F A C e o f f Volume XVIII Issue 4 November, 2015 The Official Scorecard of Moorhead Youth Hockey

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1 F A C e o f f Volume XVIII Issue 4 November, 2015 The Official Scorecard of Moorhead Youth Hockey MYHA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Brian Stavenger President Executive Committee Equipment Brent Teiken Vice President Gaming Liaison, Finance Executive Committee Mike Simonich Treasurer, Finance Executive Committee Equipment Chair Anne Norris Gaming Manager Rob Gramer Executive Director Julie Durgin Board Secretary, Office Manager Dennis Bushy Arena Manager, Scheduler Angie Searls Membership Sara Owen Fundraising Josh Krieg Membership Mark Hendrickson Fundraising Johnathan Judd Corey Delorme Tournament Co-Directors Jeremy Gregoire Hockey Director Jon Ammerman Hockey Committee Emily Sell Hockey Committee Office Hours 8:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. Monday-Friday Phone: Membership at an All-time High! There are many things to be excited about with MYHA, and at the top of that list is our increase in membership. We have more kids playing than ever before and more families a part of our community. Here are a few of the highlights: # of Families = 410 (10% Increase) # of Players = 572 (7% Increase) # of Girls = 113 (12% Increase) # of Rookies = 154 (11% Increase) 2 Jr Gold Teams (1 last year) 8 Squirt In-House Teams (7 last year) 6 Squirt Travel Teams (5 last year) We are an organization on the grow, and we are fortunate to have the addition of our great new kids and families! Happy Holidays! Rob Gramer Executive Director SAVE THE DATE: Girls Varsity Spud Buddies are back! ** Watch for more information via prior to your designated night. YOUTH NIGHT: Tuesday, December 15 10U K-T: Tuesday, December 22 Girls Varsity vs Brainerd Rookie Girls R-T: Saturday, January 9 Girls Varsity vs St. Cloud 8U J-M: Friday, January 15 Girls Varsity vs Williston 8U S-W: Tuesday, January 19 Girls Varsity vs Roseau

2 Mark your Calendar: Check our website for exact practice/game times and more info! Dec Bantam B2 Spud Classic Dec 7.Cops and Kids App Deadline Dec Bantam A Spudtacular Dec 16...Board Meeting Dec Bantam B Potato Classic Jan 1-3.Junior Gold Golden Potato Jan 4. RAFFLE TICKETS IN! Jan 9...Raffle Ticket Drawing Have you SEEN it? A full page printable calendar is available on our website under the Association Events on the left side. (note the revision date at the bottom, as dates can change!) DON T THROW THOSE DEAD INK CARTRIDGES! Please turn in your used printer ink cartridges to the drop off box in the MYHA lobby. We earn cash for each one we turn in for recycling/refilling so it's an easy way for us to make money for our organization! Accepting small and large cartridges! Lisa Schmidt Ink Recycling Coordinator SKATE WITH THE SPUDS! Thanks to a great partnership with the High School coaching staffs, we ve expanded our Skate with the SPUDs program to include having our youth teams skating between periods at 10 different High School games this year. You ll get additional details from your coach / parent coordinator prior to your game. This is a fun event for the kids and parents, and a great way to get out and support the High School teams in the process. Wear your SPUDs jerseys and enjoy the game as well! More info on the NEWS FEED on our website! Thanks, Mike Gast GAMING Pull tab and bingo gaming help to support and reduce the costs of youth hockey for the Moorhead Youth Hockey Association. MYHA appreciates the partnerships we have with the following gaming sites. Please patronize our MYHA gaming sites: ** RED HEN TAP HOUSE** **DAVE S SOUTHSIDE TAP** **JC CHUMLEY S** **JC CORRAL ** MAINLINE** **MICK S OFFICE **O LEARY S PUB** ** SPEAK EASY **VIC S BAR & GRILL** **ALL STAR BOWL** **MOORHEAD BILLIARDS** THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!! RECYCLING NOTICE: You are welcome to bring your aluminum cans to Minnkota Recycling and tell them they are for Moorhead Youth Hockey. Moorhead Youth Hockey will receive the rebate check back from the cans. Thank you!!

3 From the Hockey Director. By Todd Smith Adjusting to a New Playing Level Moving up a level in hockey can be exciting and rewarding. But it can also can bring adversity. As a young player joins a new team at a new level, they often face more physically developed and experienced players, and therefore, must learn to be resilient. Cary Eades, head coach of the United States Hockey League s Fargo Force, has a unique perspective on players moving up levels in the hockey world. Along with his work in the USHL, Eades has also served as the high school hockey head coach at Warroad (Minn.) High School, and as an assistant coach at collegiate powerhouse North Dakota. During his time, Eades has seen hundreds of players make the transition from high school to the USHL and then onto college hockey and beyond. He has learned that all players, regardless of their size, talent level and pedigree will face adversity at some point as they adjust to a new playing level. Every step of the way is a learning process, admits Eades. He offers the following advice on adjusting to a new playing level. Reality Check The number of quality hockey players in the United States has never been greater and it s only growing. Eades has seen the exceptional growth of American hockey firsthand in the USHL as his Fargo Force rosters players from Florida and Colorado alongside the traditional hotbeds like Minnesota and New England. It s an indication of the groundswell of talent from every corner of the country. This can catch players and their parents off guard because, after all, they are most often accustomed to being the big fish from their little pond. I think every step up the ladder, players are often surprised at just how many good players there are out there. All of these players are now battling for ice time, said Eades. That s an eye-opener for parents, too: how many great kids are competing for the spots and how hard it is to win a spot in a higher level like the USHL. Less Shine, More Salt Let s face it: A player moves up a level because they have talent. As star players, they re used to getting a lot of ice time and opportunities because they re typically gifted scorers or skaters. But to be successful as they move up to another level, players need to adapt and learn to play in all situations. They have to learn to do all the little things it takes to be a consistent player, said Eades. Most of them can contribute offensively, but they have to learn the defensive side of the game. They have to learn positional play so they can play in all circumstances. They have to become reliable and dependable. Handling Adversity Some players will have success early and then hit a wall later. Others might face adversity immediately as they adjust to the size and speed of the new level. Some will have to battle confidence issues. This is often because they are used to being the star. As they move up, their ice time and opportunity might diminish, and that can quickly crush an ego. But instead of griping about lack of playing time, Eades encourages players to flip the scenario. Players always say that they ll play better if they play more, said Eades. I tell them that if they play better in the time they are given, then they ll play more. Continued next page...

4 From the Hockey Director (continued) And sometimes, even playing better isn t an automatic solution to this kind of adversity. At advanced levels like the NCAA, players may simply need to be patient, regardless of their performance or ability level. Some teams boast exceptional depth, or a roster full of more experienced players, and younger players might have to accept that gratification won t be instant. Those who can persevere through this kind of adversity, without losing their cool or their confidence, will grow from the experience. Make the Most of your Opportunities One of the greatest examples Eades has of a player making the most of their opportunity and limited playing time is when he coached a young T.J. Oshie, now a forward for the Washington Capitals. Eades was coaching at Warroad High School when Oshie moved there from the Pacific Northwest. Initially, Oshie didn t get a whole lot of ice time and struggled with the intensity and level of competition in the northern Minnesota hockey hotbed. He was a small kid, too, and had moved away from home and was now literally the new kid on the block. The Warroad coaching staff worked with Oshie during and after practice to improve his game. Oshie became a relentless rink rat and practiced on his own or in pickup games for hours at a time. An injury to a top Warroad player opened a spot on the top line and Oshie filled it and his game took off. The whole time, he continued to work hard, said Eades. Sometimes it s a break and being ready for the opportunity. Off-Ice Adjustment Not all lessons are learned on the ice when a player moves up to the next level. Eades believes that the lessons a new player learns off the ice are just as valuable. A new player can make great strides with off-ice strength and conditioning sessions. Film study, too, said Eades. When they take that teaching and apply it back to the ice, that s where they can show improvement. They don t need to be perfect, but they can strive for a higher consistency and intensity and performance level. From Being Too Small to Three Stanley Cups When Eades was coaching at North Dakota, a skinny under-aged freshman named Jonathan Toews arrived on campus. Initially, Toews was too small and slight to play center because he couldn t handle the center's physical responsibilities down low. So the coaches had to protect him and play him on the wing. Once Toews adjusted to the strength and the speed he took off, said Eades. But it was a mental adjustment for him, too. Toews was very hard on himself. As a coaching staff, we had to help him be less critical and to enjoy the game a bit more. He took our words to heart and he really fought through some tough times. But he learned not to dwell on things and move through them quicker. Parental Adjustment The players aren t the only ones that have to adjust to moving up to a new level. Often, the transition is equally challenging for the parents. After all, they are the ones who have been watching their kids' practices and games since the beginning. Parents should be patient, said Eades. They should understand that development is a process. Sometimes success is not instantaneous and it takes a lot of hard work. Eades believes that junior hockey and NCAA parents need to accept their player being on the fourth line or being scratched or sometimes having limited playing time. To work up the ladder, a player has to work extremely hard and improve their game in all areas, not just the flashy numbers on the scoresheet. But saying those words isn t enough, said Eades. You have to live through them. At first, it s a challenge. But patience and belief in your young player and supporting him/her and the coaches is huge. If you start making excuses for your player, that usually ends in a train wreck. Jeremy Gregoire Hockey Director

5 MEETING NOTICE The Board of Directors of Moorhead Youth Hockey meets on the third Wednesday of each month. At each meeting the financial records of the association and its gaming subsidiary are available to review by the members of the association. All members are invited to attend. The next scheduled meeting will be held on Wednesday December 16th at 7:00pm, in the MYHA Board Room. If you would like to be added to the agenda please contact Julie Durgin at or at least one week prior to the meeting. TOURNAMENT OBLIGATION AT LEAST ½ OF YOUR VOLUNTEER HOURS MUST BE FULFILLED WORKING YOUR ASSIGNED TOURNAMENT. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN FORFIETURE OF DEPOSIT. Any questions / problems should be directed to your team s parent coordinator. DATES TOURNAMENT / LEVEL VOLUNTEER Oct 30-Nov 1 Big Pumpkin - PeeWee A/AA PWAA, PWA, Squirts Last Name Starting with A-O Dec 4-6 Spud Classic Bantam B2 BB2, Squirts Last Name Starting with P-Z Dec SpudTacular Bantam A BA, Rookies Last Name Starting with A-H Dec Potato Classic Bantam B BB, Rookies Last Name Starting with I-P Jan 1-3 Golden Potato Jr. Gold B JGB, Rookies Last Name Starting with Q-Z Jan 8-10 Sweet Potato Girls 14UA 14UA, 8U (all) Jan Jan Jan Feb 5-7 Feb Hot Potato Girls 12UA Tater Tot Classic Girls 12UB Golden Spud Invite Jr. Gold 16U Spud Shootout PeeWee B February French Fry PeeWee B2 12UA, 10U Last Name Starting A-M 12UB, 10U Last Name Starting N-Z JG16, Mites Last Name Starting A-H PWB, Mites Last Name Starting I-P PWB2, Mites Last Name Starting Q-Z Mar MAHA State PeeWee B/Bantam B PWB, BB Mar VFW State Bantam AA BAA

6 Moorhead Youth Hockey 707 SE Main Ave. Moorhead, MN RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Merry Christmas From the Staff at MYHA!! Back Row- Darlene, Julie, Mac, Anne, Alane Front Row-Dennis, Rob