A New Year, $ame Pressure on and off the Ice
Everyone is gearing up and thinking about making changes in 2024. New Years resolutions are the driving force for change and motivation. In the game of hockey and in life a new year provides hope and new beginnings.
2023 may have been an amazing year for some, or a year of setbacks for others.
On the surface everything might seem fine and perfectly normal, but some players and their families are struggling in more ways than one.
You see the pressure on the ice and the pressure financially off the ice is substantial.
Take a second and just think about how many hockey families are struggling in silence over the cost to play the game we all love.
Clearly hockey crazed parents get a bad rap for being just that “hockey parents” but clearly they’re trying the best they can to make things happen for their children.
For some families money is no object, top of the line everything and that’s perfectly ok, but for others that’s just not the case.
I’m sure if you ask any hockey parents they would say they wouldn’t change it for the world, but
it’s my hope that every single player understands and fully appreciates the cost and all of the sacrifices that their parents take on to allow them to pay.
It’s my hope for the New Year that more coaches and team personnel will take that into consideration when scheduling unexpected changes or costs associated to playing.
Hockey families work so hard to budget and make things happen, unexpected and additional costs are extremely difficult to handle.
Obviously, there’s so many local businesses, programs and volunteers that sponsor and give back to the game, without their generous donations the game and accessibility to it just won’t be the same. Thank you to all those people giving back to the game!
Finding the Love and Fun in the Game
Another amazing 2024 New Years resolution, would be that every player continues to improve and push themselves to entirely new levels, but more importantly they still have fun and love playing the game.
The game can turn into “to work” pretty quickly these days. Wouldn’t it be great to see each and every player no matter what level have fun going to the rink.
That’s a resolution that hockey parents, coaches and associations can all get behind.
Let’s keep the game fun for everyone!
Honesty is the Best Policy
Wouldn’t it be great if the minor hockey world became more honest and transparent. Now that’s an 2024 hockey resolution that everyone could get behind. From the tryout and evaluation process to coaching to every aspect of the game, could you imagine if everyone involved was transparent, honest and up front, what a massive difference that would make in the game and those that love playing it!
Three Foundational Questions and 2024
Three foundational questions, I’ve written about these three questions for quite some time now, but they undoubtedly apply to a lot players and families.
1. What does the game mean to you?
2. Where do you want the game to take you?
3. What are you doing every day to get better?
New Years resolutions are meant to challenge, motivate and inspire.
Hopefully every player and their family can answer those questions honestly and truthfully.
Everyone talks about the “next level”, but some don’t realize or understand the sacrifices it takes to get there.
What are players doing every day to get better?
That doesn’t mean playing hockey 24/7 that means stuff away from the ice as well. Like balance, playing other sports, eating properly, getting the right amount of rest and the list goes on and on.
What does the game mean to you?
Everyone loves the game or don’t they?
By answering that question honestly players and their parents start the discussion surrounding each of their objectives or goals.
Where do you want the game to take you?
Everyone has dreams and aspirations, but those dreams and aspirations can change on the fly. Parents and players need to discussion their options frequently, those dreams and aspirations can change and they should be fluid, not etched in stone from a very young age.
Let’s hope everyone can sit down and discuss these questions in 2024.
Happy New Year Everyone!
I hope 2024 is a great year for you on and off the ice!
See you at the rink,
The Quick Shift 