Blog entries

Why the Critics of ADM are Right

kelly@devilsyouth.com — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:06:55 +0100

I recently read a blog post on Youth Hockey Information outlining the author's perceived benefits and drawbacks of the American Development Model (ADM). If you're not familiar with the ADM, I encourage you to visit the USA Hockey website for more information.

Anyway, a bit from the blog post:

One key observation I had was that this model didn’t seem to align itself to game preparation very well. Since there were 3 different teams on the ice for a practice, the focus was alwaRead More...

One Mom Takes Action on Concussion Prevention

kelly@devilsyouth.com — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 11:07:09 +0100

There is something you can do to prevent Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) for your sports-minded children

As a Florida parent of a girl who plays soccer and two boys who are football fanaRead More...

Looking to Cross-Train? Try Martial Arts!

kelly@devilsyouth.com — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:35:08 +0100

Guest post submitted by Heather J.

Keeping kids on track and engaged isn’t easy, and it’s not just about the discipline they’re getting at home. Kids need constant stimulation, reinforcement and drive to keep them motivated and moving forward in life. Martial art classes do just that – showing our children that determination, discipline and flexibility can be fun! Read on to discover the many reasons to enroll your little ones in martial arts classes, and pronto.

It ImRead More...

Changing Youth Sports to Be More Youth-Friendly

kelly@devilsyouth.com — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 18:36:27 +0100

Watch this great one-minute video featuring Andre Agassi and Stefi Graf promoting the changes in 10 & under youth tennis. Granted, it's not about hockey, but many of the principles that have driven the changes in youth tennis are similar to those that are currently driving the ADM and the adoption of cross-ice games for the 8 & under hockey player. Enjoy and learn!

How Do You Get Your Young Athlete to Eat Healthy?

kelly@devilsyouth.com — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 16:51:21 +0100

Have you heard?

The University of Minnesota School of Public Health recently released a report describing research on youth athletes and diet. Their findings reveal that participants in youth sports have particularly unhealthy eating habits.

Are you surprised?

Factors cited by parents as reasons behind this trend include time pressures (it's faster to grab McDonald's on the road than to cook at home) and the availabilty of food at fields and rinks (have you looked at Read More...

Training and Conditioning for Optimum Performance on the Rink

kelly@devilsyouth.com — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 22:03:19 +0100

Submitted by guest blogger Sarah Harris

For hockey players, as with other athletes at both the amateur and professional level, training and conditioning are the key to keeping one’s body in premium shape in order to ensure optimum performance during Read More...

Top 5 Foods to Keep Your Kid's Brain Brilliant

kelly@devilsyouth.com — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 15:25:25 +0100

Contributed by guest author Dani Bellamy

Submitted by Guest Contributor Maggie Voelker

Gatorade, Protein Bars, and Muscle Milk oh my! You can’t flip through a fitness magazine without seeing these brand names scattered throughout the pages. Proper post-exercise nutrition is a crucial pRead More...

Motivated Athletes Create Winning Results

kelly@devilsyouth.com — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 18:36:51 +0100

By guest contributor Loren Fogelman, Sports Performance Consultant, founder of Expert Sports Performance.com

Article by guest contributor Sarah Harris

In any sport it is important to keep track of both diet and exercise in order to deliver a peak performance every time. And yet, many athletes neglect the Read More...

11 Traits of Successful Players

kelly@devilsyouth.com — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 17:07:24 +0100

1. They enjoy the work and practices.

2. They have high self-esteem and a positive attitude.

3. They use negative experiences to discover their strengths.

4. They are decisive, disciplined goal setters.

5. They have integirty and help others to succeed.

6. They are persistent.

7. They take risks.

8. They have developed good communication and problem solving skills with their teammates.

9. They are and stay healthy, and hRead More...

Bleacher Etiquette

kelly@devilsyouth.com — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:42:39 +0100

There is a great article over at the blog jbmThinks today:

I remembered this when I had my parent Read More...

Ideas for Road Trips - License Plate Game

kelly@devilsyouth.com — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:26:49 +0100

Last year, we got a minivan with a built-in DVD player to make the long road trips a little more tolerable. The little guy can't stand the car and screams bloody murder the entire time he's strapped in, which made for an especially harrowing trip from New Jersey to Rochester last summer. But I don't like to use the TV all the time, and it's undeniable that hours spent confined in a car together can make for great family conversation and lasting memories. When I was young we made more than Read More...

Devils Youth Blogroll

kelly@devilsyouth.com — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:16:00 +0100

There are some really great youth sport blogs out there, and here are some of our favorites:

Trophy Mom - info on all things youth sports
Your Kid's Not Going Pro - this guy's just awesome
jbmthinks - musings on the intersection of youth sports and family life
Coach Dawn Writes - how to motivate the young athlete
Moms Team - describes itself as 'the trusted source for sports parents', you be the judge
Dr. David Geier - information on injury treatment and, more importantly, prevenRead More...