Volume 2

Today. What was today for me, Dan Bylsma? Today was another day of my rehab. A chance to skate and test my knee, to build up that scar tissue making it tougher so it can stand the rigors of skating as hard as I can. Hopefully, preparing it to play hockey again. Today was also a mental challenge. Yes, my knee ached a little, but it was better than last week. I can see that I'm making progress. I am able to stop focusing on the short term and focus on doing everything I can for my knee - all the while checking off the days in the 6 months of my rehabilitation program. Yesterday was a day off from skating so it was a day to take my rehab at the physical therapists.

Dan: I am usually able to score. But after scoring in preseason and the first two games of the season, I haven't scored in my last 5 games and have only gotten two points in those games. I can't seem to score right now and I'm really getting frustrated and playing badly. What might help me to turn around? J.S.

Dear J.S.: Not scoring many goals in something I can identify with. I only got one last season myself. I conclude from your letter that you believe that because you aren't scoring, you are playing badly. You may be correct that you are playing badly, but it doesn't follow that you are playing badly because you aren't scoring, even though a lot of players, coaches, and parents often come to that illogical conclusion.

If that were right, every time a game ended in a 0-0 tie, everyone must have played badly. In fact, it may have been that some players played the best game of their career.

During a regulation game of 60 minutes, you only have the puck on your stick for 30 to 45 seconds and you might get to shoot 3 or 4 times. And while you may have made a mistake or two in that 30 to 45 seconds and missed the net all 4 times, what you did during the other 59 minutes is really a more important determining factor in deciding if you played well or not.

Another thing to keep in mind is that usually a goal is scored because someone on the other team made a mistake, not because you did something spectacular. The extent to which you limit your mistakes is the real measure of how good you are and the contribution you are making to the team (at least that's what I try to tell myself).

Here's what I suggest to try to get out of your slump. Before the next game set a goal for yourself. The goal may be you will finish every check, or you will win every face-off, or you will have three takeaways, or you will chip the puck out of the zone every time it comes around the board to you in the defensive zone. Then after the game, do a self-evaluation as to whether or not you accomplished your goal - not how many goals you scored. The following game, set another, different goal and again - do some self-evaluation.

Take satisfaction on accomplishing your goals, on excelling in those aspects of your game you set for yourself. If you do that every game, you will become a better player - regardless if you score a lot of goals or not.

The college coaches I know tell me that when they scout a player, they look more for what a player does when he doesn't have the puck than when he has it.

There is a hint here about why some guys who are tremendous goal scorers in youth hockey and college don't do well professionally. They may score a lot of goals but they make so many mistakes they effectively disable the rest of the players on their team and or they get to a level of play where their opposition doesn't make mistakes.

My hockey camp has a very strong emphasis on skating technique because I believe you can't enjoy the game if you can't skate and all of us can be better skaters. So I'm going to keep on reviewing some of the things we talked about in camp. If you attend, this is a review of the things we talked about on the ice and in your video analysis. If you didn't attend, you may pick up a tip or two that will help you become a better skater. If you are a coach, perhaps there something that will enable you to help a player who may be having trouble with his or her fundamentals.

of do as I say, not as I do because admittedly my own knee bend could be better. The only way to get the long strides that you need for speed is to get your butt down.

P.S. Someone left a Muskegon Chiefs soft shell lunch box at hockey camp. My parents have it at their home. If you left it or know someone who did... call them.

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 over the previous marking period, can attain a 3.5 GPA, or get your teacher to recommend you if you are in an ungraded situation so you can listed here.

NAME

AGE

GPA

SCHOOL

TEAM

STATE

Winston Jones

4.0

Spring Lake Intermediate

Trophy House PeeWee Rec

MI*‡

Brandon Holt

4.0

Jackson Elementary,

Duluth Ice Dogs Mite House

Jeremy Hopersberger

4.0

Laingsburg Middle School

Lansing Pride PeeWee AA

MI*‡

Mason Mayberry

3.8

Crim School

Bowling Green IceCats Squirt AA

Josh Corgan

4.2

North Muskegon Elementary

Muskegon Chiefs PeeWee AA

MI*‡

Brad Christiansen

4.0

White Pines Middle

KL Industries Bantam House

MI*‡

Ryan Christiansen

Peach Plains Elementary

Clock Funeral Home Squirt House

Ben Grace

3.56

Raisinville Elementary

Monroe Ice Hawks Squirt AA

MI*‡

Marc Hughes

3.66

Stoneybrooke Christian

Aliso Viejo Eagle Squirt BB

MI*‡

Brandon Ryfiak

3.8

N. Rockford Middle School

Rockford PeeWee

MI*‡

Marty Jensen

3.75

Millard West High School

Millard West Wildcats (HS)

There's lot's of room for you here

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 ‡ Repeat offenders

Dear Mr. Bylsma: There is this kid on my team that causes a lot of trouble. When the coaches are not looking he trips, slashes, and checks people for no reason. I was wondering how to settle with this person.

It wasn't easy because the reason kids play hockey or any sport is to have fun and it sounds like C.S. isn't having any fun. Moreover, we find an 8 or 9 year old's use of the word "settle" unsettling.

We answered CS by tell him that discipline is the responsibility of the adults who are supervising the team and he should bring the player's behavior to attention of the coach and let him handle it.

We hope C.S.'s session with his coach is productive and the offending child's behavior is made to change for several reasons.

First, kids play sports to have fun. A recent study found that 80% or the kids who participate in youth sports drop out by the the time they are 14. The main reason for these dropouts is they are no longer having fun. And engendering fun into the game must be the first priority of a coach.

Then, we wonder where are the coach, the assistant coaches, and the parents when this kind of behavior is exhibited and why it is left unchecked. Not only is it limiting the fun of the instigator's teammates, it isn't doing the instigator any favors. A psychologist tell us this is typically the behavior of a very unhappy child who unfortunately may be modeling out behavior he has experienced himself.

When we speak to coaches we emphasize that being a coach has much more to do with teaching life lessons than it has to do with teaching hockey. This because, as noted above, 80% of their players will exit the game of hockey soon, all of them will remain in the game of life. The coach of this troubled player has an opportunity to be a positive influence, and if successful, may change a life in a significant way.

Scary responsibility? No, wonderful opportunity. We hope this young player's coach makes the most of it.

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.

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.

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.