jcac

Je vous confirme LSL Lions Bantam AAA et Releve 2 équipes... Espoir toujour 2 équipes aussi

That is my opinion and I can only speak for myself, but until the other Brick parents come out here and express their opinions for themselves, I respectfully disagree with your statement that there are 14 other sets of parents who are unhappy.
 
I agree with you. There are some of our friends who are not happy with the way that things turned out, but if you ask the kids if they had a good time. Ask the kids how they enjoyed the whole experience. I would bet that they would all be willing to go to the Brick again!
 
Your son is the best 2004 in Quebec and he is blessed with the chance to relive the whole Brick experience this year. I can only assume that he had a great time last year, because I hear he is going again this year. I know you care about the kids, you ve always told me that and I believe you. Many parents of prospective Brick players read this site, so it's important to offer different perspectives of the Brick experience so that they can make a fair choice for their kids.
 
As for our season, we are enjoying it and making the best of it. I wish you all the best at the Brick! I am sure your son will be a stud for his team!

That is my opinion and I can only speak for myself, but until the other Brick parents come out here and express their opinions for themselves, I respectfully disagree with your statement that there are 14 other sets of parents who are unhappy.
 
I agree with you. There are some of our friends who are not happy with the way that things turned out, but if you ask the kids if they had a good time. Ask the kids how they enjoyed the whole experience. I would bet that they would all be willing to go to the Brick again!
 
Your son is the best 2004 in Quebec and he is blessed with the chance to relive the whole Brick experience this year. I can only assume that he had a great time last year, because I hear he is going again this year. I know you care about the kids, you ve always told me that and I believe you. Many parents of prospective Brick players read this site, so it's important to offer different perspectives of the Brick experience so that they can make a fair choice for their kids.
 
As for our season, we are enjoying it and making the best of it. I wish you all the best at the Brick! I am sure your son will be a stud for his team!

My son went to the Brick last year with the Ice Storm.  I ve read this whole thread so far and I think I can offer some insight given that I was there.  First off, I have to say that my son had a blast at this tournament!  To date, it was by far the greatest tournament he has been part of in his young hockey career.  The players are treated like rock stars and the calibre of hockey is the absolute best you will see at this age level.  I firmly believe that all the kids on last years Brick team grew as hockey players from their experience on that team.
 
I am not going to comment on player selection or the process of selecting the players.  Is the whole process perfect?  The answer is no....but what selection process is perfect?  Did we have all the best players there?  I would say we had most of them there.....Should the Brick Team have played and practiced together for the spring season?  I think yes, but that would mean that the Stallions would have lost 8 players, Vortex would have lost their best goalie, Ice Storm 2003 would have lost 2 of their best players and Cascade would have lost 4 of their best players.  The better question is would the coaches of those teams accept or be ok with losing their best players for the spring and summer season?  I would think those coaches would be against that.  
 
All that being said, Rick Rusk and Beau Rusk were always approachable and available to the parents and players.  I spoke to Beau and Rick many times during our time at the Brick.  They are good people.  Just take the time to talk to them and you ll see.  Coach Luneau was always available to the parents who wanted to speak with him as well.  We invited Coach Luneau and his girlfriend to have a drink over at the home we rented.  We spent the evening chatting about hockey and his coaching experiences. It was one of the best evenings we spent in Edmonton. I can tell you that my son learned a great deal about the game of hockey in a few practices and tournaments with coach Luneau. He did not claim to have all the answers to all things hockey, but it was clear to me he had a lot of knowledge to share with the kids.  He admitted to us that the tournament was a great learning experience for him  as much as it was for the kids.  I am confident that coach Luneau will be great with the kids and prepare them for what lies ahead.
 
I have no beef with Rick Rusk, Coach Luneau or anyone else related to the Brick Tournament, so I m not going to bash the process.  The bottom line is if you want to go to the Brick, you have to follow the rules set out by those who own the rights.  My advice to all the parents who are on the fence about the Brick, is to ask your kids.  Ask your kids if they want to go to the Brick.  Leave your thoughts about the Brick process, coaches, or owners out of the equation.  Just ask your kids if they want to go.  Tell them, they will be playing against the best kids in North America.....tell them....they will be treated like rock stars....tell them they will have just as much fun off the ice as they will on the ice!!!!  I don t know of any kid who would say NO to that!!!!  Most kids only get one shot at the Brick.....Do you really want to take that experience away from them.
 
Yeah its a lot of money....I get it!!!  There are ways to make the trip affordable to people with lesser means like myself.  We bought our flights on AirMiles and raised $2000 by selling autographed hockey sticks and other donated gear.  Other parents applied for bursaries and grants from their local Caisse Desjardins and other organizations.  If your kid really wants to go, you ll find a way to get the money...  Any kid good enough to make a Brick Team has worked their ass off to get as good as they are.  Reward them by giving them the chance to be among the best in their age group in Edmonton!  
 
If any of you have any questions or concerns regarding the Brick, please message me and I will be more than glad to share our thoughts. 
 
Good luck to all the players who are confirmed!!!

My son went to the Brick last year with the Ice Storm.  I ve read this whole thread so far and I think I can offer some insight given that I was there.  First off, I have to say that my son had a blast at this tournament!  To date, it was by far the greatest tournament he has been part of in his young hockey career.  The players are treated like rock stars and the calibre of hockey is the absolute best you will see at this age level.  I firmly believe that all the kids on last years Brick team grew as hockey players from their experience on that team.
 
I am not going to comment on player selection or the process of selecting the players.  Is the whole process perfect?  The answer is no....but what selection process is perfect?  Did we have all the best players there?  I would say we had most of them there.....Should the Brick Team have played and practiced together for the spring season?  I think yes, but that would mean that the Stallions would have lost 8 players, Vortex would have lost their best goalie, Ice Storm 2003 would have lost 2 of their best players and Cascade would have lost 4 of their best players.  The better question is would the coaches of those teams accept or be ok with losing their best players for the spring and summer season?  I would think those coaches would be against that.  
 
All that being said, Rick Rusk and Beau Rusk were always approachable and available to the parents and players.  I spoke to Beau and Rick many times during our time at the Brick.  They are good people.  Just take the time to talk to them and you ll see.  Coach Luneau was always available to the parents who wanted to speak with him as well.  We invited Coach Luneau and his girlfriend to have a drink over at the home we rented.  We spent the evening chatting about hockey and his coaching experiences. It was one of the best evenings we spent in Edmonton. I can tell you that my son learned a great deal about the game of hockey in a few practices and tournaments with coach Luneau. He did not claim to have all the answers to all things hockey, but it was clear to me he had a lot of knowledge to share with the kids.  He admitted to us that the tournament was a great learning experience for him  as much as it was for the kids.  I am confident that coach Luneau will be great with the kids and prepare them for what lies ahead.
 
I have no beef with Rick Rusk, Coach Luneau or anyone else related to the Brick Tournament, so I m not going to bash the process.  The bottom line is if you want to go to the Brick, you have to follow the rules set out by those who own the rights.  My advice to all the parents who are on the fence about the Brick, is to ask your kids.  Ask your kids if they want to go to the Brick.  Leave your thoughts about the Brick process, coaches, or owners out of the equation.  Just ask your kids if they want to go.  Tell them, they will be playing against the best kids in North America.....tell them....they will be treated like rock stars....tell them they will have just as much fun off the ice as they will on the ice!!!!  I don t know of any kid who would say NO to that!!!!  Most kids only get one shot at the Brick.....Do you really want to take that experience away from them.
 
Yeah its a lot of money....I get it!!!  There are ways to make the trip affordable to people with lesser means like myself.  We bought our flights on AirMiles and raised $2000 by selling autographed hockey sticks and other donated gear.  Other parents applied for bursaries and grants from their local Caisse Desjardins and other organizations.  If your kid really wants to go, you ll find a way to get the money...  Any kid good enough to make a Brick Team has worked their ass off to get as good as they are.  Reward them by giving them the chance to be among the best in their age group in Edmonton!  
 
If any of you have any questions or concerns regarding the Brick, please message me and I will be more than glad to share our thoughts. 
 
Good luck to all the players who are confirmed!!!

Early Specialization Too Soon
 
Originally published in Los Angeles Sports and Fitness, May/June 2013.
 
As a seventh grader dribbled around his back and attacked the basket during a middle school championship game, the parents commented to each other about the quality of play. One mother explained that several players played on a year-round competitive team in addition to their school team. The year-round play likely helped their team win the game and the championship. Their skills were a little more advanced than their opponent; they made some free throws, and they made better decisions in 2v1 fast breaks. Of course, they also may have won because one player had more facial hair than I had when I graduated from high school or because they had the tallest, most coordinated player on the court. They also may have been lucky, as this was the first time in two seasons and four games that they had won against this opponent.
 
In youth sports, there are many explanations for a team’s success; people choose the narrative that fits their perspective. If a mother spends several thousand dollars per year on a competitive travel team, she attributes her son’s success to this year-round play, not his size advantage. The mother of the shortest player on the losing team may attribute the loss to her son’s lack of physical maturity, not his non-existent skills. The coach may attribute his team’s success to his coaching, not his players’ year-round play with another coach and team. Everyone has his or her own perspective, and the truth often includes a little of everyone’s perspective.
 
Is the year-round play or early specialization good for those children? The answer depends on the children’s and the parents’ goals. If the goal was to win a middle school championship, playing year-round on a club team probably enhanced their opportunity to win. If the goal was to have fun or to keep the boys busy and out of trouble, playing on a club team likely kept the children busy, though there may not be a guarantee of fun. If the goal was to enhance their future playing opportunities in high school and beyond, the early specialization in basketball likely did not benefit the players compared to playing in many different activities at this age.
 
Nearly every player on my freshmen basketball team this season played football or soccer before basketball, and our opponents’ best players were football players. Are they the most skilled basketball players? Will they have the longest basketball careers? I don’t know. Some may choose football; some may not grow; some may not have grades; some may not practice hard enough. It is hard to predict the future. However, I would say that the multi-sport athletes have a better chance to develop into varsity basketball players than the single-sport players.
 
The multi-sport athletes were stronger and quicker, which provides a better base on which to develop better basketball skills as they continue to play. Additionally, many, if not most, of the best players in professional sports were multi-sport athletes during their childhood. LeBron James was an all-state wide receiver in high school; Tom Brady was drafted in the Major League Baseball Draft; Miguel Cabrera was offered a professional volleyball contract. Aberrations? No. According to an article circulating online that looked at the top 10 players in each of the four major professional leagues (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL) as determined by ESPN, 82% of the top 40 athletes played multiple sports during their childhood.
These observations are supported more and more by research. A recent study looked at the association between the number of sports played at 11, 13, and 15 years of age and the level of competition between 16 and 18 years of age. Those who competed in three sports at 11, 13, and 15 were significantly more likely to compete at a national level between the ages of 16 and 18 than those who practiced only one sport (Bridge & Toms, 2012). This study suggested that multi-sport athletes do not have their national or professional aspirations curbed by their late specialization, but instead suggested that playing multiple sports may increase one’s chances of becoming an elite athlete, much like the observations of professional athletes.
 
A 2011 study found that elite athletes specialized in a single sport at a later age and trained less during childhood than their near-elite peers (Moesch, Elbe, Hauge, & Wikman, 2011). The elite athletes in this study intensified their training more in adolescence than did the near-elites. The organization of practice during the mid-teens was seen as the crucial factor separating the two groups, meaning that my freshmen are approaching the time of differentiation. How hard will they practice? What will they do in the off-season? How much will they lift weights and take care of their bodies? How much playing time will they earn? These are the questions that will determine their future participation and success, not the number of sports that they played in childhood or amount of practice hours in basketball prior to high school.
I know a high-school coach who believes that he can identify his varsity starters when they are in middle school. He must be amazing, as I do not know how the 14 freshmen on my team will turn out in the future. He believes in his talent identification skills; I believe that he creates a self-fulfilling prophecy that ensures that he is correct. Research has shown that only a third of international pre-junior athletes reappeared as senior athletes (Barreiros, Côté, & Fonseca, 2012). Whereas there is more competition for national team positions than for varsity high-school positions, the research again suggests that the years that determine one’s success in high school and beyond are during the high-school years. With my team, are the taller guys done growing? When will the shorter guys hit their growth spurts? Who will work harder during the off-season? Who will decide to focus on football, baseball, or soccer rather than basketball?
 
For most sports, there is no evidence that intense training and specialization before puberty are necessary to achieve elite status. Some specialization is required to develop into an elite athlete. However, for most sports, this specialization should be delayed until late adolescence to optimize success while minimizing injury, psychological stress, and burnout. (Jayanthi, Pinkham, Dugas, Patrick, & LaBella, 2012). In a tennis study conducted in Chicago, Dr. Neeru Jayanthi compared the sport participation of injured and uninjured adolescent tennis players. The injured players spent more than 5 times as much time playing organized tennis compared to recreation and free play, whereas the uninjured players spent only 2.6 times as much time in organized tennis. Whereas both groups engaged in the same amount of total exercise, the specialization in the single activity appeared to be the precursor to injury. Beyond physical injury, some adolescents may burn out on the activity if training year-round in one activity for a number of years through their childhood. I have trained several players who turned down college scholarship opportunities because they were sick of the sport and the training and wanted to do normal things.
 
If the goal is to win middle school championships, specialize. One’s sport-specific skills will develop more quickly with the additional hours of play and practice, and this may lead to the desired championship. However, this early specialization generally leads to an earlier peak in performance. For these children, winning the middle school championship may end up as their crowning achievement in basketball. Was that the goal? Is that a good outcome for the year-round play? Numerous studies have shown that late specialization leads to better adult performance and decreased injury and dropout rates. For long-term sports participation, enjoyment, and success, playing multiple sports throughout childhood with greater specialization as one moves through high school appears to be the best path.
 
By Brian McCormick, M.S.S., PES
Coach/Clinician, Brian McCormick Basketball
Author, Cross Over: The New Model of Youth Basketball Development
Director of Coaching, Playmakers Basketball Development League
 

Le Brick etait une experience inoubliable pour mon fils, ma femme et moi. J ai eu la chance de connaitre des bons parents qu ont connaissaient pas avant, comme les luneau, Blackburn, fortin.... Vraiment des bonnes personnes! Meme si il y a eu des decisions prisent qui n a pas favoriser mon fils ...ACAC.... :), il reste que c est la realite de coaching et de sport. Ca demontre que mon fils a des asspects de son jeu a travailler . On est presentement a jasper ab , mais j ai hates a retourner a mtl pour prendre une bonne poutine. Merci aux coaches Beau, coach luneau et coach Legault pour vos efforts et me Rusk et Rick hunger pour votre support!!!
 
Pour tout ceux qui auront la chance d y aller, je vous encourage d aller au brick! Ce sont les paroles de mon fils !

Bravo Francois!!!  On se voit au meltdown!!!  Bonne Chance!

Nutts a raison. Les Gouverneurs fusionne sera capable to jouer D1.

 

 
Bravo aux Stallions  ;-)  JCAC tu peux enfin revenir sur le forum, on s'ennuie de ton humour :razz:
 
Prochain rendez-vous au Meltdown.
 
 
Luc tu est un vrai gentleman!!!!  Moi j ai célébré avec une bonne poutine de Chez Ashton!!!!