New Tryout Format – received two thumbs WAY up. A special thanks to Brad, all the Coaches, Level Coordinators and volunteers for devoting so much time to make this the smoothest running tryouts ever. Many thanks go out to all the players for working so hard during tryouts and to the parents for your support and positive comments.

Let the Season Begin – now that we are all off and running, in so many different directions, please remember that you are only a click away from finding out the most up-to-date Cyclones information. Please visit our web site @ www.cycloneshockey.net often to stay in touch and informed.

Communication – should not be a problem during this hectic fall season. Please never hesitate to use all the wonderful communication resources made available to you. You also will find contact information on our web site for all the Board of Directors, Associate Board Members, Level Coordinators and staff who stand ready to serve you in any way possible.

Doctor’s Injury Release Notices – will be required from the doctor treating the injured player for him to be released back onto the ice. This includes head injuries that have required a doctor’s care.

Zero Tolerance Violations – will be taken very seriously. AHAI and USA Hockey require that the Association’s Rules and Ethics Committee investigates all infractions. The majority of these will result in suspensions (from rinks) for a given period of time. Please remember to stay in the game, by remembering it is just a game.

Best of luck to all and Good Cyclones Hockey!

See you at the rink,
Doug Becht
President, Cyclones Amateur Hockey Association

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The Cyclones currently have openings for Associate Board Members.  We will be conducting interviews during the month of October. Any member interested in becoming an ABM is to submit a resume or letter of interest. The information should include a short background of yourself and any skill set you believe will benefit the board. On behalf of the Cyclones Board, we appreciate your interest and look forward to meeting with all interested parties.

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Regardless of how we compete for state titles, this season has already been a huge success on a number of different levels, more so than any other year.

Success can come in many shapes and sizes, much like the "Try-out" letter written by Andy Baeker (posted in the lobby over the trophy case) about his son’s first tryout experience having to battle through some bullies on the bench just to get out on the ice. After two days of getting cut in front of, run over and knocked down, finally by some stroke of luck he managed to actually get a shot on goal, which was as meaningful to him as winning any Stanley cup.

In this one brief moment, hockey allowed this young child to become a hero, standing up for his self for the first time without any parents around to protect him or hold his hand. It wasn’t just getting a shot on net, it was discovering for the first time his own incredible potential.

Hockey is much more than wins and loses; it is coming off the sidelines, out of the shadows and having the courage to take life head on. There is no greater sport to be involved in.

This year, there were three moments that I was privileged enough to witness and be a part of.

We have a young boy who lost his father and a good friend last year. He is just starting out in the game, has a huge smile on his face every time he hits the ice and seems to know his dad is there watching him every step of the way.

We have another boy that had the courage to leave his home and family in Slovakia for a chance at a better life. He had to make the team with us to stay; he did and one of his teammates opened up their home for him to stay with them this year. Everyday he's on the ice with a huge smile on his face, knowing that he has made a huge first step towards a brighter future.

My greatest hope is that all of our players can be as fortunate and enjoy the game as much as these players, having hockey as their own personal sanctuary. I know I do.

Hockey is much more than wins and loses. Whether you play at the house level or in the NHL, to truly succeed at hockey is to park all of the stress that life throws at you in the dressing room, step out on the ice, with a huge smile on your face and just be a kid playing a game.

In addition to these players' achievements, we also had a major success with our first Annual Coaches Charity Game, "Hockey for Hurricanes." What a great way to start off the year.

We caught a glimpse of how much life can be pumped into our facility, with great announcing, games, cheerleaders and live music filling the air.

We had the opportunity to see the Coaches as the hero's they truly are.

If we have provided our players with the understanding that when people of this country are in need, it's not enough to sit back and say it's someone else's job, it's time to stand up and get involved, then we have already succeeded beyond the outcome of any game.

Hockey is much more than wins and losses.

I am very proud of the direction of our club, of the values we are promoting and of the sacrifices we all make to be part of this great program. It's a great time to be a Cyclone!

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Thank you to all the Cyclones families for participating in the Cyclones “Hockey for Hurricanes” event. We are truly touched to have such wonderful families in our organization to contribute to the people of our country in need.

Your attendance to the event and donations brought a total of $2824.00 raised to give to the American Red Cross to support the hurricane victims. Your food, clothing and other charitable material donations amounted to two full truck loads of items that we were able to drop off at the American Red Cross in Aurora to be distributed to hurricane families that have been placed in our surrounding communities.

We hope you enjoyed the event with your families and certainly had a good laugh watching the coaches of your children attempt to play the game of hockey! Hopefully many of you walked away with some wonderful prizes that were generously donated by many businesses, families and locals.

We will definitely host another event like this next year to benefit those in our country in need. We would love to have ALL the Cyclones families join us in our efforts to support our country.

Congratulations! You are all heroes to the hurricane victims!

Sincerely,
Cyclones Board of Directors and Staff
Fox Valley Ice Arena Management
Shaye Brandonisio, Hockey for Hurricanes Coordinator

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In the February 2005 issue of Breakout, I wrote an article covering the essentials of a Pre-Game Meal. The beginning of a new season has arrived and I would like to revisit the vital role nutrition plays in optimizing physical and mental performance on and off the ice.

The food we eat is the “fuel” our bodies use to carry on our activities of daily living such as movement, thinking, breathing, healing, etc. There are three basic nutrients that make up the food we eat. They are Proteins, Carbohydrates, and Fats.
Here is a basic overview of these nutrients:

Proteins – the building blocks for muscles and tissues to heal and become stronger. Foods high in proteins are meats, fish, eggs, cheese, beans, and nuts.

Carbohydrates – in its simplest form is sugar and utilized strictly as fuel for energy. The right fuels include fruits, vegetables, oatmeal, rice, pastas, and grain breads. The wrong fuels are candy, soda pop, chips, crackers, and white breads.

Fats – make up every cell wall of our trillions of living, functioning cells. The fear of fats is over but we need to know which are good fats to eat. Good fats include olive oil, real butter and sour cream, avocados, nuts, and animal fats. The bad fats include vegetable oils/shortening and anything ‘partially hydrated’; i.e. fried and processed foods. Did you know margarine products are one hydrogen molecule away from being a plastic bag? How does your body utilize this?

Here is a brief weekly eating schedule that demonstrates the proper utilization of these nutrients:

Pre-Game Meals
Pre-game meals, as discussed before, require the proper types of food, timing of meals, and adequate hydration. These meals should focus on carbohydrates (fruits) and some light protein (chicken, yogurt) foods. These carbohydrates will provide longer lasting fuel in the body and will not kick you down (bonk) as they have been utilized.

After weekend games, your meals should be focused on proteins and fats to help rebuild muscle. Be careful though because these foods will take much longer for the body to digest. Do not eat a high fat, high protein meal before a game or the same day as a game.

Recovery
The early week, Sunday – Wednesday, is focused on eating large amounts of proteins and fats to support muscle recovery and growth. These meals should be low to moderate in carbohydrates. If you hold back carbohydrate intake for 3-4 days they will be utilized more effectively for weekend games when you increase intake later in the week or right before games.

Carbo-loading
The two days before games are designed for carbohydrate loading. The meals should be predominately carbohydrates; fruits, oatmeal, pastas, potatoes, rice. Avoid heavy meats like beef. Light proteins like chicken, yogurt, and cottage cheese are good. Always keep breads to a minimum and absolutely eliminate simple sugars – soda, candies, crackers, etc.

Please note, this schedule is directed towards a highly active hockey player and not intended for the general population.

www.performancechiropracticpc.com

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The major role of the level coordinator is to serve as a liaison between the Board and the parents and coaches. They serve a major function during the tryout process keeping the parents informed. They can give the parents information from the coaches and bring questions from the parents to the coaches. After tryouts are over, they continue to problem solve for coaches and parents. They may act as a sounding board for coaches or parents, or may step in when a dispute arises which cannot be handled at the team level. They are always available to answer questions for the parents.

“I just think it needs to be emphasized that we can be approached with any problems in regards to the team, coaches, manager and Cyclones,” says Chris Jahntz, Squirt Level Coordinator.

Jay Novak, Bantam Level Coordinator, adds that the coordinators provide players and their families an additional outlet for communication, third party insight into issues that are sometimes emotionally charged, and new coaches and managers with another source of information and assistance

If ever a need arises to speak to someone other than your head coach or manager, keep your level coordinator in mind as a resource.

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Every family that has been a part of travel hockey knows the team manager plays a crucial role in how things go both off and on the ice. SOME of the duties performed by our managers include:

• Attending two scheduling meetings with NIHL
  
• Scheduling referees and locker rooms for all home games
  
• Scheduling tournament play
  
• Scheduling practice games and referees needed for those games
  
• Producing a monthly schedule of practices and games for your team
  
• Developing a team volunteer structure
  
• Providing minor officials for all home games
  
• Taking responsibility for locker rooms
  
• Understanding the rules and regulations of USA Hockey, AHAI, CSDHL and NIHL
  
• Maintaining a constant two-way flow of communication between your team and the
  organization

You and your family can help your manager and your team by volunteering in several key areas:

• Serve as official scorer (score sheet)
  
• Operate the time clock
  
• Take team pictures throughout the season
  
• Picture day help
  
• Create articles for Breakout!

All parents can participate in making this a great season. Volunteering through your manager is a great way to help.

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When I first met Joe Benda I could not help but notice his perpetual smile and his enthusiasm for the game of hockey. With his younger brother James, his sister Jennifer and parents John and Linda it was hard not to see a Benda at Fox Valley every night of the week.

After a couple of seasons at Squirt Bronze, Joe began playing for me at the PeeWee level during the spring season of 2002 at Bronze. Joe continued with me that following fall again at Bronze. Joe was a big kid for his age and encumbered by remaining “baby fat” to a certain extent. Nonetheless, he was always working hard in practice at improving his fundamentals, team play and leadership skills. Joe was always dedicated to winning and took losses hard. After a spring season on the PeeWee Red team with Coach Cappas, both Joe and I advanced to the PeeWee Silver level.

After his two seasons at PeeWee it was time for Joe to move up to Bantam. During that spring season he played on the Bantam Blue team for Coach Joe Craig. That summer Joe continued his hard work while attending several camps including Robby Glantz Power Skating, USA Hockey Camp in Ann Arbor Michigan and a defensemen only camp. In addition, Joe began working out off ice at a fitness center with his Dad and enrolled in the Acceleration Clinic at Fox Valley. Joe was always a regular at the summer skates having fun and constantly improving. Now Joe was growing taller, “thinning out” and really beginning to improve as a player. His efforts were paying off.

Last fall Joe entered tryouts with high expectations as a first year Bantam to advance to a higher playing level. Unfortunately, being young and new to the crowded Bantam level he fell short of his goals and was selected to play Bronze with Coach Joe Craig. Very disappointed and certainly frustrated, Joe decided to explore other opportunities with another club to attain his goals. Much to Joe’s surprise he was offered a position on the Gold team at this other club. Now, Joe and his parents were really confused, frustrated and mad! “How could this happen” they said during a late night phone call to me as they returned from the other club’s tryout.

As Joe and I spoke, he indicated to me that he was also going to pursue a football opportunity that fall and was really uncertain as to what would be best for him in the long run. I encouraged him try another sport at his age and play football. I also told him that the football opportunity would be easier on him and his family if he was to stay at the Cyclones Bronze team and that a new club or new Gold coach might not be as supportive of his football plans. Joe and I discussed many other advantages and disadvantages of switching clubs at length that night. I encouraged Joe to talk with his parents, follow his heart and continue working hard regardless of his decision.

Needless to say, Joe put his disappointment and frustrations behind him and opted to continue with the Cyclones at the Bronze level with his same work ethic, optimism and an eye towards the future. After a spring season at Bantam Red and another summer full of camps, this season Joe will be playing on the Bantam Central States Team for Coach Dave Glenn.

Also joining Joe on this year’s Bantam CSDHL team is Chris Huston. Like Joe, I began coaching Chris when he played PeeWee Bronze. Chris was always a strong skater and practiced very hard. Unfortunately, Chris was small and had not developed the physical stamina and strength required to compete at a higher level. The following spring and Fall Chris played with Coach Cappas on the PeeWee Gold team continuing his strong practice habits as his abilities and strength were beginning to improve.

After advancing to Bantam, Chris played for Coach Heiss’s Bantam Silver teams in the spring of 2004 and again in the fall of 2005. After a tumultuous season in 2005, Chris joined his former teammate Joe and played for Coach Dave Glenn last spring.

I had a great opportunity this summer to see Chris’s development when he and I participated in the Nybro Vikings Hockey Camp in Nybro, Sweden. I was invited to participate as a coach at that camp and was excited to learn that Chris and fellow Cyclone’s teammate Myles Neunaker were participating in the same camp. While at the camp I watched Chris continue to work hard and compete very well against his highly skilled counterparts from Sweden.

Like Joe, Chris has continued to improve his skills by attending some of the same camps as Joe and some others during the off-season. Chris was also a regular at Summer Ice sessions. Chris will be joining Joe on the Bantam CSDHL team for 2005-06.

Another PeeWee Bronze teammate of Joe’s and Chris’s who has accomplished the same feat is Rob Bock. Rob came to the Cyclones as a roller hockey convert and I began coaching him on a Spring PeeWee #2 team. The following fall, I coached Rob on the PeeWee Bronze team. Rob was gifted with an athletic build and was a strong athlete. Rob’s weaknesses were related to his advanced physical maturity and the adverse effect on his skating skills. In short “big slow feet” After many repetitions of the hated “W” drill Rob’s Skating skills began to show improvement. We worked together on lengthening his stride and improving his speed.

Rob continued his PeeWee playing time at PeeWee #2 during the spring and again with me at PeeWee Silver for his last year at PeeWee. When Rob advanced to Bantam he played for Dave Glenn in the spring and joined Chris on Coach Heiss’s team at Bantam Silver in the fall.

Like Joe, Rob and his parents had what they considered “try out setbacks” along the way and suffered through similar frustrations as well. Nonetheless, Rob remained loyal, progressed at a nice pace and after a change of scenery last spring, Rob returned to the Cyclones this fall and he too will be playing on the Bantam CSDHL team this season.

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During the second week of August, most kids in Nybro, Sweden are getting ready for the beginning of school. But the hockey players are focused on something else…Viking Hockey! Just before school starts in a town in southern Sweden, the Nybro Vikings hold a weeklong camp in preparation for the fall season. This year a few Cyclones had the opportunity to join the Vikings for a week of intense hockey training.

Andy Chatten, the Cyclones Peewee Central States Coach, went to Nybro at the invitation of the Vikings Bantam Head Coach, Magnus Ekelund. He spent the week on the ice working with Magnus and showing the players and coaches some typical Cyclone drills.

“After watching the Nybro players play in the Cyclones Holiday Hockey Classic last Christmas, I was impressed with their work ethic, skill level and respect for the game. This incredible opportunity was simply one I could not pass up. I was honored to participate in their annual summer camp and learn more about their hockey philosophies both on and off the ice.  I have already begun to share my experiences with other Cyclones coaches in an effort to strengthen our own players and teams,” said Coach Chatten.

Two Bantam players, Chris Huston and Myles Neuneker also got a chance to skate in Nybro. “Skating, learning new drills and scrimmaging with Swedish hockey players was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I will never forget," said Myles. “It was a great experience to play with international players, I really enjoyed the challenge,” said Chris. Each of these Cyclones experienced excellent hockey and outstanding hospitality from everyone involved.

The partnership started with the “2003 Crystal Cup” in Nybro, Sweden. As part of an exchange program, the Cyclones Bantam Central States team was invited to compete in the annual Swedish tournament. Attending Cyclones parents stayed at the local hotel while players stayed with local hockey families. The chance to get to know each other and share a love of hockey formed a strong bond between the two clubs. When the Cyclones decided to invite guest clubs for the 2004 Cyclones Holiday Hockey Classic Tournament, their thoughts immediately turned to the Nybro Vikings. With the help of Bob Krolak, Bill Fetter and many others, the Cyclones hosted their first international team.

Coach Chatten enjoying a "krafta" during a typical Swedish party.

(From Left): Kalle Ekelund, Myles Neuneker, Andreas Kjelstrom,
Chris Huston, Rasmus Johansson, Rasse Juntorp

Camp Photo

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Frank and Julie Fazio with their two sons have been members of the Cyclones Family for many years. Matt has moved on to High School and Mike now skates on the Cyclones Bantam A1 team. Frank has dedicated many years, time and effort to coaching numerous Cyclones teams in the past.

Recently, a close friend asked Frank if he would be willing to take a few tests along with this friend’s family members to see if someone would be compatible for a kidney transplant. This friend’s father was given less than a year to live if a new kidney could not be found. Without hesitation, Frank agreed. As it turned out, the family member’s were not a match - but Frank was. In fact, Frank’s match was perfect, in not just one but in every area. In the words of Frank and Julie “it was like it was meant to be.” With a very positive attitude, it was clear to Frank what he had to do and he never wavered.

The transplant was completed at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. We are very pleased to report that the recipient is doing GREAT. Although there is a long way to go, his odds dramatically increased to an 89% acceptance rate when the kidney comes from a live donor.

Frank is also doing very well. He is around the rink a little less these days as he is still in recovery...although it is hard to keep him from his son’s games. He is also missing a few men’s league games where he plays as a goalie. However, that’s OK, he just made one of the biggest, most important saves of his life.

Frank showed us the highest level of (unconditional) generosity that one person can provide to another. We are hopeful that this will serve to raise the awareness of how important it is to become an organ donor and to give the gift of life. Through his loyalty, bravery and sacrifice, let there be no doubt that this make’s Mr. Frank Fazio a HERO in the eyes of the Cyclones.

We wish Frank and his kidney recipient a very successful and speedy recovery!

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Be a part of Breakout!

Just a reminder that all Cyclones members are invited to Breakout! brainstorming meetings.
The next meeting will be held in the boardroom at 7:00 pm on Thursday, December 15 for the February issue.
Hope to see you there.

Can’t make it? No problem. Email any story ideas to directorlekkas@cycloneshockey.net. Thanks.

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