Yesterday was an amazing day for female hockey. It was Hockey Day In Minnesota and aspiring girls hockey players from across the Twin Cities had a chance to watch two of the best female hockey teams in the country face off in an exhibition game. The women who play for Team USA and the Minnesota Whitecaps are amazing hockey players and terrific role models for all young girls. These players have achieved tremendous success on and off the ice throughout their careers by setting big goals and working hard to get them each and every day.
What did you do this week to move closer to your BIG goal?
It’s Sunday - and that means it’s time for you to share your success stories from the first week of the Total Female Hockey “Goal Getting” Contest.
The best female hockey players in the world set weekly goals for themselves and take daily action steps to get there. You aren’t any different from them. You can achieve your dreams just like they have achieved theirs.
So what did you do this week to move closer to your goals?
Did you take the daily action steps you set out on Monday?
Did your hard work and focus pay off?
Share your success…and then come back tomorrow to set your next weekly goal and the action steps that are going to help you achieve it.
Post your success stories from this week in the comment box below.
Keep working hard and dreaming BIG.
~ Coach Kim
PS - There is still plenty of time to become a stronger and faster player this season. If you are ready to take your on-ice performance to the next level, this is how you get started.
Hey Kim,
The big goal was to focus on school work and making the right plays during my next 2 games.
Each night i studied hard for my final unit tests in preperation for my exams this coming week.
At my practice on tuesday i concentrated on my passes and my breakouts. I had a game on thursday. Throughout the game i made smart plays. My breakouts were really good, and i made sure i was always passing into open ice in front of my team mates. The second shift of the game for me i ended up assisting a goal and ended up winning 2-0.
Also over the past little while i have been trying to develop my speed and it showed throughout the game. I always had an extra boost of energy each shift, im guessing it was from staying hydrated.
Unfortunately our second game was cancelled. It was planned for this morning but because of the amount of snow we got it got cancelled. Now i can study again for exams and relax and stay hydrated.
(i can start thinking of this weeks goals)
Andrea
“hard work beats talent if talent doesn’t work hard”
Hi Kim
My goal this week was to be focus and give complete effort. I was hoping that my hard week would help turn our team around. I think that I carried out my three action steps really well.
1. I was ready for all my practices this week and worked hard. I think I could have had more intensity at both of my Tuesday practices but I know my coach even noticed my hard work on Wed and Thursday. I started using my body more and winning battles. My extra shooting at home got my shot back on track.
2 I went to sleep early which helped me get up for my two early morning ice times at 4:45AM. I ate well but did have a couple of ice cream treats. I had 4 ice times, 1 dance, and x-country skied twice and had 2 basketball practices so there was not much time for more off-ice.
3. I tried hard to learn from my mistakes and listened and learned from my coaches.
Following my action steps helped me have a pretty good week and game today but my overall team effort wasn’t great and we lost 6-0 to a team we needed to beat. Our playoff hopes are dying as we now have to win against the tough teams. Andrea’s quote about hard work and talent should be our teams motto for the rest of the year.
Talk to you tomorrow.
Riley
Hmmm… Not the best hockey weekend for me, I’m afraid. We lost our game yesterday 3-1 and tied today 1-1… although the Pens shut out the Rangers, 3-0, and cheered me up! Obviously, the game results were not good, and I am afraid that I am not pleased with myself, either. As far as what progress I made on each of my goals…
1. I was absurdly pumped to practice Thurday, but Pittsburgh was experiencing some extremely cold weather: about 2 F below, plus (or minus, I suppose) windchill. Practice was canceled because were scheduled to practice on the “outdoor,” and presumably cold, rink. I completely disagreed. I wanted to practice no matter what the weather, and I have never thought that rink any colder than the others. It really is not outside. Only one side is exposed, and it is covered with heavy plastic strips. So, needless to say, I could not accomplish my first goal.
2. I could not really complete this goal, either! My coach suddenly decided to switch up the lines. They were irregular yesterday, and today I had a new partner! However, I have always maintained that my new linemate and I (the centers rotate, so no change, there) are a perfect match. We compliment each other very well and seem to have very similar instincts. I was very excited, and she nearly tapped in one of my rebounds, but as I got ridiculously short-shifted, I did not have much time with her.
3. As you can probably tell by my tone, I am in a bit of a mood. Today in particular, I had VERY few shifts. In the few that I had, I think I did fairly well- I got a pretty shot on net, at least, and had another chance as well. However, when I play only a few minutes, how can I expand on that? I do not know what to do, and I do not understand why this is happening. At the beginning of the season, I played frequent, regular shifts, and I had about five points in seven games. After that, for no apparent reason, I began to get less playing time, and have since been scoreless. I am not surprised; if I am not on the ice, I cannot score! My team has also lost all but one or two of these games; again, not a huge surprise to me. The coaches play the same girls who make the same mistakes. Funny thing; beyond my points, I have a very high plus/minus rating. I can only recall being on the ice for two or three goals against. That is probably one of the top three plus/minuses on the team, yet as of late I have not been counted on to play. I may not be perfect, and I may not always get the job done or perform a fancy move, but I really do not make stupid mistakes or selfish decisions, like those on our top lines. I think part of this can be attributed to a tournament I missed, which the coaches mistakingly thought I could attend. My team plays in two leagues, one a local league, and one a travel league (travel as in leave at around 4 AM Saturday morning, drive 7 hours, play 2 games, sleep, play 2 games, drive 7 hours, arrive home late Sunday, complete a massive amount of AP homework). My parents and I have always said that I really cannot go to such tournaments; it should be a treat and a surprise when I can. That was the deal. But my coaches got rather upset about this particular weekend, and my playing time started to seriously slide. I played the best game of my life (I was credited for at least 2 points, but I believe I had a third assist, which the referee may not have given) the weekend before, but only some of the minor coaches could come. So I only get credit for missing that tournament. I try so hard when I do play, but what can I do with 5 minutes or under? Really, it is getting past the point of toleration or patience. No one seems to understand why this is happening. What is your advice? How should I deal with this?
4. I have been eating better, I believe. Sleep is harder to come by, but I was proactive and got my homework done early this weekend. On Saturday’s game, the referees were very late, so I got loads of time to warm up, which definitely helped; I think I had two of my best first and second periods ever, although I tired in the third. I have been trying to stretch more, particularly as a cool down, too. When I do, I am never sore, which is always great. Both games this weekend were away games, making everything more difficult. Things should improve this weekend. We have to stay overnight, but that should make everything easier and more relaxed than rushing out of my home for away games.
While this past week was a great for outdoor skating, the park by my house has good ice the size of a football field, my teams went 1-2 indoors. I did well on my goal to spend time skating outside and having fun with friends but I very little time to go to the gym or run on the tredmill. I will go back to more basic goals for this next week.
My goal this week is to get a couple of nice slap-shots on net from the point and win our game on Sunday. I think I play better when I get to the rink early and warm-up on my own so…….
Step 1 - Get to the rink early, jump rope, and do some stick handling before playing
Step 2 - Get my homework done right after school so I can go play hockey at the park
Step 3 - Strech for 10 minutes after playing so I feel better the next morning