Friday, December 19, 2008

Reidar Burgeson one of Norcal's players of the week


Burgeson named one of three stars for week of Dec. 15, 2008

VACAVILLE, Calif. -- Reidar Burgeson of the Jets Squirt B team in Vacaville had an outstanding Thanksgiving weekend, leading his team as captain to take first place in the 2008 Silver Stick Regional tournament in San Jose. Burgeson led all of the tournament players in his division in points with 13 goals and 6 assists and currently has 38 goals and 18 assists total on the season. To earn the championship the Jets Squirt B team went undefeated in six straight games, taking their regular season win streak to 11-0.

The tournament win allows the Jets to travel to Pelham, Ontario Canada in January to play for the Silver Stick National Championships against the winners in other regions of Canada and the U.S. including Colorado, Texas, Alabama and Maryland The Jets are currently in first place of the NorCal Squirt B division, undefeated in the regular season at 5-0.

For a link to his mention on the Dec. 18 Sharks vs. Red Wings broadcast on Comcast Sportsnet, click below:

Some parents need a dose of reality about NHL dreams


Parental Guidance
By CEAN BURGESON (for Rubber Magazine)

They push their child athletes to the brink – buying them the best equipment, sending them to the finest camps, and purchasing expensive private lessons with expert coaches.

What I’m talking about are those parents who are convinced – sometimes absolutely certain – that their children will be professional athletes. I’ve seen them. I’ve met them. I’ve heard their stories. I’ve coached their kids.

Let’s face it. In youth hockey every young kid dreams of some day playing in the NHL. There’s something about the sport which holds a certain kind of magic for anyone who plays it. With my son and the other kids I’ve worked with, I think there’s absolutely no reason to squash these dreams, either. But as parents we need to be realistic about how much money, time, and other heartache to invest in a youth athlete in an attempt to get them into the NHL.

No matter how many goals your son scores as a Squirt or Pee Wee, the ability of a player 10-12 years old won’t necessarily dictate that they will continue to dominate at their age level as they progress. Early success doesn’t always predict later success, and there are many hurdles to overcome to make it to the big leagues. There are travel teams, tournament teams, tier teams, junior teams, not to mention prep school and high school teams across the country and Canada, all producing players with the same dream. And if a college scholarship is the goal, then there’s some other sobering information that parents need to hear.

Of the 52 colleges and universities that have Division I hockey teams, six don't grant athletic scholarships because they belong to the Ivy League. NCAA rules allow each of the other schools to award the equivalent of 18 full hockey scholarships per year divided among up to 30 athletes. Then, after playing in the juniors or college, if they manage to make it into the NHL draft, the numbers get even more daunting.

In a 20 year study of the pro hockey draft it was found that 2 percent of the picks became superstars, 4 percent of them transformed into stars and impact players, 15 percent became good or average players, and roughly 79 percent didn’t become NHL players at all. Overall, 55 percent of the draftees never even played a single game in the NHL.
I don’t mean to dampen the spirits of any youth hockey player. Parents should let their young athletes determine the amount and type of hockey that they want to play – but don’t sacrifice your entire life or savings account to hockey. Allow kids to focus on having fun with the sport without the added pressure of grooming them for a shot at the pros and they’ll end up a winner no matter where their career takes them.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Hecka Hockey Show launches on You Tube

My 9-year-old son Reidar and I have started a weekly web program called "Hecka Hockey," which will center on hockey here in Northern California and the NHL.

Here's the link:

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Vacaville Jets Squirt B wins Silver Stick Western Regional


By CEAN BURGESON for Rubber Magazine and Youth Hockey Report

VACAVILLE, Calif. – The Vacaville Jets Squirt B team will advance to the prestigious Silver Stick International Championships in Pelham, Ontario Canada after winning the San Jose Silver Stick Western Regional Championship over Thanksgiving Weekend. To take the regional cup the Squirts went undefeated in a six game tournament consisting of the best Squirt B teams in Northern California.

After an amazing inaugural year for Squirt B hockey in 2007/2008 – placing 3rd in the California state championships – the Vacaville Jets continue to build a hockey program that competes with the best in the western U.S. “Hard work, dedicated players and parents, great coaches and a supportive community all contributed to the team’s success,” said Team Manager Shannon Nadasdy.

This was the first championship win for the Vacaville Squirts for the 2008/2009 season, and Head Coach Roman Hubalek predicted that this won’t be the last either. “This is only one of many successes you will have this season,” Hubalek told his team as he held up the cup after the championship game. The Squirts were undefeated in their regular season going into the tournament, increasing their streak to 11 straight wins.

The International Silver Stick Association was founded in Regina, Saskatchewan Canada in 1908 and has been promoting goodwill through the medium of international hockey competition for youths of all nations for 100 years. The trophy for this event is a solid silver hockey stick which is passed from winning team to winning team. The regional qualifications in the United States are held each Thanksgiving weekend in San Jose, Colorado, Texas, Alabama and Maryland.