Archive for March, 2015

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Best Advice I’ve Heard in a While

Posted in Uncategorized on March 31, 2015 by mboyle1959

I paraphrased slightly to slant this toward strength and conditioning

 

I believe there are three things we must try to achieve each and every training session: (1) Did the kids have fun, did you see them smile or laugh? (2) Did they learn something? This could be a life lesson, not just a sport lesson, by the way! (3) Do they want to come back to train again? Are you keeping them engaged? If you can answer in the affirmative for these three areas, you have done your job. – Dean Holden Canadian Ice Hockey Coach

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24 Tips for Raising Young Hockey Players

Posted in Guest Authors, Hockey, MBSC News, Training, Training Females, Youth Training on March 30, 2015 by mboyle1959

By USA Hockey
Editor’s Note: The following was adapted from a list created by David Lynch, trainer for 8- and 9-year-old soccer players at Stockholm soccer club AIK.

Here are 24 tips for parents raising young hockey players:

1- The kids pack and prepare their own hockey bag.
2- Always be on time for practice.
3- Make them put their dirty training undergarments in the wash.
4- Tell them to give 100 percent at practice and games.
5- The kids carry their own hockey bag in and out of the ice rink. That’s carry, not wheel.
6- Teach them how to tighten their own skates.
7- Play hockey with them, where they want and when they want to.
8- Make them wear their equipment until it’s been outgrown, then buy new equipment.
9- Buy them new skates when they need them, not when they want them.
10-Buy second-hand skates and save yourself a fortune.
11-Teach them not to hate other teams.
12-Win or lose, remind them to love the game, and the game will love them back.
13-They will respect teammates, the opposition, the refs, the other team’s coaches. If you don’t teach them this, the coach will have to do it.
14-Let them dream they can be a Patrick Kane, but don’t give them any expectations.
15-Blaming teammates, blaming the ref, blaming anything is out. This goes for the players and parents. Set a good example.
16-Let them play hockey at home with a tennis ball.
17-Take them to hockey games and let them watch the pros.
18-Tell them hockey is for fun. Practice is for fun. If it isn’t fun for them, talk to the coach/club or move to another club.
19-Encourage them to watch hockey training videos on YouTube and let them try and perfect some of the moves.
20-Encourage them, support them, but never ever shout out instructions from the bleachers.
21-Don’t car-coach after practices or games. It sucks the fun out of the game. They know if they played well or poorly.
22-Encourage them to play other sports.
23-Don’t try to “train” your kid. Take them out, ask what they want to do and let them do it.
24-Tell your kids that you love watching them play.

Springfield College Athletic Training Student Workshop June 28- July 2

Posted in Uncategorized on March 29, 2015 by mboyle1959

Springfield College will host the 22nd annual Athletic Training Student Workshop June 28 to July 2. The workshop is a residential camp for high school students who want to explore career opportunities in athletic training and related sports medicine disciplines.

The Athletic Training Student Workshop focuses on anatomy, injury prevention, and care of common lower extremity athletic injuries. Students will learn the latest information about athletic injury prevention, recognition, and management, all while participating in hands-on exploration of cadaver anatomy. Three whole body cadavers and a small class size give the attendees the opportunity to explore the human anatomy up close. The students also participate in a presentation about the different career options within athletic training.

Designed like a professional continuing education conference, the workshop features short lectures and demonstrations followed by breakout sessions for applied learning. Practice sessions are built into the schedule for participants to learn and refine their taping skills. Additionally, the instructors create a fun educational environment and provide abundant feedback to the students in a positive manner. With a low student-to-instructor ratio, each participant is regularly engaged with individual attention from the instructors throughout the five-day camp.

To register, click here

Great Advice for Parents from Doc Rivers

Posted in Uncategorized on March 28, 2015 by mboyle1959

Here’s a guy that gets it and, his kids have done pretty well.

Doc Rivers on parents talking to coaches.

Breakfast at Denny’s

Posted in Uncategorized on March 25, 2015 by mboyle1959

I grabbed a menu at Denny’s a while ago. ( Just FYI, I love breakfast). I think it is really cool that they give you calorie info. Not sure if anyone but geeks like me read them but…

The best advice, at Denny’s is to go the Build Your Own Slam route.

The number one goal at breakfast should be to load up on protein. If you want carbs, get fruit.

Some reminders, particularly is your goals is to lose weight or bodyfat:

  • No pancakes, hash browns or biscuits. 2 pancakes is 330 cal, hash browns 210 and 1 biscuit 190. 2 eggs is only 250 calories and gets you 13 gms of protein
  • Choose bacon over sausage if you like breakfast meat. 2 slices of bacon checks in at 70 cal while 2 sausage links is 180
  • Skip the toast. 2 slices of buttered toast? 270 cal.

So, 2 eggs with bacon is only 320 calories while the All American Slam is 800 calories. To Build Your Own Slam, you get to pick 4 items. You can get double eggs, bacon and even splurge with whole wheat pancakes for less than 800 calories.

Either way, think protein at breakfast as goal one.

Another Reason I Like Craig Breslow

Posted in MBSC News, Uncategorized with tags , on March 22, 2015 by mboyle1959

For those of you who who don’t follow baseball, Craig Breslow is a Red Sox pitcher as well as a client. In addition, he has been dubbed “the smartest man in baseball” by numerous writers. Craig and wife Kelly are also the founders of the Strike 3 Foundation, dedicated to fighting childhood cancer. While doing some research I found this 2013 letter Craig sent to the Globe and was amazed and impressed by Craig’s ability to take a Globe writer to task for poor reporting. If you have 5 min, please read it.

Globe Needs More Balance in Assessing Athletes Charities

After you read it, considering joining us at Sip Happens and help raise money for the Strike 3 Foundation.

Sip Happens- April 30th 2015

 

Be Careful With Advice from Armchair Experts

Posted in MBSC News, Strength Coach Podcast, StrengthCoach.com Updates, Training, Training Females, Uncategorized, Youth Training with tags on March 21, 2015 by mboyle1959

“He who seeks the counsel of fools is a fool himself”

This is a cautionary tale. Be careful with taking advice from your son or daughters youth sport coach. Although today’s example comes from the hockey world, bad advice in youth sports is probably more common than good advice.

Please note: I have the utmost respect for most youth sport coaches. My kids have been lucky to have some great ones. With that said, I have also heard and continue to hear some real horror stories. Here’s the latest. 

PS- This a direct quote from an email I received from a former BU athlete. I did not edit this. Please also note, the following advice was given to the parents of a 2007 birth year child, yes a seven year old.

“A lot of parents have asked me what their child can do to become a better player. It starts in the spring and the summer. Hockey is a 12 month sport. If you “put the bag away” I can guarantee you to expect being at the bottom level of whatever team your child makes next year. Kids get better by playing more. If anyone tells you otherwise they do not know the game. I am proud to be apart of program that offers as many opportunities as this one does to have your child on the ice as much as possible. ”

 

The advice above is absolute insanity that runs contrary to every piece of research we have seen. This guy is 100% wrong. A seven year old should absolutely “put the bag away” and play soccer, lacrosse or baseball in the spring. Please do your homework. Early specialization is the biggest mistake you can make. There are at least 10 blog posts on this site from great coaches and great athletes espousing the direct opposite advice this “coach” is giving. If your child is seven, I beg you, please “put the bag away”.

 

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