7 things great players have, Parents & Realities of kids Hockey.

If you are good enough, they will find you! Be good enough!

Hockey is a great game to play and to learn life lessons from. It is without a doubt the best game on the planet. Everyone can enjoy hockey.

BUT is you have plans to play Junior A or NCAA and up then these are the traits almost every elite or above player has.

I have learned this firsthand from my family and from having trained kids since 2006. I have been doing this a long time and I have worked with over 3500 kids so far and many have played Junior A and a couple moved past that. I can tell early and its takes a family.

Parents be patient, it’s a marathon not a sprint. Its important to realize that kids change so much over the years and it so wonderful to witness their growth and maturity as a coach.

For the record my brother was a phenom, my son was elite. Phenoms play in the NHL, Elite players play top tier Junior Hockey and NCAA Div 1.

If your player is going to be elite or a phenom then these 5 things are key:

  1. Talent You need to be born with it. Sorry Hockey is the toughest game in the world requiring significant abilities. There is a reason so many kids of NHLers play in the NHL. Genuine athletic ability is needed and 75% is “god given” you need to have “it” but that is not enough. The other 25% is more important and good news you are in complete control of that 25%.

  2. Genetic Superiority. The smaller and weaker you are the harder it is. Weakness is easily over come. Size matters and even worse there is a size bias at far too many levels by far too many Scouts. Bigger is seen to be better but there are exceptions to that rule. Conroy’s are not physically gifted, and my father could not even skate and never played hockey but was a great baseball player. So Conroy’s excelled at the 25% referred to above.

  3. Toughness, toughness matters. I talk about toughness in another section. Weak and whiny rarely succeeds. Toughness comes from Parents!

  4. Drive and Commitment. You need to want it!!!!!!!!!! And I mean really want it. I learned that too late. The player needs the DRIVE. Not your teammates, clearly not your Parents and not your Coaches. YOU need the drive. Drive and Commitment can be achieved by anyone! So that is good news.

    Drive & Commitment are affected by:

    1. Intestinal fortitude or courage. Fear is fine we all have that how you address fear is the difference maker.
    2. Effort. More effort than you think.
    3. Respect and honour for the game and the participants.
    4. A positive can do, nothing can stop ME, attitude.
    5. A thirst for improvement.
    6. An understanding of what it takes to rise above others.
    7. A willingness to do those things.
    8. The ability to learn and to take instruction and tough love.

  5. You need to LOVE the game and all that is associated with it. If you don’t love it then just enjoy it, it is a great game indeed.

  6. A very good Coach: find a Coach that wants you to succeed, that will push you and that actually has ability to teach you the skills you need and to give you the advice you need good bad or ugly.

  7. Support from your Parents. And remember to love, respect and to thank your Parents and all of those folks that support you.

Parents matter:

  • beyond paying and driving.
  • Never complain/criticize about the team or coaches in front of your kid.
  • Support the coaches.
  • Hold your player accountable.
  • Make them tough and disciplined,
  • Do not support whining or quitting.
  • Be honest and realistic.
  • Be patient.
  • If you don’t know, don’t tell.
  • Never complain to a Ref.
  • Cheer for good hockey!
  • Lead Lead Lead Lead Lead. If you cant then find a leader for them,

Realities:

Sometimes players don’t get the recognition or make the teams that they deserve but know these things;

  1. IF THEY ARE GOOD ENOUGH THEY WILL FIND THEM.
  2. Yes there are politics and worse blackballing in Hockey its sad and FIGHT BACK or it will never change.
  3. A set back is not the end it is a motivator.
  4. You get far more playing time on the 2 team with less BS and stress,
  5. If your player is good enough, they will find them because they are looking and Scouts know talent and are not affected by Hockey BS.
  6. If your Player is short, they simply have to be better because there is a negative bias to short players.
  7. Are you on a bad team? (in your opinion) OK maybe you are and maybe you could not prevent that BUT how does that make your child worse? It shouldn’t. Time to prove them WRONG. Grow a leader!
  8. Almost every player in the NHL was the best player on their team which means the rest of the team was worse. They succeeded and showed continuous improvement “despite” their team being worse. So can you don’t stress about playing on the best team, play where you will DEVELOP!


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