In his later years, Herb
Brooks applied his brilliant hockey mind to make sure that young players of all
abilities developed their skills properly. Unfortunately, he was fighting an
increasingly difficult battle. Youth leagues in North America often focus way
too much on playing and winning games, rather than practicing and skill
development. He spent years turning the tide toward a more sensible approach to
the game and a reemphasis on fundamentals—and away from “system hockey.”.
In many youth hockey circles, however, Herb was swimming against the tide: The
ratio of games to practices had long since gone off the rails. Children on many
travel teams, for instance, play as many as three games for every practice, just
about the opposite of what Herb recommended. He believed youth players should
practice for four hours for every game.
His rationale was that the most important skills for kids under 15—skating, edge
control, stickhandling, passing, puck control at speed, starts, quickness,
etc.—are not absorbed effectively in game environments. They take practice, and
lots of it. Games, of course, are great fun, but Herb recognized that youngsters
needed much more instruction.
In Europe, the approach is vastly different, and in many ways, better. Coaches
there stress fundamentals in skating, puck control with speed, and passing—an
approach similar to Herb’s. They also run dynamic, fast-moving, fun practices.
Rather than waiting in line to skate around a cone and shoot on a goalie,
Europeans often play small games—2-on-2 or 3-on-3. There is very little
stationary time—the entire ice surface is used for the entire hour—and the
results are impressive.
Herb embraced these ideas and sought to combine them with the best elements of
North American hockey. When he died in a tragic car accident in August 2004,
there was concern his cause would lose steam.
Not a chance. Herb had inspired many people, and not just through his
extraordinary coaching success. His emphasis on keeping hockey fun for everyone
who wants to play resonated.
Not
long after his death, Herb’s family, his son, Dan, his daughter, Kelly Brooks
Paradise, and his cousin, Bill Weller, took up the mantle and created the Herb
Brooks Foundation. They commissioned a small board of directors, and then got to
work. The first step was a “market analysis.” Was there enough demand for a
back-to-basics approach, such as the one Herb championed?
The answer, not surprisingly, was an emphatic “yes,” and Herb’s survivors had
their mandate. They also discovered that many people in the hockey community
were more than willing to donate their time and expertise to help, while others
gave money. In 2007, they opened the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minn.,
about 12 miles north of the Twin Cities. It started with four rinks. Today, it
is a 12,500 square-foot complex with eight rinks and plans for two more outdoor
refrigerated surfaces.
The outdoor rinks were close to Herb’s heart. He believed that young players
excelled when they skated without supervision, for the pure fun of it, on frozen
lakes and ponds. The outdoor rinks will give youngsters a chance to “extend the
winter” (an admittedly odd wish for Minnesotans!).
With the National Sports Center up and running, the Herb Brooks Foundation is
able to focus on its mission: to grow hockey; to give kids a positive experience
in the game; and to learn life lessons. Now, instead of simply helping the 400
to 500 youngsters who live and play in Blaine, the foundation is reaching out to
the rest of the global hockey family.
Board members spend time partnering with the business community, soliciting
donations and commitments, all the while teaching the game the right way. The
partners work to develop skilled players and strong, confident, healthy young
people who respect the game and each other.
Reinvigorating Urban Hockey
The Rink Rat Program is a shining star for the Herb Brooks Foundation. It
provides inner-city children the opportunity to play hockey. Over the past two
decades, while high school hockey flourished in suburban, and even rural
Minnesota communities, it waned dramatically within city schools. At one point,
only two urban programs “fielded” teams. The Rink Rat program is slowly but
steadily reinvigorating the sport within The Cities; 10 urban middle schools now
have youth hockey programs. It also sponsors programs at four community parks
and in several junior high schools.
In addition to learning the game, these youngsters are gaining important life
lessons, just as Herb envisioned. They’re also benefiting from tips they receive
from Twin Cities-area university teams, such as Augsburg College. The Auggies
skate with a group of youngsters every Wednesday, helping them with a broad
range of skills, and of course, serving as mentors.
Butch Johnson, a Northern Wisconsin businessman, HBF board member and friend of
Herb’s, plays an integral role in the Rink Rat Program. He sponsors no fewer
than 100 city kids each summer at a hockey camp at his rink in Spooner, Wisc. In
addition to hockey, the urban youngsters get a taste of some of the Northern
Midwest’s most beautiful countryside and woodlands.
Children of military families are also eligible for special camp deals. The
Herbie’s Heroes Program offers free hockey camp (also at Spooner) for these
youngsters. And, because one parent may be overseas in the service, the program
provides camp scholarships, financial assistance, equipment, rides and other
help, when needed.
Well-rounded people
Herb thought that young athletes should play different sports, rather than focus
on one too soon. Playing hockey quickly becomes a chore for kids who give up
everything else, and too many of them wind up quitting. Herb believed—and his
supporters are legion—that off-seasons should be spent playing other sports or
participating in other activities. In the first place, it’s fun to try different
activities. Moreover, participating in other sports usually hones abilities that
transfer well to hockey—kids can improve by getting away from the game for a
while. Additionally, absence makes the heart grow fonder; skaters are eager to
play again after a few months away. Herb would have considered a week or so in
the Wisconsin Northwoods as an ideal way to spend part of a summer vacation—with
or without hockey.
Yet another part of the Foundation’s mission is to keep the game available to
young people of all skill levels. As players get older, some programs weed out
kids who aren’t exceptional; they focus on those with the most potential. The
Foundation is committed to providing competitive, organized hockey opportunities
even for youngsters who love hockey, but may not be exceptional. As a result,
kids get to continue playing a game they love. And who knows? It may produce a
“late bloomer” every once in a while.
As it grows, the Foundation manages numerous additional programs—golf
tournaments, used equipment drives, sponsorship opportunities, etc. All are
designed with Herb’s ideas in mind: Improve the game; improve the players;
increase their opportunities to play. Herb believed that these methods would
develop excellent people. The results are bearing that out.
Background
- The Herb Brooks Foundation
Not
long after his death, Herb’s family, his son, Dan, his daughter, Kelly Brooks
Paradise, and his cousin, Bill Weller, took up the mantle and created the Herb
Brooks Foundation. They commissioned a small board of directors, and then got to
work. The first step was a “market analysis.” Was there enough demand for a
back-to-basics approach, such as the one Herb championed? 