The Sky’s The Limit R


Littleton continues to showcase itself as one of Colorado’s top youth hockey programs ByPaul Willis


esponsibility comes with being one of the largest youth hockey organizations in the state. That’s why the Littleton Hockey Associa- tion (LHA) also strives to be the classiest, as well. Granted, there isn’t a youth hockey organi- zation out there that has a mantra of playing dirty and thug-like with the intent to injure and disrupt the opposition. But one of the chief components of the LHA is not only to play classy, but to have the correct coaches in place to instruct impression- able youthful skaters how to play the game the right way.


“We clearly try to choose our coaches with a process that just isn’t, ‘Hey, he’s a buddy of ours’ or, ‘He played at a rela- tively high level,’” said Jeff Karas, an assistant coach for the Hawks’ Bantam AA squad and also a member of the hockey operations committee. “We actu- ally try to vet out the coaches to where we convey that it’s not just about hockey, not just about winning games. There’s something more to this.”


The immensely successful association has 39 teams - all are dubbed the Little- ton Hawks - spanning players who have been born anywhere from 1993 to 2007. LHA views itself not only as an outlet for players to cultivate their game, but for youthful coaches to do so as well. It’s hard to argue with the results. The Hawks’ Midget Major AA and Midg- et Minor AA each have advanced to na- tionals for the second consecutive season after winning the Colorado Competitive Youth Hockey League in December (see more on the Midgets’ success on Page 5). The Minor squad also won its division of the Richmond International in Vancou- ver in late December.


The Major squad, coached by Chris


Sabjel, will represent Colorado at the 2012 USA Hockey National Tourna- ment in Lansing, Mich. (March 27-April 1). The Minor team, coached by Daryl Seltenreich, will do the same in Green Bay, Wis.


The teams are merely two examples that the LHA is right where it wants to be.


Littleton hockey and wants to give back, or maybe it’s someone who moved into town that played at a pretty high level,” said TenEyck, who also coaches the Bantam AA squad. “We have a lot of stories like that in our program.


“But you have to have the right coaches in


place to develop youth hockey players. As an orga- nization, we do a good job of bringing in the right people to help the kids not only on the ice, but off


There are nearly 650 players in the organization overall, including about 180 aged 8 or below. If any expansion were to occur, it’d likely be within the house programs. For now, at least.


“You never really stop thinking about the future,” said Ghia, who took over as president in August after a stint as a board member. “You never really sit back and be comfortable.”


Realizing its impact on the commu- nity, LHA has given back with various programs. Included is the Games for Kids Cancer Project, which was unveiled over the holidays by Midget Minor A Red team member Joey Feldman. It encourages people to donate a DVD, vid- eo game or cash to make life a bit easier for kids undergoing cancer treatment (see details at LittletonHockey.org). “That’s an example of Littleton hock-


ey answering the call,” TenEyck said. The Hawks’ Facebook page features


photos of players helping at a children’s hospital. While programs as such aim to make


a difference on a large scale, the asso- ciation also is rich with heartwarming stories within its own walls. There are instances of players enduring difficult home environments who essentially have found a familial feel amongst their team. There are stories of players who arrived with a limited skill set and departed with a college scholarship. That being said, the organization


The Littleton Hawks have experienced plenty of success in recent years, including its Midget Minor AA, pictured, and Midget Major AA squads, both of which celebrated state championships last month. Photo/Bill Kaufman


the ice as role models.”


“The teams are playing very well, and I think our effort to get younger coaches involved in the organization is definitely starting to pay off,” LHA president Bob Ghia said. “We’re really continu- ing to build from the ground up with the young guys all the way up through, and I think what you’re seeing is that consistent winning at the top is a testament to our building process.” LHA hockey operations director Brian


TenEyck points out that nearly each roster has “a non-dad assistant coach or head coach” as the association continues to become a haven for young coaches.


“Sometimes it’s a guy grew up playing in 6


The LHA was unearthed in 1963 and has morphed into a giant that features 20 traveling teams, six house teams and 13 8U squads. Dallas Stars goaltender Richard Bachman is a Littleton alum, as are several notable junior and Division I hockey players. Included are the Shore brothers - Nick and Drew play at the University of Denver and are NHL draftees; brother Quentin will play for the Pioneers next season - and United States Hockey League play- ers Matias Cleland (Waterloo), Christian Heil (Chicago), Landon Smith (Cedar Rapids) and Grant Arnold (Green Bay). Smith and Arnold will play at DU next season.


sometimes can become a victim of its own success as elite players move on to higher levels. “We lose players to the Colorado


Thunderbirds and to AAA hockey all the time,” Ghia said. “So to have enough


talent and enough quality coaching to ensure that we’re competing, and now showing some cham- pionships, I think we’re doing pretty well as an organization.” Operating out of South Suburban Ice Arena


and the Ice Ranch in Littleton, immeasurable pride has filtered throughout the organization as players are proud to be a part of the program and commonly wear their Hawks gear outside of hockey circles. “I think that stems from the fact that we have


coaches who aren’t only good hockey coaches, but good people, too,” Karas said. “That helps, plus the notion that the kids clearly expect to be competi- tive at all levels helps the morale as well.”


Josiah Didier, a DU player and Montreal Ca- nadiens draft pick, and Ryan Jacobson (Brown University) are two examples of players who have come back to help the program in the summer. For now, LHA is as big as it’s going to get, at least at the higher levels. The Hawks’ travel pro- gram, which is slightly larger than that of nearby Arapahoe’s when assessing the largest in the state, is at its max.


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