Maxwell and I at Snoopys after a great game that featured the parents against the squirt team, Max's team.
11/9/09 - To be involved in such a fun sport with all of my family is a great honor in my life. It's a double edged sword sometimes, coaching and being a dad.
Max is an 11 year old PeeWee level goalie. My challenge with him is opening a different door to his brain to get him to perform at a top level. With goalies so much of it is the mind game. He strives to keep a 90% save percentage.
Mason is 7 at this point and is one of, if not the, top player on his team. He is just a joy to watch play. His stature and demeanor on the ice is such that everyone asks "who is that kid?". He wins the crowd over with his showmanship and has grandparents of other players cheering for him. At the moment (11/9/09) he is coming off a broken arm and awaiting his first official game of this season. He CAN'T wait!
Max is an 11 year old PeeWee level goalie. My challenge with him is opening a different door to his brain to get him to perform at a top level. With goalies so much of it is the mind game. He strives to keep a 90% save percentage.
Mason is 7 at this point and is one of, if not the, top player on his team. He is just a joy to watch play. His stature and demeanor on the ice is such that everyone asks "who is that kid?". He wins the crowd over with his showmanship and has grandparents of other players cheering for him. At the moment (11/9/09) he is coming off a broken arm and awaiting his first official game of this season. He CAN'T wait!
 |
 |
Whistler spring 2010
Mason and some of his Santa Rosa Flyer team mates joined up with some fellow canadian hockey players to make up a spring team called the Can-Am Kodiaks. We took a little family vacation to Whistler and enjoyed the sights as well as some hockey. The figure to the right is called the Inukshuk (pronounced ee.nook.shook). This was one of the symbols of the 2010 Winter Olympic games.
Mason wins the regional Silver Stick to send he and his team to Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.
11/14/2012 - Haven't updated this site in awhile. Maxwell is currently playing goalie (still) for our local Santa Rosa club. 14u Bantam Level. He's been getting some action at the midget level as well. The midget coach has been calling him up when their goalie has been unavailable. It's funny how these kids get older - there becomes some things in life more important than hockey. Max is also playing for the JV high school hockey team. He's currently a freshman at Cardinal Newman HS.
Mason is still a hand full and is enjoying the hell out of hockey. In the spring of 2010 he joined a club in San Jose called the Sharp Shooters for some competitive spring hockey. To Chicago and L.A. they went, and did quite well against some good nationally ranked teams. Well, come the new regular hockey season in September of 2010 he stayed in San Jose on the same team. It's now November of 2012 and Michelle and I have been schlepping him back and forth since. It's quite a commitment, but it's got it's perks I guess. The first year his team was ranked in the top five in the nation and now well into his second year they're up in the top ten already. Pretty cool when he get's to see the likes of Philadelphia PA, Princeton NJ, Chicago IL, Dallas TX, Phoenix AZ, just to name a few. Mason loves the history back east. He's mentioned the spot where Washington crossed the Delaware as well as seeing the Liberty bell. He actually was George Washington this year for Halloween!
There's a few photos below, including one of Mason with Todd McClellan (the current coach for the NHL SJ Sharks). Since we are at the practice facility of the Sharks a lot Mason has many opportunities at autographs and photos with players.
I currently went to D.C. for a hockey coaching symposium to get my level 5 coaching credential, the highest achievable level. Many great speakers were there including the Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma. 3 full days of hockey talk. It was awesome. After that I had to turn in a 24 page thesis to actually get the level 5 credential. 15 written pages plus 5 practice plans that map out an entire season of a teams path. Fun stuff, we'll see if they approve me come next April.
Be sure and click on the Pond Hockey Video button at the bottom of the photos. That was a great time at Eagle Lake, which is above Lake Tahoe in the Desolation Wilderness area.
Mason is still a hand full and is enjoying the hell out of hockey. In the spring of 2010 he joined a club in San Jose called the Sharp Shooters for some competitive spring hockey. To Chicago and L.A. they went, and did quite well against some good nationally ranked teams. Well, come the new regular hockey season in September of 2010 he stayed in San Jose on the same team. It's now November of 2012 and Michelle and I have been schlepping him back and forth since. It's quite a commitment, but it's got it's perks I guess. The first year his team was ranked in the top five in the nation and now well into his second year they're up in the top ten already. Pretty cool when he get's to see the likes of Philadelphia PA, Princeton NJ, Chicago IL, Dallas TX, Phoenix AZ, just to name a few. Mason loves the history back east. He's mentioned the spot where Washington crossed the Delaware as well as seeing the Liberty bell. He actually was George Washington this year for Halloween!
There's a few photos below, including one of Mason with Todd McClellan (the current coach for the NHL SJ Sharks). Since we are at the practice facility of the Sharks a lot Mason has many opportunities at autographs and photos with players.
I currently went to D.C. for a hockey coaching symposium to get my level 5 coaching credential, the highest achievable level. Many great speakers were there including the Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma. 3 full days of hockey talk. It was awesome. After that I had to turn in a 24 page thesis to actually get the level 5 credential. 15 written pages plus 5 practice plans that map out an entire season of a teams path. Fun stuff, we'll see if they approve me come next April.
Be sure and click on the Pond Hockey Video button at the bottom of the photos. That was a great time at Eagle Lake, which is above Lake Tahoe in the Desolation Wilderness area.
Spring 2010. Mason in Chicago for the first time. Little did we know that he'd be back for more.
Eagle Lake, CA A great day for some rare California pond hockey.
