Youth Hockey Research

[BCheetham93 0]

I started to do my senior project on the pressures placed on children by their coaches and parents and the benefits of youth hockey.

I have to do community hours for my project, so I decided to help coaching twice a week (squirts & peewees mondays and learn to skate saturdays). My monday sessions with the older kids kill me inside, I can just remember being in their shoes, pressured, having my parents stare down at me from the stands, having a screaming coach bark orders at such a young group of children. All the criteria was meant for future burnouts and children despising the game.

I had to do a research paragraph for my opening project, here's what I came up with:

Children involved in youth sports, specifically hockey, are pushed harder and harder as each generation passes. As a teenaged junior hockey player who deals with children in the sport, it is almost sad to see how much each child is pressured at such a young age. Many experts in the sport agree, children should have time to just be children on the ice. The United States hockey ADM (American Development Model) has attempted to put much more emphasis on non structural play. Many coaches and parents still do not understand that every child is not meant to be in the NHL or the next Sidney Crosby, they need to let their children develop a passion for the game. Parents are too enticed on the notion that they need to see immediate success in their children’s sport progress, or else they will be labeled as “failures” and never become a superstar. Minnesota Gophers head coach Don Lucia said, “There is far too much parental involvement in the game today - and that's true of all sports. Too many parents are living their kid's dreams - they push their kids too much. It's like a horse race to get their kid to the next level.” This quote comes from the head coach of one of the most prestigious hockey universities in the world, parents need to realize that it is their sons and daughters love for the game that makes them successful. Parents and coaches emphasize too much on the end goal and do not cherish the path it takes to become successful. The fondest memories I have of playing hockey as a child is when I went to the rink alone and played for hours, creating new scenarios in my head. This, I believe, is where children develop a love for the game, not scoring the game winning gold medal goal.

Please feel free to comment on any ideas or feedback.

[BarDownGinos 3]

I started to do my senior project on the pressures placed on children by their coaches and parents and the benefits of youth hockey.

I have to do community hours for my project, so I decided to help coaching twice a week (squirts & peewees mondays and learn to skate saturdays). My monday sessions with the older kids kill me inside, I can just remember being in their shoes, pressured, having my parents stare down at me from the stands, having a screaming coach bark orders at such a young group of children. All the criteria was meant for future burnouts and children despising the game.

I had to do a research paragraph for my opening project, here's what I came up with:

Please feel free to comment on any ideas or feedback

The kids who have the most fun playing are the ones that will keep going. thats the whole paper.

The kids who have the most fun playing are the ones that will keep going. thats the whole paper.

BTW, Lucia may not be the best person to quote considering he put his own kid, who was/is a pretty mediocre player on the U's roster.

[fiimb 1]

The kids who have the most fun playing are the ones that will keep going. thats the whole paper.

not necessarily true, there's two types of motivation, intrinisic and extrinsic. if they genuinely enjoy the game, its intrinisic, if they are influenced by others or are motivated by success/outcomes (ie winning), they are extrinsically motivated.

in general, intrinisic motivation is the safest and most long lasting, however, we all know the guy who gets good at a sport and will keep going just cause he likes to win, or makes a lot of money doing it.

[AIREAYE 248]

I agree with BarDownGinos, and I think you should emphasize your own experiences with these kids in your project as examples to support your arguments

[BCheetham93 0]

I agree with BarDownGinos, and I think you should emphasize your own experiences with these kids in your project as examples to support your arguments

Well this project is a requirement for graduation at my new school because i transferred due to lack of funds from playing junior hockey this year. There are three parts, mentoring, which I am doing by coaching skills sessions with squirts and peewees. Research paper, which I am doing on the Benefits and Pressures of Youth Hockey. And a PHYSICAL project, which I have no clue what to do on. I was thinking maybe just a video of me coaching and demonstrating drills? Any ideas would be GREATLY appreciated.

[Krev 86]

Well this project is a requirement for graduation at my new school because i transferred due to lack of funds from playing junior hockey this year. There are three parts, mentoring, which I am doing by coaching skills sessions with squirts and peewees. Research paper, which I am doing on the Benefits and Pressures of Youth Hockey. And a PHYSICAL project, which I have no clue what to do on. I was thinking maybe just a video of me coaching and demonstrating drills? Any ideas would be GREATLY appreciated.

Not sure to what extent they mean by 'physical', but you could but together coaching plans, drills, scouting reports, that sort of thing and make a book/binder out of it. If you mean actually physical, you could become one of the kids trainers because you are going to be physically engaging with him.

[AIREAYE 248]

Yeah since you're focusing on the pressures put on these kids, your 'Physical' aspect should include maybe some 'fun' drills that still improve some aspect of their game without being too competitive. Dodgeball on ice?

[iceNsteel 0]

You're making some very sweeping statements about youth hockey. I really don't see how you can back up such sweeping and broad statements by spending time with kids from one youth hockey program a few times a week. I mean the kind of research you'd need to support such opinions would be multi-national and take years to compile.

[Krev 86]

You're making some very sweeping statements about youth hockey. I really don't see how you can back up such sweeping and broad statements by spending time with kids from one youth hockey program a few times a week. I mean the kind of research you'd need to support such opinions would be multi-national and take years to compile.

It's a freaking senior project. Not like it's an actual sociological study.

[iceNsteel 0]

It's a freaking senior project. Not like it's an actual sociological study.

Then it would seem logical, especially in an academic sitting, to write it according to what it is: documentation on one youth hockey program and the individuals involved in that. In place of sweeping statements for which no academically acceptable evidence could be produced.

[BCheetham93 0]

Then it would seem logical, especially in an academic sitting, to write it according to what it is: documentation on one youth hockey program and the individuals involved in that. In place of sweeping statements for which no academically acceptable evidence could be produced.

The project itself is on one individual program with the kids, my research is broad based, so I have been trying to compile "nationwide" research you could call it.

It is a very confusing project, but everything is seperated basically. The on ice session with the kids is separate from my research thesis.