McGwire was Cheating, But The UO Refs Results Are Real

Wow!  Now that was the shocker of the new millennium...I thought that an athlete could get that big by eating Wheaties and doing Body by Jake...

How about some results that are for real (and I put my life on the fact that none of these referees took steroids.  Can you make that claim, Roger Clemens???):

• Ken Thielman lost 20 lbs, shaved 2.5 inches off his waist, and says, "I look better and feel better." (I'd definitely go along with that).

• Neil Missling gained 6 lbs, while shaving 1/2 inch off his waist, and put on muscle as a skinny guy who had challenges getting bigger (and, no steroids!).

• Darren Glur lost 11 lbs, shaved 1 inch off his waistline, and says he "changed a lot of what/when I eat."

• Domenic Zecca lost 28 lbs and claims, "This is just the starting point!"

• Cameron Voss gained 3/4 inch on biceps (I liked to see you do that.  I can help with that, you know) and now routinely cranks out over 40 push ups.

• Nick Biondich gained 5 lbs (another skinny guy who had challenges before) while he shaved 2 inches off his waist!! (Doh!)

• Robert Beckl lost 10 lbs and 1.5 inches off his waist (no steroids).

• Jessica Hahnle lost 11 lbs, 4 inches off her waist (another Doh!), 1+ inch off each thigh, and gained an inch of muscle in her arms (again, no steroids)
  

• Adam Shadiow lost 30 lbs and says this was all possible due to:

1. Social Aptitude (that means hanging around high achievers)
2. Accountability (you need to do what you say you are going to do)
3. External Motivation from a Group of Like-Minded People


 Watch this video again if you are unsure:

• Jessica also said, it was "Absolutely worth the $$$!"

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2010 is Here...Ready for a Change?

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I Wish I Had the Crew Don Cherry Does...

What in the name of  Bad Suits are you talking about???

Watch this video from Hockey Night in Canada from this past Saturday night (12/19/09).  If I had a whole T.V. production crew behind me, I could really pump out some great clips, too:



While watching it, pay attention to the part where he starts talking up former UND Sioux player, Matt Greene (around the 6:00 mark, "Here's a guy having a look.").

What in the name of High Collars does this have to do with hockey refs???

It all has to do with the new buzzword these days (thanks to the Northwest Airline Pilots who overshot the Twin Cities by 100+ miles) -- situational awareness.   

It's all about knowing who is where and doing what on the ice.  

It's all about knowing what any of the 10 skaters are doing on the ice.  


It's about knowing what type of play might unfold (good or bad).  


It's about knowing any number of given factors and processing them at once. 

The hockey refs who are in the Ultimate Officials 3 Month Camp will get much more information on this.  If you have the desire, the need, or the interest in becoming a championship level referee, contact me at: info@ultimateofficials.com and we will set you up.

* (You could be like this guy -- "I got a good eval with scores of good or excellent in all categories.  Although I'm shooting for all excellents for next time so I have work to do.  I got a lot of positive comments and I have to thank you for those because most of them were on things I had picked up from watching your videos and game critiques. ")

* (You could also be like this guy --  I did a Bantam A game...in walked a evaluator to watch me tonight. I was a little nervous a first but just did the things I have learned and all went well. He sat down and went through it with me after the second period and it was a very very good eval. He loved my skating and hustle.

     He said I was always in good position, and checking players at face offs ( don’t move) and gave me an excellent on my awareness. He really liked the way I circled back though the zone when players left to the neutral zone as I was always after the last player offensive player out.  I hope this helps me get some bigger games.  Thanks for all the help and advice you have given me.")

UO New Year's Resolution Workout

What do I suggest???  How about a mental makeover...

   

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Contact me to sign up for the 60 Day Challenge.  It just might save your life (no hype intended).

my email: info@ultimateofficials.com

Hey, Ref! You Got a Coach?!?

Seriously...do you?  Do you know what in "h-e-double hockey sticks" is going on in your games?  Do you find yourself guessing yourself?

Before I go on too far (and possibly lose you, because the average attention span nowadays is, like, 10 seconds), I want to bullet a list of things coming:

• Video Tutorials on "Why I Love the 2-1 Ref System" (yeah, you read that right, I love the 2-1 system, and if it confuses/frustrates you, well, come along and I'll reveal some secrets).

• New One Page Website, strictly on: "What Exactly Do You Offer (to those not in Minneapolis/St. Paul)?" This will be a 'one-stop' shop to see how/why the Ultimate Officials Online Referee Camps can benefit you and your association.

• A rant/rave on "How to Shed 10 pounds (for good) and Be a Better Skater".  Seriously, man, have you looked in the mirror lately?  Without sucking in your gut?  How about taking a picture of yourself in shorts and no shirt?

OK...hope I still got you here.  There is a hockey writer out there who I think is a brother from another mother for me.  I haven't told him this per se (I did try to get in his Fantasy Hockey League, but he didn't take me :( but he says some really DIFFERENT stuff.  Not your usual hockey writings.

Here's Justin Bourne's latest blog entry [Bourne's Blog].

I want to include an excerpt here to help explain myself and what the guys in the Ultimate Officials Referee Camp are receiving in the way of coaching for hockey refs:

“Old school coaches” that GM’s and owners love to hire (”nobody’s slackin’ on our team!”) beat up the same tired mantra.  It’s about hard work.

Gotta be ready from the drop of the puck!  Finish checks!  Out-work ‘em down low!  Gogogo!  …Oh we lost?  We got outworked.  See you at practice tomorrow.

Davis would still preach hard work, but he prepares his teams too.  Before each game, the whiteboard was JAMMED with information.  Those crib notes included our opponents most used breakouts, their powerplay breakouts, powerplay setups, who to “key on” (who’s the most frequent PP shooter, stay in his lane), what their penalty kill setup is, goalie’s weakness etc.  Then, the list of all of our info… same stuff, other side.

He had it up as soon as we walked in the room, so guys could grab a coffee and study up before he came in and went over it all.

Between periods, he made adjustments.  “They switched from a box plus-one on the powerplay to an umbrella, here’s our counter-adjustment…”

Have you ever been evaluated and told real basic stuff like:

• keep working hard, you'll get there
• you're not doing anything wrong, you're real close to being one of my top guys
• you need to be a better skater
• you'll get your chance

How about coaching that is specific to you and your needs?  In order to not blab on and on and on, here's some recent comments I have received:
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"J.B., Thank you for the evaluation! I have reviewed it 4 times since you sent it last night.  I learn something everytime I watch it.  I really appreciate it!" and "First of all, I really appreciate everything you are doing for me.  You have know idea what this means to me!"

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"I want it JB… and I might not ever get there, but it is my “far goal” that really helps me focus on my weaknesses during those 6 goal Women’s games."

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"I really appreciate your help and feedback so far. It has been really great and extremely helpful. I am looking forward to improving a lot this year."

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"Thanks for the individual message. I agree with the goals for this year.  My number one priority is to learn the 2-1 system."

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"If I were an up-and-coming official, I would gladly have paid $25 a week to have someone of your caliber come out and watch me and give me feedback."

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"So far I have lost 18 lbs and have restructured my body. I used to wear size 38 pants and now wear 36s. My work shirts fit better but some of my other shirts look a little baggy to my wife. My face and chest look a lot slimmer and it is very noticeable."

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And, lastly, I will steal a youtube clip from Bourne's Blog, featuring an out-of-control coach (p.s. I know and have worked with the referee):

 

Motivated...Inspired...Amused...and Ready to Vent(*)

(there's a funny video at the end...hehehe)

A few posts [ago], I talked about the new "ADM", and I look at such stuff from the eyes of somebody who wants to really make changes in development of hockey referees.  There was a chance in those [posts] to sign up for a series of videos on how "My USA Hockey is Different from Yours".

That's the God's honest truth.  Nothing could mean more to me at this point going forward than righting a ship that seems to veer off course.  I proposed such action as "overhauling" the referee development world, and got the blessing from the Pope, the Bishop, and was even told to go light candles in my local parish for the "Good Ol' Boy Network", because they will be a dying breed (kind of like those 'Wiseguys' do in mob movies -hehehe).

What in the heck does all of this mean for you?

Well...if you are a "Good Ol' Boy", it is means you will be finished.  Kind of like Dan "the Common Man" Cole of KFAN, going off on how all of the competition in Major League Baseball is done, now that the MN Twins will sweep this weekend (toungue planted firmly in cheek).

Don't know the 'Common Man'?...Imagine you scream the team nickname, and me screaming the response.  Here goes:

Red Sox!....washed with a color-unsafe bleach!

Orioles!......de-habitated

Yankees.....Beaten by the South!

Blue Jays....Hawked!

Rays...........avenged by the "Crocodile Hunter" fans!

White Sox...Stained!

Royals........flushed!

Indians.......mistakenly labeled because Columbus thought he was going to India!

Tigers........de-clawed!

Angels.......demonized!

A's............moved to the end of the alphabet!

Mariners....lost at sea!

Rangers.....re-assigned to Border Patrol duty!

Marlins......blackened and served with rice pilaf!

Mets.........rural-ized!

Braves......coward-ed!

Phillies......Cheesesteak-ed!

Nationals..deported!

Cubs........tranquilized

Cardinals..demoted to Altar Boy!

Pirates......sunk!

Astros......Apollo I-ed!

Brewers...prohibitioned!

Reds........persecuted by McCarthy-ism!

Dodgers...Chevy-ed!

Rockies....foothill-ed!

Giants......dwarfed!

Padres.....translated!

D-Backs..made into Cowboy Boots!

"THEY'RE ALL DEAD!  NOTHING'S GOING TO STOP US NOW!" (IALTO)

Seriously, back to hockey...I was watching some tryout scrimmages last night, evaluating some local hockey referees, and I saw a Girls U12 and Bantam B tryout.  Some of these kids were "cooking with gas!"  It was fun...and it got me wondering, "Why don't more refs want it bad?!?"

I mean, I set up a Fitness Contest and I wonder why more people don't want to come out and just destroy the competition?!?  Does my brain have bad wiring?  Was I neglected as a child?  Was I raised by wolves?  I wonder stuff like this because I want to beat everyone in a competition....maybe I am unhealthy.  I don't know.  I thought I was like this guy:

Well, maybe you can help me...click on that link up there at the top to see my why "My USA Hockey is Different from Yours" on how I want to take as many hockey referees to Bigger and Better games as possible, doing it 'Herb Brooks-Style' (Caution: it will contain some adult content...it will be my attempt at seriousness and humor all-in-one...I will light a candle for myself when I go to my local parish while I am lighting candles for the "Good Ol' Boy" Network...stay tuned).

(*) Venting will be done on those who sit on their kiesters and do nothing.

There's a New American Development Model Coming...(it's NOT from USA Hockey)

Heard of the American Development Model (ADM)? It's the new "alphabet soup" out there...big bucks from the NHL to USA Hockey...the idea of getting more US Born players, coaches and refs in the NHL.

La-de-dah...kind of.

"The development of the official, on a local level, with quality feedback, instruction, and career coaching with an emphasis on development, is what will propel officials to bigger and better games."

J.B. Olson, Curriculum Director, Ultimate Officials

Look for new developments in:

1. Skating - the current skating model is good, but can be much better

Check out this video: http://www.neehs.com/video.20080131.asp

Referee skating instruction, including what I have been doing the past 10 years plus, needs to change.  Get ready, because it's coming...

2. Real-time Feedback - the evaluation process today is to meet with an official, point out what they did wrong, and give them the feedback AFTER the game is over with no chance to make adjustments.  This is akin to coaching a hockey team, having them run through their shifts and specialty teams throughout the game, and then making adjustments in the locker room, once the game is over.  Real-Time Feedback will be the most advanced development tool that Ultimate Officials will offer referees of all levels.

3. Supervision - As we see it, supervision is more about making things go smooth, so the team wins, versus development.  Here are some quotes from a hockey coach and ex-NHL player, Dean Talafous:

“I haven’t coached in eight years,” said Talafous. “I’ve been in the skill development aspect of the game, and it’s been really refreshing and good for me. When I was a coach, it was win at all costs. I was a total different personality. I’ve been humbled. I look back at my coaching career and I don’t know if I really developed players with their skill base. I know that wasn’t right, and if I can take what I’ve learned in my 50’s now being in the developmental side, I think I’ll be a pretty good coach.”

“I’d rather lose 13-11 than 2-1,” Talafous said. “Trapping and dumping the puck and putting all kinds of conditions on how they play isn’t development. That is very clear to me. We need to let them play with their instincts and allow them to fail and make mistakes for their development.”
That’ been precisely what Talafous has been doing with his business – Total Hockey-Hudson – an internationally acclaimed hockey training center that has branched off into 10 locations across North America. (full article here)

Imagine a program with the emphasis on development versus making the league or level run smooth...get ready, because here it comes.

Register for my Video Series  - "My USA Hockey is Different from Yours":

So What Are You Doing???

That was a question asked to me a few times at my local Minnesota Hockey District 3 meeting last night. Some guys haven't heard about the great [successes] we've had so far with Ultimate Officials...some guys haven't heard about the [new changes]...some guys even wonder how on earth they could keep getting [skating and training instruction]...

I'll just repeat my standard line:

Ultimate Officials is a personal training and hockey referee

mentoring program that teaches, promotes, and evaluates

primarily on the web and through video. 

Here's another example of how video can really help you...

It Gives Me Quivers Down to My Livers

Sunday afternoon...first day of training camp...and the boys are getting "their game legs" underneath them.



We've got some guys (including myself) getting the game legs on, too!:

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