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line change The Peaks ADVICE FOR PARENTS, REFS AND COACHES And Pitfalls Of Fundraising By CHRISTIE CASCIANO BURNS hockey season? The challenge is to find fundraisers that are big on cash and short on stress. Big on dreams. Short on cash. Isn't that the case every The season is stressful enough, you certainly don't want to be the source of duck-and-cover syndrome, where family and friends see you coming and yell, "Duck everyone and cover your wallet." When my son landed a spot on the travel team, I was thrilled. I figured it meant more travel and more games, but had no clue it also meant more dollars. The blow was softened when the coaches explained we would not have to shoulder all the costs for travel and tournaments. exhausted, sticky and smelly. That day we collected more than 7,000 bottles and cans and nette a nifty $420 profit. outside of their pads and practice gear. ground, too. That's a huge plus when you can develop that kind of bonding early on, before the start of a long season. The kids got to know each other Parents found common Five Things You Need To Know About Practice So the next time someone on your kid's team drops the "F-word" on you, think about the other benefits that surface when you work together as a team to achieve a common goal. Here are five things that every coach at every level should remember when it comes to practice: BE ORGANIZED Make sure the head coach and his assistants are on the same page and know their assignments. Don't waste a lot of time standing around explaining a drill. That can all be done in the locker room. That's not to say there won't be times you need to stop a drill and explain it. Then they said it, the dreaded "F-word." Fundraising. Nooooo! At that point in my life I had my fill of fundraising, and so had those around me. Friends would point at me and warn others, "Look out, here comes Christie Wonka and her Fundraising Factory." Chocolate bars, cookie dough, holiday wreaths, water bottles, pies, candles, IPOD raffles, stadium seats, jewelry—I've hawked it all. That year our team decided to hit the neighborhoods for a bottle-and- can drive as our main fundraising effort. It took a lot of effort, but we gained more than money that day. We watched in amazement as our young hockey players tackled this task like a team out to win a championship game. They divided and conquered neighborhoods, scooping up cans and dropping them into the back of our pickup trucks with the speed and precision of a well-executed breakout. By the end of our drive we were Organizing A Bottle And Can Drive Promote Send out flyers with information about your drive and a phone number so people may call and offer to drop cans off at your Redemption Center. Pick A Time Timing is everything. Our team leader picked the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Neighbors were eager to rid their garages of emptied containers after Thanksgiving feasts; they were in a generous spirit as well. Divide Put your kids in different age groups or different positions so they get to know other players. Show Your Colors By wearing your team jersey or t-shirts with a team logo it legitimizes the operation and reinforces the team concept for the kids. Represent Coaches and parents should speak about safety and good manners. Redeem Find a kind and willing redemption center that will let you set up an account for your team for year-round donations. What fundraisers have worked for your team? Head to the USA Hockey Magazine Facebook Page and share your strategies for a chance to win an autographed copy of Christie Casciano Burns' fantastic book, The Puck Hog. BE FLEXIBLE Don't be afraid to change it up on the fly. A lack of flexibility can kill a practice. Be ready to mix it up if your kids don't seem to have their heads in practice. Just because a drill is supposed to go for a specific amount of time doesn't mean you have to stick to it. Sometimes it takes longer for players to get it, and sometimes you know when they've had enough and it's time to move on to something else. Don't work on things that will make you or your players frustrated. BE SENSITIVE Know the mental and physical health of your team. Know when it's time to push your players hard and when to lay back. If your players aren't having fun or if a drill isn't going right, change it up. If you see your players aren't there mentally or seem burned out, try to play small area games and have fun. This is important, especially late in the season. BE ENTHUSIASTIC Enthusiasm is contagious. If you bring it to the rink your kids will have it too. Players are in tune to a coach's body language, and even though they may not always act like it, they are listening. Fun is a by-product of enthusiasm. If your kids aren't having fun, you're wasting their time and your's, too. Seek feedback from your players so they feel like they're part of the process. They'll work harder and have fun. The more buy- in, the better they'll perform. BE PREPARED You need to structure your practice plans as building blocks for skill development. You can't work on everything in September. Every practice should have a specific theme designed to concentrate one aspect of the game. Each drill should fit into that theme, whether it's an individual skill or a team concept. Small area games and competitive drills not only engage your players, they work on skills without your players knowing it. ATTENTION ALL COACHES The online age-specific modules are now available at USAHockey.com. Coaches need to complete the module(s) for the age level(s) of play that they are currently coaching by Dec. 31. Coaches do not need to retake a module if they completed it last season. If you are coaching multiple age levels, you need to complete the module for each age group. The information in the modules will be available until April 30, but coaches must pass all chapters by Dec. 31 to meet the Coaching Education Program requirement. Also as a reminder, if your certification level has expired, or will be expiring on Dec. 31, you must attend a clinic or recertify your Level 3 by the end of the year. 10 OCTOBER.2012 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOS COURTESY OF USA Hockey; iStockPhoto.com