Dad Takes a Spill Andrew Dishes Out Checks

To clarify,…he calls me "uncle"…Indonesian tradition. Makes sense to  me. But, since I have raised this boy from age 6 on,…you could say he's my son.
Okay now for todays news.

Good ole' dad,…errrrr "Uncle",…decides that he can run sprints with the team. WRONG!!! Speed wise…no problem. But, I took a spill 4 times in 2 attempts. Seriously, I looked old and awful.….Gave myself a few raspberries…..Yeah,… thought of coming out of retirement ended there….hehehehe. But, I did finish after I fell, to let Andrew know…to never quit.

Andrew FINALLY got his YOUTH sized Marian Hossa jersey.  (Aliexpress / Made in China's Store)
About 25 days…. They were not perfect on the order…. 2:3 were correct….all three look amazing. So, we kept 2 Hossa jerseys and gave one to our staff member who knows nothing about hockey, so she could care less what player she received… ~ 300,000 Rp per jersey  fyi.

The coaches don't really go over productive hockey skills. You're talking about 2 figure skating coaches that also coach hockey. Indonesia, not your hotbed for hockey. We have to do most of our practicing off ice. But, what they did do today was a speed drill. Land and Ice. Andrew was the fastest on both. (I don't include Mr. Simon…he's a 40+ yr old mad)… Andrew was 17:44 seconds around the ice. His practicing on cross overs when he got to the goal line has really helped. As the others guided around the back of the net,…he was skating using his cross over speed. Good Job!!!

On the ice today…well, let's say he was a little testy. The parents asked us to tell Andrew not to BODY CHECk them. This isn't Europe, Canada or the USA. So, it's supposed to be less physical. I don't know if that will stop him. How do you tell a boy to not have a 'fighting spirit', especially when there are a few players who won't "pass the puck?" I have an issue if the 2 forty year old men were to check an 8 year old,…but an 8 yr old checking a player  ages 7-11? I see no problem with that. As long as it's in the context of the game.
Alright,…that being said,…he got a little upset and gave  the 9 year old a little message,…if you will.  Then after that, he got a little angry at the goaltender.  I heard Haikal's father complain, but I actually missed that body check to Haikal. I saw both of them collide…and Haikal fell like a ton of bricks…Maybe that is what he thought was a check… that was actually NOT a check.  It was two young boys losing their balance.
Uh oh,…I hear Mom was screaming from the balcony…..Uh oh...I'm sure he knew we were watching, because after practice, he didn't want to look at us. I went up to him and explained that raising sticks in temper (this he did to the 9 year old after practice while they were clowning around)…even if you aren't going to use it as a weapon IS NOT ALLOWED at any time…. So, on his own, he went to 2 of the 3 players and shook their hands. One of them is his best friend at hockey…."Haikal". As you see, they forgave each other.


I downloaded today Hockey by Sean Skinner. We are going to get Andrew to practice these wonderful techniques at home. Then he can take those skills to the rink on Fri and Sun.

Andrew and Haikal after practice 30MAR 2014

Andrew geting "loud"….uh oh…Mom's telling him to calm down.

Andrew Scored His First 2 Goals

Andrew Killin 23 March 2014

Interesting day today. Andrew was sick, (in a bad mood all day), yet he took the ice and at the beginning, he looked awful. I didn't see any energy. I thought he didn't have enough to eat. Then he left the ice. He threw-up and I asked him if he was okay. I told him I would run downstairs to McDonald's to get him a chicken sandwich,…when I came back, everyone told me that Andrew scored two times. Great…I missed it. Oh well.  He and a bunch of his hockey buddies raced the circumference  of the ice (outside edge and from end to end…no cheating)…He skated in 17.1 seconds and now holds a slight lead on two of his other buddies also in the mid to high 17's. He then skated backward. He came in 3rd. So, he has work to do on the backward skating speed.

Andrew was skating down the ice with one hand on the stick and he was starting to poke check. Still, doesn't like to chase someone down to take the puck away, and in a scrum, will either pass up the puck, lose his balance and sometimes fall down. He did go to the corners and fight for the puck though. So, the progress is nice to see, even though I missed the goals…SHUCKS!!!!!.

After Practice…Haikal and Raifa fighting for the puck. Egbert in the rear. Andrew (left) waiting for action.

Rollerblading To Success

Yesterday, I got to see first hand just how good Andrew is getting on the rollerblades I bought him back in early September. He was kicking the hockey ball with his roller blades with his leg going behind the other...in order to kick the ball up to his stick. That is  pretty advanced. He has completely worn out his rubber break and his straps are starting to rip and break. When we are outside on the 4th floor Podium, he is skating up ramps, jumping down stairs without worry or hesitation. He's going to be a good little player. Today, we discussed how we are going to further his development. Are we going to send him to Czech Republic this summer for hockey camp? It costs a lot of money. 10,000,000 Rp per week, + airfare for my family, + hotel, + entertainment, + food. Looking at sending just Andrew and his mother to Prague to limit the costs. We're still talking about it. Plus, is it worth sending him over for just one week? Should we invest in 2 weeks? Decisions decisions.

Adding New Indonesian Friends To This Wonderful Game Of Hockey

Andrew is so tickled right now because he is able to bring one of his friends to the rink. This friend doesn't skate, so he is going to learn how to skate from Andrew. SLEEP OVER> …since we get up early,….you guessed it,…Andrew's friend is sleeping over. (I'm sure they will get about an hour of sleep tonight)….

The next morning, I don't think I've ever seen Andrew up on time to go to practice. I have always had to wake him up...even if he has an alarm set. However, THIS Sunday morning would be different. He was up and he was prepared. He let his buddy use his Boston Bruins jersey (as seen above), while he got to wear his New Mighty Ducks Teemu Selanne jersey...Adult Small...it looked so large on him,...but he didn't care. He was going to wear it regardless.

We told Andrew to focus on ice SPACE. Don't wander all over the ice. Play your position. That he started to do, and it left him 3 shots on goal and he ended up playing the best game he's played so far in his young hockey career. He actually had a beautiful assist. Hard for kids to do. Usually when they see the puck,they instantly want to shoot. He passed to a wide open guy and Mr. Simon shoved it in an empty net as Andrew had 2 guys draped on him. Great job!

Andrew Shows His Grit

During yesterday's practice, one of the Indian Ex-Pats ran into Andrew and cut in on him in the line. Well, Andrew was going to have none of it. The boy proceeded to say "I'm better than you"...(which if 100 people were to see both players play...100% of you would disagree with this boys rationale)...Andrew and this boy got into a little shoving match....and punches were thrown. Indian boy age 11, Andrew age 8.

I proceeded to yell at both kids (even with the boys father present) and warned them both to quit it. After the coach gave them a "stern warning"....hockey continued.

I told Andrew, that if you are upset with somebody, take it out ON THE ICE.. However,
1) Don't seek out the trouble
2) Make it legal.
3) and ...makes sure HE FEELS IT!

That is exactly what happened. Andrew got a little "mouthy" with the young lad from India. However, he proceeded to check him off his feet (remember, Andrew is only 8 years old and the other boy is 11), and then he took the boy off his feet as they both went into the boards for a puck.

There you go Andrew,.....no need to "talk the talk"........simply "walk the walk".

Andrew (in black) 09MAR14 morning exercise before taking the ice.

The First 6 Months Of Skating In A Nutshell.

The end of September 2013 and the beginning of October, Andrew was spending nearly 10 hours a week on either the ice or he was practicing by way of roller blading. He was determined to be a good skater.

1 month into hockey and he's already wearing hockey jerseys all the time.

As I try to figure out how to put my mobile phone videos on blogger, I will just put the pictures on for now.
During the first 2 months of hockey, Andrew learned how to roller blade and he was learning how to do hockey maneuvers. (hockey stop, weaving in and out of traffic, cross over skating, backward skating). He was able to skate one end of the ice to the other end in about 9 seconds. Andrew was interested in speed first, and had to be pulled back and refocused many times in order to progress. Balance and skating on his edges were more important. However, to an 8 year old, speed was the most important thing.

His favorite NHL player is Marian Hossa (not a bad role model) and I find him in the apartment pretending he is Hossa. He started to slack a little bit on the rollerblading during November and December. He got content with the ice. Because Andrew is getting a lot of guidance, and he loves the game, he follows what the coaches, older players and parents say….with a little nudge of course.

Like all kids, what makes him feel important,…or feel like a hockey player is all the equipment and the hockey jerseys. I recall the first time he came to the car with his school buddies, and they didn't believe he was a hockey player…..when they found out,…it was "oooohs and aaaaaahs"…and "Andrew you are so cool", "Andrew you are so lucky". Well, this makes an 8 year olds smile go from ear to ear. So, pushing Andrew was not even a case because he enjoyed all the attention and accolades. During the incredibly rainy December and January, Andrew wasn't outside much. It was time to pick up his ice time during those rainy months, so that he didn't forget how to skate. Come February, Andrew was making friends near our apartment and was rollerblading almost every single day. FOR HOURS. I noticed that improvement as he started to hit the ice come March.

Only 3 weeks on the ice. He was coming to the ice nearly 4x week for 4 hours a day during this stretch.

Andrew had to learn a few things about "etiquette".  He saw too many hockey games. In fact, he was learning way more about the actual game then the present children on the team. Other than Crosby or Ovechkin (who they couldn't even pronounce), many didn't know a single NHL player. Ok,…that being said, Andrew needed to learn about not crying during a game because he got checked too hard, or learn how to dish back a good check of his own…or worse yet, not to "be dirty" on the ice because he got "slashed' or "hooked" or "checked too hard". Over the past 3+ months, this has definitely been improved upon.

During our first 6 months of playing almost solely in Jakarta, Andrew has played at J-Cube in Singapore (where we purchased his new Bauer skates and a new stick), and the new rink (soooo unfinished) at Bintaro. Nobody liked the rink in Bintaro. Smog machine heaven. Nobody could see across the ice, it was loaded with first time skaters that were dangerous to be on the ice with because when they fell, they looked to grab on to someone to keep themselves from falling.

It is apparent that Andrew will need TRUE coaching if he wishes to get to that next level. We have looked into schools/camps in europe that would help Andrew further develop.  That is going to be our next step in development.

One thing that many people don't see across other parts of the world, is that players from the tropics sometimes have an advantage because HOCKEY is all they do. In Jakarta, there isn't much else to do. Sports in particular are not heavily pushed. This therefore means the ice hockey and inline hockey world in Jakarta is a small world. Everyone knows everyone (for the most part), and for someone like Andrew, he will get the coaching when and if necessary ALL YEAR LONG. Unlike Canada, where they may only be on the ice 6 months, in Jakarta, Andrew will be on the ice for all 12 months. His game will progress slower, but his skating ability will progress faster. As he progresses in the skating, the other things will come in time,…so I am not worried much.

Now, it's time for me to figure out how to post these darn videos.

-until then. Keep skating' !!!

This is the hockey life of Andrew Killin…Welcome

Andrew meeting hockey players. (He's a bit bashful on this day). First day on the ice.

This is Jakarta: Warm, damp, rainy from November to March, heavy traffic, and ....not a mecca for a sport known as ice hockey. I am starting a blog 6 months after Andrew first took the ice at "The Ice Rink" @ Taman Anggrek Mall in Jakarta.
 

12Sept2013 Andrew meets Michael Shu

Andrew is 8 years old and he started the interest of hockey because of me. I am insanely nuts about my favorite hockey team: The Chicago Blackhawks. So much so, I have written hundreds of articles about my favorite team on www.hawktalkalways.blogspot.com  .

He got to see the Hawks win the Stanley Cup on television and became as interested in hockey as me. I offered him the opportunity to ice skate in early September after our vacation from Bali. September 8th 2013 he got to meet a few people on the hockey team and he was introduced to Mr. Simon, who has a boy on the junior hockey team. Mr. Simon offered to sell us his back up pair of skates for a mere 1.7j Rp. (about $170 USD)….yikes….skates are a luxury, so get used to paying high prices for things we in America didn't have to pay that steep a price for.

1 Month skating, Michael teaches Andrew how to inline skate to speed up his balance. 

So, on September 12th, Andrew made his first appearance on the ice. He fell….and fell,…and fell,…at least 30 times. All he kept doing was getting up. He wanted SO badly to make the junior hockey club. I could tell the fire was in his belly. He cried  the first 2 practices because he wasn't on the same level as the younger kids. So, I made sure he got his ice time (and off-ice time) and I paid 3 of the guys to help him skate. But, there had to be at least 6 people that offered to help him learn how to skate the first 2 months. The support from Indonesians was simply Amazing!!! There are few Indonesians that love hockey, so when they saw a little 8 year old who wanted to learn,….they were MORE than willing to help. I will try to show you just how quickly this little boy started to learn the art of hockey and skating. Each post, I will try to put in progression of his learning….so, I will have to date each of his pictures and videos so that we can get an idea when these events occurred until we get caught up to our present date.

My intention is to follow Andrew and his progression of ice hockey throughout his childhood years, into his teen age years, and to give everybody an insight of Indonesian hockey and an insight on Andrew's growth ( or lack thereof) of this wonderful sport called…. hockey.

Welcome to Indopuck.blogspot.com , the hockey life of Andrew Killin. (cool hockey name eh?)