The Star Spangled Banner
National Anthem of the United States of America
The music, which is the melody, is written by John Stafford Smith around 1775 and arranged by William J Krauss.
The current text is written by Francis Scott Key in 1814.
Since 1931 this is the official anthem of the United States of America.
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When you attend over 300 events a year, you get to hear a lot of national anthems sung and played in many countries. There is nothing greater than an anthem sung the way it should be sung. There is nothing worse than performances deviating fm the Anthem.
We’ve been witness to people singing their anthem to the music and lyrics and have been swept off our feet to the point of “goose bumps”. We know the feeling when it's done right!
The Star Spangled Banner is an anthem that is respected and revered by those who love our country for all it stands for; past and present. The anthem is respected and revered by those who have experienced the graciousness of our country. We are a nation with a proven track record of helping others help themselves in time of need; whether a disaster or war time.
If you are given the honor of singing this anthem, and it is an honor, we see no reason to deviate fm the words or music written in 3/4 time. Performing isn't about you. It's about you performing an anthem the way it is written to honor this great country. Anything less is a disservice to this nation. Forgetting a word or two is acceptable and if you run in to a memory blank, those listening should help.
We're not interested in people singing it faster, slower, deviating fm the notes or putting on some display that brings attention to them. Those that want respect sing it the way it was written and they do it out of respect.
This isn't too much to ask for the freedom we all enjoy.
We already know the reply fm the newer generations: "This is a free country."
Yes, it is, but not to the point where it becomes self-serving or disrespectful to our anthem or flag.
We believe part of the selection process for singing our anthem should be the singer being qualified and required to sing the anthem as it was written; correct words, melody and tempo.
We would not fly an altered flag and we should not deviate fm the lyrics and music that have been with us officially since 1931.
When you deviate fm the rules and standards expected fm you by the team there will be consequences; sometimes career ending. Think about it.
Copyright by Chuck Grillo, Minnesota Hockey Camps, 24621 So Clark Lake, Rd P.O. Box 90, Nisswa, MN 56468-0090 Phone 218.963.2444 Fax 218.963.2325
Email: chuck@mnhockeycamps.com - All rights are 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
Monday, February 7, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Being "Whole" without the "Holes"
Being “Whole” without the “Holes”
The game is a whole lot easier when you live it versus having to live it. Life is no different. You, living your life, versus “having to live” life, give life its true meaning. It does matter what you do because you are doing it or did it. You are the only person in this world who can use what you have going for you. Recognize what you do well and overachieve @ it. Overachieve in your asset categories knowing in advance that your teammates will emulate everything you do with a touch of greatness added to it.
“You, overachieving @ what you do best, are the best teacher your teammates will ever have.”
“It's great to be good @ what you do and better to be great; however, being “whole” enhances both good and great.”
As we travel around the world we see a lot of “holes” in “whole”. Are people/players a victim of the false blessing of success? This is one more example of why being “real” is important. Your goal is to be an important part of the reason for any success your team experiences; anything beyond is a blessing.
“We are whole when we become detail people who put aside personal gains for team success.”
Blessings, titles, accolades and clippings are great; however, the affect they have on your daily routine is more important. The best way to predict your future is you creating your future. This makes you more predictable. We were put on this earth to validate and anoint ourselves beyond all other evaluations.
We are qualified to write and say something If our minds, hearts and eyes are open. Our camp philosophy is based on open minds, open hearts and open eyes when working with people. We say, write, critique, mentor and judge others with one purpose in mind; the purpose of making them better player and people. We judge and critique with the serious intent of making people better. We do this to create an awareness of the importance of you acquiring the ability to critique you.
Creating awareness and exposure is no different than losing one game during the season. You didn’t lose the final game. It’s the beginning of you becoming a better you.
“Every child needs an element of growth away fm home.
If our camp is like your home, there is no reason to be here.”
One of your greatest accomplishments in life will be people talking behind your back. They are talking behind your back because they wish they were where you are today. They wish they were you.
If being you is difficult, recalculate and create another, or new, you. Success is directly correlated to repetition of all the little things you do extremely well. Causing others to emulate what you do well is the greatest measure of success. Things can happen, even when you feel you have everything under control, work is meaningful and life is great. All of a sudden something happens and you struggle with an answer.
If wealth and fame are your game, be aware of the perils and pitfalls while remembering all those who helped you along the way. Greatness magnifies what and who you are. Your roots are a part of that. If what you are is all you have, make it be all you need. If you can’t count on you, who can you turn to? This is all the more back up for having three (3) to six (6) mentors outside of your immediate family.
You, playing and working with purpose, being great @ what you do well, make it possible for everyone to be great. Give it some thought.
Playing/working with a purpose can mean a lot of things; however, the original definition of playing/working with a purpose is sharing with and giving to others. Sharing and giving to others is meaningful to those with a purpose and beyond that to the players/colleagues who benefit; whether a person, team, or society. How many people do you know live life with a purpose; run a company with a purpose; run a group with a purpose? They make the world a better place to live, work and play.
• Purpose is crucial to a team and company success: it is the primary source of achievement and reveals the underlying human synergy within the group. None of us stand alone. A high level of synergy between staff members, as well as a group, is as dynamic as it gets. It gives people a reason to work with a purpose and raises the self-esteem levels of those involved.
• There is no such thing as false purpose. People with false purpose get exposed in a heartbeat!
If the ruling values of life are reason, purpose and self-esteem, purpose is high on the list of admirable qualities in leadership, employees and players. It is the driving force in a people driven industry.
Copyright by Chuck Grillo, Minnesota Hockey Camps, 24621 So Clark Lake, Rd P.O. Box 90, Nisswa, MN 56468-0090 Phone 218.963.2444 Fax 218.963.2325
Email: chuck@mnhockeycamps.com All rights are 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
The game is a whole lot easier when you live it versus having to live it. Life is no different. You, living your life, versus “having to live” life, give life its true meaning. It does matter what you do because you are doing it or did it. You are the only person in this world who can use what you have going for you. Recognize what you do well and overachieve @ it. Overachieve in your asset categories knowing in advance that your teammates will emulate everything you do with a touch of greatness added to it.
“You, overachieving @ what you do best, are the best teacher your teammates will ever have.”
“It's great to be good @ what you do and better to be great; however, being “whole” enhances both good and great.”
As we travel around the world we see a lot of “holes” in “whole”. Are people/players a victim of the false blessing of success? This is one more example of why being “real” is important. Your goal is to be an important part of the reason for any success your team experiences; anything beyond is a blessing.
“We are whole when we become detail people who put aside personal gains for team success.”
Blessings, titles, accolades and clippings are great; however, the affect they have on your daily routine is more important. The best way to predict your future is you creating your future. This makes you more predictable. We were put on this earth to validate and anoint ourselves beyond all other evaluations.
We are qualified to write and say something If our minds, hearts and eyes are open. Our camp philosophy is based on open minds, open hearts and open eyes when working with people. We say, write, critique, mentor and judge others with one purpose in mind; the purpose of making them better player and people. We judge and critique with the serious intent of making people better. We do this to create an awareness of the importance of you acquiring the ability to critique you.
Creating awareness and exposure is no different than losing one game during the season. You didn’t lose the final game. It’s the beginning of you becoming a better you.
“Every child needs an element of growth away fm home.
If our camp is like your home, there is no reason to be here.”
One of your greatest accomplishments in life will be people talking behind your back. They are talking behind your back because they wish they were where you are today. They wish they were you.
If being you is difficult, recalculate and create another, or new, you. Success is directly correlated to repetition of all the little things you do extremely well. Causing others to emulate what you do well is the greatest measure of success. Things can happen, even when you feel you have everything under control, work is meaningful and life is great. All of a sudden something happens and you struggle with an answer.
If wealth and fame are your game, be aware of the perils and pitfalls while remembering all those who helped you along the way. Greatness magnifies what and who you are. Your roots are a part of that. If what you are is all you have, make it be all you need. If you can’t count on you, who can you turn to? This is all the more back up for having three (3) to six (6) mentors outside of your immediate family.
You, playing and working with purpose, being great @ what you do well, make it possible for everyone to be great. Give it some thought.
Playing/working with a purpose can mean a lot of things; however, the original definition of playing/working with a purpose is sharing with and giving to others. Sharing and giving to others is meaningful to those with a purpose and beyond that to the players/colleagues who benefit; whether a person, team, or society. How many people do you know live life with a purpose; run a company with a purpose; run a group with a purpose? They make the world a better place to live, work and play.
• Purpose is crucial to a team and company success: it is the primary source of achievement and reveals the underlying human synergy within the group. None of us stand alone. A high level of synergy between staff members, as well as a group, is as dynamic as it gets. It gives people a reason to work with a purpose and raises the self-esteem levels of those involved.
• There is no such thing as false purpose. People with false purpose get exposed in a heartbeat!
If the ruling values of life are reason, purpose and self-esteem, purpose is high on the list of admirable qualities in leadership, employees and players. It is the driving force in a people driven industry.
Copyright by Chuck Grillo, Minnesota Hockey Camps, 24621 So Clark Lake, Rd P.O. Box 90, Nisswa, MN 56468-0090 Phone 218.963.2444 Fax 218.963.2325
Email: chuck@mnhockeycamps.com All rights are 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
Friday, January 21, 2011
Specialization; part II
Specialization; its place in Hockey
Joe Ciardelli, strength and conditioning coach @ MHC, teamed up with us on Sports Specific Training as an answer to specializing.
Specific or precise training is the final touches of the never ending training process. Sport specific training is learning how to throw a curve ball, perfecting how to draw a golf ball or practicing your slap shot. Sport specific training helps you become better at one specific sport, however, don’t mistake sport specific training with becoming a better athlete.
In order to throw a curve ball better or take a better slap shot, you need to practice that skill, but you also need to become a better athlete. Becoming a better athlete is really similar for all athletes, regardless of sport. The better your athletic skills are, the better you will become at your sport of choice. If your shoulder, back, core and lower body are stronger, you will throw a better curve ball. Also, if your shoulder, back, core and lower body are stronger, you will have a better slap shot! So why not work on becoming a better athlete?
What football coach wouldn’t want a lineman that has great explosive power? What basketball coach wouldn’t want a point guard that has great jumping skills? What track coach wouldn’t want a sprinter that is lightning fast? What hockey coach wouldn’t want a forward that can change direction on a dime or thoughts in a split second? What coach of any sport wouldn’t want an athlete that is able to do all of the above?
With proper training, all athletes regardless of sport should improve on all the skills of athletic ability; explosive power, first step quickness, lateral speed, strength, stamina, reaction time, balance, etc. These words are used in the gym all the time. They are used in the gym all the time with different sports and different athletes. Improving on these words, improves your athletic skills, regardless of sport.
Off-ice or off-field training is compatible to athletes off all sports. Becoming bigger, faster, quicker and stronger are the objectives of all athletes. These objectives can’t be accomplished without hard work in the gym or practice field. Workouts need to replicate athletic movements. It doesn’t matter if you are a linebacker taking your first step to the right to make a tackle or if you are a tennis player taking your first step to the right to hit a forehand winner.
Improvements happen by completing the right workouts off the field.
Competitions/Games are used to showcase your skills and see how you compare against others. Games aren’t for improvement; practices/workouts are for improvement. Brainerd Warriors High School Coach Jim Archibald says; “In terms of development, one (1) practice/workout is equal to eleven (11) games. If you want to improve on your abilities, then practice and workout more!
Jim grew up in Canada. He is no doubt recognizing the opportunities his son, Josh, has compared to when he was going through the process of becoming a professional athlete. Jim played for the University of North Dakota and the Minnesota North Stars.
Minnesota Hockey Camps has developed a unique training program that works for all athletes by improving athletic ability. This program is time tested and has the results to prove it. The athletes that train @ MHC leave our program better hockey players, but also better athletes and people. Many go on to star in fall sports before the hockey season starts.
Come train with us this summer!
Copyright by Joe Ciardelli and Chuck Grillo, Minnesota Hockey Camps, 24621 So Clark Lake, Rd P.O. Box 90, Nisswa, MN 56468-0090 Phone 218.963.2444 Fax 218.963.2325 Email: chuck@mnhockeycamps.com All rights are 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
Joe Ciardelli, strength and conditioning coach @ MHC, teamed up with us on Sports Specific Training as an answer to specializing.
Specific or precise training is the final touches of the never ending training process. Sport specific training is learning how to throw a curve ball, perfecting how to draw a golf ball or practicing your slap shot. Sport specific training helps you become better at one specific sport, however, don’t mistake sport specific training with becoming a better athlete.
In order to throw a curve ball better or take a better slap shot, you need to practice that skill, but you also need to become a better athlete. Becoming a better athlete is really similar for all athletes, regardless of sport. The better your athletic skills are, the better you will become at your sport of choice. If your shoulder, back, core and lower body are stronger, you will throw a better curve ball. Also, if your shoulder, back, core and lower body are stronger, you will have a better slap shot! So why not work on becoming a better athlete?
What football coach wouldn’t want a lineman that has great explosive power? What basketball coach wouldn’t want a point guard that has great jumping skills? What track coach wouldn’t want a sprinter that is lightning fast? What hockey coach wouldn’t want a forward that can change direction on a dime or thoughts in a split second? What coach of any sport wouldn’t want an athlete that is able to do all of the above?
With proper training, all athletes regardless of sport should improve on all the skills of athletic ability; explosive power, first step quickness, lateral speed, strength, stamina, reaction time, balance, etc. These words are used in the gym all the time. They are used in the gym all the time with different sports and different athletes. Improving on these words, improves your athletic skills, regardless of sport.
Off-ice or off-field training is compatible to athletes off all sports. Becoming bigger, faster, quicker and stronger are the objectives of all athletes. These objectives can’t be accomplished without hard work in the gym or practice field. Workouts need to replicate athletic movements. It doesn’t matter if you are a linebacker taking your first step to the right to make a tackle or if you are a tennis player taking your first step to the right to hit a forehand winner.
Improvements happen by completing the right workouts off the field.
Competitions/Games are used to showcase your skills and see how you compare against others. Games aren’t for improvement; practices/workouts are for improvement. Brainerd Warriors High School Coach Jim Archibald says; “In terms of development, one (1) practice/workout is equal to eleven (11) games. If you want to improve on your abilities, then practice and workout more!
Jim grew up in Canada. He is no doubt recognizing the opportunities his son, Josh, has compared to when he was going through the process of becoming a professional athlete. Jim played for the University of North Dakota and the Minnesota North Stars.
Minnesota Hockey Camps has developed a unique training program that works for all athletes by improving athletic ability. This program is time tested and has the results to prove it. The athletes that train @ MHC leave our program better hockey players, but also better athletes and people. Many go on to star in fall sports before the hockey season starts.
Come train with us this summer!
Copyright by Joe Ciardelli and Chuck Grillo, Minnesota Hockey Camps, 24621 So Clark Lake, Rd P.O. Box 90, Nisswa, MN 56468-0090 Phone 218.963.2444 Fax 218.963.2325 Email: chuck@mnhockeycamps.com All rights are 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
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Specialization - Pros and Cons
Specialization – Pros and Cons
Some maintain (as in the article we read in a Madison, WI newspaper) there is a change in the landscape of prep sports dating back to the early 70’s. In the past twenty-five (25) the era of the three sport athlete has given way to specialization in one sport. Some say it’s happening to pursue college scholarships and professional sports. They are placing the blame on the parents and coaches. “Kids are serving the sport instead of the sport serving the kids.” There are those who say specialization causes burn out, too many are quitting, and that couldn’t be further fm the truth.
We believe “Boring practices, poor mentors, unsolved intimidating tasks, humiliation, ridicule and scrutiny cause burnout. Failure to recognize a person’s assets, develop relationships and reward effort and achievement causes burnout. ”
If all they do is play games on week-ends and/or have boring practices during the week, this is counter-productive, but no one will convince us that twelve (12) fun filled practices and challenging ice times in around dry land, strength training, classroom and shooting isn’t the way to go. It’s all about getting bigger, quicker, stronger and faster while gaining a psychological advantage on your opponent in life. You simply learn to out-work people so the real world is a whole lot easier when your competition days are over. There is no ridicule and zero humiliation.
“We believe hard work can be fun; with courage and boldness instilled.”
We have had athletes over the years tell us how much the camp prepared them as much for life as being an athlete. Their work assignment in life became a “walk in the park” and promotions came because their employees observed their willingness to “live the brand” and log in hours unconditionally without complaining. They learned early on that “hard work is fun” and they learned it in our programs.
We receive letters most every week thanking us for our life preparation program.
Parents asked appropriate questions about our programs. We’ve included a few. If your concern is power skating, most power skating exercises can be done during a ten minute warm-up each day once you have acquired the technique.
We believe you improve the most when you skate the days you lift, sprint, and jump. This ties in all of your muscle groups which have a little different range of motion and lessens the chance of shortening any muscle group that would affect your stride. This also gives you a sense of pride in your commitment and a psychological advantage on your opponent.
If your concern is shooting, you do not need an ice sheet to shoot thousands of pucks.
If your concern is checking, we teach containment which is related to controlling the body and mind of the opponent. Control the mind of the opponent and you control the game.
Concern yourself with compete levels and the technique of containment will suffice.
Add the fun and mind challenging ice times and you have a well rounded program geared to improving any athlete for any sport. We seriously believe our Baseball, Football, Golf, Tennis and Track athletes improve greatly @ our camp. Add in some outside tennis, golf, along with the roller blade opportunities on the trail, dry land rink, and you have it all.
We coached prior to the 80’s and we are still coaching during the summer of 2011 and we always encourage our players to take part in the other sports if they can fit it in, especially if they want to do it. The biggest problem is the coaches in other sports don’t like the cross over idea and they try to intimidate. When is the Football Coach going to admit that our athletes rank amongst the highest in conditioning during Fall Football? They spend more time in the weight room and on the dry land than most Football players who “think” they work out, “think” they train, “think” they have a passion for what they do.
“If your son or daughter can go through our program, and have fun doing it, you have raised a heck-of-a child.”
There comes a time when athletes pick the sport they really like. Some sports are fillers and not as much fun for them. Every kid is different. W can remember letting our Baseball players go to Spring Football right fm the ball field; we encouraged it. Gary Sargent threw the shot put and discus after practice, and won both in High School Track while all-state in Baseball for four years. Sarge thought nothing of going fishing early, playing a little tennis, hitting the golf course, playing Baseball and going on the ice rink all in a summer day’s activity. No one made him do it.
Ralph Lovering practiced his starts with his base running, crossed over during Districts and Regional. He won 1st in the district, 2nd in regional and ran in a state track @ Macalester College the day after winning the Regional Baseball title in Thief River Falls. We know because we made the three hundred (300) mile drive with him right after the game was over. Forget the three sport athlete; they were four sport athletes and summer hockey with the right off-ice training prepared them for all of the sports. It still comes down to becoming bigger, quicker, stronger and faster; not about playing three games on a week-end.
Carl Sneep finished his USHL Lincoln Stars season in time to come home and throw a two (2) hitter and hit a three-hundred eighty (380) foot home run. He played Legion ball and trained ten (10) weeks out of every summer.
Sports, and camps, are as much about instilling intangibles and keeping active children busy as they are about getting a scholarship. This is the point so many are missing. I’ve always felt sorry for the person who went home after school hours and had no activity beyond school, yet schools continue to cut back on co-curricular activities. They must want to see the prisons overflow; which is what happens when active young people have nothing to do. I feel equally sorry for young people who are denied the camp opportunity. This is a totally different intangible building opportunity aside fm the educational process in schools; therefore a must.
“Great mentors and programs embolden people. Boldness and courage levels grow.”
“People need to know how much you care before knowing how much you know.”
We know one thing for sure. The Baseball, Golf, Football, Track and Tennis players that attend MHC show up for their respective camps in better shape than 90% of their peers. We focus on athletes getting bigger, quicker, stronger and faster and we believe that serves any sport they want to play. We also provide enough technical and tactical situations to improve skills.
As said many times, burnout is not directly correlated to specialization. Burnout stems fm poor mentoring, boring practices, humiliation, ridicule and scrutiny. Failure to do well causes burnout, especially when you don’t know how, or not taught, to learn fm failure. Burnout stems fm the inability to take on the challenge of solving intimidating tasks. Helicopter parents cause burnout unless they possess the skills to mentor an athlete properly. You don’t have to be educated to mentor but those who have it you can see it and feel it; it runs right though them.
Today’s athletes are bigger, quicker, stronger, faster, and smarter. They will thin slice and challenge you the second they meet you; they will assess your authenticity and passion for their career, life and game and then text or email results to their friends and parents. There is a good chance of your qualifications showing up on Facebook.” They are more likely to challenge those who lack substance and lack the skills of a true mentor. They read through perception and deception quickly.
Hockey is one of the sports that come under the specialization theory. Those critiquing fail to recognize how much fun the game is to both practice and play. Practice can be just as much fun as games. Whether drills, scrimmages, games or just skating, being on the ice is really fun. It’s the one game where you can have just as much fun on an outdoor rink as you do in a scheduled game. Have you ever been to a public skating session with people fm age two (2) to eighty-five (85)?
People critiquing specializing need only to watch between periods of the Winter Classic, January 1, 2010. Franco Harris and Jerome Bettis, two premier athletes in their sport, two people we love as people, were shooting pucks in to an open net. While accuracy was present once adjusting, check their shooting fundamentals and determine if they could beat a goalie on a breakaway or fm the point in a game. Then picture them on skates. Now, if both had decided to play the game @ an early age, and specialized, our guess is they would be superstars in hockey, also. Just more evidence you need a specialized athlete with specialized skills to play the greatest sport in the world today. Do you want something volcanic and enticing in life? Try practicing and player the game of Hockey.
Those critiquing are failing to recognize the very small percentage of athletes that are born to be there, regardless of what sport they choose, versus the huge percentage that are in the “catch up and pass mode, and will be until they finally catch up and pass. Can you imagine the task @ hand?
Those critiquing fail to recognize the price hockey has paid to be what it is today. Hockey received very little help fm the school systems because school programs were run by football and basketball people who didn’t want anything to do with the sport, especially basketball people. The MSHSL ignored the sport in to the early 1970’s until they found out it was so dynamic they could land lucrative TV contracts. The State High School Tournament was run by the Jaycee programs in St Paul and Bloomington. The game sold itself to the MSHSL.
Arenas were built by hockey groups while gymnasiums were attached to every school. Schools with vision attached ice arenas to schools. They soon found out that hockey was one way to support the rest of the programs. Why? Hockey is dynamic, volcanic and enticing; thus the reason why young people want to spend every waking moment training and playing the game regardless of time of the year. We challenge you to count up the economic dollars brought in to communities by arenas versus community ball parks, football stadiums and gyms. We are quick to say, “We need all of them, but Hockey deserves its place.”
“Mentors capable of creating a great pond hockey setting within a structured practice are in the minority. It’s too challenging and requires skill to teach.”
The game is unique in so many ways that specialization is very important. Players control a puck fifty-three (53), inches or more with a stick in their hands so it’s not like catching and throwing a ball. Skating is much more difficult than walking, jogging or sprinting. Split second thinking is required and intangible levels get tested most every shift.
We’ve always believed that hockey players can play most any sport while athletes in other sports would find it extremely difficult and demanding to play hockey or even go public skating. We can remember challenging an athlete in “horse” our first year teaching in 1964. He was an all-state three sport star in Football, Basketball and Baseball @ Bemidji High School and was very critical of this new sport called, Hockey. We gave him a good go @ horse and then he came out to the outdoor rink in and readily admitted he couldn’t begin to step on the ice with skates let alone play the game. I even let him try to handle a puck and shoot it. That ended all criticism, we had a new fan of the game and he and I had a better relationship in Baseball.
“This split second thinking game is forever challenging the human mind and your athletic ability; this, in itself, prevents burnout.”
Copyright by Chuck Grillo, Minnesota Hockey Camps, 24621 So Clark Lake, Rd P.O. Box 90, Nisswa, MN 56468-0090 Phone 218.963.2444 Fax 218.963.2325 Email: chuck@mnhockeycamps.com All rights are 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
Some maintain (as in the article we read in a Madison, WI newspaper) there is a change in the landscape of prep sports dating back to the early 70’s. In the past twenty-five (25) the era of the three sport athlete has given way to specialization in one sport. Some say it’s happening to pursue college scholarships and professional sports. They are placing the blame on the parents and coaches. “Kids are serving the sport instead of the sport serving the kids.” There are those who say specialization causes burn out, too many are quitting, and that couldn’t be further fm the truth.
We believe “Boring practices, poor mentors, unsolved intimidating tasks, humiliation, ridicule and scrutiny cause burnout. Failure to recognize a person’s assets, develop relationships and reward effort and achievement causes burnout. ”
If all they do is play games on week-ends and/or have boring practices during the week, this is counter-productive, but no one will convince us that twelve (12) fun filled practices and challenging ice times in around dry land, strength training, classroom and shooting isn’t the way to go. It’s all about getting bigger, quicker, stronger and faster while gaining a psychological advantage on your opponent in life. You simply learn to out-work people so the real world is a whole lot easier when your competition days are over. There is no ridicule and zero humiliation.
“We believe hard work can be fun; with courage and boldness instilled.”
We have had athletes over the years tell us how much the camp prepared them as much for life as being an athlete. Their work assignment in life became a “walk in the park” and promotions came because their employees observed their willingness to “live the brand” and log in hours unconditionally without complaining. They learned early on that “hard work is fun” and they learned it in our programs.
We receive letters most every week thanking us for our life preparation program.
Parents asked appropriate questions about our programs. We’ve included a few. If your concern is power skating, most power skating exercises can be done during a ten minute warm-up each day once you have acquired the technique.
We believe you improve the most when you skate the days you lift, sprint, and jump. This ties in all of your muscle groups which have a little different range of motion and lessens the chance of shortening any muscle group that would affect your stride. This also gives you a sense of pride in your commitment and a psychological advantage on your opponent.
If your concern is shooting, you do not need an ice sheet to shoot thousands of pucks.
If your concern is checking, we teach containment which is related to controlling the body and mind of the opponent. Control the mind of the opponent and you control the game.
Concern yourself with compete levels and the technique of containment will suffice.
Add the fun and mind challenging ice times and you have a well rounded program geared to improving any athlete for any sport. We seriously believe our Baseball, Football, Golf, Tennis and Track athletes improve greatly @ our camp. Add in some outside tennis, golf, along with the roller blade opportunities on the trail, dry land rink, and you have it all.
We coached prior to the 80’s and we are still coaching during the summer of 2011 and we always encourage our players to take part in the other sports if they can fit it in, especially if they want to do it. The biggest problem is the coaches in other sports don’t like the cross over idea and they try to intimidate. When is the Football Coach going to admit that our athletes rank amongst the highest in conditioning during Fall Football? They spend more time in the weight room and on the dry land than most Football players who “think” they work out, “think” they train, “think” they have a passion for what they do.
“If your son or daughter can go through our program, and have fun doing it, you have raised a heck-of-a child.”
There comes a time when athletes pick the sport they really like. Some sports are fillers and not as much fun for them. Every kid is different. W can remember letting our Baseball players go to Spring Football right fm the ball field; we encouraged it. Gary Sargent threw the shot put and discus after practice, and won both in High School Track while all-state in Baseball for four years. Sarge thought nothing of going fishing early, playing a little tennis, hitting the golf course, playing Baseball and going on the ice rink all in a summer day’s activity. No one made him do it.
Ralph Lovering practiced his starts with his base running, crossed over during Districts and Regional. He won 1st in the district, 2nd in regional and ran in a state track @ Macalester College the day after winning the Regional Baseball title in Thief River Falls. We know because we made the three hundred (300) mile drive with him right after the game was over. Forget the three sport athlete; they were four sport athletes and summer hockey with the right off-ice training prepared them for all of the sports. It still comes down to becoming bigger, quicker, stronger and faster; not about playing three games on a week-end.
Carl Sneep finished his USHL Lincoln Stars season in time to come home and throw a two (2) hitter and hit a three-hundred eighty (380) foot home run. He played Legion ball and trained ten (10) weeks out of every summer.
Sports, and camps, are as much about instilling intangibles and keeping active children busy as they are about getting a scholarship. This is the point so many are missing. I’ve always felt sorry for the person who went home after school hours and had no activity beyond school, yet schools continue to cut back on co-curricular activities. They must want to see the prisons overflow; which is what happens when active young people have nothing to do. I feel equally sorry for young people who are denied the camp opportunity. This is a totally different intangible building opportunity aside fm the educational process in schools; therefore a must.
“Great mentors and programs embolden people. Boldness and courage levels grow.”
“People need to know how much you care before knowing how much you know.”
We know one thing for sure. The Baseball, Golf, Football, Track and Tennis players that attend MHC show up for their respective camps in better shape than 90% of their peers. We focus on athletes getting bigger, quicker, stronger and faster and we believe that serves any sport they want to play. We also provide enough technical and tactical situations to improve skills.
As said many times, burnout is not directly correlated to specialization. Burnout stems fm poor mentoring, boring practices, humiliation, ridicule and scrutiny. Failure to do well causes burnout, especially when you don’t know how, or not taught, to learn fm failure. Burnout stems fm the inability to take on the challenge of solving intimidating tasks. Helicopter parents cause burnout unless they possess the skills to mentor an athlete properly. You don’t have to be educated to mentor but those who have it you can see it and feel it; it runs right though them.
Today’s athletes are bigger, quicker, stronger, faster, and smarter. They will thin slice and challenge you the second they meet you; they will assess your authenticity and passion for their career, life and game and then text or email results to their friends and parents. There is a good chance of your qualifications showing up on Facebook.” They are more likely to challenge those who lack substance and lack the skills of a true mentor. They read through perception and deception quickly.
Hockey is one of the sports that come under the specialization theory. Those critiquing fail to recognize how much fun the game is to both practice and play. Practice can be just as much fun as games. Whether drills, scrimmages, games or just skating, being on the ice is really fun. It’s the one game where you can have just as much fun on an outdoor rink as you do in a scheduled game. Have you ever been to a public skating session with people fm age two (2) to eighty-five (85)?
People critiquing specializing need only to watch between periods of the Winter Classic, January 1, 2010. Franco Harris and Jerome Bettis, two premier athletes in their sport, two people we love as people, were shooting pucks in to an open net. While accuracy was present once adjusting, check their shooting fundamentals and determine if they could beat a goalie on a breakaway or fm the point in a game. Then picture them on skates. Now, if both had decided to play the game @ an early age, and specialized, our guess is they would be superstars in hockey, also. Just more evidence you need a specialized athlete with specialized skills to play the greatest sport in the world today. Do you want something volcanic and enticing in life? Try practicing and player the game of Hockey.
Those critiquing are failing to recognize the very small percentage of athletes that are born to be there, regardless of what sport they choose, versus the huge percentage that are in the “catch up and pass mode, and will be until they finally catch up and pass. Can you imagine the task @ hand?
Those critiquing fail to recognize the price hockey has paid to be what it is today. Hockey received very little help fm the school systems because school programs were run by football and basketball people who didn’t want anything to do with the sport, especially basketball people. The MSHSL ignored the sport in to the early 1970’s until they found out it was so dynamic they could land lucrative TV contracts. The State High School Tournament was run by the Jaycee programs in St Paul and Bloomington. The game sold itself to the MSHSL.
Arenas were built by hockey groups while gymnasiums were attached to every school. Schools with vision attached ice arenas to schools. They soon found out that hockey was one way to support the rest of the programs. Why? Hockey is dynamic, volcanic and enticing; thus the reason why young people want to spend every waking moment training and playing the game regardless of time of the year. We challenge you to count up the economic dollars brought in to communities by arenas versus community ball parks, football stadiums and gyms. We are quick to say, “We need all of them, but Hockey deserves its place.”
“Mentors capable of creating a great pond hockey setting within a structured practice are in the minority. It’s too challenging and requires skill to teach.”
The game is unique in so many ways that specialization is very important. Players control a puck fifty-three (53), inches or more with a stick in their hands so it’s not like catching and throwing a ball. Skating is much more difficult than walking, jogging or sprinting. Split second thinking is required and intangible levels get tested most every shift.
We’ve always believed that hockey players can play most any sport while athletes in other sports would find it extremely difficult and demanding to play hockey or even go public skating. We can remember challenging an athlete in “horse” our first year teaching in 1964. He was an all-state three sport star in Football, Basketball and Baseball @ Bemidji High School and was very critical of this new sport called, Hockey. We gave him a good go @ horse and then he came out to the outdoor rink in and readily admitted he couldn’t begin to step on the ice with skates let alone play the game. I even let him try to handle a puck and shoot it. That ended all criticism, we had a new fan of the game and he and I had a better relationship in Baseball.
“This split second thinking game is forever challenging the human mind and your athletic ability; this, in itself, prevents burnout.”
Copyright by Chuck Grillo, Minnesota Hockey Camps, 24621 So Clark Lake, Rd P.O. Box 90, Nisswa, MN 56468-0090 Phone 218.963.2444 Fax 218.963.2325 Email: chuck@mnhockeycamps.com All rights are 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
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
MHC Revered and Respected
Minnesota Hockey Camps
Revered and Respected
There are all kinds of reasons why camps maintain, sustain and build on what they have but there are also some constants that will always be a part of MHC. Memories cultivated @ MHC are memories that will live as long as each camper is able to talk about the experience. The experience takes on a tone of reverence and each experience brought in to the conversation comes fm the heart. In many ways the memories brought up are sacred because they play such an important role in the development of the person.
Whether the relationship between counselors and campers, mentors and campers or the synergy of each work out, each experience is remembered and talked about in a manner that tells you that this experience had a profound impact on each person’s life and career. This isn’t something new. People have known for years that there is no substitute for an element of growth away fm home. They are essential to the growth of any person; young and old.
Bottom line is each camper having an element of growth aware fm home and without the eyes and ears of their parents. They are out of their comfort zone facing challenges and accomplishing things that would not be the same if their parents were standing right beside them. It’s a playground setting that is remembered and revered for a lifetime. We bring the value of the playground back in to their young lives; the playground revered for the pecking order and altering the pecking order.
There is nothing that compares to counselors and mentors who show empathy, desire to share and passion for all they do in life. Young people are content to satisfy those in charge and they don’t have to be a superstar to do it. Self-esteem levels are built through hard work alone. Any accomplishment beyond simply enhances the experience.
Our camp has its own rules; not unlike a supervised playground where young people learn to survive in the pecking order rituals of daily life. The young campers are on their own, out of their comfort zone, and take pride in every accomplishment. This is true if the accomplishment is nothing more than showing up on time to put in an honest day’s work. It all starts by creating the habit of commitment to all we do.
Most young people we meet “think” they work out, “think” they train, “think” they love the game, “think” they have a passion for life and work. It’s our position that we are on this earth to create an awareness of what it takes to critique ourselves and then forge ahead with a purpose and a passion we only “thought” was existent in our daily routine. We do know that one needs a “strict routine” to ensure success and we provide that.
The camp is there to create a setting reserved for the campers and each one takes one or more experiences and channels them towards personal growth; something they are unable to do under the protection of adults and their programs back home.
The camp was founded by Herb Brook and Chuck Grillo, and the legacy of MHC lives on. In the process we are developing success stories within and outside of the game. MHC is a special place, revered and respected for all it brings to any person’s life.
Copyright by Chuck Grillo, Minnesota Hockey Camps, 24621 So Clark Lake, Rd P.O. Box 90, Nisswa, MN 56468-0090 Phone 218.963.2444 Fax 218.963.2325 Email: chuck@mnhockeycamps.com All rights are 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
Revered and Respected
There are all kinds of reasons why camps maintain, sustain and build on what they have but there are also some constants that will always be a part of MHC. Memories cultivated @ MHC are memories that will live as long as each camper is able to talk about the experience. The experience takes on a tone of reverence and each experience brought in to the conversation comes fm the heart. In many ways the memories brought up are sacred because they play such an important role in the development of the person.
Whether the relationship between counselors and campers, mentors and campers or the synergy of each work out, each experience is remembered and talked about in a manner that tells you that this experience had a profound impact on each person’s life and career. This isn’t something new. People have known for years that there is no substitute for an element of growth away fm home. They are essential to the growth of any person; young and old.
Bottom line is each camper having an element of growth aware fm home and without the eyes and ears of their parents. They are out of their comfort zone facing challenges and accomplishing things that would not be the same if their parents were standing right beside them. It’s a playground setting that is remembered and revered for a lifetime. We bring the value of the playground back in to their young lives; the playground revered for the pecking order and altering the pecking order.
There is nothing that compares to counselors and mentors who show empathy, desire to share and passion for all they do in life. Young people are content to satisfy those in charge and they don’t have to be a superstar to do it. Self-esteem levels are built through hard work alone. Any accomplishment beyond simply enhances the experience.
Our camp has its own rules; not unlike a supervised playground where young people learn to survive in the pecking order rituals of daily life. The young campers are on their own, out of their comfort zone, and take pride in every accomplishment. This is true if the accomplishment is nothing more than showing up on time to put in an honest day’s work. It all starts by creating the habit of commitment to all we do.
Most young people we meet “think” they work out, “think” they train, “think” they love the game, “think” they have a passion for life and work. It’s our position that we are on this earth to create an awareness of what it takes to critique ourselves and then forge ahead with a purpose and a passion we only “thought” was existent in our daily routine. We do know that one needs a “strict routine” to ensure success and we provide that.
The camp is there to create a setting reserved for the campers and each one takes one or more experiences and channels them towards personal growth; something they are unable to do under the protection of adults and their programs back home.
The camp was founded by Herb Brook and Chuck Grillo, and the legacy of MHC lives on. In the process we are developing success stories within and outside of the game. MHC is a special place, revered and respected for all it brings to any person’s life.
Copyright by Chuck Grillo, Minnesota Hockey Camps, 24621 So Clark Lake, Rd P.O. Box 90, Nisswa, MN 56468-0090 Phone 218.963.2444 Fax 218.963.2325 Email: chuck@mnhockeycamps.com All rights are 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
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Holiday Message fm MHC
Holiday Message
Happy Holidays to you and your family from our Minnesota Hockey Camps family. All the best during the time of the year we have a lot to be thankful for. Sports are a true test of a person's intangibles. Lifetime relationships are developed over a short period of time because of the dynamics of the sport, demands of the job and the people we have the opportunity to meet through our work and travels.
Develop and cultivate as many relationships as possible. Take all the good out of each of them and put them in a memory bank.
If you send your child to camp, and they return home a better player, you will be happy. If they return home a harder worker, better person, with a better understanding of life and what it takes to play the game, you will be happier. We do all that and more. Minnesota Hockey Camps has a way of creating awareness of assets and liabilities. We teach young people the value of hard work that is fun while eliminating blind spots that shorten and stifle careers.
If you had your choice of one improvement, you will want them returning home a better person. This is something that happens just by being @ the camp and rubbing elbows with people who have a passion for life, people and the game.
The game of hockey has people in all capacities who know the value of validating and anointing themselves beyond other's beliefs, words, feelings and evaluations. We learn early on that we control our own destiny and in no way do others validate our worth and success.
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”. Keep supporting each other 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. Our wish for this Holiday Season is something thought provoking that enhances our chances of maximizing our unique skills. This costs nothing and ends up being priceless.
It’s easy to judge a person but it takes a special skill and caring person to do something to help others solve an intimidating problem or task.
All of us would like our children to improve so they can move on through the levels. Seeking greatness in your assets is our Holiday Message to you and your family. Along with that, is you raising your level of Curiosity which enhances your chances. Keep asking questions wherever you go; whoever you meet. One of the most important traits of great leaders is Curiosity. This will blend in well with your aspirations. Every year players like Scott Hartnell, T J Oshie, Ryan Malone, Matt Greene, Derek Stepan, Clarke MacArthur, Chris and Tony Stewart came to camp; they would say something like, “You’ve seen me play this year. I don’t want to hear what I did well. I want to know what I didn’t do well and anything I can do to improve.”
Carl Sneep has always sought advice on improving and is now learning how to adjust to pro as the only rookie on the WBS Penguins team. He is fortunate to have mentors who care and know the value of instilling boldness and courage @ the pro level.
Our camp has an attitude. Countries have attitudes (Canada’s hockey attitude), States (Provinces), Communities, Organizations, Teams, Lines, Defensive pairs and Individuals have attitudes. The top one fuels the one underneath and on down. Infectious play of individuals fuels the level above and on up to the top. The USA Miracle on Ice team started out as a collection of good college players and ended up impacting the entire world. They, along with the players we coached @ camps and in high school, are the underlying reason why we enjoy an NHL career.
Winning a game, or a spot on the team, is an attitude. Everything is an attitude. We know communities where young people grow up knowing how to win. There are organizations and teams that go in to each game or a play-off setting knowing how to win. There are individuals who have the “IT Factor” that translates in to performing in critical moments and finding a way to win. Lines and tandem pairs get on a roll and earn nicknames. Goaltenders show a caring level toward their teammates that makes their teammates want to play hard for them.
Our goal is to separate ourselves fm the pack with our unique assets and still find a way to blend in to a team setting by respecting each other’s individual skills. Over-achieving in our unique assets causes those around us to emulate what we do well. This is a team that grows as a team. This is how teams, staffs and departments within a company grow.
“Try to do something out of the ordinary every shift or training session. This builds in to magical and revered memories that ultimately become defining moments in our career and lives.”
Al Neuharth, USA Today Founder wrote, "After 65 you should retire, relax, help others and enjoy it." He says, "Too old and crotchety are risky, but so is young and cocksure."
We say ask questions, sort out all the responses and make a decision. Retirement is nice but maintaining your curiosity level is more important. We want to reduce retirement to recalculating.
Recent observations and circumstances carry more weight, because what you see is what you get. We say and write a lot. We are hoping you have the willingness and wisdom to sort out the good from the bad. This is the way to survive in this world. We only do it to create awareness before problems happen and expose problems when they happen. We have to solve them, because they never just go away. Let’s refer to this as the “Crisis Control and Authenticity Tests” of a human being.
Al says, under 35 - We should listen and learn.
We say listen, learn, chip in with comments and show up on time for work regardless of age. Listening is an ongoing process. Listening is a lost art and a difference maker in winning and losing. Chipping in improves the company culture and performance. Promptness costs the world billions, people their jobs and determines company success.
Al says, 35 - 65 Help run things and look for opportunities to run them yourself.
We say be a detail person, and care about others, before any personal gains. Compete to win. Do this and opportunities fall in your lap. Good people take care of good people, regardless of the situation. Our feeling is there are a lot of good things that will fall in your lap when you work hard with pure intentions.
Personal gains come from respecting unique assets of others and sharing, even if it's a puck. Sidney Crosby and Evgeny Malkin are standard bearers and raise the bar. Sharing stops and losing starts when greed enters in to the equation. We have to guard against it. The way to guard against it is by creating awareness this can happen, exposing problems and solving them. We can’t confuse greed with good greed.
Pass smartly when you should pass, shoot smartly to bury it when you should shoot (good greed is a must if you are going to score with regularity) and carry it smartly only if you have to. The good ones think about who they are going to give it to before they get it. Handling the puck is a given. Adding the word “smart or smartly” to every fundamental and expression of skill will raise the level of performance.
Bottom line, age and experience don’t give you answers. Passion for life, work, people and play does. When we are around people with a passion for life, work and play, we are on a high. It’s fun to be around people who live what they do. They have the will to win and excel and cherish the opportunity to bring others in to their lives.
The Holidays are a time to rehash memories. Life is all about creating memories; magical and revered that all add up to define your life. When it is all said and done, each memory is a special moment. In Astronaut John Glenn’s words, “A final haunting valediction of a person who made the supreme sacrifice and/or those who sacrificed so others could feel comfortable and enjoy a better life.”
This is our camp and life; all about developing people and creating memories while instilling boldness, courage, will to win/excel, skill to get out of yourself and bring others in to your life, the skill to express your skill and the skill to achieve greatness in some asset category. Greatness isn’t about being the greatest. It’s all about doing something great that becomes a memory that lasts forever.
With our economy struggling, we hope we found a way to give you something that didn’t cost all of us anything but time; time to write, read and digest.
We wish you all the best the Holidays have to offer. Take time to give thanks.
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 are 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
Happy Holidays to you and your family from our Minnesota Hockey Camps family. All the best during the time of the year we have a lot to be thankful for. Sports are a true test of a person's intangibles. Lifetime relationships are developed over a short period of time because of the dynamics of the sport, demands of the job and the people we have the opportunity to meet through our work and travels.
Develop and cultivate as many relationships as possible. Take all the good out of each of them and put them in a memory bank.
If you send your child to camp, and they return home a better player, you will be happy. If they return home a harder worker, better person, with a better understanding of life and what it takes to play the game, you will be happier. We do all that and more. Minnesota Hockey Camps has a way of creating awareness of assets and liabilities. We teach young people the value of hard work that is fun while eliminating blind spots that shorten and stifle careers.
If you had your choice of one improvement, you will want them returning home a better person. This is something that happens just by being @ the camp and rubbing elbows with people who have a passion for life, people and the game.
The game of hockey has people in all capacities who know the value of validating and anointing themselves beyond other's beliefs, words, feelings and evaluations. We learn early on that we control our own destiny and in no way do others validate our worth and success.
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”. Keep supporting each other 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. Our wish for this Holiday Season is something thought provoking that enhances our chances of maximizing our unique skills. This costs nothing and ends up being priceless.
It’s easy to judge a person but it takes a special skill and caring person to do something to help others solve an intimidating problem or task.
All of us would like our children to improve so they can move on through the levels. Seeking greatness in your assets is our Holiday Message to you and your family. Along with that, is you raising your level of Curiosity which enhances your chances. Keep asking questions wherever you go; whoever you meet. One of the most important traits of great leaders is Curiosity. This will blend in well with your aspirations. Every year players like Scott Hartnell, T J Oshie, Ryan Malone, Matt Greene, Derek Stepan, Clarke MacArthur, Chris and Tony Stewart came to camp; they would say something like, “You’ve seen me play this year. I don’t want to hear what I did well. I want to know what I didn’t do well and anything I can do to improve.”
Carl Sneep has always sought advice on improving and is now learning how to adjust to pro as the only rookie on the WBS Penguins team. He is fortunate to have mentors who care and know the value of instilling boldness and courage @ the pro level.
Our camp has an attitude. Countries have attitudes (Canada’s hockey attitude), States (Provinces), Communities, Organizations, Teams, Lines, Defensive pairs and Individuals have attitudes. The top one fuels the one underneath and on down. Infectious play of individuals fuels the level above and on up to the top. The USA Miracle on Ice team started out as a collection of good college players and ended up impacting the entire world. They, along with the players we coached @ camps and in high school, are the underlying reason why we enjoy an NHL career.
Winning a game, or a spot on the team, is an attitude. Everything is an attitude. We know communities where young people grow up knowing how to win. There are organizations and teams that go in to each game or a play-off setting knowing how to win. There are individuals who have the “IT Factor” that translates in to performing in critical moments and finding a way to win. Lines and tandem pairs get on a roll and earn nicknames. Goaltenders show a caring level toward their teammates that makes their teammates want to play hard for them.
Our goal is to separate ourselves fm the pack with our unique assets and still find a way to blend in to a team setting by respecting each other’s individual skills. Over-achieving in our unique assets causes those around us to emulate what we do well. This is a team that grows as a team. This is how teams, staffs and departments within a company grow.
“Try to do something out of the ordinary every shift or training session. This builds in to magical and revered memories that ultimately become defining moments in our career and lives.”
Al Neuharth, USA Today Founder wrote, "After 65 you should retire, relax, help others and enjoy it." He says, "Too old and crotchety are risky, but so is young and cocksure."
We say ask questions, sort out all the responses and make a decision. Retirement is nice but maintaining your curiosity level is more important. We want to reduce retirement to recalculating.
Recent observations and circumstances carry more weight, because what you see is what you get. We say and write a lot. We are hoping you have the willingness and wisdom to sort out the good from the bad. This is the way to survive in this world. We only do it to create awareness before problems happen and expose problems when they happen. We have to solve them, because they never just go away. Let’s refer to this as the “Crisis Control and Authenticity Tests” of a human being.
Al says, under 35 - We should listen and learn.
We say listen, learn, chip in with comments and show up on time for work regardless of age. Listening is an ongoing process. Listening is a lost art and a difference maker in winning and losing. Chipping in improves the company culture and performance. Promptness costs the world billions, people their jobs and determines company success.
Al says, 35 - 65 Help run things and look for opportunities to run them yourself.
We say be a detail person, and care about others, before any personal gains. Compete to win. Do this and opportunities fall in your lap. Good people take care of good people, regardless of the situation. Our feeling is there are a lot of good things that will fall in your lap when you work hard with pure intentions.
Personal gains come from respecting unique assets of others and sharing, even if it's a puck. Sidney Crosby and Evgeny Malkin are standard bearers and raise the bar. Sharing stops and losing starts when greed enters in to the equation. We have to guard against it. The way to guard against it is by creating awareness this can happen, exposing problems and solving them. We can’t confuse greed with good greed.
Pass smartly when you should pass, shoot smartly to bury it when you should shoot (good greed is a must if you are going to score with regularity) and carry it smartly only if you have to. The good ones think about who they are going to give it to before they get it. Handling the puck is a given. Adding the word “smart or smartly” to every fundamental and expression of skill will raise the level of performance.
Bottom line, age and experience don’t give you answers. Passion for life, work, people and play does. When we are around people with a passion for life, work and play, we are on a high. It’s fun to be around people who live what they do. They have the will to win and excel and cherish the opportunity to bring others in to their lives.
The Holidays are a time to rehash memories. Life is all about creating memories; magical and revered that all add up to define your life. When it is all said and done, each memory is a special moment. In Astronaut John Glenn’s words, “A final haunting valediction of a person who made the supreme sacrifice and/or those who sacrificed so others could feel comfortable and enjoy a better life.”
This is our camp and life; all about developing people and creating memories while instilling boldness, courage, will to win/excel, skill to get out of yourself and bring others in to your life, the skill to express your skill and the skill to achieve greatness in some asset category. Greatness isn’t about being the greatest. It’s all about doing something great that becomes a memory that lasts forever.
With our economy struggling, we hope we found a way to give you something that didn’t cost all of us anything but time; time to write, read and digest.
We wish you all the best the Holidays have to offer. Take time to give thanks.
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 are 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
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Crisis Control
Crisis Control;
managing, mentoring, parenting, playing
Hockey is an impossible game to play afraid. It’s a violent sport and things happen out there. You can’t be tentative. If you are, you are going to get hit, and inevitably, hurt. Going hard gives you a chance to initiate versus retaliate. Playing afraid falls in to other categories like: Afraid to lose, afraid to perform and afraid to win. Just play your game, relax, be aggressive, go with your instincts and do what you do best. Panicking in any situation has never served anyone or anything well. Solve all the little problems and you are less likely to experience big problems; probably the best crisis control there is.
Crisis control, in all situations, is paramount. It comes in to play when attempting to make a team, being a part of the final roster, consistently performing day in and day out, coming off a bad performance or benching, coming out of losing streaks and in the play offs under stress. It all comes down to relaxing, doing what you do well and going with your instincts. Confidence in yourself and your team is all part of the equation. Having a trust in those you work for, and play with, is an important part of the equation. Trusting your instincts and your game is part of the equation. It starts with you doing very well without the puck and moves to doing what you can with a puck.
Crisis control starts with leadership; how they handle themselves in tough situations. Five men that come to mind for me are George Gund, eMario Lemieux, Craig Patrick, Fred Shero and Ray Shero; totally different personalities but a similar approach when it comes to crisis control. They believe that winners win and winners express themselves with no panic; and no one hands anything to them. "Just play; just work."
The game is an aspect of life. The people who play it have sons and daughter, fathers and mothers, relatives and friends. What happens out there can be bigger than the game; whether getting hurt or accepting the challenge when opportunity is there. The challenge may be the challenge of making a team, staying on the team, playing consistently well to avoid riding the pine, and going through ups and downs while winning championships. Every community, every organization, every team, every player, every situation, has a different meaning and different expectation. Expectations are in line with bringing others in to your life, talent levels and ability to express your talent individually as well as in a team setting.
The game is easier to play when you are both relaxed and angry. The thought of annihilating your opponent is a good thought and will go a long ways towards helping you survive in the game. Do everything in your power to make them fail. There is no room for gloating @ any time. There is plenty of time to reminisce when a successful career is over and you’ve embraced every challenged you faced.
Crisis control is all about defining the moments faced before they define you. Knowing that some form of crisis is in the future, prepare yourself to relax, go with your instincts and what you do well. Parents fall in to the same category as leaders. Do you pass the crisis control test, parents? We’ve asked all in the past if you pass the authenticity test. Now we are asking the same of crisis control.
Do you pass the crisis control test? You will need it to survive the slippery slope of managing, mentoring, parenting and playing. Childrens' and players’ problems need to be solved before they become a crisis. All problems need to be solved before there is a tragic ending. Taking care of the little problems as they happen averts tragedy and crisis. It all starts by being a detail person with a strict routine; one who cares about others before any personal gains.
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 are 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
managing, mentoring, parenting, playing
Hockey is an impossible game to play afraid. It’s a violent sport and things happen out there. You can’t be tentative. If you are, you are going to get hit, and inevitably, hurt. Going hard gives you a chance to initiate versus retaliate. Playing afraid falls in to other categories like: Afraid to lose, afraid to perform and afraid to win. Just play your game, relax, be aggressive, go with your instincts and do what you do best. Panicking in any situation has never served anyone or anything well. Solve all the little problems and you are less likely to experience big problems; probably the best crisis control there is.
Crisis control, in all situations, is paramount. It comes in to play when attempting to make a team, being a part of the final roster, consistently performing day in and day out, coming off a bad performance or benching, coming out of losing streaks and in the play offs under stress. It all comes down to relaxing, doing what you do well and going with your instincts. Confidence in yourself and your team is all part of the equation. Having a trust in those you work for, and play with, is an important part of the equation. Trusting your instincts and your game is part of the equation. It starts with you doing very well without the puck and moves to doing what you can with a puck.
Crisis control starts with leadership; how they handle themselves in tough situations. Five men that come to mind for me are George Gund, eMario Lemieux, Craig Patrick, Fred Shero and Ray Shero; totally different personalities but a similar approach when it comes to crisis control. They believe that winners win and winners express themselves with no panic; and no one hands anything to them. "Just play; just work."
The game is an aspect of life. The people who play it have sons and daughter, fathers and mothers, relatives and friends. What happens out there can be bigger than the game; whether getting hurt or accepting the challenge when opportunity is there. The challenge may be the challenge of making a team, staying on the team, playing consistently well to avoid riding the pine, and going through ups and downs while winning championships. Every community, every organization, every team, every player, every situation, has a different meaning and different expectation. Expectations are in line with bringing others in to your life, talent levels and ability to express your talent individually as well as in a team setting.
The game is easier to play when you are both relaxed and angry. The thought of annihilating your opponent is a good thought and will go a long ways towards helping you survive in the game. Do everything in your power to make them fail. There is no room for gloating @ any time. There is plenty of time to reminisce when a successful career is over and you’ve embraced every challenged you faced.
Crisis control is all about defining the moments faced before they define you. Knowing that some form of crisis is in the future, prepare yourself to relax, go with your instincts and what you do well. Parents fall in to the same category as leaders. Do you pass the crisis control test, parents? We’ve asked all in the past if you pass the authenticity test. Now we are asking the same of crisis control.
Do you pass the crisis control test? You will need it to survive the slippery slope of managing, mentoring, parenting and playing. Childrens' and players’ problems need to be solved before they become a crisis. All problems need to be solved before there is a tragic ending. Taking care of the little problems as they happen averts tragedy and crisis. It all starts by being a detail person with a strict routine; one who cares about others before any personal gains.
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 are 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
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