The Importance Of Commitment

I was reading an article the other day by one of my favorite authors, James Clear.

I am in no way affiliated with him, but, I highly suggest checking out his work if you enjoy reading this blog. He writes all about optimizing your life and building habits that will lead to success.

This particular article, If You Commit To Nothing, Then You're Distracted By Everything, hits home for me because I talk a lot about commitment with my teams, in my coaching, and on this blog. 

Just the title of the article itself puts things in perspective and is dead on in my opinion. I had never really thought about commitment from that standpoint, but I completely agree with this point.

Hockey is the same way.

If you really want to be successful and take things as far as you can, you have to be committed to the process. I think we can all agree with that statement. But, I think the part that often gets lost in that thought process is how easy it is to get distracted by everything else when you don't have that solid vision for what you want.

I see it all the time in the kids I coach and interact with. When asked if they want to play at the next level, most of them, almost without thinking, say of course. I feel like most of them respond this way because they have been playing hockey for a long time and that seems like the natural progression of where they should go next. But, the reality is, I don't think most of them have really sat down and had an honest self reflection with themselves to figure out if that's really what they want, and if they're ready to fully commit to that.

I think this is another one of those areas where going after things, like playing at the next level, is more of something that sounds good on paper but isn't something that has been fully committed too.

The idea is the easy part, but the commitment and the execution is the real challenge.

It makes sense to think about that if you aren't fully committed to something that distractions become a big issue (whether we realize it or not).

For hockey, think about all the things we can get distracted by if we aren't focused.

During the season, we can get distracted by things like worrying about ice time, what line you're on, why someone else is on the powerplay instead of you... We've all had those thoughts before, and when you get down to the nitty gritty of what they actually are, they're all just distractions that are pulling you away from fully committing to the real job you have.

Another way to look at it is this... If you want to move up and play at the next level, do you think that letting yourself be distracted by things like that are helping or hurting your chances?

I think we'd all agree that they're only hurting you (and your team).

The underlying theme to all of this is that it's vital that we take time to actually sit down and figure out what we want to do, and what we want to work for. If we can get clarity on what we want, we can commit to figuring out a way to get there while limiting our distractions in the process.

Now, some of you might be thinking that you maybe don't know exactly what you want to do, or commit to.

That's a totally fair argument. However, that's really just an excuse that we try and tell ourselves.

The truth is, we need to be constantly taking action in order to keep growing, learning, and getting better.

So even if you aren't completely sure of everything, trust your gut, commit, and start taking action.

What's the worst that can happen?

You fully commit to going after something that you want (or at least think you want) and it doesn't work out. 

Big deal. 

I guarantee you'll learn more from that situation than you would have sitting at home just thinking about it. 

Committing and taking action are the only real ways to continue learning and growing. 

That's how we should treat hockey.

If you're going to play and be part of a team, fully commit to the team and buy into all the concepts. Learn to trust the process and do your part to make it work. That doesn't always mean you'll agree with everything, but if you're fully committed you're going to continue to grow as a player. 

The same thing can be said for players that want to move on and play at the next level.

Take some time and really do some soul searching and think about if that's something you really want to do. If it is, then go all in and commit to doing everything you can to get there.

Don't let distractions or fear pull you away from doing what you want. 

Bottom line: get out of your comfort zone and go all in on something and see what happens.

I challenge you all to commit to something and truly go all in. 

Focus On The Things You Can Control

I've come to the realization that if players would focus on a few simple ideas, there level of success would increase exponentially.

What are these 'magical' ideas that I'm referencing?

They are simply the things that we can control... like effort, preparation, being a good teammate. Those sorts of things...

It's been something that I have been talking to my team about for the entire year, but especially in the last month.

It's easy to get sidetracked and consumed by things that we ultimately have no control over.

We have no control over how good or bad the team we are about to play is. We have no control over how the referees are going to call the game. We have no control over how hard the other team is going to work.

When seeing these sorts of things on paper it seems to make a lot more sense and there might be a few of you reading this now who are nodding your head in agreement. However, the part that is challenging is realizing and remembering these things when you are caught in the moment.

I think all players experience this from time to time.

I remember even in college feeling this way. We were having a tough season and I remember heading to a weekend series against the #1 ranked team in the country with a feeling of "I just hope we don't get embarrassed this weekend".

That mindset sucks.

It's an example of letting my mind wander and focusing on the things that I can't control instead of putting my energy into the things that I can.

The same thing can be said when it comes to referees. It's an easy excuse to make when things don't go the way you want. It's easy to blame someone else.

In nearly 30 years being involved in the game, I can't remember a game that I have been a part of where I feel like we won or lost a game solely because of a referees decision. Of course there are calls that I have disagreed with, but usually, those are all only small instances in the grand scheme of the whole game. And chances are that if we go back and do an honest self examination of the game we can find that it wasn't one call or one play that caused a loss, but rather, there were aspects of the game that we have full control over that we didn't execute on.

Like I said, it's easy to get caught up in the emotion of the situation and begin focusing on the wrong things.

I truly believe if we can develop a mindset where we only focus on the things WE can control, WE will be a lot more successful.

The number one thing I stress to my players, and I believe in myself, is being a great teammate.

It's not always easy, but it should be a priority.

Hockey is the ultimate team game and a completely united front will always go a lot farther than a group that isn't on the same page.

Put your self interest on the back burner and put the needs of the team first. I know that it's easier said than done all the time, but if you want to be successful then you need to make this change. It's the only real path to long term success in my opinion.

Pick guys up when they are down. Celebrate when your teammates succeed. Commit to bringing your best everyday in practices and games.

Those three simple things can make a word of difference for a team.

Naturally, I would say the second most important thing you need to focus on would be your work ethic, but really that should be listed as 1B. Being a great teammate can be 1A and your work ethic can be 1B.

I know I've talked a ton about how hard work is the foundation and at the end of the day your work ethic is what will carry you through everything.

So why is it only listed as 1B?

I have being a great teammate as 1A because if everyone has that same idea and philosophy, then when a day comes when you don't have your best your teammates will be right there to help carry you through. And vice versa. The group will always be stronger than the individual.

But back to your work ethic...

Remember my story from college about what I was thinking about when we were on our way to play the #1 ranked team in the country?

I should have been looking at the weekend as an opportunity and should have been putting my focus on my effort and doing my job for my team, instead of just thinking about how good they were.

That's not to say that I didn't play hard that weekend and lay it all on the line, that's just to say that instead of wasting energy on something I couldn't control, I should have been focusing all my energy on the things that I could control.

The true beauty of everything that I have talked about, and something I share almost daily with my team, is that none of the things I talked about take any sort of talent.

Everyone is capable of doing these things regardless of ability. It simply comes down to a commitment of wanting and focusing on doing the right things.

That commitment isn't always easy but I promise you it's worth it in the end.

This idea is another one of those life lessons that not only helps with hockey but can help with life away from the rink as well.

Focus on putting your energy into the things you can control and stop wasting time and energy on things that are out of your control.

And if you only take one thing from this entire post, take this:

It takes no talent to work hard.

Are you bored?

Have you been bored and looking for something to do?

 I’ve been talking about building out a membership for Boost Hockey for the past few years and have even thrown out a few different ideas of how it would work. 

Finally, everything has come together. 

I wanted to create something that all hockey players could use and benefit from, regardless of age and skill level. 

I think hockey, at its core, is a simple game. And I also think that every player, regardless of their skill level and experience, can continue to improve on those skills. 

So whether you’ve been playing hockey for 9 months or 9 years, your individual skill and fitness can always be improved. 

For me, it comes down to three key elements; the effort you put in, the quality of your repetitions, and the consistency of how often you train. 

All three seem like no-brainer attributes and expectations, but the reality is, we all need a good reminder from time to time. 

How hard you’re willing to work is always going to be the underlying factor to anything you do in life. You’ll never improve at anything if you’re not willing to work for it. So even if you think it’s a simple drill or, “something you’ve done a thousand times…” the effort that you put into the drill will make all the difference. 

The quality of repetitions works hand in hand with working hard with a purpose. Don’t just go through the motions. Focus on each rep and try to make it the best it can be. It sounds silly at times, but that mental focus is a huge part of making yourself better. 

Finally, consistency is key to growth. The more consistent you are with your work, the better your work is going to be. If you want to get better at something, build getting better into your routine. Make it a part of your day. 

Like I’ve talked about so many times before on the blog, all three of these are completely in your control. You can control your effort, you can control the quality of your reps, and you can control the consistency behind those reps. 

I built the membership to help facilitate these same ideas. 

For members, they’ll get sent a new workout everyday that will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. (It’s also super easy to use and track from your smartphone.)

It’s largely stickhandling based (one of those skills that we can ALL improve on) along with a simple workout that you can do from anywhere (no equipment required). 

Being off the ice has been tough, but if you still want to get better at hockey, it’s definitely possible and the choice is up to you.

You can give it a try now for only a $1 and I’d love to hear what you think. 

Let me know if you have any questions and I hope to see you inside.

One Of My Biggest Regrets As A Player...

As I’ve said before on this blog, regrets suck.

No one ever wants them, but the reality is that most people have regrets about a few things in their life.

When it comes to hockey, I (thankfully) don’t have many regrets, but there is one thing that stands out quite a bit for me.

My individual skill development.

To put it simply, I regret not putting more time, effort, and work into improving my individual skills.

When I think back to my playing days that’s the one area that I had control over and could have done a lot more, but didn’t.

That’s not to say that I was lazy or didn’t work hard, it’s just simply pointing out the fact that I didn’t have a plan for how to get better when it was outside the season, or even just outside of regular practice.

My off seasons consisted of me playing pick up hockey and trying to gain weight and get stronger for the next season. While incredibly valuable, I wish I would have done more besides focus most of my energy in the gym.

I wish I would have had a plan to focus on improving my stick handling, puck control, and shot. Looking back, I know it would have helped my playing career immensely.

The other thing that eats at me a little bit is that it was all things that I could have worked on by myself or with limited space or resources.

I know it sounds cliche, but shooting 100 pucks a day would have really helped my game. Just like working on my hands would have.

In my time being a coach, it’s given me a different perspective and angle on the game.

It’s really hammered down the point that being really good at the simple skills of the game are incredibly valuable. Not only does it help on the ice from a skill standpoint, but it also dramatically helps the mental side of the game too.

The more confident you are with the puck on your stick, the more confident you’re going to be in general when it comes to the game. And like we’ve talked about before, confidence is vital to the success of hockey players.

The other crazy part of this (and I’m guilty of this too as a coach) is that as we get older, we start to focus so much of our practice time on team development that we forget to focus our time on the skill component.

It’s crazy that all the sudden we feel like we get to the Bantam age group and above and we don’t need to worry about our skills anymore because “we already learned how to do that.”

Our skills as hockey players are improved through repetition.

It makes sense when you stop and think about it.

If you want to shoot the puck better, you need to shoot more pucks.

If you want to handle the puck better, you need to work on your stick handling and body control.

I believe players that constantly become more skilled in their craft are going to make better overall hockey players, thus help make their teams better.

My job as a skills coach has only emphasized this point even more. I joke with players all the time that I haven’t played a competitive hockey game in over 10 years but I’m 10x better now than I used to be when I played.

Most of them give me a smirk and think I’m kidding, but it’s true.

The main reason is because my individual skill is so much better now then it ever was when I actually played.

Why is that?

Because I work on it everyday.

I’m lucky that I get to coach hockey and be on the ice everyday.

With being a skills coach I get to work on my passing, stick handling, and shooting everyday with clients and in turn my individual skill and confidence with the puck has never been better.

So what’s the point of all this?

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel with your training to get better.

Create a plan and trust the process of becoming as efficient as you can at mastering the basic skills of the game.

Dedicate yourself to shooting pucks, stick handling, and improving your skating and I guarantee you’ll be heading in the right direction.

Players, take the advice from me that you don’t need a ton of space or guidance on what you can be working on. If you want to be better, find a way to shoot more pucks and improve your hands.

Coaches, don’t forget about the skill development component of the game. We all get wrapped up in working on things like 2 on 1’s, but would it help your team more in long run if you had players that could handle the puck better, make better passes, and finish with better shots? Remember that hockey is a simple game, and the teams that can be the best at the simple habits are usually the most successful.

Keep working hard and focusing on the things you can control.

What Does It Mean To 'Buy In?'

I feel like nearly every coach and every team, regardless of sport, talks about the importance of buying in. 

So what does it mean to buy in?

To put it simply, it means to fully engage yourself as a player to the team concepts, team goals, and, most importantly, to your teammates. 

While to most this seems like a fairly common sense ideal, and not something that is new or revolutionary to sports, there are plenty of people that will say they don't get it (trust me I dealt with a handful of parents and players that claimed just that this past year). 

Another way to look at it is this: if you don't get buy in, you won't be successful as a team. 

I would be willing to argue with anyone about that last statement.

I've been around the game for almost 30 years. In that time, I've been a part of some really good teams and some teams that really struggled. And, if I'm being honest, if you really dig down to the core of every one of those teams, the buy in is the difference. 

A team of 20 that are all focused on the same goals and are able to build a trust and respect with each other is a pretty impressive and powerful thing. Mix that in with some talent and you have a nearly unstoppable team. 

I've been lucky as a coach to win two state championships in the past few years. 

Now that a few years have passed, it's really amazing to look back on those teams and see what really sticks out about those groups. It's almost funny, because to an outsider, I would almost guarantee that they would say that they remember the talent of the players. 

But for me, I remember the leadership and the buy in from the entire team. The talent is completely secondary. And that's the honest truth (I'm not just saying that to fit this blog post...)

It's little things like remembering seniors who accepted being role players with their minutes but leaders in the locker room and off the ice. 

To me those guys were the difference makers on the team. Those were the guys where 'buying in' could be the most challenging. It would have been really easy for guys to have bad attitudes or cause problems because they were seniors and thought they should have been playing more. But they didn't. Looking back at it now, I'm amazed at their maturity and their ability to have perspective on things and truly embrace their part. 

It's funny because I still talk with a lot of those guys and not one of them ever brings up the amount of points or the ice time they got. The things they do talk about every year were the bus trips, the close games in front of a sold out arena, the funny hockey stories about things that happened over the course of that season... 

The real cool part about those teams is that even the guys that played a lot and got a lot of recognition don't reminisce about their individual success. Now that a few years have past, they remember the fun times with their teammates at the rink and at school more than an individual performance in a game. 

Now the crazy thing about buying in, is that it really takes a whole team. The old saying 'it only takes one bad apple to ruin the bunch' is completely true. I've seen it and I've, unfortunately, been a part of it. 

I decided to write about this topic for a couple reasons. 

First, it's another one of those questions that everyone should be asking themselves. Coaches, parents, and players a like.

Coaches have to lead and coaches have to set the ultimate example of buying in. It starts from the top and if you aren't committed and showing up everyday focused and ready to work, then your teams will follow suit. 

Parents are a support system to their athletes. Whether you realize it or not, the attitude that you have towards the coach, team, and other players is contagious to your son or daughter. If you aren't supporting and buying into the team, your son or daughter isn't going to either. 

Players are presented everyday with new and different opportunities to learn and grow as athletes and people. If you're playing hockey then you need to remember that you signed up for the ultimate team game. There will be obstacles along the way, both personal and team wise, but your attitude and 'buy in' will make the difference. Are you going to get on the boat and paddle with the team, or try to battle the waves and swim yourself? I think we all know which one will ultimately succeed... 

The second point is that this is another one of those areas that we can completely control. I've talked a lot about how we all need to focus on the things that we can control and stop wasting time and energy on the things we can't. 

You are 100% in control of your 'buy in'. 

If you remember the way that I described 'buying in' at the top, you'll notice that every one of those things is something that you can control. 

You can control whether you buy in to the team concepts, systems, and rules. 

You can control whether you buy in to the goals set forth by the team. 

And you can definitely control whether you are a great teammate. 

If you notice a trend in the things I talk about, the real important things in hockey and life, are all things that we can control. 

Can you be a good teammate? Can you be coachable? Can you put the team first? Can you show up everyday and work as hard as you can? 

If you can answer YES to those simple questions, then you understand the power of 'buying in'. And if you can't, then hockey isn't going to be a good fit. 

Enjoy the journey and 'buy in' because I guarantee you'll enjoy the ride a hell of a lot more.

3 Ways To Overcome Fear

We all have it.

Whether we want to admit it or not, we all do. How we react to it and what we do with it, is really what defines us.

It, is fear.

Fear is one of the biggest factors in regards to the mental side of hockey. We all have fear, and we all deal with it in different ways. Those that learn to channel fear and turn it into a positive are ultimately more successful than those who let fear control them.

Fear can be debilitating, yet also one's greatest motivator.

The crazy thing about fear is it is something that we create ourselves. Think about it, when you were a little kid you probably did all sorts of crazy stuff and didn’t have a care or worry in the world.

Why?

Because you didn’t know that you were potentially in danger or that you should be fearful of what you’re doing.

The same idea can be related to hockey. Fear plays a huge role into how we play hockey.

• Fear of failure

• Fear of not being good enough

• Fear of losing

• Fear of being hurt

• Fear of letting people down

All of these thoughts have probably ran through your mind from time to time. I know they did for me when I was playing.

A great example for me now with coaching comes through summer hockey. I like to run competitive, yet fairly relaxed and fun, summer skates with current and former players. It always amazes me how good some players look during the summer. They see the ice well, make great decisions, have smooth hands, and can really put the puck wherever they want.

Then the season rolls around and those players don’t execute in quite the same way.

Why is that?

I think a huge portion of it relates back to fear.

In the summer, hockey is relatively care free. You have no pressure or fear of failure.

If you don’t win in a summer pick up game... who cares.

If you try to hit a teammate streaking through the middle and the pass gets deflected or turned over, not a big deal.

All of the little things that cause stress to a player during the season because of a certain fear are removed from how we play summer hockey. Because of that relaxed environment, players don't have that fear of failure in their minds. 

This freedom allows players to just play.

Examples like these are why it’s so important for players to harness their mental toughness and learn to use fear as a motivator and driving force and not merely as something that causes them stress and anxiety.

So how do you overcome your fears?

Take Action

It sounds simple enough, but simply taking action is helping you eliminate fear. It’s easy to say you aren’t ready to play at that level. Or it’s easy to say that you’ll start training for the next season tomorrow or next week. Those that take action are always learning. Things may not always work out the way you hope on attempt number one, but you will learn from the experience and that will make attempt number two that much better.

Think about it this way… would anyone ever get anywhere or accomplish anything if they never started?

Strive for Small Incremental Improvements

I’m a huge believer in never settling and always pushing the limits of what is possible. With that in mind, setting realistic expectations can help you achieve more and do so quicker.

Think of it this way… If your goal for the summer offseason is to gain 15 pounds of muscle, that can be daunting and overwhelming to think about (especially if you struggle to gain good weight). But, instead of thinking about it that way, you focus on your plan for gaining weight and figure that the off season is roughly four months long which really equates to at least 16 weeks. Implementing a nutrition plan, plus a training regime, then all the sudden you can look at your end goal and realize that you really only need to gain about a pound a week. Gaining one pound a week seems much more reasonable than the doubt inducing task of gaining 15 pounds before the season starts.

Learn to break down the things and make them more manageable. This will help keep you motivated and eliminate the doubt from creeping into your mind.

Remember, small incremental improvements over time lead to monumental change.

Confidence

We’ve talked a lot about building your confidence and its importance. Keep things in perspective and understand that if you want something bad enough you have to be willing to work for it. Know that things are usually never as bad as they seem and that a positive mindset can help alleviate fear. Never forget that the people you look up to and want to get on their level were once sitting in the same position as you. They simply made a decision that they were going to overcome their own inner fears and push the boundaries of what they thought was possible. If you want something, in hockey or life, be willing to fight for it and exhaust all avenues to achieve it.

Channel your fears, keep things in perspective, and most importantly, always be taking action.

Do you ever struggle with letting fear control your abilities?

If you’re looking for more information about controlling your fears, you can also check out this article here: Conquer Your Hockey Fears

Time: Our Most Precious Asset

What's the most valuable asset we all have?

I would argue with anyone that it's our time. 

It's truly the one constant that we all have. 

No matter what, we all get the same 1440 minutes every day to make the most of.

What we each do with those minutes is what separates us from each other. 

I was listening to a discussion online a couple weeks back and this exact subject was being discussed, time. 

How often have we all made the excuse, "if only I had more time" or "if I wasn't so busy..."?

I think we've all made that excuse before, I know I have. 

Another way to think about it is this, "how many hours do you have in a week?"

I want you to really think about what your answer is for a minute...

If you're like most people, the first number that probably popped in your head was 40...or maybe 50, 60, or even 80. 

But, in reality, we all get 168 hours a week. 

What we do with those 168 hours is what helps define our success.

In other words, time is precious. 

The beauty is that we all get the same even playing field of having the same time constraints on a day, which in turn, means we each have the same amount of time to go after the things we want. 

I know I haven't mentioned anything about hockey yet, but, I wanted to get you thinking about things a little different first. I wanted to help give you some perspective.

The point of this is to start appreciating the time that we have. Everyday at the rink, doing something you love, is a blessing.  

If you really want to become a better hockey player, stop wishing for it to happen and start developing a plan and putting a process into place to get you where you want to be. 

If you guys remember the post that really got this blog going, it was essentially calling myself out for making excuses. Excuses suck, plain and simple.

Be willing to own your shortcomings and acknowledge how you're going to overcome them. 

Don't be envious of another players success, work to create your own. Don't complain when things get hard, work to overcome the obstacles. Don't take the things you love to do, like hockey, for granted, learn to appreciate everyday you get to spend at the rink. 

It's a message that I've been talking to my teams about since I became a coach. I think partly because it's still hard for me to believe I'm no longer a hockey player (and I've been out of college for 12 years now!). But, more importantly, because every year I hear the same thing as the season is winding down... where did the time go?

If you knew you only had one more day to lace up the skates and play, how would you play? How passionate would you be? How hard would you work?

Time is an incredibly precious thing. 

Don't waste a day, and don't waste an opportunity. 

Remember, we all get the same 1440 minutes each day and it's ultimately our choice of what we decide to use them on. 

3 Things Every Player Should Focus On

Focus on the things you can control.

If you’ve ever been coached by me, taken a camp or lesson from me, or really, just talked to me in general about life then you’ve probably heard me say this phrase.

It’s become one of the motto’s of all aspects of my life.

It doesn’t mean that I’m perfect with it, but it’s definitely something I have really focused on within the last few years.

It’s something that I struggled with for a long time as a player.

When I think about it now, I usually just shake my head.

I wasted so much time and energy worrying about things that I had no control over that it’s borderline crazy.

What’s my coach thinking? Why am I playing with this guy? Will so and so coach, or scout, think I’m a good player?

As players, we’ve all been there.

But the reality is, worrying about things that are out of your control don’t make you feel any better, and they certainly don’t make the actual situation any better.

So how do we work on that skill and truly start only focusing on the things we can control?

You’ll notice that I used the word “skill” in the sentence above because, just like stickhandling, I think training your mind to think this way is truly something you have to consistently work at to develop and become good at.

While I could honestly write for days about this subject, I want to give you three actionable items that will help in nearly every situation.

1. Put your team first and be a great teammate. I can’t stress enough how valuable this is. If you can always have the mindset of putting your team first and checking your ego at the door, you’ll have less stress as a player because you won’t get stuck in the depressing ups and downs of worrying about things outside of your control. Never feel like you’re above doing something that puts the team first. I think you’d be surprised how far that mindset can take you in hockey and life.

2. Don’t cut corners and look for the easy way. As my favorite saying goes, “Nothing worth having comes easy.” If you’re looking for the easy way out, you’re not there for the right reasons. Players who cut corners are often the first to make excuses. When in doubt refer to actionable item number one above.

3. Give yourself an honest assessment. How hard are you really working? Are you fully committed and doing the best you can? I think if we’re being truly honest with ourselves there’s usually always an area that we can give a little more at. Focus on yourself and what you’re putting into the situation instead of worrying about everything else. When you have no regrets, the results are usually always much easier to handle.

The moral of this whole post is that when things get tough, which they will, go back and look at yourself and figure out how you can keep improving, instead of looking at everyone else.

I can tell you from personal experience that it helps take out the huge ups and downs with the game and allows for a more controlled even keel.

Also, remember that it’s always going to be a work in progress and that’s ok. As long as you’re making progress then know you’re headed in the right direction.

The Importance Of Body Language

It’s been a huge focus of mine to talk a lot about putting our time and energy into worrying only about things that are in our control. Things like your effort, attitude, preparation, and what kind of teammate you are, are just a few.

One other area that I think is vital to success is your body language.

While that may seem like an inconsequential facet to a team, or the outcome of a game, I think it’s a huge factor for a team.

If you have poor body language, (hanging your head, sulking on the bench, sitting by yourself on the bench away from your teammates…) what kind of message is that sending to your teammates and your coaches?

From a coaches perspective, I can tell you that this is one thing that drives me crazy. If you’re upset about your ice time and you choose to sit and sulk on the bench, do you really think that is going to want to make a coach put you back on the ice?

No way!

You’re not engaged and involved in the game, but rather, your mind is thinking about how things aren’t going the way YOU think they should.

The reality is that no player is ever going to fully agree with every decision a coach makes. Every player from time to time thinks they deserve more ice time, or thinks they should be used in different situations. I know it because I felt the same way as a player.

But, how you conduct yourself during those times tells a huge story about your character and commitment to your teammates.

Are you going to be a great teammate, or a distraction?

If you’re sulking on the bench, you’re not helping your teammates, but instead, only distracting them.

Think back to a time when you had a teammate sulking on the bench. What’s the first thing everyone does? They turn to their line mates and say “what’s wrong with so and so….?”

This is pulling your teammates focus away from the game. So it’s a double whammy for hurting your team. You aren’t focused and neither are your teammates.

So how do you not fall into this trap?

You suck up your pride and put your teammates first.

It’s one of the best lessons that I’ve learned in my life from hockey. Learn to put your teams needs first. I’m not going to tell you that it’s easy but I will tell you it’s worth it.

I can also tell you from a coaches perspective that I’m way more likely to give a chance to a player that’s positive, upbeat, and genuinely supporting his teammates over a guy that’s sulking in the corner.

Have the mindset of earning everything and stop expecting things to be give to you. Understand that everything is not always going to go your way, but a bad attitude is never going to help make things better.

Whether you’re in the lineup, or not, find a way to make a positive impact. Having a great attitude and body language is great place to start.

4 Life Lessons That Hockey Taught Me

Hockey’s an unbelievable game.

Chances are that if you’re here reading this now, that you probably feel the same way.

I know I’ve talked about it before on here, in that most of the valuable life lessons and skills I have in my life today can be traced back to hockey.

My wife and I talk about it all the time as far as what are the most important lessons that we’ve taken away from sports. For me, I think there are four big lessons that I have taken away from hockey. And I also believe that if you can truly master these four principles, they will make you successful in not only hockey, but really anything that you decide to do.

1. Confidence - The older I get and the more I coach, the more I realize that confidence is nearly everything. It’s something that I wish I had more consistently as a player, but is something that I see now as absolutely vital to success in whatever you want to do. Confidence and success I believe work hand in hand. The people that can find and build upon their successes are the people that are going to be building and growing their confidence. I know it can be a bit cliche but it’s totally true in that, if you don’t believe in yourself then how is anyone else supposed to? It’s something that we should all be working on everyday. Find success in the little things and constantly be building yourself up.

2. Work Ethic - We live in a world where everyone is compared to everyone else. Where it’s easy to find excuses and want the glory without putting in the blood, sweat, and tears to get there. I think it’s become more socially acceptable to give up, or blame someone (or something) else when things don’t go your way. In reality, if you really want something in hockey, or life, you need to realize that it’s going to take a lot of work and it’s not going to be easy. The process of working to get what you want is what truly builds your character and helps define you as a person. Don’t short change yourself on that experience because you’re scared to work for something. Push through the pain and push through your limitations. That’s ultimately what will help you grow and become the person that you want to be. Just remember, there’s no short cut for hard work. If you try to find it, it will eventually catch up to you.

3. Failure - Learning to overcome adversity is part of hockey, and more importantly, part of life. In my experience, the people that learn to deal and work through adversity are the ones that have the most success on the ice, and off. What do you do when things get tough and don’t go your way? Do you fold up and quit? Do you look for someone else to fight your battle for you? Or, do you stand in there, hold your head up high, and learn and grow from the experience. Success is not supposed to be easy and failure is part of it. In fact, I don’t think success is possible without failure. So when things don’t go your way and you get knocked down, get back up and keep grinding. If it’s something that you really want, you’ll look back and realize those moments that you kept moving forward are the ones that defined you.

4. Teammates - A group on the same page is always more powerful than the individual. Just like hockey, in life, the successful people surround themselves with people who have different skill sets. It’s just how a hockey team can’t have 4 first line centers, but, if they have 4 lines that all know their role and work together towards the same objective they’re probably going to have a lot of success. Learning to work with a team is also a great teacher of humility and ego. The first advice I would give anyone looking to fit in with a team is to check your ego at the door. Realize that having the right attitude and putting the group goal at the foreground is the real way to create amazing success. The last bit that goes along with having teammates, is building relationships. It’s amazing the friends you can make and the opportunities that can present themselves by learning to work well with others and build relationships.

So while I know there are even more tremendous traits that hockey has taught me, I think that anyone who can master these 4 will definitely set themselves up for success in whatever they pursue.

And just like so many other things I’ve talked about on here, none of them take talent.

They all simply take an honest commitment from yourself. A desire to learn, work, and be great.

They all take work, and they all usually don’t come easy, but I can assure that they’re all worth it.