Shared Respect

Sometimes in our quest for the golden rings or the MVP award we lose sight of the important things. We abandon fair play and respect believing it matters more about winning at any cost.

Respect in hockey between players, parents, coaches, officials and facilities  is essential. Sportsmanship should be of paramount value to everyone involved in hockey. Each individual should be respectful of everyone’s position and to be a positive role model in our great game.

Players need to play hard but play fair. Remember it’s only a game. Player’s should be conscious of opponent’s safety as well as their own on the ice. Play safe and avoid injuring other players... remember the Golden Rule!

Parents should be able to go to the arena and support their children but not to the detriment of everyone else. They should not interfere with the coaches decisions. Parents should refrain from insulting officials and coaches, who are trying to do their very best within the game.

Coaches should instill sportsmanship and fair play within their teams. They need to understand the importance of their role in the game. Players look up to their coaches. Coaches should have a positive demeanor towards their players, officials and other parties associated with the game. It’s importance to avoid degrading or insulting with verbal remarks during the heat of battle. Players often feed off the negative actions of their coaches.

Hockey is about playing to your best abilities but there will always be rules. The officials on the ice deserve the respect of everyone in the arena including the players, coaches and parents. Remember the game cannot be played and supervised without these dedicated individuals. Referees, linesmen and the volunteer time / score keepers are such a valuable part of the hockey community. They must be treated with respect and consideration.

Even the arena managers and rink attendants deserve shared respect. They are responsible for keeping the arena facilities in good repair and maintaining good quality ice. Parents must instill in their children respect for the rink facilities including the stands and dressing room areas. If a player had a bad game, this is not a reason to break equipment or trash the dressing room. Players and coaches must respect that the rink attendants have schedules too. When one group is finished on the ice, it is respectful to make sure that practice teams are off the ice so that the ice can be cleaned on time for the next group.

Shared respect within the game of hockey requires good cooperation between all the major stakeholders – players, parents, coaches, officials and facilities. Shared respect will ensure that hockey will continue to be the greatest game on earth.

Experience the Hockey Trip of a Lifetime!

SUMMER 2014

CANADIAN / CZECH HOCKEY EXCHANGE

Tucker Hockey is offering a unique opportunity to visit the Czech Republic from July 9 – 23, 2014. It’s an incredible opportunity for top calibre peewee and bantam aged players to experience elite Czech hockey training and enjoy the rich culture of the “Golden City” – Prague, Czech Republic with their parents.

Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in the world! Prague, pronounced Praha in the Czech language, is the capital city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north- west of the country on the Vltava River, the city is home to about 1.3 million people.

The city has been a political, cultural and economic centre of central Europe for centuries. Prague suffered considerably less damage during World War II than other major cities in Europe, allowing most of its historic architecture to stay true to form. Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, Prague with its rich history has become one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. The Czech Republic is famous for its historic architecture, rich culture, crystal and of course passion for hockey!

Why Experience the Canadian / Czech Hockey Exchange Program?

Our camp location will be in the Czech Republic! It is a country with an excellent ice hockey tradition, boasting the most NHL hockey players from any European country; an amazing statistic considering the country’s small population of only 10 million people.

Practice and learn an intensive type of hockey from highly trained and experienced elite Czech coaches - including the “Imaginary Model Opponent”, specific station training of hockey skills development, as well as other innovative training methods based on the Czech tradition to develop a player’s individual and tactical hockey skills.

The hockey camp is based at the top sports facility in the Czech Republic where the best Czech ice hockey players and other elite athletes train for their upcoming season.

Intensive on and off ice training as well as high quality relaxation and recovery time – 21 hours of on ice training, 10 hours of off ice dryland training, daily video / chalk talks, mental conditioning, a variety of balanced nutritious meals, and 24 hour supervision by a staff of professional counselors. Parents will have the option of staying with their child at the sports center camp hotel or another hotel a 5 minute walk away from the sports center. Parents can also use all the sport facilities in the sport center.

An Exceptional Hockey Value, the Exchange Program Includes The Following:

• Return airfare from Calgary to Prague
• 2 weeks accommodation in the Czech Republic
• Majority of meals included
• 1 week of professional Czech ice hockey training with Elite Coaches
• Access to all the sports facilities within the sport center for both players and parents
• 24 hour camp supervision by a staff of professional counselors
• 3 exhibition hockey games against local Czech competition
• Guided sightseeing tours of attractions within Prague
• Guided sightseeing excursions to the Czech countryside
• A visit to the largest ice hockey store in Prague
• Group travel attire for all participants
• Personalized Home and Away Game Jerseys
• Arrival and Departure Receptions in Prague

An outstanding hockey, travel vacation, cultural, and friendship exchange experience!

Additional Features / Added Value included in the Exchange Package

Sightseeing trips to historic and cultural sites in the Czech Republic such as Karlovy Vary, Crystal Factory Nizbor or Karsteinjn Castle etc. Explore one of the most beautiful cities in the world – Prague! We will show you the beautiful center of Prague, historic Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, the old Astronomical clock in the Old Town Square and Vltava River Cruise. Visit the largest ice hockey store in Prague as well!! Thanks to the Czech Republic’s location at the crossroads of various cultures in the heart of Central Europe – it can provide opportunities to extend your stay and explore other countries near to the Czech Republic.

To ensure a wonderful time on and off the ice, the Hockey Exchange Program is professionally organized and managed by a friendly, dedicated support staff. Two unforgettable weeks consisting of elite hockey training balanced and supplemented with unique Czech cultural experiences. Excellent opportunity to make new hockey friendships!

For further details contact:

Rex Tucker at 403-244-5037

 

Children May not Like Sports, So What Do you Do?

A campaign has begun in the United Kingdom fronted by Cypriot-Canadian psychologist Dr. Linda Papadopoulos. The Make Time 2 Play campaign is highlighting the need for children to engage in old-style, general play activities like hide and seek, tag and impromptu games and sports.

Many children, often as young as five or six shy away from organized activity and sport. One of the factors that this is attributed to is that it is entirely possible for children that young to have a negative body image and not be confident in themselves. This in part comes from the focus of society on celebrity, beauty and unhealthy competition.

If a child is unhappy about themselves, the way they look or the way they feel then sending them to an organized sports event such as soccer practice or hockey can illicit tempers and tantrums. Dr Papadopoulos theorizes that traditional games and play activity can help children get away from negative thoughts about themselves and help them realize that their body serves a purpose rather than simply being a function of aesthetic value. And once this correct idea of the body is formed they are far more willing to go to their first Calgary hockey camp.

Every accomplished sports person knows that their body needs to be trained to achieve their goals. They often spend hours in the gym and practicing their sport to get to and maintain their high levels of success. While a muscle-based physique can be appealing beauty is not the reason that these players work out. For them their body is a functional tool allowing them to achieve within their sport. For children this realization can be a big help in fighting body image concerns. Not only is the child getting an active work out from traditional play such as tag, building forts and rough housing but they come to realize that their body exists to let them do something, not to please other people with how they look. By playing traditional games, playing outside in parks and play grounds children get the joy of seeing how fast they can run, how far they can jump and how high they can climb. When they achieve a new personal best it helps them see that their body is a tool that lets them have an engaging and fun time, all while being active.

The run on effect of this is that once the child realizes what their own body is for they can become more at ease with themselves. The worries of another child being faster, stronger or thinner fade away and the child becomes happier within themselves. They see that their own happiness is dependent on what they do themselves and their own personal enjoyment is based on their own achievements, not how they are viewed by others.

If your child objects to going to a hockey camp, or a weekend with the scouts then all you may need to do is give them time to play in a natural environment where they set their own goals and determine their own outcomes. Many adults will have memories of their parents standing at the door and telling them they’re not allowed inside unless it’s to get a glass of water, that they should be playing outside and enjoying the great outdoors. Dr. Papadopoulos thinks that the natural play of children should be encouraged, that the games these children’s parents and grandparents played are of great value and that it will lead to far more sporting activity and happiness in their own skin in the long term.