OIL PRICE SWINGS... The New Normal

Here's a short Q&A with leading economists to help you understand why the price of oil is heading so high and what impacts it will have on the U.S and Canadian economies.

See link... Oil Price Swings

Darryl Belfry... Using the Dots as a Defenseman

This guy not only understands the game, but he is a great communicator. He'd make an amazing coach.



Darryl Belfry works with top NHL and Euro pros and top prospects.

For more info. see http://www.proplaymakers.ca/

Outliers - The Story of Success

This entertaining and easy to read book about the peculiarities of serendipity, dumb luck, and the pure and simple desire for perfection rings so true when it comes to hockey...

My own observations as a coach and team manager collecting copies of birth certificates for elite and less competitive teams correlates perfectly with the author Malcolm Gladwell's statistics regarding the direct correlation between the month a player is born and his or her level of competitiveness. Obviously, there are exceptions. But the stats are what they are.

I've also also observed the POWER OF PRACTICE... In Gladwell's investigations he has found that the "magic number" whether you are an NHL hockey player, a member of "the Beatles", or a world class computer geek like Bill Gates... is 10,000 HOURS. 10,000 hours to become a world class pianist, pilot, surgeon or whatever your endeavour.

Relating this to what I see at hockey... I don't know how many times I've heard parents and coaches talk about certain kids as "natural skaters". Certainly that rings true at very early ages but when you peel back the onion you will discover that with the older kids, these "natural skaters" ALWAYS work their butts off at practice and ALWAYS attend specialized skating clinics. The same holds true for shooters... Look at 2 of hockey's best shooters in the game... retired Joe Sakic and current Steve Stamkos. In similar cases... Sakic's dad used to berate his son if he wasn't shooting pucks in the basement and Stamkos asked his dad to put him in specialized shooting clinics because he knew he just wasn't as good as the other kids on his team and around the league. What Gladwell shows here is that when it comes specifically to perfection, when given the opportunity to excel, it ain't magic. That doesn't mean by any stretch that your kid will end up in the show, but it does make me think of the oft quoted double entendre...

"How do you get to Carnegie Hall?

Practice, practice, practice..."

This is a remarkable book. Let me know what you think.

Your 5-Min. "Need To Know" About Libya's Col. Moammar Gadhafi

Dictatorial despot to his own people or shrewd diplomatic statesman?

Take a look at the man who managed to win favour with Western countries such as the U.S., Britain, France and Italy, even after having been linked to a number of highly publicized terrorist atrocities through the 70's and 80's.

But now he faces his biggest challenge ever... his own countrymen. And his highest profile diplomats have abandoned ship. I doubt he will be around for too much longer.  Maybe it will become a civil war...???

Read Geoffery York's attached article in The Globe & Mail to learn how he has been able to survive 42 years as Libya's leader.

Tell me what you think. Leave your comments below.

LINK --> Will tactics that saved Gadhafi before be enough for him to survive now?

Joe Venuto's Impact Hockey (Boxing Day 26DEC10)

On Boxing Day 2010 Joe Venuto held a clinic at Westwood Arena to help young hockey players hone their skills and work off Christmas dinner.



COACHES... You may want to include a few of these drills in your repertoire and you can add goalies for shooting too.

For more information CLICK HERE --->  Joe Venuto's IMPACT HOCKEY 

The Tight Turn

Kevin Muller from M2 Hockey shows the proper technique for making a tight turn.

 TEACHING POINTS

• Lead with stick and eyes in direction of turn. It will help move your shoulders and rest of body together.
• Lead with outside edge of inside skate and slightly ahead of outside skate.
• Crossover half way through your turn and accelerate...!!!

1/2 Ice Warm-Up Drill

Here's a nice warm up drill you can use when the other half of ice is being used...

HOCKEY DRILL: 2 on 1 Horseshoe

Check out this simple but effective hockey drill drill. See link...

2 on 1 Horseshoe Drill

THE BASIC WRIST SHOT

"One of the most fundamental hockey skills you can learn, one of the most untaught skills."
        -  Kevin Muller

• Technique
  • Blade flat on the ice
  • Puck on the heel of the blade
  • Hands shoulder width apart
  • Bring the puck behind your back foot -- keeping the blade facing straight at the net
  • Transfer your weight to your back foot (load your weight up) -- generate power from your lower body
  • Look to your target
  • Open your hips and point your front foot to the net
  • Push the puck straight forward, keeping it on the heel of the stick until it reaches your front foot
  • When the puck reaches your front foot, roll your wrists over until your blade is facing the ice
  • Finish your follow through by aiming your stick to where you’re shooting

• Common Mistakes
  • Puck starting in the middle of the blade or on the toe
  • Not rolling the wrists completely over (stick blade not closed, facing the ice)
  • Front foot not facing the net
  • Head down when shooting
  • Improper (or no) weight transfer (trying to generate power from upper body instead of lower body)
  • Hands too close or too far apart.

Fool's Overture performed by Roger Hodgson in Paris 2004

Fool's Overture by Supertramp is one of the best songs ever constructed on the planet.



The original song appears on the band's 1977 album, "Even In The Quietest Moments". It includes an excerpt from Winston Churchill's famous June 4, 1940 speech "Never Surrender".

Roger Hodgson

Imagine a mix of Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Klatuu and Al Stewart. But the vocals are pure Roger Hodgson. This live version was recorded in Paris, 2004. Hodgson left the band in 1983.

FLOORBALL... Training For Hockey Players

FLOORBALL is the FASTEST growing team sport in the world and it's great for developing your hands for hockey.

Check out this video... TRAINING FOR HOCKEY PLAYERS...

http://vimeo.com/7575422

Dave Kasperek's "Escape Turn" Reverse Drill

Dave Kasperek of TSA Hockey lives in Amherst, New York and is a great hockey trainer. Check out this short video.

Notice how Dave is always facing the play and his hands are always out away from his body.

Pro Playmakers - Player Interaction

Darryl Belfry works with pros from NHL and Russia...