So, we all got our spam email today from AHAI asking how the new ADM (and imposed restrictions) are going?

Remember the main reason for the ADM is that hockey cost too much for the little mites and too many were dropping out of hockey too soon because of the cost. So, right next to the ADM Question is a nice big ad for Rocky Mountain Adventure Camp and Hockey Skills Camp. Cost of Adventure Camp - $1,295 (plus travel costs to Colorado). These guys are freakin hilarious.

That's not half as bad as that lame video game, "Hockey Intelligym" that USA Hockey is trying to make money from under the guise of education and training. Seriously, does anyone think this is worth the money?

We use to at least get cards for our USA hockey Insurance fee.
We could then show this at any rink as proof we have insurance.
Instead we have to look it up and print out a form. For new
comers its a hassel.

A few years back USA Hockey let us know they werent issuing cards
any more to save money on postage. A week later everyone receives
an order form for USA hockey tee shirts.

@Pong - we use this program and I must say it delivers. My son plays midget, and just made it to the varsity team.
It does look like a lame video game but if look closely how it works - it is actully pretty ingenious. I look at it not as a costly computer game but rather as a cheap personal hockey trainer.
These guys have 90 days money back offer, so you can give it a try with no risk.

Scott, It's a nice gimmick to put a bunch of basic video games together into a hockey theme based package, and couch it in hockey lingo and instruction, then then rationalize how it applies to on ice decision making. I guess it would be better than nothing, but at $399 for a single user, plus $100 license renewal, I'd really like to see some expert sport psychologists review it and compare the benefits to other more economical "generic" video games, or playing xBox NHL.

Guys, I recommend that you look deeply into their website www.usahockeyintelligym.com. There is much more than pricing there. Pong - there are answers there to your concerns, and much more.

1) You refer to sport psychologists. It seems that top notch psychologists were involved in this project, as well in the academic research preceding it. The technology was tested by NASA researchers years ago and was proved to be highly effective for fighter pilots, basketball players and hockey players.

2) Hockey wise. It is in use by the US youth national teams (at the NTDP) with amazing performance (again see the website for the actual numbers). See their results in the past couple of years (unprecedented), and listen to the National coaches interviewed.

3) And if you look for more academic approval - see (http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2010/05/24/announcement-usa-hockey-takes-gold-at-brain-fitness-innovation-awards-allstate-nationwide-mutual-insurance-runners-up/). It seems to be evaluated by a high profile panel of industry CEOs as well as professors from top universities such as Stanford and MIT - and was chosen as the best project in the world for the year (not only the software, but the actual implementation withe the NTDP)

T

At the end of the day, we are going to go along with USA Hockey and the ADM model because they told us we are supposed to go along.. We will go along with game limits, removing checking at the pee wee level, cross ice games, etc., because USA Hockey has told us that they have analyzed this over and over and they know that it is in our kids best interest. We can't think for ourselves: USA Hockey will tell us what is right for my child....all in the interest of DEVELOPMENT.

Development for what?

Develop for your high school career? Or bantam career? Or Midget career? To develop to further USA Hockey's goal to place more USA born hockey players in the NHL?

I see the same thing with these youth travel baseball programs, "We are DEVELOPING these kids to make their high school baseball team."

Let's develop these kids to enjoy themselves for this week, this month, this year Let's develop these kids to beat their rival this year, participate in their conference championship, win a state tournament. Let's develop these kids to play at a level as a mite or squirt the goofballs from USA hockey would watch the game and admit that the kids are sufficiently skilled to play the full sheet of ice. Let's develop for the moment.

Because at the end of the day for pure enjoyment, squirt hockey trumps bantam hockey, pee wee hockey trumps midget hockey and youth baseball especially at the 12U year, trumps the 20 game rain filled high school baseball season.

Let's enjoy the season before us. Let our kids enjoy themselves and play real games even if it doesn't develop them to play in the NHL. Let the kids check at the pee wee level, because if they are taught properly the size difference at pee wee does not look severe enough to make body contact look unsafe or unnatural.

We know that kids burn out in hockey? It is a reality. Sometimes it occurs as early as 11-12 years old....Hockey is the only game where kids can burn out before they even get to play the game by the actual rules of the game.

If AHAI really wants to make their ADM program to work they need to change the total structure of Hockey in Illinois. Enough of all these different leagues competing against each other.

Midget Hockey is a perfect example of the dysfunction that is Hockey in the state of Illinois. They need to take a page from Minn. Hockey and consolidate these leagues and eliminate all the out of state travel except for the teams at the very top or at least limit the travel to one trip a season. It is a waste of money and only fills the egos of foolish parents better spent on ice time developing the skills of little johnnie.

Anonomous .238....you said what I've been thinking all along! The vast majority of kids are playing to have fun! So let them! The cream will rise and there are already national development programs in place to train the top kids.

The anonomous guest after you is just another tool. The ADM has nothing to do with CSDHL.

My point is AHAI is willing to change part of the Youth Hockey programs but they have no courage to make an impact at the HS and Midget Level where they could do the most good. If they were actively working with the schools and local travel programs they would be able to get the cost under control (the management of the rinks in Illinois are a joke) and make Hockey more accessible across the board and not just for the rich.

To start with they should do a better job of promoting the sport through the media and have someone involved who actually can market the sport (i.e. they are playing competing games out at the Edge at the same time they are running the Championship games at the United Center). Who’s the idiot that approve that schedule!!!!!