Detroit Hockey Spotlight: Akil Adams

This season, the Detroit Hockey Association has been growing. We now have over forty children in the i-Program. Managing this growth, while still delivering individualized, skills based instruction requires more structure and focused coaching. Fortunately, the DHA has several volunteers who act as assistant coaches. The association is also fortunate to have Akil Adams as its lead instruction coach. Akil has been running clinics for all Dragons teams since early October. He has also taken over head coaching responsibilities for the i-Program. Following is a brief bio of Akil Adams.

Akil Adams began his hockey career at Jack Adams Arena at the age of 5. By the time he was 8, he was playing on a AA travel team called then The Detroit Rockies, who won the PAL National Championship in 1984.

Adams then went on to play AAA hockey in the Michigan National organization, where he was invited the USA Olympic Developement Team at age 16 and 17. At the age of 17, he was drafted in the 2nd round of the United States Hockey Leauge (Junior A) league to the Dubuque Fighting Saints.

Akil had a very successful year in the USHL where he was an All-Star, 2nd team all league and received a full scholarship to the University of North Dakota where he played two seasons before joining the Windsor Spitfires of the O.H.L. There he played with Ed Jovanowski of the Pheonix Coyotes before being traded to the Ottawa 67's.

At Ottawa, Adams played with the likes of Michael Peca (Columbus Blue Jackets), Sean Donovan (Calgary Flames), Kevin Weekes (New Jersey Devils), Alyn McCauley (Toronto Maple Leafs) and was coached by Brian Kilrea (NHL Hockey Hall of Fame). In 1994 Akil signed a contract with the Florida Panthers American League team the Carolina Monarchs.

He then went on to play in Germany, the International Hockey League, the Western Professional League, the United Hockey League, and finished his playing career in 2000.

Akil earned his BA in Communications from Wayne State University when he finished his career. Adams went on to be the 1st African American High School Hockey Coach in the State of Michigan at the prestigous University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe. He also ran the instructional program for the Grosse Pointe Hockey Association for three years.

Akil Adams headed up All Pro Hockey School for five years, before joining the Belle Tire AAA hockey organization as a coach, consultant and trainer. Yet, he finds greater satisfaction helping to grow the DHA. "My whole goal is to provide the kids from the inner-city with the training that I was not fortunate to have. I am passionate and dedicated to providing the infastructure essential to giving these kids the opportunity to go alot further than I ever did. Its good to be home."

DHA Holiday Events

Hello Everyone,

I have a few reminders and important dates you need to be aware of.

* If you have any outstanding association fees, please pay these fees ASAP they are past due!! Any player with a balance will not be allowed to participate in playoff games, districts or HITH 4!!

* ABC Recreation Center Christmas Party for the kids Wednesday, December 12, 2007 5 PM- 8 PM. Please support the centers Christmas party.

General Membership Meeting:
There will be a general membership meeting this Sunday December 16, 2007 at 3 PM all members of the Detroit Hockey Association should plan to be in attendance. There will be very important information discussed as well as updates on upcoming events i.e. HITH 4. Light refreshments will be served. I will be there I hope that you will be there to!!

Mandatory Akil Adams Skills Clinic:
Please remember that the skill clinics are mandatory!! Many of our players have not been taking advantage of these clinics those who have we have seen tremendous improvements. Please ensure that your player is getting the skills they need by making sure they attend the mandatory clinics as well as their scheduled practices!!
*Next clinic scheduled for Thursday, December 20, 2007 at 7pm.

DHA Christmas Potluck/Party:
If you have not heard the Detroit Hockey Association will be having a Christmas potluck on Monday, December 17, 2007 6 PM-9 PM. So please see Cynthia to sign up to bring your favorite dish for all to enjoy. If your player did not draw a name for the secret Santa gift please see Cynthia also. We will also enjoy a family skate on this evening. We hope that all will come out and celebrate the upcoming holiday with us!!


ARENA CLOSED ON THE FOLLOWING. DATES PLEASE MAKE A NOTE OF THESE DATES.

December 22, -25, 2007

December 29, - January 1, 2008


The center will have special hours on the following dates:

December 26-28, 2007 open each day 10am-6pm

January 2, 2008- January 6, 2008 open each day 10am-6pm.

January 7, 2008 normal hours and normal schedule in effect for everyone

* Please look for further updates on times we will be skating!

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me.

Thanks,

Cynthia
313-834-2563
313-727-7330

Check out the Detroit Hockey Association (DHA) Calendar

The DHA has added a new web calendar to the main website. DHA officers have also put in the time to load in all the December games, practices, and clinics. They have committed to keeping the Detroit Hockey Association calendar up to date.

Feel free to contact any officer or fill out a DHA web contact us form with any questions or suggestions.

Don't forget to mark your calendars for the Willie O-Ree 50th Anniversary Celebration and Hockey in the Hood IV on February 15-17, 2008.

I-Program Begins this Saturday

The first i-Program skate begins this Saturday, 10-27-07 from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm. It is not too late to sign up. Please visit the i-Program page of DetroitHockey.org for more information and registration forms.

Come out and skate Metro-Detroit!

Invest in Your Future - Attend Akil Adams Clinics

Hey, Dragon Players, if you are not attending one of Akil Adams hockey clinics you are putting yourself at a competitive disadvantage. Those of you who have been showing up and working hard, know the skills you are leaning from Akil and his coaches will improve your game this upcoming season.

The Detroit Hockey Association has invested in our players’ future by hiring one of the best local coaches. Please do your very best to show up and take advantage of the opportunity! Dragon and i-Program Coaches are also encouraged to join these valuable sessions.

AKIL ADAMS CLINICS FOR THIS WEEK: 10-22-07 through 10-28-07

Thursday (10-25):
7:30 pm - 8:30 pm (Mites-Midgets)

Saturday (10/27):
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm (Mites and Squirts)
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm (Bantam and Midgets)

Sunday (10/28):
3:00 pm-4:00 pm (Mites and Squirts)
4:00 pm- 5:00 pm (Bantam and Midgets)

Mandatory Preseason Clinics & Important Meetings

It's that time again, the Detroit Dragons are back on the ice. If you plan to play this season haven't registered yet please do so ASAP. Team registration forms are available online via the following link. Parents, please remember in order to roster your child you must complete all necessary paperwork and pay 1/2 of the registration fees.

All teams are having mandatory skills clinics for the next 3-4 weeks. All players at all levels must be in attendance!! Each player must show up for their scheduled clinic time. These clinics are designed specifically to prepare Detroit Dragons players for the upcoming season. If you want to play and have a good season this year, you will be there!

MANDATORY CLINICS FOR THIS WEEK (10/8/07):

Thursday: 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm (Mites-Midgets)

Saturday: 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm (Mites and Squirts)
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm (Bantam and Midgets)

Sunday: 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm (Mites and Squirts)
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm (Bantam and Midgets)

Please follow the following practice schedule for the week of (10-14-07):

Mites and Squirts: Tuesday from 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm and Thursday from 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm.

Bantams: Tuesday from 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm and Saturday from 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Midgets: Thursday at 8:30 pm and Saturdays at 3 pm (You must also attend the above clinics this is mandatory!!) * Sunday, October 14th the Midgets have an away game.

Important Dates:

Saturday, October 13, 2007: I-Program Parent meeting @ 12:00 pm

Saturday, October 27, 2007: 1st day for the I-Program

Sunday, October 28, 2007: HITH 4 Planning Meeting @ 5:00 pm

Please contact a DHA board member with any questions.

DHA to Host USA Hockey Level 1 Clinic 10/13 & Important Dates

As the DHA continues to grow, there will be an increasing need for new coaches. The DHA will host a Level I coaching certification program at Jack Adams Arena on Saturday, October 13th from 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM. Register online via this link. Parents and care givers are strongly encouraged to get certified and learn the latest USA Hockey coaching techniques. No special skills or experience are required.

Soon new players will be signing up for the i-Program and Detroit Dragon teams. There is a great need for volunteers to help us prepare for the season and all season long. The DHA kicks off the pre-season this coming Saturday.

Volunteers Needed!!!!!

Saturday, September 15, 2007: To help clean out the equipment cage. We will be cleaning the cage out from 9 am-11 am. We need some volunteers to help us get the cage area cleaned out and organized.

Coaches Meeting - 9/15 - 11:00 AM: It is mandatory for all coaches who plan to coach this season to be in attendance. The DHA needs active participation in order to have a successful season.

Parent/Player Orientation - 9/15 - 2:00 PM: Please remember that each parent and player must attend an orientation session. There will be others scheduled if you are unable to attend this one (see the following dates).
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If you have not registered there will be several onsite (Jack Adams Arena) registration dates coming up soon. Please remember to register you must pay at least half your fees. All registration fees are due by November 5, 2007!!!

Onsite Registration Dates:

Friday, September 14, 2007 6-8pm

Saturday, September 15, 2007 12pm-2pm

Friday, September 21, 2007 6-8pm

Saturday, September 22, 2007 12pm-2pm

Friday, September 28, 2007 6-8pm

Saturday, September 29, 2007 12pm-2pm

*Remember to register/roster your child at least half of your fees must be paid at registration. (See link to player registration form here)
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Additional Important Dates:

Friday, September 21, 2007: Parent/Player orientation @ 6:30 pm @ Jack Adams.

Saturday, September 22, 2007: Managers meeting @ 12 pm at Jack Adams. *If you are interested in becoming a team manager please contact Marilyn Alexander at (313) 340-0119 or (313) 587-2747.

Sunday, September 23, 2007: General Membership Meeting @ 3 pm. All association members should plan to attend. Come out and hear what new ideas we have planned to improve and strengthen the Detroit Hockey Association.

Saturday, September 29, 2007: Hockey In The Hood IV (HITH 4) Planning Meeting @ 12 pm. We need your help! Please plan to attend.

This committee will be responsible for the planning and publicizing for HITH 4. As well as organizing the various committees for HITH 4. Some of those committees are: Registration, Welcome/Liaison comm., Concession Stand, Light breakfast, Luncheon, Pancake Breakfast, Locker room/Lobby Monitor, Score keeping, Decorating, Media/Publicity, Entertainment, Tournament Badges, Hospitality, Clean-Up, Parking Lot, HITH 4 banquet/silent auction, raffle and apparel to name a few.

* If you are interested in signing up to volunteer for any of the above mentioned committees please plan to attend the meeting if you can't make it please contact Cynthia to sign up for one of the committees. We need all our parents support to make this HITH 4 unforgettable. This HITH will be an celebration of Willie O'ree's 50th year anniversary since breaking the color barrier in the NHL. Please help us make this a memorable event. We can't do this without your help. We ask that each parent volunteer for at least one committee.

Sunday, September 30, 2007: For any of you interested The Detroit Hockey Association has reserved this day at Perani's in Livonia from (10am-12pm) for all our members to get hockey equipment at a discounted price. All CCM and Reebok equipment will be especially discounted. So save the date and plan to save some money on all your hockey equipment needs.

* If you have any additional questions or concerns please feel free to contact me.

Hope to see you all soon,

Cynthia

313-834-2563 or 313-727-7330

End of Summer Important Dates

Hello Everyone,

I hope everyone is enjoying there summer. Well were almost at the end of July hockey season will soon be here again. I know your as anxious as we are to get started. We hope to have a very good season this year!

Important Dates:

Saturday, August 4, 2007: Coaches meeting at Jack Adams @ 12pm. All coaches should be in attendance. If you are planning to coach for the 2007-2008 season you must be in attendance. We will be discussing the coaching plan for this season. So each coach should plan to be in attendance at this meeting. The season will soon be here and we want to be ready.

Saturday, August 4, 2007: Parent Meeting at Jack Adams @ 1pm. This will be the first of many. Each parent must attend one of the parent meetings there will be several prior to the begining of the season. (* other dates TBA)

Saturday, August 11, 2007: Player meeting at Jack Adams @ 12pm. There will be several schedule prior to the begining of the season. Each player must attend this meeting. (* other dates TBA)

Don't forget about the early registration discount. If you register now thru August 31, 2007, you can save $25.00 of your registration fee. Please remember all fees must be paid in full to receive discount. Save yourself some money and register today!

Feel free to contact any Detroit Hockey Association officer for more information about the upcoming season. The registration form is found here.

Cynthia

Detroit Hockey Logo v2

The DHA will be developing a new logo for the association this season. So far, two different "D" fonts have been developed. The "D" above is version 2. The first version is found here.

Please vote in the comments section of this post for the logo you like best and/or share your suggestions.

Stay in School - Play Hockey

A recent USA Today title read Big City Schools Struggle with graduation rates . This comes as no surprise. Sadly, it is also no surprise that Detroit won the infamous "worst of the worst" award by a landslide.

Detroit schools graduated only 21.7% of their high school students! Baltimore was 2nd worst. Yet they did managed to graduate 38.5% of their students.

The Detroit Hockey Association is a great success story when it comes to graduation rates in Detroit! In marked contrast to the depressing overall Detroit record, all Detroit Hockey Association players graduate from high school and most go on to college. An academic focus is built-in. The DHA requires its players to share their GPA when they sign up. The program works. It is based on a simple slogan, "where goals are achieved, not just scored."

Any parents interested in helping improve their child's chances of graduating from high school in Metro Detroit should give Detroit Hockey a try. Families need to know that DHA sponsors help ensure the program will continue to deliver the best hockey value in Metro Detroit.

Due to our generous sponsors, the Detroit Hockey Association has not only reduced fees, the DHA is offering a chance for a $25.00 registration discount through August 31, 2007. (*all fees must be paid for the discount to be applied) Please remember regular fees will apply as of September 1, 2007.

2007-2008 Fees:

House Team Player Fees: $300.00 * $275.00 if paid by August 31, 2007

I-Program Player Fees: $ 150.00 * $125.00 if paid by August 31, 2007

House teams pay no ice, but do have ref fees.

I-Program participants pay no ice time, and $75 of the annual fee is a deposit for full equipment sets including all pads, pants, skates, jerseys & sticks.

The Detroit Hockey Association will work with kids three years old and older in Southeastern Michigan. DHA programs are open to all, including parents and caregivers who want to learn to skate with their children.

Parents skate for free!

Feel free to contact any Detroit Hockey Association officer for more information about the upcoming season. The registration form is found here.

Come out and skate - Detroit!

Detroit Hockey Logo v1 & Early Registration Discounts

The 2007-2008 season for Detroit Hockey will be special. Hockey in the Hood IV will celebrate Willie O'Ree's 50th anniversary of breaking the color barrier in the NHL.

Still, Detroit Hockey needs to meet some challenges. #1 importance is bringing more players and their families to play Hockey in Hockey Town. People need to know the Detroit Hockey Association delivers the most cost effective competitive Hockey in Southeastern Michigan!

On that note, Cynthia has something to share:

"I hope you are having a safe and fun summer thus far. I hope you were able to take advantage of the $50 early registration discount (*for house leagues). If you did not don't worry you can still save some money! The Detroit Hockey Association not only has reduced the price of the fees for this season but are offering a chance for a $25.00 registration discount now thru August 31, 2007. (*all fees must be paid for the discount to be applied) Please remember regular fees will apply as of September 1, 2007. If you have any questions please contact me as soon as possible."

2007-2008 Fees:

House Team Player Fees: $300.00 * $275.00 if paid by August 31, 2007

I-Program Player Fees: $ 150.00 * $125.00 if paid by August 31, 2007

House teams pay no ice, but do have ref fees.

I-Program participants pay no ice time, and $75 of the annual fee is a deposit for full equipment sets including all pads, pants, skates, jerseys & sticks.

The Detroit Hockey Association will work with kids three years old and older in Southeastern Michigan. DHA programs are open to all, including parents and caregivers who want to learn to skate with their children. Parents skate for free!

Come out and skate Detroit!

Feel free to contact any Detroit Hockey Association officer for more information about the upcoming season. The registration form is found here.

Early Registration Discounts & Meeting Announcements

I hope everyone is enjoying the warm weather. I just want to remind you of the early registration discounts that are available. The registration fee for the 2007-2008 season is $300 for house programs and only $150 for the I-Program.

There is a $50.00 (* for house registration) early registration discount for those who register by June 30, 2007. There will also be a additional early registration discount for the house team for those who miss the June 30, 2007 deadline of $25.00 offered July 1, 2007-August 31, 2007.

The I-Program early registration discount is $25.00 now through August 31, 2007. All fees must be paid in full to receive the discount. Please check your mail for your application. As of September 1, 2007 regular fees will apply. So don't delay register today and save yourself some extra $$$!

Volunteers Needed!!
The Detroit Hockey Association wants to show that our Dragon's have community spirit. We are scheduled to go to Gleaners Food Bank on Saturday, June 23, 2007 from 9 AM-12 PM to pack food for the homeless. We need at least 10 people to volunteer to do this. We need to know ASAP who is interested in participating. I need to confirm with Gleaners ASAP if we will have enough volunteer support. So please contact me if you would like to participate.


Upcoming Meetings
HITH4 Planning Meeting - Saturday, June 23rd @ 12PM
Coaches Meeting - Saturday, June 30th @ 12PM

If you have any questions or suggestion, please feel free to contact me.

Thanks, Cynthia