It doesn’t matter if you grew up playing hockey, football, baseball, or basketball.
Playing any sport that takes serious commitment is healthy and sets anyone up for success in the future.
The best part about hockey is that it’s a team sport. It has all the qualities you would find in any job as an adult.
I can remember losing to a team that we should have beat. And before we could even get to the dressing room, our coach was yelling at us to get back on the ice.
The engineer for the complex was literally turning the lights off on us to get off the ice from an unforgettable bag skate.
Sure some might read this story and think it was dumb, uncalled for, and say, “who cares, it’s just a game!”
But in that skate was a lesson. If you want something, you must work hard for it. People aren’t just born to be great at something. It takes discipline, consistency, and hard work.
Hockey supplies you with all these tools, and it starts imprinting it on individuals when you begin playing at a young age.
Believe it or not, someone who never played a competitive sport in their teens tends to have a more difficult time building these qualities until their late twenties, if at all.
Practice Makes Perfect
I remember Wayne Gretzky always saying, “practice makes perfect!”
Even though practice doesn’t exactly make perfect, it builds discipline, and understanding what you put into something is what you will get out.
So how do we become better at something?
PRACTICE!! If we have a weak shot, then shot pucks until your hands are sore. If skating is our weakness, practice on-ice, and off-ice skating techniques.
By doing any of my hockey camps, or dryland training, you will find drills and exercises are the same week to week with some modifications. For the simple reason, if you want to get good at something, then practice that something over and over again.
Check out this link to my homepage for Hockey Camps!
People are always looking for the most difficult way of doing something. Our minds are trained to believe if the answer is easy, then there is no way it’s correct.
Try keeping it simple when you are trying to reach a goal. The answer is usually right in front of us.
Discipline
As we get older, our bodies require consistency more than ever.
Going to bed, waking up, eating, and exercising every day at the same time will help us perform our best.
It builds awareness and the ability to consume new information.
How do we create this routine in our life? It begins at a young age, even before our teens.
Even though kids look at it as a fun sport,
- Attending every weekly game and practices
- Including off-ice training
- Eat healthy foods
- Try to sleep for at least 7+ hours per night
- Watching hockey on T.V with mom and dad
These are all things that help develop a better hockey player! When it comes time to apply discipline skills in other areas of your life, they will find it much easier to manage.
Teamwork
Ever heard, Together Everyone Achieves More?
That hammers the nail on the head! I have this posted in my workplace for all the employees to see. That is how much I believe in this statement.
Teams can get away with a “one-man show” in U11, but when U13 comes around. Combined efforts are going to be the difference between winning or losing.
Throughout life, everyone will face situations where they must apply teamwork to accomplish a goal.
Hockey relies on each other to do their job.
Outside of hockey, situations can range from a group presentation at school to completing a project at work to working on the production line at McDonald’s.
I have played on teams that built such a strong bond off the ice when it comes to a competitive game on ice. The opposition doesn’t stand a chance.
Communication
Everything in this world requires communication.
No sports team, workplace, or relationship will ever be successful without excellent communication.
Expressing ideas in a way that anyone can easily understand them is a much tougher skill to acquire than you might think.
With a team of 20 guys or girls, everyone has a different perception of how to solve a problem. Collaborating with a variety of learning abilities will help build strong communication skills.
The only way to improve is by willing to learn from one another and having an open mind.
Proper communication is a core aspect of successful teamwork, improving efficiency and limiting confusion.
Helps Build Confidence
The more you do something, the better you get.
Hockey is no different, especially doing something that you enjoy always makes it easier to excel at higher levels. The best part about a team sport is celebrating the victories together.
After being fortunate enough to win a couple of victories, players become accustomed to winning in the sport and life. This feeling will follow them into their adulthood. It makes us realize whatever we put our mind to can truly be accomplished.
However, even though confidence can be a powerful tool to help individuals succeed. Our job as coaches and parents is to make sure confidence doesnt cross the line in becoming overconfident and seen as ignorant and vain.
It Opens Opportunities
Everyone has focused on NHL or nothing at all! But think of the possibilities you can have for your kids if their post-education was paid for! You could save a hefty education fund that could go towards your child’s first house.
I have played with guys that went overseas to continue playing. Most people never get the chance to travel to Europe, so could you imagine having an all-paid trip free of expenses for six months of the year.
Making the NHL is realistically related to finding the diamond in the rough. However, there are thousands of teams Internationally that are doorways to getting a better education, making a good living, or staying active at an older age.
Conclusion
Even though practice doesn’t exactly make perfect, it builds discipline, and understanding what you put into something is what you will get out.
People are always looking for the most difficult way of doing something. Our minds are trained to believe if the answer is easy, then there is no way it’s correct.
Throughout life, everyone will face situations where they must apply teamwork to accomplish a goal.
With a team of 20 guys or girls, everyone has a different perception of how to solve a problem. Collaborating with a variety of learning abilities will help build strong communication skills.
The only way to improve is by willing to learn from one another and having an open mind.
Confidence can be a powerful tool to help individuals succeed. Our job as coaches is to make sure confidence doesn’t cross the line in becoming overconfident and seen as ignorant and vain.
Everyone has focused on NHL or nothing at all! But think of the possibilities you can have for your kids if their post-education was paid for!
Resources
https://ringor.com/blog/how-sports-can-help-your-child-develop-life-skills/