Handling Fear in Youth Hockey (Conclusion)

This is the conclusion of an article first published at hockeythinktank.com. It is a must read for any hockey parent. Topher Scott is a Hockey Director of a youth AAA club in Central NY. Special Thanks to Topher for taking the time to share your message.

So How do We Change it?

There are two ways to reverse the fear that permeates our youth hockey world.

1. Proper parent and coach education

2. Reminding people to reflect upon their “Why”

Very few organizations invest time and effort into coaching or parent education.  And in my opinion, those are the two things that are most important to building a good team or organizational culture.

Coaches need to be prepared to better themselves not only about the game of hockey, but about teaching, leadership, communication, etc…  Organizations should be holding drill shares, putting on seminars, encouraging their coaches to be on the ice with other teams, and much, much more.  The better we can educate our coaches, the better our players will be.

And parent education…this is an absolute must.  We need to educate the parents about the youth hockey journey, what it entails, and what lies at the end of the ride.  Education can minimize the FOMO that so many feel as it provides expectations and knowledge about the process their kids (and themselves) will go through.

At the Hockey Think Tank, we put together a Parent Guidebook to help hockey parents out there.  Hopefully it can help any of you trying to navigate the youth hockey journey.  Click here to download: https://thehockeythinktank.com/parent-guidebook/

And what is the first section in the Guidebook?

“What is your Why?”

Parents: Why did you put your kid in youth hockey? I would guess that 90% of you put them in there to make friends, build character, exercise, and learn life lessons.

Coaches: Why did you want to coach youth hockey? I would guess that 90% of you started coaching to make a positive impact on kids.

When we take a step back and remember our why, the stress and insanity seem so juvenile.  We get so caught up in the craziness that we often forget the noble reasons we chose to put our kids into sports in the first place.  That fear we once felt…for many it just dissipates because our kids becoming good people is what really matters…not them becoming superstars.

My hope in writing this piece is that people involved in youth hockey can be encouraged to take a breath.  Take a step back and remember what youth sports should be about.  Only then can we process what makes us fearful about the journey we’re in and begin to take the steps necessary to mitigate it.  And only then can we begin to change the culture so more kids, coaches, and families can enjoy the greatest game on the planet.