I already know that this post is going to bother some people.  But after spending the last two weekends at huge tournaments surrounded by players, parents, and coaches who are equally  passionate about succeeding, I feel this needs to be said. 

A few times every season, I need to rant.  I’m starting early this year.  So here it goes.

There is one HUGE problem that is plaguing girls hockey right now that players, parents and coaches all have to take responsibility for.  Not only is it destroying players’ confidence and causing infighting among team members, but it almost always back-fires.

We have completely gotten away from the TEAM FIRST mentality.

It’s all about “me”…

… “I’ve got to score goals so I get noticed and recruited”.
… “But coach - I play centre, not wing”.
… “If I was out there in the final minute of the game, we would have won.”

… and I’m sure you can come up with many more examples of how you’ve seen your teammates, parents or coaching staff use negativity towards someone else in order to make themselves feel better.

We want to play the BLAME game.

- Players blaming their teammates for the loss.
- Parents blaming their daughter’s coach or teammates for a poor performance.
- Coaches blaming questionable calls for losses.
 

It’s time to “own up”.  We want to blame everyone else when things don’t go our way, instead of taking responsibility for our role in it.

You don’t lose hockey games because one player on your team doesn’t pass the puck to you on a 2-on-1.  You don’t lose because the coach  put the “wrong” players out on the power-play.  And you don’t lose because that one kid on your team missed the last 3 practices.

All those things may contribute to the loss. But they aren’t the direct cause. Every single member of the team contributes to every win and loss.  Last time I checked, hockey was still a team sport.  You win together and you lose together - period.  And when you start blaming certain players and coaches, or questioning decisions, here’s the message you’re sending:

::::  When The Going Gets Tough, And You Don’t Come Out On Top, It’s NOT Your Fault. ::::

And that turns into a slippery slope very quickly.  It’s always easier to blame someone else or something else for the loss. It’s a lot harder to take responsibility for your part in the loss and focus on what you need to do to prevent it from happening again.

Becoming the best isn’t about making everyone else feel worse. It’s about making the harder choices, looking at yourself in the mirror and being 100% honest with yourself.

So….

=> Parents:  The next time you get in the car with your daughter and start going off about the bad decisions the coach made or the actions of the other players on your team, please think of the message that you are sending your daughter.

=> Coaches:  The next time you find yourself ranting and raving about how the ref screwed up the game, or about how the other team won only because their coach “stole” all the best players from another team, please think of the message that you are sending your players, parents and staff.
 

=> Players:  The next time you decide that saying negative things about one of your teammates will make you feel better about your own game, think about how you would feel if you found out one of your teammates was saying the same kinds of things about you.

You chose to be involved with a team sport. Which means that you’ve got to act in a way that supports and nourishes the team environment,  even if you’re convinced that someone else screwed everything up.  And in order to be successful, you’ve got to come together in the hard times - not pull apart.   TEAM FIRST. YOU SECOND.
 

Thanks for reading this message - please keep it in mind as you go through this new season and pass it along to anyone else that you think might benefit from it.

Keep Working Hard, Dreaming BIG and Taking Responsibility.

Your friend and coach,
 

Kim
 

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS

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

I apologize in advance for this. Reading this post could cost you between $100-300…  But it might be the little difference between getting to the next level or not.  

I have been on a little bit of a rampage with my players lately about their choice of stick, more specifically, the flex of their stick,  and I thought I should relay the message on to you too.  

I think I might be getting old.  Back when I played midget and junior female hockey in the late 90’s, I can honestly say I maybe saw three or four punches thrown in an entire season.  Even when I was playing in the elite women’s leagues, I only saw three fights over the course of 6 years.

So I’m not really sure how to explain why over the past two weekends, in the 20+ bantam, midget and junior games I’ve watched, I have seen at least 7 “fights”.  And while no gloves or helmets came off, punches were definitely thrown.

My question is:  WHY?

Is girls’ hockey more aggressive than it was 10 years ago?  Not a chance.  Are the players faster and stronger than they were a decade ago?  Maybe slightly.  But the best players from the late 90’s would still be great players today.

I would actually argue that the rule changes in girls’ hockey that happened a few years ago, when we adopted the NHL rules of no interference have actually created a breeding ground for violence in the female game.

Let me explain what I mean.

Back when I was playing midget, junior and women’s college hockey, obstruction and interference were still allowed in the women’s game.
There was a lot more contact on a regular basis out on the ice and we, as players, came to expect the fact that things were going to
get physical in the corners, on the boards and in front of the net.

But now that the rules have changed, girls aren’t expecting as much contact out on the ice.  And when someone pushes them or gets in their way, they take exception to it.  And unfortunately, that sometimes boils over into punches being thrown.

Let me be very clear about this.

If my players ever throw a punch, I bench them.  Period.  Sometimes I even kick them out of the game myself. 

I don’t care if they were punched first and I don’t care if they are defending a teammate.  There is NEVER a good reason to throw a punch out on the ice.  I want my players to defend their teammates.  But there is a big difference between pushing a player out of the way and clocking them in the side of the head.   There is a big difference between being aggressive and being stupid.

Just a little something I had to get off my chest as we head into the holiday season.

Work Hard, Dream BIG and Be Smart.

~ Coach Kim

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS?

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

It’s official - I feel a rant coming on. Training camps have been underway for many girls hockey teams here in Ontario for the last few weeks. Coaches, parents and players are looking for ways that they can get an “edge” on their competition for next season…and that means one thing, and one thing only…they have to do MORE. More ice time, more practice, more exhibition games, more tournaments…MORE, MORE, MORE. There was once at time, not long ago, where the idea of girls hockey players even having access to more ice time was unthinking (ie. 15 years ago when I started playing). But now girls teams are getting more opportunity to skate than ever. And unfortunately, they are on the ice more than ever. Here’s why that’s the last thing we need….
(more…)

Let’s be honest - 15 years ago, playing women’s hockey was seen as more of a hobby. Now it has become just as serious as the men’s game. And with that shift, more players, parents and coaches are looking for the fastest possible route to their dreams. Parents send their kids to hockey schools expecting their skating to be 10% faster or their shot to be 25% harder because that’s what the school is selling them on. It’s an effective advertising strategy and, to be honest, kids can make tremendous gains in a short period of time…but does it last?
(more…)

The “5 Player Rule” in women’s hockey has absolutely nothing to do with the number of players out on the ice. On every team, there are usually 5 players who are really dedicated and driven to get to the next level. It’s not that the other players aren’t trying their hardest or giving their best. It’s just that they’re not quite as focused on getting to the elite level. It’s neither good nor bad…but it is a reality.
(more…)

Yesterday, I spent the day with my friend Darin Gillis and his U16 Ohio Flames girls hockey team doing off-ice fitness testing, dryland training, and workshops on performance nutrition, goal setting and how to get noticed and recruited by women’s college hockey teams as part of the first Total Female Hockey Elite Player Development Camp I’ve done in Ohio (the next camp is in Chicago next weekend). Now that the entire team has been assessed, they know what they need to improve on and they have the resources that will help them get better , they are armed with all the information they need to take their performance to the next level.

I truly believe every girls hockey player deserves the same level of access and the opportunity to learn exactly what it takes to become an elite female hockey player. But they don’t - yet.
(more…)

Players who aspire to play at the highest level either “get it” or they don’t. You have to put in the hard work off the ice in the off-season or else you will be left behind. While more girls hockey players are training than ever before, many of them will not get the pay-off they deserve when they hit the ice in the fall because of self-sabotage. So here are the 9 most common ways players sabotage their summer training. Make sure to avoid these if you want to be at your best in September and all season long.
(more…)

I train female hockey players. Period. I used to train male hockey players too. But I just couldn’t do it anymore - and here’s the 3 reasons why.
(more…)

OK so this week seems to be the unofficial, “Kim Rants About Everything To Do With Girls Hockey” week, but now that I am in the rink almost every day during playoff time, I am seeing and hearing a lot of things that really make my blood boil. Last night, I got two separate emails from girls hockey coaches who wanted to know what they should do in their last few practices leading up to the big playoff games. Before I could even get a word out, one of the “details” of the practices left me speechless….
(more…)