I might expand the title of this column to “What makes players and parents happy.” For young players at the Mite and Squirt levels – and even PeeWees – if parents aren’t happy, their players may not even continue in hockey. So we have to consider both.

So let’s take a look at the parents and the kids. Parents don’t have to be happy-happy. They just need to be not too unhappy. So let’s look at what makes parents and youngsters unhappy – and what can curb that unhappiness (at least somewhat). PAY ATTENTION ASSOCIATIONS.

1. Costs (mostly parents)
Cost of equipment has gone way up; cost of sticks maybe even more. And other equipment is not inexpensive either. As this is happening, equipment companies are failing as well. Bauer and CCM, the stalwarts of hockey equipment for 60-70 years, have both gone through foreclosure (bankruptcy).  And parents are demanding ever more equipment on their players so none as much as get a scrape. (I think players are over-armored). I had a hockey mom tell me recently that shoulder pads (that now go down to the navel) need a hard pad down the front to protect from being killed by a shot – at the girls' Mite level. Holy mackerel! I want to see that Mite shot.

The solution is a much better job by the association of getting used equipment out of the basements and into the hands of youngsters. Some effort is now made by associations, but it is critical that all associations make great efforts. Most skates are only worn by a youngster for one season, mostly indoors. They should be good for 2-3 more reuses. Youth sticks are now mostly composite (at $70-$80) and last for several seasons at least, but get too short. Helmets can be reused many times – and so on.

I got my first pair of new skates (CCM Tacks) at age 16 – and still was using them when I arrived on campus at the University of Wisconsin (where I was provided with new skates). I am currently (when time permits) trying to get a “virtual warehouse” set up online, where used hockey equipment can be donated, and equipment can be bought and sold (with a small selling fee – used to buy used equipment to donate to needy kids).

The other big cost area is ice. I still see Mite and Squirt teams with 13-14 players (always 1-3 sick or whatever in the winter) on a full sheet of ice. That’s about $20 each player for a one hour practice where they spend 50 percent of the time listening to a coach or in line! That’s not true of all practices or games (which could, however, include four Mite and even Squirt teams almost every game).

One of the solutions is sharing of ice. Really simple! That can be done all the way up through Bantams for 50-60 percent of practices. Take a look at my previous column on “small area games/drills.” I could run a high school team practice 30-40 percent of the time with half ice (shared ice) and have great practices – with many drills and games.

Again, it is up to associations to monitor the ice usage by their teams. Many parents won’t sign their children up because of costs. Associations need to do something about it. Dictate a certain percentage of practices as shared. 

Another solution is to dictate that at least 15-20 percent of practices are also outdoors (free). Outdoor practices are fun for most kids, as well. They were once almost all outdoors and kids loved them.

2. Time (parents and kids)
Many coaches require that their teams arrive at the arena one hour before game time – even at the Squirt/PeeWee level. If it’s an away game, even in the greater Twin Cities, it could mean a 30-45 minute drive (more in rush hour); one hour before the game; one and a quarter hour for the game and undressing; and another 30-45 minute drive after – sometimes on a school night. That adds up to 3-4 hours for a game. Even a “local” game could be over three hours. That isn’t even reasonable!

Also, the distant out-of-town tournaments take whole weekends and hundreds of driving miles for parents and players. This is true even for teams that are in areas where they could play in tournaments 15 to 30 minutes away.

The solution is for associations to control coaches requirements – as well as where they go for tournaments. Kids will have as much fun, and gain more skills, if they have a couple of afternoon shinny “practices” for 3-4 hours at a local outdoor rink with pizza and drinks.

When I coached at the JV level, we didn’t play in Christmas tournaments because they used up a good portion of the days in practices and games. Instead, we went to an outdoor rink for 8 or 9 days, starting at 9 a.m., until noon (when pizza and drinks were brought in). Most youngsters then stayed until 3:00 or 4:00 – and had a ball playing only shinny games. My teams were substantially better after Christmas due to the extra 40 or 50 hours of on-ice fun the players had. Fun “practices” with 15-20 players are a great learning experience – and they learned to scrape the ice, too!

After Christmas, coaches of teams that we had played in November-December and were now playing the second of the home-and-home series in January-February often asked what I had done to get so much improvement in my players. I made a motion with my wrist like throwing the puck on the ice and said a lot of “shinny.”

A little side story. My sixth-grade grandson plays baseball (and other sports). This past summer, his baseball coaches had practices where they often played stickball (shinny!) with broomsticks and a rubber ball – just like the old days. The coaches pitched, there were no gloves used. The kids had a great time and honed their hitting and catching skills as well as any other practice options would. Their improvements were easy to see. Simple is sometimes better – and always more fun. They did have “drill” practices too, by the way – OK, but not as much fun!

3. Lack of fun and enjoyment
Most kids want to have fun and enjoyment in the activities they choose – that includes sports. It is very important that the young hockey players (Mite, Squirt, PeeWee) are in a fun and enjoyable situation, or they won’t stay in the sport – or their parents will push them to another sport that costs less in both money and time. 

At the younger ages, kids need to feel good at the end of practices and games. Bad experiences are a death knell at these ages. Not playing much, being belittled or bullied, grinding practices with “herbies” and other poor drills, unfriendly dressing rooms, coaches that don’t teach well or at all are all bad. 

Most kids want to play “games” or small area games (see my recent column) in practice where the pressure to win is not as great. They also want to be able to compete reasonably, and won’t mind being on a lesser team (B1 instead of A) if the whole practice/game atmosphere is good. Kids also want to “win their share” of games. Playing all teams that are better is a bummer for kids.

The solution is that the coaching staff needs to be good and the selection process needs to be good (and fair). It is harder for a youngster to be placed ahead of where he/she “should be” because not being able to keep up doesn’t make for fun or enjoyment. Again, it is the association’s responsibility to have some standards as to practices and rules for games. Coaches should be required to do practice plans and a well-qualified association coaching director should be able to review a percentage of them, as well as game procedures (one hour before game rules, etc.), how evenly the lines will be played, etc. The association coaching director (and maybe assistants) may be some of the most important people in the organization. In the end, each coach will have a great bearing on youngsters loving hockey and staying with it.

Parents will pick up on their child’s feelings about practices and games. Children will likely be in a spectrum from resisting going to practices/games to the other end where they can’t wait to go.

Head coaches should also ask their assistants to monitor how well practices and games are going. There has to be an open dialogue. It is even reasonable to ask two to three “reasonable parents” to give feedback after the first two to three weeks, then at mid-season. Coaches are better off knowing how it is going from the view of parents and players. The association should also have a knowledgeable person monitor occasional practices and games, especially early in the season.

So, there are a number of things that affect getting young players to play hockey – and to keep them in the sport. We only looked at the big three. Associations may also have their own peculiar situations. It takes the proper person running the recruiting area to get players in. Then it is up to the association through its rules and its coaches to keep them.

Anybody can be recruited to our very special game if they are shown how to get in, then how to have fun and enjoyment. I grew up in a city (Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.) when nearly all of the hockey players were first- or second-generation immigrants – many from Italy. Poor, small of stature, but eager. Never saw hockey before coming to the “Soo!” That is no different than the Latino youngsters of today, for example. They need cheap used equipment, good planning for minimal travel and a good experience/fun.

As is obvious by this column, I think it is up to the hockey associations to spend a considerable amount of their time dealing with the items I’ve discussed. They need to make a real commitment to cutting costs, cutting excessive time and maximizing the fun for every team and every player. It should be JOB ONE!

Order John Russo’s new chapterized book, “The Best of 26 Years of John Russo’s Coaches Corner”. It has been described as a “must read” for all youth coaches. Go to Russocoachescorner.com for information and ordering.

John Russo, Ph.D., is founder and now mentor to the Upper Midwest High School Elite League. He was a captain at the University of Wisconsin and recipient of prestigious hockey awards at the state (Peterson award) and national levels (Snooks Kelly). His Coaches Corner columns have appeared in Let’s Play Hockey each year since 1986.