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R I N K RAT BEH I N D T HE G L A SS THE HOCKEY MOM | By Christie Casciano Burns ILLUSTRATION BY Michael Iver Jacobsen Growing up, our family pet Poodle was more interested in paper towel rolls and shadows moving on the wall than her toys. Coincidentally, my childhood dog prepared me well for our kids. Elaborate Christmas presents would sit idle as the kids instead slid down the living room stairs in the boxes those gifts came in. Although I would roll my eyes, I couldn't help but smile. They can play their own way, I thought to myself. However, wait! Maybe there's something more to that? D u r i n g h o c k e y s e a s o n , w e p e p p e r o u r kids with instructions: "Be here." "Do this." "Remember what coach showed you!" We can put so much pressure on our kids to get it right. Organized hockey is exactly that — orga- nized. When the season ends, why not give kids a break from commands and drills and enjoy some good old-fashioned unstructured play? In fact, it can translate into bolder, more confident and creative play during the season. Look at how much flair is on the ice. Do we think that was cultivated by doing the same drills over and over? No way! Dan Jablonic, a player development direc- tor for USA Hockey, couldn't agree more and shares some great guidance for parents. " T h i s i s a n e x c e l l e n t t i m e t o e x p l o r e and discover skills and abilities," Jablonic said. "Hockey is an incredibly emotional g a m e . ( T h e r e a r e ) m a ny u p s a n d d ow n s along the journey. Keeping a simple mind frame of human development, athlete devel- o p m e n t and sport specific (in our case — hockey) development." Hockey is continuing to evolve into a less scripted and more fluid game. Players are having to become more dependent on quick decisions and having an adaptable mindset. Jablonic says the approach to teaching the game is evolving as well. One of Jablonic's colleagues once coached Martin St. Louis, the Hockey Hall of Famer and current head coach of the Montreal Canadiens, and he gave Jablonic advice that has stuck with him: "The game is an equation that is changing all over the ice. How do you solve the equation is key. Sometimes it is 3+2=5 other situations it may be 4+1=5." There are lots of options to keep our kids active and get their creative juices flowing in the offseason. Your local city Parks and Recreation Department is a great resource to learn new skills and have fun. "Mixing in other sports and rest is critical to prevent burnout and the growing trend of overuse injuries in sports at a young age," Jablonic advised. "There's not a one-size- fits-all answer to what that looks like because it varies with each player and each family. Playing sports, trying other sports, it should be about just having fun with your friends. The importance of FUN should not be over- looked. It's the number No. 1 reason why kids play sports." I n a n o v e r s c h e d u l e d w o r l d , Ja b l o n i c encourages parents to fish for that fun factor. "Take fishing, for example," Jablonic said. "Like hockey, it is not easy some days, you don't see immediate results. You learn per- severance, patience, and a love of the sport as it challenges you. For others, it may be martial arts where you learn self-discipline and leadership." All of those are complementary skills to the sport of ice hockey. One of the greatest compliments a player can give a coach is acknowledging that coach allows the player to "Play Free." Let's let our kids take the lead this offseason to think outside the box, or maybe jump in a box and pretend it's a submarine. P Get Creative This Offseason! "The importance of FUN should not be overlooked. It's the number No. 1 reason why kids play sports." MAY 2024 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 11