Volume 2 Issue 2 DISTRICT NEWSLETTER. These are all queries that might come to mind. However, parents should be focusing on two questions.

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1 Volume 2 Issue 2 DISTRICT NEWSLETTER Evaluating Your Child s Hockey Season By Mike Doyle, As youth hockey seasons around the State of Hockey draw to a conclusion, many parents will begin to look back and try to assess their child s year. Navigating an end-of-season evaluation is tricky business from the parent s perspective. How many goals, assists and points did my kid score? Did my kid get as much ice as the other kids on the team? How much better did my kid get? What does he need to work on in the summer to make the team next year? These are all queries that might come to mind. However, parents should be focusing on two questions. It s not their win-loss record, it s not going to be the scoreboard that determines whether or not the season truly was a success, said Katie Hanneman, a trainer with the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA). It s going to be: Are these kids having fun and are they going to play again next year? Those questions have to be answered by the parent first. Hanneman knows this is easier said than done. She leads PCA workshops in Minnesota and has two children, 7 and 9, in competitive sports. It s difficult, Hanneman said. Keeping perspective and taking it down a notch even as you go through all this training. I tell parents all the time, you have to check yourself daily walking into that arena. Measuring Growth One of the hardest things for a parent to ignore is their child s teammates and friends. Every kid matures mentally, physically and emotionally at different rates so it s unfair to compare kids to one another when evaluating a season. What s more important is how much each individual improved, on and off the ice, compared to themselves. We start this competitive race the minute that they re born. How early does your kid walk? How early does your kid talk? Hanneman said. Really it has to be about that individual kid and staying true to yourself [as a parent]. She suggests keeping in mind the family values away from the rink and applying those values to your child s year-end evaluation. Did he or she make friends? Did they learn sportsmanship? Did they learn how to be a good teammate?

2 Test Kitchen for Life Keep the big picture in mind. Hanneman said. If you look at the percentages of kids that actually do go on, even to play at the high school level, let alone play at the collegiate or professional level, the numbers are not going to support going beyond today and tomorrow. PCA calls sports the test kitchen for life because they bring a mixed bag of experiences young athletes will encounter, outside of the playing field, as they grow older. Parents can look at how their child dealt with the different experiences the season offered. Giving them opportunities to focus on bouncing back from mistakes and learning how to take coaching from multiple people or dealing with teammates, Hanneman said. Focus on the real-life aspects that kids are going to get from sports. When Does It Turn into More Than Just Fun? I think it depends on the kid, Hanneman said. Every kid is going to be so different in how they transition through the stages of development. Some kids are going to be ready at the 8 to 10-year-old range. Some kids are never going to leave, what we call, the Romantic Stage, of why they're playing sports for the sheer fun of it. PCA calls the second phase the Technical Stage, where kids start to crave the interworking of the sport. Some kids never hit that point and it s OK. It really is about knowing their own child and making that assessment based upon the individual, Hanneman said. Passion and Ignition Parents can also evaluate themselves and how they handled the season. Did they help ignite a passion for the game? Maybe this year s win-loss record wasn t fantastic, Hanneman said. But a year from now, if these kids love the game, they re going to continue to want to work hard, they re going to have that passion, the ignition and the drive to want to work harder and to be better. The key for any parent is finding a balance for their child. Burnout is a real thing and oversaturation of hockey for a child who doesn t want it can have a negative impact on their experience. If a child is not having fun, the likelihood that they ll want to work on improving decreases. The number one thing I think that parents need to do a better job of is taking the time frame down, Hanneman said. Have them leave before they re ready to go, so they re dying to come back the next day. And remember, when evaluating the season, it s your kid underneath all that hockey gear. Sometimes it s hard not to get caught up in, This is my child versus this is my child the athlete, Hanneman said. All the kid wants from the parent is that support and love and to differentiate between, This is what I am versus this is what I do.

3 ROGER SHARRER GROW HOCKEY AWARD Attention All Programs: The 2019 application and program information for the Roger Sharrer award is NOW available on the Mid-Am web site! Application is due by Friday, April 26th. The Indy Fusion 14U team competed in the South Bend Irish cup the weekend of February 8, 9, and 10. The team came away with a championship in the 14U red division. Congratulations girls!

4 Community News from The Columbus Blue Jackets OHSAA Final Four State Tournament, Tickets on Sale Nationwide Arena will host the OHSAA High School Hockey State Championships March 8-9, Semifinals will be held on Friday at 10am and 1pm, and championship game will be held on Saturday at 11am. The Sr. All-Star Game will be played prior to the championship game Saturday morning. Single Day Pass ($10) and All Tournament Pass ($15) are on sale now at or can be purchased day of at the Big Lots Box Office.

5 2009 Elites Volunteer with The Red Door By Alex Roessler Community service is an important aspect of being a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite organization. All Pittsburgh Penguins Elite teams complete a service project each season and this year, the 2009 Elite team decided to donate their time to help The Red Door. The Red Door is a lunch program started by St. Mary of Mercy Church during the Great Depression. The program continues to this day in downtown Pittsburgh as those in need line up to receive a free meal from 10:30 am to 11:30 am every Monday through Friday. The 09 s packed 120 brown bag lunches earlier this week and delivered them to The Red Door for distribution. After taking home the trophy from their victory over the weekend at the Burning River Shootout in Cleveland, the team took time to help out those less fortunate in their community. This encapsulates what it means to be in the Penguins Elite organization success on the ice and positive contributions to the community. Gilmour Academy Lancers Girls Prep Host Successful Senior Day The Gilmour Academy Lancers Girls Prep team recently hosted the Culver Academy Eagles to celebrate their Senior Day. Celebrations of each of the Seniors took place before the game while both teams skated to a tight end to end 1-0 game. Gilmour was the victors. Gilmour traveled to Culver on Feb 22 and 23 rd to help them celebrate their Senior Day.

6 Salute To Officials Day As part of Salute To Officials Day. Mid-Am Director John Karolcik, Mid-Am High School Rep Kathy Santora, and Jim Weaver Mid-Am Referee In Chief visited with Referee Paul Plinta. He is 90 years young and has 60 years of Registration history. It is safe to say that Paul is one of the most dedicated officials we have. Also, a big salute on this day to all of our officials in the Mid-Am District. We thank you for your service and all you do for the game of hockey! (Far Right) John Karolcik (Middle) Kathy Santora (Left) Jim Weaver (In Chair) Paul Plinta There will be a free girls hockey skate on 3/9 from 2:30-3:35 at tam o shanter 7060 Sylvania Ave Sylvania, OH. Open to all girls ages Come, have fun and learn more about hockey or meet and girls team. Fun includes on ice, then snacks and crafts as well as a parent info session.

7 Middle School Championships Congratulation to the Martinsburg team on winning the first annual middle school championship. Mid-Am Director John Karolcik and West Virginia Vice President Dalton C. Haas would like to thank Zach Hill and Keith Allen for all the hard work setting up and hosting this event in Charleston. Game Results Friday Martinsburg 6, Charleston 3 Saturday Morgantown 1, Martinsburg 3 (open net goal) Charleston 3, Morgantown 1

8 2/16/2019 2/17/2019 Wheeling Central vs. Wheeling Park Wheeling Central vs. Martinsburg Central won 6-3 Wheeling Central won 10-7 Morgantown vs. The Linsly School Championship game on 2/17/19 Morgantown won 4-2 Wheeling Central vs. Morgantown Morgantown won in OT 5-4 Wheeling Park vs. Martinsburg Wheeling Park won 8-4 Morgantown the Bob Otten West Virginia High School Hockey State Champions. West Virginia Vice President Dalton C. Haas Presents Varsity Banner to Morgantown

9 Lady Barons U14 Team Brings Home Bronze from Lake Placid, NY The Lady Barons U14 Team recently competed in the International Children s Winter Games in Lake Placid, NY. The team competed against four Canadian teams finishing with a record of 2-2 before moving onto the Bronze Medal Game. The teams only loss came to the eventual Gold and Silver medalists. In the Bronze Medal Game, the Lady Barons edged the host team of Lake Placid. It was a once and a lifetime opportunity with the players making friends with other athletes from around the world. Lady Barons U10 and U12 Teams are Successful in South Bend, IN The Lady Barons U10 and U12 teams both travelled to South Bend, IN recently and came back the 2019 Irish South Bend Cup Champions!!!! Great Job ladies!

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11 Steel City Selects Nearing 10th Anniversary Milestone March 30, 2019 will mark the 10th anniversary of the establishment Steel City Selects (SCS). Throughout the past ten years, SCS has proudly stood as the only all-female hockey association in Western Pennsylvania. As SCS prepares to enter its next decade, it is poised to continue its strong tradition of being the premier destination in the area for female hockey players at the Tier II (AA) level. The idea for Steel City Selects was born in 2009 as a joint venture between coaches and players from three different Pittsburgh Amateur Hockey League (PAHL) organizations the Arctic Foxes, the North Pittsburgh Wildcats and the Southpointe Rink Rats. At the time, because the number of girls wanting to play hockey was limited, the girls PAHL teams spanned many ages and consisted of a mix beginners and more skilled players. These teams were good options for girls interested in playing recreational-level hockey but, they did not offer the level of competition needed to improve their skills and take them to the next level. Doug DeNardo, founding member and current SCS legal counsel, recalls the winter evening when SCS was born: Jim Napoli from North Pittsburgh, Dave Stanton from Southpointe and Brad Kaiser, Paula Troy and myself from the Arctic Foxes decided to meet to see what we could do to give the better players an opportunity to compete at a higher level. We met at the Primanti Brothers restaurant in Crafton and Steel City Selects was born (Jim Napoli, I believe, came up with the name). Kris Martinez (the mother of one of our initial players) developed the logo with the input of the girls. In its first year, SCS joined the Midwest Girls Hockey League (MWGHL) at the 14U level for a handful of games, while the girls also continued to play on their PAHL teams. The inaugural season was met with great enthusiasm from both players and parents so SCS became a full-time team its second season. As such, SCS expanded beyond its MWGHL schedule with additional tournaments and non-league games, as well as increasing its practice schedule to match. SCS also expanded from the one team to three teams (14U, 16U, 19U) during that second season. SCS left the MWGHL at the end of the 2015 season and currently has three National-Bound teams which play independent schedules of between games throughout the season and practice four times per week. Additionally, in recent years, SCS has expanded to include two development teams (a part-time 12U team and a 16U-minor team) to work with players to grow their skills with the expectation of playing on a National-Bound team in the future. SCS teams have had numerous successes over the years, beginning as early as the first season. During that inaugural season the team won the division championship at the Connecticut Polar Bears Tournament, which, at the time, was the largest female hockey tournament in the US. By its third season SCS made its first trip to USA Hockey Tier II Nationals. Today SCS continues that tradition with multiple appearances over the years by all teams at USA Hockey Nationals; and in 2017, the 19U team brought home a bronze medal from Nationals. Jim Napoli, founding SCS member, and current Head Coach, University of Pittsburgh Women s Hockey reflected on SCS s past ten years: As a founding board member, it's terrific to see the organization grow successfully. A prime focus of my personal involvement in youth ice hockey has always been to develop opportunities for girls to play this game. By far, SCS has been the most successful female youth hockey program with which I've been involved, and this is due in large part to the efforts of those that followed the founding board members to continue to develop the organization. So many female hockey organizations have come and gone in the Pittsburgh area, and it s great to see continuity and longevity from the Steel City Selects! (Next Page)

12 Current Steel City Selects President, Eileen Granata, sees a bright future for SCS: As the current President and having been involved with SCS for the past five years, I m so proud of the accomplishment of our players, teams and organization. Our mission from day one was to develop and prepare female athletes for the opportunity to play at higher levels, including on college teams. We strive to build a foundation to develop female self-confidence, esteem, teamwork and leadership. Each season, we see the success in our players as they achieve their individual goals and team accomplishments. As excited as we are to celebrate 10 years of girl s hockey, we are thrilled to see how far we can grow in the next 20 years! Information about Steel City Selects can be found here: Information about Steel City Girls Invitational Tournament: For more information, please contact Alunda Edmonds, Steel City Selects Communications Manager at communications@steelcityselectshockey.com or Steel City Selects is an all-female ice hockey organization based in Pittsburgh, PA. We are a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to providing ice hockey opportunities for female athletes 19 and younger living in Western Pennsylvania. Steel City Selects' 14U, 16U, and 19U teams are all Tier II National-Bound teams that compete in an independent schedule over the course of the season with the desire to represent the Mid-Am District at USA Hockey's National Championship Games. USA Hockey Adult Classic Tournament Indy Adult Classic - Carmel Ice Skadium March 22-24, 2019 Columbus Adult Classic-Chiller Arenas April 5-7, 2019