ON THE WEB SITE…

Dear Dan and Jay: We play for a AAA Bantam travel team and regret allowing this "coach" to influence our son. Aside from the coach's favoritism to play the talented players the most and his nephew who is a house player taking others’ ice time, my son (not in the top six players) is now being harassed by players on the team - we suspect they're following the coach's precedent of disrespecting him.

There have been disturbing incidents, including verbal abuse, exclusion, and impractical jokes, which have been brought to the GM's attention and dealt with a "boys will be boys" attitude for fear his son will be black-balled as well. Would you quit this team so late in the season on principle (and not having much fun riding the bench or in the locker room) or stick it out? Frustrated Father

 

Dear F.F.: February seems to be the time of the year for this question and my father tells me we've received over twenty Emails expressing variations on the same concern. The simple answer would be - by all means don’t play for this coach again – even though next year your player might gain favorite status and be one of the players who plays two-thirds of the game. That solves your problem but not the problem for one third of the kids who will play for this coach in succeeding years.

A more pro-active approach would be to work to have the coaching philosophy typified by this coach banned from your association. Toward that end, there is beginning to be ever more ammunition to aid you in that goal: the five year results of Fair Play in Nova Scotia, the Peterborough Pete Squirt AAA team coached by Steve Larmer and Greg Millen, the book "Whose Puck is it Anyway", our IT PAYS program, the statistic that 80% of the kids quit the sport by age 13 (among the reasons are that they were treated unfairly), etc. Making this change would make a significant contribution to all the kids in your program.

It has been said that experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first and then the lesson. The lesson here is that tryouts are not to see if your player is skilled enough to play for this or that coach, it’s to see if this coach is good enough to entrust your player. And good is used here meaning the opposite of words like ill advised, inappropriate, self-serving, self-aggrandizing, egotistical, and even evil. And while the "player tryout” happens once for the whole season, the coach’s tryout happens every practice, every game. Just like a coach wouldn’t think twice about cutting a player who is not skilled enough, a parent shouldn’t think twice about cutting a coach who isn’t good enough.

Over the years, it has been my experience and that of others whose opinion I respect that coaches that are playing their own kids disproportionately to their ability and berating others are generally coaches who do not understand the game from either a tactical or skill development perspective.  To top it off, what little they do know they have trouble teaching.  If your player doesn't play for them he isn't missing anything but the experience of learning from a bad example.

If you knew about this coach’s philosophy but thought your son was skilled enough to be one of the favored players and now are upset that the coach didn’t see it your way, shame on you. If you didn’t know about this coach’s philosophy, also shame on you for entrusting your player to a coach without checking out his background and philosophy. And further shame on you for waiting this long to take action. Our guess is you wouldn’t have stood by for this long while your player’s school teacher allowed him to participate in only one third of the instruction or allow the other students to disrespect him, and for our money, hockey is well below education on the list of activities which we think are important opportunities for our children.

The lesson here is to understand what tryouts are. Not many parents understand them; not many coaches do either. Garry Galley (1147 games in the NHL) pulled his kids from a team with a coach like the one you describe. I wouldn’t let my son play for this coach; my father wouldn’t have let me play for him either.

There are only three reasons to have your child play youth sports: to have fun, to develop his athleticism, and to learn positive life lessons. We think this program provides none of these three and we’d be out of there.

*****

Another question I've been getting is "How's your knee/head injury?"  First, to my knowledge I don't have a head injury, but as my father says, "Who can tell with a hockey player?"  I know the head injury was reported on the news services, but they were misinformed. 

Regarding my knee.  Actually, before the All Star break I was skating on one leg for more than a few games.  There is inflammation, fluid, and perhaps some floating cartilage and  certainly a lot of discomfort. While I inherited considerable pain tolerance from my mother, this has been severe.  So I'm working on strengthening my knee muscles (which isn't much fun) and skating every other day.  Today was the first day that I could say the discomfort was tolerable.  If I can say that again tomorrow I will be able to report progress.  I'm hoping to get back into the line up when the Ducks return to Anaheim March 2nd.  I don't want to miss the playoffs - they haven't been a regular feature of my career. 

In the meantime, I'm enjoying doing color commentary for Steve Carroll, the Ducks' radio announcer.  I'm not sure how colorful I am but I'm keeping my career options open because there's life after hockey for all of us.  You can hear #21 yapping by going to the Ducks' web site and clicking on the radio link anytime and get the last game or at NHL.com, then the Ducks' radio link at game time.  Sometimes I only do the second and third period. 

Thanks for all your messages of care and concern.  They are appreciated.

   Dan Bylsma

Go to TOP  DAN'S TIP  THIS MONTH'S QUESTION  HONOR ROLL  COACH'S TIP  SAYING  DAN in the NHL  BOOKS  SUBSCRIBE
MY CHARITABLE TRUST FUND...

There is no auction this month.  I've been donating some of my stuff to other charity auctions and am fresh out of goodies at the moment.

 
NOTES FROM MY HOCKEY CAMP...

(We reprint this article that first appeared in the Newsletter in 2001 because our subscription list continues to grow and it's the time when some of you are thinking about summer hockey camps).

This may seem a bit early to think about summer hockey camp, but my father tells me mine is already nearly full.  There are nearly 600,000 kids playing youth hockey in the US and I have room for only 100 kids in my camp so that leaves a lot of you wondering if you should send your player to a summer hockey camp, and if so, whose camp should you consider. 

Why send your player to a hockey camp?  An important consideration is the skill level and teaching ability of your player’s present coach.  If the coach was like my father, he was a great coach, but he didn’t know from sic’em about skating fundamentals.  So he sent me to summer hockey camp to learn the things he couldn’t teach me.  If, on the other hand your son or daughter plays for a coach who knows skating fundamentals and knows how to teach them, you will have different considerations than my father had for sending me to camp.

I like to think of a good camp as one that functions like a doctor’s office for players.  If your child isn’t feeling good, you might try home remedies or over-the-counter medicines, but if the malaise persists, you would take him to the doctor for a check up.  A good camp should be able to review the player’s skating technique and prescribe a remedy to help the player correct or improve his technique.

I also think summer hockey camp can be a great carrot to elicit desired behavior.  Your player’s opinions to the contrary, there’s no constitutional right to go to summer hockey camp.  It should be a reward for good citizenship.  Better study habits, personal housekeeping improvements, diligent attention to assigned family chores, and perhaps earning some of the cost are things that can be made a condition for shelling out the big dollars for summer hockey camp.  (In case you kids are reading this, believe me when I tell you that these were all conditions for my parents to allow my brothers and I to have the privilege to go to a summer hockey camp.) 

One of the reasons my parents sent my brothers and I to summer hockey camp had nothing to do with hockey.  They thought it was important for their kids to attend college.  So they sent us to hockey camps at colleges so we could see what it was like to be on a college campus, be in a college environment, and live in a dorm.  It was one of their tricks to influence us.  It worked because we all thought it was our decision to go to college – it never occurred to us that they had anything to do with our decision.

What camp should you consider?

A camp that promises two things: fun and skating skills – in that order.  I think fun is the most important consideration because as the name suggests (and some parents forget): this is summer hockey camp, that is - summer, we’re going to play a game, at a camp.  Games, summer, and camp should be about having fun.  Besides, if the player is not having fun, the learning will be marginal at best.

Why is skating important?  This game is all about skating.  During an average game your player will have the puck on his stick for 20 seconds at most but he or she will be skating for 15 to 20 minutes, which should give you an idea of the importance of being a good skater.  So I would encourage you to look for a camp that will teach your player new skating skills, improve existing skills, perhaps diagnose and correct flaws in the player’s skating technique, and emphasize drills that will show the skater how to work on improving his or her technique.

How can you tell what a camp will be like?

The best way is by word of mouth from other hockey parents whose kids have attended other camps.  You can also study the brochures at your local rink or the information most camps provide on the Internet.  Look for the key words ‘fun’ and ‘skating fundamentals’ as well as other things that you might think are important… well qualified instructors, instructor-to-pupil ratios, good role models, special skills (goalie instruction?), university environment, indoor off-ice facilities in case of rain, etc.  And the name of the camp might give you a clue as to their philosophy, i.e. "Rock'em Sock'em Hockey Camp".

Should you consider having your player attend more than one camp?

Yes, but I would only consider more than one camp for my child if the other one is a math camp, band camp, science camp, Bible camp, space camp, Odyssey of the Mind camp, orchestra camp, drama camp, Boy or Girl Scout camp, or just plain fun camp.

Should I, a coach or parent, consider attending a summer camp for adults?

I know that many coaches, like my father, lack the ability to teach skating fundamentals - truth be told and admitted, some of you don't skate that well yourself.  The most important thing you can do in terms of improving your players' skill level and consequently their performance is to improve their skating fundamentals.  It's a battle to play the game if you can't skate proficiently.  So I strongly recommend going to a skating clinic or adult camp where you can learn the fundamentals and how to teach them.  The key here is to learn the teaching techniques so you can pass them along to your players and then reinforce these techniques throughout the year.  Several coaches who come to the adult session of my camp tell me they come for just for that purpose.  I think they really come because it's a great time and they have a chance to re-live their childhood - but those are difficult reasons to sell back home. 

                 

Dan Bylsma

DAN’S HONOR ROLL 

I think your academic progress is so very important that I have an academic Honor Roll; I don't have an honor roll for hat tricks and shutouts.  I hope each of you are diligent in your studies and can either raise your GPA by one point, or can attain a 3.5 GPA and be listed here.
 

NAME

AGE

GPA

 SCHOOL

 TEAM

STATE

Ross Hinkle

11

3.67

Wayland Middle School

G.R. Grizzlies PeeWee AA

MI*‡

Shannon Kelsey

14

4.0

Estero High School

Pinch a Penny Womens League

FL‡

Lucas Kelsey

13

3.57

Three Oaks Middle School

Jr. Everblades Bantam A

FL

Cliff Jones

13

3.86

Spring Lake Middle School

Muskegon Chiefs Bantam B3

MI*‡

Marshall Jones

11

4.0

Spring Lake Intermediate

Lakeshore House - Bonners

MI*‡

Brad Christiansen

 11 3.83 White Pines Middle School Norton Shores (Vers. Fab) PeeWee

MI*‡

Winston Jones

9

3.9

Holmes Elementary School

Shoreline Rec League Squirt

MI*‡

Brandan Ryfiak

11

3.8

N. Rockford Middle School

Rockford PeeWee

MI*‡!

Marshall Jones

11

4.0

Spring Lake Intermediate

Lakeshore House - Bonners

MI*‡

Ryan Christiansen

 8 TR Peach Plains Elementary G. H. Plastics Mite In-line

MI‡

Jeremy Hopersberger

 11 4.0 Laingsberg Middle School Lansing Capitals PeeWee A

MI*‡

Andrew Frank

8

3.67

Eagle Lake Elementary

Irish Rover Mite A

MI

Paul Engman

 12 3.72 E. Rockford Middle School Rockford PeeWee

MI*‡

Aaron Arkema

 8 4.0 Kettle Lake Elementary Capital Centre Pride Mite AA

MI*‡

Matt Rosenthal

11

3.75

Chapparel  Elementary

Calababas Flyers PeeWee

CA*‡

Ryan Corgan

 14 4.0 North Muskegon Middle Muskegon Chiefs Bantam B1

MI*‡

Josh Corgan

 10 4.0 North Muskegon Elementary Muskegon Chiefs Squirt AA

MI*‡

Caleb Weiler

 9 3.87 Calvary Christian Academy Hatfield Ice Dogs Squirt B

PA

Harrison Huls

 9

3.87

Blaisdale Montessori School

Ajax Knights A Minor Atoms

ONT

Sammie Baker

10

4.0

Fr. Marquette Middle School

Marquette LitiGators Girls 11 Under

MI*

Josh Weinstein

 10 4.0+ A.P. Terhune Elementary Ice House Avalanche Squirt AA

NJ‡
Kris Johnson 10 3.65 St. Stevens Lutheran Lakeland Squirt Spitfires MI*

Bennett Schneider

13

3.78

Canterbury School

Jr. Everblades Bantam AA

FL

Madison Schneider

9

4.0

Canterbury School

Teco Squirt House

FL

Colton Ritchie

9

4.0

Schola Maxima

Red Wings Squirt House

AL

Dakota Abramowicz

11

4.0

Jane Addams Middle School

Royal Oak Eagles PeeWee A

MI

Matt Weinstein

 12 4.0 Schyler Middle School Ice House Avalanche PeeWee AA

NJ‡

Ben Grace

 9 3.63 Raisinville Ellmentary Monroe Ice Hawks Squirt B

MI*

Jonathan Koslop

 11 4.0 Bonita Middle School Sunrise Ice Sharks Black

FL‡

Andrew Lawrence

11 3.9 Quinton Township School Delaware Jr. Blue Hens PeeWee A

DE‡

David Lawrence

 13 4.0 Quinton Township School Delaware Jr. Blue Hens Bantam AA

DE‡

Reid Munroe

 10 4.0 North Muskegon Elementary Muskegon Chiefs Squirt AA

MI

Ben Bodman

 13 3.93 Mason Middle School Lansing Senator Bantam B

MI*

Mark Hazel

 13 3.9 Pinewood Middle School W. Michigan Bantam A

MI‡

Tyler Spiering

 12 3.9 Sylvan Christian School EGRAHA Bantam B

MI*‡!

Matt Slowinski

 11 3.79 Tawas City Elementary GSAHA TBF Graphic Blues PeeWee

MI

Bobby Pease

 10 3.88 Eugene Vining Elementary Billerica Squirt A

MA

Mitch Hughes

 10 3.9 Stoneybrooke Christian Anaheim Jr. Ducks Squirt A

CA

Marty Jensen

 13 3.75 Anderson Middle School Omaha Bantam B3 - Reds

NE

James Sheff

 10 4.0 Island City Academy Anaheim Jr. Ducks Squirt A

MI*‡

Alex Toppin

 9 3.85 Miliam Upper Elementary Tupelo T-Rex Squirts

MS*‡

Drew Toppin

 12 3.9 Miliam Upper Elementary Tupelo T-Rex PeeWee

MS

Joe Adams

 11 4.0 St. Paul's Lutheran JR. Mighty Ducks PeeWee AA

CA‡

Vinny Valentine

 10 4.0 Three Oaks Elementary Jr. Everblades Squirt AA

FL

Blake Ramos

 11 4.0 Chippewa Middle School Lansing Capitals PeeWee A

MI

Sean Wilson

 10 3.8 Pelican Marsh Elementary Jr. Everblades Squirt AA

FL

Andrew Steghuis

 11 3.5OGI Grandville East Elementary Grandville Ice Dawgs PeeWee

MI*‡

Donald Sund

 9 TR Immanuel St. James Luthn GRAHA Squirt A

MI*

Taylor Olson

 9 4.0 Centre City Elementary Hollydell Hurricanes Squirt A

NJ
           
           
           

 

     There's room here for you!    
     

 

 

  

I hope all of you set a goal to make this list.  To qualify you must have a GPA (on a 4.0 scale A= 4.0, A- = 3.75, B+ = 3.25, B= 3.0, etc) of 3.50 or better, an average overall grade improvement (or OGI) of at least one full grade over last year, or a Teacher Recommendation (or TR) which must be Emailed directly to me by your teacher and be based on outstanding achievement in a non-letter graded situation.  When you qualify, Email your name, age, GPA or improvement, school, team, and state to Number21@DanBylsma.com

* Attendees of my hockey camp.  ‡ Indicates repeat offenders. !Wears Number 21

Go to - TOP  DAN'S TIP THIS MONTH'S QUESTION  HOCKEY CAMP  HONOR ROLL  DAN in the NHL  BOOKS  SUBSCRIBE

COACHES AND PARENTS from Jay...  

 If you're still reading after Dan's answer to the parent who is, I believe, justifiably unhappy with his son's coach, I want to address that father's question a bit more philosophically. 

As we've said in the books, in our talks, and in this newsletter, youth hockey is not and should not be a training ground for the NHL.  In fact, I think there's a correlation between the increase in scheduled games for kids (particularly in travel hockey) in North America and the decrease in the percentage of North American players in the NHL.  To say that another way to be sure my meaning is perfectly clear, it appears to me the harder we try to "produce" NHLers, the fewer number of North Americans are in the NHL draft, rookies in the NHL, and players in the NHL as a percentage of the total.   As proof, I offer the following statistic:  even though North America has six times more players in developmental (youth) hockey than all of Europe, Europeans are approaching half the players in the draft, rookies, and players in the NHL.  Moreover, Europe's share of skilled players is even more disproportionate.

On the Mighty Ducks, of 25 players on the roster, eight are from Canada, three from the US. 

I'm not a social scientist and don't profess to know all the reasons for this dramatic shift in the population of the NHL.  But I have suspicions.  One of my suspicions is a coach with the attitudes like the one described in THIS WEEK'S BEST QUESTION ON THE WEB is detrimental to the development of his players.  That is, if development and maximizing the hockey potential of his players (getting them to the NHL) is one of his goals for his players, he's cheating them.

Obviously, the late bloomers like Adam Oates, Chris Drury, Brendan Shanahan, Dan and others would be riding the bench for him (cheated) and they would need another coach in a later league to see their potential and give them their chance - if they were lucky enough to find one.

That's not the worst of it.  Some of his players that may have the skill level to advance in the sport will not have the characteristics/character that it takes to "make it" because the behavior that is detrimental to the development of those characteristics goes unchecked and is tacitly accepted.  They are being cheated as well.  If he looks the other way when his star players have character issues and worse, if he rewards them with preferential ice time, he's cheating them.  Coaching is not about teaching "one hand on the stick" or backward crossovers.  It's about using the sport to teach life lessons.  And his players better be learning those life lessons, because the kids who don't make it to the NHL will need those lessons.  The kids who do make it will need them even more - to get there and to stay there.

Darryl Strawberry is quoted as saying, "I know everything there is to know about hitting.  I don't know anything there is to know about living."

What does that say about Darryl Strawberry's coaches? 

  Jay M. Bylsma

THIS MONTH'S SAYING TO PUT IN YOUR LOCKER...

 

"Keep away from people who belittle your ambitions.  Small people always do that, but the really great ones make you feel that you, too, can become great."

Samuel Clements ( Mark Twain)                
 

ONE KID'S FATHER'S TRIP TO THE NHL - current installment...

This time you get the father who made a trip to the NHL.  The Ducks arranged for the players' fathers to accompany the team on a road trip.  The experience began with meeting the other fathers during the morning practice at the Pond and attending the pre-game strategy meeting.  At that meeting, the coach played a video that featured each player saying how much they appreciated what their families and fathers had done for them in their journey to the NHL.  Later that evening, we watch the game from one of the luxury boxes.

The next afternoon we left for Dallas on a charter flight.  Some guys sleep, some guys have CD or DVD players, some guys read, and some play cards to pass the flight time.  You might be interested to know there is a pecking order to the seating arrangements on the planes and buses.  On the bus, coaches in the very front, media next, then trainers, rookies next, then veterans with team leaders in the back.  On the plane, it's coaches in first class, then media, then trainers, then team leaders, next veterans, and rookies in the back.

There was a scrumptious dinner at a fine Dallas steak house where Dan did the toast to the fathers (and also did me proud).  After the morning skate the next day, and after a huge buffet pre-game dinner (soup, salad, pasta, chicken, salmon, steak, rolls, fruit, and ice cream), we toured the Texas Book Depository Museum.  Because Dan was still nursing a very painful knee and wouldn't be playing, he went along.  After careful deliberation, some thoughtful discussion, and weighing the evidence, we decided Lee Harvey Oswald did it.

Because Dan is not playing, he joins the Ducks radio announcer during the game and does color commentary.  They allowed me to join Dan in the radio booth, put on headsets, and listen.  It was a hoot to hear Dan chatter on about the "inside skinny" on the game as it happens, the team, and his teammates.

We bused to the airport right after the game (pizza on the bus); the bus drives right out on the tarmac to the plane.  We boarded the plane (hoagie sandwiches and chips as you board) and flew to Nashville (chicken parmesan or filet mignon dinner on the flight along with what seems like an endless offering of cookies and ice cream bars).  Another bus greeted us at the door of the plane to take us to the hotel  - a downtown hotel - and first class.

I asked Dan how he doesn't gain weight with all that food. "The real problem is trying to keep your weight - especially for the goalies."  Some things in life aren't fair.

After a disappointing loss in Nashville, we bused to the airport, got on the plane and flew back to Anaheim, bused to the Pond (rink) and drove home arriving at 3:45 a.m.  As it happened Ruslan Salei rode with us from the pond.  As soon as he got in the car, he fired up his cell phone and engaged in a very spirited conversation (in Russian).  I kidded him after, "Where do you find a stock broker who speaks Russian and is up at three in the morning?" 

"I called home."

"Home?"

"Yes, it's noon in Russia." 

"What kind of cell phone to you have? Satellite?"

"No, regular cell phone." 

Ah, the miracles of modern communication. 

Normally, access to the locker room is severely restricted.  I can get into the Ducks' locker room only well before or after a practice, and only long after a game when nearly everyone has left, and only at home games.  During the trip, we had virtually unlimited access.  We fathers were available to the media for interviews and some of us were on the Ducks' TV broadcasts.  I was on the radio and was interviewed by Fox Sports and the L.A. Times.  I'm not sure if any of those interviews were printed or broadcast.  I did learn that some reporters get this newsletter and have gotten a scoop or two from it (we have to be more careful what we put in this from now on).

There was an instant camaraderie between the fathers.  We had all been to our home rinks early in the mornings, tied skates, scrimped to buy equipment, lived through the disappointment of our sons getting cut and the joy of their eventual successes.  We all had variations on the same story and it was refreshing to hear these stories and discover that we had a great deal in common.

The one disappointment was to have to listen to the mothers chirp about there not being a "Mothers' Road Trip" (and a lot of chirping there was, some of it my ear).  The simple explanation that women shouldn't be allowed in the locker room was greeted with distain.  "What, we can clean their diapers and not see them in the locker room?"  Perhaps next year it will be a family road trip.

I know that some of the Mighty Ducks' management get this newsletter, so let me take this opportunity to publicly thank the Ducks for this wonderful opportunity to travel with our sons.  It was a very nice gesture. It allowed for our sons to have their fathers see what life was like in the NHL, and it was a great experience for all of us.  Thanks, Ducks!

 

***

The funny story of the month was sent to us by both Ryan Corgan and Mitch MacLeod. Both Ryan and Mitch get a free one-year subscription to the newsletter, even though I feel they should apologize to all the smart blonde hockey moms (including Dan's mom and his wife):

The blonde decided she wanted to try ice fishing, so she went out and bought the necessary equipment. She went onto the ice, cut a hole, and was about to lower her bait when she heard a deep male voice somewhere above her say, "There are no fish under that ice". 

The blonde shrugged, picked up all her equipment, and moved to another area on the ice. Again she heard the voice "There are no fish under that ice."

"God, is that You?" she asked. 

"No, lady," the voice replied.  "I manage the ice rink."
 

Jay M. Bylsma

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. “This is the best hockey advice since ‘Don’t rile Gordie Howe’”. "This is more than a hockey book. It's a book about life and how to use simple lessons and values for success. …a refreshing straight-ahead approach that makes you feel that you've learned something." LA Times.  Autographed and personalized copies available at www.DanBylsma.com.
 

So You Want to Play In The NHL Published in November, 2000, by NTC/ Contemporary/McGraw-Hill. Trade paperback—$14.95. Thirty-five questions that aspiring young athletes have and Dan’s and Jay’s alternating answers. Forward by Luc Robitaille. This book won’t help you play the game better, but we think it will help you live the game better. “I am making this book required reading for my team because it confirms everything I have ever said in the locker room and to parents.” Coach John M. You can read a chapter by clicking here.  Autographed and personalized copies available at www.DanBylsma.com.

Pitcher’s Hands is OUT!  Is finally out! (released) and you can get it at on line on the web site or at Barnes & Noble. Published in February by River Road Publications. HC $15.95. A historical novel about what it was like to be a kid living in the Great Depression. It’s a great baseball tale. “…a wonderful story – rich in historical detail, full of excitement, warmth, and humor – a story that readers of all ages will not want to end.” "These father-son authors... made a literary double play." Grand Rapids Press.  You can read a chapter by clicking here.   You can get autographed, personalized copies at www.DanBylsma.com.  And there is a discount if you buy both novels.

Slam Dunks Not Allowed! - another historical novel is here!  This one about basketball and World War II. Many of the same characters you will read about in Pitcher Hands is OUT! – Scooter, Woody, Doolie and Dutchie - are now on the High School basketball team.  "The Bylsma writing team takes a page from the history of basketball and sets it against the backdrop of WWII to create a dramatic, touching and often funny novel."  Published by River Road Publications.  HC $15.95.  You can read part of a chapter from the original manuscript by clicking here.  You can get autographed, personalized copies at www.DanBylsma.com.  And there is a discount if you buy both novels.

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DAN’S ON THE WEB

AT www.DanBylsma.com

WITH SEVERAL NEW PICTURES ON THE PHOTO GALLERY

 

 


If you know of another player or his family who might enjoy Dan’s Newsletter “From the Right Wing…”, feel free to forward the newsletter along. Coaches are welcome to send the names and Email addresses of their entire team - we're happy to sign them all up.

If you are reading the Newsletter because someone passed it along and would like to receive the Newsletter for yourself, Email your first and last name to newsletter@DanBylsma.com.

You are also welcome to reprint articles of the newsletter in your hockey newsletter. See Q&A # 51 on the website for the proper way to do that.

If you have a question you would like to ask Dan or Jay, Email your question to questions@DanBylsma.com. You can see the questions asked and answered on the Q&A page on Dan’s web site unless you ask that the response be confidential.
 
 

DAN’S ORGANIZATION

West Michigan Hockey Camp, Inc.

P.O. Box 917

Grand Haven, MI 49417

Fax: 616-846-0710

Email: Number21@DanBylsma.com

 

 

  

 

“Remember… it takes three things to succeed:
talent, hard work and perseverance.

And the greatest of these is not talent.” J.M.B.
 

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