GSC Hockey Mission Statement   Our mission for GSC Hockey is to create and grow a competitive community-based hockey program focused on skill development that allows members to progress at different ages and skill levels culminating in all our top age-level teams fielding top CHC teams while also maintaining structured teams for all our other players to compete and have fun.   GSC New Hockey Rule   ONLY registered GSC hockey participants are allowed during free hockey sessions. Players who are eligible for a GSC hockey program but play for a non-GSC organization will NOT be allowed on the ice for ANY free hockey sessions including early morning and holiday slots.   The new GSC Hockey Rule was implemented to help achieve our GSC Hockey Mission Statement:   Our charter allows for 250 membership spots available in any given year. That means we have a limited pool of hockey players available for our hockey programs. We own an outdoor rink that provides a unique experience for our members and provides our hockey players with extra ice for free play and training. We are actively investing to improve our players skills and to increase our players and teams competitiveness, and include the following: hiring more paid coaches, hiring a full-time skills coach, offering more skills sessions, building a new shooting and stick handling station on-premise, and exploring all options for secondary indoor ice. Over the years, we have dealt with some families’ son or daughter leaving the club for another hockey program while also retaining their membership Doing this reduces our hockey players per membership and impacts our total hockey population and competitiveness. These spots are difficult to replace, departures have all to often come to light at the last minute making it very hard for the Club to react and fill the spot and over time can materially affect our older age-level teams.  Our goal is to continue investing in members skills and player development progression in a community-based program that strives to produce top age-level teams in the CHC. Top CHC teams have produced top players that go on to play prep, college hockey, and even pro. That a community-based program allows for players to play with their friends and to stay local, thereby freeing up time available for other activities or with family and friends.     Community-Based Hockey   Below are three articles from the New England Hockey Journal discussing how Minnesota’s community-based hockey model has produced more elite hockey players than Massachusetts, which has an elite travel hockey model.     While Connecticut hockey will likely never achieve Minnesota’s success for structural reasons, GSC will strive to put out top CHC teams but also structured teams for all other players.  GSC’s mission is to take the best parts of Minnesota’s community-based hockey model and apply it to the Club. This means scheduling local games, focusing on skills and skills progression, and free play on our outdoor sheet to mimic free hockey, which allows players to be creative in a fun environment.   Massachusetts vs. Minnesota (Part 1)   Massachusetts vs. Minnesota (Part 2)   Massachusetts vs. Minnesota Hockey (Part 3)     Power of Practice & Creativity through Pond Hockey Mentality  (Click on Subject Line to Read Article)   GSC is making a push on skill-based practices and adding skills sessions.  Over the years we have heard from some parents that they want more games as they believe this leads to improved hockey development.  The USA article below and the analysis that supports it clearly shows that 1 practice has 11x more puck touches that an average game and that skill-based practices are the #1 focus for any player’s hockey development.     In addition, fostering a “Pond Hockey Mentality” that fosters creativity in our players helps skill development and our player’s love of the game.     Our goal at GSC is to continue to foster these two themes as we make GSC a better place to learn and love the game of hockey.   Confidence is King - How to Achieve it  (Click on Subject Line to Read Article)   Over the years the Hockey Committee has had numerous conversations with parents about their placement on teams.  Many times they are in regards to a player on the bubble that would be one of the weaker players on the top team but would be a clear leader on the second team.  We always walk the parents through how we believe being a top player on a team can help develop confidence in players that can significantly improve their skill development trajectory as they will have more positive reps, whereby they make moves that work and shoot and score more often.    There are many studies, including the Mass vs. Minn articles, that show players development at different periods of their maturation process, either due to a growth spurt or when a passion for the sport kicks in.  Over the years we have had many players start hockey at a late age and end up coming from TDL to make our top Bantam & U14 teams.