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29 SEPTEMBER 2019 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM PHOTO BY Harry Thompson DAN JABLONIC ADM REGIONAL MANAGER (ILLINOIS) Fellow ADM Regional Manager Roger Grillo used the analogy that it's a big ship you're trying to turn and sometimes big ships turn slowly, but they are turning. Do you find that to be a good analogy in the state of Illinois? I think it is. I am really focusing on the people who are want- ing to do the right things. We're finding a lot of success right now with the Blackhawks and their learn to play program. They're really growing their programs and building internal rec programs that kind of have that pathway that depending on where those kids are developing, they have a great, you know, recreational program. They have a travel program and then as they get older, a Tier one program. There's more good than the negative side of things. I think the progress is slow in certain areas and as the competitors that we are like to see it faster, but there's definitely some good in a lot of the areas. How beneficial is it to have the muscle and the clout of the NHL and its member clubs behind what you do? As we know, the ADM is just not somebody's opinion. It's based on facts, it's based on research, it's based on practical applica- tions of what's right for the kids. And anytime that you can add not only muscle, but the credibility of the NHL it's a good thing. The biggest word is cooperation. We still want people to compete, but we also want them to understand that it can't be at the detriment of the player. There's g ot to be some cooperation where if you're running a program and you're competing against somebody else you shouldn't be trying to steal players. Grow your base and make sure you're doing things the right way. EMILY WEST FORMER ADM MANAGER, FEMALE HOCKEY What's the most rewarding part of your job? I personally love when I'm on the ice during a practice and the kids are just having a blast. And when you see them again in a year and see how much they 've progressed I think is probably the most rewarding part of it. Conversely, what's the most challenging part of your job? The most challenging part of my job was probably having to cover the whole United States. That was challenging in the sense of I wish I could have gone back to those places more often. It was just so spread out that I tried to do my best at getting everywhere, but it was nearly impossible. So what does the future hold for the ADM? I know it's the 10th anniversary of the ADM, but I think it's just beginning in a sense of you're seeing the progression from the kids that have gone through it. You're seeing their skillsets compared to those that didn't have the ADM growing up. I had a parent come up to me who had two different two kids, and I want to say they're three years apart. One was involved in ADM, the older one was not. And they said that they could see light years of difference between the younger kid and the older kid and they wished that older kid would have been put through that. Just to hear things like that speaks volumes about the future. JOE BONNETT ADM REGIONAL MANAGER (ROCKY MOUNTAIN) T h e A D M h a d a l r e a d y b e e n through most of its growing pains by the time you came onboard. Did that give you a cause for concern, or for optimism? To be honest, I actually came in after the wall was broken down. I think the original six, those guys, broke down the wall and they came out the other side a little bruised and bloody. A lot of the heavy lifting and the hard work and the tough convincing was pretty much over by the time I came onboard. I was expecting that it was going to be a battlefield, that every rink that you walked into there are going to be naysayers. There's going to be people closing the doors, wanting nothing to do with USA Hockey and ADM regional managers because everybody kind of knew what they were doing or didn't want to really change or be told how to do hockey. Quite surprisingly, I came in at a perfect time again after the hard work was done where the ADM was up and running. It was just starting to grow. We were just starting to see the fruits of the hard work from the ADM managers before me. How have the volunteers in the field helped you do your job and to continue, for lack of a better term, to fight that good fight and continue to move things in the right track? The volunteers are priceless. They're outstanding and they're the number one reason why the ADM is moving forward. I have a huge area to cover and when I have coaches that are strong leaders and have a mindset to continue to improve and really put the kids first, that's when you see change immediately. You got volunteers that still might get beat up and that don't have to fight the fight or don't have to keep improving youth hockey. But they continue to do it. They're so wrapped up in it and their passion is off the charts. Those volunteers are price- less and they make my job worthwhile. Was there a moment when you knew this was the right thing to do and we're moving this ball in the right direction? Coming from the college ranks, every Sunday morning you read the box score and you know if you're successful or unsuccess- ful. But how do we judge the ADM overall? How do we know if we're successful? How do we know this is catching on? And the answer I was given was, 'we'll know over time.' That was a tough pill to swallow a little bit because that means patience, and as we know in this country, patience has run thin a little bit.