Northfield Hockey Associatiotion November 2006 n www.northfieldhockey.net

Key Dates 7 p.m. Dec. 20, VFW Hall NHA board meeting 1:30 p.m. Dec. 26 PeeWee & U12 open hockey 2:45 p.m. Dec. 26 Bantams open hockey 2:45 p.m. Dec. 27 Sr. Mites & U8 open hockey 1:30 p.m. Dec. 27 Squirts & U10 open ABOVE: Members of the NHA U12 Girls team play some early-morning pond hockey before school Dec. hockey 6. The perfect ice conditions lasted less than a week. BELOW: Morgan Hubers handles the puck. 1:30 p.m. Dec. 28 Bantams open hockey Let the ice be the teacher 2:45 p.m. Dec. 28 PeeWee & U12 open Sometimes we forget that kids play hockey for hockey fun. Those willing to get out of bed at dawn a week ago got a glimpse of just how much fun it Jan. 6 can be. NHA night at the A cold snap turned Northfield ponds into per- Wild fect skating surfaces. PeeWee boys and U12 girls gathered Dec. 6 before school at a pond in the Home Tournaments northwest part of the city for the kind of free- PeeWee A Dec. 15-17 wheeling, no-lifting-the-puck games many of us enjoyed as children. PeeWee B Jan. 26-28 The return of warm weather has stopped out- U12 Girls Feb. 10-11 door skating for now, but when the cold returns, U10 Girls Feb. 17-18 we need to kick those kids outside. We often hear or read stories about great hock- U8 Girls March 3-5 ey players and their experiences growing up. The Senior Mites March 3-5 stories all have a common theme: As children, Mite Jamboree these greats played on the pond as much as their March 3-5 parents could stand. Bobby Hull in his autobiography wrote how Saskatchewan so he wouldn’t have to take off his on winter mornings in Pointe Anne, Ontario, he skates when he came in for supper. After eating, got up before dawn, put the water on to boil for he was right back on the ice. oatmeal, then headed out to shovel off the ice for Wayne Gretzky’s love of hockey began on a pickup games before school. bumpy rink in the family’s back yard in Brantford, A favorite memory that Gordie Howe has shared Ontario, a scene that Walter and Phyllis Gretzky on his instructional tapes is of his mother spread- captured on an often-shown home movie. ing newspapers on the floor of their home in POND HOCKEY, page  ICE CHIPS Coach YouTube and types of sponsorship available and record your sponsor information. Mike Trulson found several hockey instructional videos on the Internet site YouTube. Yes, amid all the exploding Coke bottles, skateboarding ac- PeeWee A tournament info cidents and rap videos are some good demonstra- PeeWee A families who want to reserve a room tions of hockey technique. For example, go to this should call the AmericInn of Cloquet at 877-879- link for ideas about dry-land training: 1522 before Jan. 2. When you call, tell them you are with the Northfield PeeWee A hockey team. www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MerXQw9PhA The tournament dates are Feb. 2, 3 and 4. After This page has additional links to stick-handling Jan. 2, the motel will release the block of rooms. drills and even goal tending tips. The Internet is a great information resource. We invite you to U12 Girls tournament info send in your favorite links for future issues of the A block of rooms is being held for the North- Slapshot to [email protected]. field Girls U12 team at the AmericInn in Litchfield Got news? for the Hutchinson tournament on Jan. 19- E-mail your newslet- Next board meeting 21. The phone number is 320-693-1600. Non- ter items to: The NHA board will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday, smoking rooms with two queen beds have been [email protected] Dec. 20 at the VFW Hall. The board reminds all blocked, but you can ask for smoking or other Or send them via hockey parents that the meetings are open to upgrades when you make your reservations. The snail mail to: any NHA member. If you have an issue to discuss rooms will be held until Dec. 28. The AmericInn 2417 Cotton Lane with the board, nothing beats being there to talk has a 48-hour cancellation policy. Northfield, MN 55057 about it face to face. Sign up for concessions Sponsor the NHA Concession coordinator Scott Dornbusch thanks The NHA is looking for small companies, fami- all of the volunteers who have already signed up lies and individuals to sponsor hockey in North- to work the stand. Many hours still are available. field. If you have a son, daughter, grandchild Check the NHA Web site at www.northfield- or special young person who is skating with the hockey.net for openings.You can access the NHA, this is a great opportunity to show them schedule by clicking “concessions” and then what their involvement in Northfield hockey “concession schedule.” means to you by sponsoring their team. After you select open dates that you are willing NHA’s sponsor coordinator, John Knight, can be to work, e-mail [email protected] with reached at 507-664-9646 or jknight@dsireps. your request. Volunteers also can call Scott at com to answer questions about the different levels 612-756-0663 with any questions.

Pond Hockey his Miracle on Ice team for the 1980 Olympics, he favored rink rats like Mike Eruzione over some of Continued from page  the more polished players. “The only way a kid is going to practice is if Today the Herb Brooks Foundation has as its it’s total fun for him,” Gretzky said, “and it was mission to show “players, parents, officials, coach- for me.” es and youth associations ‘by example’ how to Olympian Jenny Potter, who began skating as a make hockey less structured and more fun,” while 2-year-old in Eagan, didn’t play organized hockey helping to increase the number of kids playing until she was in the eighth grade. and increase their skill level at the same time. “That’s really where I got my game,” Potter said The foundation’s four pillars of development in her official Olympic biography, “from being out include “unstructured pond hockey opportuni- there at the park every winter. I’ve always been ties” along with dry-land and on-ice training, and a rink rat. leadership and character-building training. “My dad wouldn’t let me go out for a league Bill Weller, Brooks’ cousin and a foundation until I was a good enough skater, so I continued board member, told the Star Tribune that Brooks to play at the park.” “had a game plan for everything he did. We’re just Herb Brooks, whose love of hockey began on following his plan.” the outdoor rink at Phalen Park in St. Paul, be- For more information on the Herb Brooks Founda- November 2006 lieved pond hockey is a key element in building tion and its programs, go to www.herbbrooksfoun- Page  fundamental skills. When Brooks put together dation.com. “I heard people The ice is in at the new outdoor rink, stationed permanently at Babcock Softball Park just north of the Arena. The city and the NHA worked together to make the new rink happen, including new lighting say, ‘Why would (below). Now all the rink needs is cold weather. he want to do Bring on the cold — please! this?’ My answer is ‘Why not?’ Only thing missing from our new outdoor rink is winter weather It is what I While the outdoor weather and is in the final process has not cooperated lately, it of installing the light fix- love. It’s what I didn’t stop adults and chil- tures. dren earlier this month from O nc e c o ld we a t he r know.” enjoying the new outdoor rink showed up, Pat Jirik and at Babcock Softball Park. Skip Ruppe organized a — Wayne Gretzky The previous Highway 3 group of NHA hockey site provided excellent pro- dads to begin flooding. In motion for youth hockey, but less than a week of night it required that the boards flooding, they had four be removed and re-installed inches of ice built up as every fall for the Defeat of a base. The present plan Jesse James Day Rodeo. Bab- is for the NHA to flood at cock Softball Park provides night and the City to flood a permanent location that during the day. will allow for future improve- Volunteers for night ments, such as a hard surface flooding should contact for inline-skate hockey. Pat Jirik or Skip Ruppe. Joel Walinski of the City Volunteers for installing of Northfield met with NHA protective fencing on the board members last fall to boards should contact Greg discuss the process of relocat- Ernst. For suggestions you ing the outdoor rink, with the want conveyed to the city, Babcock site chosen last spring. After numerous contact Greg Ernst or Bryce Barry. meetings with various city departments and A special thanks goes to Joel Walinski, the city boards, the NHA received the official go-ahead works operations manager, past NHA President this fall. Todd Carroll, NHA President Bryce Barry and NHA The street department, headed by T.J. Heinricy, Registrar Greg Ernst for the cooperation needed prepared the site and installed the boards. Shane to make this relocation possible. Morsching lined up a discounted price for light Now let’s hope cold weather will return soon to poles. Brian Tjaden trenched the lines for power provide volunteers and the city time to get the November 2006 and installed the bases. Tony Guth wired the site outdoor rink ready again for Christmas break! Page  2006-07 Mites, U8 Girls Support our sponsors

U8 Girls Ryan Docken Phillip Winter Lane Dornbusch Kate Bornhauser James Fischer Mite White Nicte-ha Calvario Sam Gainey Gabriela Amador Regina Gargrave Nick Jewison Ellie Bartho Ann Hargis Nick Kvernmo Rachel Bielenberg Mya Jirik Griffin Loecher Jack Brachmann Mara Johnson Conner Malecha Mitchell Brachmann Alissa Johnson Max Olson Carter Brooks Annie Kessler Grant Parrish Grace Carlson Emily Morsching Grant Sawyer Cole Dack Marissa Ruppe Hunter Soular Nathan Fink Clare Samuelson Skip Varley Christopher Frago Lucca Sterrer Jason Velazquez Cal Frank Sarah Stowe Zakary Von Ruden Ethan Gallardo Senior Mite Maroon Jack Warden Cameron Guest Sam Hegseth Joseph Ackley Mite Gold Chase Herman Erik Bartho Leif Berdahl Preston Hoffer Ryan Buck Jack Dennis Grant Huston Grant Carlson William Fink Andre Ischer Mara DuVernois Dylan Gehring Jim Kasal William Edwards Josh Grabau Andrew Kruger Jacob Halvorson Devon Jirik Zachary Kruger Lucas Halvorson Sam Luhman Wesley Lideen Sam Hargis Zach Marvin Joe Malecha Nicole Laue Casey Parker Jadyn McGovern Jorgan Legvold Bryce Parrish Max Morrison Esteban Lopez Sam Morrison Luke Marvin Mite Maroon McKenna Nelson Jack Morrison Andrew Baumgartner Angelo Perez Jase Simon Mary Baumgartner Nora Puppe Bennett Sterrer Jack Fox Joshua Rauenhorst Chase Thomas Kearic Gargrave Jacob Rezac Ryan Torbeson Colby Klotz Garrett Sawyer Cole Trebelhorn Kyle Kluzak Mathew Sexten Senior Mite Gold Andrew Lyman Dylan Stadler Elizabeth Morsching Jim Vitito K.C. Betcher Brynn Puppe Logan Wells Ryan Bielenberg Suzy Running Jackson Cloud Zachary Waldemar

About the Mites program Dan Bartho and Pat Jirik have put Bartho will coordinate the Senior together the Mites teams for the Mites program. Northfield Hockey Association. The The Mites program includes two Center for Sports G.A. Ernst teams include: teams of first- and second-graders Medicine & Associates Two Senior Mites teams were cho- who are second-year skaters. In addi- and Rehabilitation Keith Pumper sen from 38 second- and third-graders tion, 36 first-year skaters have joined Children’s Therapy Plumbing & Heating with the goal of equally distributing the program. and Speech Orthopedic the more skillful players. The NHA also is fielding a U8 girls College City Beverages and Fracture Clinic The coaches hope to schedule sev- team, giving Northfield girls teams at Dakota Electric of Northfield eral controlled scrimmages with other three levels. Distributor Sales Inc. The Quarterback Club hockey associations, and to make this For more information on the Mites D & S Cement The Tavern work, they will reform the teams on program, call Dan Bartho at 612-210- Women’s Health occasion into one of just third-grad- 8781. Family Health Medical Center of Northfield ers and one of just second-graders. Clinic