Hockey Helmets Recalled 02 Dec 2008 Hockey helmets have been recalled by Reebok due to head and neck injury hazard. Click here for detailed information (PDF) It is official, all youth athletics are nuts.  Hockey may have earned the right of getting there first, but every other sport has now fallen in place. They are all too organized, travel too much, too expensive and too time consuming.  We place put too much emphasis on keeping score and winning and too little emphasis on having fun.   As another youth hockey season descends upon us I have some simple advice for parents to help make your hockey experience more enjoyable.   Skip tryouts.  Leave the rink, go to a movie, have dinner with your spouse, just stay away.  If your child makes the A team, be happy and humble. If your child makes the B team, be happy and calm.  Next to skill, the most important quality of a good athlete is confidence.  Benefit:  Stress Reduction.   Every rink has a water fountain.  Save time and money on the Gatorade, because I’m not certain that 10 year-olds even have electrolytes. And if they do, I bet they have a lot of them.  We only start losing things when we get older.  Savings:  80+ games & practices @ $2.00 = $160.   They can carry their own bag and if they can’t it’s too big.  You don’t carry your ki d’s backpack to school for them; you shouldn’t have to carry their hockey bag either.  Donate your wheelie bag to a stewardess and get one that has to be carried.  Benefit:  Increased leg strength.   Kids can dress and undress themselves—go get a cup of coffee and relax.  Once they have been through it a few times they can figure it out.  And if they can’t, that is why they have teammates.  Eventually they will get it on or off.  Be patient.  Benefit:  Team Unity.  (PS: Coffee is cheaper then Gatorade)   Teach them to tie their own skates as soon as possible—good skaters have loose skates, so let them get used to it early.  As long as you keep tying them they are going to let you.  Haven’t we learned this “helpless” lesson before?  Benefit:  Ankle strength.   New equipment is for Christmas, maybe a birthday—but should not be a birthright of every new season.  Buy used equipmentE2a 58lb squirt doesn’t need the support of a $300 pair of skates. A $300 pair of skates could be worn by a 58lb squirt for ten years and still not be worn out—it’s basic physics.  Today’s skates are as rigid as marine core training.  Savings:  $200+.   On the subject of skates, as soon as they are old enough to drive, they are old enough to get their own skates sharpened.  If they tell you they don’t have time, compare your schedule to theirs, then hand the skates back to them.  Benefit:  Time for you & responsibility for them.   Buy wooden sticks.  Force dealers to put them back on the stick rack; it is supply & demand economics.  A 9 year old doesn’t need a composite stick unless he is 6’ and 200lbs, or you can buy a 10 flex.  A wooden stick will do fine.  Save me the sales pitch on response and feel.  Until they can feel the difference between clean and dirty hair save your money.  And like tying skates, they can learn to tape their stick much sooner than they would like you to believe.  Savings:  $200+.  Benefit:  Wrist stre ngth & eye-hand coordination.   Kids believe that the concession stand is an essential part of hockey—like their skates.  If they go out and skate well, have fun and come off with a smile on their face—they don’t need a reward, except maybe a pat on the back.  Walk past the concession stand a few times—I know we need to support the rink, but it shouldn’t be the place where you eat most of your meals.   They also don’t need breakfast at Perkins or lunch at Mc Donalds after every game or practice.  Let them learn that the reward is hockey!  It is a privilege to be able to play and if they don’t make their bed and feed the dog you will take it away.  Benefit:  Discipline, help around the house, more money for coffee.   Herb Brooks said it best, “The name on the front of the jersey is a heck of a lot more important than the name on the back”.  This is a team sport; the sooner kids learn=2 0that, the better.  Names on the back of jerseys are for when you get to the NHL.  You should be able to figure out which one is yours without that visual aide.  If you can’t, remember that is why we put numbers on the jerseys—those numbers aren’t a ranking system—they are for identification.  Nobody wears two nametags at work, right?  Benefit:  Team Unity & Humility.   Don’t watch every practice—let them tell you about a few—they’ll enjoy it.  Send them the message that you have more important things to do than watch the practice.  This is not neglect, but common sense.  If parents spent as much time helping kids with their homework as they do watching practice, our kids would all be getting straight A’s.  This is their experience—not yours.  Turn them loose.  Benefit:  Time.   Let your kids have fun.  If their best friend calls on a Friday night and wants them to:  a) go to a movie,  b) go to the outdoor rink,  c) go sledding, don’t say no because they have a game tomorrow, or in most cases three games.  They are ki ds, if you haven’t noticed they don’t get tired.  Do you ever remember being too tired as a kid?  Let them go swimming at the motel, play football in the snow.  AJ Hawk might need to sleep in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, but your kid doesn’t.  Benefit:  Balance, & a Happier Child.   Don’t try to coach—your team already has one.  Pat them on the back after a tough loss and thank them for their time and effort.  Buy them a cup of coffee and talk about anything, but hockey.  Benefit:  Respect.   Last, but not least, at an athletic contest you can be a player, a coach, a fan or an official—but you can only be one.  For those parents who are confused, you are a fan.  Cheer when your team does something well.  Drink coffee the rest of the time, it tastes better than your foot. Benefit:  More friends, fewer enemies. Dan Bauer, head hockey coach at Wausau East High School in Wisconsin Congratulations: Paul Barber to the Mass Hockey Hall of Fame: Paul Barber, President of the Billerica Hockey Association has been selected to be inducted into the 14th Annual Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame. This will take place on Wednesday November 19th 2008 at Lombardo's Restaurant in Randolph. Tickets for the Hall of Fame Dinner are available at the door or by contacting Jim Prior, Hall of Fame secretary, at 617-312-0144 or 781-938-4400. The tickets are $50.00 each. Cocktails at 6:00PM Dinner at 7:00PM Hall of Fame Induction at 8:00PM. Also being inducted on this evening will be former Boston Bruins Milt Schmidt and Ted Donato along with eight other inductees Dual State Huskies Mite Team Remains undefeated: The Dual State Huskie Mite Team improved to 13 – 0 – 1 with an impressive 10 – 3 win over the Valley Junior Warriors.  Sparked by its four captains - Kelley Browne (2 goals, 2 assists), Frankie Bonanno (goal), Michael Hayes and Katerina Nikolopoulos – the Huskies soundly defeated the previously unbeaten Warriors.   Clare Conway got the team off to a great start netting the game’s first goal 3 minutes into the game.   Two Huskies – Mark Gallant and Cullen Young – both completed hat tricks with the line of Clare Conway, Kelley Browne and Cullen Young providing 6 of the team’s 10 goals.   Jacob Perrin remains the team’s anchor making several key stops throughout the game. For more information on the Dual state Huskies please go to www.dualstatehuskies.com Copyright 2008 The Globe and Mail, a division of CTVglobemedia Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved The Globe and Mail (Canada) September 26, 2008 Friday YOUTH-HOCKEY BURNOUT; Pg. A3   The Great One's message to parents: Let your kids have fun; It's important for children to play other sports, says Gretzky after a spate of young stars have lost their desire for hockey BYLINE: ERIC DUHATSCHEK DATELINE: CALGARY He doesn't pretend to have all the answers about youth-hockey burnout, but Wayne Gretzky knows what worked for him - and what works for his kids. Mr. Gretzky reiterated yesterday a gospel that many Canadian parents have ignored - that too often, young hockey players can get burned out by the pressure and the time commitment. "First of all, I think every kid is different," said Mr. Gretzky, a Hall Of Fame player and currently the coach of the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes. "Some kids can play every day, all year long, like Gordie Howe - until they made him take his skates off ( Gordie did not play summer hockey, there was no summer hockey in the 1940's). But that's a rarity, I really believe that. "In youth hockey, in most cases, it's really important for kids to play other sports - whether it's indoor lacrosse or soccer or baseball. I think what that does is two things. One, each sport helps the other sport. And then I think taking time off in the off-season - that three- or four-month window - really rejuvenates kids so when they come back at the end of August, they're more excited. They think, 'All right, hockey's back, I'm ready to go.' " Mr. Gretzky's comments came after a handful of recent examples of young athletes who, for whatever reason, lost their desire for their sport. Stefan Legein, a Columbus Blue Jackets' draft choice and a member of Canada's world junior championship squad, notified the team last month that he wouldn't be attending training camp, reportedly because he'd lost his passion for the game. Brandon Regier, a 16-year-old from Abbotsford, B.C., passed on a chance to play for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League this year (he was the team's first-round choice in the bantam draft) because he wasn't interested any more. Colorado Avalanche prospect Victor Oreskovich, a second-round pick in 2004, retired last October and returned to school to complete a business degree. Mr. Gretzky, the NHL's all-time leading scorer, spent much of his youth as a multi-sport athlete and became good at both baseball and tennis as a youngster. Winters, he'd spend hours skating on the backyard rink that his father, Walter, flooded every year in Brantford, Ont., once the weather got cold enough. But once hockey ended - and in that era, hockey usually ended in April - he was ready for something else. Today, many young athletes, seeking to achieve an elite level in a single sport, often devote all their energies toward that pursuit. Summer hockey camps are so common that many parents fear their children will be left behind if they don't participate in them. "It's a fine line," Mr. Gretzky said. "I know, for myself, when the hockey season was over, I couldn't wait to play baseball. I had no interest in playing ice hockey until September.   Then you get a guy like Gordie Howe, he couldn't skate enough. I don't have the answer, other than I think it's good for kids to participate in all sports." Mr. Gretzky and his wife, Janet Jones-Gretzky, have five children - and the three oldest have chosen different paths athletically. His oldest daughter, Paulina, was mostly a dancer. Ty spent a year playing hockey for Shattuck St. Mary's, a prep school in Minnesota, but is now devoting more time to golf. Trevor is a two-sport athlete at Westlake Village Oaks Christian - high-school quarterback on the same team as Trey Smith, son of Will Smith, and Nick Montana, son of Joe. Trevor is also the catcher on the school's baseball team. Mr. Gretzky said he encouraged all his children to sample a variety of sports. "I always tell them, at a young age, you should just go out and play, just enjoy it," he said. "As you go along and you get better, then you can start thinking, 'Okay, I can go to school' or 'I've got a chance to maybe get a scholarship.' But at a young age, 12 or 13, 14, 15 - just play and enjoy it. Learn what it's like to be around your teammates - the highs of winning and the lows of losing. Just enjoy it - and my kids do that." The year after he retired from the NHL, Mr. Gretzky coached his son Trevor's little-league team. Over the years, one of the most frequent questions he's been asked by parents seeking his advice was to assess the chances of their children playing professionally. According to Mr. Gretzky, there is a neighbouring town close by his Los Angeles residence that he described as "a baseball factory." "But not one kid has ever made it to major-league baseball from there," Mr. Gretzky said. "It's a tremendous program; a lot of them get scholarships and play Division 1, but to actually play major-league baseball, not one. "But everybody asks the same thing, 'Do you think my son can make pro?' T he answer is, he's 15, just enjoy it. Just let them have fun."  Mouthguards:

More than 5 million teeth are knocked out each year through sports injury,  accident, or play. Just as helmets, shoulder pads, and kneepads are worn to protect against sports-related injuries, mouthguards, also called mouth protectors, are an equally important piece of protective gear. Grin and Wear It is a program sponsored by the Massachusetts Dental Society that educates parents and children on the importance of wearing mouthguards during contact sports.

Find out how you can receive a low-cost mouthguard from a participating dentist. Learn about types of mouthguards, tips for care, and costs.  Sign-up as a Grin and Wear It provider.

We Can Help You Avoid Putting A Lot of Money Where Your Mouth Is! As part of the Grin and Wear It program, the Massachusetts Dental Society has enlisted the help of our member dentists across the state. These dentists have volunteered to fit school-aged children with custom-made mouthguards at a discount or nominal fee. The amount of the discount is up to each dentist. To find a dentist participating in this program, use the Find a Dentist search, or call the MDS at (800) 342-8747. And be sure to mention the Grin and Wear It mouthguard program when contacting participating dental offices. Find a Provider

What Are Mouthguards?  As the name implies, mouthguards help prevent injury to the mouth area, especially to the teeth, lips, cheeks, and tongue. Even athletes who use helmets or face masks should wear mouthguards, since they also protect against head and neck injuries by cushioning blows that could otherwise cause concussions or jaw fractures. In Massachusetts, mouthguards are required in football, field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and wrestling. The MDS recommends that adults and children wear mouthguards during all sports in which injury to the mouth may occur.

Athletes are 60 times more likely to suffer damage to the mouth when not wearing a mouthguard. Mouthguard use prevents approximately 200,000 oral-facial injuries each year. The cost to repair a knocked out tooth and follow-up dental treatment can cost thousands of dollars—many times greater than the price of a mouthguard.

Types and Care of Mouthguards There are three different kinds of mouthguards. Each one is different in comfort, fit, and cost.  Be sure to consult with your dentist to determine which mouthguard is best for you. However, because they offer the best protection and are considered the most comfortable to wear, the MDS recommends that athletes wear custom-made mouthguards when participating in contact sports.

Custom-Made Mouthguard: This type of mouthguard is by far the best mouthguard in terms of its fit, comfort, and protection. It is made by a dental lab from a dentist's impression of the teeth. By pressure-laminating the mouthguard during its fabrication, the final product is designed to fit the athlete's mouth exactly. Boil and Bite Mouthguard: The boil and bite is a thermoplastic mouth-formed protector and is usually softened by immersing it in hot water. It is then shaped to the teeth by using finger, tongue, and biting pressure. This type of mouthguard, however, may not fit as well as the custom-made version. Stock Mouthguard: The ready-made or stock mouthguard is found at most sporting good stores. It comes in several shapes and is constructed of rubber or polyvinyl material. However, because little can be done to adjust its fit, it may be uncomfortable and can interfere with breathing and speaking.

Like other sports equipment, mouthguards can wear out, become lost, or deteriorate over time. After each use, clean the mouthguard in cool, soapy water and rinse it thoroughly. Check the condition of the mouthguard from time to time to see if it needs replacement. Tears and perforations can irritate the teeth and mouth tissues. These conditions also diminish the amount of protection the mouthguard can provide on the playing field. As athletes grow, changes in tooth position and jaw size will also require changes in the mouthguard. Be sure to visit your dentist regularly to have the fit of your mouthguard checked.