Volume 4, Issue 4 - January/February, 2004 

 "From the Right Wing…"

Anaheim
MIGHTY DUCKS

#21

Dan Bylsma’s Newsletter  A Feature of West Michigan Hockey Camp


 

Different sweater, same effort!        

   

  

For a printer friendly version - click here

 www.DanBylsma.com  

      

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

 
DAN’S TIP OF THE MONTH FOR PLAYERS…

My father tells the story of being cut from the JV basketball team in the 10th grade and how he thought the world as he had envisioned it had come to a standstill.  By some bit of providence, the high school debate coach asked him to join the debate team.  The team went to the State quarterfinals before being defeated while the basketball team didn't win the conference.  What he learned as a debater - how to speak on his feet, how to articulate points of view, and how to find the weaknesses in the logic of others - has been far more beneficial to him throughout his life than what he would have learned on the basketball team.  

That story came to mind during the conversation I had with Brian Murray - the General Manager of the Mighty Ducks - when he told me I would be going to their farm team - the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks (C-DUX).  "Your knee isn't 100%," he said.  "And it will take a miracle for us to make the playoffs.  We need to get young here real quickly and evaluate our future.  I know you have it in mind to coach and we think you have a future in coaching in our organization.  Go down to Cincinnati and be a player coach.  Help some of those kids to learn the game."

So I'm in Cincinnati in a different role than I had in the Show.  There I was used in a defensive role and penalty killed.  Here I play power play, penalty kill, double shift at the end of the game, and get about 22 minutes a game (whether that is good for re-habing my knee is questionable - but I enjoy the role).   

I remember when I was just out of college and played for Moncton in the AHL.  There was a player or two who had played a few games in the NHL.  I was in awe of them and would pick their brain and ask them to share their experiences.  Now with 450 games in the NHL, I'm the one the young players look up to and for those who are eager to learn, I can be to them what my mentors were to me.

Would I rather be in the Show?  Just like my father wanted to be on the basketball team - yes.  But just as the high school debate coach gave him a fantastic opportunity in an area that benefited him for the rest of his life, I'm being put in a situation where a tremendous opportunity is available to me.  This just may be the start of a whole new career for me in the sport I love.

There is an old saying that when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.  By my mail, I know that many of you have been handed lemons.  You failed to make this team or that, or others got selected to the Select Camp in your state, or the coach doesn't like you.

That doesn't mean you're a failure anymore than my being set to Cincy means I'm a failure.  It may just mean a change in the direction of your life.  And it's up to you whether you get sour or make lemonade.

Dan Bylsma

THIS MONTH'S BEST QUESTION ON THE WEB SITE…

We get at least one of the kind of letters that follows once a month, and we've addressed it before both in the newsletter and in our second book.  So at the risk of being redundant...

Dan: My son is 12 and started playing AAA this year, unfortunately he wasn't doing well in school so we pulled him out of AAA and put him on a Bantam A team which is full of kids one year older than he is.  My question is do you believe it is that important for him to play AAA to advance possibly later.  He says he wants to go all the way and is begging me to play AAA again, and I am really torn.  His grades have really improved and he is having fun on his new team and scoring a goal or two a game playing up one year.  He really works hard, working out and running on his off days and skates on our pond a lot.  A lot of parents have been telling me how important it is for him to play AAA or he won't have a chance to go anywhere.  We are new to organized hockey and I don't really know what's best for his hockey development at this time.  Can you please help me?is goals in hockey and life. Concerned Mother
 

Dear C.M.

First, and most important, his progress in hockey is not up to you.  As we are fond of quoting Sparky Anderson, "Your son will make it to the major leagues (NHL) in spite of what you do for him, not because of what you do for him."  So you can relax.  It's not up to you.  If he has it in him to make it, you cannot take it out of him.  If he doesn't have it, there's nothing you can do to put it in him. 

Second, for what it's worth, I didn't play any travel hockey until I was 15 and perhaps I made it to the NHL because of that, not in spite of that.  

Then, my father is fond of saying, "The most important thing you can do to make it to the NHL is get good grades in school."  Why?  Because for an American born hockey player, the road to the NHL is through college and it's an urban myth that colleges will take you if you're good enough regardless of your grades. 

I am right behind you in pulling your child off the AAA team for the lack of acceptable grade performance.  Hockey is a privilege that is awarded after the important things in life are properly attended to.  Proper attention to grades is much higher on my list of priorities for my son (and it was for my father) than skill development in a childhood pastime. 

Lastly, what level of organized hockey a child plays at age 12 is almost immaterial.  Far more important is the time he spends playing pond hockey.  You have your stick on the puck for 30 seconds - 40 seconds at most and have two or three shots on goal in an organized game.  You don't improve your skills in 30 seconds.  An hours spent on a pond in a pick-up game is the equivalent - in puck time - to 15 or 20 organized games.   Unequivocally - I made it to the NHL because of the ice pond we made in our back yard every winter and I played endlessly against my older brothers. I'm sending along a manuscript copy of two chapters in our book on this point. 

I suggest you get a copy of our second book "So You Want To Play in the NHL" - at your local book store or on my web site - and you read it first, then give it to him.  I think it will confirm what you already instinctively know about what's best for your son.  Perhaps those who are advising you that he has to play AAA hockey know what's best for their sons, you should be the sole judge what's best for yours.

I hope this helps.

   Dan Bylsma

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MY CHARITABLE TRUST FUND...

There is no auction this month. 

 
NOTES FROM DAN'S HOCKEY CAMP...

There is a waiting list of about 28 kids for the PeeWee/Bantam section of the day camp.  That suggests that I should have another section, and we have arranged to do so.  It will take place at the Walker Ice and Fitness Center and run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m, the week of July 26 through the 30th.  If you haven't signed up because the web site indicated the camp is full, sign up anyway and you will be placed into this second week of the day camp.  But there are only a few spots left.  If you snooze, you lose.

The last newsletter emphasized the importance of getting as big a knee bend as possible.  We call that skating in a seated position.  Getting low has several advantages - one of them being you can get a longer stride and a longer stride means skating more efficiently which translates into greater speed.

This month I want to talk about that stride and what we repeat over and over at camp is "Stride to the Side."   This is easy to say, but for many skaters is hard to do.  I think that's because we learn to run before we learn to skate.  When you run, you push off straight back and the friction between the soles of your shoes allow you push off with each stride - rubber soles better than leather soles.  When you skate, there is no friction between the skate blade and the ice.  You need to dig the edge of your blade into the ice and push off against the cut the edge of your blade makes in the ice.  If you push off straight back - like when you run your foot will slip out from under you.  Figure skates have serrated cuts in the toe of their blades (toe picks) to allow them to push off straight back - hockey skates don't have toe picks - so you need to create a cut to push off.

This is one of the easiest problems to diagnose because if you don't push off or stride to the side but more to the rear, you will lose your edge while you are still pushing with your striding leg and that remaining energy pushing against no friction (no edge) will cause your leg to kick up at the end of the stride.  A skater who strides to the side will return his leg to plant it again by dragging it just off the ice. 

The photo at the left is of a skater at camp before he learned the importance of striding to the side.  Notice four things: 1) how far his leg kicks up, 2) the shadows on the ice show that his stride was nearly straight back, 3) he appears to be running, and 4) he is leaning too far forward - indicating he is out of balance.  This leg kick-up is a telltale sign that he's not striding to the side.  This means that a lot of the energy in his stride is wasted because he lost his edge (pushing off against his the toe or front of his blade where there is no edge).  It's a lot like trying to run on marbles or run on ice with leather sole shoes.

So have someone watch you stride as you skate full out.  If you have a leg kick up, you are wasting some of the energy in your striding leg.  You need to retrain your leg muscles to skate by striding, not skate by running.  You do this by consciously striding to the side and be aware of dragging your skate blade right along the ice as your return your leg.  Do this during warm ups or at a time when you have a free skate. It will feel strange at first, but I guarantee before long you will feel that you have a longer stride.  And longer stride means more speed with the same energy expended.

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 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

 10 4.0 Spring Lake Intermediate Trophy House PeeWee Rec MI*‡

Brandon Holt

 7 4.0 Jackson Elementary, Duluth Ice Dogs Mite House GA     

Jeremy Hopersberger

 12 4.0 Laingsburg Middle School Lansing Pride PeeWee AA MI*‡

Mason Mayberry

 9 3.8 Crim School Bowling Green IceCats Squirt AA OH     

Josh Corgan

   10   4.2 North Muskegon Elementary Muskegon Chiefs PeeWee BA

  MI*‡

Ryan Corgan

   15   4.2 North Muskegon High Sch Northside Stars JV

  MI*‡

Brad Christiansen

 12 4.0 White Pines Middle KL Industries Bantam House MI*‡ 

Ryan Christiansen

   8  TR Peach Plains Elementary Clock Funeral Home Squirt House

  MI

Ben Grace

 10 3.8 Raisinville Elementary Monroe Ice Hawks Squirt AA MI*‡ 

Marc Hughes

 9 3.66 Stoneybrooke Christian Aliso Viejo Eagle Squirt BB MI*‡ 

Brandon Ryfiak

 12 3.8 N. Rockford Middle School Rockford PeeWee MI*‡ 

Marty Jensen

 14 3.75 Millard West High School Millard West Wildcats (HS) NE       

Trevor Fettig

 9 3.67 Ottawa Elementary Trophy Case Vipers Squirts MI*     

Reid Munroe

 11 4.00 N. Muskegon Middle School Muskegon Chiefs PeeWee A MI*‡ 

Matt Weinstein

 13 4.0 Schuyler-Colfax Middle Sch Ice House Avalanche Bantam B NJ ‡ 

Josh Weinstein

 11 4.0 Schuyler-Colfax Middle Sch Glen Rock Panthers PeeWee Tier 1 NJ ‡ 

Jon Miller

 11 3.67 East Rockford Middle School Rockford PeeWee MI*     

Vinny Valentine

  11  3.5 Three Oaks Middle School Jr. Everblades PeeWee A

  FL‡ 

Joe Adams

  12  4.0 St. Paul's Lutheran JR. Mighty Ducks PeeWee AA

  CA‡

Sammie Baker

 11

 3.92

Fr. Marquette Middle School

Marquette Frazoli's Girls 14 Under

  MI*‡

Alex Baker

  9

 3.9

Fr. Marquette Elementary

Marquette Elk's Squirt

  MI*

Marshall Jones

 12 3.86 Spring Lake Intermediate Trophy House PeeWee Rec MI*‡

Colt Steele

 10

 3.95

Holy Cross

Lewiston Squirt A

  MA

Alex Baker

  9

 3.9

Fr. Marquette Elementary

Marquette Elk's Squirt

  MI*

Marshall Jones

 12 3.86 Spring Lake Intermediate Trophy House PeeWee Rec MI*‡

Cliff Jones

 14 3.65 Spring Lake High School Spring Lake Crusaders JV MI*‡

Ian Redlinger

 12 3.7 Los Flores Middle School LA Hockey Club PeeWee AA CA*‡

Matt Rosenthal

 12 4.0 A.C. Stelle Middle School Calabasas Flyers PeeWee CA*‡

James Sheff

 12 3.88 Island City Academy   MI*‡

Andrew Steghuis

 12 OGI Prarieview Middle School S. Christian Bantam MI*

Hunter Cohen

 10 3.83 Jones Valley Elementary Huntsville Avalanche PeeWee AL   

Piero Iberti

 14 3.65 St. Peter's Prep Ice House Avalanche Mjr Bantam NY*‡   
           
           
 
    

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

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A WORD TO COACHES AND PARENTS from Dan...  

 

Every so often I hear a parent tell me how much his player loves the game - with this caveat, "If he ever tells us he's sick of it, we've told him he doesn't have to do it. We're only in this for him." 

When I hear that, I remember why I tried hard to get good grades in school.  To please my parents; to get the strokes I knew I would get if my report card was excellent.  The reason I did a lot of things was because I wanted to please my parents.  The reason I didn't do some other things was because I knew it would not have the blessing of my parents.  To say that a bit more forcefully, I knew my father would kill me.

As parents, I think we have to be careful about making decisions affecting our children because we think, "Our child just loves to play hockey," or "I know he would really love to make that AAA team."

Be certain that the child isn't in the game because he gets the strokes all children crave by hearing you brag, "My son plays hockey," or , "My daughter plays on the U14 travel team."

My father never received a compliment from his father.  He has related that he would have tried to run through a brick wall to get kudos from his father.  I know how much I wanted to be loved and accepted by my parents and the lengths I would have gone to be affirmed in that love and acceptance.

You don't make decisions about other aspects of his or her life based on whether or not they are having fun.  In school attendance, keeping their room clean, clearing the table after meals, going to church, the question whether they are having fun is immaterial.

So make sure the decisions you are making about the level of participation in the sport are for other reasons than whether or not he is having fun.  Can we afford it?  Can we be away from home that much on the weekends?  Is he or she learning positive life lessons.  Is he developing a work ethic.  Will he be able to play at this level and maintain his studies?  Is she learning respect for officials, for others, for her equipment?

If your child does come to you and says, "I don't want to do this any more.  I'm sick of it," I'd venture to say that they have already been in the game longer than they wanted to be because it takes no small courage to quit something that the child knows is making his parents proud or gives them satisfaction - even social standing among their peers.

How do you know if the child is playing the game because he or she wants to or if they are sick of it?  Do they play the game in the neighborhood without your involvement or encouragement?  Do they have their gear packed and start hounding you to leave for the rink earlier than you have to?   Do they want to hang around the rink after the game to watch the next game?  Do they practice the game endlessly in the basement or side yard?

I watched a CNN special after the Super Bowl about the training of young gymnasts.  A sports psychologist was interviewed and his warning is appropriate for all of us whose children are among the elite athletes.  He said, "Be careful not to steal you child's childhood."

Good advice I think.

                                                                                 Dan Bylsma

 

***

NOTE:  Dan has an good article in this months issue of Better Hockey.  It's part of a series the magazine is doing for kids who aspire to play college or the NHL and what characteristics it takes to get there.  Dan begins his article by saying, "The road to the pros may contain streets you didn’t think you needed to travel."  Every player who aspires to play at the highest levels and their parents would benefit from Dan's article.

Jay M. Byslma

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

 

"Sweat is the cologne of hard work."

                                               

                                                      Unknown

 

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

 

This has been a hectic time.  The move from Anaheim to Cincinnati left me without access to a computer on which I could do the Newsletter and my father has his hands full with a new consulting job, so we haven't had the ability to generate my newsletter on a timely basis.  I'm hoping we've corrected that and we can be back on a monthly basis.

I have often extolled the virtues of pond hockey and believe I made it to the NHL because of the rink my family made in our back yard every winter.  As yet more proof of this, my father and brother have been skating in pick up games with my little nephew, Jacob, for two or three hours on Sunday afternoons at Mulligan's Hollow, the outdoor rink in Grand Haven where I often skated as a youngster.

Jake is 7 and plays in a scrimmage league and at the beginning of this season, he was an average player there - getting a goal here and there and having fun.  But since he started playing in these pick up games at the Hollow, typically against high school players and adults, his abilities have improved dramatically.  His confidence has increased, he's stick-handling better, his concept of passing and taking a pass, understanding the game - all of these have improved to the point to where in a few short weeks, he has become one of the dominant players in his scrimmage league. 

Unfortunately, my brother reports that my father's game has not had the same noticeable improvement.  I think it falls under the adage of "can't teach old dogs new tricks".   But at his age (62), I'm pleased that he still is willing to "lace 'em up" and play with us.

So, again and yet again, I feel strongly that skills are not honed playing in organized games, but rather in playing pick up games against bigger, better players.  Little Jake is another example of this.  And while my brother and father are all tired out after a couple of hours, Jake doesn't want to go home.

And speaking of backyard rinks, this one (click here) is not as big as our was but makes up for it in style and class.  Leave it to our friends north of the border to take their backyard rinks seriously.  Thanks, Steve, for the heads up on a beautiful backyard rink.

For those of you who attend my hockey camp, you know Todd Rierden.  Todd has been in the Anaheim organization with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks and was traded to Phoenix and got called up to the Show - finally.  Like myself, Todd is a testimony to hard work and perseverance, and while it would have been great to have him as a teammate with the C-Dux, he deserved to play in the NHL.  Everyone who knows him is pleased that he's back in the Show.

If you follow the NHL at all, you know that the players and owners have not settled on a new collective bargaining agreement and there may not be a season next year.  There is a place for you to weigh in on this as a fan. Go to http://www.sportsdialog.com/cbasurvey.html and participate in a 20 question in-depth survey to let Gary Bettman, the NHL owners, NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow and the players know what you think as a fan.  The survey hopes to get 100,000 participants and it should only take you about five minutes.

 

Dan 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. 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. Now it its second printing.

Pitcher’s Hands is OUT!  Is out! (released) and you can get it at on line on the web site or at Barnes & Noble. Published by River Road Publications. HC $15.95. A historical novel about what it was like to be a kid living during 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. Reading level is 5th grade and up.
 

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. Reading level is 7th grade and up.

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AT www.DanBylsma.com

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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.