Page 21 - The Hockey Academy News February 2018

is upset about the way things have gone. “My child did not get enough time on the power play; my child was benched during the game for no reason.” I hear it all and I wonder why must we make this harder than it has to be? Do you as a parent pay attention to the bigger picture? Do you tell your son or daughter to work harder and that not everything in sport, or in life for that matter, will go their way? What are you hoping your child takes away from their youth sporting experiences? Is it to learn life lessons through a structured athletic environment? Is it to play NCAA or even professional hockey? Attached is some data that shows you just how hard that really
is. I am not here to discourage kids from following their dreams or shooting for the stars. Players develop at different paces, follow a variety of different paths and ultimately wind up at varying levels of play including, but not limited to,
high school, junior, collegiate or professional hockey. However, it is the players that have the passion and drive from within that are more likely to move on to the higher levels. It is the player that must have this passion, not the parent. It is the parent’s responsibility to support them and it is the coaches’ responsibility to help them develop. If your child continues to want to go to the rink, is developing, and is happy, then they are where they should be. Let’s not remove our children from
a positive environment because we as parents want our kids to be that 11.7% of boys or 24.1% of girls. The player will get there because THEY have earned it and because THEY want it.
As we approach tryout season let’s remember the big picture and attempt to not get caught up in the drama of youth sports. Tell our players to work hard, listen to their coaches and most importantly, have fun!
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