An inexpensive way to make your child a better player and person

For some parents, there is the belief that the real hockey season starts in April.  That is when their child goes to their elite spring team, attends high level power skating sessions or starts working out with their personal trainers.  It can be an expensive and time consuming – but to them, it’s worth it if it makes their child a better hockey player or helps them make the rep, Major Midget or Junior team next season.  On a personal level, I have put my kids in a variety of off-season programs over a number of years.  I have always been satisfied with what “I paid for” – but in hindsight, realize that there were other areas of development that I should have been working on as well.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve had the opportunity to talk to a number of junior coaches and scouts from the PJHL, BCHL and WHL.  There seems to be a common theme among them that although skating, shooting and passing is important – it’s “character”, “work ethic”, and the ability to take and follow directions that separate the players who “make it” from those who get cut.  This is especially the case in junior hockey.  At those training camps, all the players are good skaters and shooters, and they all can score “a ton of goals”.  But the ones who also  “battle for the loose pucks”, work hard in “both ends of the ice”, chase after pucks that have little chance of getting to, “finish their checks”, and those who never give up, are the ones the coaches want.

So when you think about all the money and time we parents spend putting these kids in all these off/in season hockey programs, I wonder if we shouldn’t be spending more time, making our kids do chores, exercise regularly on their own, eat healthy, and give them responsibilities that they have to take on and complete.  Probably won’t be too appealing to your son/daughter – but then neither is forechecking, backchecking, going into the corner knowing that a big forward or defenceman is coming in behind you to “flatten you”, driving around the defender rather than trying to put it between their legs, etc. Teaching your child to have a good work ethic, to be responsible, to be independent, to listen closely and follow directions, and to do “things” that they don’t necessarily like (i.e. eating vegetable and fruits) or like to do (clean up their room, be helpful around the house, get a newspaper route, etc.) without complaining and whining, and actually doing a good job at it – will probably make them just as good a hockey player, as those who are signed up for all those expensive skills programs.  The best part about developing your child’s character, work ethic and habits, is that it costs no money – just time and effort on the part of the parent to provide learning opportunities, encouragement, supervision, feedback and consequences (good and bad) for your child.  The sad part of this, is that in today’s society with 2 parents working or single working parents, we don’t always have the time or are always around to work on this stuff.  And for some, it’s just easier to pay the money and hire the “professionals” to work on the hockey skills, and hope that their kids grows into a mature, hard working and well grounded person.

I’m not saying that parents should not put their kids in skills programs, Pacific Elite, Vancouver Hockey School, Pro-formance Goalie School, as they are all excellent programs.  If it makes them better hockey players, and they really enjoy going to it, then it is money well spent.  Just don’t forget the other areas of your child’s development, like character, work ethic and work habits.  It’s just as important that they develop these traits and skills, as it is to develop a good slapshot or to be able to skate backwards.  And the best part is – you can teach these skills yourself and it doesn’t cost you any money !  What’s even better is – if they don’t get a scholarship, or make it to the Junior leagues or the Pros, they will at least have developed good traits and skills that they can use for the rest of their life (whereas a good slapshot or a 50 goal season may sound good now, but may not get them too far, when they are trying to make friends or when they’re older, “pounding the street” looking for a job)

At Seafair I have been trying to build on our motto “Unreal Hockey for Unreal Kids” with “Seafair Minor Hockey – we make good players on the ice, and good people off the ice”.  What are your thoughts on this topic.  I’d love to hear them.