Location of Tournament:
Whitmore Lake, Michigan

Time of Year: 
February 8-10, 2019

Ages Welcomed to Play:
Adults 18+

Size of the Tournament: 
8 divisions, typically about 100-110 teams, approx 950 players

Special Entertainment:
Live band Friday and Saturday, and one HUGE Beer tent.

Any Special Vendors?
Lots of vendors for the facilities, and the onsite presence is mostly sponsors.

What Sets This Tournament Apart:
The tournament is the primary fundraiser for the Michigan Pond Hockey Sports Charities, which provides financial assistance to promote and encourage participation in youth athletic programs. Our tournament provides a three day, festival like atmosphere in the heart of Michigan, and brings people out of their winter hibernation. The event features 24 rinks carved out on beautiful Whitmore Lake.

Third Assist's Take: 
As you may have seen already, there are pond hockey events of all scales and sizes taking place this winter. You can go to a tournament on a national circuit sponsored by large corps, or you can find a local tournament which is lightly advertised and only grabs players within a 20 mile radius. What we like about the Michigan Pond Hockey Classic is that it's the best mix of both. It's an established, well-run tournament with entertainment to last the full weekend, but it still represents the Wolverine state well. This one has been on our radar for years, so we'd be all in to register for a weekend here.

Where to Learn More About This Tournament: 
www.facebook.com/michiganpondhockeyclassic

*All photos used by permission from tournament.

Location of Tournament:
Purity Lake (across from King Pine Ski Area), Madison, NH

Time of Year: 
Last weekend in January (January 26 - January 27, 2019)​

Ages Welcomed to Play:
Youth (Boys: Mites through Peewees & Girls: U10 & U12)

Size of the Tournament: 
Up to 70 teams of 6 to 8 USA registered players (4v4 on ice) are guaranteed 4 games.

Special Entertainment:
Food for all and beer/wine tent for adults. Across the street you can find skiing & tubing.

Any Special Vendors?
Rugby imports sells gear. The Youth Pond Hockey Festival sells food, thermal mugs, etc.

What Sets This Tournament Apart:
The Youth Pond Hockey Festival (YPHF) is located on a private lake situated at Purity Spring Resort and King Pine Ski Area. The event is “old fashioned” pond hockey for more than 500 boys and girls (U12, U10, Pewee, Squirt and Mites). The 2019 YPHF will host more than 60 teams consisting of up to eight players primarily from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island; however, teams out of New York State and Maine will attend this year’s festival. The games, 45 minute each, have four kids from each team playing on one of up to 14 rinks at any one time.

The lake is just 15 minutes south of Conway, NH, and “it provides an amazing opportunity for young hockey players to enjoy pond hockey at its best,” explains YPHF Co-Founder Tobin Kelly. He explains, “The collaboration with the resort and ski mountain allows for a winter festival feel by providing a wonderful family hockey experience in conjunction with other activities such as skiing, tubing, and dining for kids and parents alike.”

Proceeds from this event benefit The Laura Foundation. This New Hampshire based non-profit has a mission to provide funding to develop and support therapeutic recreation and educational programs that enrich the quality of lives of individuals with autism and/or seizure disorders. All programs are free to individuals receiving services through the Laura Foundation, and the YPHF helps to make this possible.

Third Assist's Take: 
If we have one tournament on our list which we think you can bring the whole family to, it'd be this one. Some are built for adults, some are built solely for the kids (and parents idly watching), but the Youth Pond Hockey Festival has games for the younger guys and gals and entertainment for the siblings and adults. This is the only all-youth festival we know of in New England, and one of just a handful in the US. Good choice if you want to plan a winter weekend for the full family. 

Ages Welcomed to Play:
21+. It's a Labatt Blue tournament after all.

Size of the Tournament: 
7 divisions which means 200 teams and over 1200 people total

Special Entertainment:
Live music on the lake!

Location of Tournament:
At The Burkshore Marina in Big Lake, Alaska.
Exact Address: 3610 S. Burkeshore Dr. Big Lake Alaska

Time of Year: 
March 8-10 2019

Ages Welcomed to Play:
Youth and Adults

Size of the Tournament: 
9 Divisions (U10,U14, U18, Novice, Co-Ed, Open, Women, Elite, 49ers) 107 in 2018

Special Entertainment:
Two free concerts for those 21+ on Friday and Saturday nights. This is in addition to fireworks Saturday night, and a free family rink available weekend-long.

Any Special Vendors:
49th State Brewing Company provides great food, beer garden, food trucks, etc...  

What Sets This Tournament Apart:
One word: Alaska. Oh, the trophy here is pretty amazing too. 

Third Assist's Take: 
This tournament is truly one-of-a-kind. It takes place on Big Lake which is about a hour out of the state's largest city of Anchorage. The owners of Third Assist are originally from Anchorage, and Big Lake was one of the first places we played pond hockey. It only makes sense that Alaska's premier tournament takes place in a setting like Big Lake. Cool setting, cool music, cool trophies. This is on our pond hockey bucket-list.

​Location of Tournament:
Snow Pond Center for the Arts in Sidney, Maine

Time of Year: 
February 8-10, 2019 (2nd weekend in February annually)

Ages Welcomed to Play:
Adults 18+

Size of the Tournament: 
70+ teams in 9 divisions

Special Entertainment:
Games under the lights & welcome skate on Friday night, beer garden, and a player social on Saturday evening.

Any Special Vendors:
Spectrum Healthcare Partners, Bud Light, Camden National Bank

What Sets This Tournament Apart:
We think their trophies set Maine Pond Hockey Classic apart from any other tournament, as they are certainly one of a kind, and on top of that there is a solid mix of divisions. Players come with great attitudes. The tournament takes place at an amazing venue & backdrop as the Snow Pond Center for the Arts is located at a summer camp with over 80 years for summer traditions. Lastly the tournament is easily accessible, located within 10 minutes for I-95 and two of Maine’s larger Communities (Waterville & Augusta). 

Third Assist's Take: 
This tournament is the go-to tournament for experiencing the Pine Tree State. Before Third Assist was based in Maine we had heard about this tournament in pond hockey circles. Now we find ourselves just one hour from this tournament and we know we will be making a visit this coming winter. Fun tournament in a winter wonderland and the proceeds go to a good cause. We'll be there. 

​Where to Learn More About This Tournament: 
www.mainepondhockey.org
www.facebook.com/mainepondhockey
www.twitter.com/mainepondhockey

*All photos used by permission from tournament.

Location of Tournament:
Chenango Valley State Park (New York)

Time of Year: 
Multiple tournaments over multiple weekends-
January 12-13 is the Youth House Tournament
January 18-20 is the College Level Tournament
January 25-27 is the Adult Tournament
February 8-10 is the 10 and under Tournament

Size of the Tournament: 
Each Tournament (weekend) features 250-300 active players

Special Entertainment:
Varies by weekend and audience but in year's past there's been fireworks, animal interactions, local live music, sledding and more. Various vendors attend as well.

What Sets This Tournament Apart:
This is the only tournament with mechanical refrigeration in a state park setting. That means nearly-guaranteed ice in a beautiful part of the state. Also, proceeds from the tournament go to local DIFD programs for youth suicide prevention and youth mental health awareness. 

Third Assist's Take: 
Stable, eye-catching setting with multiple weekends to take part. It's one of a kind for the U.S. 

​Where to Learn More About This Tournament: 
www.bingpondfest.com/
facebook.com/bingpondfest
instagram.com/bingpondfest
twitter.com/bingpondfest
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOHP92P0c3ihyMDm1lSSjDA

*All photos used by permission from tournament.

​As part of Third Assist's "Ultimate Pond Hockey Resource" we've reached out to the best pond hockey tournaments taking place this winter in the United States. We want to know where they're at, what makes them unique, and why we should visit this upcoming winter. Safe to say we're sold on the following tournaments.

Ages Welcomed to Play:
18+

Size of the Tournament: 
Can Accept up to 48 Teams: Divisions which accept teams are Open Division, Rink-Rat Division, Senior Division, and a Women's Division.

Special Entertainment:
The tournament features live music on Friday and Saturday nights. It also coincides with the Lake Superior Ice Festival which includes family events and fireworks on the lake at night. 

More about the Ice Festival can be found here: www.lakesuperioricefestival.com

What Sets This Tournament Apart:
 This event is patterned after the World Pond Hockey Championship held in Plaster Rock, New Brunswick. The Great Lakes Pond Hockey Classic began in 2004 and at the time was the only US affiliate/partner of the Plaster Rock Tournament. Some of the key components that sets this tournament apart are that the tournament is volunteer driven, and all profits from the event are directed to the Superior Amateur Hockey Association to positively impact kids lives. The Great Lakes Pond Hockey Classic is the only pond hockey tournament played on the largest fresh water pond in the world and one of the only pond hockey tournaments that includes games played under the lights on Friday night. In an area where hockey tradition and excellence have deep roots, the Great Lakes Pond Hockey Classic embodies the purity of the sport.​

​Third Assist's Take: 
You read the reasons above about what makes this so unique. One might even go so far as say Lake Superior is the largest pond hockey rink in the world. As for facts we can actually back up, the Great Lakes Pond Hockey Classic is a long-standing tournament and is the success model for tournaments taking place in the U.S. This is one of the premier tournaments to register for in the entire Midwest, and all proceeds go to a good cause. Count us in.

​Where to Learn More About This Tournament: 
www.greatlakespondhockey.com
www.facebook.com/greatlakespondhockeyclassic

*All photos used by permission from tournament.

​As part of Third Assist's "Ultimate Pond Hockey Resource" we've reached out to the best pond hockey tournaments taking place this winter in the United States. We want to know where they're at, what makes them unique, and why we should visit this upcoming winter. Safe to say we're sold on the following tournaments.

​Location of Tournament:
Lake Morey Resort (Fairlee, Vermont)

Time of Year: 
January 25-27, 2019

Ages Welcomed to Play:
21+

Size of the Tournament: 
90 teams total:
3 Men's Divisions (A/B, C, D/E)
2 Women's Divisions (B/C, D/E)
1 Coed Division

Special Entertainment:
The tournament features themed parties on Friday and Saturday night. This includes live music, an on-ice DJ, outdoor beer garden, late-night DJ, and Photobooth.

Special Vendors:
Skate sharpening on site, hockey merch, and other sporting goods.

What Sets This Tournament Apart:
Frostbite Faceoff offers competitive men's and women's divisions in a convenient and beautiful location: The White Mountains of Vermont. With this backdrop you can take part in one of their signature "Friday Night Lights" games. 

Third Assist's Take: 
If you're in the area between Burlington and Concord, or looking for a destination tournament, Frostbite Faceoff is one of the best choices out there. You can play outdoors in scenic spot with festivities to keep you entertained all weekend long. We're sold. 

​Where to Learn More About This Tournament: 
www.frostbitefaceoff.com/
www.facebook.com/frostbitefaceoff/

*All photos used by permission from tournament.

This past winter season was the busiest yet for the small team here at Third Assist. With March coming to an end, we’re figuratively closing up shop for the season- not too many insulated hockey gloves and winter hockey jerseys are sold during beach season. But with our season ticking down we must review the business: products, sales, new prototypes, taxes, etc. So next comes the question:

How did we do and where are we going next?

We are happy with the growth we had in 2017. We undertook minimal marketing and achieved more sales this year than any year past. Every year we have grown and this continues to be the case which is encouraging for the future. As long as Mother Nature doesn’t take a toll on every rink and pond in the north we’re anticipating the same steady increase for next year. However, this is one small difference.

Next year, we’re getting the Third Assist name out there.
​
Third Assist, on its own, is a pretty weird name (Hockey players should catch the reference easily). Some of our products, without an open-mind and a carefree attitude, are at times a little weird themselves. But that’s exactly what we’re going for. The pond hockey and outdoor hockey community are fun-loving, free-flowing, creative types and these are exactly the folks we aim to reach next season. So what’s in store for next year?

We’re expanding our glove line, sharing our pond hockey tournament custom jersey design shop, and creating partnerships with small business and tournaments around the country. We’ve haven’t undertaken heavy marketing in years past, but after a few years of product testing and encouraging sales we have decided to take the next step. This next winter you may even see Third Assist in a retail store near you.  But until then keep an eye on the site, and as always feel free to reach out if you want to get involved. It was a great 2017 with your support. Thank you for continuing to enjoy hockey as it was meant to be played!
​
Third Assist Team

When I was in school at the University of Maryland I was always fascinated by entrepreneurship and creating products that had use in my life, and ideally in the lives’ of others as well. I spent as much free time as possible reading up on the entrepreneurship process until I read the most simple, yet best advice I have received to date: You can formulate the best plan ever in your head, but you won’t get anything done until you take the first step. Every single person has great ideas, but only about 5% of people begin to act on them. Write down the steps for start-up, and knock out #1. Then #2. Each subsequent step gets easier as you build momentum. I figured I was a twenty-something in school with nothing to lose but a little pride, so why not give it a go. I started the first steps which in my case included developing a company name, website, legitimate email, product designs, and finally one of my favorite steps of prototyping with manufacturers.

If you’re on the site now you probably already know what my product to be built was, but if you do not know I’ll give a couple sentence intro. Growing up playing hockey outside in Alaska there were days I couldn’t feel my hands or feet at all after 30 minutes in freezing temperatures. If I could make gear to keep blood flowing to my extremities I would feel better, play better, and maybe even look better. So after some entertaining times messing around with different insulation materials and testing different outer shells (Check out gag gloves, which albeit may not be pretty at all, but they work great) I was able to create the Refhlex gloves. These gloves met the three criteria I was looking for: Looks good, works good, and feels good. It took me over a year of material testing to find the perfect combination, but I was pumped to have made it work. Nothing like these had ever been created before, so I knew these were worth sharing.

Then came the step of how to share. Should I go the investor route, loan route, or the crowdfunding route? The crowdfunding route is the newest option of the three, and the most appealing as well. Crowdfunding through a website like Kickstarter offers benefits the other two routes cannot. It allows an entrepreneur to test an idea in a no-risk, high-reward scenario all the while receiving feedback on a product. You set a funding goal and if you achieve the goal you can start-up production, and if not you don’t receive a penny and it’s back to the drawing board. I gave Kickstarter a trial run in 2014 to learn the ropes and it was successful, so I was confident Third Assist and the Reflhex gloves would follow suit. In the late summer of 2015 I launched the Third Assist Pond Hockey Gloves on Kickstarter.

And they failed. It was a bit of a rushed effort in comparison to my successful trial run, but I still expected more out of Third Assist. After failure I debated what steps to take next, but out of failure I’ve learned a heck of a lot more. And this may be the reason you’re visiting this post in the first place- The Lessons Learned. 

Success Factor 5: Gag Gloves. These are the not-so-pretty gloves we’ve had fun creating in the past. While they are functional, they are nowhere near as advanced or sleek as our Reflhex gloves. As of December 2015 we have sold more of these gloves than ever which shows promise in the venture. Either people want bright gold gloves, or we’re not the only ones who wouldn’t mind warmer hands when playing in freezing temperatures.

Success Factor 6: In writing this I keep switching off from “I” and “we”, and I should start getting used to saying “we”. During the last campaign most of the efforts were made solo. That’s quite the challenge when working and going for a Master’s full-time. I’ve read a number of posts from project creators comparing running a Kickstarter to a full-time job in itself. That said, I know I needed an extra hand to give this a round two. More than that I brought on a bigger brain too in my MBA-wielding and lifelong hockey playing friend Alex. We’re hoping an extra brain and extra effort can take Third Assist to a successful Kickstarter relaunch.

Operating a small business is one of the most exciting and challenging projects I have ever taken on. It’s a constant learning process and I believe it must be viewed that way. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to say I’ve learned how to run a perfect campaign or a perfect business, but I hope I can say I’ve learned enough from my failures not to repeat them. I wrote this post today so that others can learn from my challenges and maybe one day give their own Kickstarter a run. For now I hope I’ve learned enough to confront the challenge ahead and make Third Assist successful in 2016.

-Third Assist Founder Chris DeVore

”A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise one learns from the mistakes of others”