Comprehensive Plan for the Herb Brooks Foundation
Continuing the Vision -
Growing the Game from Good to Great!

August 21, 2006

Purpose of the Comprehensive Plan

The comprehensive plan is a statement of what the Foundation wants to accomplish and become. The plan is futuristic in that it will guide decisions that have to be made. The reasons for undertaking the planning process are many. They include establishing strategies for continuing the ideas of Herb Brooks in his effort to improve the game of hockey for players at all levels, especially youth hockey. The Comprehensive Plan includes a unified, talented, prepared team that intends to stay loyally committed to a shared vision.

The Vision

The Herb Brooks Foundation will become the “cornerstone” in the effort to “Grow” the sport of ice hockey – a hockey future that will improve the skill level of American players to world-class status.

This will be done by teaching and showing players, parents, officials, coaches and youth associations “by example” how to make hockey less structured and more fun while helping build the base of the pyramid. This method will increase the number of kids playing and increase their skill level at the same time.

The strength of the Foundation will be in its advocacy to grow the sport with a focus on youth hockey development. The Foundation will be widely recognized as an innovator, providing a place where players, parents, officials and coaches share a common vision and sense of what is really important for our youth playing hockey and other sports.

The Mission

The mission is to memorialize the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” and Herb Brooks’ legacy and to build and manage a world class ice hockey development, training and educational center to grow the sport of ice hockey by using Herb Brooks’ vision, methods, and philosophy.

The Goals

1. To memorialize the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” and Herb Brooks’ legacy.

2. Create and operate the most innovative ice hockey skill development and training facility in the United States for players and coaches with an emphasis on youth hockey.

3. Create and operate the best educational/leadership training program for players, coaches, officials and administrators.

4. Create and operate a learning environment that “Gives the Game Back to the Kids” by incorporating unstructured “Pond Hockey” opportunities.

Guiding Principles & Four Pillars of Program Development & Training

Guiding Principles of the Foundation reflect the expressed desires of Herb Brooks and will be used to guide the development of the Foundation. They are the framework for achieving Herb Brooks’ vision for hockey development. Both the vision statement and the guiding principles will be developed through a process involving Herb’s ideas, Herb’s family and the board of directors and advisors of the Foundation.

The Four Pillars of Program Development & Training

1. Dry- land training

2. On-ice training

3. Character/Leadership/Officials training

4. Unstructured “Pond Hockey” opportunities for training

Plan for an Indoor/Outdoor Training Facility

The Foundation will operate in a training facility that will lead this effort by example - offering instruction and mentoring to players, parents, officials and coaches. The methods will incorporate Herb’s vision: rink-rat unstructured opportunities, professional coaching, leadership training, Give the Game Back to the Kids, build the base, keep kids playing as long as possible, while using sound research and state of the art equipment, methods and facilities.

Executive Board

A three-five person executive board will be set up and become responsible to oversee the Foundation.

Advisory Board

A twenty one (12-40) member advisory board will be set up to help guide and give expertise and wisdom to the Foundation.

Office, Staff and Location

The Brooks Foundation will hire an Executive Director who will have the authority to organize and administer the day to day operations of the Foundation. The main office will be located at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minnesota.

Provide Research & Development

The Foundation will have an advisory committee and provide funding to do research on topics that help shape the best methods of creating a great learning environment for hockey. An R & D advisory committee will be set up to begin work in identifying worthy research projects.

Networking

The Foundation will have an advisory committee that will work with Minnesota Hockey, USA Hockey, Canada Youth Hockey and other groups who share a similar vision.

Fundraising

A fundraising advisory committee will be set up in order to secure funding for the ongoing operations of the Foundation. A plan to raise $4,500,000 will be developed in order to build a state of the art 12,000 sq ft off-ice training facility, outdoor artificial ice rinks, outdoor natural ice ponds and an indoor ice rink to be located at the National Sports Center next to the four Olympic ice sheets Herb helped create.

A For-Profit Model as a Partner

A for-profit model will be explored in order to help fund the development and ongoing programs of the Foundation. An advisory committee will be set up to explore and implement this model.

Annual Awards Celebration

An advisory committee will be set up to organize an annual Herb Brooks Foundation Awards Banquet. This banquet will celebrate the life of Herb Brooks and recognize those individuals and organizations that are actively implementing his ideas.

Youth Hockey Hall of Fame

The Foundation will set up an internet based Minnesota Youth Hockey Hall of Fame that will be available to anyone worldwide by computer. Individuals and organizations will be nominated and inducted into the Minnesota Youth Hockey Hall of Fame at the annual awards celebration. This Hall of Ffame will recognize the unsung heroes who have devoted their lives to youth hockey development.

Sports Academy & Prep School

The Foundation will establish an advisory committee to explore the development of a school that will combine a core back-to-the-basics curriculum along with a curriculum to develop athleticism. The school will use existing athletic facilities at the National Sports Center during the school day at a time when those facilities are not used as much. At the secondary level the Post Secondary Education Option (PSEO) will be used to help elite players remain in the state while developing their hockey skills - attending local high schools and universities during their junior and senior years.

High School Hockey Advocate

The Foundation will advocate for a strong Minnesota State High School League by lobbying for 20-minute periods and a 30 game season to help keep the best players in Minnesota during the winter season; and be an advocate to remove the violence from all levels level of play by advocating that officials consistently enforce the rules regardless of the game situation. This will allow skilled players to reach their full potential so the game can be based on speed and skill – a quality learning environment for the sport and individual players.

“No Check” Opportunities

An advisory committee will be set up by in order to focus on the development of “No Check” opportunities for youth players. Checking is part of the game, however research indicates that the best age to introduce checking is 15+. Kids under the age of 15 should have the opportunity to play no-check hockey.

From Good to Great! Building the Next Miracle & Giving the Game Back to the Kids

How will the Herb Brook’s Foundation memorialize his legacy and keep his vision moving forward without him? Herb prepared the direction, goals and even the individuals to lead the Foundation. He set the example and prepared an army of volunteers. It is just a matter of putting the pieces together with the right people leading the effort - always looking for innovative ideas.

Herb’s vision was to help the United States become a world class ice hockey power by providing the best training methods and facilities so the American youth player has the best opportunities to develop their hockey skills along with their character.

Herb’s ideas are documented in great detail. He spoke often and too many people about improving the hockey experience for the recreational player as well as the elite athletes (see attachment A).

Herb was not happy with the state of hockey at all levels today – especially youth hockey. His idea was not “status quo reform”. Status quo reformers romanticize ambiguity and consensus, tolerate mediocrity and punish risk-takers. Status quo reformers assume that youth associations are already doing all they can; improvement is just a question of tinkering with finding better training for players and coaches, or improving facilities. Ultimately, all of the touted improvements by status quo reformers don’t change anything that matters.

Real reform in hockey will challenge timid, consensus-loving souls tipping their world so that leadership is possible without consensus, mediocrity becomes a vice and entrepreneurship becomes a badge of honor. Reform means to remove defects, to form again. This is not accomplished by dabbling with new facilities and training programs. Serious reform requires rethinking everything. Albert Einstein once said: “You can not solve a problem from the mindset that created it”.

Herb was an activist. He never backed away from challenging the “status quo” in life or hockey. His desire to grow hockey was clear during the last years of his life. That means the Herb Brooks Foundation will: dare to be different, be uncompromising, be innovative, be over prepared, become an overachiever through hard work and persistence - dare to dream, don’t be afraid to fail - respect others, be a student as well as a teacher. Be relentless, tough, controversial and hard working - all with great love for the game and those people playing and volunteering. Never forget those who laid the foundation of the sport and prepare those who will lead the sport into the future.

Herb’s ideas and passion for the game are shaped by the past. What he meant when he said we have to “Give the Game Back to the Kids”. How he wanted to grow the game from good to great!

Years ago, Herb grew up playing hockey when the players owned the game. It was a time when hockey was played on the frozen ponds and frozen outdoor rinks around the state. The game was played by the neighborhood kids for fun. Herb and his friends would gather to play almost every day and evening during the winter. Good ice could only be maintained from Thanksgiving until mid February, ten to twelve weeks at best. There were few indoor rinks so the season ended when the ice melted. During the short hockey season most of the players like Herbie and his friends would play approximately 200-300 hours of unstructured hockey each winter. An average weekend would include a bag lunch and 15-20 hours of unstructured hockey practice. A typical youth hockey season would include 12 games a year and 1-2 practices a week with a coach - approximately 30 hours of structured hockey in a season. This was the early tradition of Minnesota hockey and the Phalen Park Youth Hockey Association that Herb grew up in.

The kids from Phalen Park would become known as the “Grand Army of Phalen Creek”. Johnson High School was, up until 1970, the powerhouse of hockey south of Duluth. Johnson High School won four state hockey championships. Prior to 1965, Johnson was the only school south of Duluth to win a state hockey tournament. Why did the Phalen rink-rats become so successful? Was there better coaching? Did Phalen Park have better facilities? Were the “East Side” kids better athletes? The answer to all of those questions is – no.

Rube Gustafson, Johnson’s legendary coach who won all four of the state championships at Johnson High School didn’t even know how to skate. He would coach during practice by standing at center ice in overshoes - a whistle around his neck. Phalen Park facilities were not any better than other metropolitan area outdoor ice facilities of that era. What made the difference? It was the countless hours of unstructured practice by the Phalen rink rats that propelled them to be the best for several generations. Hockey was part of the culture on the East Side of St Paul. The game belonged to the kids. They went to the rink to meet their friends to have fun playing hockey. There were a few hours of structured practices and a few games – usually one a week during the season.

When Herb talked about “Giving the Game Back to the Kids” he was talking about his youth experience. How important is unstructured play in developing hockey skills and helping the kids enjoy the game? Herb would answer by pointing out the history of Phalen Park and Johnson High School prior to 1970. He would also point out an example today. If you look at the NBA or College basketball rosters – 75% are black athletes. Why are the majority of great basketball players today black athletes? Did they have better coaching or better facilities when they were learning to play? The answer is simple. They play countless hours of unstructured basketball in their neighborhood – just like Herb and his friends on the East Side of St Paul years ago. Another example is the 1980 Olympic Hockey Team – they were all rink rats.

Herbie said: “Winning the state championship; that represented your neighborhood. I would have to say that was my biggest thrill ever. It was just the guys in the neighborhood and that was special.” Herb’s passion for the game of hockey was shaped by his youth experiences.

This is what Herb was referring to when he said to anyone and everyone who would listen: “we have to give this game back to the kids”. According to Herb, hockey is too structured today. We are creating 20-minute robots. Did he mean we should stop using the great indoor ice rinks we have today and go back to the ponds and outdoor rinks?

Not at all. Herb’s idea is that we need to combine the best of the “rink-rat methods” - lots of unstructured play – kids having fun - with the great indoor facilities and great coaching and training methods of today. By blending the old and new more kids will continue playing, have more fun and develop better skills. This is essentially the “Model” he often talked about.