| When should my daughter transition from playing on a boys team to an all-girls team? |
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Jeff Jackson is the head coach of the highly ranked Notre Dame men's hockey team and has coached at various other levels, including with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program. He is a firm believer that the most important component when it comes to skill development is a heavy dose of practice. That's just as true in college hockey as it is at the 12U level.
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Q: I was under the impression that there is no body-checking at the 12U age classification, but when I watch my son's practice, it seems to me that there is an excessive amount of body contact involved in most practices. Is this normal and in line with what USA Hockey recommends?
A: While body-checking is not permitted in games at the 12U age classification, body contact is allowed. In addition, USA Hockey recommends that 12U practices include a progression of teaching players the correct techniques for body-checking.
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| Competition
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| While competition is a big part of youth sport, what competition means to adults and to kids isn't always the same. At 12U, coaches and parents need to keep kids focused on process over outcomes. It is the effort and striving that teaches the real lessons.
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