• Do not force your children to participate in sports, but support their desires to play their chosen sport. Children are involved in organized sports for their enjoyment. Make it fun.
   
• Encourage your child to play by the rules. Remember, children learn best by example, so applaud the good plays of both teams.

• Do not embarrass your child by yelling at players, coaches, or officials.

• By showing a positive attitude toward the game and all of its participants, your child will benefit.

• Emphasize skill development and practices and how they benefit your young athlete. De-emphasize games and competition in the lower age groups.

• Know and study the rules of the game, and support the officials on and off the ice. This approach will help in the development and support of the game. Any criticism of the officials only hurts the game.

• Applaud a good effort in victory and in defeat and enforce the positive points of the game. Never yell or physically abuse your child after a game or practice - it is destructive. Work toward removing the physical and verbal abuse in youth sports.

• Recognize the importance of volunteer coaches. They are very important to the development of your child and the sport. Communicate with them and support them.

• If you enjoy the game, learn all you can about the game, and volunteer!

Parents, did you know that there were 35,324 boys and 8,361 girls registered to play youth hockey in Minnesota last season?  Did you kow that there were about 6,200 boys and 3,900 girls playing high school hockey?  Did you know that there were about 250 Minnesota boys and about 95 Minnesota girls on D1 college hockey rosters?  Did you know there were 20 Minnesota born players in the NHL and that the first professional women's team in Minnesota began only this year?

The chances of your son or daughter getting a D1 college scholarship is minute.  The chances of your son or daughter playing professional hockey are miniscule.

While children can and should have dreams they, and you, should understand the long odds that exist.  They, and you, should also understand the hours and years of hard work involved beyond scheduled practices and games in order to make those dreams come true.

Please visit our Hockey Education Program (HEP) page to learn more about keeping youth hockey and youth sports in general in perspective.

Hockey should be fun for kids, not work!  After all, it is a game.