It's Tournament Time for The Puck Hog

A GREAT TURNOUT AT THE TOURNAMENT IN AUBURN!

"Thank-you for supporting the Auburn Ice Hawks - we love the book!!"
                                                                                 - Barb

Talking hockey while encouraging kids to read, write and pass!

We gave the kids a chance to pick up pencils as well as pucks to show off their artistic skills!

Goals Scored!

Special thanks to the Auburn Ice Hawks Hockey Team.  We got  kids excited about reading and raised money for the team. 

To schedule a Puck Hog visit for your school or rink, contact us at

ChristieCasciano@yahoo.com

Hockey Mom Defined

When she learned my 8 year old wanted to play hockey, Nancy shared this article with me.  She had written it years ago, when her boys played.  It's been in my top desk drawer ever since.  Nearing the end of the season now, I wanted to share it with all of you again.  I miss Nancy so much.   



"The hockey mom is truly a model of unacclaimed virtue, a paragon of womanhood tested beyond all limits. She is someone who shivers at 4,015 rink sides from Elmira to Ottawa, from Niagara to New Jersey, and who drives through four-hour blizzards for a one-hour game. She buys $200 ice skates instead of furniture, lives six months in long underwear with skate guards in her pockets. She sifts through the moldy mysteries of a hockey bag, dripping over hockey pucks in drape folds or tries to maneuver past hundreds of splintered hockey sticks, too good to be thrown out, in the upstairs closet. She lugs the hockey bags on her shoulders when her child is a tyke, bakes cookies for the locker room when he's a squirt and billets young Canadian teenagers when he's a bantam.


There are no holidays or time-outs for a hockey mom. The day after Christmas is always spent on the road to a tournament. It's almost Easter before the season ends. That means six months of car breakdowns in Massena and whiteouts in Pulaski and Oswego. Hockey moms don't flinch when they hear that five more games have been added to the schedule, though. They just postpone their cleaning and cooking for one more month. The hockey mom endures and pays the price as long as the ice is available. Somehow the 12-and 13-year-olds who cuddle their hockey sticks in the night make it all worthwhile. "


By Nancy Duffy

The Puck Hog heads to Auburn

Next stop for The Puck Hog --Auburn! Saturday February 26th we'll be at the Auburn Ice Hawks 8 and under hockey tournament from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at the Casey Park Ice Arena, on North Division Street in Auburn. We'll have the kids help us create another hockey mural for the rink. Go Ice Hawks!

The Puck Hog at SUNY Morrisville this Saturday!

Center State Youth Hockey and the SUNY Morrisville Iceplex are hosting a TRY HOCKEY FOR FREE event on Saturday, February 19, 2011. The highlight of the event is a free hockey clinic from 12:30 to 2:00 for boys and girls ages 4 to 8 that are interested in coming on the ice and experiencing the game of ice hockey. All necessary equipment will be provided. The all-day event schedule is:

On-Ice:
Initiation Program: 10:15-11:00am- Rink II
Mites Cross ice Games: 11:15am-12:15pm- Rink I
Hockey Across America / TRY HOCKEY FOR FREE - 12:30-2pm- Rink I
Youth Hockey Games: 1:45pm-6:45pm- Rink I and II
Public Skating: 3:30-5:00p Rink II
Mustang Division III Hockey vs. Fredonia- 7:00pm-9:30pm- Rink I

Our off-ice events will be:


Christie Casciano, author of Puck Hog, will be onsite for a book signing

Outdoor BBQ
Maple Syrup Run/Demonstration
Sledding
Shoot-Out competition
Snowman Building
For more information,  e-mail centerstate.ip@gmail.com .

Reading, Writing and Passing!

Students at Enders Road Elementary in Manlius also wanted to know what inspired me to write The Puck Hog.  They shared their owns stories about dealing with selfish players on their team.  What a great discussion!  Thanks kids and I look forward to your letters and artwork!

Join us at Colgate this Saturday!

The Puck Hog with Christie Casciano & Rose Mary Moziak
Saturday, February 12
Start Time: 3:00 PM

This event will take place at Reid Athletic Center on the Colgate campus.

In honor of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, local children's author Christie Casciano and illustrator Rose Mary Moziak will discuss and sign copies of their book The Puck Hog, about a co-ed youth hockey team with a selfish teammate.
This event is free. The book is geared mostly towards ages 6-10, but children of all ages and their families are welcome. 

About the book:

A youth hockey team wants to be the best in the league, but their biggest challenge isn’t an opposing team, it’s Eddie, their puck-hogging teammate. A trip to a Syracuse Crunch game and a pivotal moment on the ice may convince Eddie to become a better teammate, but will it be enough?














About the author:

Christie Casciano Burns is a television news anchor in Syracuse, New York, and the mother of two youth hockey players. She wrote this book because she loves youth hockey and wants to encourage the values of fair play, playing together as a team, playing hard, and having fun!

From The Puck Hog Art & Letter Gallery

More Awesome Art and Letters from students at Holy Cross School 

"Now I know what a tape to tape pass is!"

                                                                                                                                                             

"Your book was delightful.  I loved how you turned a non-fiction scene to a fiction children's story.  Every one loved your book.  You are a great writer!

You have inspired me to even write more.  I have been writing my own little stories for six years.  I love how you made the moral of the story, 'teamwork.'  Your sister is a great artist.  A wonderful book, I noticed, can be made by anybody.  Someday, you will be famous!"

                 Cordially yours,

                       Madison 

" Thank you very much for coming to our school.  By hearing only a little bit of your book, I could already tell it was a great book.  I am also a hockey player.  I have also experienced puck hogs in my life.  I think that the book sets an awesome example.  Thanks!!!"

       From,

              Gabriel

"Thank you for coming to our school.  I was really interested. Your book is incredible.  I still think you are only 24.  I think the concept is good.

    Your admirer,

  Daniel 

Thanks Daniel.  I feel no older than 24!! 

   Your young-at-heart fan,

Christie

" I loved your book about hockey.  What was one of the best hockey books I have read.  Thank you for coming to Holy Cross School.  I enjoyed your book very much.

        Love,

                Michael 

"Thank you for coming to Holy Cross School to share your new book The Puck Hog.  Before you read the book to us, I knew nothing about hockey.  But now I know a good amount.  The Puck Hog is a good story to influence kids to increase teamwork in the classroom and out.  What inspired me is that you followed your dream of becoming a children's book author.  Tell your sister that she does a great job on the illustrations."

             Sincerely,

                    Kendall 

Thank you for coming to tell us about your book.  It's awesome.  I really like how you made a book with a great morals, but fun too.  You really taught me that if you have a goal reach for it.  Your goal was writing.  Mine is making it to championships in swimming.  I have an idea for your next book.  So Eddie the Puck Hog starts passing, but only to Sophia.  So everybody on the team now thinks Sophia is the new puck hog.  I hope you like the start!

                                  Sincerely,

                                Annie

Thank you for coming to our school!  It was very kind of you.  I would never have known what a tape to tape pass is, if you never taught us.  Hockey is pretty interesting now that I know more about it from your book.  I hope to learn more!"

     Sincerely,

 Julia F.

" Thank you for visiting our school.  I really liked your new book, The Puck Hog.  It was really cool when Eddie thought he would become the team captian, because he scored the winning goal, but Sophia actually ended up being the captain.  You taught me a lot about hockey that I didn't know.  Such as a tape to tape pass.  I thought that having a hockey dictionary in the back was a great idea too!"

    Happy Holidays!

   Julia

" Thank you for encouragine me and my freinds to follow our dreams.  You seem like a very successful person and you enjoy your job.  I hope to one day be successful too.

Sincerely,

Brian

" Your book is awesome!  It was amazingly descriptive.  The pictures were extremely detailed as well.  You've inspired me to finish my story I am writing!"

      Sincerely,

 Wyatt

Great art. Great ideas!  Keep writing and keep reading kids!

The Puck Hog

About the Book

A youth hockey team wants to be the best in their league, but their biggest challenge isn't an opposing team, it's Eddie, their puck-hogging teammate.  A team trip to an AHL hockey game and a pivotal moment on the ice may convince Eddie to become a better teammate, but will it be enough?
   Chidren ages 6-10 will enjoy skating along on this emotional journey with a tight-knit group of youth hockey players.  The Puck Hog, an early reader chapter book, encourages the values of fair play, playing together as a team, playing hard and having fun!