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Chico was an NJCAA All-American goalie at the College of DuPage, where he
became the first NJCAA athlete ever to win back to back MVP awards in the
National Tournament, backstopping his team to National Championship in 1980.
He graduated from North Central College with honors and a degree in History.
Chicho spent the years 2000 through 2004 with the
Danville Wings Jr. A team helping them transition from the NAHL to the
USHL.
Chico says his proudest accomplishment is the
hand he's had in helping to place nearly 150 of his athletes into NCAA
competition, 100 at the Division I level, and two Hobey Baker Award top 10
finalists. The author of Glenn Hall, the Man They Call Mr. Goalie,
Chico also writes a weekly column for The Hockey Stop, and is a member of
the Society For International Hockey Research.
Chicago
Mission's Hockey Director
As the Chicago Mission's Hockey Director, I have
oversight of our day to day hockey operations. I'm in a unique position
amongst Illinois's four AAA teams, as I'm the only Director who does not
coach a team. That allows me to devote full-time attention to all of our
teams, and help answer the varying needs of parents, players, managers, and
coaches.
As the Director, I am at the rink almost every
day overseeing and monitoring practices, but more importantly I want
everyone associated with the Chicago Mission to know that my presence
represents just how hands-on we want our management to be. I am there for
any parent or player who has a question or concern, for any coach or
manager who needs support in any form. Every day, I find myself able to
reach back and draw on 25 years of experience to help make the Chicago
Mission the most responsive AAA organization in Chicago. We know and
respect how much time and money our parents spend, we know how
dedicated our athletes are, we know how professional our coaches and
managers need to be. My flexibility of schedule and commitment to making
your experience with the Mission as smooth as possible are evidence that
we want our organization to respect, match and surpass the commitment your
family has made to us.
While I am at the rink during almost all practice
sessions I also:
-Meet with our parent groups three times a year;
before the season, half way through the season and at the season's end. At
these meetings we discuss any and all issues related to hockey and the
Mission. I try to educate all of our parents as to what they can and should
expect from the AAA experience, how their behavior at the rink can impact
the potential of their players, and how best to guide their players towards
realizing their hockey dreams.
-Make myself available any day or any time for
individual meetings with parents to address any concern they may have about
their child, the team, the coach, or the organization. Every parent in the
organization has direct access to me personally, through email, and my home
telephone number. If you have a problem with communicating your needs or
concerns in the Chicago Mission, it will be your fault!
-Meet regularly with the coaching staff to help
with practice planning, offer insights into strategies and teaching methods,
and mediate issues that may arise between parents and coaches.
-Meet regularly with the teams and players
themselves, so if they have an issue they may be reticent to speak to a
coach about, they can talk to me.
-Keep steady communication with team managers,
and support any of their needs as the season progresses.
-Attend many games of all of our teams, both home
and away.
-Run the occasional team practice when the kids
need to hear a new voice or the coach cannot be present.
-Chair the Mission Rules and Ethics committee,
where I am directly responsible for hearing any problems within the
organization and handing down disciplinary rulings.
-Work actively to promote our players to Prep,
Junior, and College hockey.
-Work actively to promote our players for US
National Team consideration.
-Work actively to promote our players for AHAI
and Central District teams.
As someone who's worked at almost every level of
the game, it is my pleasure to bring whatever knowledge and experience I've
had over the years to help our players and parents navigate the sometimes
tricky road to hockey success. It is my intention to make sure that my
presence here helps to maintain the Chicago Mission as the pre-eminent AAA
organization in the state of Illinois.
Tom "Chico" Adrahtas
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