Sat Mar 24 @ 07:00 PM Plymouth Ice Center PIC C Edwardsville, IL - Wayzata, MN

Fri Mar 23 @ 10:45 AM Plymouth Ice Center PIC A Wayzata, MN - Santa Margarita, CA

Thu Mar 22 @ 05:15 PM Plymouth Ice Center PIC B Wayzata, MN - Eagles, CO

Bantam AA Final: Minnetonka 5 - Wayzata 1

Tough loss for the boys.   Minnetonka scored 2 empty net goals.

Wayzata get 4th place in state

Pee Wee B1 Final: Wayzata 6 -Lakeville South 5(OT)

Congrats to Wayzata Gold.  3rd Place in state!!

Bantam AA FInal: Osseo- Maple Grove 2 vs Wayzata 1

The report that I got is that the boys played their heart out.  The score was 1-1 going into the 3rd. 

Maple Grove is the best team in the state.  Wayzata is playing for 3rd place tomorrow.

Pee Wee B1 FInal: Farmington 4 - Wayzata Gold 2

"We came out strong and just stopped playing second period giving up 4 goals and just couldn’t find the net third period.  We play Lakeville south for 3rd place tomorrow morning"

Pee Wee B1 Final: Wayzata 5 - St. Francis - North Branch 1

.Henry Bellone was in goal.  Wayzata had 24 shots on goal and they had 17...

Adam Christopherson scored first 2 - Tyler Lyke had 1 and Jonah Mogeni 2

Bantam AA FINAL : Wayzata 2 - Rosemount 1

Darby Sanders gets the win.   Carson Peters and Adam Marshall with the goals.

Bantam B1 Final: Maple Grove 2 - Wayzata 1

Bantam AA Final- Wayzata 6 - St. Michael-Albertville 0

Bantam B1 Final- Wayzata 2 vs Delano 1

Pee Wee B1 Final- Wayzata 1 - Osseo-Maple Grove 0

Trey was lights against Osseo Maple Grove stopping all 24 shots!  Wayzata “Played to Win” today with JP scoring in the first from a sweet pass from Adam Christopherson.  OMGHA thought they found the net late in the third but the shot was called off because they were camping in the crease.  Wayzata takes first with a final of 1-0 and are heading to state!!!

Bantam B1 Final - Wayzata 5 vs Minnetonka 1

Biggest win of the season for the boys.  Isaac Monro was in net for stopping 19 of the 20 shots as Wayzata outshot their opponent 23-20.

Minnetonka opened up the scoring at 9:21 of the 1st.  Wayzata got on the board at 13:00 of the 2nd with a goal by Harrison Dau and teh assist from Evan Pittman. Wyatt Peterson scored unassisted 2 minutes later.

At 9:54 of the 3rd Wyatt Peterson scored again with the assist from Andrew Clark.   Jack Brandt got on theboard with an assist from Evan Pittman andMac McCollins. 
At 13:19 Wyatt Peterson finished out his hat trick with an unassisted goal.

If you wondering how to score 3 goal in a regional playoff game, it is all in the pregame meal.  Chop up 3 cloves of garlic and put them on a buttered whole wheat slice of bread.  Roll up the bread at eat.  Wash that down with Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with Cayenne pepper and honey.  Garlic and cayenne pepper is know to give you super powers.

Pee Wee AA Final: Andover 5 - Wayzata 4

Wayzata fought hard to extend their season but fell short.  Bummer for the boys. 

Pee Wee AA Final- Wayzata 3 - Lakeville North 1

Pee Wee B1 Final - Wayzata Gold 5 vs Chaska/Chanhassen Gold 3

Bantam B1 Final: Wayzata 4 vs St. Cloud 0

Calvin Mathe gets the shut out stopping all 31 shots as Wayzata outshot St.Cloud 36-31.

In the second period Harrison Dau scored the first 2 goals with his 2nd one assisted by Maxwell Hill.

Wayzata scored there next 2 goals in the 3rd.  William Van Aarem scored with the assist from Max McCollins. Ivan Zyuzin scored the game winnin goal with the assist from Zach Nowak.

Bantam AA Final : Wayzata 5 vs Centennial 3

Grayson Wong stopped 16 of 19 shots in the win.  Wayzata outshot Centennial 20-19

Drew Streeter got a hat-trick in the win.

Bantam AA Final: Wayzata 6 vs Mahtomedi 1

Grayson Wong was in goal for the won.

Cole  Sauer
Drew Goetz
Adam Marshall(2)
Tucker Ness
Dylan Lewis

with the goals

Peewee AA Final: Minnetonka 4 - Wayzata 3(OT)

Johnny makes it 1-0 shots 2-0 us
From Dylan and Andrew
1-1
After 1 period
Shot 8-4 Wayzata
1-1 shots 10-10
In 2nd
2-1 wayzata K Sauer
Miller asst
Down 3-2

Luke Miller Scores with :17 left to tie the game.

Bantam B1 FInal: Edina 4 - Wayzata Blue 3

Peewee B1 Final: Wayzata Gold 7 - Buffalo 3

2003 Yankee Stadium ALDS- Bottom of the 9th

Going into the bottom of the 9th we were up 3-0.  I remember thinking,

"I hope they don't hit any ball to me because I don't want to be the guy to start the Yankee Train."

Yankee Stadium in the playoffs can be the most intimidating place on earth!  Especially when the crowd starts to feel the Yankees have a chance to do something. I have seen 14-year Major league vets look like a little leaguer who is completely lost as they can't handle the pressure of the situation.

Our left-handed closer Eddie Guardado was in the game to shut the Yankees down.  Eddie overpowered the hitters with heart.  A typical closer threw anywhere from 96-99 MPH. He threw 91 MPH and wasn't afraid to challenge anybody! He portrayed the essence of compete, he was an average pitcher that competed with heart and grit to make him an all-star.   Eddie wasn't afraid to challenge the hitter and throw a fastball.  What does this mean? Switch hitters would hit right-handed and I would get the hard hit balls.

The bottom of the 9th started with All-star Bernie Williams swinging at the first pitch and getting a base hit to right.  Hideki Matsui(also know as Godzilla) was up next, he also swung at the 1st pitch and flew out to LF.

"2 pitches, 1 out, runner on first, up by 3. We are still good"

Next batter Aaron Boone hits a double down the LF line. The crowd erupts because the Yankee train is starting to roll.

"Runners on 2nd and 3rd, 1 out, tying run is at the plate.  1 swing of the bat and the game is tied. "

This is where your mind starts to play tricks on you.  You start to feel the pressure of the situation.  I have every fan down the 3rd base line screaming at me trying to get into my head.  I look at the big screen to see who we have to face.  Ruben Sierra, Alfonso Soriano, Nick Johnson, Derek Jeter.

"Oh boy, Sierra and Soriano are pull-hitters and hit missile my way"

"If they get Jeter up we are done"

The beginning of the SHADOW

This is where negative thoughts and your insecurities can creep in, especially at this time of the day at Yankee Stadium.  The sun was setting, going behind the arches on Yankee field.  It was very difficult to see the ball off the bat because the ball would go from shadow to sunlight before it got to the infield dirt.  "what if..........., Can you really........., don't screw up..........."  The way I would battle this; as the pitcher wound up I would say to myself over and over and over "ground ball right here, ground ball right here,  ground ball right here"

Sierra hits a flyball to RF.... 2 out

"OK, 1 out away from game over.... Dang it Soriano..... go get it, go get it, go get it"

The reason I said that to myself is that Soriano had an uppercut swing and hit some very tough balls to 3rd.  Top spin missiles would eat up 3rd basemen all through the league

Soriano gets a single: 2 out score is 3-1 with the tying run on 1st and winning run hitting, Jeter on DECK....


"OH BOY,  we gotta get this one,  at least he is not a righty.  The chances of him hitting the ball to me is small, I wish I could see better"


Sure enough with 2 strikes, Nick hits a ball off the end of the ball to me at 3rd base.......


I froze for a second to try to find the ball

"GO FOR IT"

I knew it wasn't hit hard so I charged. I saw the ball as it came out of the shadows

"I have to get this ball in the light or I am screwed"

The ball bounced in and out of the shadows as I was charging in blind. The ball came out of the shadows into the light I was getting close enough to make a play and then it disappeared into the shadow.


"Argh, I can't see it, do I slow down to get it in the light; if I do that he might have a chance to beat it out....what do I do...... SCREW IT... GO FOR IT"


Based on the speed of the ball, the height of bounces, the angle the ball was on as it was going down into the shadow I took a swipe at where I thought the ball would be.  I got it right..... I caught the ball on the short hop.


"Phew, got'em"


I threw the ball two first.  GAME OVER TWINS WIN.........




Point of the story........ Nervousness and Jitters are ok.  They get you focused are ready. You have prepared all year for this moment!

GO FOR IT

 Don't sit back and play not to lose. Go for it and Play to Win

Elimination Game Pee Wee B1- Wayzata 5 - Minneapolis 4 (OT)

Going to regions!!

Elimination Game: Armstrong-Cooper 5 - Wayzata 3

Bummer game for Wayzata.  Wayzata took at 2-0 lead a Armstrong battled back to to tie the game.
Cashin Naeve opened the scoring with the assist going to Wyatt Carlson.
Ben Etzel scored the 2nd goal with the assist going to Joel Ostepiac and Dylan Nelko.
Mason Moree scored the 3rd goal with the assists going to Etzel and Carlson.
Koskie played very well in goal making a lot of key saves for the Trojans!

I can't talk about the penalty's without being biased.  It was very frustrating to watch 2 of our players leave the ice with injuries due to hits.  My mom always said "If you do not have anything nice to say don't say anything at all"  This holds true especially in print........

This marks the end of the youth sports hockey career for our 2nd years. It was an honor to be able to watch these young men compete. I hope their experience in youth hockey gives them the strength to be their own person, not caving to peer pressure and standing up for what they believe in.

PeeWee B1 Final: Wayzata Gold 6- Wayzata Blue 1

Unfortunately, only one of the Wayzata teams were moving on and PeeWee Gold takes the W with a score of 6-1.  Albertini was in goal for Gold with 18 shots on goal and Schneider was in net for Blue and saw 42 shots on goal.  

Elimination Game: Bantam A Final: Wayzata 1 - Orono 0(OT)

PWAA Final: OMG 2 - Wayzata 1

District Championship Bantam B1: OMG 3 - Wayzata 0

Wayzata was hungry! Wayzata took 10 penalties to OMG's 2.  Rumor has it that the ref was upset that Wayzata didn't bring a birthday present to his party.  Note to self for Wayzata,  next time you get invited to the ref's birthday party bring a present. 

Calvin Mathe was in net stopping 31 of 34 shots as Wayzata got outshot 34-16.    I really hope they are not serving Taco Bell in the penalty box as Wayzata loves Taco Bell.  Quint Rubald favorite restaurant is Taco Bell he loves the Doritos Locas Tacos.    Ivan Zyuzin, Calvin Mathe,  Matthew Harries, Harrison Dau all got to have some tacos. Yum, Yum....


GOOD LUCK THE BANTAM B1 in REGIONS!! 

Pee Wee B1 Final: Wayzata Blue 6 at Armstrong-Cooper 1

Game on!! Wayzata said "get out da way".  The tough thing is that this sets up a Wayzata vs Wayzata Elimination game tomorrow!  Argh!!

Wayzata was all over Armstrong- Cooper.  Henry Kirt was solid in goal stopping 17 of 18 shots. 

Welcome back Drew Maclean! after 8 weeks of doing research on the Manitoban polar bear shedding habits. Great to have him back.  He came ready to play scoring 2 goals in game.  
Ryan Friedoff opened the scoring for Wayzata with an unassisted goal.   Bobby Alexander scored the 2nd goal with the assist by Cameron Kirschner and Blake Edworthy.
Goal 3 was another unassisted goal by Friedoff.  Maclean scored goal 4 with the assist from Nordseth.
Goal 5 was Jonathan Chang from Friedoff
Goal 6 was Macleans goal from Damburg. 

Maclean brought back Muktuk back from Churchhill to share in the penalty box. To the surprise of many people the boys took to it.  Nick Nordstrom took the first bite and news spread fast.   Wyatt Phillips liked it so much he went back for seconds. Jonathan Chang and Blake Edworthy decided to give it a try but didn't think to much of it. 

Districts- Peewee AA Final- Wayzata 5 - St. Louis Park 2

Wayzata Pee Wee AA GOING TO REGIONS!

Will Ingemann played strong for Wayzata stopping 15 of 17 shots.  Wayzata outshot their opponent 24-17.

Justin Lesser opened the scoring on the PP at 6:45 of the 1st.  Johnny Hendrickson and  Rhys Wallin got the assist.
St.Louis Park came storming back with 2 goals in the 2nd. But Wayzata broke some hearts with Lesser scoring with :21 left in the 2nd on the PP.

Wayzata controlled the 3rd period outshoting the visiting team 13-3.  Kasen Sauer scored on the PP with the assist to Brooks Gengler and Justin Lesser.

Kasen Sauer scored an empty netter from Andrew Owen to make it 4-2.
Rhys Wallin put the game away scoring the 5th goal an empty netter from Kasen Sauer.

Sauer and Lesser both had 3 point nights. If anybody wants to know what the magic sauce was Lesser had Salmon, Eggs, and plantain for supper. While Sauer was a little more conservative in his pre-game meal, he ate mac and cheese with ballpark frank cut up and mixed in with canned peas on the side. 

District Championship game: Bantam AA Final- Maple Grove 5 - Wayzata 2

Championship Bracket: PW B1- Delano 2 - Wayzata Blue 1 (OT)

Wayzata Blue still has a chance to go to Regions.

Henry Ballone was in net and had a great game saving 18 of 20 shots last night.  Wayzata also had 20 shots on goal, but wasn't able to capitalize during the 3 power plays.  Only goal for Wayzata was from Brady Bocksell who took it down the ice himself to put in net kicking off the 2nd period.

DistrIcts: Pee Wee B1 Final - OMG White 4 - Wayzata Blue 1

Because of the threat at the Orono high school the game location is changed to pic at 6:30

Will Schneider stopped 22 of 25 shots in the loss.   Maple Grove scored the first 3 goals  and  Nick Damburg scored in the 3rd to pull Wayzata within 2.   Maple Grove scored an empty net goal.

Pee Wee C: Wayzata Blue 2nd Place Eden Prairie Tournament

This past weekend, our team finished 2nd at the Eden Prairie Tournament.  We beat Eden Prairie 6-3 and then Burnsville /Apple Valley 3-2, and in the Championship game lost 3-2 to Minnetonka.

Champioship Bracket: Bantam B1 Final: Wayzata 5 vs North Metro 1

Congrats to Wayzata B1 Blue as they move on to the regional playoffs.  They will play OMG in the district final.

Isaac Monro was in goal stopping 11 of 12 shots.  Wayzata outshot North Metro 45-12.

Wayzata jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Ryan Gearen opened the score with the assists going to Wyatt Peterson and Max McCollins.  Jack Brandt scored the 2nd goal with the assists by Max McCollins and Evan Pittman.  North Metro brough the game within 1 scoring at 4:12 of the 2nd. Wayzata bounce righ back scoring 2 minutes late with a goal by Andrew Clark with the assists by Ryan Gearen and Maxwell Hill.

Wayzata closed the door in the 3rd scoring 2 goals.  Ivan Zyuzin scored from an assist from Matthew Harries.  Ryan Gearen scored his 2nd goal of the night getting the assist was Quint Rubald. 

My favorite Popeye's Chicken was served in the Penalty box tonight. Quint Rubald, Harrison Dau, and Evan Pittman deciding to go for the combo which includes a signature side, a hot buttery biscuit and an ice cold, refreshing drink. For sides, Rubald got the Jambalaya, Pittman got the cajun fries, and Dau got the cajun rice.

Consolation Bracket Pee Wee A Final: Orono 5 - Wayzata 4 (OT)

ARGH! For those of you who didn't make it to the game you missed a back and forth battle.

Johnny Hanson was in goal for the Trojans stopping 25 Orono shots.   Wayzata opened the scoring at 13:31 of the 1st with a goal by Caleb Koskie with the assist to Gus Anderson.  Orono bounced back with 2 goals in 2nd.  Wayzata answered back with 2 of their own goals in the second.  Caleb Koskie scored on the PP with the assist by Brittan Alstead.  Koskie scored again on the PP with the assist from Ben Martin.   Wayzata went into the dressing room with a 3-2 lead.

At 10:37 of the 3rd Orono tied up the game on a PP.  Koskie scored his 4th goal of the night at 8:49 with the assists going to Alstead and Micheal Reem.   Orono tied it up with .41 left on the clock.

Orono scored at 3:31 of the 1st overtime.  

Another one of my favorites was being served in the penalty box. None other than the BUTTER BURGER from Culvers!  Jibber Kuhl and Wesley Kavanagh love them some BUTTER BURGER! The both ordered the butter burger basket with onion rings.  It smelled so good that Wayzata had a couple of fans banging on the glass to try to get BUTTER BURGERS.  Coach Miller and Coach Alstead fought over the door closest to the penalty box to hopefully get some crumbs as the players left the penalty box.

Championship Bracket: Bantam A: Delano 3 - Wayzata 1

Joshua Koskie was in goal for the Trojans. 

Wayzata looked like they were playing not to lose versus playing to win.  They looked very hesitant.  Delano took advantage of that and played Wayzata very physically.

Wayzata scored the 1st goal of the game with the goal being scored by Dylan Nelko from a beautiful pass from Joel Osteapic.  Delano tied up the score shortly after walking out in front of the net and stuffing it in.  Delano scored it's 2nd goal on a scrabble in front of the net.  Their 3rd goal was scored on a powerplay.  Delano's goalie made multiple great saves to keep his team ahead by a couple of goals.

Wayzata ran into penalty trouble as they seemed to be in the penalty box all night.

Round 1: Bantam AA Final: Wayzata 4 - Minneapolis 0

Round 1: PW AA Final: St Louis Park 2 vs Wayzata 1

Evan Turek was in goal for Wayzata stopping 14 shots.

The shots were even going into the 3rd period and Wayzata came out firing outshooting the park 16-2. 

Round 2/ Pee Wee A Final- Wayzata 10 vs Hopkins 2

Wayzata came out strong against Hopkins scoring 3 goals in the 1st, 4 in the 2nd, and 5 in the 3rd.

Wesley Kavanagh's grandparents know what to feed their grandson to get him read to play.  Kavanagh had a hat trick and 3 assists.    Caleb Koskie ate homemade tacos for his Hat trick.  The magic was in the gaucamole that his dad mistakenly put parsley instead of cilantro in it.  Yum, Yum...

Here is the list of scoring plays

1. Kavanagh from Koskie, and Pence
2. Reem from Martin
3. Kavanagh from Miller
4. Koskie
5. B.Alstead from Kuhl
6. J. Anderson from MIller and B.Alstead
7. Miller from Leatherman
8. Kavanagh from Koskie
9. Koskie from Kavanagh
10. Koskie from Kavanagh

Coach Koskie brought extra parsley gaucamole for the penalty box.  Nate Miller really enjoyed it and told Kuhl.  After Kuhl heard how good it was he decided to take 2 penalties in 1 play.   Kavanagh and Jack Anderson finished up the gaucamole.

Round 1: Bantam A Final: Wayzata 6 vs Hopkins 0

Round 1 PW B1 FInal-Wayzata Gold 6 vs Orono 3

Round 1: Peewee A Final: Minneapolis 5 - Wayzata 1

Johnny Hanson battled in goal for the Trojans.  Minneapolis opened the scoring in the 1st and Nate Miller tied it up later that period.  Minneapolis scored a shorthanded goal in the 2nd to make it 2 -1.   Minneapolis scored 2 more goals in the 2nd.  Thier 5th goal was scored 5 minutes into the 3rd. 

Colin Adams and Wesley Kavanaugh broke up multiple odd man rushes with their backchecking.  Colin Adams also made some great defensive plays picking up sticks in front of the net to save a couple of goals.  Jibber Kuhl played defense for the 1st time in a long time due to a sickness on the team and did an excellent job with a very fast Minneapolis team. 

No treats were being handed out in the penalty box.

Round 1: Bantam B1 Final: Wayzata 6 vs Armstrong 3

No mood for candy tonight. The boys moved their feet and the puck and built a 5-1 lead at the Zamboni break. As visiting team on their home ice, Armstrong battled back with two late goals before Wayzata slammed the door with an empty netter. Looking forward to the North Metro tilt on Tuesday night.

Peewee AA Final: Buffalo 4 -Wayzata 2

Will Ingemann faced off against his buddy who moved to Buffalo Beau Altman.   Will made 19 saves.
Justin Lesser opened up the scoring in the 1st with the assist from Luke Miller, and  Elijah Moore. 
Buffalo answered with back with 2 goals.
Wayzata tied up the game in the 2nd with a goal from Kasen Sauer assisted by Luke Miller and Justin Lesser.  Buffalo closed the door scoring 2 goals in the 3rd. The last goal was an empty net.

Wayzata was looking for the candy in the penalty box and Brad Little and Jackson Hill got some candy.

Bantam B1 Final: Minnetonka 3 - Wayzata Blue 0

Sports Injury Prevention Tips

Injury Risks

All sports have a risk of injury. Fortunately, for the vast majority of youth, the benefits of sports participation outweigh the risks. In general, the more contact in a sport, the greater the risk of a traumatic injury. However, most injuries in young athletes are due to overuse.

The most frequent types of sports injuries are sprains (injuries to ligaments) strains (injuries to muscles), and stress fractures (injuries to bones). Injury occurs when excessive stress is placed on tendons, joints, bones and muscle. In a growing child, point tenderness over a bone should be evaluated further by a medical provider even if there is minimal swelling or limitation in motion.  Contact your pediatrician if you have additional questions or concerns. 
 
To reduce the risk of injury:

• Take time off. Plan to have at least 1 day off per week and at least one month off per year from training for a particular sport to allow the body to recover.
• Wear the right gear.  Players should wear appropriate and properly fit protective equipment such as pads (neck, shoulder, elbow, chest, knee, shin), helmets, mouthpieces, face guards, protective cups, and eyewear. Young athletes should not assume that protective gear will prevent all injuries while performing more dangerous or risky activities.
• Strengthen muscles. Conditioning exercises during practice strengthens muscles used in play.
• Increase flexibility. Stretching exercises after games or practice can increase flexibility. Stretching should also be incorporated into a daily fitness plan.
• Use the proper technique. This should be reinforced during the playing season.
• Take breaks. Rest periods during practice and games can reduce injuries and prevent heat illness.
• Play safe. Strict rules against headfirst sliding (baseball and softball), spearing (football), and checking (in hockey) should be enforced.
• Do not play through pain.
• Avoid heat illness by drinking plenty of fluids before, during and after exercise or play; decrease or stop practices or competitions during high heat/humidity periods; wear light clothing.
• If children are jumping on a trampoline, they should be supervised by a responsible adult, and only one child should be on the trampoline at a time; 75% of trampoline injuries occur when more than one person is jumping at a time.

Sports-Related Emotional Stress

The pressure to win can cause significant emotional stress for a child. Sadly, many coaches and parents consider winning the most important aspect of sports. Young athletes should be judged on effort, sportsmanship and hard work. They should be rewarded for trying hard and for improving their skills rather than punished or criticized for losing a game or competition. The main goal should be to have fun and learn lifelong physical activity skills. 
The above is from AAP
https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/news-features-and-safety-tips/pages/sports-injury-prevention-tip-sheet.aspx

ROUND 1 DISTRICTS

		Round #1
	Districts	Opponent	Location
	PW AA	vs St Louis Park	2/18, 6:30pm @ MG Premier
	PW A	vs Minneapolis	2/17, 3:15pm @ Thaler
	PW B1-B	vs OMG-White	2/21, 6pm @ Orono
	PW B1-G	vs Orono	2/18, 6pm @ Pond
	B AA	vs Minneapolis	2/19, 7:45pm @ MG Premier
	B A	vs Hopkins	2/18, 3:45pm @ Delano
	B B1	vs Armstrong	2/17, 12:30pm @ New Hope

Sport Injuries: Why do I get hurt?

Sports injuries can be caused by a specific trauma such as a fall, check or collision. Sometimes however, the cause is unknown and the injury can be related to an under-recovery or over-training issue. If you do not allow your body to fully recover between sessions, it becomes susceptible to injury.

To help your body recover between sessions, we need to understand the body’s response to exercise. The Super-Compensation Cycle is a great summary which is divided into three phases:

1. Fatigue: the body uses up all of its fuel sources, runs out of energy and develops micro-damage
2. Recovery: the body starts to repair and refuel
3. Adaptation: your body “super-compensates” and grows stronger

If your body does not recover and make it back to baseline between sessions, it will not have the opportunity to make any strength or training gains. Instead, it will head down the path of tissue breakdown, compensation, faulty mechanics and injury.

Recovery Techniques

What strategies can we use to help our body to repair and refuel during the recovery stage?

1. Nutrition
Refuel, re-hydrate and re-build. Your body benefits most from a combination of protein and carbohydrates within 30 minutes of completing exercise. You need to refuel the energy stores you used and rebuild/ repair muscle damage. Drink enough fluids to replace what you lost to sweat during exercise. Aim for 2-3 cups of water for every pound lost during exercise.
Ideas: chocolate milk, smoothie with low-fat milk or Greek yogurt, cheese, whole-grain turkey wrap, bagel, trail mix, dried cereal, fruit: banana, pear, orange
2. Sleep
Not getting enough sleep, increases your perception of effort (making activity the following day seem harder), decrease your cardio performance by up to 11%, slow your body’s metabolism of glucose (your fuel), and increase levels of cortisol which can impair memory and interfere with muscle recovery and growth. You need to get enough sleep, which is between 7 to 10 hours for most athletes. Take control of your sleep and set a routine and put down your phone!
There is a trending theme through the next couple of techniques, see if you can identify it!
3. Active Recovery
Aerobic exercise after competition/ sport is thought to be better than passive recovery (doing nothing) due to enhanced blood flow assisting the body to bring in oxygen and clear the byproducts and waste from exercise. Active recovery can be a sport specific cool-down, cycling, jogging or swimming. Maybe hit the swimming pool at an away tournament?
4. Massage – foam roller
Massage as part of recovery helps to improve circulation and improve tissue mobility. When muscles work during exercise, they can tighten and can form adhesions / scar tissue. Foam rolling is one type of self-massage that helps to reduce the sticky points (adhesions) between the fibers and help flush out the area. Using the foam roller prior to stretching can increased the benefit of the stretches.
5. Hydrotherapy
Immersion of the body in water applies external pressure – known as hydrostatic pressure. By combining the effects of pressure with cold or a hot/ cold bath, we can assist the body with blood flow and clearing of lactic acid and the byproducts of exercise. The goal is to reduce exercise soreness and decrease inflammation. Time recommendations are as follows:
Cold tub: 55 degrees for 10 – 15 min
Contrast Bath (Hot/ Cold): start and end with cold. 1:1 ratio, typically 5 x 1 min
6. Compression Garments
Compression garments help to prevent blood from pooling in your legs. The graded external pressure helps the veins return blood to the central body. They also limited the space available for swelling and can help to reduce muscle soreness and inflammation. Compression garments can be very helpful for recovery during travel after a tournament or game when you may have to be sitting for a long time.
© JP.PT 2018
Did you figure out the underlying theme between active recovery, massage, hydrotherapy and compression garments? CIRCULATION. The goal is to assist the body with blood flow and removal of the byproducts of exercise.
Try incorporating some of these techniques with your sport and hopefully we can keep you healthy and in the game! If not, I know a great sport physical therapist!
Jessica Pawlik

Bantam B1 Final : Chaska/Chanhassen 2 - Wayzata Blue 1

Calvin Mathe was in goal facing 9 shots as Wayzata outshot their opponent 22-9. 

Harrison Dau opened up the scoring at 3:50 of the first.  His goal was assisted by Evan Pittman and Maxwell.

Quint Rubald and Zach Nowak got to do a happy dance in the penalty box.

Peewee AA Final: Wayzata 5 - Blaine 3

Evan Turek was the man in the pipes making some big saves in the win. Santa Claus was seen at the rink taking notes for his naughty list. Every Wayzata player is still on the nice list as nobody got a penalty.   Santa could be seen leaving the rink quite jolly.

Blaine opened up the scoring 3 minutes into the game and then Wayzata scored 2 unassisted goals.  Rnys Wallin and Luke Miller.

Wayzata scored 2 goals in the second and 2 in the 3rd.   Johnny Hendrickson scored unassisted and then Kasen Sauer scored, assisted by Brad Little and Justin Lesser.

The last goal was scored by Elijah Moore with the assist from Kasen Sauer. 

Bantam A championship game: Wayzata 4 vs Armstrong/Cooper 2

Bantam A Final: Semi-Final Wayzata 4 - Pequot Lakes 1

Joshua Koskie stopped 25 of 26 shots as Wayzata outshot their opponent 33-26.

The boys stepped up and played excellent considering Wayzata have 3 players out with injury.

Waiting on game sheet

Bantam B1 FInal: Wayzata Blue 3 - Edina Green 1

Excellent team win.  Isaac Monro solid in net.  Edina outshot is 27-23.  Awesome back checks by Zach Nowak.  Jack Brandt started the scoring with a snipe in the upper corner, Ryan Gearen with a great forecheck and short handed goal, he also had an empty net to seal the victory.  Edina’s only goal came with 2 minutes left after pulling their goalie for a 6on5, with a high shot tipped in.

Bantam AA Final: Osseo/Maple Grove 5 - Wayzata 2

Peewee AA Final: Wayzata 6 - St. Louis Park 5

Will Ingemann thought he was going to have it easy after the 1st period but got his money's worth in the 2nd facing 14  of the 23 shots.

Wayzata scored 3 goals in the first and 3 goals in the 3rd to come out on top of the battle royale at PIC C. 

Johnny Hendrickson started out the game scoring 2 goals getting assists for Andrew Owen and Brooks Gengler on one goals,  Jake Mattson and Daniel Tovb.  Kasen Sauer scored from a assist from Dylan Kleyman and Justin Lesser. 

Johny Hendrickson score his 3rd goal of the game to get free Dilly bars for the summer from Coach Ingeman getting the assist was Kasen Sauer. 
Justin Lesser and Kasen Sauer scored the tying and go ahead goal.

Speaking of Dilly Bars.  Dairy Queen sponser the penalty box tonight and the boys love their ice cream.  Luke Miller, Dylan Kleyman, Daniel Tovb, Jake Mattson, and Andrew Owen all got their Dilly bars will in the penalty box. 

Peewee B1 Final: Wayzata 13 - St. Louis Park 1

Henry Bellone had a easy day in net getting only 8 shots.  Wayzata dominated the play outshooting thier opponent 38-8.

Coach Bocksell came to the game with headsets for the boys to play fortnite. This was a unbelievable motivator for the boys as Brady Bocksell said "let's go get the black night" and score 3 goals.  Below is the ALL the goal listed.

1. Drew Pellinger from Tyler Lyke
2. Adam Christopherson
3. Jacob Leisen from Adam Christopherson and Zach Pettit
4. Brady Bocksell from Tyler Lyke and Jacob Leisen
5. Jonah Mogeni from Joel Mogeni and Jacob Leisen
6. Sam Ask from Adam Christopherson and Jordan Vanvalkenburg
7. Jacob Leisen from Jonah Mogeni
8. Vanvalkenburg from Ask and Christopherson
9. Jonah Mogeni from Tyler Lyke
10. Jonah Mogeni
11. Zach Pettit from Jacob Leisen
12. Brady Bocksell from Joel Mogeni and Jonathon Pribula
13. Brady Bocksell from Jacob Leisen and Sam Ask

  The treat of choice was peanut M & M's obviously the "park" boys likes the peanut M&M's more that trojans.
Wayzata only got 2 penalties to STP 5.

Bantam A Final: Wayzata 2 - Rosemount 2

Joshua Koskie moved from FortNite stardom to hockey stardom stopping all but 2 Rosemount shots.   Wayzata outshot Rosemount 24-20.

Wayzata scores the first 2 goals and tried to hang on for dear life.  They hung on for the tie.  

Dylan Nelko and Reese Gardner scored Wayzata goals in the 1st period.   

Chips and salsa were being served in the penalty box.   Chase Joki loves chips and Salsa too. He got a couple of servings. Dylan Nelko tried a serving but wasn't too fond of it.

Peewee A Final: Wayzata 10 - Hopkins 0

Gage Alst00d with the shut 0ut.   Coach Koskie challenged Gage Alstead for accomplishment of the day by winning 1st and 3rd in the Chuck-a-Puck contest at the Providence high school game tonight! 

Since there are so many goals I will just list them.

1- Jibber Kuhl from Caleb Koskie
2-Riley Leatherman from Ben Martin and Gus Anderson
3-Caleb Koskie
4-Gus Anderson
5- Micheal Reem from Brittan Alstead
6- Caleb Koskie from Brittan Alstead
7- Nathan Miller from Gus Anderson and Jibber Kuhl
8- Micheal Reem from Jibber Kuhl
9- Ben Martin from Nathan Miller
10- Jibber Kuhl

Jack Anderson kept telling the Hopkins players that there was free chocolate bars that they had to find in the penalty box and they fell for it 7 times. A Hopkins coach got so frustrated in the 1st period he got a bench penalty to send a player into the box to find the candy bars.... No Available.  In the 2nd period he couldn't handle it anymore and got kicked out of the game so he could go buy chocolate bars.

Bantam A Final: Wayzata 9 - Eden Prairie 0

Robert, Robert he’s the man if he can’t do it no one can.  Yea Robert!  Robert Bymers turned away all of the Eden Prairie shots for the shutout

Goals score by.....

Joel Ostepeic
Brendan Dielman
Ben Etzel from John Mattson and Reece Gardner
Spencer Corbett from Reece Gardner and Anthony Tomczik
John Mattson
Spencer Corbett from Wyatt Carlson and Dylan Nelko
Ben Etzel and Anthony Tomczik
Brendan Dielman from Grant Nelson and John Mattson

They were serving Popeye's chicken instead of KFC in the penalty box.
Ben Etzel LOVES Popeye's drumsticks and got his fill the 2 times he visited, Wyatt Carlson and Mason Osberg got offered the chicken but Mason refused as he only eats BWW chicken.

Bantam AA Final: Chaska Chanhassen 4 - Wayzata 2

Chaska/Chan know the way to a Trojans heart.  KFC in the penalty box.  Trojans took advantage of the buffet.  Chaska/Chan scored 4 PP goals. 

Peewee B1 Final: Wayzata 3 - OMGHA White 3

Will Schneider will be signing autographs at PIC today from 4-5:30.  He was awesome in the tie.  OMGHA outshot Wayzata 27-19.

OMGHA jumped out to a 3-0 lead and Wayzata broke their heart coming back and scoring all 3 goals in the 3rd.

Nick Damburg aka “the flash” was too much for OMGHA to handle.  He let the opposing team feel like they had a chance and then he went into beast mode scoring all 3 goals in the 3rd.  His 3rd goal was assisted by Micheal Schriener.  

For the 2nd day in a row KFC was served in the penalty box.  The Wayzata boys were hungry.  Blake Edworthy was starving not and had to go back for multiple serving. He devoured the drumsticks. Cannen Gullet, Ryan Friedoff, and Wyatt Phillips all tried to get theirs but there wasn’t much left.  Phillips had to settle for coleslaw.

Peewee A Final: Woodbury 2 - Wayzata 1

Jonny "Travolta" Hanson took the spot light tonight and danced his way to stardom!  Keeping Wayzata close making a dozen spectacular saves.  The shots where a lot to a little in favor of Woodbury. 

Micheal Reem had back to back great hustle games and was reward with another goal with the assist by Caleb Koskie.

Gus Anderson thought there was KFC in the penalty box but was very disappointed when there was nothing.  The Wayzata association is going to be filing an official complaint as there has been no treats in the penalty box east of the river. 

Bantam A Final: Wayzata 9 - Blaine 3

Robert Bymer stopped 6 of 9 shots as Wayzata controlled the game outshoting Blaine 47-9.

Goal 1- John Mattson from Mason Osberg
Goal 2- Spencer Corbett from Anthony Tomczik
Goal 3- Ben Etzel from Dylan Nelko
Goal 4- Joel Ostapeic from Ben Etzel
Goal 5- Anthony Tomczik from Joel Ostapeic and Reece Gardner
Goal 6- Ben Etzel from Joel Ostapeic
Goal 7- Wyatt Carlson from Dylan Nelko
Goal 8- Wyatt Carlson from Mason Osberg
Goal 9- Wyatt Carlson from Dylan Nelko

Choco Taco was the treat of choice in the penalty box today.  Chase Joki loves some choco tacos.  Chase Joki ate 2 and Dylan Nelko ate 1.

Peewee B1 Final: Wayzata Gold 4 at Lakeville South 2

Trey Albertini decided to go to Lakeville and make the opposing team sad by stopping all but 2 shots.

Wayzata came out strong,  scoring the first 4 goals.   Jordan Vanvalkenburg and Adam Christopherson scored in the 1st.  The Christopherson goal was assisted by Jacob Leisen.

Tyler Lyke decided to round the scoring out in the second.  His 1st goal was assisted by Adam Christopherson and his 2nd goal was assisted by Jordan Vanvalkenburg. 

There was no KFC/Ice Cream/Chocolate bars being served in penalty box in Lakeville. Joel Mogeni found out the hard way.  He had to spent 2 minutes with no treats.  After the players saw this they realized there was no benefit to go to the penalty box.  There was no other penalties for the game.

Bantam AA Final: Minnetonka 4 - Wayzata 2

Peewee B1 FInal: Wayzata Gold 9 at Delano 0

 Henry Bellone was the magic man getting the shutout as Wayzata dominated the game. 

Jacob Leisen and Adam Christenson had a goal and an assist. Jonathon Pribula had 2 goals. Sam Ask had a goal.  Ben Kearin,Joel Mogeni, Tyler Lyke got an assist

Jonah Mogeni scored 3 goals and had 3 assists.  Coach Lyke was so excited with the Mogeni performance that he gave him the keys to his Lamborghini.(Yes, this is the same Lamborghini that he won for 2017 Wayzata coach of the year). 

This game was a team effort and everything click the the Trojans!

Peewee A Final: Wayzata 4- Orono 4

Hercules..... Hercules.... the crowd chanted as Gage Alstead made big saves in the 3rd.

Wayzata had video game legs for the period 1 and 2.  Orono had a 4-1 lead going into the 3rd.  In dramatic fashion Wayzata scored 3 goals in the third.

Orono opened the scoring 12:04 of the 1st.   Micheal Reem tied it up with a beauty short-handed goal.  Speaking of Reem he was a man on a mission today and was all over the ice hustling and breaking up the opponents plays!  Orono score 2 more goals in the 2nd and came out with a vengeance scoring 15 seconds into the third.

Gage Alstead shut the door and Wayzata scored 3 goals in the 3rd.  Brittan Alstead scored on a beautiful give a go from Caleb Koskie.  Jibber Kubl scored from a pass by Caleb Koskie and Brittan Alstead.  Nathan Miller broke the Spartans heart and brought joy to the fans notching the tying goal with the assist from Alex Score and Wesley Kavanaugh.

It was Beth Miller brought Kenutcky Fried Chicken penalty box for the boys.  Wayzata was hungry the took 5 penalties in a row.  Brittan Alstead, Gus Anderson, and Jibber Kuhl had a couple of drumsticks.  Alec Score and Wesley can and got themselves some chicken breasts.  Orono saw that Beth was running out of chicken so they had to get theirs.  They then got the next 4 penalties.  Alec Score wanted seconds but there was none left for him.  The game ended with Wayzata have a 5-3 power playthat they couldn't capitalize on.  FUN GAME!!

Pee Wee B1 Final: Waconia 2 - Wayzata Blue 1

Will Schneider was snacking and making saves!  He was on his game stopping all but 2 shots.  Waconia opened up the scoring at 5:33 in the 2nd period and followed up with another goal at 1:39 left in the period. 

Wayzata tried to come back but it was to little to late with a goal scored by Bobby Alexander with the helper from Erik Nordeth.

Michel Schreiner, Ryan Friedoff, and Cameron Kirschner all decided it was lego time.  They spent time in the penalty box trying to build the Millenium Falcon

10 traits of a great teammate

We’ve all been told the cliché that there is no ‘I’ in ‘TEAM.’ But team identity is truly important when it comes to sports. That boils down to the type of teammates we’re surrounded by. As hockey players, our teammates are important not only to the outcome of the game, but the fun factor that we all look for every time we step onto the ice.
Dana Borges knows first-hand what it takes to be a part of a team. A two-time captain during his four year career at Stonehill College in Easton, he moved on to play professionally in France before returning home. He has since helped build teams as an assistant coach for his college alma mater, and as the hockey director for the Walpole Express, recently named one of only 19 USA Hockey model associations.
Massachusetts Hockey caught up with Borges to ask him what top 10 traits he looks for in teammates.
1. Selflessness
This is my No. 1 attribute to being a good teammate. It should never be “me, me, me” or “I, I, I” but instead always be “we” or “us.” Every kid should be asking, “What can I bring to my team?” as opposed to “What can the team bring me?”
If we’re focused on individual goals all the time, we're not going to achieve anything as a whole. Instead, focus on team-oriented goals, even if one of those goals is that we all get better individually. We're going to become better players, we're going to win more games, we're going to work harder.
2. Communication
This means communicating with your coaches and your teammates. I watch the kids now and they come into the rink – and they’ve been texting each other all day long – and they finally see each other, and it’s, like, “Hey, what’s up?” That's it. In turn, I'm seeing less and less communication on the ice.
Technology is a wonderful thing, and it serves a lot of purposes, but a lot of times we rely on on it too much. Put the phone down and talk face-to-face with your teammates. Have a conversation with them. That can translate to better communication on the ice, which is key to any successful team.
3. Accountability
Kids have to be held accountable for their actions. If you make a mistake or something goes wrong, own up to it. Say, “Yeah, my bad, guys, I got it next time.”
And in turn, kids can’t be too hard on each other unless they accept that we aren’t perfect. Everyone is afraid to make mistakes, and people don’t want to be labeled the guy who makes mistakes, but we need to let it be known that it’s OK to fail a bit. It’s OK to make these mistakes and own up to them. Be accountable both on and off the ice.
4. Competitiveness
This competiveness has nothing to do with playing in or winning games, this has to do with being responsible to each other; to work hard and compete every day. You’re only playing games once or twice a week – that’s not where you’re getting better. You’re getting better by competing against your buddy. As teammates, you should be pushing one another every day at practice. Help each other improve and work hard against each other to achieve that.
5. Confidence
It’s important to have confidence in yourself, but it’s more important to have confidence in your teammates and your coaches.
Have confidence that your linemates will bring their best on to the ice, and have confidence that together you guys will have a great game.
Have confidence in your goalie, that he or she will be a great last line of defense and make the save – and when they don’t, have confidence that they can shake it off and try again.
Have confidence in your coach to bring the group together as a team and confidence in his or her instruction on and off the ice.
6. Be Respectful
No matter where you come from, or what your differences are, you have a common bond in that you’re on the same team. You have to put aside any differences that you might have and respect that person. You guys are trying to achieve a common goal, whether it’s becoming better players or winning a game. You have to respect your teammates enough to get there. You can’t be pulling in different directions on the rope.
7. Trusting
This has everything to do, especially when you get older, with trusting that your teammates are going to be in the right position, and that they’re going to do the right thing. Sometimes you see some teammates trying to do too much or do someone else’s job, and they’re eventually hurting the team in general.
Trust that they’re doing all the right things, even off-ice. Trust them as peers, just as you would outside of hockey. You can trust that they will be lifelong friends. I know my best friend of 20-somethig years I met on my first day of mite hockey practice.
8. Positive Attitude
Going to the rink isn't always easy. You may be coming off a losing streak, it may be early in the morning or the coach is mad, but you have to stay positive. Look at the big picture, the process, and don’t get hung up on, “I'm doing this,” or, “I'm doing that.” That’s going back to individual things. Focus on the team successes. Maybe I didn’t score a goal, but I contributed in another way. Stay positive within the team.
9. Dependability
You need to be a reliable person. It’s being committed to part of the team and buying in to what the team is doing. When you don’t show up, you’re letting the team down in a sense. You want to be that guy to rely on to show up and work hard every time.
10. Have Fun
We want our players to have fun and be passionate about what they’re doing. When I stepped on the ice, and when I step on the ice now, nothing else exists in the world. I’m focused on what’s going on because I’m so passionate about it, and that helps me stay together with my team
When the going gets tough, I'm still passionate about the sport that I love and that keeps me going. We need to maintain that passion, that drive, so you have that common bond with your teammates.

If you’re making drills fun, or if you’re competing or making it fun with your friends, that’s what keeps kids interested.

http://www.mahockey.org/news_article/show/572909-10-traits-of-a-good-teammate

Bantam AA Final: Wayzata 8 - Minneapolis 2

Peewee AA Final: OMG 7 - Wayzata 0

Evan Turek took the start today against OMG and faced a lot of rubber facing 37 shots.

Wayzata challenged OMG in line to a fortnite team battle.  Wayzata fortnite skills were too much to handle for OMG.   Wayzata won the fortnite battle 27-0.

GREAT TEAMMATE OR FRIENEMY

Are you a great teammate or a frienenemy teammate?  What is the difference? 
I have had many teammates over the course of my career.  I have had many more frienemies than great teammates. I have been both.  This can be applied to any aspect of life, the "friendenemy" teammate is somebody who is destructive.  They will talk behind your back to destroy your reputation,  allow you to destroy yourself without stepping in, and try to bring you down when they are making bad choices. 
In the highly competitive environment, the culture becomes more carnivorous.  Frienemies rise to the forefront.  Nothing is immune to this. We can be aware and recognize it.  Don't let the frienenemy culture bring you down.  Elevate above it. 

What is a "Great" teammate?   Imagine there is 1 minute left in the game, and you are up by 1 goal. The faceoff is in the defensive zone. Who are the 6 guys you want on the ice to keep the lead? 
Great teammates:
- Block Shots
- Win races to the puck
- Battle on the boards to get the puck out of the zone
- Backcheck hard at the end of a shift because there is an odd-man rush.
- pass the puck
- cheer on teammates when they succeed
- pick teammates up when they fail
- push teammates when they are not pulling their weight
- try to get better every time they step on the ice
Great teammates don't:
- complain about shift lengths
- take revenge penalties
- complain about teammate behind their back
- show teammates up on the ice
- be a "know-it-all."
- showboat
- think that they are better than everybody else on the team

These teammates don't need to be the most skilled players; these teammates are the players that have earned your respect over the course of the year by the way they play the game. They play the game hard, and they practice hard.

What is the difference between a good player and a great player? A great player makes everybody else on the team better.  A great player can help elevate everybody else's game.  Great players know that they need their teammates to win a championship. Good players want to win, but they are not willing to do what it takes to be a champion.

Do you want to be a good player or a great player?  The path to greatness is through your teammates.  Without them, you can accomplish very little.  Great players that are great teammates become champions.

Bantam B1 Final: Wayzata Blue 3 - Delano 1

Calvin Mathe stopped 11 of 12 shots as Wayzata outshot Delano 41-12. 

Wayzata come out strong against Delano scoring in the 1st period. Ryan Gearen got the first goal from the fortnite posse of Andrew Clark and Quint Rubald. 

William van Aaren scored Wayzata's 2nd goal with a pump shot gun that he got picked up from the treasure chest in Tilted Towers that Ryan Gearen left for him. 

Delano scored late in the 2nd period to come within one. 

As storm was closing in Harrison Dau channeled his inner self competing with a great forecheck to avert an icing scoring a SHG. 

Game over for Delano.  Until next when the boys ride the bus to the jump.

Bantam A Final: Wayzata 7 - Orono 1

Joshua Koskie stopped 10 of 11 shots as Wayzata outshot Orono 44-11.  Koskie could be seen laying in a hammock for most of the 3rd period as Wayzata dominated the play. 

Dylan Nelko gets pickles and ice cream for his 5 point night.  Nelko got the hat trick and the boys could be seen walking out of the locker room with Super bowl hats.  Awesome stuff!

Brendan Dielman had a 3 point night(1g 2asst).  Ben Etzel gets a bag of hot tamales for his 4 point(1 goal, 3 assts) night.

Joel Ostapeic had a 2 point night and was seen at the super bowl with the selfie kid. Anthony Tomczik got into the action with a goal that was assisted by Cashen Naeve and Spencer Corbett.  Mason Moree had an assist on the Dielman goal.

Mason Moree, Brendan Dielman, Joel Ostapeic, Grant Nelson all decided to take advantage of free pedicures in the penalty box.


 Justin Timberlake did the intermission show and was fabulous.

Bantam AA FInal: cancelled

Bantam AA got to see the whole super bowl game as their game against Hermantown was cancelled.  Broken Zamboni. 

Bantam AA Final: Wayzata 3 - Duluth East 1

Bantam B1 Final: Wayzata Blue 5 - St Louis Park 0

Welcome back Isaac Monro! Monro stops all of "the parks" shots for the goose egg.

 Quint Rubald was hot tamale getting 3 points on the night. Another team effort for Wayzata. Wayzata score 1 in the 1st, 3 goals in the second, and 1 in the 3rd.

 Ryan Gearen opened up the scoring with a pass from Quint Rubald at 8:17 of the 1st.

 Evan Pittman scored a power play goal with the assists going to Maxwell Hill and Matthew Harries at 10:36 of the 2nd. Quint Rubald scored on a pass from Max McCollins at 8:45. With :35 left in the 2nd Maxwell Hill scored with the assists by Quint Rubald and Wyatt Peterson. Ryan Gearen got his 2nd goal of the night with 4:00 left in the 3rd. Gearen goal was assisted by Willem van Aaren.

 They were handing out free candy bars in the penalty box and 8 Wayzata players got the treat.    Quint Rubald, Maxwell Hill, Matthew Harries all chose the Kit Kats bars. Evan Pittman grabbed a snickers. Quint Rubald and Matthew Harries ate there bars too fast so they had to go back for seconds. They grabbed the Oh Henry. Harrison Dau also took a penalty.

  (There are multiple events during the course of a game that helps a team that do not show up on the score sheet, feel free to comment on the blog to recognize "great Play" "great back check" "hardest worker" etc)

Peewee B1 Final: Wayzata Gold 4 - Osseo/Maple Grove 3

Hold on to you helmets Trey Albertini stood on his for the win again OMGHA stopping 19 of 22 shots. Wayzata outshot OMGHA 26-22.

Adam Christopherson was ready! Was it the Honey and Mackie's? Was it Kobe? Was it home-cooking? Whatever it was Trojans need more of it. Christopherson had 3 points in the win.

 Drew Pellinger opened up the scoring at 3:16 of the 1st with a pass from Christopherson. OMGHA tied it up 4 minutes later.   Christopherson scored on the power play at 10:00 of the 1st and then again 4:59 later to make it 3-1. 
Sam Ask wanted to show who the boss and scored at 15:20 of the 3rd with the assists coming from Joel Mogeni and Brady Bocksell. OMGHA tried to come back scoring 2 goals in the 3rd. Albertini shut them down.

 The ice cream truck left didn't give away too much ice cream in the penalty box. Jonah Mogeni and Brady Bocksell decided to grab a couple of CHIPWICH.

  (There are multiple events during the course of a game that helps a team that do not show up on the score sheet, feel free to comment on the blog to recognize "great Play" "great back check" "hardest worker" etc)

Peewee B1 Final: Wayzata Blue 7 -St. Louis Park 0

Henry Kirt was magic stopping 4 St.Louis Park shots to get the shutout. Wayzata outshot their opponent 33-4. Bobby Alexander was "the man" getting the hat trick. Micheal Schreiner and Nick Damburg are getting ice cream from Coach Phillips for helping Bobby Alexander get the hat trick with each getting 1 assist on 2 of the goals. Nick Damburg is looking for a steak dinner for his efforts getting 2 goals of his own. Ryan Friedoff and Erik Nordseth assisted on the 1st Damburg goal. Jonathan Chang and Cameron Kirschner decided to get in on the action with a goal each. Both teams had 3 penalties. Ryan Friedoff, Luke Lam, and Blake Edworthy went to the penalty box for some free hot chocolate.

Peewee A Final: Wayzata 3 - North Metro3

Jonny Hanson was strong in goal making key saves on a 5-3 North Metro PP late in game to keep his team within striking distance.

 North Metro score at 6:31 of the 1st. Wayzata tied it up 1 minute later with a goal by Brittan Alstead that was assisted by Jack Anderson and Caleb Koskie.
 North Metro scored 2 goals in the 2nd and looked to have the game wrapped up. Wayzata made an exciting come back scoring 2 goals in the last minute of the game.
 Caleb Koskie scored with 1:04 left in the came to bring Wayzata within 1. Jibber Kuhl scored the game tying goal with 4.1 second left in the game.  Caleb Koskie assisted on the Kuhl goal.

 It was free taco night in the penalty box. Nathan Miller, Caleb Koskie, Ben Martin, Colin Adams, and Alec Score all got themselves a taco.    Colin Adams and Alec Score went for the soft taco, while the others ate hard tacos.


  (There are multiple events during the course of a game that helps a team that do not show up on the score sheet, feel free to comment on the blog to recognize "great Play" "great back check" "hardest worker" etc)

How sugar effects your athletic performance

Athletes of all shapes and sizes need to pay attention to what goes into their bodies, but sometimes it's hard to know exactly what's being consumed.

Sugar is one of those sneaky substances that you might ingest too much of without knowing. One 12-ounce can of pop contains approximately  39 grams of sugar, amounting to a total of 140 calories. As you move from a can to a bottle, the sugar intake only gets disgustingly higher [65 grams]. And that's assuming that you stop after one drink.

Given their complete lack nutritional value, soft drinks aren't worth your time.

Another problem is that most people love the taste of sugar and often don't care whether they consume an unhealthy amount. This presents a risk for the general population, but emphatically for young athletes looking to improve their game and get noticed by a college coach. Like many things in life, there's a fine line between too much sugar and just the right amount. For those looking to take their athletic careers to the next level, regulating sugar intake is essential.

Dangers of Sugar
While some sugar is okay, many abuse its use to make their food taste sweeter. Abuse can lead to addiction, and an athlete addicted to sugar is not a pretty picture.

Every athlete is familiar with the "leave it all out on the field" speech. Athletes addicted to sugar might risk that literally, since sugar gives a rush that eventually leads to a crash, due to rapid rises in glucose and insulin levels. The world's top athletes are able to maintain a high level of performance throughout every game of every season. This is impossible when experiencing sugar crashes.

The body has approximately five liters of blood. Only one teaspoon of sugar per day is needed to maintain normal, non-athletic activities. When sugar enters your bloodstream, your body releases insulin, which stimulates the blood cells to convert the sugar to energy. Excess sugar is converted into fat tissue, resulting in weight gain. If you consistently indulge in sugary foods, your body becomes resistant to insulin, leading to even more fat gain and a risk of diabetes. It's hard to make it off the bench and into the starting lineup with a lot of newfound weight holding you down.

There is currently no definitive answer to how many grams of sugar per day is acceptable. Estimates range between 40 and 60 grams for normal levels of activity. The rule of thumb is to be smart. Leave the sweets out of your diet, don't drink pop, try to avoid adding sugar to your food, and stick to non-starchy vegetables, like carrots, broccoli, onions and mushrooms.

But as mentioned earlier, sugar does provide energy. And sometimes athletes need a little extra boost to keep them at the top of their game in the fourth quarter [or third period for puckheads]. So in moderation, sugar can be your friend.

Fueling Athletic Performance With Sugar
Staying within the 40-to-60 grams per day range, athletes can use simple sugars to their advantage, fueling their normal levels of activity. Beyond that, intense physical activity requires athletes to increases their daily sugar intake.

Examples of simple sugars are glucose, fructose, sucrose and lactose, which are easily converted into energy after entering the body. These performance-boosting sugars are found in all kinds of healthy fruits. That's why NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony has embraced a diet filled with fruits to stay within his weight range of 228-230 pounds. Melo credits his diet as one reason why he achieved his goal of making the All-NBA team. He would not be the dominating force he is today if he didn't pay attention to his diet, specifically his sugar consumption. He limits sugar intake to before and after workouts, both fueling his body and satisfying his sweet tooth.

Try some of the fruits listed below to fuel your body before, during and after your workouts.

Before: 15-20g about 15 minutes before your workout
During: 10-20g per hour of activity 
After: 50g of sugar plus 16-20g of protein within 30 minutes of completion

In the chart below, compare the amount of sugar in fruits to the 39g of sugar found in just one can of pop. Use these healthier alternatives to reach your targeted sugar intake.

Fruit (One Serving)	Sugar	Calories From Sugar	Total Calories
Grapes	20g	80	88
Cantaloupe	11g	44	46
Orange	23g	92	132
Apple	11g	44	57
Banana	17g	68	125
Peach	12g	44	60
Strawberries	7g	28	47
Watermelon	18g	72	86
Pineapple	9g	36	50

It's always possible to have too much of a good thing, so be sure to monitor your fruit intake.

To continue giving your best effort in the weight room and in your sport, it's essential to keep a close eye on your sugar intake. Remember to keep your body filled with the vitamins and minerals your body needs, so you can maintain your desired weight range, like Melo.

This is from Stack

http://www.stack.com/a/the-truth-about-sugar-for-athletes

Cold and Flu has hit our teams!

There are many reported cases of sicknesses throughout Wayzata Hockey.  The best ways to stay healthy amidst the sickness are:

Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

ANDAvoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.

Flu viruses are thought to spread mainly from person to person through droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze, or talk. Flu viruses also may spread when people touch something with flu virus on it and then touch their mouth, eyes, or nose. Many other viruses spread these ways too. People infected with flu may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5-7 days after becoming sick. That means you may be able to spread the flu to someone else before you know you are sick as well as while you are sick. Young children, those who are severely ill, and those who have severely weakened immune systems may be able to infect others for longer than 5-7 days.

Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.

If you are sick with flu symptoms, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone for 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like the flu.

Be Proactive
In Western culture today, people put more time and effort into being reactive to common sicknesses such as the flu, rather than being proactive. When the body is fueled with the staple processed and packaged foods of the Standard American Diet, the immune system is no longer strong enough to protect against illness. As such, these people are much more prone to sickness. Once they do develop the common cold or flu, their first instinct is to then go to the store for medication.

Fueling your body with the plants of the earth helps to promote strong immunity.

Eat Well and Hydrate
Proactive measures for taking care of your body and preparing to battle the numerous bacteria and diseases out there also include eating right and staying hydrated. So many of the plant-based raw fruits and vegetables have natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, can help to prevent nutrient deficiencies and even reduce fatigue. These raw foods fuel your body with all of the essential vitamins and minerals you need and jump start the immune system.

Drinking enough water is also especially important during cold and flu season. When your body begins to feel the effects of dehydration, it can no longer function at its best to ward off illness.

What an athlete plate should look like

Bantam A Final: Osseo Maple Grove 5 - Wayzata 2

Robert Bymers had 22 shots.  Waiting on score sheet

Bantam B1 Final: Wayzata Blue 2 at Armstrong/Cooper 1

Wayzata dominated the game outshooting their opponent 38-19.  Calvin Mathe stopped 18 shots.

Wayzata scored both of their goals in the 1st.   Henry Strom from Evan Pittman at 7:34 and Quint Rubald from Ryan Gearan at 5:15.

Armstrong scored their goal at 12:33 of the 2nd.

Wayzata got 4 penalties.  Andrew Clark, Henry Strom, Henry Dau got to be on the score sheet for penalties.

Armstrong only had 2 penalties in the game.

Bantam AA Final: Maple Grove 6 - Wayzata 0

According to a YHH staffer, this game was over after the first 13 seconds after Osseo-Maple Grove's Henry Nelson scored on a shot from the point to give the Leafbirds a 1-0 lead that they would carry until the final buzzer while adding five more scores.
The Leafbirds snuffed out any chance of a Trojan comeback attempt with a goal scored with just .1 seconds left on the clock in the first, giving Osseo-Maple Grove a 4-0 lead and essentially clinching the win for the Leafbirds.
Kyle Kukkonen was named as the game's Most Valuable Player after recording two goals and an assist for Osseo-Maple Grove. Kukkonen's most impressive point of the evening came after a three-on-one for the Leafbirds, as the Michigan Tech commit played tic-tac-toe with Justin Janicke and William Matzke before Janicke converted the goal. Although the goal put the Leafbirds up 5-0, Wayzata and Osseo-Maple Grove alike applauded the display of pure skill.
Janicke also finished the game with two goals, and Matzke concluded the win with a goal and three assists for the Leafbirds.

Above is from YHH..... Here is the link if you would like to read. http://www.youthhockeyhub.com/news_article/show/880652?referrer_id=967184

Bantam AA Final: Semi-Final- Wayzata 6 - Centennial 4

Pee Wee AA Final: Wayzata 4 - White Bear Lake 0

Will Ingemann was strong in goal today getting the SHUTOUT!

 Wayzata outshot White Bear lake 37 -14. Wayzata dominated the game. Wayzata's play was just too much to White Bear Lake to handle.

Wayzata Goal- 1st period 14:30- Jake Mattson from Brooks Gengler
Wayzata Goal- 1st period 5:26- Jack Hartle from Luke Miller and Justin Lesser
Wayzata Goal- 2nd period :08- Andrew Owen from Dylan Kleyman
Wayzata Goal- 3rd period 7:43- Jackson Hill from Brad Little


 Penalties- Wayzata 2 - WBL 6
 Dylan Kleyman, Brooks Gengler

Bantam B1 Final: Wayzata Blue 4 - Prior Lake 2

Calvin Mathe had 22 shots in the victory.  It was a very good team win as there was 4 different goal scorers.  Jack Carlson, the old Minnesota Northstar enforcer was the ref for the game.

Period 1

8:52 - Wyatt Peterson from Ryan Gearen and Quint Rubald
4:20 - PL goal
1:22 - PL goal

Period 2

12:23 - Andrew Clark from Ryan Gearen
10:40 - Jack Brandt from Harrison Dau, William van Aaren

Period 3

5:06 -  Evan Pittman from Matthew Harries

Peewee A Final: Delano 5 - Wayzata 2

Congrats to the 5 pollsters that voted for 3 or more goal difference.

Gage Alstead stood on his head facing 44 Delano shots. Delano outshot Wayzata 44-18.
Wayzata jumped out to a 2-0 lead but couldn't handle Delano's size and speed.

Wayzata Goal:  1st  period   7:50 -  Brittan Alstead from Micheal Reem

Wayzata Goal:  2nd period  12:13-  Jack Anderson from Caleb Koskie
Delano Goal: 2nd period 11:00
Delano Goal: 2nd period  5:10
Delano Goal: 2nd period  3:07

Delano Goal: 3rd period  10:33
Delano Goal: 3rd period  6:01

Penalties: Wayzata 2 - Delano 1

Caleb Koskie, Alec Score

Peewee B1 Final: Wayzata Blue 4 - Stillwater 2

Henry Kirt was solid in goal for Wayzata. Stillwater jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead and Wayzata scored 4 unanswered goals. Goal 1 5:21 of the 1st- Eric Nordseth from Jonathan Chang Goal 2 11:10 of the 2nd- Bobby Alexander from Nick Damburg and Cameron Kirschner Goal 3 3:05 of the 2nd- Blake Edworthy from Micheal Schreiner and Cameron Kirschner Goal 4 2:07 of the 2nd- Luke Lam from Nick Nordstrom Penalties- Jonathon Chang, Ryan Friedhoff, Wyatt Phillips Stillwater had 7 penalties to Wayzata's 3.

Peewee B1 Final: Wayzata Gold 5 - Tartan 1

Henry Bellone was strong in the Wayzata goal stopping 20-21 shots as Wayzata outshot Tartan 28-21. The Tartans scored 4 minutes into the game and then scored at the end of the 1st period to tie the game up. Wayzata then went on to score 4 unanswered goals in the 3rd period. Goal Tartan- 1st period 10:20 Goal Wayzata- 1st period 1:28 - Sam Ask from Jordan Vanvalkenburg Goal Wayzata- 3rd period 9:04 - Adam Christopherson unassisted Goal Wayzata- 3rd period 6:50 - Jonah Mogeni from Brady Bocksell Goal Wayzata- 3rd period 6:10 - Joel Mogeni from Ben Keurin Goal Wayzata- 3rd period 5:29 - Adam Christopherson unassisted

Bantam AA at Duluth East Saturday, February 3 8:00pm – 9:00pm Mars Lakeview Arena

Peewee B1 Final: Woodbury Royal 4 - Wayzata Gold 1

Trey Albertini was in goal for the game and stopped 14 of 18 shots.  Wayzata had15 shots.  Jonah Mogani started the game off with a goal. Jordan Vanvalkenburg got the assist.

Where Wayzata lacked in scoring the made up for it in the penalty box.  Brady Bockwell,Sam Ask, Tyler Lyke,Jonathon Primul got on the score sheet with penalties.

Pee Wee AA Final : Wayzata 6 - Hasting 2

Evan Turek was lights out in the win for Wayzata. Justin Lesser scored at 8:21 of the first with the assist from Jackson Hill. At 5:23 Kasen Sauer passed to Jackson Hill for Wayzata's second goal. Hasting scored to round out the scoring in the 1st. Wayzata scored the only goal in the 2nd. Jake Mattson, from Brooks Gengler and Rhys Wallin Wayzata 3 goals in the 3rd were scored by Rhys Wallin x 2 and Johnny Hendrickson. Luke Miller, and Justin Lesser got assists.

Bantam AA Final: Wayzata 6 - Elk River 1

Peewee AA Final:Minnetonka 5 - Wayzata 0

Wayzata was outshot 26 - 24. Evan Turek manned the pipes for Wayzata.

Justin Lesser and Jake Mattsen were not going to get denied to get on the scoresheet.  They got the Wayzata penalties.

Bantam A Final: Osseo/Maple Grove 2 - Wayzata 1

Joshua Koskie stopped 18 of 20 shots as OMGHA outshot Wayzata 20-13.

OMGHA scores in the 1st and 3rd.
Brendan Dielman scored Wayzata’s only goal in the 2nd period.

Peewee B1 Final: St. Michael/Albertville 6 - Wayzata Gold 4

Henry Bellone faced 17 shots as Wayzata outshot their opponent 30-17.

Wayzata got on the board first with a goal by Jonathan Pribula and a assist by Zach Pettit.   Zach Pettit scored Wayzata second goal with a helper by Jonah Mogani.  

St.Micheal and Wayzata traded goals in the 2nd. Wayzata's goal was scored by Tyler Lyke. Assisting on the Lyke goal was Joel Mogani and Jacob Leisen.

St. Micheal went on a tear scoring 5 goals in the 3rd.  Wayzata's 4th goal was scored by Jonah Mogani.

Ben Kearin got on the scoresheet with a penalty.

Peewee AA Final: WBL Tourney Rogers 4 - Wayzata 2

Will Ingeman stopped 18 of 22 shots. Stopping a barrage of shots in the 1st period as Wayzata for outshot 22-18. Rogers scored 2 goals in the 1st. Jake Mattson scored at 10:20 of the 2nd for Wayzata's first goal with the assists by Kasen Sauer, and Dylan Kleyman. Johnny Hendrickson scored Wayzata's 2nd goal with assists by Luke Miller and Brooks Gengler to make the score 3-2. Rogers score at 4:24 to make it 4-2. Dylan Kleyman scored at 10:16 of the 3rd with the assists going to Jake Mattson, Brad Little. Kasen Sauer and Brad Little got on the sheet with penalties

Bantam AA Final: Wayzata 7 - Hermantown 1

Peewee AA Final: Rochester 4 - Wayzata 2

Will Ingeman had 17 shots stopping 14 of them. Rochester scored an empty net goal. As Wayzata outshot Rochester 33-18. Johnny Hendrickson had both of Wayzata's goals with Justin Lessor and Rhys Wallin assisting on the 1st goal. Rochester scored 2 power play goals. Justin Lesser, Brad Little, Dylan Kleyman are got on the scoresheet with penalties

Bantam AA Final: Wayzata 5 - White Bear Lake 2

no report

Peewee B1 Final- Eagan 2 - Wayzata Gold 1

Trey Albertini was solid in the Wayzata goal stopping 19 shots.  Jacob Liesen scored Wayzata's only goal in the 3rd period.

Bantam B1 Final- Wayzata 3 - Minneapolis 0

Calvin Mathe had another strong performance stopping all 20 shots to get the shutout.   Wayzata outshot Minneapolis 32-20

William van Aaren opened up the scoring at 9:32 of the first with an unassisted goal.    Quintin Rubald scored Wayzata's 2nd goal at 10:37 of the 2nd, followed by Harrison Dau goal at 5:28 of the period Dau's goal was assisted by Jack Brandt.  This was all the scoring Wayzata needed as Mathe shut the door in the 3rd.

Minneapolis won the penalty race getting 3 penalties to Wayzata's 1.   Quintin Rubald got on the board with the penalty

The mindset of an olympic medalist.

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/brandon-slay-usa-wrestling-olympics-rio/

Dear Olympic Medalists,

Let’s fast forward to the end of the Olympics. You’ve obtained your life goal, reached the top of your personal Everest and won a gold medal. Congratulations. Your countless hours of work, sacrifice and tears have paid off. Here’s what’s going to happen next.
You have this gold medal around your neck and you go back to your hometown and they have a parade for you down Main Street. Thousands and thousands of people show up. You’ll take pictures, shake hands, sign autographs, kiss babies, the works.
Then it’s going to end. People have to go back to work or school or take care of their children at home.
But before you know it, the streets are empty, everything’s gone back to normal, and you’ll be back at your house, lying on your couch, looking at this hunk of metal you’ve worked your entire life to get.
Not exactly how you pictured it, right? You thought it was going to last forever, that the party would never end.

Photograph By Henry Bargas/Amarillo Globe-Gazette/AP Images

You’ll feel depressed, lost. Your next thought is going to be: That’s it?
It doesn’t have to be, though. Not if you’re prepared. Not if, before the opening ceremony you asked yourself one, simple question:
Why?
“Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.”
That Lombardi quote is drilled into every athlete’s head from the first moment they put on pads or dribble a ball.
It’s a lie.
It creates a false motivation, and makes people compete with fear. Because if winning is everything, then you’re nothing if you lose.

That why is important. That’s what I want you to think about before you jump off that starting block or dive into that pool:
Why are you doing this?

In high school and college, I wanted to win so, so, so, so, so bad that the fear of losing was almost crippling. I’d wrestle real tight, get tired a lot faster, make mistakes I normally wouldn’t make. I’d actually do a lot better against wrestlers from Iowa and Penn State — traditional wrestling schools — than I would guys from the Ivy League because, against the Ivy League guys, I was so consumed with the fear of losing. There was an added weight on me in those Ivy League matches, because the University of Pennsylvania, my alma mater, was expected to be the Ivy League champions in wrestling.
I still won a bunch of matches — I was a three time Texas State Champ, got second in the NCAA’s twice — but I often wonder how I would have competed if I had had a better understanding of why I was wrestling .
That why is important. That’s what I want you to think about before you jump off that starting block or dive into that pool:
Why are you doing this?
If you’re competing just to win you’re going to be disappointed either way. Defeat is devastating, and victory is fleeting.
A year before I wrestled in the 2000 Olympics, I had this moment of clarity.
I want to be an Olympic champion, but is that the most important thing in my life?

No. No it’s not.
I realized that being a champion wasn’t the end-all and be-all. I couldn’t let it define me, one way or the other. My faith, family, friends and integrity were the most important things to me. Everything else was secondary.
It brought me to an understanding: Why am I doing this? Why am I running sprints until I dry heave? Why am I cutting weight? Why am I lifting weights four times a week? Why am I running up the incline, and just basically putting my body through the ringer, physically, spiritually, and mentally?
Love. That’s why I was doing this. I love wrestling, and the process behind it. I love getting better every day, making myself the best wrestler — and person — I can possibly become. To me, it wasn’t about the medals or the glory or the accolades. It was just about my love for the sport, and everything surrounding it. Whether I won or lost didn’t matter — all that mattered was whether I gave it my best effort.

Photograph By David Guttenfelder/AP Images

I was like Rocky at the end of the first movie. He told Apollo Creed he didn’t want a rematch because he knew, whether he won or lost, that he gave that fight everything he had.
For the first time in a long time, I could wrestle freely.

In wrestling, you can actually challenge the outcome of a tightly-contested match. Russia did just that.

It’s a good thing, too, because I had to go through a brutal gauntlet to win the gold medal in 2000.
Before I could even advance to the medal round, I had to wrestle the defending Olympic champion, a Russian named Buvaisar Saitiev who hadn’t lost in six years. He wasn’t a totally flawless wrestler, though. He was susceptible to a double leg takedown and a gut wrench.
Those just happened to be my two best moves. I knew exactly how to attack him.
So I went out there and got ahead 3-0. But then I came out of my strategy, took some single legs on him and he actually ended up scoring on me. Now it’s 3 to 3, and we go into the second period. He knew my strategy, and he wasn’t going to take any risks. I looked for scoring opportunities, but none were there. He tied the match, and we went into overtime.
Overtime in wrestling is sudden victory (I don’t like to call it sudden death). I immediately went back to my strategy, got him in a double-leg, and won. That was the greatest win of my career because that wrestler went on to win the gold medal in 2004 and 2008. He was a three-time olympic champion, and that was the only match he lost in four olympic tournaments.
Except, I wasn’t able to enjoy it immediately, because there was a chance I actually didn’t win. In wrestling, you can actually challenge the outcome of a tightly-contested match. Russia did just that.
My coach came to me and said “Brandon, just letting you know, they protested the match, and there’s a chance you may have to wrestle him again in 45 minutes.”
Come on.
My brain started swimming.
How would I wrestle another match?
Would I do the same thing?
He’s going to know all of my moves!
Then I stopped, took a breath, and thought about why I was doing this.

I love wrestling, and this is a great opportunity to just have some fun with it.
I was ready. Then coach came and snapped me out of my reverie.
“Hey, Brandon, you’re good. They lost the protest.”
I wasn’t really relieved by the news. I was ready to go one way or the other, because of my perspective.
That mindset helped me later on in the gold medal round, when I lost to Alexander Leipold of Germany. After that match, we had an after-party for all of the supporters, friends and family. I thanked them for everything, and then I told them that I knew there was more to life than gold medals.
That was my message as I started speaking at schools around Amarillo, Texas. A few weeks after the match, though, it was revealed that Leipold had tested positive for Nandrolone. The gold medal was mine. It was an honor, but it also didn’t change my message. My silver medal wouldn’t define me, and neither would my gold.

Photograph By Lynsey Addario/AP Images

I knew I couldn’t stay on the summit of my personal Everest for long, because it’d consume me.
If you’re competing with the idea that it’s really gonna fulfill you and clear away all of your problems, you’re in for a rude awakening. Believe me, I’ve been there.
“I’m the champ. I’m the man, the myth, the legend. I’m awesome, and everything is going to be easy for the rest of my life.”
It just doesn’t work that way.
It’s great to have goals, but you also need to keep in mind that life goes on whether you reach them or not. You can’t be an Olympic athlete for your entire life. Value your education, and have another goal, another Everest to summit. Know what’s next.
After coaching at the Olympic Training Center the last eight years, I’m moving on to a new Everest. I’ll probably never summit this one, because my work will never be complete. That’s all good for me.
I’ve accepted the position as the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center. I look forward to training future Olympians and leaders of this country. I want to help young wrestlers find their “why,” and change the trajectory of young adults. I’m honored to have the chance to give back to Penn, a place that gave so much to me.
I realized that if I could share my story with kids that are on the precipice of throwing their lives away, maybe I could pull them back from the edge. I went through what a lot of them are going through: divorced parents, living with my grandma, growing up in a rough environment. I can relate to them, and show them that life doesn’t have to go south.
I’ll never forget an email I got from a kid after I spoke at his school:
“Hey Coach Slay, what you said meant so much to me. I’ve been using my parent’s divorce as an excuse to make bad grades and fail. You made me realize that that’s a bogus excuse. I’m going to get on the right track.”
Your next goal might be completely different. Just make sure you have one, whatever it is.
Winning isn’t everything. It’s not the only thing. It’s just one of the many things that matter in life.

Brandon Slay

Contributor