The Mental Grind

The word “Grind” is used all over the place in the hockey world. We all know about grinding out shifts, grinding out close games, and grinding out long weekends spent at one of our amazing Michigan hockey tournaments. A topic of discussion that has picked up in recent years is mental health, for not only professional athletes, but for everyone in the world. The past nearly two years have taken a toll on everyone, and now that everyone’s lives are starting to ramp back up into hyperdrive, it is important to keep in mind that the most important thing in life is one’s health, both physically and mentally.

A child’s life from our perspective may seem carefree, but with the advent of the internet, social media, and instant gratification, the mentality of a child has changed. While some of these tools have made the world a better place, it has also opened the door for issues as well. Our young athletes mentality is very different than we experienced growing up, and a lot of things may be difficult to help with.

Positive encouragement and constructive critique is great for a young boy or girl, but like anything should be done in moderation. Understanding a coaches directive and helping encourage that also creates consistency in a very confusing sport. Just like a lot of parent out there, kids are learning the game too. Creating a consistent message helps players better understand the game and help in creating confidence. If you as a parent do not understand a topic, or maybe do not understand a coaches philosophies or reasonings, it is always good to ask questions. Be sure that the conversation is conversational, not confrontational. Coaches are there to help the kids learn, and every teacher, be it educational or otherwise have their own techniques to help kids learn. Not every kid learns the same way so there may be some non-traditional teachings to help everyone not only learn, but have fun doing so.