The next few weeks of hockey are pretty hectic here in Ontario.  The provincial championships are this weekend, the biggest girls hockey tournament in the world is next weekend and then tryouts for next year’s teams start the next day.  It’s a stressful time for players, parents and coaches alike. So this is a message for all the players who are nervous and excited about the tryouts.  With big games and critical tryouts just around the corner, there is one thing you need more than anything else and that’s…

 

==>  CONFIDENCE

 

You aren’t going to drastically change your skills between now and tryouts.  But you can dramatically improve your confidence in a short period of time.   Confidence comes from inside you - not from your parents, coaches, teammates or friends.  You have complete control over it.  So to help to get you ready for the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead in the next few weeks…

 

… Here are 8 of my favorite quotes about CONFIDENCE.

 

::  Confidence is preparation.  Everything else is beyond your control.

 

::  Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.

(Meaning:  There is NO reason anything anyone says or does has to make you feel bad about yourself. You choose the way you interpret what happens to you.)

 

::  It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not.  

 

::  We have to learn to be our own best friends because we fall too easily into the trap of being our own worst enemies.

 

::  The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others.

(Meaning:  If you put yourself down or think you aren’t good enough, you are opening the door for others to treat you the same way).  

 

::  Nothing reduces the odds against you like ignoring them.

 

 

 

::  Whether you think you can or think you can’t - you are right.

 

::  Don’t let anyone steal your dream.  It’s your dream, not theirs.

 

I hope that one of the quotes above really speaks to you and helps you to get ready for the challenges ahead.  Remember to stay focused on the 2 things you’ve got control over - your attitude and your work ethic.
 
 
Work Hard and Dream BIG.

Good luck!

Your friend and coach,

 

Kim

 

PS - ANNOUNCING 3 MORE CAMPS - COMING IN MAY!!!

This past weekend, we ran our first-ever Total Female Hockey POSITION-SPECIFIC clinic for forwards and defensemen.  Over 60 players participated in the 2 hour on-ice camp and learned the secrets of how to play their position more effectively.   The clinic was such a success that we will be running 3 more in May.

The dates are Sunday May 1st, Sunday May 15th and Sunday May 29th. All clinics will be at Chesswood Arena in Toronto and we will have an  Atom/Peewee age group and a Bantam/Midget age group at each clinic.

 

There are critical position-specific skills that you must learn and master in order to get to and excel at the next level. This is your chance to work on  those specific skills. 

We can only accept 15 defenseman and 15 forwards into each age group for the camp, so you’ll have to take action quickly to secure your spot today.

 

Click on the link below for more information:

http://totalfemalehockeyclub.com/camps-schools/position_specific_camps/

 

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS
Director, Total Female Hockey
Girls Hockey Director, PEAC School For Elite Athletes

There are a few different ways of watching the game - whether live or on TV - and if you want to get to (and excel at) the next level, there is a better way to watch.

Here are the 3 most common ways of watching hockey:

1.  Just following the play:  that’s what most of us do.  We just follow the play and pay slightly more attention when one of our favorite players has the puck or when there is an offensive chance by either team.

 

2.  Just following your favorite player:  if you’re at the rink watching a good friend play, this is more than likely what you’re doing.  And when you watch on TV, odds are you are doing the same thing.  You still follow the play, but you stare at the screen when your favorite player has the puck.

 

3.  Watching one player - and what they do without the puck:  This is the most effective way of watching the game, especially if you want to take all aspects of your game to the next level. 

 

Watching one player who plays the same position as you all game long is hard to do. It’s much easier (and maybe even more fun) to just follow the play or watch your favorite player when they’ve got the puck.   But watching a player who plays the same position as you when they DON’T have the puck is really critical.

 

Let’s say you are watching an NHL game on TV.

 

You already know that all of those players have amazing individual skills or else they wouldn’t be out there with the best in the world.  And while their individual abilities played a big part in them getting to that level, they would have never stayed there if they hadn’t developed the ability to play effectively
without the puck.

 

When you are able to make the jump from playing as an individual to knowing how to find open ice, support your teammates when they’ve got the puck and how to use timing and space to your advantage, you have really taken your game up to the next level.  Knowing what to do and where to be when you don’t have the puck is a tough thing to learn - and it is absolutely critical to your success as a player and as a teammate.

 

So the next time you are watching a high-level game, pick one player on one team who plays the same position as you and watch them (and only them) the entire game.  Keep in mind - this is really hard to do, which is why most players don’t do it.

 

Notice what your player does when they’ve got the puck to create time and space for themselves and how they do the same when their teammates have the puck.  Watch how they support their teammates in the defensive, neutral and offensive zone.  Even watch how they interact with teammates and line-mates in between whistles on the ice and on the bench between shifts.

 

Getting to, staying at and excelling at the next level takes a lot more than just your ability to play with the puck on your stick or when you are directly involved with the puck.  What you do away from the “action” will not only help you to get noticed, but will make you an even more valuable member of your team as we get into the regular season.

 

So watch with intent.  Watch with purpose.  Take every opportunity you can to make yourself better.
 

 

Keep Working Hard, Dreaming BIG and Taking Action.

 

 

Your friend and coach,
 

Kim

 

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS

Director, Total Female Hockey

Girls Hockey Director, PEAC School For Elite Athletes

 

 

 

Something interesting happens when you move up to the next level. Whether it’s from high school to college, college to national team or atom to peewee, the reality is that when most players make the jump from one age group or ability level to the next one up, they go from being the big fish in a  small pond to being a fish out of water.  I’ll give you an example.

 

This past weekend I was coaching at and watching a huge Midget AA tournament with 40 teams here in Toronto area.  I’d guess that I’ve probably met or worked with at least 40% of the players at the event through all the various clinics, seminars, workshops and tryouts I’ve run over the years.

 

I found it particularly interesting to watch the players born in 1995 and 1996 who are playing their first season at the Midget level.  These kids were one of the better players on their bantam teams last year and now they are playing at a level where the game is faster, the time to make plays in much shorter and players can be up to 3 years older. They were the ones who were put out on the ice when there was a minute left and their team needed a goal, were put in net for the “big” games, and were out there blocking shots when they were holding onto a one goal lead at the end of the game.  They were the “go-to” players.

 

Now they are up at the next level - and the playing field is very very different. While a few players will go from being the best at the younger age group to one of the best at the next level up, most players find themselves having to fight their way up the ladder, earning their ice time and sitting on the  bench during crunch time.  And that can be really really hard to handle.

 

When teenaged players, who are so passionate and committed to making themselves and their teams better, go from being the best to being just another player - their confidence takes a serious blow.

 

They are riding the “Confidence Roller Coaster” - where one day they can be the hero and the next they are planted on the bench barely seeing ice - and they start to doubt their worth as a player (and sometimes even as a person) as a result.

 

I remember when this happened to me the first time.  I went from being the “go to” player on my junior team here in Toronto to NCAA Division 1 hockey where I started out as a role player playing a brand-new position (I got moved to forward from defense in my first week at university).

 

So I had finally realized my dream of playing college hockey which I thought would be so amazing and I was learning a brand-new position, firmly planted on the fourth line and trying to make an impression in the limited amount of ice time I was getting. I went from being the top dog to being in the dog house.

 

If this hasn’t happened to you yet, it will.  At some point during every player’s career, they will find themselves on the outside looking in and questioning whether they are ever going to get the opportunity to showcase their skills.

 

:::  So HOW Do You Maintain, Gain and Build Confidence In This Situation?  :::

 

Because you know it’s going to be hard.  You are going to be sitting on that bench, just wishing the coach calls your name for the power-play or to go on the ice in the last few minutes to get the tying goal, and it might be a long while before that opportunity comes.  And you are going to find yourself thinking things like, “What did I do wrong?” or even worse, “Why does she get to go out there? I should be out there.” We’ve all had those thoughts before - where we focus only on what’s best
for us instead of what’s best for the team.  We’re not perfect.  We just want the chance to prove ourselves on the big stage.

 

And when you are sitting there getting frustrated that you haven’t had your big chance yet, you can’t rely on your teammates, parents, and coaches to build up your confidence.  You’ve got to do that yourself.

You do it…

==>  By SETTING goals and GETTING them. <==

The key to getting your mental game in check, pushing through those tough times and building up your confidence is setting goals and then doing whatever it takes to “get” them.

To go back to my story in college - I could have sat there on the bench, buried on the 4th line and thought to myself, “This isn’t fair. How come I’m not getting the chance to go out there?  Why doesn’t the coach like me?”  But I didn’t.

 

I thought to myself - “What can I do to stand out?”

 

Actually, if I’m being completely honest, I thought to myself -  “What can I do out there so that they have no choice but to put me out there when it really counts?”

 

So I decided that I was going to become the best forechecker on the entire team and create turnovers all over the ice.  I knew that my aggressiveness, energy and willingness to commit to being a team player (not worried about the “glory” but about doing my job and playing my role better than anyone else) would be rewarded.  So I pushed myself to be the best forechecker on the team, in the league, in the country.  That was my goal and it gave me an incredible amount of focus.

 

 

And you know what happened? Once I had focused in on that goal and committed myself to achieving it, I started to create a ton of turnovers on the forecheck.  I was starting to get the “lucky” bounces and setting my line-mates up for goals.  Then I found myself getting penalty killing time.  And as I continued to push myself to be the best forechecker possible,  I started to pop in a few goals here and there.  Then I started to creep  up from the 4th line up to the 3rd, then up to the 2nd, where I finally started to get that precious power-play time.  I eventually found myself being one of those players that the coach throws out in the last 2 minutes of the game to get that tying goal.

 

You can imagine how much my confidence went through the roof as a result.  And all because I stayed laser-focused on my goal of being the best forechecker possible. It wasn’t because my coaches were constantly telling me how great I was or because my teammates were giving me pep-talks - I built up my confidence all on my own.

 

::: You will learn more strategies on how to get off the confidence roller-coaster as well as develop laser-like focus and take steps towards your big dreams every single day - in the brand-new
Total Female Hockey MENTAL PERFORMANCE PLUS package. :::

 

Click on the link below to get started with MENTAL PERFORMANCE PLUS:

http://totalfemalehockeyclub.com/products/mental_performance_plus/

 

Keep Working Hard, Dreaming BIG and Taking Action.

 

Your friend and coach,

 

Kim

 

 

PS - As of Friday at midnight, the price goes up permanently from $27 to $47, so make sure you take action before then get in on the low introductory offer.

 

Click on the link below to get started with MENTAL PERFORMANCE PLUS:

http://totalfemalehockeyclub.com/products/mental_performance_plus/

 

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS

Director, Total Female Hockey
Girls Hockey Director, PEAC School For Elite Athletes

 

You’ve heard that sports are 80% mental and 20% physical before.  Well I remember hearing that for the first time as a young player and I honestly thought - “Yeah right”.  I believed the game was 90+% my physical ability on the ice and maybe 10% my mental game at most.

 

So I spent the majority of my time and energy focusing on my physical skills and barely any time on the mental side of the game. But unlike most of the girls I played against, I did at least spend some of my time on developing my mental game. Most players don’t worry about the mental side at all, so I was doing myself a big favor by spending time setting goals, developing focus and building confidence.  I looked at it like this - if I could get that 10% edge on the competition by working on my mental game off the ice, that would give me a huge physical advantage on the ice.

 

Every young player I’ve spoken to in the last 3 years (over 5000 players) has said that they want to achieve the same 2 BIG goals -playing college hockey and playing for their national team. So with that many people chasing after the same goals - wouldn’t you want to give yourself any extra advantage you could get?

 

::: So whether you think the mental game is worth 80% or 10% of your performance, doesn’t it make sense to work on it so that you can really stand-out from the competition? :::

 

I’ve created the brand-new MENTAL PERFORMANCE PLUS package for you to help you gain the mental and physical edge on the competition and move you closer to you dreams.

 

Click on the link below to get started today:

 

http://totalfemalehockeyclub.com/products/mental_performance_plus/

 

 

You’ll learn how to:

 

::  Break down your BIG goals so you know exactly what you need to do tomorrow to move yourself closer to your dreams.

 

::  Develop laser-like FOCUS so you can focus on what’s important on the ice and avoid the distractions that keep knocking you off your game.

 

::  Build up rock-solid CONFIDENCE so that you stay on track to realizing your dreams even when you hit bumps in the road.

 

I created this step-by-step mental performance plan for you so that you have a personal plan in place to take you from where you are now to where you want to be.  Because it’s easy for us to set big goals for ourselves -  but it’s much harder to actually “get” them.  That’s what MENTAL PERFORMANCE PLUS is all about.

 

In addition to getting a step-by-step manual to help you set goals effectively, develop laser-like focus and build rock-solid confidence, you will also get 3 follow-along lessons from me  where I will show you how to take the information and apply it immediately.

 

If you find yourself….
 

:: Getting distracted by things you have no control over on the ice, like the other team, the refs or who’s in the stands watching?

 

:: Beating yourself up after you make a mistake and not being able to recover or get your game back on track?

 

:: Riding the confidence roller-coaster - feeling good about yourself when you have a great game but questioning your worth as a player when you play a bad game?

 

:: Spending a lot of time and energy trying to figure out exactly what you need to do to move closer to your dreams - but having no idea whether you are actually on the right track?

 

… Then you need to get your mental performance plan in place.

 

For the next 3 days only, you will get the MENTAL PERFORMANCE PLUS package - with the step-by-step manual and follow-along lessons - for a ridiculously low introductory price.

 

In fact, because I know first-hand how critical having your mental performance plan in place is if you want to get to the next level, I packed the MENTAL PERFORMANCE PLUS package full of information and inspiration and made it so affordable that everyone who wants the opportunity to  take their mental and physical game to the next level can have it.

 

Click on the link below to get started with MENTAL PERFORMANCE PLUS:

 

http://totalfemalehockeyclub.com/products/mental_performance_plus/

 

Don’t let your mental game keep you from taking your physical game to the next level.

 

Your friend and coach,

 

 

Kim

 

 

PS - As of Friday at midnight, the price goes up permanently, so make sure you take action before then get in on the low introductory offer.

 

Click on the link below to get started with MENTAL PERFORMANCE PLUS:

 

http://totalfemalehockeyclub.com/products/mental_performance_plus/

 

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS
Director, Total Female Hockey

Girls Hockey Director, PEAC School For Elite Athletes
 

 

 

After 15+ years of experience playing, training and coaching in girls’ and women’s hockey, I can tell you that the biggest difference between male and female hockey is CONFIDENCE.  Boys tend to be OVER-confident in their abilities, while girls tend to be UNDER-confident in themselves.

 

Let me give you an example…

 

A few years back, when I was coaching a team of 11-12 year olds, I had one player who had never scored a goal before in a game.  She never complained about it or got frustrated, but like any player she wanted to feel the excitement and pride of putting the puck in the net.

 

And then in one game, it all came together.  Not only did this player score her first goal ever - she actually scored a hat-trick!  You can only imagine how excited the rest of us were on the bench, watching her play one of her best games ever.  When the game was finished, I went up to congratulate her on all her patience and hard work - which finally paid off in a great performance.

 

And you’ll never guess what she said to me…

 

“But I made that stupid pass on the power-play and they scored!”

 

And she was right.  She made a blind pass across our zone on the  power-play breakout that got picked off by their penalty killer who got a breakaway and scored.  It was definitely a noticeable mistake.  BUT - it is also not something that should over-shadow the fact this player scored her first three goals ever all in one game!

 

I shared this “Hat Trick” story last night at a seminar I gave to coaches. And every time I tell it in person, everyone in the room nods their heads in agreement.  Because as ridiculous as that young player’s reaction seems, we’ve all seen it before.  I know that I definitely would have responded in the same way when I was her age!

 

Most of the girls hockey players I’ve met - myself included - have a horrible habit of constantly downplaying our accomplishments.  It’s like we think nothing is ever good enough.  This isn’t a completely negative thing - because it pushes us to want to be better. But being unable or unwilling to own your accomplishments does absolutely nothing for building up our confidence.

 

So… WHY do we do this in the first place?

 

I can tell you that it’s not because we’re fishing for compliments. We don’t say things like, “I sucked that game” or “I’m the worst player ever” because we want our teammates, parents or coaches to tell us how wonderful we are.  When someone tells us we played a “good game”, we don’t say “I could have done X, Y and Z better” because we truly believe that we aren’t any good. 

 

The truth is - we’re scared of being good.

 

If a player wants to play at the next level, and is willing to put in the time and energy needed to get there, she runs the risk of being seen as an over-achiever or kiss-up by her teammates.  We worry that if we take ownership of our accomplishments and graciously accept the praise of others, people are going to think we’re “cocky”.  It takes a tremendous amount of confidence to push yourself towards your dream, risk failure and face the judgement of others. Some people are going to be supportive while others might not believe that you can do it.

 

I will never forget how one of my teammates in high school openly doubted  the fact I would reach my dream of playing NCAA hockey at an Ivy League school.  She wasn’t even discrete about it - she thought I was being cocky and unrealistic in pursuing my lofty goals.  And the truth is, she could have been right.  After all, who would have thought that someone who only started playing at the age of 13 had any business dreaming about playing hockey at one of the best academic and athletic schools in North America.  I can totally see how she might have thought I was being unrealistic. It bothered me that she would say these negative things about me and I could have started to doubt myself, question my decision to pursue the dream and let my foot off the gas.

 

But I didn’t.

 

Everyone who has realized a lofty goal has faced adversity. You see it time and time again in sport, school and life. In hockey, those challenges can come in the form of injuries, getting cut, or having people tell you that you can’t make it.

 

All of these things make us doubt ourselves and grate on our confidence.  This self-doubt and lack of confidence can plague even the most talented players.  Because no matter how talented or motivated a player is, the hardest part about developing confidence is that it’s NOT something anyone can give you.

 

Confidence doesn’t come from your teammates, coach or parents.  They can support you along the way as you pursue your goals.  But at the end of the day, you are responsible for your own confidence. You HAVE to learn how to build up YOUR OWN confidence. Because if you don’t, and you rely on getting it from others, you risk being disappointed and frustrated when they don’t give you everything you need.

 

So… HOW exactly do you build confidence?

 

For the next few weeks, I will be sharing more secrets about how to take your mental game to the next level - including ideas on how to build confidence, develop focus, avoid distractions & recover from mistakes.

 

:::  FOR PLAYERS - I am going to be releasing a brand-new “Mental Performance Program” in the next few weeks to help you map out a plan for taking your confidence, focus and composure to the next level as you pursue your goals and dreams. :::

 

:::  FOR COACHES, who have players who are all over the map when it comes to their mental game, you can get complete access to all of my mental performance resources for coaches - as well as all the nutrition, off-ice training and off-ice planning you need to have your most successful season ever - as part of an exclusive limited-time offer that runs out this Friday night (Sept 10) at midnight.

 

In fact, I am practically giving away 2 of my most effective and easy-to-use
player development packages to the first 30 coaches to take action.

 

To learn more about this exclusive offer for coaches, click on the link below:

 

 

http://totalfemalehockeyclub.com/coaching_system/exclusive_offer/

 

We’ll talk more about HOW to build up confidence next week.  In the meantime, Keep Working Hard, Dreaming Big and Taking Action.
 

Your friend and coach,

 

 

~ Kim

 

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS
Director, Total Female Hockey

Girls Hockey Director, PEAC School For Elite Athletes

 

 

Here’s what determines the level of success a girls’ hockey player achieves:

It’s NOT…

::  The team you play for
::  The camps you go to
::  Or the coaches you listen to

And it’s NOT…

::  How hard you shoot
::  How fast you skate
::  How fit you are

What truly separates good players from the great ones is the mental side of their game.     

I’ve talked a lot about confidence and focus in the past, but today I want to talk about something even bigger than that…

Your EXPECTATIONS.

A great player doesn’t wish, hope, want or strive for success.

She EXPECTS it.

She 100% believes in her ability to successfully achieve her goals.

This doesn’t happen overnight - it is a process. Success breeds success.  And it’s the accumulation of small victories over time in practice, in the gym and in games that lead to bigger victories and help you to believe that you can achieve any goal you set your mind to.

When I think back to my final year of high school, I realize that I expected to be the best player every time I hit the ice.  Whether I always succeeded in being the best player or not, I expected that I would be and that’s what drove my success.  I didn’t just want to be the best - I expected it.

So what are your expectations for yourself when you hit the ice?

Are you holding yourself to a high enough standard?

Or are you letting yourself off the hook? 

Are you stepping outside your comfort zone?

Or are just playing up to your potential? 

Are you consistently making the hard choice to be great?

Or are you making the easy choice and just going along with the crowd?

As we head into the second half of the season, a new year and new decade, you need to start setting higher expectations for yourself and holding yourself accountable to meeting and exceeding your goals. 

You’ll be amazed at what can happen when you believe in your ability to achieve all the success you’ve dreamed of.

Work Hard, Dream BIG and Expect Success.

~ Coach Kim

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS

Director, Total Female Hockey

Girls Hockey Director, PEAC School For Elite Athletes

As a coach who works with girls hockey players both on and off the ice, I help players develop the skill and athleticism they need to take their game to the highest level possible.  But there is one thing that a player absolutely MUST have if they want to realize their hockey dreams - and it’s the one thing that I, and every other coach out there, CAN’T teach.

We can teach you all the skills you need to play at the elite level… But we can’t teach you PASSION. 

We can show you all the systems and strategies…But we can’t teach you how to be committed or dedicated. 

That has to come from inside YOU. 

The difference between good players and great female hockey players is very, very small.  Players who can skate, shoot, pass, save and stickhandle are a dime-a-dozen, but players who have the uncommon level of desire to become the best are very rare. 

You have to be willing to do things that other players aren’t willing to do in order to separate yourself from the competition.  Because it’s those things you choose to do when no one else is watching that will make you stand out from the crowd.

Great players choose to be excellent every day. 

They don’t just show up for the big games.  They put in the same level of effort, whether it is the championship game of a tournament or a normal weekday practice.  They finish every single drill as hard as they can, even if their teammates are slacking off.  They set goals for themselves before they hit the ice so that they can stay laser-focused on what they want
to achieve.  They also put the same level of commitment and dedication into what they do off the ice.  They train off the ice all year around and they stretch before they go to bed each night.  They make healthy nutrition choices and make sure they are drinking enough water.  They spend ten extra minutes working on their stick-handling and shooting every night.  They work as hard in the classroom as they do on the ice.

Let’s be honest - this stuff isn’t “sexy”.  It’s much more fun to go to practice or play games.  And it’s much easier to be motivated when there are 15 other players chasing after the same goal. 

But great players don’t make the easy choice.  They make the HARD choices and hold themselves to a higher standard.  

Because if making it to the next level was easy, everyone would be there. 

There is a huge difference between saying that you want to be the best and actually taking the action necessary to move closer to your dreams.
 

If you want to be the best, you have to choose to be excellent every day.

Because that just what elite female hockey players do. 

Excellence doesn’t just happen when you are out on the ice.  It happens as a result of all the little choices you make on and off the ice each and every day - when no one else is watching or keeping score.

Keep Working Hard, Dreaming BIG and Taking ACTION.

~ Coach Kim
 

Director, Total Female Hockey

Today is my 30th birthday, and as a special gift to you, I wanted to share this interview that I did about the mental game in girls hockey with my friend Kevin Neeld, who is a former elite hockey player and an off-ice player development coach as well. Enjoy!

KN: Kim, I’d like to start off by asking you a question that a teacher of mine once asked me: What percentage of hockey performance do you think is mental?

I have two answers to this. In the beginning, when players are still acquiring basic skills, like skating, passing and shooting, that you might be at a 50-50% split between mental and physical. Once players have the ability to play the game without having to consciously think about performing the physical skills, I’d say we shift closer to a 70% mental and 30% physical split. I’ve played with and against many players who were great practice players – but as soon as they had to think on the move during the course of their game, their skill all but disappears.

KN: I think we all have played with players like that! Considering that such a high percentage of performance is mental, what aspect of hockey players’ mentality do you notice is preventing them from playing their best?

I would say the two biggest challenges for players on the mental side of the game are a lack of confidence and a negative attitude. The lack of confidence issue I see more in girls hockey than in boys hockey, but it is a big issue in both games. Players constantly downplay their accomplishments and allow the one or two little mistakes they made overshadow their overall performance. I had a player score her ?rst goal last season (she actually scored a hat-trick) and yet she was angry after the game because of one stupid pass she made on the power-play.

Players will say things like, “I sucked today” or “I played the worst game ever” when they make a few mistakes out there. Hockey is a game of mistakes and I can count on one hand the number of “perfect games” I played in my 10-year career. I always made a few mistakes - the important thing is to move on as quickly as possible and focus on the next shift. The negative attitude issue is huge in both boys and girls hockey. It drives me crazy when players say, “I can’t do that”, “I can’t shoot a high backhand”, “I can’t score”. Using the word “can’t” automatically puts you in a negative mindset and you basically give yourself permission to under-perform on that skill. I’m not saying players need to be 100% positive all the time, but there is never an instance where positivity will hurt you - and negativity always will.

KN: I can’t agree more. I’m an outspoken supporter of unconditional optimism, in sports and in life. I know you went into great detail about this in your book “Best Hockey Season Ever”, fill us in on what hockey players can do to correct these performance-limiting attitudes?

Players need to own their accomplishments and own their strengths. There is nothing wrong with saying “Thanks” after someone tells you that you played a great game. You aren’t being conceited – you are acknowledging your accomplishment. On the same note, players need to know what they are good at and commit to being the best at those things each and every time they are out on the ice. All too often, players get wrapped up and focus on their weaknesses instead of showcasing their strengths. Don’t get me wrong – players have to improve their weaknesses as well, but they also need to know what they are best at and commit to being the best at those things all the time. The negativity issue is a hard one to fix, but it can be as simple as getting players to stop slamming their stick against the boards in frustration after missing a sure goal. That’s a little step in the right direction that will get them to think about being more positive.

KN: Great point. Taking small steps and cutting back a few negative behaviors is a great way to start improving your playing mentality. Most people are familiar with the fact that an off-ice training program can help improve the strength, speed, power, and conditioning of ice hockey players. I’m a strong believer that these things are just the tip of the iceberg. Do you notice changes in your players’ confidence and mental toughness after a few months of training?

My favorite thing about off-ice training is the psychological benefit it gives players. I know that when I was a young player, I took great pride in the fact that none of the other girls I played with trained as hard as I did off the ice. I may not have been as skilled as them on the ice, but I knew that I was fitter, faster, and stronger. Quite often, when it comes to off-ice training, the most skilled player on the team isn’t the best athlete off the ice. Sometimes it’s the 4th liner who is the most fit. While fitness isn’t the only thing that will get that player better on the ice, the confidence they will gain knowing that they are in the best shape will have tremendous benefits to their performance.

KN: I felt the same way when I trained! As a 13 year-old I got cut from a Bantam Tier II 2nd team! I remember training that whole year just knowing that nobody was working as hard as me off the ice, treating the whole world as my competition. It sounds like that mentality paid off for both of us!

For anyone that hasn’t already looked into this, Kim has put together the most comprehensive resource for youth hockey players that I’ve ever seen. It includes step-by-step formulas to improve your training, nutrition, and mental preparedness. It’s truly a must-have for dedicated hockey players (and coaches!). Click here to read more about how Kim’s Book, “The Best Hockey Season Ever” can start helping you compete at a higher level.

KN: Thanks for taking the time Kim!

My pleasure Kevin.

Keep Working Hard and Dreaming BIG.

~ Coach Kim

To be honest, being an elite athlete is a pretty selfish pursuit. And becoming an elite female hockey player is no exception.

Most of your decisions in day-to-day life are guided by the question, “Will this make me a better player or not?” You make a commitment to be your very best and your choices reflect that commitment. It is very easy to become “ME” focused, even when you are playing a team sport.

But is that really what you should focus on if you want to be the best female hockey player possible?

A perfect example of wanting to showcase your skills to standout is going on right now here in Ontario, where we are in the midst of our Under-16 team tryouts. As the off-ice player development coach at these tryouts, I always address the issue of what players can do to stand-out in these highly competitive situations. Having and showcasing individual skills is critical in these tryouts, but there is another really great way to help yourself be seen a great player…

=> By using your individual skills to make the players around you better.

The best example of a player who does this better than any other women’s hockey player I have seen in Jennifer Botteril (pictured above). Jen is the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer and a three-time Olympian for many reasons, but one of the biggest reasons she is such a great player is that she makes everyone around her better when she’s on the ice. I honestly believe Jen could be on a line with two 10 year olds and she could make them look like Olympians. Her game sense and ability to distribute the puck to the right place at the right time can only be described as uncanny. Sure, she’s a great skater, passer, stickhandler, shooter etc, but it is her ability to make her teammates better that really makes her standout.

I remember back to my junior year of college when I first started focusing as much on how I could make my teammates better as I did on making myself better. Shifting my focus not only allowed me to help our team be better, but it took some of the pressure off me (mostly self-inflicted) to always be the best. That small change in focus had profound effects on my linemates’ performance as well as my own.

So while you need to be very focused on what you need to do and want to achieve individually in order to become the best female hockey player you can be, you will really start to take your game to the next level once you start focusing on how you can make the players around you better as well.

Work Hard, Dream BIG and Make Your Teammates Better.

Your friend and coach,

~ Kim

I’m seeing a disturbing pattern emerge with many of the girls hockey players I am working with this season - and the season hasn’t even started yet. Whether during practices, games or off-ice training, every single day I hear players saying the most dangerous word in girls hockey over and over again…CAN’T.

“I can’t crossover that way”.

“I can’t shoot a backhand”.

“I can’t do push-ups”.

It’s not that they can’t do the skills at all - they just can’t do them as well as they would like to be able to yet.

And every time I hear them use the word “Can’t”, I want them to add that powerful word afterwards…”YET”.

I can’t do push-ups….YET.

I can’t shoot a backhand…YET.

I can’t do crossovers that way…YET.

Lack of confidence is by far the biggest problem among girls hockey players.

And I simply will not allow the players I work with to dis-empower themselves by using this negative language.

Ideally, they wouldn’t use the word “can’t” at all. But I know, having been a young female hockey player myself, that the journey towards positive thinking and speaking can be a long one.

So I am starting off small.

For right now, all my players will add a “yet” onto every “can’t” statement I hear them say.

It’s a little step in the right direction, but it will make a HUGE difference in the long run.

If you are a girls hockey coach or parent, please try this strategy out with your players and let me know how it works.

Remember - it’s our small actions that lead us to our BIG DREAMS.

So Keep Working Hard, Dreaming BIG and Stay Positive.

Your friend and coach,

~ Kim