Let's Play Hockey Article: Mid-Year Seminar

Duncan Ryhorchuk did a great article on the Mid-year seminar that Mike Mooney and Rick Nelson put together.

http://www.letsplayhockey.com/1055heyref.html

Hey Ref – New officials development

By Duncan Ryhorchuk

Do you throw the new ones to the wolves with no training? Or do you have the time
and resources to develop the new officials correctly?
On Sunday, Dec. 4, I had the privilege of being included in a group of officials who spent all day at two ice rinks that were following a well-planned training session.
Mike Mooney and Rick Nelson have produced a unique seminar for first-year officials
in Minnesota Hockey District 5. Mike is the District 5 supervisor of officials and has a proven background for producing strong officials. Officials such as Brian McAvoy, Michael Kephart and Ryan Szymanski all have progressed into USA Hockey junior leagues. Another official under Mike’s tutelage is Mickey Moran, who achieved her USA Hockey Officials level 4 this year while being a senior in High School.
Nelson, also a USA Hockey level 4 official, was the referee for the Bantam A State Tournament championship game in 2009. He was also the linesman for the Minnesota High School Class AA state championship game last year and he works as a linesman for the WCHA. Not too shabby of a resume for the lead instructors.
The group of instructors that Mike and Rick have put together also have extensive backgrounds in officiating. Dom Clements, was awarded the Milt Kaufman award at the 2011 USA Hockey Instructor Training Seminar; Shane Paskey worked as a linesman at the Girls’ High School
tournament as well as at the 2011 NCAA Women’s DIII Final Four; Kelly Rolstad, 2010 Olympics; Scott Offling president of West Suburban Officials Association; Tim Clements, certified official since 1990; and Tom Hanson, Willmar Hockey Association Scheduler of officials.

The day started with a carpool at 7:30 a.m. Carpooling was needed as most of the crew did not live in the general area of the first seminar location of the arena in Paynesville. The District 5 geographical area stretches from St. Michael/Albertville on the east side to Willmar on the west, and up north from Sartell to Hutchinson in the south. Small compared to other outstate districts, but massive compared to hockey districts in the twin Cities area.
The first seminar began at 9 a.m., with an hour of classroom instruction. Here is how it is unique: For the next 1½ hours, the students are split up in four groups. One group stays in the classroom watching a professionally-made video of Nelson and Daren Glur officiating a game, who have voice recorders while on the ice. This video shows the proper procedure for everything from awarding goals, reporting penalties to calling offsides and icing. Also, with the volume
aspect, students are able to hear the on-ice officials talking about the procedures they are doing on the ice as well as to the players during play.
The second group of seminar officials is in the locker room getting ready to go on the ice. They are also talking about the rules, positioning, equipment (what are shin tights?) and even blowing the whistle for the first time. “Was that loud enough?” is a common question in this setting.
The third group is on the ice officiating a game. While the game is going on, there is a mentor on the ice shadowing the new official. The mentor is constantly giving encouragement and tips on where to be when to move etc. This is a scrimmage played by a recruited team from the area.
The last group gives the students a chance from the stands to evaluate their officiating peers. These students are also with mentors having ongoing conversations about the procedures on the ice.

Each station lasts 20 minutes. The seminar is closed by a question and answer session. Along with meeting and interacting with the district supervisor of officials, the president of the officials association and the district schedulers, the new officials do not leave empty handed as each one gets a 90-minute CD of game officiating procedured to keep.
I did allude to the fact that the seminar was all day. Well, the first seminar ended at noon and the afternoon seminar was set to start at 3 p.m., in Buffalo, a good 50-minute drive away on the east side of the district. After a quick lunch and strategy session, the carpools took to the road.
The Buffalo seminar finished just after 5:30 p.m. For the nine instructors involved, starting at 7:30 a.m., and ending at 5:30 p.m., it was a good day’s work. But there were no paychecks, game fees or gas money and none was expected when each were ask to help out. The compensation each received was the great feeling each volunteer gets. The reward is when you see a smile on a participants face, and you know the participants have achieved something for the first time.

Many
thanks for this program go out to Doug Kephart, the District 5 director of hockey. Doug assisted in securing ice time, teams, classroom accommodations and the organization of the program.
I do not know what every Minnesota Hockey District or Officials Association does for training and development of their new officials. I am sure each one has a program in place. But I know from the experience that Mike, Rick and District 5 have a well-established plan in place to develop new officials.

Paynesville Seminar

Buffalo Seminar

2011 Supervising and Instructing Clinics

Instructing the USA Hockey DOS in Duluth, MN

Nick / Paul / Kelli / BJ

DOS in Duluth
Kelli / KuKu

Lake Itasca (start of Mississippi River)
On the way to Berrrmidji to Instruct an USA Hockey Level 3 Seminar

Kelli / Mark at Itasca

Mark / Paul Buynan / Kelli in Berrrrmidji

My friend Charlie on the wall at the Berrrmidji rink

USA Hockey Women's Elite Experience in Blaine, MN

The girls at Elite gave me their rings to hold when they were on the ice:)

My last WCHA weekend series at OH State (pre-prego)
Kelli / Kevin / Jer / Doocy

Supervising MN Girls HS Elite League in Blaine, MN
Spresser with White Castle a M

Kelli was teaching at the following seminars this year:
08/28/2011 Duluth Level 4
09/17/2011 Bemidji Level 3
09/25/2011 Duluth Level 3
10/01/2011 Blaine Level 1
10/02/2011 Blaine Level 4
10/03/2011 Hutchinson Level 3
10/04/2011 Blaine Level 3
10/09/2011 Blaine Level 2
10/23/2011 Redwood Falls Level 3

Mickey in the news!

http://www.sctimes.com/article/20111003/SPORTS03/110030029/Prep-girls-hockey-Sartell-senior-works-her-way-up-officiating-ladder

ESPNW article

http://espn.go.com/espnw/news-opinion/6849824/calling-shots-refereeing-highest-level-long-shot-nhl

by Sarah Spain

In 1995, Heather McDaniel made news all over the country as the first woman to officiate a men's professional hockey game. For a number of years she worked minor league games in the Central Hockey League and the West Coast Hockey League.

In 1999, she got pregnant and stopped working pro hockey. There hasn't been a female referee in the men's professional game since.

There are roughly 2,800 registered female hockey officials in North America today, but just a few have worked the men's game, and none at a higher level than juniors.

Times have changed since McDaniel roamed the ice. The women's game has developed and flourished, giving accomplished female officials plenty of work without having to cross over to the men's game.

McDaniel never thought she'd be the last of her kind.

"At that point there wasn't really any women's hockey that could challenge me and help me hone my skills," she said. "The way I looked at it, I just wanted to move up the ranks. I didn't have this idea of male and female, I just wanted whatever was the best hockey to make me the best official. And there really wasn't much of a choice."

In the mid-'90s, girls' and women's hockey hadn't yet taken hold, so even the women's national championship tournaments were rinky-dink affairs when compared with the men's events. McDaniel got a shot in the USHL and worked her way up to the minor leagues, all the while downplaying her role as a trailblazer.

"It didn't even occur to me that I was doing something special until I showed up at training camp [for the CHL] and there were newspaper people and TV and radio people," she said.

For today's female officials, being the best means working the highest-level women's games.

From the start of their careers, they're trained to cover international and college women's hockey, with a focus on one day working the Olympics. Because the style of women's college and international hockey is much different from the men's pro game, male and female officials head down different paths early in their officiating careers.

"In the international game and the women's game there isn't the same sense of aggression that there is in the [NHL]," said Terry Gregson, the NHL Director of Officiating. "[The women's game] is more of a free-flowing type of hockey game where contact is less."

Gregson has seen how the rise of the women's game has resulted in big changes for female officials.

"I've been around about 32 years now in pro hockey," he said. "I remember early on a couple girls were giving it a shot [working the men's side], let's say at the junior level, but really since the development of the women's game, women that I knew that were talented officials channeled their energies more to try to get the plum assignment of the Olympics.

"... Quite frankly, I haven't had any contact with any [female officials] in my tenure here in management now and haven't really heard of any [interested in the NHL] along the way either."

Officials are watched and rated as they work lower levels, then scores are tabulated and the most promising are promoted. Because female officials almost exclusively work girls' and women's games, they aren't likely to be seen by NHL scouts.

Nine-year officiating veteran Leah Wrazidlo and fellow USA Hockey official Kelli Rolstad have reached the Holy Grail, working the Vancouver Olympics. Yet neither is likely to work international tournaments again. They will officiate mostly women's college hockey and clear the way for up-and-coming officials to get the experience necessary to qualify for the Olympics.

"I've had my shot, and now it's somebody else's turn," Rolstad said.

Matt Leaf, director of the Officiating Education Program at USA Hockey, explained that while there is no official policy in place, "it has been the general practice in the U.S. and Canada to provide those types of opportunities to more officials because we have so many officials who are capable and have earned that right.

"Without that 'carrot' -- so to speak -- they would have no reason to strive to be the best, and this is especially true on the women's side where they don't have the opportunity to work at professional levels or make a career out of officiating. For them -- the Olympic Games are their NHL."

Still, women have been reluctant to seek a full-time career working men's pro hockey. Many said trying to beat out 50,000-plus men's officials for spots in the minor leagues and the NHL just isn't practical.

"I think anybody that's realistic would realize and understand that it's two different worlds," Wrazidlo said. "The men's ice hockey world is completely different from the women's ice hockey world, and if you want to work on the men's side, you can try, but the success ratio is against you."

McDaniel isn't surprised today's female officials don't share her drive to work on the men's side.

"Why would they?" she said. "When they don't even know if they would get an opportunity [on the men's side?] Let's say 2 percent of men make it to junior or pro hockey and then the same percentage of women? That's just so few people that would ever make it. It's not even in the minds of these girls to do male professional hockey."

Todd Anderson, manager of officiating at Hockey Canada, said there are no size or stature requirements when selecting top officials, but that athleticism and skating ability are a major part of the job and a big factor in deciding which officials move up the ranks.

"One of my favorite sayings," he said, "is 'As an official you've got to be at or above the level of the player.' Players have gotten so much better, so officials have to, too."

McDaniel agreed that the physical demands of working the men's game can't be overlooked.

She was a referee in the minors, and therefore in charge of calling penalties, communicating with coaches and players, and acting as the on-ice leader of the officiating team. She says that working as a linesman would have been far more difficult, as linesmen are in charge of breaking up fights, restraining players and monitoring all the physical action on the ice. McDaniel said she had met some very strong male officials who struggled to keep up as linesmen because they were on the shorter side.

Winning the numbers game and keeping up physically aren't the only challenges female officials face on the men's side. McDaniel, who is now getting her Ph.D. in archeology, said many women aren't willing to give up family and other career aspirations to make officiating a full-time gig.

"Being a referee, you're on the road all the time," she said. "I found when I became pregnant with my son, I thought at first, 'I could do this,' but if you're a pro ref, you're on the road for three-quarters of the month. It's difficult to have a family.

"Also, a lot of these women are getting big scholarships from colleges and getting their degree while they play. They're well-rounded individuals. The hockey and the reffing is something that's a side endeavor for them, it's not a career."

In spite of all the challenges, Erin Blair, who's finishing her 11th season as an official, said she doesn't doubt a woman could work in the NHL.

"I think there are definitely plenty of women officials that are capable of working men's hockey at the highest level," she said. "It's just a matter of getting the right attitudes and the right people to help you break through the obstacles that are there. It would probably take a lot."

Star and Tribune

http://www.startribune.com/sports/preps/117033618.html

Historic officiating crew

Four women made up the officiating crew for Saturday's Class 2A championship game -- a first in Minnesota.

Ashley Alm, Kristine Langley, Kelli Rolstad and Kristin Moran were the officials calling the game, a 3-2 Minnetonka victory.

Cystic Fibrosis Hockey Tourney at the Sport Center

Today I worked 3 games in the Cystic Fibrosis Hockey Tourney over in Blaine at the Schwan's Super Rink.

It was a one day tourney and all the officials that worked donated their game fees to the event.

All the players on the men's teams were police officers or firefighters.

What a great event and a good cause!

http://www.twincities.com/prep/ci_17491977?nclick_check=1

Star and Tribune Article

http://www.twincities.com/prep/ci_17491977?nclick_check=1

Four-woman officiating crew makes history in Class AA girls hockey title game
By Tim Leighton tleighton@pioneerpress.com
Updated: 02/26/2011 11:42:26 PM CST

Minnesota officiating history was made Saturday night when the four-person crew working the Class AA girls hockey championship game were all females.
The crew was Kristine Langley of St. Louis Park, Kelli Rolstad of Coon Rapids, Ashley Alm of Woodbury and Kristin Moran of St. Cloud.
Rolstad worked the gold-medal game at the Vancouver Olympics, and Langley worked the women's world junior championships last month in Sweden.
"When you get to tournament time, you get the best of the best,'' said Minnesota State High School League associate director Craig Perry, who oversees girls hockey. "Through the evaluation process and observations throughout the year, they get to this tournament. When you get a championship contest as an official, it's because you earned the right to be there.
"Tonight, it's history that we have four females as a crew for the Class AA championship game. I think the significance of that is felt by all officials who are very close and for those who know hockey. It is significant, and the key is that they are four super officials."
Perry said a three-person all-female crew has worked in previous girls hockey state tournaments.

Note: Lisa Albers (Schlater) Mary Frey and I were the all-female 3-official crew at the Fairground the last year the state tourney was there.

2011 Girls State HS Hockey Tourney

Working as a Referee in the 4-official system with Krissy Langley on all 3 games.

We are working the final tonight with Kris Moran and Ashley Alm!

On local channel 45 at 7pm: http://kstc45.com/article/11341/?cat=11028

Made the Pioneer Press http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_17482689
(you have to scroll through the photos for the article to see Krissy and I talking to the South St. Paul coach)
The caption on the photo: "During a break in the action, South St. Paul head coach Dave Palmquist asks the referees about why a foul wasn't called on a previous play. (Pioneer Press: Chris Polydoroff)" Notes: it was a no-call because there was no penalty to call and it's called a penalty in hockey not a foul!

Let's Play Hockey - February 18th Edition

If you would like to see the photos and stories from the Olympics go to the right side and choose "2010 - February".

My friend Duncan from District 5, USA Hockey did an article on my Olympic/hockey experience.

Thanks Duncan!

www.letsplayhockey.com

www.letsplayhockey.com/1034heyref.html

Hey Ref – An Olympic experience

By Duncan Ryhorchuk

Kelli Rolstad has had the Olympic experience. Not as a player or competitor, but she was definitely an important participant. She was an on-ice official for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. With the 2010 Olympics being completed now for approximately one year, Kelli took time to reflect on her life leading up to and her time at the Olympics.

Q: How long have you been officiating, how did you get your start officiating and why did you start?
KR: I am completing my 14th year officiating. I didn’t play hockey until 10th grade, which was the first year it was a varsity sport in Minnesota at the girls’ high school level. Until then, I played basketball.
My good friend Rachel Launderville talked me into playing as she knew I loved to skate. The summer before my senior year I was approached by a Showcase hockey official, and he challenged me to go to a seminar and try officiating. I always told the officials what I thought of the calls, and I took quite a few penalties when I played, so looking back this is most likely why he confronted me. This would also be the part-time job that I needed to earn gas money and it would get me some extra ice time while playing my senior year.

Q: Explain the process of the Olympic selection?
KR: A year after I started officiating I applied for a USA Hockey Women’s Regional Camp. The camp was held in Lake Placid, N.Y. They boarded us at the Olympic Training Center and we skated on the 1980 and 1932 rinks. If you have never been out there to experience the town, it is an amazing place.
The camp was physically and mentally trying but I must have done “OK” as Matt Leaf (USA Hockey’s Officiating Director) called me back a few months later and asked if I wanted to attend the Women’s USA Hockey Elite Experience. Over the past 13 years, I have attended many camps and performed well.
The decision makers also evaluate your performance in the leagues you are working back home. A few years after going to camp, I was invited to my first international experience with the IIHF. Matt Leaf called and asked if I wanted to go to China to work the Women’s World Championship A pool. Unfortunately this tournament was cancelled due to SARS.
Over the years, I was privileged to work two tourneys in Canada, along with one in Germany and one in Sweden. I performed well at these tourneys and when the Olympic year came around, I knew I was in the running to be asked to work the Olympics. The U.S. was given the opportunity to invite three officials to work and I was lucky enough to be chosen as one.

Q: Did you train any differently when you knew you were being considered for the Olympics?
KR: I was training similar to an athlete for my leagues at the gym and working games, but the day I heard I was going to officiate in the Olympics, I called my friend Eric Scott at Etrain over in Bloomington. He put me to work skating on the treadmill two times a week during a long lunch break from work and once a week with plyometrics, usually at night.
I only skated one night of games during the week, as I was working a full-time “real job,” and would skate every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Usually WCHA, NCHA women’s college, but I did travel and work some Junior games to keep on my toes. There were also many nights spent studying the rule book. With the league variation of rules, I had seven different rule books in my bag.

Q: How did you get notified you were selected? How many area officials were there with you (men side and women’s side)?
KR: Matt Leaf called and, I am not ashamed to say, I was crying like a baby. I was at work, in a meeting room and immediately called to tell my husband, Cory, my Mom and Dad.
There were three female officials from the U.S. – referee Leah Wrazidlo and linesman Megan Hishmeh (15 total female officials). There were five male officials from the U.S. – referees Dennis LaRue and Chris Rooney (both NHL guys) and linesmen Tim Nowak (NHL), Thor Nelson (NHL) and Peter Feola (28 male officials total).

Q: How long were you at the Olympics, and what was your schedule like?
KR: I was there a total of 19 days – Feb. 11 to March 1. I worked five games – Sweden vs. Switzerland, Switzerland vs. Canada, Sweden vs. Canada, Finland vs. Canada, and USA vs. Canada. It was a light game load for me as most officials in our area work three or more games in one night or we work 2-3 college games in a weekend.
The first few mornings we had a meeting with all the officials and supervisors to get the flow of things (transportation, credentials, etc.). With any free time, we shopped a ton and the people watching was fantastic. We stayed at the downtown Holiday Inn in Vancouver and with the hotel windows shut up tight I was awoken to people singing “Oh Canada” at 3 a.m., most nights.
My husband, parents, sister and niece came out for a week in the middle of my time, and I took them to a couple hockey games. One of the female officials had a connection and we rented a city bus that took us up to Whistler for the day to check out the other Olympic venues.
A few of us attended a medal ceremony and I went to two curling events. One night, we had access to the IIHF hockey house and the Molson Tent. We also had tickets to attend the opening and closing ceremonies. The coolest thing was that our credentials got us into any men’s or women’s hockey games and into the VIP section, including both USA vs. Canada men’s’ games.

Q: When did it hit you that you were on the world stage for officiating?
KR: It comes and goes in waves and still the whole experience feels like a dream. I was told early on by a good friend to enjoy the experience. That it is all about the people you meet and things you get to do along the way.
In one of the games, it hit me. I skated the first three games in the smaller rink at the University of British Columbia, with a capacity of 7,000. My fourth game was in the big rink, Canada place, which holds 18,860.
I remember skating behind the net, shortly after getting on the ice; they were showing a video before the events and then showing the “Inuksuk” (Vancouver Olympic symbol) on the screen when the crowd goes nuts. I skated to the referee crease and looked up at the screen and the packed house. I was overwhelmed and in awe as I thought this is why I have sacrificed so much over the past 13 years. (Over the years there was a ton of hard work and time that went into working leagues and driving. I have missed many birthday parties, funerals, weddings and family events due to working hockey games).
Another thing that stood out was the support that I received from friends and family. They blew up my Facebook page and sent me tons of emails. Technology is wonderful and I had a blog going so I could keep everyone updated (www.kelliobrian.blogspot.com).

Q: It has been one year since the Olympics, what is the one experience you will never forget?
KR: I will never forget calling my Mom at work and telling her that I got the gold medal assignment. I was crying and she thought something was wrong. I choked out that I got the gold medal game and she said, “No you didn’t; you can’t work it, the U.S. is playing.”
Before the assignment came out, I was sure that I would not be assigned that game as at that time, they didn’t want you working your own country’s team and I had officiated Canada three times already.
A question I get asked frequently by officials is how it is to work with other officials, from different countries, that do not speak English? The official language of the IIHF is English so most officials do speak some English.
Off the ice, you do tend to talk a lot with your hands to illustrate the conversation, but on the ice you cannot use your hands. Since you are all working the same system, you use your eye contact with your partner and awareness to communicate, and that crosses the language barrier. The best official knows what their partner is going to do and how they are going to react before they do it.

Q: What changes have you seen since you started officiating?
KR: Girls’ hockey has improved tremendously and it just keeps getting better. When I played my senior year in high school for Champlin Park, it was the year we split from Anoka, but we recruited and got 36 girls on the ice for captain’s practice. Most of the girls could not stop or turn and a few were having issues standing up on skates.
Today, as far as I’m concerned, girls varsity and JV games are all great hockey. In youth, they can skate well and have their heads up when they stickhandle. Every time I step out on the ice it is awesome to see how far the women’s game has come in such a short time.

Q: What advice would you give new officials?
KR: My mentor, Mike, started asking me, “Are you physically and mentally ready?” for whatever game and/or tourney I was working next. I made sure I was!
These are some other tricks that I use:
• Skate hard on ice and pretend you know where you’re going – you may just fool someone into thinking you know what you are doing.
• Face your toes to the puck and the puck will stop less in your feet.
• Work hard and the sky is the limit, but remember to enjoy the ride wherever it may take you.

Q: What leagues are you officiating in now? Are you striving to officiate at another international event? And, will we see you at the 2014 Olympics?
KR: Women’s WCHA and Women’s NCHA. High School Girls and Boys. Youth Girls and Boys. And Scott Brand still gives me a few junior games every year. I also instruct, teach, mentor and shadow new officials and work at camps.
I am still IIHF certified but do not foresee officiating at the 2014 Olympics. There are many talented officials coming up that have worked hard and will have the opportunity to earn the Olympic experience too.

USA Hockey and all the other leagues that Kelli officiates for are very fortunate to have an official that is willing to dedicate their time, effort and make personal and professional sacrifices. Kelli did this and received an Olympic experience of a lifetime.

Jan edition, page 12 in Let's Play Hockey!

Eric's Etrain Site!

I made it on the etrain site!!!
http://www.etrainhockey.com/E_Train_in_the_new.html