Textbook Hockey

U-18 Textbook Hockey

Good things happen to good people, and they continue to happen for those with a passion for life and the game. This is why USA U18 coach, Kurt Kleinendorst, is enjoying a gold medal with his support staff and players. Some, like Tim Taylor & Scott Monaghan have been @ it a long time and enjoying the fruits of commitment. Others, like Joe Exter, John Wroblewski, Cole Bassett and Brock Bradley are younger and bring a youthful refreshing outlook to the game. Joe’s work with the goaltenders should be recognized because it is visible.

Textbook game, textbook line rushes, textbook puck movement, textbook team defense, textbook goaltending and textbook story on the value of development when pursued in the proper manner and setting. The coach, entire staff and players are a tight knit group that worked and played for each other.

They learned the value of sharing and caring while playing hard and the rewards are apparent. I was one who observed their maturity level just seven (7) months ago to this moment in the Minsk airport. This is now a group of young men that realize their young lives became a business before most of their high school friends would ever begin thinking of their young life as a business. This happens to all young people who work to gain notoriety.

I can't remember liking a team any more than watching this group. Congratulations to a group who are now linked for life. I have seen some equal, like Pittsburgh with Dan Bylsma and staff in the Stanley Cup last season, but no better coaching job or team play as I witnessed in Minsk.

Now is the time to guard against the sophistication, complacency and tragedy that has a way of creeping in to success stories. We're hoping this is incentive to continue going beyond your job description in your career and real life. Maintain a chip on your shoulder mentality and recognize we never arrive in life. This will prevent anyone fm boxing you in.

This group is unconditionally looking for someone to share the puck. They are an extension of the head coach, one who grew up caring and sharing while being a very detailed athlete before any personal gains.

We've known Kurt as far back as we can remember when he was growing up in Grand Rapids, MN. He is still the same Kurt, one who knows and values the words humble and grateful for the privilege of being part of the game.

If you go back to September, when this team was assembled, there is clear evidence of players validating and anointing themselves beyond the beliefs, reports, thoughts and ratings of the hockey world in general. The pecking order has changed dramatically and that will prove itself out @ the NHL draft and again and again up to the time this group is 25 or 26 years old if the players persevere through all the scrutiny and adversity.

“There was a beginning and you are somewhere in between and all that matters is the end.”

The team had their share of heat seeking missiles capable of answering the bell if someone wanted to play a game of intimidation. Kurt loves this team and each player’s value to the team was huge. Some led the way in hits and others emulated as they overachieved in their asset categories. This theory held true whether it was infectious play, sharing the pucks, making plays, scoring or executing in a critical moment. Each player overachieved and all emulated each other to the degree possible. This is how the game should be played and this how games are won and championship teams are built: People sharing, whether pucks or information; people emulating those who overachieve in their asset categories during critical moments throughout the course of the game. Teams doing this grow together as a team.

This is what life is all about: validating and anointing yourself while possessing the skills and willingness to express your skills with zero inhibitions; outworking and outperforming your opponent in life.

This was another one of those momentous occasions with great lessons on how life works, people improve and organizations win together.

Russia seemed to move more toward star power as the tournament progressed. Their team was quick to fade in to the sunset. Sweden had a team game that mirrored USA and was good enough to make the final game a game of inches; a worthy and respected opponent who needed to make more breaks for themselves. Like the USA they had performances that put the pecking order to shambles. Finland once again won Bronze with their team game and earned the respect of those in attendance. This Finnish group is a team of underdog overachievers and an extension of a small hockey nation with immense pride. Canada was two goals short in the Swiss game and that stripped them of any opportunity to build on their hockey tradition.

This opens the door for a new kid on the block to walk through and challenge for hockey supremacy. An attitude, swagger, gregariousness, boldness and competitive instincts can make that happen. –Ole Gringo-

Copyright by Chuck Grillo, Minnesota Hockey Camps, 24621 So Clark Lake, Rd P.O. Box 90, Nisswa, MN 56468-0090 Phone 218.96.2444 Fax 218.963.2325 Email chuck@mnhockeycamps.com All rights reserved.No part of this book, blog OR template may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means without permission in writing from Minnesota Hockey Camps

Tiger Woods Saga; how it relates to success

Tiger Woods – What positives can come out of this?

What’s next; the beginning of the solution

Christine Brennan wrote in her column on Thursday, April 8, 2010:

“If I were managing Tiger’s career (now there’s a reach), I would have demanded that he miss a major no matter what, if only for show.”

This caught me by surprise but understand her effort to make her point. This to me is more evidence of our world rewarding perception and deception versus purpose, reality, reason and substance.

What’s more punishment?

1. Skipping a major tournament to hide fm a humiliating and humbling experience or
2. Standing on the tee knowing what every single person in and outside of the ropes, millions on TV, more millions soaking up all the articles written are all thinking?

The burden is incredible and very difficult to fathom. Tiger didn’t even have a teammate to lean on, but he has a Mom standing behind her son during the good and bad times in life and no doubt has a wife who hasn’t figured out a way to handle the millions out there scrutinizing her every move.

Nike is there for support as a sponsor when he isn’t on the course. On the course, he is on his own, tons on his mind and a little white ball that has to be stroked with perfection. This is punishment because he has to do it with the danger of his mind moving in every direction imaginable. This whole setting was a humiliating and humbling experience @ its highest level and Tiger did the world a favor by accepting the challenge if we are in to learning lessons on how life works.

I don’t know too many people who could do what Tiger Woods is doing by playing @ the Master in Augusta, but it probably shouldn’t be surprising. He’s been doing things out of the ordinary since he was born. Put another way, he was born to do something out of the ordinary yet he is the one responsible for anointing and validating himself.

The Tiger Wood’s saga lends even more credibility to how life works. “We were put on the earth to validate and anoint ourselves beyond anything people say, write, believe, think or report.” Lectures, articles, video, quick fix pep talks and all that makes up the world of sports do not matter. Nothing else matters. It’s just the way life works. There is a lesson on how fragile life and careers are. If Tiger can stumble, anyone can stumble and fall. If Tiger can pick himself back up, he sets a standard we all can live by.

What would you tell any person who is working for a living? Miss your next assignment? No, you would tell them to get back to work, you have a responsibility to earn your keep; provide for those in your care. Everything is more important than you, the person. You also have the obligation to face those who care about you. Respect, trust, love and caring levels are earned. No one is in a position to demand them. They take time to build, and once built they can withstand the most emotional and traumatic experiences.

Life is all about choices and we all end up living with our choices. The magnitude of this situation is clearly evident and even a part of the sermon delivered on April 11, 2010 @ United Methodist Church in Milton, FL. The pastor mentioned Tiger Woods and his road to restoration. Will it happen?

If I was managing Tiger Woods (now there’s a reach), I guess I would have to mention how life really works:

You were born with an incredible talent; the ability to express your skills and those skills are well documented. The skill to express your skill is what makes you successful. You learned early in life that the value of those skills was directly influenced by your attitude, swagger, boldness, gregariousness and competitive instincts. The only thing standing in the way of your legacy is you. Take some time to get to know the real you. Sort out all the blind spots that others see in you that you do not see in yourself. Two of those are your caring and giving levels; the last two levels highly rewarded people recognize and respond to. Get out of yourself and bring some real people in to your life.

No one can ever prepare you for the day you make a huge mistake in life. The only thing that gets you through the moment is all the love and caring that comes from those around you and you recognizing you made a mistake or have a problem. It all starts with the immediate family and builds on fm there in the world of sports.

Every person needs three (3) to (6) mentors. The amount of your public love and caring will be clearly visible once you are inside the ropes and hitting the golf ball. The level can go higher but only if you reciprocate by showing your love and caring level; respecting and trusting others. Respect, trust, love and caring have two winners or no winners.

I can fully understand why going in to seclusion @ home or a treatment center is the way to go. Traumatic and emotional mistakes create an immediate “what’s next” scenario, so there is a lot of planning to do. The safest place to do that is in your home where you feel most comfortable. In Tiger’s case it is magnified considerably. We know about our failures; no one needs to tell us. What’s next is all about rehabilitation and restoring what you’ve lost.

We do know the following:

No one is perfect, we live in an imperfect world and our social status doesn’t exclude us; we are not entitled to anything and we are just as susceptible to wrong decisions as any other person. We are humans. Humans need to spend more time getting to know the person inside their body. Once we find out who and what we are we can figure out where we are going and how we are going to get there. Problems never go away. You attack the problem and solve the problem. Most of us need others to help us help ourselves.

No one is perfect, and it's unfair of us to expect any person to be. In looking for flaws, we may be overlooking real talent. When I look in the mirror I see things I wish I could change. I try to keep that in mind when I judge others. Our responsibility to those in our care is to help them build a good life; not spend our time condemning.

Critics or no critics, we are all going to get a label in life. I've seen great people with great labels and not so great labels. I've seen not so great people having great labels and I've seen them labeled properly. There is not much in between when it comes to labels. The main thing about labels is they are tough to shake; right or wrong. The one guarantee is you will get a label; especially in the game of hockey.

Sometimes we think that the things that are happening to us don't happen to everyone else. It's hard for us, and the people around us, to accept our 'special circumstance' as a huge mistake or the product of an unfair society or life. Hard times give us the opportunity to reflect on the good things and grow. As difficult and harsh as it appears, we need to honor the situation and turn our thoughts to the future with resolve. We need to remove obstacles that prevent us from a daily critiquing of our lives, so we can move toward being a detailed person that cares about others while in the process of building our lives and maximizing our potential.

The "key words" are caring and giving levels. If we care, we have to accept the fact that we share and carry other peoples' burdens and problems; when someone is hurt physically, mentally or have a problem, we all hurt.

Those close to Tiger are smart to be patient, humble, gentle, kind and show compassion while working with him. In a sense these people in our lives go way past the acquaintance and companion levels. They are closer to the "real friend" level where we can go see them unannounced, pour out our heart and listen to them pour out theirs. We have the responsibility to "corner them" and tell them things they may not want to hear in addition to compliments. We have the responsibility to provide meaningful experiences so they can grow. This is the responsibility of Tiger’s inner circle. Sound familiar?

We all recognize the need for support systems in every person's life, but it still comes down to each of us just "getting it done". This process has a way of separating the strong from the Wannabe; people who believe they can make a difference versus people who only “think” they can be something. Tiger embodies the statement, “Think and believe big, apply some determination, and big things will happen.” The path he travels has no room for the timid and weak minded.

Keep supporting each other as one big family and the results will be dynamic. We are all part of something much bigger than all of us combined; namely each person's life and career. Do all this and the people keep growing; the honors keep coming and everyone gets better.

The highest honor any parent can receive is someone declaring, “Your child is a special athlete and an even better person. Your child is a detail person, cares about others before any personal gain; knowing that personal gains come fm being a detail person and caring about others.

So I guess my wish for Tiger would be people saying, “Mrs. Woods, I love and respect your son because he is a detail person and cares about others before any personal gain. He is a great athlete but an even better person.” He can start by saying, "The clubs Steve Mara has are authentic. If he's in a position where he needs to sell them to help his family, I want to personally endorse his efforts and will do what it takes to finalize the sale."

Being authentic is paramount in the case of Tiger. How hard is it for someone to look @ you and say, "What you see is what you get?" This should not be something you have to work @. This should be you; you caring about people, you wanting to make a difference in other peoples' lives, you wanting to make the world a better place to live. You are that big and it can be done. This is nothing more than the desire to do something bigger than you for others. Putting it bluntly; it's all about Tiger the person, not Tiger the golfer; you getting out of yourself and bringing others in to your life.

If everything falls in to place, the great ones never arrive; they always have something to prove. Tiger will go on to break every record and leave a legacy that will impact our society forever and be tough to surpass; one more career salvaged and restored. All anyone needs to ask when they make a mistake: "I need the chance to redeem myself and I will."

If it doesn’t happen, Tiger failed to see his blind spots, and the adoring crowds will switch to someone with more substance; as will the corporate world. It may have started when Tiger received a lukewarm greeting on the 1st tee Sunday and Phil Mickelson’s started winning the crowd over with his play and subsequent win on Sunday. Phil’s feel good story will win over any fan or corporation.

You can go out and get all the spin doctors you want. They are @ your disposal but don’t waste your money. It’s all about you!

We get our start in life, go through some ups, downs, scrutiny and adversity; what really matters is how we end up when it's all over.

Fast forward now to January 27, 2011. Tiger's quote in the Toronto Globe and Mail reads: "I think in order to play this game at a high level, it helps to have a clear mind," Woods said. "I've played at the high levels before in the past without a clear mind, but it helps to be consistent. It helps having your life in balance."

Ole Gringo says, "I believe he will play better as he discovers the commitment required of a purpose driven person. People with purpose have a clear mind and have no problem expressing their skills because they are always sharing, caring and giving in addition to practicing and playing."

Copyright by Chuck Grillo, Minnesota Hockey Camps24621 So Clark Lake Rd P.O. Box 90 Nisswa, MN 56468-0090Phone 218.96.2444 Fax 218.963.2325

Email chuck@mnhockeycamps.comAll rights reserved.No part of this book, blog OR template may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means without permission in writing from Minnesota Hockey Camps

We know you can play, but do you figure in to the mix?

We know you can play, but do you figure in to the mix?

What is your on and off ice value in a team setting?

Hockey is unique in that you play offense or defense 100% of the time so you basically have two games within one. You have the game with the puck, which is why most people play the game and this game is challenging to teach more because of reaction times than skill. You have the game without the puck and this is less of a challenge to teach but hard to convince a player of the offensive benefits.


What makes you better?


Does your unit generate offense? Does your unit direct more shots on net than the opponent? If so, how many shots are directed @ the net compared to your opponent? What is your shot percentage? Do you spend more time on the attack with your break-out; transition game and sustained fore-checks, than your opponent? Does this translate in to a strong team game? What is your reaction time off pucks shot fm the strong side point, transition? How quick are shots generated on net after a turn over? Anything more than 3 or 4 seconds and you have a lost opportunity.


Do you provide the defense that leads to offense? Defense is not as much fun to play but defense is easy to teach and a necessary ingredient for those who like offense. There is only one puck. This 1 x 3 inch piece of rubber, weighing 6 oz, is the key to all success stories and generally time of possession dictates that success. Once you lose a puck, it is a very good idea to get it back.

What is your reaction time offense to defense; defense to offense? Why make the game so complex?


The mark of a great hockey player simplified is:


One – Your ability to get to open ice the split second after your teammate gains control of the puck. The teammate is thinking about who he can give it to. In fact, the great ones are thinking about who they give a puck to before they actually receive it. Puck carriers have an option of four players when you are @ full strength and the tape on the stick of each teammate must have a clear path to the puck. If your tape does not have a clear path to the puck, you are not a good player. Options are easier to see when there are clear paths. This upgrades the hockey sense skills and vision of your teammate with the puck.


Two – Your ability to pick up your “check” the split second after your team loses a puck. Picking up your check means you are @ minimum bumping your check while your teammate closest to the puck is in full flight to arrive first. If you arrive 1st, it’s only right to arrive with separation in mind. Separation fm the puck is your main objective. Reading and reacting is part of the equation. Anything less than 1 ½ players on the puck is not enough. This means the 2nd closest player to the puck is your teammate who is focused on being on the right side of the puck defensively unless there is a high percentage chance of picking up a loose puck created by separation.


The 3rd closest player is in more of a defensive posture but quick to pick up on an opportunity to gain a loose puck. Once the 3rd man is activated, players one and two simply become players two and three in the system. Players 4 and 5 are in a defensive posture ready to become one and the process continues. Not too hard, eh?


Great offensive teams can always focus on becoming better defensively in tough games and playoffs, and they will as the stakes increase. Great defensive teams have a tough time generating offense once they are behind by one goal or more and have a tendency to play not to lose or keep it close. Since when was any game played not to lose or keep close? There are no moral victories in competition. There is a winner and a loser.


The Stanley Cup playoffs are a reminder of the importance of survival in a playground setting with some guidelines. Recognizing that we were put on this earth to validate and anoint ourselves, this is your opportunity to excel, anoint and validate yourself beyond anything people say, write, report, think or believe. There is no rule that says you cannot be the most important player in any contest.


While stars get paid to be stars, there is nothing in the rules that states you cannot evolve in to being a star, or one of the three stars, in an important contest or series. Play to win and develop winning habits by doing the thing you love to do most; namely putting the puck in the net.


The Stanley Cup resembles a playground setting with a pecking order. The lineups are full of established players whose career achievements and shortcomings are well documented. If you don't like the pecking order, the setting is there to change it. Rules are reduced to guidelines and players get paid to outwork and outperform their opponent with no regard for who they are or what they've accomplished. Players accept the challenge and set out to prove they are better than the next guy.

The Cup mirrors life. Aren't we all paid to outwork and outperform our opponent in life? Pittsburgh’s Cup win was a great win for a group of guys who have no quit in them and appear to be relishing the playground setting where there is no room for the timid or weak minded player. Makes you want to bring back the old playground setting where kids grew up learning how to survive on their own in the toughest situations. More than one picked up their stick, skates, bat, and glove and went home.


Something tells me the PIT players have some playground experience and are interesting in altering the “pecking order”, maintaining and sustaining what they have worked so hard to accomplish.

Developing the attitude, swagger, boldness and competitive instincts of a winner, or gamer, is your goal. Do it enough and it will become a habit that stays with you as long as you live. Most of us reach a point in our lives where talent plateaus, but we can all be more fearless and smart in what we do. There are both team smarts and individual smarts.

When the results are in this playground, like all playgrounds, will define and shape the lives of individuals, teams, organizations, communities, countries and the world. Not one player got mad or embarrassed enough to pick up their stick and skates and go home. They accepted the results, shook hands with those they could find, and are headed in to the next chapter of their lives.

I believe the first order of business is to humbly accept your experience and then immediately begin to guard against tragedy, complacency and sophistication setting in. This mindset and your willingness to train and improve are the only things that determine how well you do the next time you lace up your skates. Burnout is not positive through physical exercise. Burnout stems fm scrutiny and people “boxing” you in. Burnout is a product of boring and unchallenging practices that stress defense, defense and more defenses. I am one who looks @ success and championships as incentive to do better versus a reason for any fatigue setting in.

I humbly thank the man upstairs for rewarding an imperfect person in my life. His power is present in our lives, especially in times of weakness and vulnerability; rewarding those with the will to win and those who recognize success isn’t handed out.

Copyright by Chuck Grillo, Minnesota Hockey Camps24621 So Clark Lake Rd P.O. Box 90 Nisswa, MN 56468-0090Phone 218.96.2444 Fax 218.963.2325 Email chuck@mnhockeycamps.comAll rights reserved.No part of this book, blog OR template may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means without permission in writing from Minnesota Hockey Camps