{"id":2450519,"date":"2019-10-30T08:00:31","date_gmt":"2019-10-30T14:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=315167"},"modified":"2019-10-30T08:00:31","modified_gmt":"2019-10-30T14:00:31","slug":"a-holistic-approach-to-athlete-and-character-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/a-holistic-approach-to-athlete-and-character-development\/","title":{"rendered":"A holistic approach to athlete and character development"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><em>Editor\u2019s Note: Sponsored content brought to you by Aspen Junior Hockey<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"p402_hide\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/Why-we-play-hockey-1024x683.jpg\" alt class=\"wp-image-315168\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/Why-we-play-hockey-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/Why-we-play-hockey-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/Why-we-play-hockey-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption><strong><em>Aspen Junior Hockey players have fun as they learn powerful lessons about self-motivation, hard work, empathy, trust, respect, accountability, humility and more.<\/em><\/strong><br \/><em>Image courtesy of Aspen Junior Hockey<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-vimeo wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-vimeo wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Aspen Junior Hockey | The Changing Face of Aspen Junior Hockey\" src=\"about:blank\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\" allowfullscreen data-rocket-lazyload=\"fitvidscompatible\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/364651741?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><noscript><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Aspen Junior Hockey | The Changing Face of Aspen Junior Hockey\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/364651741?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\" allowfullscreen>[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/noscript><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Youth<br \/>\nsports often focus on the skills and training required to develop successful<br \/>\nathletes, but what about age-appropriate skills and training that aim to<br \/>\ndevelop great human beings?<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s<br \/>\nthe focus of <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeopro.com\/user43456219\/aspen-junior-hockey\/video\/361414000\">Aspen Junior Hockey<\/a>, which coaches its youth and<br \/>\nyoung adult players using the USA Hockey\u2019s American Development Model \u2014 a model<br \/>\nthat has produced successful results, both on and off the ice, since its<br \/>\ninception 10 years ago.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe<br \/>\nhave development plans that essentially define each of the skills that should<br \/>\nbe mastered at each age, and then build from there,\u201d said Shaun Hathaway, Aspen<br \/>\nJunior Hockey executive director. \u201cWe\u2019re not just playing hockey, we\u2019re<br \/>\nbuilding adults; we\u2019re building great citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Age-appropriate \u2018windows of<br \/>\ntrainability\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"p402_hide\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/DSC_0646-1024x683.jpg\" alt class=\"wp-image-315169\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/DSC_0646-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/DSC_0646-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/DSC_0646-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\"><figcaption><strong><em>Overall athlete development involves not only sport-specific skills and an understanding of the game, but also general athleticism and fitness, fundamental movement skills, recovery, nutrition and mental skills.<\/em><\/strong><br \/><em>Image courtesy of Aspen Junior Hockey<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.admkids.com\/page\/show\/910488-what-is-the-american-development-model-\">American Development<br \/>\nModel<\/a> was partly influenced by studying how Swedish and Finnish youth hockey programs<br \/>\nbecame such powerhouses with considerably less participants than other<br \/>\ncountries.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey<br \/>\nput training ahead of competition,\u201d said Joe Bonnett, the American Development<br \/>\nModel regional manager for the Rocky Mountain district. \u201cIn the U.S., we were<br \/>\nconcerned about wins and losses.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After<br \/>\ntalking to sports science leaders from around the world, the ADM was developed<br \/>\nto complement both biological and psychosocial growth and development.<\/p>\n<p>Bonnett<br \/>\nsaid the ADM\u2019s goal is to develop more world-class athletes and more kids<br \/>\nplaying hockey for longer \u2014 who become fans of hockey, give back to hockey, and<br \/>\nplay adult league hockey.<\/p>\n<p>In<br \/>\nAspen, Hathaway and other Aspen Junior Hockey coaches use the model to guide<br \/>\nthe culture of the entire program.<\/p>\n<p>Aspen<br \/>\nJunior Hockey coaches teach kids prescribed skills, while connecting the<br \/>\nlessons learned playing the game with life lessons they\u2019ll need to better<br \/>\nnavigate the world.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe<br \/>\ngoal is when our kids leave, they are more intrinsically motivated and take<br \/>\nmore ownership for their sport and their studies, that they have character and<br \/>\nthey\u2019re respectful of officials and adults,\u201d Hathaway said.<\/p>\n<p>Above<br \/>\nall, kids are expected to have fun as they learn these powerful lessons about<br \/>\nself-motivation, hard work, empathy, trust, respect, accountability, humility<br \/>\nand more.<\/p>\n<p>Kevin<br \/>\nFreitas, an Aspen Junior Hockey parent and past volunteer coach, said the model<br \/>\nisn\u2019t like the tough-love hockey he grew up playing in Aspen, but he sees how<br \/>\nit\u2019s impacted his son\u2019s development and wholeheartedly believes in the<br \/>\nprinciples.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI<br \/>\nthink it\u2019s groundbreaking and it\u2019s going to be good for the big picture, from<br \/>\nmites to high school,\u201d Freitas said. \u201cYou have to look at the big picture when<br \/>\nit comes to development.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sports skills translate into life<br \/>\nskills<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"p402_hide\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/DSC_0393-1024x683.jpg\" alt class=\"wp-image-315170\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/DSC_0393-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/DSC_0393-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/DSC_0393-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\"><figcaption><strong><em>Aspen Junior Hockey believes in a designed system of coaching that focuses on age-specific biological and psychosocial growth and development. <\/em><\/strong><br \/><em>Image Courtesy of Aspen Junior Hockey<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>According<br \/>\nto the American Development Model, \u201coverall athlete development involves not<br \/>\nonly sport-specific skills and an understanding of the game, but also<br \/>\nunderstanding kids while developing general athleticism and fitness,<br \/>\nfundamental movement skills, recovery, nutrition, and mental skills.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Freitas<br \/>\nsaid this model, and the sport of hockey in general, teaches an incredible<br \/>\namount of sportsmanship. Hockey is never a one-man game \u2014 you can\u2019t win with<br \/>\njust one good player on the team.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a<br \/>\nfull team sport,\u201d he said. \u201cThe support you have to give to your team members<br \/>\non the ice carries over to school, the playground and into life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>To learn more, visit <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aspenjuniorhockey.com\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aspenjuniorhockey.com\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/www.aspenjuniorhockey.com<\/a><\/strong><\/a><strong>. Registration for the 2019-20 season is currently open.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/a-holistic-approach-to-athlete-and-character-development-sponsored\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Editor\u2019s Note: Sponsored content brought to you by Aspen Junior Hockey Aspen Junior Hockey players have fun as they learn powerful lessons about self-motivation, hard work, empathy, trust, respect, accountability, humility and more.Image courtesy of Aspen Junior Hockey [embedded content][embedded content] Youth sports often focus on the skills and training required to develop successful athletes, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2450519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-19 10:40:55","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2450519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2450519"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2450519\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2450519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2450519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2450519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}