What a great showcase of women’s hockey talent last night!  Being Canadian, I am particularly excited about the outcome, but I also honestly believe they were the stronger team and they executed better in the big game.

In my opinion, there is one single reason the Canadian women’s hockey team won the Olympic gold last night:

==>  PREPARATION

::  They played 50+ games in the 6 months leading up to the games.

::  They participated in grueling “boot camps” that involved early morning runs, intense practices and countless hours of weight training, mental training sessions and conditioning.

:: They’ve been training together for the last 7 months…but many of these women have been training for this moment for well over a decade.  Players like Hayley Wickenheiser, who has been on the national team for the last 16 years, have dedicated their entire life to this great sport.

But more than all of that long-term preparation.

They truly believed in their teammates’ ability to succeed.  For example, any one of the 3 Canadian goalies could have played in that gold-medal game.  Two of them have proven themselves on the Olympic stage before, and one, Szabados, was the “rookie”.  When the rookie was put in net for the biggest game of her life last night, no one batted an eye.  There was no doubt in their minds that they were going to win.  And that’s one big reason why they did.

I know I am going to enjoy the BIG win all day today.  Even if you aren’t from Canada, celebrate the fact that women’s hockey was once again front and center on the world stage and all the teams did their country and their sport proud.

Keep Working Hard & Dreaming BIG.

~ Coach Kim

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS

Director, Total Female Hockey

Girls Hockey Director, PEAC School For Elite Athletes