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line change advice for parents, refs and coaches Oh Behave How To Act Like An Adult At A Youth Hockey Game By Christie Casciano Burns may be thrilled with your team's remarkable lead, imagine what it feels like for the other team and their parents. So temper your enthusiasm after the sixth goal and subdue those cheers and claps. Be classy. We are a fiery, passionate group who often wear our hearts on our sleeves. It's when our tongues get ahead of us in the stands that it can get downright ugly. When hockey parents act like children, nobody wins. Here are a few suggestions to help parents act like adults at a youth hockey game. Don't Be That Parent "Hit him!" "Puck hog!" "You better skate if you want a ride home!" "Forget your glasses, ref?" Sound familiar? It's a good thing our kids are wearing helmets to help drown out the critical cries from moms and dads in the stands. Yelling at your kid isn't going to make him or her skate any faster or shoot any better. Having a meltdown over missed penalties or screaming at the referees won't score you any points either. It will help you lose respect among your fellow parents, and if you're loud and nasty enough, might earn you a ticket to the parking lot. Set A Good Example It's not always easy, but parents need to chill in the stands. Your kids watch and learn from you. There are a number of ways you set examples of good adult behavior, all while sitting in the stands. Let's say the other team is really struggling. While you 10 February. 2013 Keep Your 'Evil Twin' Back At Home Resist the temptation to let your "evil twin" take over and trash talk opponents, players and refs. How would you react if your child did the same thing? If your hockey player starts to complain about how the referees weren't being fair, or the other team took so many cheap shots, turn the conversation into teachable moments. Remind her that the way to succeed in life is with accountability, control and respect. Easy To Make, Easy To Break Go back to that code of conduct you signed at the beginning of the season. Are you playing by the rules and being hyper supportive or being hyper critical? Or maybe just plain hyper? Are you biting your tongue when you see players on your team miss a pass or fail to take that seemingly easy shot? Let's take a moment and make some promises we will do our best to keep: 1. Make a promise to yourself not to say a single critical word about the officials during or after a game. 2. T your child what they did ell right and let the coach tell them what went wrong. How can we teach our kids to love a game when all they see and hear from the stands is negativity and anger? USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM Badger Blue Liner Brings It Full Circle It's been 30 years since Matt Walsh patrolled the blue line as a member of the University of Wisconsin Badgers squad that captured the 1983 NCAA title. Now the Madison, Wis., native has returned to his alma mater to join head coach Mike Eaves' staff as an interim assistant coach, taking over for Bill Butters, who left the program after a little more than one season. For Walsh it's more than just a homecoming, it's a chance to return to his roots and help develop the next generation of Badger blue liners. "It's a great opportunity to come back to the program and hopefully give these kids the same types of experiences that I had when I played," Walsh said. "If I can do that for these kids it kind of brings it all full circle, and that really means a lot." Still, the move does not come without sacrifices. For close to 20 years, Walsh has served as the coach-in-chief for the Central District, contributing to the growth and development of the next generation of hockey players, both in his native state and throughout the Midwest. In addition, Walsh represented USA Hockey's Coaching Education Program at the IIHF World Development Camp in Vierumaki, Finland. "The opportunities that I had with USA Hockey, working with the coaching program and with the development process in Wisconsin and with the Central District, have helped me in my development as a coach," said Walsh, who wrapped up the remaining District coaching clinics with the help of other USA Hockey coaches. While Walsh has only committed through the end of the season, he has not shut the door on removing the "interim" from his job title. So far it's been a good fit for yet another Wisconsin alumni who bleeds Badger red. "I think about what it was like when I was here 30 years ago, you kind of take that for granted as a player," he said. "But as the years progress, and now it's the 30th anniversary of our national championship team, you realize how special it was and how special a place this is." New Online Module Aids Coaches In Disabled Hockey USA Hockey has long prided itself on creating opportunities for all players to experience and enjoy the great sport of hockey. Among those are programs designed for players with developmental disabilities, including deaf/hard of hearing, sled, special and standing/ amputee hockey. To assist coaches who dedicate their time to helping these players enjoy the game, USA Hockey's Coaching Education Program has created an online module to give them the tools they need to work with players with special needs. "We believe hockey should be accessible to everybody, and this is a great resource for all of our coaches to help develop our disabled athletes, "said Mark Tabrum, director of USA Hockey's Coaching Education Program. The module begins with an introduction from JJ O'Connor, head of USA Hockey's Disabled Section, before moving into guidelines for developing a disabled hockey program from two-time Paralympian Lonnie Hannah and essential coaching skills needed for working with disabled athletes, delivered by Julie O'Neill, team leader of the U.S. Olympic Committee's Paralympic Sport Performance Division. The program also includes segments on designing an efficient and effective practice; utilization of cross-ice and small area games, as well as features on nutrition, sleep and safety. Photos courtesy of USA Hockey (2); Gregg Forwerck