Leaving for the USHL and the community.

[theref]

As an I. Falls native, I have a question about players leaving for the USHL. In the Falls community, it is highly frowned upon if a player leaves early for the USHL. Talking to one of the coaches of the Broncos, he flat out stated that Brady Hjelle would not be welcomed back warmly by the community the same way Drew Fisher was when he left for Moorhead. (not the USHL I realize, but did lead to him getting on the U of M roster in part)

So my question is this. Are players that leave their high school teams early shunned by the community they left or is this just a small town thing?

[Govs93]

As an I. Falls native, I have a question about players leaving for the USHL. In the Falls community, it is highly frowned upon if a player leaves early for the USHL. Talking to one of the coaches of the Broncos, he flat out stated that Brady Hjelle would not be welcomed back warmly by the community the same way Drew Fisher was when he left for Moorhead. (not the USHL I realize, but did lead to him getting on the U of M roster in part)

So my question is this. Are players that leave their high school teams early shunned by the community they left or is this just a small town thing?

I'll speak on behalf of the Johnson community and say that the Governors would welcome any kid talented enough to play in the USHL with open arms!

[sachishi4]

i think people should get over it, considering that he has a shot at developing into NHL material, and let him advance his goaltending.

[Offside]

coaches should really be looking out for the best for the kid. if the kid looks at his options seriously and decides to go the the ushl or other junior league, support him. get over it. it's not easy for the kid, his parents, etc. support them.

[Irishmans Shanty]

he flat out stated that Brady Hjelle would not be welcomed back warmly by the community

There's nothing any community, big or small, likes more than when one person becomes the self-appointed spokesman regarding community consensus.

Good luck to the young man who has moved on and best of luck to the Broncos who still remain. The game has always been, and always will be bigger than any one player's efforts or any one coach's words.

And now you know the rest of the story, good day.

[Gopher Blog]

Do these adults volunteer their time to help a kid for his overall future? Or do they only help a kid out so they can get some self centered pleasure? It seems to me anybody who truly volunteers for the right reasons should only be looking to help a kid out no matter where he ends up playing.

From my occasional interactions with Brady, he seems like a very thoughtful young guy. Very considerate and a good person. Not the kind of kid that should be given crap to simply because he doesn't do what everybody else in his hometown wants him to do.

It is rather sad to me that some adults feel like they are owed something. If you are going to volunteer, it should be because you want to help people in general.... it shouldn't be because you want to help people only if they do what you want them to do.

[Blue&Gold]

That's just really sad. I know of a couple of kids here in the St. Cloud area that went early to the USHL and the NAHL for their senior years, and both are very welcome back with the community and their respective schools. In fact, in both cases their high school coaches have stayed in touch with them, and they skated with the teams during their Christmas breaks.

It's probably a good thing that Brady left I-Falls. He's having a great season, and will end up doing very well for himself. When it's all said and done, I hope he admits the fact that the USHL did more for him than his old high school coach.

[SB24]

Yeah, the community should be supportive and try to do the best thing for the kid, but i've seen it go both ways. One of the main things is the type of person the kid is before he leaves. If he has a bad attitude and bad mouths the hockey community in the town he is leaving he will probably have a pretty poor reception when/if he came back. If the kid kept a level head about things they usually have no problem coming back.
Its kind of like when a pro player gets traded, their reception depends on their actions immediatly before and after the trade went down.

[davey]

As an I. Falls native, I have a question about players leaving for the USHL. In the Falls community, it is highly frowned upon if a player leaves early for the USHL. Talking to one of the coaches of the Broncos, he flat out stated that Brady Hjelle would not be welcomed back warmly by the community the same way Drew Fisher was when he left for Moorhead. (not the USHL I realize, but did lead to him getting on the U of M roster in part)

So my question is this. Are players that leave their high school teams early shunned by the community they left or is this just a small town thing?

My question is why would a coach say that. My guess is if that coach had what he considered a better opportunity, he would jump at it without thinking of the kids at all. Every situation is different. If my kid had an opportunity to play in the USHL as a senior my guess is he would sit down and weigh the pros and cons of each. Heck, his decision would probably involve talking to his current HS coach. That way, his decision would be well thought out and above board, not a slap in the face to the community. My guess is this same coach will be the first to to say "Hey I coached Brady, what a good kid" when he's playing at the collegiate level

[HShockeywatcher]

That is really sad. High schools sports are really cool, they are something that drives the lives of lots of people/communities around the country. But they are not and should not be the end all for athletes. This should mean that if students have the opportunity to leave, in my opinion, you should be completely behind them for their choice. Personally, I would prefer to have a sucky program because all the top players leave, than to have a great program where players go no where. I didn't go to a public school, but the high school I attended has had plenty of students go off to bigger and better programs. Sure the team would be much better with them, but they are bettering themselves as athletes. All I've heard, the community only has so much respect for the young boys.

Not only is it sad if that's the coach's opinion, it's sad that he would verbalize it so it could be discussed like this.

[Northland]

As an I. Falls native, I have a question about players leaving for the USHL. In the Falls community, it is highly frowned upon if a player leaves early for the USHL. Talking to one of the coaches of the Broncos, he flat out stated that Brady Hjelle would not be welcomed back warmly by the community the same way Drew Fisher was when he left for Moorhead. (not the USHL I realize, but did lead to him getting on the U of M roster in part)

So my question is this. Are players that leave their high school teams early shunned by the community they left or is this just a small town thing?

Here's another thing,,,,, since when does one person speak for the whole community?


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[mnhockey76]

I feel like not all the facts are being layed out on the table right now. I know Brady Hjelle personally and this was one of the hardest decisions he has ever had to make. The kid bleeds purple and gold and you can tell that by the way he has performed at every level for the broncos. Brady was put in a situation that would be difficult for any kid his age, he had an opportunity to play at a higher level and improve his skills. I dont think anyone can argue that the help he would be getting on the ushl level is better than what he would be getting at Falls High, with goalie coaches, strength coaches, and obviously a bigger schedule with better competition. No one wants to leave their senior year but sometimes its the best decision you can make for yourself. I know he agonized over this decision for months and when it came down to it he manned up and had a meeting with all three coaches and told them himself. A portion of the community in I falls particularly parents of players who are still on the broncos, are outraged, but you know that if their kids had the same opportunity they would be out of here in no time. I agree with the person who said that the people who are bad mouthing Hjelle now will be the first to say "hey that kid is from the falls" or 'Hey i played with him" when hes on the bulldogs or if he makes it to the next level in the NHL. People were just as outraged when Drew Fisher left but now he's back in good graces and playing for the gophers. As a member of the I Falls community I support Brady in whatever he does, and i know it hurts to have a kid leave but he's doing whats best for him and you have to respect him for that.

[UMDHockey]

Pretty sad really. We are talking about a goalie here who wants to get better and move on to UMD and be ready to play when he gets there. Whether you like it or not, goalies rarely go right from high school to college. Not just physically, but the mental part of the game is so much larger. A good high school player can jump into D-1 hockey and be ready to go. As for goalies, I can't think of very many of hand, and actually can't think of 1 that has went right from high school to college and been a star. Lets be honest, he is playing Single A for I-falls. So if he is lucky, out of the 24 games he would have played this year, he would be lucky to see 3 good teams that would help him polish his skills.

As for the I-falls team, I can understand why they would be upset. This guy was going to carry them to state. But as for the families that might be upset, get over it. You are not on the team, so you have no right to be upset with this kid.

[AngusYoung]

So, you see it on the MNHOCK board and assume it must be true. C'mon folks, this is a post by "the ref" who supposedly heard this from a member of the I. Falls coaching staff - this is "he said, she said", not documented evidence. I would find it hard to believe that any coach would say this about a former player, let alone speak for the community that I'm sure has bigger fish to fry than worry about what a high school athlete is doing.

Where's BIAFP when you need him to get "the ref" to back up his accusations? Bader, any truth to this rumor from your former Falls friends?

AY

[Can't Never Tried]

I feel like not all the facts are being layed out on the table right now. I know Brady Hjelle personally and this was one of the hardest decisions he has ever had to make. The kid bleeds purple and gold and you can tell that by the way he has performed at every level for the broncos. Brady was put in a situation that would be difficult for any kid his age, he had an opportunity to play at a higher level and improve his skills. I dont think anyone can argue that the help he would be getting on the ushl level is better than what he would be getting at Falls High, with goalie coaches, strength coaches, and obviously a bigger schedule with better competition. No one wants to leave their senior year but sometimes its the best decision you can make for yourself. I know he agonized over this decision for months and when it came down to it he manned up and had a meeting with all three coaches and told them himself. A portion of the community in I falls particularly parents of players who are still on the broncos, are outraged, but you know that if their kids had the same opportunity they would be out of here in no time. I agree with the person who said that the people who are bad mouthing Hjelle now will be the first to say "hey that kid is from the falls" or 'Hey i played with him" when hes on the bulldogs or if he makes it to the next level in the NHL. People were just as outraged when Drew Fisher left but now he's back in good graces and playing for the gophers. As a member of the I Falls community I support Brady in whatever he does, and i know it hurts to have a kid leave but he's doing whats best for him and you have to respect him for that.

Not only that, stop and think how hard it is to leave home at that age.
I wish him the best of luck.
And for those that are actually selfish enough to think he should have made a community decision, that's sad.

[newsguy35]

I feel like not all the facts are being layed out on the table right now. I know Brady Hjelle personally and this was one of the hardest decisions he has ever had to make. The kid bleeds purple and gold and you can tell that by the way he has performed at every level for the broncos. Brady was put in a situation that would be difficult for any kid his age, he had an opportunity to play at a higher level and improve his skills. I dont think anyone can argue that the help he would be getting on the ushl level is better than what he would be getting at Falls High, with goalie coaches, strength coaches, and obviously a bigger schedule with better competition. No one wants to leave their senior year but sometimes its the best decision you can make for yourself. I know he agonized over this decision for months and when it came down to it he manned up and had a meeting with all three coaches and told them himself. A portion of the community in I falls particularly parents of players who are still on the broncos, are outraged, but you know that if their kids had the same opportunity they would be out of here in no time. I agree with the person who said that the people who are bad mouthing Hjelle now will be the first to say "hey that kid is from the falls" or 'Hey i played with him" when hes on the bulldogs or if he makes it to the next level in the NHL. People were just as outraged when Drew Fisher left but now he's back in good graces and playing for the gophers. As a member of the I Falls community I support Brady in whatever he does, and i know it hurts to have a kid leave but he's doing whats best for him and you have to respect him for that.

I am glad he made the decision and hope he balanced out all the facts and thoughts before making it. I really like the kid just from what you have said about him and how he carried himself. Not many kids would have the class and respect for the program and coaches to sit them down and let them know face to face. In fact, I know of a few kids who have just up and left and the coaches found out via word of mouth. As a Minnesotan I hope the best for the kid and as a human I hope he continues to carry himself with that respect and class.

[packerboy]

I agree but its also OK for the player to hear the other side of it.

People should be respectful of the player but they dont necessarily have to agree nor support his decision and its ok for the player to know that.

Its all good stuff. Players should know that when they make these decisions, it dissappoints people.

I know Gopher Blog and his soon to be coaching at the orphange buddy would rather vilify volunteers but why cant players be exposed to what people think about their decisions.

If it werent for some of these people and their passion, these opportunites and choices wouldnt exist.

Nobody like to lose kids prior to commencement. There is a time and place for commencement and seperation that is ingrained in people and it is only a natural response when that is upset.

If kids are outcasts because of it, thats a little weird but for players to know it stings the community when they leave is healthy in a lot of ways.

[newsguy35]

I agree but its also OK for the player to hear the other side of it.

People should be respectful of the player but they dont necessarily have to agree nor support his decision and its ok for the player to know that.

Its all good stuff. Players should know that when they make these decisions, it dissappoints people.

I know Gopher Blog and his soon to be coaching at the orphange buddy would rather vilify volunteers but why cant players be exposed to what people think about their decisions.

If it werent for some of these people and their passion, these opportunites and choices wouldnt exist.

Nobody like to lose kids prior to commencement. There is a time and place for commencement and seperation that is ingrained in people and it is only a natural response when that is upset.

If kids are outcasts because of it, thats a little weird but for players to know it stings the community when they leave is healthy in a lot of ways.

I agree, the only thing I am weary about is how the coach may have acted or what he actually said. To single-handedly outcast a kid from his hometown because he went to Jr's prior to graduating is pretty rough. I can understand the coach being upset and showing some frusteration but where is the line there? I dont think we will ever really know the actual conversation between the 2 but I would say that Brady showed maturity in the way he has handled it thus far. As for the parents and players, they will eventually have to get over it and understand that he is doing what he is doing and while it might not be best for the team, it is best for him (in his opinion and eyes).

[packerboy]

Thats right newsguy but the other side of it , if communicated respectfully, is that: We all breathe the same air.

Our efforts are not just for the advancement of individuals but for the advancement of the game and the community/school which has created all of these opportunities for kids.

I am not saying that means dont go to Juniors. But it is OK for kids to think about that side of it too and maybe one way to get then to think about it is to hear from people who are dissappointed with the decision.

But if they are being jerks about it , than they are worse than those from the U of M that vilify volunteers at every turn.

[Northland]

I agree but its also OK for the player to hear the other side of it.

People should be respectful of the player but they dont necessarily have to agree nor support his decision and its ok for the player to know that.

Its all good stuff. Players should know that when they make these decisions, it dissappoints people.

I know Gopher Blog and his soon to be coaching at the orphange buddy would rather vilify volunteers but why cant players be exposed to what people think about their decisions.

If it werent for some of these people and their passion, these opportunites and choices wouldnt exist.

Nobody like to lose kids prior to commencement. There is a time and place for commencement and seperation that is ingrained in people and it is only a natural response when that is upset.

If kids are outcasts because of it, thats a little weird but for players to know it stings the community when they leave is healthy in a lot of ways.

I agree with most of what was said here...

Sure it's OK for a player to hear what others think and I'm sure they do. But most of the people making comments are not thinking of how the players decision affects the player, their thinking of themselves and their kids.

Take a look at Jimmy O'Brien. He left his high school for Michigan, and then college early. He has no regretts for the decisions he made.

These kids that make these decisions do just that. Make a decision for themselves.

Hopefully most make the correct one. If not they have learned a 'lifes' lesson. Not everything is better on the other side.


.

[theref]

So, you see it on the MNHOCK board and assume it must be true. C'mon folks, this is a post by "the ref" who supposedly heard this from a member of the I. Falls coaching staff - this is "he said, she said", not documented evidence. I would find it hard to believe that any coach would say this about a former player, let alone speak for the community that I'm sure has bigger fish to fry than worry about what a high school athlete is doing.

Where's BIAFP when you need him to get "the ref" to back up his accusations? Bader, any truth to this rumor from your former Falls friends?

AY

Since you are calling me out on this, I can tell you that it's not a he said she said type of deal. I heard the words directly from the coaches mouth as I asked him about his situation next fall (the conversation took place last spring) He didn't say anything negative about Mr. Hjelle, just that he didn't think he'd be very accepted back into the community the same way that Drew Fisher wasn't. My own personal opinion is that I agree that these players should leave early. The USHL is going to be better competition, especially for goaltenders. I was trying to see what the general feeling was on this situation and these two players were the only examples that I knew of as I am from the Falls. I was not trying to see what the opinion was of Hjelle or Fisher for leaving.

[packerboy]

"Sure it's OK for a player to hear what others think and I'm sure they do. But most of the people making comments are not thinking of how the players decision affects the player, their thinking of themselves and their kids.

Take a look at Jimmy O'Brien. He left his high school for Michigan, and then college early. He has no regretts for the decisions he made.

These kids that make these decisions do just that. Make a decision for themselves.

Hopefully most make the correct one. If not they have learned a 'lifes' lesson. Not everything is better on the other side. "




Yup, I just think its healthy for kids to make decisions with other things in mind besides themselves.

Its good training for the many of the decisions they will have to make in the future, dontcha think?

[Gopher Blog]

Those Int'l Falls people should be proud of Hjelle. Maybe it is disappointing in the short term but they need some perspective on it. They helped a kid (in part) become a good player and this has helped him work his way toward earning a scholarship to get an education. I would think a community would be proud of that and look to continue to help kids achieve that (whether those kids stick around through 12th grade or not). A teacher/youth coach/volunteer should be concerned with helping kids grow into productive people. They shouldn't be concerned with how that kid is going to "pay me back".

If Hjelle makes it big some day, those same people that criticize him will probably proudly claim him as one of their own.

[BIAFP]

Those Int'l Falls people should be proud of Hjelle. (They are) Maybe it is disappointing in the short term but they need some perspective on it. They helped a kid (in part) become a good player and this has helped him work his way toward earning a scholarship to get an education. I would think a community would be proud of that and look to continue to help kids achieve that (whether those kids stick around through 12th grade or not)(They are and will, just not the ref). A teacher/youth coach/volunteer should be concerned with helping kids grow into productive people. They shouldn't be concerned with how that kid is going to "pay me back". (They are not!)

[packerboy]

Those Int'l Falls people should be proud of Hjelle. Maybe it is disappointing in the short term but they need some perspective on it. They helped a kid (in part) become a good player and this has helped him work his way toward earning a scholarship to get an education. I would think a community would be proud of that and look to continue to help kids achieve that (whether those kids stick around through 12th grade or not). A teacher/youth coach/volunteer should be concerned with helping kids grow into productive people. They shouldn't be concerned with how that kid is going to "pay me back".

If Hjelle makes it big some day, those same people that criticize him will probably proudly claim him as one of their own.

Ahh....what?

You and your buddy Lucia ought to come down from up in the corner of the arena to learn a little about what people are feeling.

It isnt about "now, pay me back". Its about:"I thought we were all in this together" . You know, the same thing The Don whines about when his players turn pro.