This just isn't right

[hunterphfr 12]

My kid is involved in some of the same stuff as this kid and so I won't say much but I have to post this. It ran in the Tampa paper and the kid was on TV as well. This shit just isn't right.

link http://northwest2.tbo.com/content/2007/nov...k-handler/?news

By STEPHEN HAMMILL, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 24, 2007

Video: Pint Size Puckster

CITRUS PARK - Jet Lee Swift lives and breathes hockey.

The walls of his room are decorated with posters, sticks and trophies - signs of past glory commemorating hundreds of goals and countless games.

And he hasn't finished kindergarten.

The 5 1/2 -year-old has been playing hockey since he was 3. He trains six days a week. "Every day is a different kind of training," said Steve Lee Swift, Jet Lee's father.

After school and on weekends, Swift ferries Jet Lee to games, private skating classes and off-ice training. The boy plays for three teams, practicing at three rinks.

"It never gets old for him," Swift said. "His whole life is hockey."

When he doesn't skate, he shoots. Jet Lee scored a record 238 goals in 10 games during summer, including 38 goals in a single game.

After goals, the celebrations are muted. He rarely talks on the ice.

"When he's on the ice it looks so natural," Swift said. "He can see the ice where a lot of kids just see the puck. It's sort of bewildering how someone can learn to do this before learning to read and write."

Jet Lee began his hockey odyssey after watching "The Mighty Ducks," the 1993 Disney film. His father took him to his first Tampa Bay Lightning game shortly after.

"Then we went to visit the ice," said Jet Lee's mother, Pheng Swift. "He started ice skating, and 10 weeks later he jumped into hockey, and we both fell in love with it."

Two years later, Pheng Swift is a true hockey mom. She attends every game and practice.

"I feel I have to be there," she said.

Swift put up nets in his martial arts training gym so Jet Lee could shoot into them.

Jet Lee began training at three facilities, including the Tampa Bay Skating Academy in Oldsmar. He plays at TBSA in the mini-mites league. The mini-mites range in age from 5 through 7.

It didn't take long for Jet Lee to move up.

Former Tampa Bay Lightning player John Tucker saw him play recently and has recruited him for his Mite team, comprising kids ages 8 and older, Swift said.

He has been recruited for a travel team, the Rising Raiders, made up of 7- to 9-year-olds. The Raiders travel on weekends throughout the state and into Alabama, Boston and Canada.

"He's got a lot of potential for his age," said Trevor Fahey, owner of the Rising Raiders. "He's doing all the right things. Kids can get better practicing with a team, but the extra edge comes from the personal training."

Swift's goal is to make Jet Lee the first big-name hockey player to hail from Florida. To do that, he is preparing for a day when Jet Lee will have to leave home for better training.

The best National Hockey League prospects are often drafted out of high school. There are a handful of elite prep schools for hockey, mostly in the northern United States and Canada.

"We understand as a family as long as his health continues ... he's going to have to go away," Swift said.

"When that time comes we may have to let him go," his mother added. "If that happens, it will be very good for him."

The 42-pound Citrus Park Elementary student is accustomed to being the smallest player on the ice. At the off-ice training facility, he works on one-hand stick-handling drills with travel team coach T.A. Fahey as older kids watch. He has been training there for a month.

Jet Lee's mother said his love for hockey may disappear, but for now she is happy to ride the wave.

"It will work out," she said. "We care so much for him."

Meanwhile, Jet Lee seems unaffected by the swirl of attention surrounding him. After intense drills he runs off to play with his older sister.

"Dad, did you see the goal I scored?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, it looked great, Jet."

To see Jet Lee, watch "Daytime" on WFLA, News Channel 8, at 10 a.m. Monday.

Reporter Stephen Hammill can be reached at (813) 865-1523 or at shammill@tampatrib.com.

[Ti-girl 0]

That's sick, though, I have to say, I have a kid that I baby sat who is esentially in the same boat, but without the training.

He played Timbits last year as a 4 year old and skated circles around the kids. He can raise the puck, deke, skate backwards, do crossovers, you name it, he can do it.

His parents put him in the group up this year because he was so bored playing in Timbits. He's now playing on the "travelling team" and scores 4-5 goals a game as a defenseman. Though, his parents don't take him to extra practices, make him shoot or play at home. Hockey is hockey. He has hte rest of his life to play if he wants. He's a normal 5 year old. Plays baseball in the summer...tries to sell his baby brother...

[LkptTiger 1]

Hmmm...sounds like my father changed his name, moved to Florida and started another family. My advice to the kid is this: don't get off the ice, little buddy - he's going to hit you with something when you do.

[Jarick 5]

Well he'll either hate his parents and be burned out in ten years or he'll be the next Crosby. My money's on the former.

[LkptTiger 1]

I hate to say it, but he'll likely end-up physically spent. My father was nuts (and ignorant - a good combination, eh?)...had me running six miles a day when I was 8, lifting when I was 9 and playing for three different summer teams until I was about 12...when things started getting serious Thankfully, I haven't seen the bastard since I was about 14...but the damage was already done at that point.

Among some other relatively "minor" nagging issues, I've had knee problems for a long, long time now - finally blew the damn thing out (ACL, MCL and meniscus) at Junior camp, and am having a really hard time recovering. There's only so far you can push your body before it says "fuck you, man - I quit."

[Patrick67 1]

LkptTiger: Sorry to hear that, nobody derserves a parent like that.

One of my old hockey coaches is during the same thing to his 8 year old son, makes me sick to the stomach. Thankfully the other parents on the kids teams are starting to keep an eye on him.

Did the weightlifting impair your growth, or did you avoid that bullet?

[Ti-girl 0]

Just my .2 cents.

Coming from a high performance athlete POV, I started training when I was 10. 6 hours a day in the winter, 10+ in the summer. 6 days a week, sometimes 7 depending on competitions. Went to specalized camps, missed usually 8-16 weeks of school. Had tutors, sports physcologists, the whole shebang. Did EVERYTHING in to improve my performance, usually twice. Running, weights everything. Screwed up some growth plates and really fucked up my tendons and ligaments while I was growing.

(My parents did not push me at all, they actually tried to get me to quit...I didn't)

Anyway, blew out my shoulder at 19 after a great showing at Europeans. Too much muscle mass, not enough rest. Now have constant pain, usually can't lift my arm over my head on a bad day. Need surgery.

Kids need to be kids, not superstars. Their bodies can only handle so much, let alone their minds.

[Fire0nIce228 1]

Personally I find it fucking hilarious, especially after watching the video clip, that the article and coach are talking about stats. The kid is five years old for starters. And as a sidenote, there are no goalies, and he's the only kid out there that can actually skate. If I was playing against kids that couldnt skate and I could even I might be able to punch in a few.

Mostly just LOL'ing about stats for a five year old..

[Ti-girl 0]

I just watched the video...he can skate, that's...it.

The little guy I used to watch is playing in the category up and in 10 games has over 35 goals...

Anyway...yeah, injuries.

Essentially my shoulder is the consistency of ground beef.

[LkptTiger 1]

LkptTiger: Sorry to hear that, nobody derserves a parent like that.

One of my old hockey coaches is during the same thing to his 8 year old son, makes me sick to the stomach. Thankfully the other parents on the kids teams are starting to keep an eye on him.

Did the weightlifting impair your growth, or did you avoid that bullet?

The only thing that really sucked about the situation was that my father was a really, really good dad when he wasn't being an asshole. He and I were best friends when I was young, but as I got older (and better), he pushed me harder and became more abusive until, by the time I was 10, he was never not being an asshole. To date, the last words I spoke to him (on the phone) were "Fuck yourself, cocksucker" when I was 14. He still calls me sporadically and leaves harassing voicemail to this day...I guess he somehow found out that I got hurt, because he's been making fun of that for awhile, now.

Unfortunately, my younger brother had to watch me deal with all his shit, which completely turned him off to the idea of organized sports (even after my family took-out an order of protection against my dad). One one hand, I suppose might have been for the best, since his staying off the ice/ballfield/etc. kept him out of my father's crosshairs (my dad pretty much ignored him), but it's still sad that he never got to experience the joys of being part of a team.

As far as my physical development is concerned: I'm at 5'11" now, and am told I've probably got another inch or so to go (not bad considering my mother is 4'11"...my dad is/was 6'3"). Besides the knee problems, the worst part about his psycho workout sessions was the fact that he had me running so far that I ended-up with the build of a marathon runner...and it took a LOT of hard work once I got older to get myself back up to a respectable weight (by Junior hockey standards).

[chk hrd 164]

Just my .2 cents.

(My parents did not push me at all, they actually tried to get me to quit...I didn't)

unfortunately it's still the parents fault. A parents main concern is to look out for the health and welfare of a child. My kid would train as much as possible, but as the parent I put limits on what he can and can't do, whether he likes it or not.

This guy sounds like he has been taking lessons from the William sister's father...and I guarantee he is doing more for his bennefit than the kids, he's looking for his future retirement in his kid. The worse thing is he is not letting a child be a child...get ready Dr. Phil, Jerry Springer and Montel.

[tro 4]

What an ass of a coach and ass of a dad, he scored 32 in one game and we almost had to pull him. I scored 11 in a game in tyke and my dad reemed me out for not passing enough and sat me.

These kids pop up all over hockey land, they are a dime a dozen, maybe the elites of elites started to bloom past the rest at 7-8 but I bet most NHLers didn't seperate themselves until 13-14, and even then it's no guarantee till 17-18.

[Leafsrok 0]

yeah thats not very col, but it doenst sound like hes doing any kind of training that would impair him or injure him in any way. it sounds like hes just doing martial arts and stuff. nd if hes asian, thats probably pretty normal for a lot of them

[thejackal 46]

nd if hes asian, thats probably pretty normal for a lot of them

que dicho?

i do find it kinda funny that the kid's name is jet lee

[hunterphfr 12]

His mom's asian, dad's not. No goalies, no refs, cross ice in an introductory learn the game program for 5 & 6 year olds called minimites.

[Ngo_35 1]

Well obviously his moms asian! Its a lot rarer for a white chick to date an asian guy than finding super star kids like this one!

haha

I can only dream...(dont tell my gf)

Anyways, this kid should be playing outside and eating chips man. All this crazy regimen and no child hood memories? Please I would sacrifice a million bucks so my kid can think back of his life and have a combination of hockey and friends.

[frankie56 0]

The kid is surrounded by idiots. The coach is saying he's probably going to be in the NHL, judging on his performance at age 5?

[srv2miker 0]

In 15 years we'll finally be able to answer the age old question - What would Ryan Leaf look like if he was Asian?

[qmechanic 17]

Hopefully, the kid doesn't have a crazy Asian mother. I have two crazy Asian parents and they came close to ruining my life emotionally. Always being demanding and acting like I was a stupid kid who should always listen to parents and not have a free will. I got two bachelor's degrees and one master's degree from a top-10 ranked school in 5 years (my dad told me I wasn't allowed to go to physics grad school unless I got a master's degree in engineering). Then my mom doesn't even show up at my college graduation. I ended up burning out in the middle of grad school and now I'm picking up the pieces. Fortunately, I have a sympathetic advisor.

[willy0314 0]

poor kid is prolly gonna get run into the ground by his parents and end up hating them.

[li7039 0]

And he is using a woodie

[Ngo_35 1]

Yep, cause after it breaks his mom can use it to beat him when he's out of line. Now thats chinese, reusing! Hell its better than a bamboo stick i tell ya!

[N!! 0]

Paging Marv Marinovich...paging Marv Marinovich....

Oh wait, apparently he's taken to training hockey players now.

[kosydar 0]

In 15 years we'll finally be able to answer the age old question - What would Ryan Leaf look like if he was Asian?

Say what you want about Ryan Leaf, but he was the most successful out of that family.

[Wolverine 0]

Some cold, hard facts:

In Orthopedic/Sports Medicine (my profession), the injury rate in YOUTH athletes has risen 400% in the last 10 years. In my practice, we are performing surgeries & rehabilitation on young people we NEVER had to do 20 years ago. Yet we have:

- Improved coaching

- Improved equipment

- Improved surfaces

- Improved conditioning programs

- Improved knowledge of sport by parents

etc.

The examples listed in this thread point to the heart of the matter. TOO MUCH SPECIALIZATION IN ONE SPORT AT AN EARLY AGE!!!! TOOOOO much time in one sport during the calender year. These parents in Florida could be 'Poster Parents' for what I'm talking about. Young athletes bodies simply cannot tolerate performing the same motor tasks at such a high volume.

We are in the sports-age of "Specialists." (very unfortunate) Although it keeps us busy here at the University.

Young men & women who competed in the 50's, 60's, 70's & 80's were MUCH better all-around athletes. Much better!(it's not even close).

Now we are seeing excellent "Specialists."

Until age 14 (in one calender year), a young athlete should spend a MAXIMUM of (4) months in the same sport, performing the same 'movement patterns.' Then, get completely away from that particular game until 'next year.' It's alright to play sports year around, but DIFFERENT sports.

So what have parents done. "Oh yeah, my son does not specialize. He plays multiple sports." Yeah, little 'Johnny' is playing both hockey & baseball year-round. Ridiculous!

.................. sorry for the rant, I think it's all starting to wear on me.

Getting back to this thread:

Poor little guy. He's missing out on LIFE. And as far as the parents 'goals.' Well, they are pretty much guaranteeing that your child will NEVER get to the NHL! I work with elite professional & amateur athletes every day..... and about 60% were late bloomers anyway. The child schooling everyone at age 5, is rarely the one schooling everyone at age 18.