Embracing a desegregated development structure at 10U  
 
When a hockey-crazy city like Duluth underwent a major youth hockey shift earlier this decade, people noticed. The change? In its youth hockey system, Duluth eliminated its traveling "A" team at the 10U level and kept all 10U players in-house at the "B" level. Soon, other communities and programs throughout the state followed suit. The reasoning? Kids were being segregated into upper- and lower-tiered teams too early, and it was impacting retention in a negative way. Roger Grillo says Minnesota has shown the rest of the country a model that – even if it isn't duplicated exactly – provides a positive blueprint for development of all players at 10U.
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  Q: Should my daughter play for a girls team or a youth team?

A: It's an important question many parents ask, and the answer varies depending on several factors. USA Hockey offers both a girls classification (open to females only) and a youth classification (open to males and females) because it's important to offer female players the choice of playing on an all-girls team or a youth team. Consider the following questions to help guide the decision for you and your daughter.
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Was practice successful?
Was a practice successful because the coach delivered good information? Not necessarily. We must ensure that players are receiving and absorbing that information, too. How can we make practices more about the player?
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Jump Rope
Oldies can sometimes be goodies and the jump rope certainly qualifies as both. It's such a simple fitness tool, but it can also be one of the most valuable for children in the 10U age classification.
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Youth sports and the continued failure of the pay-to-play model »

Bringing risk back to recess »

The tipping point in youth sports »
 
 
 
 
 
  Touchpoint Media