What are the monumental accomplishments in a young female hockey player’s life?

Her first goal?

Her first hat-trick?

Her first shut-out?

How about her FIRST CHIN-UP!

Over the course of the last 3 weeks, at least 6 of my young female hockey players have done their 1st ever chin-up. Each time they tell me, I send them a congratulatory email full of exclamation points.

A girl’s first chin-up is truly an amazing achievement. I still remember the exact moment when I finally pulled my chin up over the bar for the first time and to say that I was absolutely ecstatic would be a complete understatement. I think I was smiling for 3 days afterwards.

In the entire realm of athletic performance, one chin-up is not exactly record-setting.

But it means that a young player has developed the shoulder stability, arm and back strength as well as core stability to be able to pull herself up over the bar.

As I always tell my athletes, once you can do one, the rest are easy.

So when you do your first chin-up (or your first set of 5), make sure that you celebrate your accomplishment.

Getting there is hard - but the reward is great.

Until next time,

Kim