PAUL BUCZKOWSKI       Bio       Setting Goals       Respect       Back to School       Professionalism       Those in the know       Turn It Positive       Finding a Job       Eye Protection       Playing Injured       Gearing Up       WCHL vs. CHL       Europe v. N.A.       Specific Training       Training Camps       Road to Success       Dedication       Life in the WHL SANDY LAMARRE       Bio       Season to Forget       College vs. Junior       Sportsmanship       Game Prep       Conditioning FORBES MACPHERSON       Making the Jump BRIAN PATAFIE       Bio       Stretching       ICE PATRICK POWERS       Is Hockey Just a Sport? ANDREW ZOPPO       Be Tenacious
	PlayYourGame.com is proud to welcome Paul Buczkowski as a feature writer. From the WHL to the NHL, Paul will bring insight to every aspect of the game, as a sport and as a career. Pressure & Dedication By Paul Buczkowski June 15, 2000 There are many factors that can make or break a hockey player. There are the obvious ones such as: skill, endurance, size, and knowledge. There are many things that are overlooked by many scouts and players alike. In the past ten years or so, the game of hockey has changed from smaller more agile players to larger and stronger ones. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? We all have questions regarding this issue. We would all like to know how and why the European players are beating the North Americans at their own game. It seems like every single international tournament that we are involved in we are losing to smaller and quicker teams. On the international ice surface, the game is played much differently. It is more wide open, and the skilled skaters are the dominant ones. It seems like our teams are too big and too slow to compete. This is why the World Champion Czechs are so successful. They teach all their players the finer arts of the game: skating, stickhandling, and most of all, being creative. Our players are caught in the act of being too mechanical and too methodical. They are only doing what they are told to do. Having three years of professional hockey in Europe, I saw first-hand how most of the Europeans were taught to play the game of hockey. Having been at the scene, I witnessed the views and thoughts that the players and parents had towards the game. They emphasize fun, and as I mentioned in my last article, fun is very important in the early success of a hockey player. There will always be that role for the "muckers" who get the puck for the scorers and the stay at home defenseman who always stays back and defends the net. The only thing that I see different between the "North American" style and the "European" style is the ability to be creative and foresee what will happen next. The North American way has big players who dump the puck into the corner and try to use muscle to get it back. In Europe, the possession of the puck is very important, and players would rather carry it or turn back into their own end than give it up. These are the two distinctive styles. The size of the rink is a contributing factor, but I would like to see more skill development go into the training and bringing up of minor hockey in Canada and the United States. I still want all of those players who are still dreaming of playing in the NHL, AHL, ECHL, IHL, or the dreams of playing professional in Europe to know that "HEART" is one of the biggest attributes that North Americans have. No one in the world has the drive and determination toward a sport than hockey players do. If you want to succeed, you will have to make sacrifices, and you will encounter many hardships along the way. If you are not 6'3", do not give up on your dream. Consider it a little bump in the road, and use it to fuel the fire of your desire to play. There are many great hockey players who do not make it to the NHL because of their size, and no one seems to understand why they pick or draft that big player who they have to work with in the minors. It doesn't make sense to me why they wouldn't take that smaller player who is already at the level that they are looking for. But, that is a question many hockey players ask. The only advice that I give is: "Do not try and think what the scouts, coaches, or general managers are thinking, because it will drive you crazy. Because, you would not even be close." Play your own game, and make sure that if you think it is right then do it. Stay in school and educate yourself. But that is for the next article........................ I will quote one or two inspiring phrases that hopefully will motivate you. "Build up your weaknesses until they are your strong points" - Don Shul "Every athletic career, no matter how modest or lofty, is a journey" - Dan Millman, author of the Warrior Athlete. Paul Buczkowski 1 Year ECHL 3 Years Europe 6 Years WHL
a project © 1999 DavidSport Inc. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer