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Continuous Improvement a Top Priority in Minnesota

By Minnesota Hockey, 05/19/15, 10:00AM CDT

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Minnesota Hockey hosted 41 youth hockey associations at its inaugural Hockey Director Training Program this past weekend.

203.

146.

43.

Respectively, these three statistics represent the number of Minnesota natives that played hockey at the Men’s Division I, Women’s Division I and NHL levels this past season. Minnesota led the U.S. in each of those categories and has done so for several years in a row.

With that type of success in producing high level hockey players, it would be easy for hockey directors in Minnesota to pat themselves on the back and go on with the status quo. Instead, nearly 50 hockey directors from 41 youth hockey associations in Minnesota spent an entire weekend at the Marriott Minneapolis West learning how they can improve player development in their community.

“It’s really looking at how to be maybe even 1% better in every category,” said USA Hockey’s ADM Technical Director Ken Martel.  “That has such an exponential effect in the long run when you’re trying to look at continual improvement.”

Many of those in attendance came from communities such as Wayzata, Moorhead, Elk River and Warroad, where success at all levels is not only common but expected.

The event also attracted a number of people with a wealth of hockey knowledge and experience.  One of those was Jim Knapp, a former assistant coach at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Knapp, who has spent time coaching at nearly every level of hockey in Minnesota, was excited to attend and hear new ideas on how to implement hockey development programs at the local level.

“I looked at what the agenda was, and I was fired up,” said Knapp, who is currently the Director of Coach and Player Development for Hermantown Area Hockey Association. “It’s really a good opportunity to take a look and see theory and how you put it into practice.”

As Knapp alludes to, the weekend was split into a progression of topics that started with the science behind player development. Then, a panel of experts from Minnesota provided an in-depth look at their experiences and how it impacted their development.  Members of a Swedish hockey club called Skelleftea, which has produced 15 NHL draft picks in the past five years, presented on how they utilize the concepts of long-term athlete development. Finally, the program finished with an interactive component that focused on implementing all of those concepts into the hockey directors’ own communities.

“What we’re trying to give them are the principles behind successful organizations and successful hockey clubs,” said Martel, who gave two presentations over the weekend.  “Your methods will vary from club to club. As long as you follow the underlying principles, then you end up having a chance to be pretty good at what you do.”

One of those principles and primary themes of the weekend was showing the hockey directors how and why the key to long-term success is creating a positive culture that focuses on the process of player development instead of desired results such as wins or NHL draft picks.

“If we’re aiming at being the best developers of hockey players as athletes and as people, if that’s our focus, and that’s the thing we’re trying to measure and trying to improve on, then all of that other stuff tends to improve and fall into place as well,” said Andrew Shriver, Hockey Director Program Chair for Minnesota Hockey.

“We get in such a hurry with our kids,” said Martel. “Relax. You can’t go to the NHL as a nine year old. Provide a real high quality environment that’s fun, safe, nurturing, competitive – all of those things – and you know what, good things will happen.”

With almost a third of the youth hockey associations in Minnesota putting in the time and energy to learn from some of the top hockey minds in the world, the future of hockey in Minnesota may have an even brighter future than its already impressive history.

“It was really exciting to have the turnout that we had and the number of association that were represented and just the sheer number of hockey directors,” Shriver said. “It was [also] a glimpse at what we can even achieve in the future.”

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