Czech Hockey Camp Winter 2015-16

                     

This year I got to go...sortof. I'll explain later. This year Andrew was making his 2nd appearance at the Czech International Hockey Camp in Nymburk. We started off our wonderful vacation by spending nearly a week prior to camp in beautiful Prague. During that stay Andrew got to skate on an outdoor rink where even I joined him on the last day. This was Andrew's first experience skating outdoors. He got to experience the way I used to skate as a kid. He had a blast...and frankly, so did I.

Once we arrived, Andrew felt right at home when he rejoined 3 of his other buddies. Gustav, Lorenzo and Henry. They all decided to wear the same jerseys and clicked on the ice, as well. As camp was in its heyday, I got the call to come back to Jakarta. So, I missed everything from the 30th onward. However, I did get to see the Benicky System Skatemill. Holy Enchilada!!! It was amazing how well this skatemill worked. The way it was able to point out the errors in his skating, it improved him almost immediately. (We have wonderful videos of the Benicky Sysstem I will surely upload). Andrew is progressing nicely in 2 years and 3 months of skating. If I can get him involved in this system more...then I am certain he will jump another level or two).

So proud of the little man. He did really well.

Kevin Yu Hosting Aug 2015 Hockey Camp at Bintaro

This is the 3rd camp that Bintaro has held the past year and a half. The previous 2 were with Gary Tan from Malaysia. This weekend it was with Kevin Yu from Taiwan.
Initially, it didn't go well...and for Andrew,as well. Camp started at 8pm this Friday, and 20 kids were skating around the rink with enthusiasm. That was short lived. The drills were hard, un-orthodox, and extremely long. In fact, none of the kids were allowed to get a water break until 9:10. 70 minutes without restoring their body with fluids. Andrew had been in bed all day long fighting an illness,...and this certainly didn't help. He asked not to go back on the ice. In fact, he pleaded for me to bring him home. Wow!!! Andrew would never normally ask to be removed from hockey, so I knew he was not feeling well.

The next morning, I shot off to work as Andrew made his way back to the rink. I was in communication with Natalie who said that Andrew was feeling better. She also reported that Andrew said the camp day two was "Way better". When I got home from work, I approached Andrew who was in much better spirits. He was so happy that Coach Yu gave Andrew a " 'atta-boy " high-5...that he was determined to tell me about it.
That evening, the camp had such a different feel. Kids were smiling, energy was high, and kids were giving their best effort.

Today is the 3rd day. Camp starting out well. 21-22 kids at camp in the morning. Me?...Starbucks in hand as I overlook from the gantry.

Improved Ice skills but Now Diet Takes Precedence

The past few months, hockey has slowed down to a once a week venture. During the past year Andrew unfortunately has had his problems dealing with a weight gain. An unhealthy weight gain that has forced me to take action. Lose 6 kg before August 1 or no winter camp in Nymburk. Slow progress last week, but he did drop 1 kg. Andrew is finally having fun playing street hockey and roller blading. Both will help him as he progresses in this sport.
Positives: he sees the game better and he isn't so apt to just get rid of the puck before passing. He is becoming stronger on his skates, not falling down with every bump....still needs improvement however. He is getting a bit more savvy with the puck and wants to try new things because his stick handling has improved.
The Indonesian team wishes to go to Malaysia this September...not certain if Andrew will attend. We will see how finances are before we commit.
All in all, there has been progress...I would love to take him out to play with some older kids to improve his skating and awareness. I just have to find the right opportunity.

Life Of An Indonesian Hockey Player: Andrew Pulls In 2 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze at Skil...

Life Of An Indonesian Hockey Player: Andrew Pulls In 2 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze at Skil...: I had a sneaky suspicion that Andrew would win the Speed Competition,…which he did do. However, that wasn't a sure thing as you know. He...

Andrew Pulls In 2 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze at Skills Competition

I had a sneaky suspicion that Andrew would win the Speed Competition,…which he did do. However, that wasn't a sure thing as you know. He could have tripped and slid off his course. You know,…anything could have happened. But, he did win that event.

In addition, he won the Shootout competition. That one surprised me for he was working on that Tomas Hertl and Todd Bertuzzi move of putting the puck between the legs and shooting it high shoulder on the goalie. Surprise surprise…he won.

The event he was winning, until the puck went off course was his stick handling. He got a little fumbled up toward the end. However, he managed to take home the Bronze. The silver was for an event I didn't think he stood a chance of placing…Target Shooting at the goal. Not an easy task for a 9 year old that hasn't played more than 17 months. Good job….actually, GREAT job Andrew.

Target Shooting

2 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze

Look at the happy boy!

Andrew Preparing For Skills Competion @ Bintaro

Jayson Daze Blatt, the coach of the Jakarta team,…has his challenges set ahead of him.

1) His biggest challenge is to not let parents intimidate him into HOW he should run his team.

2) Visa issues (just like all of us Expats), it can be tedious and quite eventful (to say the least).

3) Getting children motivated enough to play. Some will start,…then quit within a few weeks or months.

4) Encouraging a new batch of kids to play? Where do they get the equipment from? How do they avoid traffic to come to practice 2 days a week?

I'm certain there are more challenges, but these are the 'striking' challenges…especially #4 and #5.

Getting hockey equipment isn't as easy as going to your local pro-shop and buying them. There is a pro-shop in Bintaro Jaya Xchange run by Sherly who does her best to supply the shop with decent equipment and supplies. But, …..be prepared to pay double of what you would normally pay in the States (maybe, even more than double).

Fortunately, I have an entire setup for a youngster who wishes to play. However, that interest since May for Andrew's old equipment has been ZERO.

We are not merely going to give it away, but we will certainly offer a fair deal so that a parent isn't overwhelmed with the initial expense.

Andrew has been taking a few private lessons since his return from Nymburk, but what has peaked his interest, is the Skills competition, similar to the NHL's version prior to the All-Star game.

Andrew has bene practicing and we shall see how he does. I'm not really worried about him doing well or not well. That isn't going to alter his progress, what I am interested in , is the fairness of the event. How much political nonsense goes into this?

There is supposed to be a tournament in Hong Kong (I believe it is in May), but there are a lot of factors on whether Indonesia should participate.
* quality of the team
* the coaches
* cost
* is it worthwhile?

At this time, it appears that Gary Tan isn't going to be doing any other camps in Jakarta. I don't know what the reasoning is behind this, but the boys did really well with this camp. If Gary isn't the coach, hopefully they can replace him rather than simply eliminate it from their spring and summer repertoire.

Skills Competition at Bintaro will be on the same day.

Czech International Hockey Camp Was A Success

As Andrew wraps up his first international hockey experience, we have learned a few things.
* This camp was more vital to his growth "as a young boy", than it was to hockey.
* He absolutely adores hockey.
* He is very sociable and loves making friends.
* He is not TOO far behind the European boys, despite only skating for 15 months.

Lukas Tramba and his group of very qualified coaches, taught 16 10-U boys (oh…1 young lady)

to play the game of hockey.  5 of the days (except for the initial Grand Opening Day and the last day), the children could be on the ice for up to 3 times. Morning session, Afternoon session and late night Free Ice time. Wow,…that's a lot of ice time. 

This enjoyable experience allowed Andrew to do a few things.

* experience SNOW…he's from a warm tropical country,…snow and ice are foreign to him.

* experience a different country and a different culture. 

* allowed Andrew to have a break from the hectic Jakarta life he's been experiencing of late.

* Allowed his mother (Natalie) to have a nice solid break…as well as getting to see her son succeed at something that he enjoys.

Andrew has areas of growth, and it was shown on his report card. 

*Average skating and his hands with the puck are average.

I think a small percentage of that problem were his T-Blades. Wonderful for zipping around the ice, but terrible for hockey maneuvers. Due to the little amount of blade, if the cuts aren't perfect, it will knock Andrew off his edges quickly. We would see that throughout the year where he was falling due to trying to stop in the corners. Bamm! There he'd go. Falling. Well, lucky for this little boy, he was given a wonderful X-Mas present in Nymburk…Bauer MX3 skates. (Damn those things are expensive). With continual practice on ice and roller blading, by next winter, he should be another level ahead. (please don't grow out of those skates too soon!!!)

Certificate and Report Card

The next 3 days Andrew will get to experience Prague with mom. I want him to soak it all in. I'm certainly hoping he has another level of "drive" when he returns. He has already told the boys,… "See you next winter". 

Czech Hockey Camp

The past 6- months or so, there has been a stagnancy in Andrew's play. Surely, he has attended 2-Gary Tan camps, and 1 Indonesian hockey tournament in Bintaro,…but the development of his game has been a direct reflection of at home disturbances. Let us say, that the direct correlation has not only affected his hockey, but his personal growth, his school, and even his classical guitar playing. So, it isn't just the development of hockey that halted. In other words,…he's a boy FIRST, and issues outside of hockey took a front seat. As Andrew is trying to find his way through (things), we have decided to enter Andrw into this winter's Czech International Hockey Camp in Nymburk, Czech Republic.

Andrew met new hockey buddy at airport in Prague

Lukas Tramba and his dedicated staff are going to train Andrew (and the other boys) and we certainly hope that he learns the game better, makes friends and has a great time.

We will keep everyone informed during this Nymburk trip and hopefully this encourages other boys to come join Andrew next year.

The Boys Are Catching Up To Andrew

As Andrew is working on parts of his skating skills it is quite apparent the last month and a half that some of the boys have gotten better and in some parts of the game (stick handling, puck handling) have actually surpassed Andrew. Andrew, the past few weeks has been taking lessons from an American: Jayson Daze Blatt. He is helping Andrew with his stick handling and skating. Jayson has a very calm demeanor and Andrew likes learning from Jayson. With this week as an "off week", and Andrew focusing on exams and guitar, he'll get back on the ice next week. It is now over a year since Andrew took up this wonderful sport, and he absolutely loves it. I don't have to push Andrew to go on the ice….just to focus on improving his ability. The next few months will let us know a bit more of Andrew's growth and desire. Do they match? Is his desire as strong as his growth? We shall see. But, in the meantime, Andrew has moved back from Bintaro to Taman Anggrek due to Jayson and due to the fact that WE,…the parents are tired of being TIRED. So, let's see if this move works. Talk to you soon.

Gary Tan-Hockey Camp-#2….In The Books

Whew…..only 2 days this time. So, was it just as tiring for the parents? YOU BET. I was so exhausted after last night, I could barely see straight. But, it was all worth it when you see a smile on your 9 year old boy from "ear to ear".

Let's go over GT2-2014 (GaryTan Camp #2 for 2014…easier to write).

There were 15 to 21 boys that showed up. 21 in the evening both days. 15-16 for the morning sessions, and slightly more than that for the off ice training.

As the Camp kicked off, I was at home working while Natalie and Andrew made their way from Kuningan to Bintaro at 6am. I didn't get a whole lot of what was being done (by way of sms reports or photos from Natalie), other than saying the camp was 1/2 of last time, and that everyone looks "asleep".

Post by Giovanni Barricelli.

By the afternoon, people looked a little more refreshed. During the "off ice training" Gary did a lot of stick handling drills. VERY much needed. Then around 5:30 the boys were released and Andrew had to run downstairs and get ready for his 1st private lesson with Gary. He worked on controlling his speed by proper body movement. Andrew skates by using so much force…in other words, he works too hard to skate fast. You could see that his drills were helping Andrew. He needs to continue skating like that. A late break for dinner Then back on the ice again as the boys spent a little "fun time" playing on the ice before their 8:30 evening session. Ice time is so important for kids. Friendships are developed, skating is strengthened. It's a wonderful time for the kids. The evening session was ALL drills. By the time 10:30 rolled along we saw 21 tired boys. We raced home to do a double load of wash and to get some sleep. (3 hours for me and 5 hours for Andrew). I returned with Andrew the next day by Taxi. We got to the rink well before 7 am. To my surprise, there were boys there well before 7:30. Very few came late. Only 15 showed up for day 2 early morning session. Skating drills, puck handling and shooting drills. Nothing escaped these kids. Gary,as Andrew so poignantly pointed out, "PUSHED US more than the first camp". He actually liked Camp #2 better than Camp #1. They started camp at 7:30 on this day rather than 8am. So, morning session was over by 9:30. All I could think about was where I could lay down and "crash out" for an hour for I was exhausted. Andrew?…he wanted to skate around with the other boys and play on the iPad with Jeff and Kevin and his new buddies. Perfect opportunity for me to find a corner somewhere to sleep………ahhhhhhh, to close my eyes. When I woke up, I had a brief conversation with Gary and the other parents. What I realized is the parents who had opinions that were voiced to me and Nat, were all of a sudden either not present at the meeting, or they didn't back me up when I spoke. Result? Ideas got "shot down" and "downgraded to…'that's not important'. " You go around telling the parents the past 2-3 week you seek to have a "top 8 forwards…top 15 to go to Malaysia",…and the best we got out of that was there actually is no reward system for doing well….We'll simply bring everybody from Bintaro and Jakarta to make up a team,...and we'll spend millions of Rp so the kids can play 2-4 minutes? Wait,..there's more. Then they are going to seek sponsorship for this event,..and I would have been one of the parents to sponsor this team? I'll have to double think that now. Andrew was so excited,"I made the team". It took a whole lot of nerve for me to keep quiet, for I wanted to say, "Yeah,…so did everybody else." But, I didn't want to crush his excitement. In addition, I had a meeting with Gary. He said that Andrew acts differently when he knows that I am watching. I understand what he means…however, what Gary didn't understand was,…I wasn't watching Andrew primarily. I was watching Gary. What's he teaching? How are the kids responding? I wasn't watching in an over-judgemental manner,…just observing. I even observed his correcting of Andrew's misbehavior. I was actually pleased to see that. However, getting back to the point of Gary and his consultation with me. What did I pick up on that conversation? Gary thinks I'm an overbearing parent? Not sure what else to think. Oh well,… let that roll off my shoulder. NEXT... Afternoon session…..bring on the fog. The fog was gone for 1 1/2 days and it returned in the evening of the final day of practice. Same heavy hitting of drills. By the end of that session, I was more eager to go home. Players were all given notice to be at practice on Wednesday for TEAM practice. The GOOD: All the kids felt wonderful about camp and where their team is heading. The BAD: Not a whole lot. (However, I am exhausted today). The INDIFFERENT: Where's the TEAM heading? WE'll see in the next few weeks to months in order to see how Indonesia (especially Bintaro) responds. More camps? Tournaments?

Post by Giovanni Barricelli.

Camp #2 2014 Starts Saturday

Last Sunday our family made a trip to KL. During this trip, Andrew was able to go to Sunway Pyramid Mall and play at their ice rink. When we first got there, we thought maybe the rink would be like the 2 in Indonesia and be upstairs. But, to our surprise it was on the basement level. As we looked on to the ice, we saw big puddles of water because of the hundreds of people on the ice without a Zamboni running over it. By 8:30, that Zamboni made a good whip around the ice or two,…and presto, the ice was back to normal.

However, I'm getting ahead of myself. Andrew was able to meet a boy there named Austin that he quickly became friends with. It was nice to see that he was making friends with the Malaysian boys.

Andrew with his new buddy Austin just before taking the ice.

Andrew thoroughly enjoyed his experience. What I, as a parent got to see, was just how far behind Andrew was in comparison to the other boys.  This may be near the start of his 9th month of skating, but 7 months of it were simply learning the basics of skating. 

These boys are learning stick handling, cutting moves, toe drags, shooting and carrying the puck in proper body zones…..and much much more.

This Saturday, Andrew will head to Bintaro for his 2nd camp with Gary Tan. We look forward to what  Gary has to bring. Andrew is going to have to do a few changes in his equipment. Shorten the stick, change the T-Blades to the normal runners,….simple things like that. We'll see what else the coaches recommend for Andrew as the two days progress. Plus, Andrew has 2 private sessions with Gary. Skating, skating and more skating. In addition, we know that Andrew has to get better at his stick handling. Even Andrew will tell you it isn't very good. This should be a good weekend.

Bintaro Jaya XChange hockey practice

Andrew's birthday was actually friday, but we were celebrating his birthday with his new teammates this Sunday. Why? Well, a patient of mine designed a birthday cake much larger than I had thought it would be, and when I say it was huge,…it was HUGE.

Andrew's birthday cake

Post by Giovanni Barricelli.

There are usually about 8 kids that show up to the Sky Rink in Jakarta, but there was about 26 kids and 5 instructors at Bintaro. The instructors were pretty much following a protocol. It looked a lot like Gary Tan's protocol. This is what the players need. They need this weekly systematic format in order to get better and improve.

Andrew ready to hit the ice.

The coach said that shortly he will be selecting his "traveling squad" to Malaysia for the Jr. tournament in August. We hope that Andrew is on this team. I think he personally deserves to be on it. Hopefully there isn't any "politics" behind their decision making…yes, even in Indonesia, we have this going on. Haykal, Edbert, Refa, Andrew and a few other boys (Arthur, Dominic, Kevin, etc…), should be on this team. We definitely are going to allow Andrew to stay at Bintaro. It is a much better environment there. Better coaching, more players, and he'll improve much faster.

Andrew Tries NEW Skates to improve Feet Speed

We are off to Bintaro Jaya Xchange today to see what Andrew can do with his new skates. We got Andrew a pair of GRAF Supra G35 Jr. skates…with a twist…we got him the T-Blade system. What we are hoping to accomplish here is to get Andrew to improve his speed, his cross over speed, and to move his feet faster in all directions.

Graf Supra G35 Jr Ice Hocky Skates w/ T-Blade

In addition, Graf skates were chosen because I think this will help with with "feet fatigue" due to his flat feet. You can actually see the arch inside the boot. NICE!!!

Post by Giovanni Barricelli.

HE ABSOLUTELY LOVED THEM!!! He said he was able to cut the ice much smoother, and in his words, "the skates do whatever I want them to do". Nice!

Andrew Participated In First Hockey Camp @ Bintaro Jaya Xchange

This was a very long weekend. Hockey was the central theme of the entire weekend. Gary Tan of Malaysia came to Jakarta per request of many to help a starved hockey program. Andrew got to get his "first taste" of real hockey. He has been wanting this for a long time, and because of my new job adventure where I just recently quit my job and need to save money,…I am unable to send Andrew to the Czech Republic for summer hockey camp. His cost for 3 full days was very reasonable. It was 1,400,000 Rp cash. What was unexpected was the amount of people that showed up for this camp. Over 30 people signed up to his camp. Even Gary himself was surprised. The late night start with horrendous traffic didn't slow anyone down. Everyone was there. 9:45pm on May 2nd was the beginning of hockey for over 70% of these young boys and Andrew was part of that strong percentage. Gary separates the little kids and the big kids. The little kids are chasing a soccer ball and wouldn't you know it,…Andrew gets into it with Joshia. Now, there was a parent spreading rumors that Andrew started this whole mess….WRONG. I have the entire sequence on video. Andrew didn't start anything. This is a little incident, but it is fun to show you the competitive spirit Andrew has. The problem is that my girlfriend hears about Andrew all the time from the other parents. "Andrew is too rough". "Andrew is too loud or too mean." (okay, I will admit that we have had to clip his wings when it comes to being too loud, or shaking a stick at someone if he gets angry, but of late, I don't see him heavily checking anyone, or misbehaving. Not really. Remember folks, this is hockey. You want your little kids to grow up wearing a dress go figure skating!!!. Anyway,…that was the last of Andrew and his tough attitude. Coach Gary pulled player-x and Andrew aside (an incident I didn't see) and told them to get along or he would take them off the ice. I had a talk with Andrew that he needs to make a GOOD impression,…not a bad lasting one. This attitude adjustment he changed immediately. He didn't want to be punished. Well,…the strong coaching and the kids listened to Gary. It was wonderful!

Post by Giovanni Barricelli.

Andrew went home that day exhausted. He could barely move. We got home by nearly 12:30 and had to get right back up at 5:30. I was exhausted as well. 5 hours of sleep. My girlfriend and I took cat naps all day long all weekend long in order to catch up on any sleep. The drills were very heavy on the second day with an additional off ice training in between. Whew did Andrew's equipment…and himself stink by the end of the day. I was forced to stay up and wash 3 loads of wash and dry them before I hit the bed. That left me only 3 hours of sleep.

Post by Giovanni Barricelli.

Post by Giovanni Barricelli.

Day 3 was a KILLER. Andrew had practice in the morning. Then he had to fly on over to Taman Anggrek for some dancing thing performed by the junior hockey players, then rush back for the final practice. This was killer on everybody. We got to meet hockey parents just like us (well, maybe not just like us, for I'm a bit biased), who were very enthusiastic parents and had absolutely lovely children. Also got to meet a few adults who participated in the camp. They were exhausted, as well. Imagine being that exhausted and so happy to be so.

Post by Giovanni Barricelli.

Post by Giovanni Barricelli.

Gary Tan and his Indonesian Coaching Team

Andrew waiting to enter the ice.

Indonesian Hockey Camp 4 May 2014

The dancers at T.A. between hockey camp sessions

Gary stayed on Monday to sharpen players skates. He said , "over 70% have never sharpened their skates before".

After the 3rd day was complete, it was agreed upon by the parents and Gary that he would come to Indonesia MONTHLY for 3-5 days. THIS is exactly what the kids need if they wish to someday compete on an international level. We are honored for Gary and his team to do so. Any issues?…The fog. The fog was so high that the kids couldn't play a final game. (I do think they would have loved it, but they were so exhausted anyway. No big deal.) Need to stay at a hotel if we do this again. The travel was killer. Other than that, I didn't see too many other obstacles.

Andrew and Teammates get angry with "puck hog"

The players are between the ages of 7-9. A few of the players have left for Bintaro,…probably where Andrew will head next. There are a few reasons why this would occur. 1) Coach has NO interest in learning more about the way to coach the kids. I gave him a "SEAN SKINNER" video link for him, and he appears to have no interest in what is his paid job. Well, it shows. Figure skating coach first,…..crap they put me in as a hockey coach at 6am. Oh well, guess I'll go teach the little guys something. 2) Because of the certain "puck hog", the boys are starting to get a little tired of it. They pass to this young boy, but he won't pass back unless he has NO other options and he's stuck. Then the pass is usually a crappy outlet pass that is only in the vicinity of "hey I passed it to you…not my fault you couldn't get it"….Truly, a selfish little player. Today, 2 people (including myself) got on this boys little case. Talked about how hockey is a TEAM sport. I don't think he cares. 3) Bintaro Jaya Xchange Ice Rink is more for hockey players as opposed to T.A. Sky Rink which is geared heavily toward figure skaters. 4) A few of Andrew's buddies are already switching over to Bintaro. 5) Slightly bigger rink. NHL size rink. 6) Less people even on the crowded days. Andrew spent this morning after practice getting ready for some Pre-Ceremony dance routine with a few of his other hockey buddies.

Post by Giovanni Barricelli.

Andrew at Bintaro Jaya Xchange Ice Rink

Andrew(and so far 4 of his other buddies) have signed up for Malaysian Ice Hockey Coach Gary Tan. Gary will have a late spring camp in Bintaro Jaya Xchange from May 2nd to May 4th.

This will be the first TRUE instruction he's had since putting on skates back in September. Gary's had experience internationally, including Canada. So, there is a lot of expectation on his behalf. I believe, if the boys can get a good coach to come over and run a camp 3-4x a year, we will start to see progress in their GAME.

Gary Tan: Captain of Malaysia Nat'l Ice Hockey Team

Post by Giovanni Barricelli.

Andrew Practiced With Teammates As Part Of Ceremony

Andrew practiced this past Wednesday as part of a Ceremony for the "World Cup"…wtf??? They are going to skate on ice,…let me see if I have this straight?…skate around the ice with a Brazilian flag in futbol/soccer shirts to help spread the joy of the upcoming World Cup…..Who thought of this shit? Worse yet, Andrew was originally not included in this ceremony because the coach didn't think I'd like it. He is correct,…however, you can't isolate a child like that. Andrew being isolated like that sets a wrong message. So, as stupid as this is, he must be involved with his buddies,…his teammates. A few of the parents have gathered a hockey coach for a ONE week camp in Bintaro. Oh,…you bet Andrew will attend. It will be a 5 day camp. 4 on ice, 1 off ice. A combination of cost and visa issues for Nat is making our Czech trip this July a slight issue. We hope to get that resolved. I'd love to send both of them to Prague. In the meantime, we have decided to upgrade Andrew's gear. (Helmet upgrade to Bauer 5100medium…his enormous head) I went to Singapore and brought this one back. icewarehouse.com we got a few things too: (Bauer: Vapor APX2 11" gloves black/red…like Jonathan Toews, 2 pair of ice hockey socks (wine,black), new set of shoulder pads, elbow pads and shin guards: Vapor X100), and since we don't get good cloth ice hockey stick tape here,…ordered Black Renfrew tape. hockeymonkey.com (Warrior Covert DT2 11" hockey gloves…different feel from Bauer, Firststar Overtime Cool-Skin Contour Jr. Long Slv compression shirt, Shock Doctor 270 Basix Yth Compression hockey Jock w/Flex Cup, 3 Blackhawks hockey socks (home, road, third), NY Rangers hockey socks home, Elite Pro S700 Waxed Molded Tip laces 4 pair black 4 pair white. Got them in 96" for I have 8 pair (different brand) coming from China at 84". Why so many laces? OMG, it is nearly impossible to find hockey laces here. Now I ordered 3 toys for Andrew….a) Bauer Vapor XR4 inline hockey skates. His beginner inline skates are trashed and he loves to inline skate here at Taman Rasuna….b) Graf Supra G35 Jr. Ice Hockey Skates with the T-Blade system and the regular blade/runner also…Trying out this new T-blade and the reason for Graf? Good skate especially for those with flat feet. This is the skinny on Graf…we shall see. and finally c)Easton Mako Jr. Ice hockey skates. 4.5 (a size larger for Xmas) hearing great things about Easton from all the reviews so we want to see out of Bauer Supreme, Bauer Vapor ,Graf, and Easton which he likes best. btw…he rarely, rarely uses the Bauer Supreme skates. Those ware the used ones we got the first week here. Still in amazing condition, I bet they haven't been worn 40 times between the two owners of the skates.) I haven't purchased from hockeygiant.com yet. I am asking my friend from San Francisco to help me out on orders. Especially a very nice GRIT wheeled tower hockey bag. We really want that bad boy!!!!. I'll keep you all informed. Oh,…Blackhawks play St.Louis today. I'm off to go watch the game. Let's go Hawks!!!

Andrew Marking Up The Hallways

I was unfortunate and unable to go to Andrews practice this Sunday for I was abroad. However, this week, I got to play a little hallway hockey with Andrew. He's tearing up the hallway with black smudge marks from the tape. He watched Sean Skinners tape on puck handling and stick handling. So, he was out practicing his maneuvers. As an eight year old he needs to focus a bit more, but you can see the effort and the desire there. He TRULY needs good hockey coaching which he is unable to get here in Jakarta. But, we will try our best with what we have available to us. I heard Andrew scored again. He's starting to score with regularity now. That is good, however we still need him to gain focus on the important elements of the game. Maybe at this age, it is too young, however, I don't think it is. Because he has the desire, concentrating more on what he loves to do will be a bit easier than let's say……Math. hehehehe (well it's true. He hate's math). In a few weeks Andrew will be part of a little show that The Sky Rink is putting on. I don't know what the celebration is, but it has something to do with the "World Cup"…hmmmmm, skating representing the World Cup. This should be interesting. The only reason Andrew wishes to participate is because his friends are going to be there, as well. We are looking at buying Andrew some advanced equipment to help further develop his game. I would also like to buy some "training tools/equipment" for him, to help him when he is by himself. This is the only review I've written without a video or pics (because of my lack of attendance), but next week I should be back on track to writing more interesting material.

Bintaro vs Taman Anggrek. Andrew scores 2 ion 4-8 loss.

Post by Giovanni Barricelli.

Today was a special day. Andrew and his young buddies headed on over to Bintaro Ice Rink to face-off against a older group of boys. Included in that group was a 12 year old American kid who was dominating the ice. He scored 8 goals for his Bintaro team and they beat the boys from Taman Anggrek 8-4. In that loss however, Andrew and Raifa scored 2 goals a piece. It was quite apparent that without the 12 year old present, Team T.A. would have most likely flipped that score. They weren't a good match. What was pretty evident was just how much this T.A. team needs to grow. Other than Andrew  and Raifa,(and they only did it part time), no on wanted to put a body on the 12 year old American and he just dominated the ice. Also evident was the passing without looking, the lack of defensive effort, and the inability to use the backhand.


A few things I learned today.
1) Parents from Bintaro ARE NOT used to people yelling and cheering from the balcony. Many felt that we should be seen,…but not heard.

2) They have a nice little hockey shop next to the rink. It has skates, bags, helmets, shoulder pads, hockey pants, sticks, hockey tape (colored), 120cm laces….I needed laces even though they were 38cm too big,…I bought them. They have jerseys at 300,000 Rp per jersey. No numbers or names, but decent  jerseys with NHL logos. There was also some figure skating things there.

3) The drippy ceiling leaves pot holes on the ice.   I wonder if anyone else noticed that.

4) Everyone loves hockey.

Look at all the boys at Bintaro today

The lobby at Bintaro

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.