Winter Session 2008-2009

I am happy to announce that we are accepting applications for the Winter Session. There will be two options to train. One will be a two day per week training schedule and the second option will feature a three day per week. Session will run from November 24 through the last week in February. For more information please contact me at tssullivanjr@gmail.com

Below is an article I wrote for the Boston Patriots.

7 Successful Habits for Young Athletes

1. Academic Success. It is crucial for young athletes to start developing solid study habits as they get older. When the college selection process begins, any coach will tell you that a good player who has excellent grades and good test scores is invaluable to a program. Usually a coach has a small number of players they can be more lenient with during the admission process. If you remove the obstacle of you getting admitted, you make the coach’s job much easier.

2. Hard Work. Kids might not be happy to hear me say this, but hard work may be the best trait a player can possess. The beauty of this habit is you have complete control over how hard you work. You want to build a reputation as a “guy who will go through the boards if you asked him too”. Coaches love these guys. So start working hard in practice, stay after to shoot pucks, ask what other things you can do to get better, block shots, finish checks, and just flat out hustle at every opportunity.

3. Be a team player. This means at all times, not just when you feel like it. Pick up pucks at practice, clean the locker room, don’t talk back to coaches, be positive to your teammates at all times, don’t bitch and moan.

4. Summer Jobs. As soon as your son or daughter is old enough, they should be working in the summer even if you are wealthy enough where they don’t have to work. A kid who spends a summer or two working construction or landscaping becomes a mentally tough kid. I would take a construction worker over a kid who plays video games all day. Also, it makes them respect the value of hard work and education. Five summers of landscaping for me really made me think about how I should work hard in school because I didn’t want to do this for the rest of my life.

5. Reading. Read anything and everything. Find an author or some books you like and read them. It makes you smarter. Read magazines, newspapers, anything you can get your hands on.

6. Play every sport you can. Don’t specialize in hockey. Play baseball, golf, football, soccer, water ski, tennis, etc. It makes you a better athlete and actually makes your body more injury proof by being exposed to multiple stimuli.

7. Respect your parents. You won’t realize it right now, but your folks kill themselves to get you to practice, to pay for select teams, off ice training, school, etc. Tell them you love them and appreciate everything they do, and clean up after yourself for god sakes!