| USA Hockey celebrates another 8U participation record |
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| Body-checking isn't legal in USA Hockey-sanctioned youth leagues until the 14U level for boys, and for good reason. But that doesn't mean fundamentals of body-checking can't be taught and practiced along the way. Quite the contrary, they not only can be – they should be. Even at the 8U level, teaching the fundamentals of body contact is appropriate. |
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Q: Why do you think youth sports participation has declined? Has hockey participation declined?
A: Like most things in life, the answer to why youth sports participation has declined in the United States is probably more complex than any single reason. But two factors that I believe contribute to declining participation are (1) pressure to perform at a young age and (2) burnout from over-exposure to a sport.
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| Rest |
Rest? At 8U, don't worry too much about rest. Most drills in practice should be run at almost a 1:1 work-to-rest ratio. In activity games, like tag, the work-to-rest ratio can even be 1:0.
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