So You Want to Play in the NHL : A Guide for Young Players »

Dan Bylsma is a member of the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League. Along with his father, Jay, he wrote So Your Son Wants to Play in the NHL in 1998.

Starting on the family backyard ice rink, Dan Bylsma realized his dream of playing in the NHL. But how he got there might surprise you. He became a pro hockey player not soley on the basis of skill and talent but also through hard work and perseverance. What helped him most along the way were lessons and values instilled at home by his parents.

In So You Want to Play in the NHL, Dan and his father, Jay, offer invaluable tips that will help a young athlete succeed as a person, not just as a hockey player. To name a few of the important lessons:

• Get good grades in school. There is life after hockey, and that comes sooner rather than later for most players.
• Play all the sports you can. You will be a better athlete, and it's the best athletes who make it to professional sports.
• Listen to your coach. Practice hard, play hard, be courteous, and follow suggestions. You will stand out from the me-first attitudes so common in sports today, and that will not go unnoticed by your coach.

These lessons and many others give you the wisdom and insight to succeed both in life and on the ice.

Library Journal

In today's jaded sports world filled with pampered, trash-talking athletes, perhaps only a hockey player could write a book extolling the value of such old-school customs as practice, teamwork, personal responsibility, hard work, and perseverance. This book of life lessons is geared for younger readers. The Bylsmas previously published a book aimed at parents, So Your Son Wants To Play in the NHL (Sleeping Bear, 1998), and Dan Bylsma currently plays in the NHL himself. In addition to focusing on the eternal truths noted above, this book also discusses more specific topics for aspiring players: whether to play travel hockey, how to choose a hockey camp, and how to get a college scholarship. It also offers advice on how a child can try to deal with difficult situations involving coaches and loud, critical, pushy parents a phenomenon we see more and more with youth sports programs. Recommended for school and public libraries. John Maxymuk, Rutgers Univ. Lib., Camden, NJ Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.