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technique right. Regardless of skill or athlet- icism, we're seeing kids now on our Peewee team—basically the entire roster can skate, and skate well." Participants are also going above and beyond through the association's "Rink Rat" program, which encourages kids to work on their hockey skills outside of scheduled prac- tices and games. Once they log more than 40 hours of extra practice time, they receive a special shirt and are recognized at an awards ceremony at the end of the season. More than half of all registered players are recognized each year. That's a tribute to coaches not only focus- ing on proper technique and development, but also fostering a joy of playing the game. "Coaching is a big key to our success," Forsberg said. "Every single one of them is extremely committed. Our Learn to Skate coach is always coming up with ideas of how we can attract new skaters, and they're also just teaching kids to learn to skate and have fun out there on the ice. All of our coach- es place a big focus on making sure every- one is not only a better hockey player, but also a good sportsman. We want them to be respectful players that are willing to listen and be coachable—be respectful to coaches, parents, to the game and to the arena. I think there's a lot of pride in that." COMMUNITY SUPPORT Forsberg said he is grateful to have volun- teers that pour their hearts into the Ely Youth Hockey Association. "As far as volunteer support, I can't say enough about the small town we have and how hard everybody works to pull things off," Forsberg. "Being this small and having parents, coaches and everyone getting excit- ed and positive and buying into what we've been doing—it's very exciting." Volunteers are ready to go on a dime. When a last-minute game came about this season due to a cancellation, the community rallied to ensure every last detail was taken care of. "All of a sudden we had referees and we had concessions—all these things came togeth- er in a matter of hours and we pulled off a game," Forsberg said. "It's just people pulling together. They're willing to step up to do whatever it takes. We're really blessed." POISED FOR GROWTH The Ely Youth Hockey Association is pleased to offer programs and events throughout the year. From creating a Fourth of July parade float, sending a team to the Minnesota Wild Mite Jamboree and even adding a profes- sional goalie coach—the association isn't letting its size limit opportunities for kids. "For a small town, we are trying to think big and give these kids all the same opportu- nities as large organizations," Forsberg said. Ely has also started hosting its own Mite jamboree called The Howler, and it's been a hit with players and parents alike. Started with only four teams, The Howler is now maxed out at 16 teams. These activities and opportunities have helped fuel growth and breed excitement for the association. "Our retention is high and we're seeing a good base and foundation for the future," Forsberg said. "These last several years of hard work have been producing a lot of suc- cess and there are so many good things going on. We're really on the cusp of mak- ing things happen and we're starting to get high caliber players moving throughout the program. There's a lot of excitement over the future." F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0 | M H J ON L I N E . C O M 11 "As far as volunteer support, I can't say enough about the small town we have and how hard everybody works to pull things off. Being this small and having parents, coaches and everyone getting excited and positive and buying into what we've been doing—it's very exciting." - Bill Forsberg Ely's Rink Rat program is fostering skill development, creativity and a love of the game.