HighSchoolHockeyForums.com

Having watched the ADM from its early thoughts to the finished practice plans of today - I think for MN Hockey its a huge step backward in development.

Its developers USA Hockey and the NHL say its the model of the future...I say who's future. Maybe for New Mexico, Utah, Texas, Arizona...and other hot beds for hockey.

We in MN are blessed with the resources and culture that supports hockey. Is hockey expensive - no doubt. The ADM could bring down the price of early development but at what cost.

In my early years I started on figure skates taking lessons from a figure skating coach. It was said - if you can't skate you can't play hockey. Once in hockey we worked more on skating, skating and more skating. Up and down the ice. After that we moved to pucks and then the broader game.

The ADM is all about small space drills and games all geared toward a larger audience. I don't see players developing a proper stride or the speed required to ultimately play the game. Sure it could bring a few more players but can they ultimately stick in the sport as its played in MN. This sport rivals all in its expense. To say you are going to take the expense out of hockey...sure you are.

In communities that implement the ADM knowledgeable parents with resources will seek to bolster a players skill set through additional summer programs. Not unlike today - but more. Eventually they will view association hockey as a waste of money (why pay for it twice). Inside most associations today many many parents view the association as merely 'social hockey' while summer hockey is where they learn.

I'm hugely appreciative of AMHA and having played in the HS State Tournament I can say I thought it was the best hockey in the country. But time moves on...some change is good...some change is bad...but change is inevitability. We all yearn for the days when kids could play at the rink all day but seemingly that was before social deviates, 2 hours of home work and two working parents.

Time will tell about the ADM but I doubt it will be around MN long.

I can't disagree with anything here!! I had my kids run-away from USA Hockey's new baby-sitting guidelines. Yes, we went to the dark side.

My opinion is the same as yours..........while the ADM may be good for most of the USA, it will set MN hockey back (to when, I don't know).

I disagree. Sorry Hook.

People that watch hockey at the highest levels see that the difference between being simply very good and truly elite lies in one's ability to make the proper decision, even when the speed of the game becomes faster. Letting the best Mites skate with the puck is not like hockey as I know it. There are almost no decisions.

I heard the same argument yesterday from someone in Florida. Who ever said that youth hockey at ages 8 and under wouldn't focus on skating? Even adhering to the ADM recommendation for Red, White & Blue crossice hockey you have an awful lot of skating.

If the goal is to create players that play well in traffic and make great split-second choices, I say play the game on an appropriate sized rink. NHL players on a bandy sheet is akin to Mites on a 200 x 85.

You know who dominates crossice games? The same kids that dominate full-ice games. With the added benefit that they are forced to maneuver.

Looookkkie here ya clown! I believe you are employing the "cart before the horse" argument.

The ante to even think about being a "very good and truly elite" player is to be a "very good and truly elite" skater. Skating is the bedrock of all hockey players and in my opinion, full ice skating (employing the speed of the game) better hones a players skill-set. This is especially true for edge-work, crossovers and backwards.

Having "very good and truly elite" decision making skills is akin to being a "very good and truly elite" shooter or stick-handler or passer. If you can't skate like a "very good and truly elite" player should, the aforementioned skills are minimized.

In other words, if you can't keep-up with the play, who cares about your decision making skills.

I am VERY distrustful of USA Hockey and its affiliates. It seems to me that much of their decision-making is based upon cash flow rather than development (especially in MN). This is a one size fits all pronouncement that may work for the developing Sun Belt, but not in Minnesota.

Having coached the ADM Model last year, to jettisoning it this year, the CHOICE is very clear to me.

JMHO

Do they have a web site or some video that lays out the the ADM model? It seems that there are lot of people who know very little about the program.

scrapiron wrote:Do they have a web site or some video that lays out the the ADM model? It seems that there are lot of people who know very little about the program.

http://admkids.com/

How about the fact that the kids enjoy playing the full-ice games? Not saying they need 30 a year but if 10 full ice games keeps the kids interested and having fun then it is time well spent. Sorry, but I have seen the reaction of the 6-8 year olds before and after both and its not close. The kids like to play the "real" games like they see on tv.

And yes, I am advocating that fun is an important aspect of mite hockey--perhaps as important as skating. If the kids are not having fun they are not going to stick with it.

Scrimmage 12UA wrote:

scrapiron wrote:Do they have a web site or some video that lays out the the ADM model? It seems that there are lot of people who know very little about the program.

http://admkids.com/

http://admkids.com/

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/04/sport ... wanted=all

The ADM is a good model to utilize but following it to the T might not fit in Minnesota exactly. The theories are great for mites, small area games and emphasis on skating/skills is great. All kids want to play games, unfortunately many parents want them to play games with score boards and goalies more than they do.

That being said, I think full ice games for mites are ok if we make it a special occasion, something to look forward to and work hard to deserve. That way we are teaching the kids to work for a goal. In the mean time, much of the ADM's focus on half ice mite games makes so much sense it is hard to argue with (more touches, more ice time, more skill development).

If you have good coordinators and good mite coaches, they have been using much of the ADM's theories for many years and I would guess if you look at a LPH rankings, you'll see the associations that have been doing a good job teaching the ADM's suggested skill development in the top 10 for every age group boys and girls.

If you have good coordinators and good mite coaches

in the top 10

Are you sure you want to go that far out on a limb?

I know Wayzata does.

The Huge Hook wrote:Looookkkie here ya clown! I believe you are employing the "cart before the horse" argument.

The ante to even think about being a "very good and truly elite" player is to be a "very good and truly elite" skater. Skating is the bedrock of all hockey players and in my opinion, full ice skating (employing the speed of the game) better hones a players skill-set. This is especially true for edge-work, crossovers and backwards.

Having "very good and truly elite" decision making skills is akin to being a "very good and truly elite" shooter or stick-handler or passer. If you can't skate like a "very good and truly elite" player should, the aforementioned skills are minimized.

In other words, if you can't keep-up with the play, who cares about your decision making skills.

I am VERY distrustful of USA Hockey and its affiliates. It seems to me that much of their decision-making is based upon cash flow rather than development (especially in MN). This is a one size fits all pronouncement that may work for the developing Sun Belt, but not in Minnesota.

Having coached the ADM Model last year, to jettisoning it this year, the CHOICE is very clear to me.

JMHO

My son works with a figure skating coach to improve his skating ability. In fact many NHL teams are employing figure skating coaches to help improve the skating at the NHL level. His coach is an excellent coach with a great reputation, interestingly they never use more than a half a sheet of ice (even though the whole thing is available) and often alot of what she teaches is done in a space of a face off circle. So if the best skating/edge work teachers do not need a full sheet to teach better skating (cross overs, strides, backwards etc..) how in the world could small area games be less than effective for the mites and squirts? Sorry man but I think you are a little off base on this one.

We go with a bit smaller mite group (around 40) than ADM suggests. Then run 4 stations instead of 6 that gives you the ability to set up some larger sections and also run some stations in full ice lanes. As much as possible we pull the drills or at least the skills we work direct from the ADM plan but if something doesn't work well we shelve it.

I think the idea that ADM is a plug and play solution might be off but much of it seems to be well thought out and good for the level.

Truthfully guys the ADM is not much different than MN has been doing... Other than shrinking the ice in the case of the smaller guys... The effort USA hockey is making is actually trying to build community hockey much like we have it here.

ADM basically strives to have age appropriate development of skills based on well known biological facts for kids/teens growth. So, putting science behind the fun and development. If you take a look at the program as a whole, it really suggests we have responsibilities to teach proper hockey and strength conditioning, etc, at the proper ages simple as that.

If we are truly about development and particularly skills, we need to have the kids doing a variety of those skills with many reps... It has been said that it takes 10,000 hours of dedicated time to make a super athlete... Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying all want to be super athletes, however, if our goal is for kids to use hockey as a springboard for life lessons, keep it as a life long sport and stay fit, how is employing the use of stations a bad scenario???


I'd like to see the rationale for how increasing reps, making more ice available and increasing puck touches does something wrong for our kids??

Just my .10....